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“So, you scored three service aces against Brazil?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. You must be a great server.”
“I am.”
“Who’s the setter of your team, then?”
Tobio stared at the man sitting across from him. “Me? I told you I’m the setter!”
The guy—Minato—cocked his head to the side. “But you just said you’re the server.”
“Serving isn’t an actual position—well, except the pinch server—because everyone serves! My position,” Tobio emphasised again, “is the setter. ”
Minato just blinked at him blankly. “Oh. So, what’s a setter, then?”
Yeah, Tobio was done. He looked helplessly around the bustling restaurant, finding no way out of this disaster. Even the waiters had already taken their orders and placed their food in front of them. Tobio had long since finished his ramen, because between food and the most boring man to exist, the choice wasn’t a very hard one.
Even the salad Minato ordered looked boring. Where the fuck had Miwa found this idiot?
Tobio didn’t care if he was good at computers or whatever, and earned millions. If he didn’t understand volleyball, even after multiple explanations, he wasn’t worth talking to. Tobio desperately wanted to get the hell out of there.
The worst part was that this man didn’t even catch on to Tobio’s discomfort. He seemed to be thinking this was a perfectly good date, and this— this was why Tobio didn’t do dating. It never lead anywhere good and was always a waste of time.
Minato looked up from his salad and at Tobio, wearing a shy smile. Tobio felt dread well up inside him.
“So,” Minato said, “after this, do you want to—”
“I need to go to the restroom,” Tobio blurted out. He hurriedly got up, nearly toppling his chair. “Sorry. I’ll be right back.”
He grabbed his phone and made a run for it, startling more than a few waiters and patrons on the way. He wasn't thinking when he unlocked his phone and pulled up Hinata’s contact, fingers flying over the keyboard as he texted him.
Kageyama Tobio:
Help
Hinata Shouyou:
OMG HEYY
Kageyama Tobio:
I need help
Hinata Shouyou:
You’re so rude?? At least say hi first!
Kageyama Tobio:
Shut up dumbass
I dont have time for this
This is urgent
Hinata Shouyou:
???? what happened
Kageyama Tobio:
I need you to call me with an emergency
Like a fake one
In about 5 mins
Hinata Shouyou:
Why tf
Kageyama Tobio:
You don’t need to know that
Hinata Shouyou:
SERIOUSLY??
Well i’m not helping if you don’t tell me what’s going on
Kageyama Tobio
I hate you, you’re the worst friend ever
Hinata Shouyou:
Yeah yeah, whatever dude
Now spill
Kageyama Tobio:
Fine
I’m on a…date
It’s going badly
Hinata Shouyou:
A DATE????
WHAT
Kageyama Tobio:
Yeah that’s what I said!
You know what never mind
I’ll ask someone else
Hinata Shouyou:
No noooo yama
I’ll call you!!
Better yet, send me your location
I’m in tokyo for a game
I’ll be there myself
Kageyama Tobio:
Hinata
Theres really no need for that
Hinata Shouyou:
SEND!!!!
So, Tobio did.
Hinata claimed that he was in the area and that he’d be there within five minutes. Well, now it was seventeen and he was still nowhere in sight! Tobio should’ve never trusted him, and he was going to walk into oncoming traffic if he had to hear about one more programming language.
Minato was trying to multitask and kept attempting to hold Tobio's hand while telling him about Python, and well, Tobio was running out of excuses to fix his clothes or hair.
What an awful way to spend his off day. He was going to walk out of here if Hinata didn't arrive within the next couple of minut—
“Kageyama!”
Tobio’s head jerked up as the door opened, his heart kicking up a notch at the sound of that voice.
Minato’s brows furrowed curiously but before he could ask Tobio anything, Hinata was at their table. He was dishevelled and out of breath. He wore a pair of running shorts and a sweatshirt over it, and Tobio couldn't stop his eyes from trailing up the length of his legs. He snapped out of it when Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him.
“There you are!” he cried. “We’ve been looking all over for you!”
The surprise on Tobio’s face was not feigned. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting Hinata to do, but it wasn’t this—whatever this was.
