Daichi and Suga exchanged a worried look and Kageyama felt in the core of his bones that he and Hinata were about to be banned from the gym…again. And this time it wasn't his fault!

Well, mostly not his fault.

Ok, it was his fault.

He hadn't been focusing at all and in turn Hinata's work was suffering. Kageyama had no doubt they were about to receive a lecture and be asked a million questions on why they were positively SUCKING. Really, really badly he might add.

Daichi waved the two of them over. Kageyama looked sideways at Hinata who, when he met his eyes, quickly looked to the ground and jogged ahead of him.

Practices were becoming like a minefield in a warzone. Hinata was everywhere and it was exhausting watching his every step. Kageyama needed to act how he normally would, except it was extremely difficult when he wanted to do the exact opposite.

Normally, he raced Hinata to the clubroom after classes were over, but it fell apart when they both slowed down at the door, simply staring at each other until one of them bit the bullet and walked through first. While he appreciated not crashing into the smaller boy anymore, it left a part of him uncomfortably unsatisfied.

Normally they would hang out a little after practice, the moon rising overhead. That had all but stopped. They only stayed a little while now and only on some days with the two of them claiming other responsibilities at home to leave earlier and earlier. It was bitter sweet to be relieved of Hinata at night and Kageyama didn't really want to dwell on how that made him feel.

And now most recently, their normally sharp quicks were disasters to behold. He couldn't set right if his life depended on it and honestly, it did. But it was so damn hard to toss properly when those dark brown eyes filled to the brim with secrets locked on to him like a vice. Squeezing, squeezing, squeezing the truth out of him until he was certain he would hurl right there under the net. He was pretty sure he hadn't put his brain through this many mental gymnastics ever in his life.

"What's going on you guys?" Daichi looked from Hinata who had yet to take his eyes from the floor to Kageyama who couldn't stop clenching and unclenching his fists. "Did you guys have another fight or something?

"What makes you say that?" Hinata asked the ground.

Suga sighed and rubbed his hand down the side of his face looking like someone's disappointed mother. "You guys haven't been in sync for almost two weeks and some of the others have been asking about you," he said gently. "So did something happen?"

Kageyama lowered his head ashamed. Had he been so obvious?

"I've been dealing with some personal stuff," he said, oh so aware of the way Hinata's head snapped up at the admission, "I'm sorry for causing trouble."

Daichi uncrossed his arms, a look of concern softening his features. "I think you need to take the rest of today off."

"No, wait!" Kageyama said hands balling by his sides, "I'll do better. I can focus!"

Daichi held up a hand to silence his disputes. "You need to clear your head. We have a game coming up in a few days and it won't do anyone any good if you're distracted."

"I could sub in for setter," Suga said shrugging, "But I wouldn't be able to pull off Hinata's quick attack like you do."

Kageyama grimaced but knew arguing would do no good. Being kicked out of practice was the same as being amputated and it was a just punishment for his failure to keep his composure. Better that than being kicked off of the team entirely he supposed.

"You too, Hinata," Daichi said nodding towards the shorter boy.

"Why?!" the two first years hollered in unison.

They both glared at each other. If Hinata had to leave as well it meant being alone with him on the road back home and that was the last thing Kageyama wanted.

"Don't think I haven't been watching you too," Daichi said with an arched eyebrow, "The amount of hesitation I saw in your every move today has me honestly worried."

Hinata? Hesitate? Those two words didn't go together in the slightest. He wouldn't … would he? Were some of Kageyama's failed tosses because Hinata was as distracted as he was? He wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse.

"No way!" Hinata said shaking his head, "I don't do that!"

"Then go perform a perfect quick right now," Daichi deadpanned.

"Uh…"

Hinata twisted his fingers together and Kageyama wanted to smack the back of his head.

"Right," Daichi said putting his hands on his hips "The both of you, out. And I don't want either one of you back here until you've both sorted out what's going on in your heads."

Kageyama wanted to punch a wall but that might end in an injured hand and that would only make setting that much harder, so instead he grit his teeth together and accepted his fate. He turned to leave without another word and noticed his two upperclassman Nishinoya and Tanaka share a look; maybe they had been the ones to voice their concerns to Suga. He had only gone a few feet outside the gym before he was shoved from behind nearly tripping as Hinata pushed past him and ran to the clubroom.

"Hey, watch it!" Kageyama shouted before giving chase.

He was breathing heavily when he skidded in front of the open clubroom door. He could hear Hinata thrashing around inside. He pushed the door open all the way and stepped in. He suddenly had a mouthful of fabric.

"This is all your fault you turd!"

Kageyama pulled Hinata's jacket from off his head to glare at his teammate only to get another shove backwards into the wall.

"How the hell is it my fault?" He argued, retaliating by trying to throw the jacket back into Hinata's face as hard as he could. He missed wildly.

"It just IS!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

Hinata's eyes were squeezed shut as though he were about to scream, his fists balled by his temples.

"Uuugh!" He turned away from Kageyama, kicked at his bag on the floor and sat heavily on one of the chairs, "Never mind!"

"Hmph," Kageyama grumbled before turning his attention to his own property.

