Kageyama just stared back at him stupidly, irritation still piercing his brows as he tried to process Hinata's words.
"The rude guy that-" Kageyama started to respond before sighing frustratedly, standing up straighter and walking towards Hinata, still keeping eye contact.
Hinata gawked, dropping his hand as Kageyama strode towards him, stepping back on instinct into the hallway as if escaping the small room would make him feel like he had more control. Kageyama towered over him- looking like he was going to murder him, blue eyes ablaze. Hinata couldn't remember the last time he'd seen that level of intensity in someone's eyes.
"I wouldn't have yelled at you if you didn't shove me!" Kageyama finished, hand gesturing towards Hinata like he was the rude one.
Hinata just stared back at him, dumbfounded, before his brain finally kicked into gear and he stood up straighter, walking back into the room and standing his ground in front of his roommate. He smirked in small satisfaction as he saw Kageyama falter and walk back a few steps, taken off guard by the sudden defiance Hinata was showing.
Kageyama was taller, a lot taller actually, but Hinata had never been one to let his height affect him. He stood his ground, his own eyes ablaze now as he stared up at his roommate defiantly.
"I- I was only trying to stop you from stepping in my mess and getting dirty, and I-" he started, hating how he stuttered, before he exhaled loudly, pressing his fingers against his eyelids. He did not want to start off on such bad footing with his new roommate, especially since they would be seeing each other every single day, so as much as he hated to do it, Hinata decided to take the high road.
"Listen, I'm sorry for shoving you. My name is Hinata, Hinata Shouyou." He said, sighing and outstretching his hand for Kageyama to shake.
Kageyama just stared down at him with wide eyes, like the cogs were turning in his brain, before he rolled his eyes and turned to get back to what he was doing, pulling notebooks out of his bag and setting them on the desk.
"I figured, I saw your name on the door." He responded shortly, sitting down and as he opened his computer, leaving Hinata standing alone in the middle of the room with his hand still stretched out.
He could only stare at Kageyama for what felt like the millionth time that day, sighing exasperatedly before throwing his arms in the air dramatically, rolling his eyes at the back of his roommate's head.
"Nice to meet you too, Kageyama." He responded sarcastically. "I'm going to take a shower." He finished, sighing in defeat as he turned to grab his towel and toothbrush. Kageyama turned backwards in his seat to look at him, staring for a minute before he responded.
The intense gaze made Hinata squirm uncomfortably, toothbrush dangling from one hand as he waited for Kageyama to speak.
"That's fine, I shower in the mornings anyway." He responded casually, before turning back to his screen and abruptly ending the conversation.
Hinata just nodded to himself and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and sighing as he rested his head against the back of it. He pointedly refused to think about anything, taking his clothes off and turning on the shower. He sighed contentedly as he felt the warm water sliding against his skin, easing the tension his body held from such an overwhelming first day.
When he finished his shower, he slid on a pair of navy pyjama pants with waves all over them, smiling to himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. The waves always reminded him of calm summer days at the beach. One of his happy places. He already missed his home, and it was only the first day.
He steeled himself before opening the door, rubbing a towel over his damp hair to get the remaining moisture droplets off. He looked up to see Kageyama still on his computer, headphones in and completely focused on his schoolwork.
Classes hadn't even started yet, so why was he already doing homework?
Hinata sighed as he sat down on his bed, continuing to watch Kageyama from behind. He was slim, and from what Hinata could tell by how the muscles in his arms and back tensed whenever he shifted, he seemed to be in great shape.
Maybe he played sports in highschool, I wonder if he played volleyball? He thought to himself idly, glancing over to the volleyball that still sat on Kageyama's desk, pushed to the corner by all of his textbooks.
He glanced back towards Kageyama, eyes resting on the back of his roommate's head. His black hair was pin straight, long enough that the strands rested gently against the nape of his neck. He wondered idly, if he were to run his fingers through the strands if they'd be soft or coarse.
Wait- where had that come from?
He flushed, eyes widening slightly as he shook his head and glanced away to change his train of thought, thinking back to Kageyama's irritated eyes and positively murderous look.
Yeah, that was more like it.
He crossed his legs, sitting with his back against the wall as he pulled out his phone, beginning to text Kenma.
Tangerine: kenma u will not believe this, guess who my roommate is?!
