It was quiet, only a mumble that normally Kageyama would have never heard over the sound of volleyballs making impact with flesh and walls and floor, but somehow he did. There was a stutter in his step as he went for the ball; his head inclined to the other setter's voice, and arms uneven for the receive. Of course it struck wrong, and bounced off sideways.
With the ball trailing away in steady bounces, the first year paused, thought before he approached. Oikawa watched him, eyes flickering down, and went back to watching him. Kageyama could see that he was biting the side of his cheek.
"What did you say?" He asked slowly. He didn't really need to ask- he'd heard what was said. Maybe he felt the need for confirmation? Or maybe he wanted Oikawa to say it directly to him, while he was really paying attention, rather than to his back and while he practiced receives.
Oikawa drew a sharp breath, it was subtle, but not enough to go unnoticed. "I was just talking to myself, Tobio." He put on that trademark smile and Kageyama suddenly found himself wondering what else it'd been used to cover. "Don't worry about it! What you ought to be worrying about is those receives of yours. That last one… not too good."
Of course he would glaze over the question and try to bring Kageyama's attention elsewhere. Oikawa ruffled the younger boy's hair then, who pushed the hand off while he walked away to retrieve his stray ball.
It didn't matter what excuses were made, Kageyama knew what he heard. And that was Oikawa calling him beautiful.
/AN: Day 2 or oikawa week! Magicsintheair is my beta/