Minato looked sufficiently startled too. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
Hinata turned to his date, wild-eyed. “Is something wrong?” he repeated. “Everything is wrong! Kageyama’s cat, his little kitten—his—his little Shou-chan—is in the hospital!”
Tobio’s eyes widened. “What the—”
“And not just that!” Hinata continued, the hysteria in his voice rising and making Tobio panic too. “His plant, um, the cactus that he’s named Ushijima-san—is dead!”
What the fuck?
Before Tobio could form any coherent response through his shock-induced stupor, Hinata pulled him to his feet with freakish strength and bowed to Minato. “Pardon me for interrupting, but we need Kageyama immediately—they need the consent of the owner to start surgery on the cat—”
Tobio gaped at him. “Start what—”
Hinata ignored him, looking down solemnly. “And, of course, there’s the funeral for Ushijima-san that needs to be arranged.”
Minato looked too scared to cross-question him, but he still dared to ask. “Y—You mean the plant?”
“No,” Hinata mocked with a straight face. “I mean the volleyball player Ushijima.”
Minato didn’t catch on to his sarcasm. “There’s a volleyball player called Ushijima? And he’s died?”
“Seriously?” Tobio burst out, his annoyance reaching its peak. “I literally just told you about the volleyball player Ushijima, like, five minutes ago! He’s on my team!”
“Someone in your team passed away? ” Minato gasped, placing a hand over his chest, oh, he was so dead.
Before Tobio could go and physically strangle him, Hinata grabbed Tobio's arm and started dragging him out of the restaurant with a chirpy, “Bye!”
Tobio just barely collected his phone and wallet with hasty hands, and then he and Hinata were spilling out of the door. By the time they’d turned the corner on the street, Hinata was howling with laughter, clutching his stomach and barely managing to stay upright.
“Did you—” he wheezed, his shoulders shaking. “Did—you see the look on his face? Oh my god, that was amazing!”
Tobio was not as amused. “My cat Shou-chan? ” he exclaimed. “And my plant Ushijima-san? Why would I even name a plant, much less name it after Ushijima-san? Have you completely lost it?!”
Hinata grinned at him, wiping the corners of his eyes. “Oh, come on, ‘Yama, what else kind of emergency was I supposed to come up with?”
“Literally anything but the funeral of a plant!” Tobio snapped, before crossing his arms and pouting. “And I don’t even have a cat.”
Hinata nudged his side playfully. “But if you did, would you name it Shou-chan?”
Tobio flushed and looked away. “Obviously not. It’s a terrible name.”
Hinata laughed and his eyes twinkled mischievously. “Well, you should. It would make me really happy.”
Tobio could feel himself get even redder, and he hated when this happened—when Hinata flirted with him like this, so casually. It made his stomach go all funny and his heartbeat felt too loud, and he didn’t know what to do about it. He didn’t know if Hinata meant it, or if he was just joking around.
If he did, maybe he wouldn’t be going on hellish dates set up by his sister.
Before Tobio could get too lost in that thought, Hinata started walking, prompting him to follow.
It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect, boasting a vast blue sky with an occasional white cloud sluggishly floating in it. They could smell the spring blooming around them even in the heart of the city, and Hinata had a small, content smile playing at the edge of his lips.
"What are you doing for the rest of the day?" he asked idly, as they passed a Western-style cafe.
Tobio shrugged. "Well, I guess my day just cleared up. So, nothing."
Hinata hummed contemplatively. "It's still lunchtime. Have you eaten?"
"That's pretty much all I was doing on that date," Tobio confessed with a roll of his eyes.
Hinata let out a laugh. "You're so mean, Kageyama-kun! Was he really that bad?"
Tobio barely suppressed a shudder. "You have no idea."
"Miwa-nee's doing?"
"Obviously."
Tobio glanced at Hinata and saw the line of his shoulders untense. Almost as though in relief.
"Well, it's been a few hours since breakfast and I'm hungry!" he whined. He tugged on Tobio's sleeve. "Come on. Feed me."
Tobio scowled and batted at his hand. "Feed yourself!"
“I forgot to bring my wallet.”
“Not my problem.”
"Is this how you thank me for helping you?" Hinata exclaimed. “Come on, buy me a crepe or something! You should treat me for being your saviour!”