PermanentlyExhausted: Why are you texting me this late? I was almost asleep.
Only a few seconds later, though, another text came in.
PermanentlyExhausted: Who is it?
Tangerine: it's the rude guy from this morning! his name is kageyama. he's got these mean eyes and i think his eyebrows are permanently glued together because he's so angry. i don't know how i'm going to live with him as my roommate. pls send help (ಥ﹏ಥ)
PermanentlyExhausted: you'll be fine, just give it a few days. He probably just wants to scare you into not talking to him.
Tangerine: u think so? i guess i can do that… what a weirdo
Hinata texted back, sighing to himself as he looked up at the ceiling.
Wait it out a few days, huh? Maybe Kageyama would relax a bit and open up to him more once they got more settled in. They'd be living together for the entire year, so Kageyama would have to realize eventually that being a gigantic ass isn't conducive to great living conditions.
PermanentlyExhausted: Yes, now go to bed and let me sleep.
Tangerine: okayyy, goodnight kenma 3
PermanentlyExhausted: Night Shouyou.
Hinata put down his phone, giving one last glance to the back of Kageyama's head before he flopped down on the bed, turning instead to face the wall, eyes scanning over the chipping paint and marks on the cement, worn from years of use. He tensed and then stretched out, trying to get used to the feeling of the new mattress as he curled up in his blankets.
God, he hadn't realized just how awkward it would be trying to fall asleep next to a stranger, let alone a stranger that probably already hated you.
Hinata pinched his brows and sighed evenly, trying to think of all the good things that had happened to him that day as he forced himself to sleep.
By the time he woke up, rubbing the crust from his eyes and the drool from his cheek, Kageyama was already gone. The morning light shone through their window, casting rays against the dusty carpet as Hinata sat up in his bed, groggy and disoriented.
He glanced to Kageyama's side of the room; his bed was made neatly but his school bag was still leaning against the desk on the floor.
So, he hasn't gone to classes yet. Hinata thought to himself as he yawned, stretching his arms and arching his back, enjoying the feeling of release in his sleep-tense muscles. Just then, though, the door to their room opened and Hinata startled, hands falling into his lap as his tired eyes strained to focus on the form entering their room.
In walked Kageyama, damp hair plastered against his cheeks with sweat as he panted lightly, pulling his headphones from his ears. Before Hinata could register the situation, Kageyama raised his head, eyes widening as his gaze slid over and up Hinata's torso, their eyes meeting.
The taller male immediately looked to the side once their gazes met, eyes wide and face flushing ever so slightly as he focused pointedly on shutting the door.
"You sleep without a shirt?" Kageyama questioned into the silent air, walking into the room and digging in his drawer, refusing to look at him.
Hinata felt his self-consciousness swell as he immediately grabbed the blankets in front of him, balling them up to cover his exposed chest. His face flushed with embarrassment, the pink reaching up his neck and warming his ears.
"Y-you sleep with a shirt?" He responded awkwardly, internally groaning at his stupid reply. He flopped backwards against the bed, pulling the covers over his head to hide himself from his embarrassment.
Instead of a reply, all Hinata heard was the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut and the shower turning on.
Great… he thought to himself bitterly, what a fantastic start to their second day as roommates.
No, it's okay. Give it time. He's probably just trying to get me to not talk to him, just like Kenma said. Hinata consoled himself, launching himself out of bed dramatically, trying his best to ignore the way his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest from Kageyama's intent gaze.
"Okay, let's go!" He said loudly to himself before slapping a hand over his mouth and sparing a glance towards the closed bathroom door. He'd seriously have to stop talking out loud to nobody.
His first classes went about as good as they could have- he luckily only ended up being late to two of them, because the buildings were a lot further away than he'd initially thought.
His professors seemed nice, but he failed to pay attention to whatever they were saying, as he was completely absorbed by watching all of the students around him.
Hinata was amazed at how many students could fit into one classroom, and some of his lecture halls fit over a hundred people at once! He swore that some of the buildings held more people during class breaks than his entire highschool.
"Don't worry about the first few days, literally nothing happens for like the first week." One of his classmates had told him, patting him on the back sympathetically after he'd awkwardly asked if there was anything important they needed to do for the next lecture.
