Hello hello~! I know that I haven't really had an introduction to new chapters before, but I just wanted to acknowledge and thank all of you for favoriting, following, and reviewing this work! I really appreciate it! If you have any suggestions or things you want to see in upcoming chapters, feel free to PM me or send my writing blog a message on Tumblr (yamamamakun)! Thank you so much!
Ever since that night, things have been, well, different.
A good different. A very, very good different.
Hinata would steal kisses from Kageyama whenever he got the chance. If they were practicing early at the gym and it was just the two of them, Hinata would peck Kageyama's lips whenever they successfully landed a quick. When the two of them were walking home, Hinata would randomly plant a kiss on Kageyama's cheek. If they were alone in the club room, sometimes Hinata would sneak a kiss.
Kageyama, on the other hand, was too nervous to put his hands on Hinata anywhere outside of his house. He loved Hinata's random kisses, but there was a small voice in the back of his head that kept nagging that they would get caught, and they'd get kicked off the volleyball team, and their lives would be ruined.
This particular thought made Kageyama's brows furrow as he walked a little bit closer to Hinata than usual on the way back to his house.
Hinata noticed, obviously. Kageyama looked almost disgusted when Hinata's lips touched his cheek. He pulled back as if he'd been burned, wearing a look that put sad puppies everywhere to shame. Kageyama was turning his head to tell Hinata something, not even noticing his reaction, when he saw the boy wearing an ungodly frown. He reached to touch Hinata's face, to cup his cheek, anything, but he drew back. Someone could see them. Someone being someone who could tell Daichi san or Suga san or Asahi san who could then tell Coach Ukai who could then have our asses on the bench, or worse, outside the gym on the steps like before the season started.
"Oi, Kags," Hinata murmured. He could practically see Kageyama's mind panicking. He brushed his hand on Kageyama's discreetly. "Can we talk?"
"Y-yeah!" Kageyama's voice cracked. He cringed. It's been forever since I've had that problem, he thought grumpily.
Thankfully, the two walked up to Kageyama's door right about then so they could talk about whatever this was in private. Kageyama hadn't even gotten his shoes off before his mother texted him telling him she was going to be a little late coming home. He informed Hinata, who nodded in understanding. Kageyama could have sworn he'd seen a glint of deviousness in his partner's eyes.
Despite his mother not being home, Kageyama pulled Hinata to the bedroom. Hinata sat down on the bed and patted the space across from him. Kageyama sat, nervous, playing with his hands like he did when he was nervous. Hinata laid a hand over Kageyama's. "You aren't in trouble. This isn't an interrogation."
"I-I know that," Kageyama replied.
"Do you?" Hinata glanced at his still trembling hands for good measure. Kageyama sighed loudly and looked Hinata in the eyes, which he had been avoiding doing.
Hinata smiled warmly, reassuringly. "I just want to know what we are," he murmured. "We need to get our story straight. What are we telling the team? Are we telling the team at all? How about your parents, or mine for that matter?"
"Hina," Kageyama caught the boy in his worries. He tried his best to comfort the boy, cupping his cheek and giving a rather nervous smile. "We'll make it through this, you and me. As long as I'm here we're indestructible, remember?"
The grin on Hinata's face was priceless. He had seen Hinata smile after he'd landed a spike against a difficult opponent, he had seen Hinata smile when he managed to wake up first at training camp and get in line for breakfast first, and he had seen Hinata smile when he thought about being back out on the court. He had seen Hinata smile when they were getting ready to go to a tough practice match. He had seen Hinata smile when they came back from a long weekend. But oh, he had never seen Hinata smile like this. His entire face was practically glowing. Kageyama gulped.
Oh god.
Is this what love feels like? he thought desperately.
Hinata broke the nervous boy out of his thoughts by planting a kiss on his forehead. "I hope you'll always be here," he murmured, a shy blush creeping onto his cheeks. Kageyama could feel the same blush staining his cheeks as he reached an arm around Hinata's waist, drawing him closer.
"You'll always have me," he whispered, letting his eyes flutter shut as he pressed a soft kiss to Hinata's head, letting his boyfriend's orange hair tickle his nose in the process. Hinata sighed, burying his face in Kageyama's chest, completely content with remaining that way.
"Shouyou, you should invite your parents over for dinner sometime! I would love to meet them."
Hinata gripped Kageyama's thigh under the table until his knuckles turned white. Kageyama tried not to show pain, but damn Hinata's grip was strong. He rubbed his hand gently on Hinata's tensed knuckles, trying to get him to relieve some of the pressure.