“You’re not my saviour," Tobio scoffed. "I would’ve walked out of there eventually.”
“And come off as super rude!”
"Like I care."
"Buy me a crepe, anyway!" Hinata insisted, looking up at him with huge eyes and a dramatic pout. Ugh. "Now I'm really in the mood for one."
Tobio was bravely keeping himself from melting over his stupid puppy eyes and agreeing to his whims this fast, but then Hinata's face lit up and he looked around suddenly. "Actually, we're not far from the Gyoen National Garden!" he said. "There's a really good crepe stand outside. Let's go!"
Tobio stopped him, a small detail niggling at him. "Oi. What about your game?"
"It's not till evening! Warm-ups won't start for a good while," Hinata replied, without a care. He tugged on Tobio's hand this time. "Come on, Kageyama, it's fine! Or are you trying to weasel out of spending money on me?"
The smile he was wearing was transparently goading, but like a fish to a hook, Tobio allowed himself to be baited anyway.
"I'm not cheap, dumbass!" he gritted out. "Let's go."
Hinata didn't let go of his hand as they made the short walk towards the garden, and Tobio didn't feel the need to shrug it off. It felt nice, comfortable. Hinata's hand seemed as familiar to him as his own, having spent years tossing volleyballs for it to spike.
Soon, they were at the crepe stand Hinata mentioned. He took an irritatingly long time deciding which flavour he wanted, and in the end, chose to get one filled with vanilla ice cream that had chocolate sauce drizzled on it, big chunks of dark chocolate and a variety of nuts decorating the sides. Two sticks of Pocky and two chocolate wafer rolls had been speared into the ice cream, truly making it death by chocolate.
Tobio stole one of each, earning a squawked protest from Hinata, who then proceeded to stick a spoonful of ice cream into Tobio's mouth. The sweetness of vanilla burst on his taste buds as the ice cream melted on his tongue. Tobio licked his lips and stole another bite from Hinata.
“Your nutritionist would hate you right now,” Tobio said as he watched Hinata request extra toppings from the vendor.
Hinata seemed unbothered. “I have a good metabolism.”
“You also have a game soon,” Tobio pointed out. “Don't stuff your face so much or you'll throw up in front of the whole stadium.”
"You wish, Bakageyama!" Hinata turned back to childishly stick his tongue out at him. Tobio’s gaze immediately zeroed in on it. It was pink and wet. He suddenly wanted to feel it on his, wanted to see if the vanilla flavour would somehow taste different like that.
Hinata already had his back to him when Tobio realised with a shock what he was thinking. A light tremor went through him as he attempted to purge his mind of any unholy thoughts about his best friend. They bothered him enough at night—he didn’t want them leaking into the daytime as well.
Together, they devoured the crepe and after they’d thrown the wrapper into the dustbin, Hinata complained that he still wasn't full on account of having to share his food. Tobio proceeded to ignore him and simply dragged him towards the garden.
He shelled out 400 yen for the entrance fee while Hinata excitedly chattered away beside him, earning equally annoyed and fond looks from other visitors.
The Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was a huge space, spanning over 140 acres, but it didn’t feel like much as they walked over the pathways, idly looking for a free spot to sit down. Dozens of people were milling about but it didn’t feel crowded, and between the easy conversation with Hinata and the cherry blossom trees, Tobio felt indescribable peace wash over him.
They found a nice, secluded spot near one of the fish ponds and sat down on the grass. Sakura petals floated serenely over the water, which rippled occasionally from the breeze and the movement of the fish under the surface. They were far enough from the centre of the park that the voices of other people were faint enough for them to pretend they didn’t exist.
“It’s nice today, isn’t it?” Hinata murmured, eyes half-closed as he tipped his head back.
Tobio hummed in response, his voice feeling too frail to carry over. Sitting here, under the cherry blossom trees with lingering sweetness still on his tongue, Tobio felt like he was back on the kind of date he'd just escaped from—but the difference was that he'd felt nothing for that guy, while for Hinata, he felt far too much.