He walked back to the dorms with one hand in his pocket, the other gripping his backpack as he closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh afternoon air. He could tell why he'd always heard people calling universities their own little cities.
He opened the door to his floor excitedly, a little out of breath after booking it up the stairs. His gaze met Yachi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi all sitting with one another on the couches. Tsukishima was reading, while Yachi and Yamaguchi were distracted in an animated conversation about something happening on the television.
He walked over to them and sat down on one of the beanbag chairs, realizing just then that there were two more people in the room that he hadn't met the day prior.
"Oh, Hinata!" Yachi said excitedly as she turned to him, flushing and sitting back a little as she realized her forwardness. "How was your first day?" She asked in a softer tone, ending with a small smile.
"It was good! I was only late to two of my classes," He started,
"Only two?" Tsukishima interrupted, a smirk on his face before he rolled his eyes as Yamaguchi elbowed him in the stomach. Tsukishima just rolled his own eyes, attention returning to the book laid out in front of him.
Hinata huffed at the blond before continuing. "Yeah, only two." He responded sarcastically, smiling as the others chuckled.
"So! Hinata, huh?" Came a loud voice, and Hinata turned to look at the two strangers sitting on one of the other couches. The one that spoke was short, really short actually- it almost looked like he could be shorter than Hinata himself.
"What are you in?" The other stranger quickly interjected. This person was a lot taller, with hair shaved short against his head, a smirk on his face as he leant forward to listen to Hinata's answer.
"I-I'm in general studies right now." He answered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "What are your names?" He questioned, turning to look at them and crossing his legs, finally taking his backpack off and letting it sit beside the beanbag chair as he settled into it.
"Mine's Nishinoya! But you can call me Noya if you want." The shorter male responded with a wide grin, pointing with his thumb at himself proudly.
"I'm Tanaka, only the coolest guy you'll ever meet!" Said the taller male, a proud grin on his face as he posed dramatically. "We're both second years, so you'll have to listen to us if we tell you to do anything, okay?" He finished with a devilish smirk.
"Don't listen to him, he just likes to flaunt his age over people." Noya interrupted, all of them laughing at Tanaka's dejected face. "But, if you wanna buy us food sometime to get on our good side then I'm not opposed." He finished, smirking at Hinata before bursting into laughter again.
The six of them sat for a few hours, flipping back and forth between trying (and failing) to work on some of their early assignments, and getting caught up in animated conversation about all the crazy and strange people they'd met on campus so far. It comforted Hinata to know that there were so many other people also dealing with adjusting to the new environments, that he had friends he could relate to.
As if on cue, they were startled out of their focus at the sound of the door opening. In walked Kageyama, headphones on, yet again totally oblivious to the handful of stares he was receiving as he walked across the floor and into their room without a glance towards the couches.
"Ah, looks like the floor King is back." Tsukishima said into the silence, annoyance seeping into his tone as he glanced up from his book, eyes narrowing towards the corridor Kageyama had just walked down.
"The what?" Noya asked, a confused look on his face as he turned to face the blond. Everyone else mirrored Noya's confusion at the odd nickname.
"The King. When he moved in, he basically ignored all of us and hasn't spoken to anyone since. I guess he doesn't like talking to commoners." Tsukishima snickered, before Yamaguchi interrupted, rolling his eyes again at the blond.
"That could also be because you tried to poke and prod him to talk and ended up pissing him off the first day he was here." The green haired male responded with a pained look on his face, Yachi giggling beside him.
"Yeah, well, I hate baseless arrogance." Tsukishima said hotly before turning back to his book, evidently done with the conversation.
"I don't know, we started off on the wrong foot yesterday, but I don't really think he wants to talk with me. Maybe he just doesn't like people." Hinata interjected, fiddling with his shoelace as he thought back to the awkward conversation he'd had with Kageyama the night before, and Kenma's words of encouragement.
He was making a big effort to give Kageyama the benefit of the doubt.
He spent another hour or so talking with his dorm mates before his stomach rumbled loudly, his face flushing with embarrassment as everyone turned to look at him, holding back their laughs. Noya and Tanaka were the exceptions, though, cackling as they pointed towards him.
"Sounds like you need some food!" Noya laughed out as Hinata stood up from his beanbag chair ungracefully, grabbing his bag and flashing the group a bright smile, unashamed of his body's vocal protests.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll see you guys later?" He asked, smiling at the miscellaneous "yeah, see you's!" and waves he got from the group as he left to go to the cafeteria.