It wasn't fair that Hinata was acting like he was the one who deserved to be frustrated. It was his crush on Kageyama that was sliding between them and ruining everything anyway. Kageyama crouched down and zipped shut his duffel bag. He spared another glance at the black jacket he had tossed on the floor.

"This sucks."

Kageyama turned and looked at Hinata who hadn't moved from his position on the chair. His head was in his hands, elbows balanced on the tops of his knees.

"What?"

"I said," Hinata repeated more slowly as he brushed his hands through his hair, "This. Sucks."

"Uh, yeah."

Kageyama had to tear his eyes away from the way orange tufts of hair fluffed back into place between pale fingers. He looked back at the jacket on the ground. After another moment of silence, Hinata spoke.

"Kageyama?"

"What?"

"Do you…I mean…," Hinata sat up again looking everywhere but at Kageyama, "Is there…something you need to like, get off your chest or something?" He started twisting his fingers. "I promise I won't laugh."

Kageyama's mouth scrunched in confusion.

"No," he said standing back up, dragging the strap of his bag over his head.

Hinata was the one harboring feelings…unless, this was his attempt at looking for an opening to confess. Should he give it to him so they could just get it over with? Rip it off like a band-aid? Wasn't this what writing his practice rejection down beforehand was for? He was so tired of volleyball bearing the brunt of this whole messy situation and it would do wonders if they could move past it.

"Do…do you have something?" He watched Hinata carefully, preparing for…well, he didn't honestly know what. Tears? Laughter? Something dramatic like in those soap operas on TV? Instead, Hinata just huffed heavily, his cheeks puffing out the sides of his face.

"Nah." Hinata slapped his knees and stood to properly face his setter, "This still sucks though." Kageyama could only nod. "So let's promise that whatever all this is," Hinata waved his hands around in the direction of everything, "We don't let it keep screwing with volleyball because my brain will go all…all…all bwah if we stop being normal," he said mimicking an explosion. "Can we just, I don't know, ignore it or something?"

Kageyama's head lolled back in relief. "Thank god."

Surprise plastered itself over Hinata's face. "You agree?"

Kageyama couldn't believe that it had taken something as drastic as this to get them to agree on anything. Naturally, their mutual love of volleyball overrode it all in the end.

"You've been weird so I'm glad you're acknowledging it," Kageyama said picking up Hinata's black jacket and dropping it over his head.

"I'm the one being weird?" Hinata said indignantly as he yanked the jacket off, "You're the one who has a cr – ," He suddenly slammed a hand over his mouth. "I mean, you're the one who said he had "personal issues" or whatever."

"Hey! Daichi said you were screwing up too!" Kageyama retorted.

"Only because you couldn't toss for shit!"

"Don't blame me for your problems!"

Hinata shoved at Kageyama slamming them both against the shelves on the far side of the wall. Kageyama rubbed his knuckles into the top of orange hair. Hinata yelped and released his grip from around Kageyama's waist to massage his head. Kageyama grinned at his victory.

"You're such an ass," Hinata complained shooting him a glare that Kageyama had almost missed seeing.

Kageyama headed for the door. "Keep talking shit and I won't toss for you anymore."

"Wait, wait, wait," Hinata said hurriedly. He slid his jacket on and grabbed his gym bag.

They walked out of the clubroom, hands shoved deep into their pockets. Hinata stopped to pick up his bike and Kageyama had exactly four seconds to decide if he wanted to say what he was thinking. Luckily for him, the decision was easy since he already knew how Hinata would respond.

"So did you want to go practice in the park for a while?"

Hinata turned to him, brown eyes wide and shining.

"I thought you'd never ask!" He hopped onto his bike and started pedaling. "Bet I'll beat you there!" He yelled over his shoulder as he quickly gained speed.

Kageyama broke into a run after him. "That's cheating you asshole!"

Kageyama felt his heart thumping steadily in his chest as he ran down the darkening road, his arms pumping by his sides and his bag banging against his hip. He wasn't so sappy as to say he was happy, but it was something close to it. Maybe it was that sense of satisfaction that he hadn't felt in days trying to trickle back in, the promise of normalcy incredibly inviting. But there was still something holding him back.

Hinata could say whatever he wanted about simply moving on and ignoring what he had so eloquently called "all this", but was it really so easy? He had desperately wanted to ignore it in the beginning when he had first heard Hinata talking to Nishinoya in the clubroom and it hadn't worked. Like, at all. It also didn't help matters when he had heard voices outside the gym a few weeks ago, only for him to open a window and see Hinata with Tanaka and Nishinoya huddled on the ground all secret-y. He had no doubt now that they both were privy to Hinata's crush. He could only hope they were the only ones.

Kageyama shook his head, trying to clear it like an etch-a-sketch. Hinata was only a little further ahead of him now as Kageyama steadily gained ground. The short spiker turned to look back at him smiling wildly.

He owed Hinata at least an attempt at pretending like he didn't know what "all this" was. The last time he had failed his team still pulsed in his veins and he didn't think he could handle it a second time. If he couldn't set or perform his quick attacks then what use even was he? He considered himself a fast learner where volleyball was concerned and if he needed to lie to himself every day to keep playing then he would.

**My b for the late update. It might happen again this week but I'll do my best. Ch 6 on 10/29/22**