A gust of wind rushed through the trees, rustling the branches above. A flurry of pink petals cascaded over them, settling on their skin like a gentle kiss. Tobio’s breath hitched as he watched the petals brush over Hinata’s face, slipping over the slope of his nose and caressing his lips. Tobio’s hands twitched—he yearned to be the one to touch them instead.
A few of the petals got tangled in Hinata’s hair, and Tobio couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward and picking them out one by one, the softness of the strands between his hands tickling the oversensitive pads of his fingers. He instinctively combed his fingers through the curls after he was done, fluffing them up.
When he dragged his gaze down again, he found Hinata staring straight at him. His heart nearly stopped beating inside his chest.
“I've always wanted to do this,” Hinata said softly, the look in his eyes making Tobio slowly unravel.
Tobio withdrew his hand gingerly, keeping it on his lap. He hadn’t realised how close he’d moved to Hinata. "You've never seen the sakura?"
"Of course I have!"
"Then, what do you mean?"
Hinata’s cheeks pinkened, matching the sakura petals around them. He averted his gaze. “Well, you know! With…people.”
Tobio frowned. “With people?”
“Yeah, like, um—seeing them with some people.”
“You don’t make any sense,” Tobio replied, feeling completely lost. “What people? With who?”
“With you, stupid!” Hinata exclaimed suddenly, his blush deepening with embarrassment. He met Tobio’s eyes, fiery and determined. “I always wanted to do this with you! There, happy?"
Tobio stared back at him speechlessly, his higher brain functioning deciding to go on a strike right at that moment. “Re—really?” he managed to stammer.
Hinata cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. I used to think about it in school and stuff. Usually, after Spring High, when we were free and the sakura were blooming. I used to see couples around the school go on dates or spend time together under the cherry blossom trees…and sometimes, I wanted to do it, too. With—with…you.”
Now, Tobio wasn’t stupid enough to miss the underlying meaning of his words. He knew this for what it was—a confession.
Hinata had just confessed to him.
Tobio’s throat went dry. His ribcage felt too small to contain the swelling of his heart.
He willed his vocal cords to work. “I…I would have liked that,” he whispered tentatively. “I’m liking it now.”
Hinata blinked at him, his mouth parting with surprise, as though he hadn’t expected that response. “You mean it?”
Tobio nodded, feeling the heat in his own cheeks.
Hinata released a shuddering breath and locked eyes with him. Tobio couldn’t look away from the intensity of his gaze even if he wanted to.
“Don't go on a date with anyone else again, okay?” he said.
The proximity was stifling, in the best way, and Tobio couldn’t breathe. “I won’t—”
“Because, what if, one day, you actually like one of these guys?” Hinata continued in a rush, eyebrows furrowing in distress. “What's gonna happen, then? What am I supposed to do—"
Tobio couldn’t take it anymore. He cupped Hinata’s cheeks and firmly pressed their lips together. Hinata gasped, hands coming up to clutch Tobio’s wrists.
"I don't want to,” Tobio pulled away to mumble. He kissed Hinata once more. "With anyone else."
“Good,” Hinata breathed out, eyes hazy and lidded, and then they were kissing again. The spot they’d chosen concealed them from prying eyes and the light breeze rustling the leaves covered up their sweet, gasping sounds.
"This was never in my fantasy,” Hinata admitted a few minutes later, kiss-drunk and pliant under him as Tobio peppered soft kisses over his jaw. “This part."
Tobio smiled against the corner of his mouth. “Your fantasy, huh?” he teased. “What else did you fantasize about?”
“Oh, shut up!” Hinata retorted through a short laugh, which trailed off into a deep sigh. “I guess…I just never expected this.”
Tobio lifted his head to look into his eyes. "Well, I've always exceeded your expectations, haven't I?"
"Mhmm and I've exceeded yours,” Hinata replied with a grin. His arms tightened around Tobio. “Come watch me play."
"Hmm?"
"Today,” he said, hope and excitement colouring his voice. “I'm even better than I was last game. Come watch me."
And there was no way Tobio could turn that down, because the perfect guy for him wasn’t waiting for him in cafes or restaurants.
No, he had always been waiting for him on the volleyball court.
The Black Jackals were playing the Green Rockets that evening, the audience already having filled out the stadium an hour before the match started.