It wasn't unusual for Hinata to stay for dinner anymore, hell, it wasn't unusual for Kageyama's mother to ask about Hinata's home life (which he thought was odd but respected it anyways). But for her to flat out ask to meet his parents? He felt like something was up.
Kageyama wouldn't tell her...would he?
Kageyama could tell the moment Hinata walked into the club room that morning that his father had been home last night. He had bags under his eyes and looked physically drained, a complete contrast to his usual bright ball of sunshine self. He hated that he loved Hinata's annoyingly happy morning personality. Now he hated that he couldn't see it anywhere.
"Hinata, can I talk to you?" Kageyama asked casually, so as not to alarm the others in the room. Hinata glanced at Kageyama then nodded, and Kageyama followed Hinata out of the club room.
Once they had gotten halfway to the gym, Kageyama stopped and pulled Hinata in a different direction. He wanted to be able to show full affection without having to worry about anyone else.
"What's going on?" Kageyama asked, tone softened. Hinata leaned against a vending machine, staring at his hands, so Kageyama took them in his own.
"Dad's home," Hinata murmured, adding a bitter laugh to the end. "They were up all night fighting because my dad thinks my mom was cheating. She probably was."
"What makes you say that?" Kageyama asked, trying to keep his surprise to himself. He had never heard Hinata talk about his mother like this.
"I don't know," Hinata sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked up at Kageyama properly for the first time since they left the club room. "Natsu came and hung out in my room, while they fought, ya know. She asked me why they were yelling. How do you answer your little sister when she asks something like that? Why should anyone have to?" Hinata had tears in his eyes by now. "I-I just want him to leave and not come back, and that's awful because he's my dad but..." Hinata drifted off, tears sliding down his cheeks and he looked back down at his hands.
Kageyama pulled Hinata into a tight hug. Hinata shook with sobs as his head pressed further into Kageyama's shoulder. "How can I help?" Kageyama asked softly, running his fingers through Hinata's hair soothingly.
"Just be here," Hinata replied softly. "Just be here for me."
"I always am."
The two were late to morning practice, which was unusual. Nobody really questioned it though, since Kageyama came up with the quick idea to tell everyone the reason Hinata looked like he was crying was because his dog had died that morning. The team didn't ask further questions, and neither did Kageyama. He did, however, mention a thing or two to his mother.
The two made it through dinner without Kageyama losing complete blood circulation to his leg. "Oi, Kags, it's a nice night," Hinata said as soon as he finished drying the last dish. "Let's go take a walk!"
Kageyama looked to his mother expectantly. She shrugged and smiled warmly. "Go ahead, just make sure you're back at a reasonable hour. You have school in the morning."
Hinata practically dragged Kageyama out of the house. He began whisper-shouting as soon as the door closed. "You told her?! Kageyama! You told me you wouldn't!"
"I didn't tell her everything!" Kageyama defended in the same whisper-shout voice. "I just told her that you didn't get much sleep because your parents were arguing! Then she asked some questions and I answered them!"
"Tobio!" Hinata scowled.
"I didn't tell her that mu-" wait. "...What did you call me?"
"I-I-I didn't call you anything!" Hinata wore a blush brighter than the pink sunset above their heads.
"Did you call me...Tobio?" Kageyama was blushing as well. He loved the way Hinata said his name, even if they were in the middle of an argument.
"I-it slipped out okay?! The point is, you shouldn't have told her! You promised me you wouldn't say anything!"
"She only knows about them fighting," Kageyama tried to soothe Hinata's worries. "She asked me if they were planning to divorce. That's why she wants to meet them. She doesn't know about..." Kageyama drifted off. They didn't talk much about the night Hinata came over because of what his dad did. The story had been that he was riding his bike and the tire caught and he flew over the handlebars when the team asked.
"That's all?" Hinata let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
"That's all," Kageyama replied. "Now, about my name..."
"It slipped out! I'm sorry! I was just...really upset!"
"I liked it, dumbass!"
"You...you did?" Hinata mumbled shyly, a blush rising to his cheeks. Kageyama smiled, nodded, and confidently slipped his hand into Hinata's despite being outside. Hinata's blush deepened.
"I did," Kageyama murmured back.
The two walked hand in hand around the block, pulling away when they got within eyesight of Kageyama's house. Hinata smirked gently at his boyfriend. "What's with this newfound confidence, Kags?"
"As long as you're here, I'm indestructible," Kageyama replied thoughtfully. "Shouldn't that apply with our relationship outside my room, too?"
Hinata blushed, his body going numb like putty in his boyfriend's hands. "Wow," he whispered, mainly to himself. Kageyama side-smiled at him, ruffling his hair affectionately.
"...Race you back?"
"Oh, you're on!"