Hinata was thirty minutes into his run, with another hour to go. His lungs burned with each breath, his windbreaker was damp with sweat, and his calves were starting to tense up. The sky was still a darkened blue while the sun sat just below the horizon, hidden beyond the skyscrapers surrounding the park. The hills that morning seemed tougher to ascend, though Hinata pushed onwards.

Running was the only physical activity Hinata did consistently. He started it to stay healthy, though what he ended up taking most from it was the opportunity to be absorbed in his thoughts—the added bonus was that it helped distract his mind from feeling exhausted.

That morning, Hinata pondered mundane things, like what he wanted to meal-prep for his lunches at work. He also tried recalling which days his roommate Kageyama wasn't using the kitchen so Hinata could actually cook. There were other mornings where Hinata reflected on deeper matters, like if he was happy with his job or why he found it so hard to fall in love. Sometimes, during his runs, he learned something new. Perhaps his job was great, and he was just bored by everything else—maybe that same emptiness had something to do with to his streak of dead-end first dates.

Though that morning, as Hinata left the park and made his way home, he had no realization or epiphany. He still didn't know what to prepare for his lunches that week, and, after a year of living with the Kageyama, Hinata never remembered which days the boy used the kitchen.

Indeed, running was an activity in which Hinata could get somewhere and nowhere at the same time.

…

Hinata hadn't been expecting Nishinoya to show up at Rina's and Tanaka's engagement party, let alone to have a conversation with him that ended in them agreeing to meet up sometime after. They reviewed their schedules on their phones before settling on a Saturday evening two weeks from then. The two boys then exchanged numbers, resolving to pick a restaurant over text closer to the date.

Three days later, Nishinoya messaged to suggest a restaurant he had been to on several occasions. Hinata had never heard of the place but agreed to go nonetheless. After the details were finalized, neither boy made an effort to text the other.

The restaurant Nishinoya picked out was a small, cozy establishment on the West side of town. Wooden wall panels and tabletops glowed warmly under the incandescent lighting, with a few lights beaming directly on to various wall hangings, from foreign license plates to framed movie posters. The bar was located at the far end of the room, wrapped in colored Christmas lights. When Hinata walked in, he found the place was busy, though not deafeningly so—amid the chatter and clinking of silverware, he could hear music playing. It sounded a little like Elvis.

Moments later, Nishinoya arrived.

"Hey, Hinata," the boy greeted. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt with the sleeves partly rolled up, a pair of black jeans, and sneakers. He smelled like fresh laundry and deodorant, and his face glowed with a warm smile.

"Hey, Nishinoya," Hinata replied, smiling in kind.

A waitress walked up to them—a short woman with a high ponytail, heavy mascara, and bright pink lipstick. After briefly exchanging words with Nishinoya, she ushered them to a high-table in the middle of the room, laying several menus on the table before informing the boys she would leave and return momentarily with water.

As Hinata took his seat across from Nishinoya, he realized his palms were beginning to sweat.

"So…how's your week been?" Nishinoya asked.

"It's been the same, nothing new," Hinata answered, wiping his palms against his shorts.

"I'm sorry, I forgot—where do you work again?"

"Oh, I work at a marketing agency."

"Oh, yes."

"And you're a…paramedic?"

"Yep, that's me."

Hinata was surprised to feel his heart pumping in his chest—he didn't imagine he would be so nerve-wracked to maintain eye contact with the boy across from him.

Nishinoya reached for a menu on the table. "So...how hungry are you?"

Hinata hurried to do the same, relieved to have something to anchor his gaze on. "I had a snack before coming, but I can still eat. Yourself?"

Nishinoya chuckled nervously. "Same, actually."

Hinata perused through the menu, discovering a selection of tapas and grilled skewers that all looked rather appealing. "The salmon belly and the short ribs look good," Hinata noted. "Have you tried either before?"

"I've had both, but I think the salmon's definitely worth the price."

"Alright, let's do that then."

