Kageyama was always one to mind his business. He once heard his mother bragging to other parents at a Parent -Teacher interview.

"Tobio's so good with his manners! He always says 'please' and 'thank you' and he always minds his place! He never bothers the other children with all that nosiness." He distinctly remembers the dubious expressions on the others parents faces.

He supposed his mother was to focused on admiring how amazing her son was to actually realize that he simply didn't care. He was too busy fiddling with his child's sized volley-ball and ordering the other children around the playground to care about 'all that nosiness'.

Then again, if she had realized she'd probably have chirped on about how he was 'a natural born leader' and 'so focused on his goals'. She was always so proud of her 'amazing little Tobio'. Even after the disaster that was his time at Kitagawa Daiichi she simply chirped on about how his team and coaches were 'so near-sighted and jealous' and how he was 'handling it so well! He'd never let anything so minor hold him back!'

He wasn't of course. Handling it well.

Not at all, really; but she hardly had time between her job and benefit parties to notice. She prided herself on being 'an upstanding member of society' and Kageyama knew that she had only the best intentions behind her oblivious behavior and incessant boasting.

Now though, he was beginning to regret his lack of interest in other people's personal lives.

Because now there was Hinata Shoyo.

Hinata Shoyo was a very open person. He knew he lived a ways away, he knew he peddled to school everyday - over a mountain, for the love of god -, and he knew he had a little sister. However, other than that he was forced to admit that he knew very little about his unlikely best-friend's personal life.

He didn't know his sister's name, or that of his parents. He didn't know if Hinata had always lived in the same house, or had moved. He didn't know if he had any pets or how he felt about his neighbors or if he even had any. He didn't know anything about his house - the guy could live in a box under a bridge or a mansion and he wouldn't have a clue.

And he certainly had no idea about Hinata's father.

He didn't know his name, or what he did, or if he was old or young. He didn't know why he was away for what seemed like a very long time, if he lived with Hinata, if he was married or if Hinata's parents had separated like his, and he certainty didn't know why his return had Hinata in such high spirits.

And all of that was very annoying.

Worse was the way that everyone else seemed to be slightly confused just like him. Because apparently no one had even been aware that Hinata's dad wasn't at home at this very moment. And they wouldn't. No one made it a habit to ask about anyone's personal lives beyond the ever constant 'are you dating anyone yet!?' from Tanaka. Still, the confusion didn't seem to bother the others as much as it did Kageyama.

And that too was very annoying.

Hinata seemed to realize his mistake as he bounced slightly to the left, readjusting the shoulder strap of his bag, and tossing his head shyly in the other direction. Yet another thing Kageyama didn't know was how his hair could be so spiky and fluffy at the same time.

Again, annoying.

"He's been on a business trip for a while," Hinata supplied brightly.

As if he thought it was the most wonderful news he'd ever heard. As if that was enough of an explanation. And to the others it seemed it was.

Kageyama didn't think so. A part of him wanted a thirty page essay on Hinata's entire family history while another was flinching at the thought of having to read Hinata's horrible writing.

"That's great, Hinata!" Encouraged Suga warmly before Kageyama could pry for more information.

The others murmured similar sentiments and Hinata blushed happily at the support. He had opted to ignore Kageyama's petulant grumbling to his left in favor of basking in the attention of his Captain and Vice-Captain. He smiled brightly as Daichi nodded his head in sympathy with Hinata's excitement, a fond smile on his tan face.

"Then you should hurry home to greet him, yeah?"He suggested this lightly, nudging Hinata's back toward the door. Hinata smiled brighter at that before nodding vigorously and grabbing his bag to run out the door. Turning to wave farewell he saw Kageyama distractedly walking to his side and waved excitedly to his team.

A chorus of good-byes rang behind him along with a bright 'Say hi to Papa-Hianta for me!' from Nishinoya.

Hinata giggled at that and out of the corner of his eye he saw Kageyama's brow twitch in the way it did when he heard him laugh.

He still hadn't figured out why he did that.

He unchained his bike from the rack and moved to walk next to Kageyama. He told himself that he did so because of the novelty of walking home together with the sun hardly setting. They would normally have stayed and practiced for a few more hours, the sun being long set by the time he crawled through his front door.

Glancing over at the setter to his right he laughed at the frighteningly intense scowl he wore. That, he was proud to know, was Kageyama's thinking face. The other boy was the possessor of a rare trait that lead any expression he made to be somehow threatening. Hinata was sure it had lead to many enemies and failed friendships over Kageyama's lifetime. It was the funniest thing in the world to him, though.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Kageyama turned to look at him pensively for a moment before looking resolutely forward. Hinata blinked for a few moments before it dawned on him that Kageyama was upset at him.

Somehow. He had no idea why.

He maneuvered himself closer to Kageyama's side, much closer than was entirely necessary, and looked up at his face questioningly. A smile crept across his face at the rose tint that crept across the other's. Hinata knew that Kageyama couldn't exactly handle it when he blatantly stared at him.

Perhaps the fact that he stared at him enough for that to be noticeable would have embarrassed him if he didn't find a flustered Kageyama so amusing. Besides he'd resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't exactly tactful when it came to his actions around his friends a long time ago.