By the time he got back to his room, Kageyama was hard at work on his laptop again, writing notes from class slides.
Hinata shifted from foot to foot, watching Kageyama awkwardly as he stepped inside their room. This was the first time they'd been alone together since the day prior when they met, and he was anxiously debating on whether or not he should try to talk to his roommate again.
Is it too soon?
Pulling as much courage as he could muster, he inhaled to calm himself down before trying to break the ice again with the only question he could think of.
"H-Hey, have you had dinner yet?" He questioned, grimacing at the stutter in his voice. Nice one Hinata, not cool at all. He thought to himself in embarrassment.
Kageyama jolted slightly in surprise, seemingly startled from his writing as he turned to look at Hinata with slightly widened eyes, before his brows pierced in annoyance. He must have been so focused that he didn't even hear Hinata enter the room.
"Yeah, why?" He ground out; irritation evident in his voice as he stared at Hinata expectantly.
Hinata just sighed, watching Kageyama in amazement. How someone could be so brash and rude all the time amazed him. It must take a lot of energy to be that much of an asshole, he thought to himself with a smirk, willing himself not to say the words out loud.
"I was just wondering…" He started, watching as Kageyama tapped his pen on the desk impatiently. "It's only the first day, right? You already have a lot of homework?" He questioned at last, watching as Kageyama's brows wrinkled even further, the corners of his lips turning downward as he just grunted and turned around, starting to write his notes again.
Hinata could only stare at him, teeth clenching as he resisted the urge to yell at his roommate. I just want to be friends with you, you asshole! He shouted in his mind, exhaling in frustration as he forcefully grabbed a change of clothes and went to have a shower.
So much for a second try.
Almost a week passed like this, with Kageyama having already left once Hinata woke up. Except now Hinata had set an alarm to wake up a bit earlier so he could get to his classes on time, which meant he also missed Kageyama when he returned from whatever it was he did in the mornings.
The only times they ended up seeing each other were in the evenings, and despite Hinata's best attempts at making conversation, Kageyama would say little more than a few words to him before cutting the conversation short. It occurred to Hinata that he still didn't even know what Kageyama was taking for his major.
One night, Yachi and Hinata sat alone in the living area, writing notes on their lectures before Hinata sighed dramatically, tossing his pencil on the table in front of him and reclining on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
"Everything okay?" She questioned softly, turning to look at him with worry in her brows. "Are you having trouble with your classes? I can try to help if you need…"
"No, it's not that," Hinata started, sighing as he rubbed a hand against his eyes. "It's Kageyama." He added after, sitting up and turning to Yachi as he spoke. "It's been so awkward between us. I keep trying to make conversation with him, but he always shuts me down. I don't know what to do anymore!" He finished agitatedly, sitting up and looking at Yachi pleadingly. "What do you think I should do? Have you talked to him before?"
"No, I haven't…" She responded quietly, a thoughtful look on her face as she tapped her pen against her chin. "But I don't get the feeling that he's a bad person. He might just be really bad at making friends." She finished, chuckling a little at the dumbfounded look Hinata had on his face.
"I don't know… normally someone who wants to make friends but is bad at it doesn't shut down the opportunity at conversation every time it comes up." Hinata responded, thinking about Kageyama's curt responses and angry face, like little annoying Kageyama's circling around him, taunting him.
"H-have you tried talking to him about what he likes? Or tried to find something out about him other than just normal small talk?" Yachi questioned, looking at him with curious eyes.
This caught Hinata off-guard as he sat back, brows pinching as he thought about it.
Every time he'd tried to talk to Kageyama he would ask about really trivial things, which had only been because he didn't want to seem like he was injecting himself into Kageyama's private life- but…
How are you supposed to become friends with someone if you don't know anything about them? He thought to himself, sitting up straight with renewed confidence.
"No, I guess not. I've mostly just asked him general questions or made stupid remarks about school…" Hinata answered honestly, smiling sheepishly at Yachi's giggle. "Maybe I'll try that. Thanks, Yachi! You're a lifesaver!" He responded, raising his arms and high fiving her animatedly.