Nishinoya continued, "How do you feel about oysters?"

"You mean the ones in the picture?" Hinata flipped back a few pages to where he had noticed the item: Baked oysters with spinach, mushroom, and garlic mayo, topped with cheese.

Hinata turned to Nishinoya. "I've never had oysters before, but I'm willing to try."

Nishinoya's face lit up. "Are you sure? No pressure if you don't want to."

"No, please, let's order it," Hinata concluded, smiling politely.

The boys deliberated further, agreeing to also order a bowl of mushroom bibimbap and some edamame. Right as they placed their menus aside, the waitress returned with a pitcher of water and two glasses.

"So, would you boys like any drinks to start?" She asked, setting the items neatly on the table.

Nishinoya turned to Hinata. "Were you planning on drinking tonight?"

"I wasn't but, I'm down if you are."

"If it's alright with you—

"Definitely, I could use a drink right now."

"So…drinks?" The waitress repeated courteously. Nishinoya took to ordering himself a pint of beer, while Hinata ordered a caesar.

"Alright, and do you two need more time with the food menus?"

"I-I think we're good to order?" Nishinoya asked, looking to the boy across him for some kind of confirmation. Hinata nodded, and Nishinoya took to concisely relaying a list of items to the waitress.

"Alright then, the food will be about fifteen minutes? I'll get your drinks right away." The waitress then collected the menus and left with an urgency that seemed to Hinata as if she could sense his unease. And so, with their order for food and drinks out of the way, the two boys had nothing to distract from each other's company.

Hinata massaged his forearm nervously under the table. "So, how do you want to go about this?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" Nishinoya remarked. He then grabbed the pitcher of water before filling the glasses.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

"In what way?"

"Like I didn't want…" Hinata hesitated.

Nishinoya chuckled, placing a full glass before Hinata. "It's okay, I was just teasing. Well, I guess I can start then?"

Hinata smiled with embarrassment and relief. "Sure, go ahead."

Nishinoya then leaned in, resting his elbows on the table. "I'll start with high school, I suppose."

He began with the summer after graduation when he flew over to the States to visit his father and drive down the West coast. He recounted the stories of strange folks he encountered in trailer parks and motel dining rooms—tall tales told by of disillusioned artists, self-proclaimed thrill-seekers, and recent divorcees. Nishinoya then mentioned coming home and trying to date girls before doing the same later on with boys. He briefly described how he first met Azumane at an information fair for high school graduates, only to run into him when he started college.

"We became good friends after that," Nishinoya summarized. "One day, he mentioned how Daichi invited him to this party, and…well, that's when I last saw you."

At that moment, the waitress returned with their drinks—a bright red caesar for Hinata, and a bottle of beer with an empty glass for Nishinoya. The latter excused himself as he poured the contents of the bottle into the glass. The process was almost meditative, with Nishinoya concentrating intently on the head of foam that slowly amassed at the top. Hinata didn't realize he had been staring the whole time until the boy cleared his throat.

"Should we have a toast?" Nishinoya suggested, brow raised curiously.

"To what?"

"I'm not sure…what about to us?"

Hinata smiled. "Sure, to us."

They clinked their glasses before taking a sip, and Nishinoya resumed with his account. He expressed how distraught he was during the months following the party, attributing it to the confrontation with the strangers outside Sugawara's apartment building. He described how it urged him to come out to Azumane and explore communities that helped him understand and accept who he was.

"I'm glad you were able to do that," Hinata mentioned.

"Thanks. What about yourself? Did you ever have to go through that?"

"I did, but…I had my friends. There was Rina and Sugawara, along with others later on. But I understand how helpful it is to have that support."

Nishinoya fiddled his thumbs around his glass. "It's strange after you figure yourself out, realizing how much effort you put into being someone you weren't." He took another sip before continuing. "But, anyway, after that, I graduated and started working. I moved out a few months later, and then Tanaka invited me to his engagement party and asked me to be one of his groomsmen."