Kageyama sharply looked somewhere up and to the left as if turning away would somehow deter his short companion. Hinata's grin only grew and he pressed that much closer until he was a hair's breadth away from being pressed into Kageyama's side. He loved to push Kageyama's tolerance for these things. The dark-haired boy never could seem to handle Hinata being too close. Hinata would be damned if he didn't milk that fact for all it was worth. Kageyama's eyes widened comically in subdued panic and Hinata made a humming sound in question.

"I didn't know your father was away."

Hinata leaned back and stared as he tried to decipher the rush of panicked words that had fallen from the setter's lips. He tilted his head in confusion as he nodded at Kageyama after comprehension settled in his mind.

"Well, yeah, I never told you."

Kageyama's brows furrowed as he turned to glare at Hinata accusingly, an unspoken 'Why the hell not?' between them. Hinata marveled at how quickly Kageyama's embarrassment faded from mind.

"You never asked. Why does it matter?"

Kageyama opened his mouth irritably, a scathing reply on his tongue before he stopped himself. Why did it matter to him? He hadn't really known anything about Hinata's personal life since the day they had met.

Although it had occurred to him to ask, he had never thought that anything would come of it. Hinata would more than likely have thrown him a suspicious glare, giving him vague answers, and interrogating him on how he thought that would trip him up.

He had assumed that nothing was all that unusual, for Hinata always seemed to be his same cheery self. Further he had never mentioned any disruptions in his family life or offered any information other than the bare basics. Kageyama had assumed that nothing was wrong because Hinata always was obvious when something was wrong.

Even more off-putting, he seemed like the type to brag about his father incessantly, God knows he bragged enough about his sister. But somehow, for some reason, Hinata had never mentioned the father who's return had him in such a tizzy. It seemed as though the man had sprung from thin air to sit upon some imaginary throne in his son's mind.

Hinata had never shown signs of any missing component in his life and had never even mentioned the father who, although missing, appeared to be a very big figure in the spiker's life. All this was highly suspicious to Kageyama, who liked to think he knew the boy rather well. Some immature part of him, the part that still turned it's nose up at every inconvenience, insisted that the man never existed and that Hinata was making the entire fiasco up for attention. Dismissing the ridiculous thought, he frowned deeper at the red-head.

"It's important to you."

They both blinked dumbly at the sudden words from Kageyama and the setter winced at the unspoken 'that makes it important to me'. Hinata stared in shock even after Kageyama had flushed and looked away, and even after he had started to walk again. Kageyama released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he heard feet rushing up next to him accompanied by the muted squeak of the bike chain.

Glancing over subtly to see if Hinata still had that stupid look on his face - he'd hit him if he did - his flush deepened at the wobbly, almost dreamy, smile he wore. Snapping his gaze forward he resolutely looked ahead, willing himself not to think into it to much. Hinata was always a mushy puddle of emotions. Really it was worrying how open he could be at times.

"He's always on business trips, I didn't really think about it."

The admission from Hinata was unexpected, and Kageyama had turned toward him without thinking. He jolted, and turned ahead quickly when he realized that Hinata still wore that damned smile only now his cheeks were lightly flushed - it was from the slight nip in the air, of course - and he was looking shyly at his beat up sneakers.

Kageyama let out a noncommittal grunt, desperately looking ahead. Wow, did they repave this street recently? Looks like fall was rolling in, the air was getting cooler. That's definitely the only reason his face was so red. Why was Hinata so quiet? The silence seemed heavy, why was that? What was he supposed to say here?

"You don't really think a lot, anyway."

Shit. That was decidedly not what he was supposed to say in this situation.

Hinata turned to him sharply, a glare on his face twisted up in an indignant pout.

Kageyama did not miss that dreamy smile. Really, he didn't. Although the pout was nice too.

Hinata huffed and quickened his pace toward the bus station. When had they gotten this close? He stopped just short of the station, tapping his foot impatiently and leveling an annoyed glance at Kageyama. Kageyama hurried up to him before he stood silently next to him. Glancing at Hinata, he still looked pretty pissed. Dammit.

"Well at least I think a lot more than some gloomy bastard I know."

Kageyama bristled at the poorly veiled insult. A threatening smile spread over his face as he turned toward his shorter companion.

By the time the bus has pulled up and opened the doors, they had dissolved into a screaming match, pulling each other's hair while balancing Hinata's bike against the bus sign. Kageyama was still sneering insults as he boarded the bus, pass in hand and walking backwards in order to keep eye contact. In any other situation he'd have been embarrassed at the displeased glare he was getting from the driver and the confounded ones from the sparse passengers.

After taking his seat reluctantly the bus began to pull away when he caught sight of Hinata again. A goofy grin was spread across his face as he mouthed something before peddling away.

"See you tomorrow, Baka-yama!"

He was so caught up in thinking of his best insults that he didn't realize that a smile had spread across his face or question why Hinata always bothered to walk him to the station and wait with him.

If he had, his smile might have matched Hinata's as he made his way up the mountain to attend his father's welcome home party.

What is love? Two souls and one flesh; friendship? Two bodies and one soul."