A few hours later Hinata found himself sitting silently at his desk, staring absentmindedly at the papers in front of him as his exhaustion-ridden brain sent any and every thought to distract him from his feeble attempts at studying.

Kageyama had packed his things and left to go to their room a while after their discussion, and Hinata had been quick to follow. It wasn't until he'd settled down at his desk that he realized he'd basically up and followed Kageyama like a clingy puppy, and the thought made him wince internally.

It wasn't that he was clingy, necessarily, it was more that Kageyama was really the most interesting thing in his life at the moment and there was still so much he didn't know about the other boy that any opportunity to learn more sent his curiosity skyrocketing, and thanks to Tsukishima's weird, innate ability to piss his roommate off, he was able to learn yet another interesting thing.

Kageyama Tobio was bad at school.

The thought almost made him giggle, a broad grin crossing his features as he stretched his legs out in front of him, enjoying the feeling of release in his tense muscles. Now he had something else he could connect with Kageyama over, other than their mutual love for volleyball.

Who knew being so bad at school would come in handy for me one day? He thought to himself idly as he snickered underneath his breath, turning around in his chair to look at Kageyama.

The raven-haired male was sitting hunched over his notes, scribbling away frantically, and Hinata couldn't help but yawn from just looking at him.

"Hey, Kageyama…" He muttered quietly, picking at the wood on the back of his chair as he waited for his roommate to turn around. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed exasperatedly, pouting at the back of Kageyama's head.

"Kageyama?" He asked a little louder, frowning when still, no reply came.

Hinata stretched towards his bed, reaching out to grab his pillow before flinging it at the back of his roommate's head as he yelled "KAGEYAMA!", chuckling as Kageyama whirled around, wide-eyed and confused as he registered the situation.

"Earth to Kageyama! Anyone home?" He asked jokingly, chuckling some more before the sight of his pillow suddenly flying back towards him clouded his vision, his breath whooshing out of him as it hit him in the face. He laughed, setting it on the top of the chair and resting his chin on it as he sent a half-hearted glare Kageyama's way.

"Why did you do that? You scared the shit out of me, dumbass." Kageyama said through gritted teeth, rolling his eyes at the innocent look Hinata sent him.

"Hey, normal people don't space out so hard when they're studying that they lose touch with reality." Hinata shot back with a smile.

"I guess I'm not normal then." Kageyama ground out, staring at Hinata pointedly. He wasn't saying anything else, but he hadn't turned back around yet either, so Hinata took the chance to continue their conversation from earlier.

"If you're bad at school then don't you ever hit a breaking point? I have to take breaks all the time because my brain just decides to quit halfway through." He asked honestly, glancing back to his half-hearted notes and messy desk. "How do you do it?"

"I might be bad at school, but I don't have a pea sized brain like you." Kageyama responded snidely, snickering at the glare Hinata had plastered on his face before he sighed, flipping around in his chair so he was facing Hinata fully. "But honestly, taking a break doesn't really do much for me. Sure, it's exhausting, but I have so much work to do all the time that I can't really do anything about it." He finished quietly, pointing backwards towards the stacks of textbooks on his desk.

Hinata just nodded sympathetically, the messy pile of notebooks and textbooks flipped to random pages across his desk mirroring Kageyama's own.

"You're in engineering, right? Do you even like it?" Hinata asked, wincing at the immediate change in Kageyama's demeanour as his roommate tensed, brows pinching together as he stared pointedly at the ground. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to offend-" he said quickly, waving his hand out apologetically, but the setter's voice shut him down.

"No, it's- it's not your fault." Kageyama answered honestly, not looking up to meet Hinata's eyes as he continued. "No, I guess I don't like it. I mean, I don't hate it, but it wasn't really my choice."

Hinata frowned at the words, thinking back to when Kageyama had said something similar earlier that same evening.

"You said that before, what do you mean it wasn't your choice? Isn't university about finding your passions or something cheesy like that?" Hinata asked, licking his lips nervously as he prodded his roommate.

"Maybe for other people, I guess. My parents are engineers, and pretty successful businesspeople. It's just always been the plan for me to go into engineering and follow in their footsteps." Kageyama responded quietly, picking at his jeans as he sighed. His black hair fell across his cheeks as he stared downwards.

Hinata reeled at the words, brows furrowing again as he watched Kageyama quietly. It had never made sense to him, hearing stories about people forced to make big commitments by their families like it was no big deal. His parents had never really forced him to do anything. Sure, they would sit him down when he got lazy or talk to him about having goals to work towards, but they'd always allowed him to forge his own path.