"W-well, I haven't done anything yet. Just let me know how it goes!" She said, giving Hinata a thumbs up as he started packing up his things.
The next morning Hinata woke up early, busying himself with small tasks like actually making his bed or choosing a fun outfit for the day (he chose a red t-shirt with a bright yellow star on it and a pair of light brown shorts), anything to keep his mind off of the nervousness he was feeling.
He was going to confront Kageyama today, he'd promised himself.
He was torn out of his thoughts at the sound of the door opening, almost dropping the pillow he had in his hand before he sighed to calm himself down, placing the pillow down gently and sitting on the bed, staring pointedly at the doorway.
In walked Kageyama, panting and damp with sweat as Hinata had seen him on their first morning, pulling his headphones out as he turned to close the door. Hinata was momentarily taken aback by the sight, as this was the first time he'd felt confident enough to actually watch the other male directly, instead of just staring at the back of his head while he tried and failed to make conversation. Kageyama's hair was wet and stuck against his face, cheeks red from exertion. From what Hinata could see, he was wearing a pair of black athletic shorts and a white jacket. He was… really attractive, actually.
Hinata flushed and shook his head quickly, exhaling to calm his rampaging thoughts and raging heart. This was not what he was supposed to be thinking about.
"Good morning!" He said loudly, the words coming out a hundred times more confident than he was feeling on the inside.
Kageyama jumped slightly in the doorway, head raising and blue eyes falling on Hinata's own brown orbs. He just stared at Hinata, a surprised look on his face as he held his headphones in his hand dumbly, unsure of what to do under Hinata's intense gaze.
"M-morning…" He replied quietly, grimacing at his own stutter as he forced his body to move, walking in and sitting down on his bed to face Hinata.
It took Hinata a few moments to regain his composure- his happiness soaring at the fact Kageyama even bothered to respond to his greeting, and finally seemed open enough to have a proper conversation with him.
Hinata flashed him a wide smile before continuing, not noticing the light flush that dusted Kageyama's cheeks as he looked away from the blinding grin.
"I feel like we got off on the wrong foot." Hinata started, feeling more confident as he watched Kageyama turn back to look at him. "Maybe it's because you act like you always have a stick up your butt-"
"What're you-" Kageyama tried to interrupt, his brows twitching as his face contorted into a frown, but Hinata raised a hand to shush him.
"BUT! We're roommates now, and it's probably important for us to get to know each other, and I know I probably haven't been going about it the best way, but-" he rambled, a flush raising on his cheeks as he tried to calm himself down. "I want to be your friend!" He finished with a shaky exhale, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at Kageyama expectantly.
He felt like he just offered up his heart to Kageyama on a platter, feeling weirdly vulnerable for such a seemingly simple conversation. Somewhere inside Hinata knew that this conversation could make or break the rest of their year together.
Kageyama just stared at him stupidly, and it frustrated Hinata to no end that he couldn't read the emotions on his roommate's face. Was he angry? Happy? Had he even listened to what Hinata had said?
"Okay..." Kageyama replied cautiously after a few more moments, taking the headphones out of his phone and placing them on the desk beside him, facing Hinata again.
"Okay?" Hinata questioned stupidly, heart hammering as relief and excitement flooded through his veins, before shaking his head and adding "Okay! Okay… My name is Hinata, Hinata Shouyou."
"I know that." Kageyama replied, brows creasing again in annoyance.
Hinata rolled his eyes and offered his hand for Kageyama to shake. "What's your name?" He questioned, and he could see the cogs turning as Kageyama caught on to what he was trying to do.
"Kageyama Tobio." Kageyama replied, hesitating before reaching his own hand out to shake Hinata's. The touch was short-lived and curt, but all Hinata could think about was how incredibly soft and warm Kageyama's hands felt in his own, and he had to look away to suppress the flush that threatened to rise on his cheeks.
Now was not the time to be thinking about his stupid roommate's warm hands. It was just because he was happy at the sudden development, of course.
… Right?
"It's nice to meet you!" He said enthusiastically, flashing Kageyama another bright smile. Kageyama just looked away again before responding, lips pursing as he struggled to reply.
"N-nice… nice to meet you, too." He responded quietly, flushing in embarrassment for the second time at his stutter as he grimaced openly, rubbing a hand against his eyes.