"I was curious about that," Hinata remarked. "Did you come out to him before then?"

Nishinoya grinned. "I actually came out to him the day he told me about the engagement. That was the first time we saw each other in person since Sugawara's party. He asked me to be part of the wedding party, and then I told him maybe he should rethink that on account of me being gay. Which reminds me, that was something else you were right about…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Tanaka took it very well. He even said if anyone had a problem with it, he'd deal with them himself. I was honestly shocked when he said that. It made me regret not telling him sooner."

Hinata leaned in. "Well, he's dating Rina, and she and I are close, so maybe that had an effect on him? In any case, it's not about me being right, it's about you figuring out what works best for you, and you did."

Nishinoya smiled warmly.

As they continued to chat, their food arrived item by item: first, the bowl of edamame, followed by the bibimbap, still roaring in its stone bowl. Hinata and Nishinoya got stuck in a polite argument about who between them should do the customary mixing of the bibimbap, until the waitress, tired of their mannerly indecision, hastened to stir the contents herself before the rice became overcooked. Later on, a slab of salmon belly, skin grilled to crisp perfection, served with a slice of lemon. Lastly, the oysters—a pair of them, each the size of a hand, covered in melted cheese. Hinata was pleasantly surprised by how delicious everything tasted, digging into each dish item with a renewed appetite.

"It's good, right?" Nishinoya mumbled between chews, beaming with pride. "Here, try the oysters." He grabbed a spoon and dissected a piece from one of the two oysters before feeding himself. Moments later, Nishinoya began blowing through his mouth.

"H-h-h-hot."

Hinata giggled. "Baka."

Nishinoya's face squirmed as he swallowed the bite in one hard gulp, laughing at his own stupidity. "Maybe I'm hungrier than I thought?"

Hinata smiled from ear to ear. "I'm down to order more if you'd like."

They continued to dine, and Hinata eventually made his way to the oysters himself, only to have the same rave review as he did for everything else. After they cleared their plates and the waitress returned, the boys made a second order, which included the beef short ribs they discussed earlier, along with some takoyaki, deep-fried tofu, and another round of drinks.

While they ate, they reminisced about their high school life, recollecting teachers they admired and funny instances with friends. They laughed about the more peculiar aspects, like the yearly tradition of Hat Day, or how the cafeteria offered "pizzas" made by topping pancakes with tomato sauce and cheese. They shared what gossip they knew regarding students who got away with infamous pranks, or who were rumored to have become extremely wealthy after graduating.

There were moments between when Hinata became aware of how effortless it was to be with Nishinoya. The boy spoke with such an endearing mix of wit and modesty, Hinata found his own humor being drawn out from what seemed like a long hibernation. It was a welcome contrast to their prior encounters, which were always short-lived and troubled by bad-endings—admittedly, Hinata began to regret they never got an earlier chance to interact as they were at that moment.

After the second wave of food had been demolished, Nishinoya leaned back into his chair, yawning with both satiety and contentment. "So, what about you? How was it for you after graduation?"

"Well…" Hinata started, rubbing his chin. "When you graduated, I still had a year left, so I wrapped that up and started university."

"How'd you find it?"

"Which? Senior year or university?"

"Both, I guess."

Hinata sighed. "Senior year was great. Rina and I got really close during then—that was when I came out to her. When university started, I didn't make any friends. I wasn't sure how to. Then I met Sugawara in second year."

"How'd you meet him?"

"I was networking with profs, trying to see what I wanted to major in."

Nishinoya leaned in, resting an elbow on the table so he could prop his chin under his hand. He then asked with a playful smirk," Did you ever have a crush on him?"

Hinata smiled. "Never. I mean, I think he's handsome, but I needed a friend, not a crush—and he ended up being more like a big brother. He taught me how to do more than just survive on campus."

"I didn't move out for college, so I can't imagine what that's like."

"It wasn't anymore glamorous because of him. I still ate a lot of mac and cheese—honestly, I don't think I could have another bowl of mac and cheese ever again."