Hinata felt a smile grow on his face at the thought, heart warming with appreciation for his family.

"Have you talked to them about it? It's not really fair of them to push you to do something you don't want to do." He asked softly, biting the inside of his cheek as Kageyama's eyes snapped up towards him, frustration oozing from his look.

"You don't understand. It's not that simple. The only thing I've ever loved is volleyball and I botched the one chance I had at that. There's no way my parents would give me another chance to pursue something even if I did find something else I liked- they were furious when I got injured." Kageyama responded, gritting his teeth on every sentence.

Hinata watched him with wide eyes, feeling frustration rise in his body as he processed Kageyama's words.

What the hell?

"What do you mean they were furious? Furious you got injured? That wasn't even your fault! There's no way you could control something like that!" Hinata shot back, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration.

Kageyama just snorted, his blue eyes still trained on Hinata.

"That's not what they think. They think I wasted the opportunity they gave me to pursue something on my own accord, that I wasn't good enough." Kageyama responded honestly, eyes dropping as he stared dejectedly at the ground. "I failed at volleyball so now I have to work twice as hard while I'm here to make up for it." He finished, gnawing on his bottom lip as he sighed.

Hinata watched him, mouth hanging open as his heart clenched. Seeing Kageyama so dejected and worn out tugged at something inside of him, and all he wanted to do was stand up and hug him, let him know that it was okay, that he hadn't failed at anything. That it wasn't his fault- but he knew that it would only make the situation worse.

Hinata exhaled gently as he looked down, watching the floor.

He knew his parents were more accepting and supportive than most, but hearing Kageyama's story made him realize how much he'd often taken their support for granted.

"I can't imagine that…" He started, eyes darting upwards to meet Kageyama's cold gaze. "But, I'm sure your parents didn't mean it like that. Maybe they're a little more strict than most, but they're still your parents. I'm sure they'd still love and support you if you chose something else." He finished softly, picking at the hem of his pillow nervously.

Kageyama just rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Love has never really been a word I'd use to describe my family. It's either I'm good, or I'm not. My sister went through university and got her degree without causing any issues, so I should be able to as well." Kageyama responded, lips curling over the word 'love' like he just took a bite of a rotten apple.

Hinata's eyes widened at the words, excitement rising to replace his frustration as he listened to Kageyama.

"Wait a second, you have a sister?" He interjected, both out of interest and a feeble attempt to steer the conversation to a more positive note. Kageyama raised his eyebrow at the enthusiasm, nodding gently.

"Yes. She's a few years older than me. Her name is Miwa." Kageyama said, voice quieting as he finished his sentence.

"I have a sister too! She's a lot younger than me though, her name is Natsu!" Hinata said enthusiastically, standing up and pointing towards one of the polaroids pasted on the wall above his bed.

The picture was of him giving Natsu a piggy-back ride that very summer, a wide grin on her face as she wrapped her arms around Hinata's neck, giggling as he surged forward. Kageyama's eyes followed his gesture, staring intensely at the photo with an unreadable look before a small smile broke his tense features.

Hinata felt his heart flutter in his chest at Kageyama's look, grinning broadly as he let his hand drop.

"When I was younger, my sister used to give me piggy-back rides like that, too." Kageyama said quietly, his smile widening as warmth began to replace the tension in his body. "It always made me feel like I was on top of the world." He finished, looking back at Hinata.

Hinata felt himself flush at the warm gaze, quickly turning to look at the polaroids again. He could never handle the intensity in Kageyama's eyes, and when it was warmth that filled them- welcoming him, compared to the usual coldness that radiated 'stay away from me', there was no way he could continue to talk- like the words just died on his lips as soon as he would meet those blue eyes.

"Ah, yeah… we're really close, Natsu and I. We used to spend almost every day together after school. She would follow me around asking me about volleyball and my classes… she's even starting to get into it herself now. We would spend hours in the evening just tossing back and forth to each other." Hinata said, staring at the picture fondly as he let out a soft sigh.

He missed his sister desperately.

"My sister was never into volleyball like I was, but she would always come to my games. It was always nice to have her support." Kageyama responded as he rested his chin against the back of his chair.

Cute! Hinata's mind screamed as he watched his roommate, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he forced himself to find a response, glancing away again to collect his thoughts.

Kageyama had never been so open with him, so willing to talk. It was throwing him for a loop, and he was struggling to handle it.