Oh, my god. That was so cute, I'm going to die! Hinata squealed internally, heart fluttering at the soft reply.
"Sooo, where do you always go in the mornings? Do you have sports practice or something?" Hinata questioned casually, sitting back to lean against the wall as he watched Kageyama get up and busy himself with packing his backpack.
"I run." He responded shortly, before sighing and forcing himself to continue. "There's a paved path that follows the edges of campus and runs along the river. It's a good route. I like it."
Hinata's eyebrows raised at both Kageyama's long reply and the contents of it. Now it made sense why Kageyama always came back sweaty and out of breath, especially after having to go up the stairs to their floor after running such a long way.
"Oh, awesome! I used to run all the time in highschool. It's what kept me in shape for volleyball." Hinata responded absentmindedly as he turned to look at the ceiling, unaware of the sudden flash of interest in Kageyama's eyes as the black-haired male turned to look at him. "But it's been a few months since I last ran, and I only arrived here recently so I don't know the area well. C-can I maybe join you sometime?" He finished, biting his bottom lip in instant regret as the words left his mouth.
He'd acted on instinct, and now he was on high alert as he looked back towards Kageyama, fearful he may have pushed the already thin boundary between the two of them. Kageyama just watched him silently, intense gaze making Hinata squirm yet again under the force of it.
Had he been too forward?
"Sure." Kageyama responded after a few moments, "We can go tomorrow, if you want?" He finished, looking away from Hinata again as if he were nervous to hear the answer. Hinata's heart soared for the umpteenth time that morning as he nodded eagerly.
"Sure!" Hinata responded happily, watching as Kageyama pulled some clothes out of his drawer and started heading for the shower.
"Okay." Came the short reply.
"Okay!" Hinata said back stupidly, internally cringing as he listened to the sound of the bathroom door close behind Kageyama, and the sound of the shower turning on.
The day passed quickly after that. He couldn't pay attention in any of his classes because all he could think about were his and Kageyama's plans for the next morning. He'd excitedly texted Kenma the news, and all he got back was a single thumbs-up emoji, but it still put a smile on his face.
The next morning, Hinata was abruptly woken up from his dream by the feeling of something hitting him roughly in the face.
"Guhh…" He mumbled into the fabric, hands coming up to grasp the offending object. It was… a pillow? "What?" He questioned, cracking open his dreary eyes to see an angry-looking Kageyama staring at him from across the room.
"I tried calling your name like ten times but you wouldn't wake up." He said curtly, arms crossed on his chest. Hinata sat up slowly and stretched, arching his back and yawning loudly. He was too tired to notice Kageyama's eyes following the movements. "We don't have much time, so hurry up and get ready. And… put on a shirt, idiot." He finished hotly, turning to lay down on his own bed and looking at his phone.
Oh my god…
Hinata's face flushed brightly in embarrassment as he scrambled out of bed, almost tripping on his bed sheets as he did so, feet tangled up in the red fabric. He fumbled through his drawer for clothing and threw Kageyama's pillow back towards him half-heartedly as he stumbled into the bathroom, grimacing as he saw his exhausted form in the mirror.
"Ew, dumbass, you got drool on my pillow!" He heard Kageyama yell from behind the door, and Hinata snickered to himself.
Neither of them spoke until they reached the beginning of the pathway and began jogging. The path seemed to make a circle around their campus, with tall, overgrown trees hanging over the pathway on one side, and a small river on the other. It was incredibly peaceful, actually.
Kageyama wasn't listening to music this time, but he seemed content to jog in silence, and Hinata was still too tired to make conversation. It was a comfortable silence, which was a first for the two of them.
He exhaled, breath puffing in small clouds in front of him as the first twinges of daylight cast soft light on the horizon.
They ran like that for a few minutes, before Hinata got tired of the pace and sped himself up a little. Kageyama's stride was longer than his, but he was used to giving his all when he ran, so he decided to push their gentle pace and see if Kageyama would respond positively.
Almost immediately, Kageyama responded in kind and sped up a little on his own.
Interesting…
A smirk crossed Hinata's face as he sped up a little more, hearing Kageyama grunt in irritation. Soon, the two of them were booking it at full speed, the sound of their feet hitting the ground at rapid paces echoing around the otherwise empty pathway. They ran for what felt like ages, neither of them saying anything, but both of them upping their speed the tiniest bit whenever they had enough energy.