They reached the stadium just at the nick of time, and Hinata gave Tobio a cheeky wink before he disappeared into the MSBY locker room, mouthing ‘watch me’ as the door closed him in. Tobio bit back a smile and made his way outside to the stands to do just that.
It was nearly impossible to find a seat among the throngs of people, and it was only because he was a V.League player himself that he was able to snatch a spot in the VIP area.
The game kicked off with a bang and Tobio’s gaze stayed rooted to the court for the entirety of the 72 minutes. His eyes never failed to find Hinata, no matter where they were, but today, the whole stadium seemed to be obsessively fixated on him. Tobio thought that they might feel a fraction of how he felt towards Hinata all the time.
For he was stunning, flying across the court with the kind of lightning speed that left Tobio’s heart racing. He was no stranger to it, of course, but it was one thing experiencing it in person two feet away from him, and quite another watching from a distance. It was exhilarating, watching him play, the electric atmosphere intensifying the emotions even more.
During every time-out, after every changeover, Hinata turned towards the audience, his eyes urgently seeking. After the second set, he finally located Tobio and broke out into a giddy smile, practically vibrating where he stood.
Are you watching? he seemed to say.
As if I could help myself, Tobio replied.
As much as he tried, he couldn’t point out a single fault—a single move that Hinata could’ve executed better. He was flawless, a flaming god shooting a ball of fire.
Tobio was awestruck, and somewhere along the line felt himself quietly submitting to him, because what’s royalty before divinity?
The Black Jackals won by a landslide, defeating their opponents with a clean three sets. Hinata happily accepted the title of MVP before getting swarmed by his delighted teammates.
Tobio felt like his heart was about to burst.
Hinata casually attributed the quality of his play that evening to Tobio, confessing later that he’d felt impossibly fired up at the thought of Tobio being one of the spectators in that match—that he’d been compelled to do his best and make Tobio proud.
Stripped down to being a human again and cheeks flushed a light pink against the black collar of his team jacket, Tobio almost kissed him in the dark outside the arena.
Even later, after they’d gotten proper dinner together, Tobio finally mustered up the courage to do it. He dropped Hinata to his hotel, walked him to his room, and as they stood staring at each before the door, Tobio slowly leaned down and kissed him. Hinata immediately latched on to him, kissing back eagerly—as though he’d been waiting.
They knew they couldn’t take things further tonight—keeping in mind Hinata’s early morning bus and Tobio’s game against EJP Raijin in the afternoon the next day—but that didn't stop them from going at it. Tobio was distantly aware that he was going to feel profound shame about making out in such a public place, but right now, with Hinata playfully nipping his bottom lip, he couldn’t really bring himself to give a single fuck about it.
Thankfully, no one caught them in that hallway, although Sakusa did yell at them to stop being disgusting outside his room. His hearing seemed to be pretty sharp but it was very easy to pretend that theirs wasn’t.
"God, I’m so happy,” Hinata sighed happily, leaning his head back against the door. He smiled loopily up at Tobio. “You should take me out on a date again sometime."
Tobio's stomach did three somersaults upon hearing that. But he shook his head. "Nope."
"Yeah?” Hinata quirked an eyebrow. “Why not?"
"It's your turn next time,” Tobio explained with a lopsided grin. “If you think you're up for it."
"I'm more than up for it!” Hinata responded, challenge sparking in his eyes. “My date will be so much better, you'll see—"
“No way. I fulfilled your lifelong fantasy.”
“And so what? I’ll outdo even that, just wait and see.”
“Keep dreaming."
Another four minutes of bickering finally lead to them actually making a semi-concrete plan to do this again as soon as possible, the promise sealed with a few more kisses.
Tobio wasn’t sure he’d ever done anything as hard as walking away from Hinata Shouyou that night.
His journey from the hotel to his flat went by in a blur, on autopilot. He was halfway through changing into his pyjamas when a few sakura petals fell from his jacket and onto the bed.
Tobio crumbled. He exhaled heavily and collapsed on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling and letting an overjoyed smile curve his lips.
Miwa’s call a few moments late found him in that exact position.
“Hey,” she greeted. “How did your date go?”
"Amazing,” Tobio sighed. “I think I love him."