"My mom and Natsu would always come to my games when they had time," He started, before rubbing a hand against his eyes at the embarrassing memories. "They were sooo embarrassing. They would yell over the stands and make their own cheers. We were just a small-town team so we didn't have a lot of local support. They stuck out like a sore thumb." He finished, a smile making its way onto his face as he buried his head in the pillow still in front of him.

Kageyama's soft chuckle brought him out of his thoughts, and he raised his head at the sound.

Did he… did he just laugh?

"Your mom sounds like a really supportive person." Kageyama responded, watching Hinata intently without saying anything else.

He's… asking for more? Hinata thought quickly, cheeks flushing as he suddenly started feeling self-conscious.

Kageyama wants to know more about me?

"A-Ah, yeah… She's always been the most caring person I know! She always worked her hardest to take care of Natsu and I when we were younger. We never struggled necessarily, but my parents worked their butts off to make sure we were able to live comfortably. She always wanted me to have as many experiences as I could, so she'd take me out on hikes and walks all the time! I'm sure I caused her a lot of trouble… there were so many times where we'd get home and I'd be covered in mud and grass- but she'd just laugh and send me to the bath." Hinata responded enthusiastically, sitting up fully now as he finished. He was astutely aware that he was rambling, but he couldn't get himself to stop.

Kageyama just nodded at his words, eyes still trained on Hinata as he propped his elbows on the top of the chair, resting his chin in his hands.

"Do you guys talk a lot, even now?" Kageyama questioned curiously, smirking slightly at the flush that rose on Hinata's cheeks as he nodded gently.

"Yeah! She's always been a really great support for me through school and just life in general I guess. She's taught me so many lessons about finding the things I'm passionate about and working towards them! She always told me never to settle for anything less than what makes my heart happy. Even a person, she's the one that taught me I'll know when I've found the right one when they make me feel all warm and fuzzy and gwahhh- you know? And I-"

Kageyama's loud laugh suddenly broke the silence, tearing Hinata out of his rambling thoughts as he stopped speaking, dropping his hands to the pillow in front of him. It echoed in their quiet room, and he stared at Kageyama in astonishment as he listened to it. It was light and happy, sounding almost foreign coming from Kageyama's lips.

Hinata's heart raced as he watched the smile etched into Kageyama's features, his teeth poking out as he continued to chuckle.

Holy shit.

Kageyama's laugh soon quieted down into softer chuckles, a hand coming up to wipe a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye from the strength of his laugh.

"Warm and fuzzy, huh?" Kageyama commented as he took a deep breath to calm himself down, smirking towards Hinata.

He immediately felt his cheeks warm, embarrassment flooding his features as he covered his face with his hands before dropping his head into the pillow, wishing he could strangle himself with it.

"Oh my god…" He mumbled into the fabric as he could feel his ears burn with humiliation.

I can't believe I just did that. I can't believe I just rambled about such useless stuff and said something like that in front of him without even thinking! He thought to himself, wishing in that moment he could be anywhere but there.

"No, it's… it was cute." Kageyama said softly, still chuckling lightly.

Hinata raised his eyes, heart skipping a beat as he processed the words. Kageyama was watching him, the tiniest dimple appearing on his cheek as he smiled, arms crossed at his chest.

He did the only thing that came to his brain in that moment, which was lifting the pillow and chucking it at Kageyama for a second time, straight at his face.

How can you say something like that so easily, you idiot! Hinata thought as he tossed the pillow, exhaling deeply as he tried to calm his racing heart and thoughts. Kageyama caught it with ease, tossing it back, but this time over to Hinata's bed.

"It's late, let's get some sleep." Kageyama said quietly, offering Hinata one last small smile before he abruptly turned back to his work, closing his textbooks and clearing his desk off for the night.

Hinata just stared at the back of his head, mouth hanging open before he threw his arms up in the air, gesturing wildly at nothing.

I can't handle this, I can't handle this man! He thought to himself as he stood up, ignoring the mess on his desk and instead grabbing a change of clothes before wandering into the bathroom to have a shower.

He refused to think about anything related to Kageyama for the rest of the night. Refused to think about Kageyama's family, refused to think about Kageyama's smile, Kageyama's laugh, or how much he wanted to hear it again.

Or, at the very least, he tried.

The next afternoon, Hinata found himself laying on the ground on the hill he'd officially decided to claim as his own, hands behind his head as he watched the clouds passing above him. The rest of the prior evening had passed with barely anything else spoken between him and Kageyama, given that his roommate had passed out by the time he'd finished his shower.