Hinata sped to a stop as they neared a wider part of the river, panting loudly and letting out a loud laugh as he grasped the wooden fencing that lined the river in front of him. His ears were red from the chilly morning air, a wide smile on his face as he turned to look at Kageyama.
"I win!" He said loudly, pointing at himself and laughing some more. Kageyama didn't respond immediately, eyes trained on Hinata's smiling face. He flushed a little, rubbing some sweat from his brow with the wrist of his shirt as he looked away from Hinata.
"Idiot. If I knew we were going to stop here I would have beaten you easily." He responded in an irritated tone, looking at Hinata with a pointed glare. Hinata just laughed more.
"Okay, well, next time we'll stop here and I'll beat you again!" He responded confidently, flashing another smile at Kageyama before he turned to look at the river. He didn't notice the implication of his words, nor the surprise on Kageyama's face as he continued to watch the orange-haired male.
The sight of the river took his breath away.
The morning light cast oranges and yellows on the trees that lined the river, the water calm and reflecting the colours in kind, bright blue sky a stunning contrast. The taller buildings of the inner-city just over the river were silhouetted against the morning sky. "Wow…" He said to no-one in particular, watching as the world woke up.
He felt more than saw Kageyama come to stand beside him, resting his own hands on the railing as he sighed, catching his breath.
"Yeah," Kageyama responded, watching as the sun began to peek from the tops of the trees. "When I first got here, I didn't know where any paths were, so I just started running. I found this by chance on my first day." He finished, his eyes trained on the rising sun.
Hinata glanced up at Kageyama, watching as the morning light reflected off of his damp skin. His heart hammered in his chest as he quickly looked away, bringing his hands up to his mouth to warm them up (definitely not as a distraction).
This was the first time he'd been so physically close to his roommate; let alone it also being one of the first times he saw Kageyama being so open with him. It was like a complete 180 to their usual interactions.
"So, what are you even taking?" Hinata asked, glancing up at Kageyama as the taller male turned to look at him.
"I'm in engineering." Kageyama responded, brows bunching together as his calm demeanour became tense once again.
"Oh, that makes sense then. I've been wondering why you're always doing so much schoolwork. It's only the first week of the year!" Hinata responded, turning to look down and fidgeting with his hands as he saw the change in Kageyama's demeanour.
How was that a bad question?
"Yeah." Kageyama responded curtly, turning and stretching a little in preparation to begin running again.
Hinata didn't know what he said wrong, but he could tell that Kageyama was done with the conversation. He sighed in defeat, removing himself from the railing as he started jogging beside Kageyama, the two of them falling into a regular pace as they finished their run without another word.
Once they reached the dormitory building, though, it only took one sneaky side-glance from Hinata before they were both running up the stairs, shoving each other back and forth as they tried to pass one another at each landing. They burst through the door at the same time, panting with their hands on their knees.
"I won!" Hinata said proudly, before Kageyama interjected.
"No, I won, dumbass!" Kageyama yelled back, sending Hinata a pointed glare as his brows furrowed, breath coming out in puffs.
An awkward cough broke their argument as both Hinata and Kageyama turned to look into the living area, where almost all the first and second years were huddled around the table, now staring openly at the two of them.
"U-uh…" Yachi started, a flush on her cheeks as she broke the silence.
"Hey guys! We're starting a group chat, and you're the only two we're missing! Come here and give me your contact info!" Tanaka yelled from across the room, beckoning them over and breaking the awkward tension.
"I don't-" Kageyama started, before Hinata shot him a glare and mustered all of the confidence he could in that moment, grabbing Kageyama by the arm and dragging him over to the table.
He tried his best to ignore the feeling of Kageyama's muscles tensing underneath his grip.
"Sounds like fun!" Hinata said, deciding not to look at Kageyama for fear of what kind of murderous look he was surely shooting Hinata at this point.
The two added their contact information, Kageyama doing so reluctantly before he separated himself from the group, saying that he needed to get ready for class. Hinata exhaled as he watched Kageyama's back, before turning around and shooting Yachi a thumbs-up with both hands, a large grin on his face. She simply giggled and flashed one of her own back at him, Tsukishima raising his eyebrow as he glanced between the two of them.
Things were getting better.