The two shared in a laugh before Hinata continued. "But yeah, second year was great. I found a lot of new hobbies and interests, and I got to share them with the friends I made through Sugawara." Hinata took a sip from his water glass before continuing. "And then third year was when my father passed away."

Nishinoya's expression immediately hardened. "I'm sorry to hear that—we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It's completely fine," Hinata replied, taking a moment to find his words. "My parents own this convenience store, but they're too stubborn to hire any help, so my mom handles it in the day time while my dad does the evening shifts and closes up at midnight. One morning I got a call from my mom. She said my dad didn't return home the night before, so she went to the shop and found an ambulance outside the store. Someone found my dad that morning, lying in the parking lot. It turns out he had a heart attack after he closed up shop as he was putting his keys in the car door."

"That's terrible. I'm sorry your mom had to go through that."

Hinata exhaled deeply. "Yeah, she was pretty upset. I went home as soon as I got off the phone. When I arrived, I called Rina about it. She was in Switzerland at the time doing an internship, but as soon we talked, she got on the next flight home to attend the funeral."

"Geez. Did you ask her to?"

"I didn't," Hinata replied, smiling with bewilderment at the thought. "She canceled her internship, and her parents were furious when they found out. But then Rina explained how she and I were close friends, and how she wanted to support my family. Then on the day of the funeral, her parents approached my mom and I to offer their condolences and say if there was anything we needed, they'd be happy to help."

"And did they ever help with anything?"

"They did. My mom didn't ask for money, but Rina said her parents sent a cheque to help cover the funeral expenses. Then, for the rest of third year, I returned home every weekend so my mom wouldn't be alone all the time. It's usually my dad who picked me up from the bus stop, but one afternoon I got a text from Mrs. Akiyama saying she and her husband would. So that happened quite a bit. Sometimes, after dropping me off, they stayed over for dinner. Then when Christmas came around, my family spent it with theirs."

Hinata leaned back in his chair, a feeling of gratitude welling in his chest. "Then fourth year happened, and I graduated after that. I found a job a few months later, which is the same place I'm working at now. My mom sold the shop and the house and moved east by the coast, so I started living downtown. I knew Kageyama from university, and he mentioned he was looking for a roommate, so that's how we came to live together."

Nishinoya breathed in deep, folding his arms. "That's quite the story."

Hinata fiddled with his glass of water. "It is, right? It was rough, but I wasn't alone. I don't know what would have happened if I wasn't."

At that moment, the waitress returned to inform the boys that their two-hour seating time would end soon. Hinata and Nishinoya ordered the bill, splitting it down the middle before getting up to leave.

As they stepped outside onto the sidewalk, Nishinoya stretched his arms and back to embrace the cool evening. "It's still pretty early," the boy remarked. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"I." Hinata hesitated. He contemplated his most recent novel social interactions, which invariably were with the boys he met on dating apps—through numerous mediocre first-dates, Hinata learned the longer the dates dragged out, the drier the conversations became. Though Hinata admitted with the current situation was different. Nishinoya wasn't a stranger he met through an app, and, more importantly, they weren't on a date. Hinata concluded such was perhaps was why the evening had been so refreshing.

Hinata breathed in deep. "Where did you have in mind?"

…

The park where Hinata did his morning runs was coincidentally only a few blocks away from the restaurant. They were passing by the entrance when Nishinoya suggested they walk through. Hinata was initially reluctant to—he had watched enough documentaries on unsolved murder cases beginning with nightly strolls in a park. But seeing how eager Nishinoya was, along with the strangers he saw trekking leisurely beyond the entrance, Hinata gave in.

The cement pathways sloped gently over grassy hills. The street lamps lit the pavement in hues of orange and yellow. In the distance, Hinata could make out the trees in the open fields he'd run by in the morning, though they were only vague silhouettes against a backdrop of lights coming from the nearby skyscrapers. The cool breeze seemed to concentrate in the area, a welcome respite from the sticky heat that had befallen the city as of late.