The next morning went like usual, both of them groggily forcing themselves to wake up to go for their morning run. But, Hinata could tell that something had changed. At the very least, he could tell that Kageyama was becoming more comfortable around him.

The small smiles, laughs, and subtle touches were replacing more and more the angry words and stand-offish tendencies. The cold, tense features of his roommate were softer, more relaxed, and Hinata was struggling to understand it.

It didn't make sense how Kageyama could flip so easily between his cold and isolated attitude to a warm and open one. He was starting to think that it wasn't that Kageyama wasn't necessarily unwilling to open up, but rather maybe he didn't actually have anyone in his life he felt like he could open up to.

The thought made his heart ache.

A loud buzz from a text tore Hinata from his thoughts as he jumped slightly, reaching over to grab his phone and holding it above his face in front of the sun so he could look at the screen, a smile raising on his lips as he saw Kenma's icon.

PermanentlyExhausted: Do you want to come and study with us again tomorrow?

Hinata groaned outwardly at the words, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he sat up. He had done so much studying the past week that he felt like he was going to die, but he knew that it was probably a good idea.

Tangerine: no but i guess yea…

Hinata sighed to himself, picking at a blade of grass beside him before he got a fantastic idea.

He could, of course, go and study with Kenma like they had done before. Or, he could invite Kageyama this time just like Kuroo had mentioned.

It was very likely that Kageyama would reject the idea flat out- he had to encourage his roommate to even spend time with their dorm mates when they wanted to do something. But, the chance to spend more time with Kageyama and maybe introduce him to the only other regular people he had in his life weighed out the con of him simply saying no. He inhaled gently, letting the cool air soothe his mind.

Tangerine: should i bring kageyama this time?

It took Kenma a couple minutes to respond, and Hinata bit his lip as he stared at his phone. Why am I so nervous?

PermanentlyExhausted: Kuroo says sure. He'd probably be a good influence on you for studying.

Tangerine: hey i'll have u know i've been working really hard lately. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

PermanentlyExhausted: Sure. See you guys tomorrow then, Shouyou.

Hinata just rolled his eyes, chuckling as he stared at his phone before the realization hit him.

Oh, shit. Now I have to invite Kageyama. He thought to himself, groaning inwardly as he fell back against the grass again, letting the sun warm his skin and calm him down.

It's fine. They'd been making good progress, and they'd all be studying anyway so there was no real reason for Kageyama to reject his offer, right?

I'll do it after class.

Hinata stood outside the door to their room, fidgeting with the strap of his bag as he scrambled to find the courage to do what he was about to do. He grasped the doorknob, compiling all the resolve he could before throwing the door open and walking inside confidently.

Kageyama was sitting at his desk as usual, two cartons of milk wrung dry beside him as he scribbled away at his notes. Hinata chuckled at the scene, already feeling tired just watching him.

"Kageyama!" He said enthusiastically, sauntering further into their room and tossing his bag down on his bed before standing in front of the setter with his hands on his hips.

Kageyama jerked at the sound of his name, head flipping towards Hinata. His brows narrowed in irritation as he prepared to berate the orange haired male for distracting him before the tension left his features almost immediately as he met Hinata's strong stare.

"What's got you in such a twist?" Kageyama asked casually, snorting at the frown that crossed Hinata's face as his hands fell from his waist.

Hinata just stared at him dumbly, before inhaling a deep breath and steeling himself.

It's now or never.

"I had a great idea, you know?" He started, smirking at Kageyama's confused look. "You should come study with me and Kenma tomorrow!" He finished, nodding slightly as he sat down on his bed, facing Kageyama.

"It's going to be at Kuroo's place. And, Kuroo lives with Bokuto so he'll be there too. And since Bokuto's there Akaashi will probably be there too!" He continued, anxiety spiking as he saw the tension heighten on Kageyama's face with each mention of a new name. He could sense Kageyama's impending rejection.

Come on Hinata, save it, save it!

"Ah- but they're all really nice and super smart and we actually do study when we're together! I'm sure you'd love them, they all play volleyball too!" He finished in a rush, air whooshing out of him as he stared at Kageyama expectantly, putting on his best puppy dog face in the hopes that it would help sway him.

The mention of volleyball made Kageyama raise his eyebrows, and Hinata silently congratulated himself. It was silent for a few moments before Kageyama spoke.

"Sure." Kageyama said curtly, before putting one of his ear buds in and turning to study again, leaving Hinata to stare at the back of his head. Hinata felt the air rush out of him again as he exhaled, the anxiety leaving his body before being quickly replaced with excitement.

Success!