"So, from one guy to another," Nishinoya ventured, "how's dating been for you? Are you seeing anyone?"

Hinata hesitated. "No, I'm not seeing anyone. And dating's…been okay?"

"Only 'okay'?" Nishinoya teased.

Hinata smiled. "I've been in relationships before, it's just been harder to get into one lately." He then turned to see Nishinoya nodding, focusing his eyes on the ground. "What about you, Nishinoya?"

"Please, call me 'Noya'. Only my mom calls me by my full name."

"Alright. Noya, are you seeing anyone?"

"I'm not. I've actually never been in a relationship."

"What? A guy like yourself?"

"I mean, I've been on a couple of first dates, sometimes seconds or thirds, but nothing seems to spark. Dating just feels like interviewing for a job, you know? People keep reciting a list of accomplishments…as if a degree in finance was a personality trait."

Hinata chuckled. "I can't say that's never happened to me before."

At that moment, a cyclist passed by from behind them. Hinata was so startled he stepped to the side, colliding with Nishinoya's shoulder. The two looked at each other nervously, before Hinata stepped back to his original distance.

Hinata cleared his throat. "I honestly thought dating would get easier after I started working full-time."

"How so?" Nishinoya asked.

"I thought having the time and money would help? But nowadays, everyone seems to have other priorities, like their career, or friends, or saving up for a condo or a trip somewhere. I'm not saying it's bad, but whatever's left for dating, it's just the bare scraps of their energy and time."

"That's …pretty cynical," Nishinoya remarked.

"Perhaps. It just seems like people are so entitled, they refuse to waste their time getting to know someone that doesn't meet every single one of their expectations…which can be absurdly high, to begin with."

Nishinoya shook his head. "I don't think that's always the case."

"What do you think?"

"I think it's fear. I think people are afraid of finding their effort isn't reciprocated, so they keep their distance and try not to get too attached."

Hinata smirked. "Pretty insightful for someone who's never dated."

Nishinoya chuckled. "But that's the truth, isn't it? Love can be fun, but it can also take quite a bit of work. I saw both sides before my parents got divorced."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine, it happened years ago. Honestly, looking back, I'm glad that they did."

Hinata looked down towards the ground. "So…do you believe in love, then?"

Nishinoya sighed. "I do. I'd be happy to fall for someone, and my parents always told me to never let their divorce affect how I feel about it. It's just been in the back of my mind that it's not always flowers and rainbows."

"I guess it's good to be realistic."

They continued walking and enjoying the breeze. Ahead, they saw another cyclist approaching, riding on the same side of the pavement as Hinata. As the biker passed, Hinata felt a gentle tug against his arm, pulling him further away from the bicycle's path. The cyclist passed, and Nishinoya let go.

"Thanks," Hinata mumbled.

Nishinoya smiled wordlessly. A moment passed before the boy spoke again. "So, what was your first impression of me?"

Hinata bit his lip. "You already know I had a crush on you."

"I mean, I'm sure to be flattered, but I'm genuinely curious," Nishinoya remarked teasingly. "I guess to start, where was it you first saw me?"

"Well, Nishinoya—

"Noya."

"Noya, it was during rehearsals for a school play."

"...Which one?"

"Twelfth Night."

"Ah yes, I forgot about that."

"I was an extra, and I noticed you working on set design."

Nishinoya nodded his head. "That's a fact. Alright then, Hinata, so what did you think of me?"

"I thought you were...short," Hinata stated matter-of-factly.

"Ouch."

Hinata giggled." Well, you asked for it. I mean, I also thought you were pretty cute."

"But there were other good looking guys at school, no? What about Terushima? I heard that a lot of girls were obsessing over him."

"Him? He was too much of a player. You know, he once asked Rina out in front of the whole cafeteria during lunch?"

"Yeah, I heard she threw a cup of orange juice at him after that."

The two of them shared in a laugh.

"Yep, she did," Hinata confirmed.

"Still," Nishinoya pressed on, "you agree he was pretty good-looking."

"Yeah, he was."

"So then what did you see in me?"

The boys continued walking, coming across a bridge that stretched over a pond. Hinata sighed, eyes peering over the water. "Well, when you were focused on doing anything, you umm…had this look."

"…What look?"

"I don't know how to explain it. You just completely zoned into whatever it was you were doing."

They neared a streetlamp, and, under the light, Hinata made out the quizzical expression in Nishinoya's face. "So…it was because I was…productive?"

Hinata scratched his head. "What about 'motivated' or 'determined'? I don't know, this was high school. Back then, I thought suspenders were cool."

Nishinoya laughed. "So you've gone from crushing over shorter-than-average, hard-working guys to being bitter about by modern dating?"

"I suppose so," Hinata resigned. "Maybe I'm destined to become a crazy cat lady for the rest of my life."

"Who knows, maybe some guys are into that."

The boys chuckled again before continuing to cross the bridge, passing by an older couple on their nightly stroll. Hinata then turned to the boy beside him. "So then, Noya, what was your first impression of me, then?"

Nishinoya grinned, hearing his nickname being uttered by Hinata without the need for a reminder. "Well, honestly, I thought you were sweet."

"Wait, was that before or after I puked?" Hinata ventured.

Nishinoya froze in his tracks, leaving Hinata trailing ahead. "At Sugawara's party? No, this was…this was at junior prom."

Awestruck, Hinata stopped and turned around. "Really?"

Nishinoya stepped forward, his posture nor facial expression betraying his words to be false. "Yep," he sounded.

"I thought…I didn't think I was anything to you then." Hinata remarked.

The boys then continued walking down the park path.

"Well, you stood out to me—you were the only one there aside from Tanaka and Rina who bothered to talk to me."

They came to a fork in the road, one leading back towards the city, and one at the foot of a large hill—one Hinata knew from his morning runs for tiring the living daylights out of him.

Nishinoya took a step towards in the direction towards the hill. "Are you coming?"

Hinata bit his tongue before ambling along.

The path inclined steeply, and the two boys marched forth with as leisurely a pace as possible. Nishinoya managed to converse between labored breaths. "You know, during junior prom, I kept looking for you?"

"Alright, now you're pulling my leg now."

"N-no, really. I wanted to talk more with you, but you vanished."

"Well, I'm sorry. I was pretty occupied that night…cleaning up punch and catching people making out in hallways they weren't supposed to be in."

Nishinoya chuckled. "In any case, I was glad to find you at Sugawara's party. I was so nervous about going to begin with, I was relieved to see a familiar face."

The two continued to ascend the hill, the cement pathway turning into a dirt trail that meandered upward. Eventually, Hinata and Nishinoya reached the top—the path cut between a thicket before leading into a clearing with a single tree standing at the peak.

Nishinoya stepped ahead, embracing the view at the summit. "You seemed so cool at first until I realized you were drunk. And then, my god, you puked."

"I still can't believe you followed me into the bathroom," Hinata remarked, blushing. He then stepped forward until he stood side-by-side with Nishinoya.

Hinata had seen the view dozens of times at sunrise, though never late at night. The vantage point stood high enough for that he could see where he and Nishinoya entered the park. At that moment, Hinata's eyes traced the route they had walked, making out the other visitors passing under the street lamps. Not a car motor or siren was heard above the breeze rustling through the trees. And all around them, the lights of the surrounding buildings seemed like stars that bowed to meet them there.

Nishinoya chuckled. "Neither can I. But you left me hanging at junior prom. And I didn't want you to get away from me twice."

Hinata paused, feeling a chill run down his spine. He then turned to the boy beside him, looking for some signal that Nishinoya meant what he said with a measure of playful exaggeration. The boy continued to look ahead with sober meditation.

Hinata responded, "Then why didn't you message me after the party?"

Nishinoya turned his head to face him. "I wanted to figure myself out first before I saw you again, but by then, so much time passed that I wasn't sure how to just show up in your life."

"That's thoughtful of you, but you still kinda did."

Nishinoya smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

Hinata breathed in deeply, steadying himself. He hadn't been anticipating this topic of conversation, though he pressed onward. "I kept thinking about you too, you know. I wondered how you were doing after what happened at the party, and I thought to maybe check on you. But then I asked Sugawara, and he said I should give you space. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have outed you, but I wasn't sure who else to talk to."

Nishinoya smiled gently. "It's alright. You were also there when those creeps came, so I don't blame you. If anything, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"Thanks, Noya." A silence passed between them before Hinata spoke once more. "So, what now then?"

Nishinoya turned his whole body towards Hinata, his shoulders heaving up and down with a long breath. "It's taken me a while to figure myself out. But now that I have, I've realized that…maybe I've liked you all this time."

Hinata stood speechless.

Nishinoya continued, "I know it sounds crazy. We barely know each other, either from high school or now. I've waited six years to feel this way about someone enough to mean it when I say this but, I like you. I think you're cute, and kind, a-and smart..."

"I'm not sure what to say. Don't people usually wait after meeting a few times before admitting they like the other person?"

"I-I mean I thought about it. Honestly, I did. I just didn't want to lead you on if you wanted to stay friends."

"I mean, that's what I thought, but later on down the road, I might have felt differently?"

Nishinoya scratched the back of his head. "I mean, it's okay if you don't. You don't owe me anything, I just wanted to let you know how I felt."

The boys averted their gaze away from one another, looking towards the park and the buildings beyond. Unsure of what to say, Hinata played out different responses in his head, like a computer simulating the thousands of ways a bullet shatters upon impacting concrete. In the same way, a dizzying number of possibilities presented themselves, and, unable to weigh the good and bad in each, Hinata stood frozen. He was as confused and conflicted as when Nishinoya tried to kiss him three years ago—the feeling began creeping within Hinata that the boy would try to do it again.

Yet, much to his surprise, he found Nishinoya taking two steps back. His face expressed neither regret or sorrow, but conviction—the boy knew he had made his confession clear, and was ready to accept the consequences.

A silence passed, and Hinata reflected on the night thus far. He was struck by how comfortable he and Nishinoya were with speaking their minds and laughing at themselves—how different it was compared to their previous run-ins. Hinata also contemplated everything they discussed that evening. He remembered his widowed mother and Nishinoya's divorced parents. He thought of Rina and Tanaka, and how they were engaged to be married, even when no one in school could have ever predicted it.

He thought perhaps no one ever knew how things turned out.

It was then that three things remained clear to Hinata. The first was that Nishinoya had indeed stayed on his mind over the years they were apart. Second, his evening with the boy had been more genuine and endearing than any of the dates Hinata had been on recently. Lastly, maybe Nishinoya was right—perhaps it was fear that kept Hinata running in circles.

And so, with only the trees, the skyscrapers, and the night sky bearing witness, Hinata stepped forward, his fingers trembling as he felt for Nishinoya's hands within the darkness. Hinata leaned in until their faces were barely apart. The crease in Nishinoya's brow softened, yielding to a solemn look in his eyes that betrayed the years of longing he had weathered.

Hinata paused once more. He felt an inkling of hesitation stir within him, though it was overwhelmed by a resounding urgency to express affection—to offer more than just scraps. Hinata closed his eyes and pressed his lips tenderly against Nishinoya's. They were soft, tasting faintly of beer and lip balm, and moved ever so lightly to caress Hinata's own.

When Hinata stepped back, his body was still quivering with adrenaline. His eyes remained closed as his mind reckoned what had happened. Suddenly, Hinata had the strangest fear that if he opened his eyes, Nishinoya suddenly would be far from him as he had always been.

Then Hinata felt a forehead press lightly against his, and arms wrapping around his waist. Hinata opened his eyes to see Nishinoya's face against a backdrop of stars.