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The cool night air had been refreshing on their sweaty bodies when they had first decided to stop playing but, before long, it became too cold as they lay side by side on the grass, the small distance between them heated by their bodies. Their school jackets were close, well within reach, but neither grabbed for them, content to pass the moment just gazing up at the sky, silently engrossed in their own thoughts.
There was no worry about going to bed early. It was Friday and they didn’t have practise in the morning either, so Hinata had easily convinced Kageyama to stay behind and play at the park near school.
Ennoshita, Nishinoya and Yamaguchi had stayed behind with them after practice but had all left hours ago when it became clear that the freak duo wouldn’t be stopping any time soon.
“Make sure not to overdo it, you two,” Ennoshita had told them, a tired and exasperated smile on his face.”
“Yes!” Hinata and Kageyama had called out, bowing in goodbye, before racing to pick up the worn volleyball again, returning to their endless volleys.
Now, with the moon shining proudly in the cloudless sky, Hinata and Kageyama lay side by side, the gentle ache of a good game enveloping their bodies.
The stillness was interrupted as Hinata reached out and grabbed Kageyama’s hand, drawing it up to rest on his chest. He felt the steady heartbeat, a calming rhythm he could fall asleep to.
“Hey, Kageyama?” Hinata asked softly.
The setter only hummed in acknowledgement, half-lidded eyes resting on the distant glimmer of stars. His head felt pleasantly empty, free to just enjoy the peaceful night.
“Do you…love me?”
Kageyama’s head snapped to the side as he looked at his boyfriend in confusion, a light flush emerging high on his cheeks just from hearing the word ‘love’. It wasn’t his first time hearing it, but something about the atmosphere weighed the word with even deeper meaning.
Hinata’s face, Kageyama noticed, was similarly blushing but he continued to stare up at the sky.
“Of course I do,” Kageyama said gruffly, eyes fixed on the way his hand rose and fell in time with Hinata’s breathing where it rested on his chest. He loved him, of course, he did. Never once was that in question, at least in Kageyama’s head. There were two uncontested facts that everyone knew about him; that volleyball was his life, and that he was in love with Hinata. “Do I…not tell you enough?”
“You do. I just.” Hinata shifted to rest on his side as he brought Kageyama’s hand up to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the palm. Hinata had a fixation on his hands, something to do with Kageyama’s sets, no doubt. He loved to hold hands, kiss his hand, press it up against his cheek.
“Why do you love me?” Hinata asked, eyes wide and curious.
The question gave Kageyama pause. Why did he love him? That wasn’t what he’d been expecting at all. Was there a reason? Did he need to have a reason?
“Iー” Kageyama sat up slightly and planted his elbow on the grass, propping his head up on his palm. He frowned down at his boyfriend, gathering his thoughts before starting again. “I don’t know if there is a reason but. I guess because you make sense to me. There’s not a lot of things that I understand other than volleyball, but I understand you. The world’s crazy, stupid and wild, but if you’re there beside me, if I can still make sense of you, it doesn’t seem that bad anymore.”
Hinata didn’t say anything so Kageyama glanced up at his face. He started when he saw tears fall down the side of Hinata’s head, tracks disappearing into that wild mess of hair. A trembling smile stopped him from overthinking what he’d said.
“Thank you,” Hinata said thickly. “I love you too. So much.”
Kageyama smiled at him before scootching forward. He dragged Hinata up by the front of his shirt and leaned down, pressing a kiss to his forehead, then each cheek before pulling him over his body so that Hinata lay on top of him. The weight of the smaller boy should have been stifling. He’d grown slightly taller and was packed with heavy muscles that had been carefully curated over the last year and a half. But the weight just filled Kageyama with a sense of peace, like maybe this was how it should be, how it always will be.
Hinata giggled as he pressed his face down into Kageyama’s chest, wrapping his arms around his neck.
“You’re just rubbing snot all over me, aren’t you,” the setter said fondly, settling his hands on Hinata’s back, feeling the muscles shift as the boy snuggled deeper into his chest.
“Yup,” came Hinata’s muffled response.
The sound of crickets filled the air as the boys just lay there before Kageyama shifted slightly.
“Hinata?”
“Yeah?”
“Why do you love me?”
Hinata raised his head, resting his chin on Kageyama’s chest, a slight smile on his lips. “You’ve kept up with me,” he said softly. “I’m always sprinting ahead so I guess I didn’t notice but most people stop running with me at some point, but you’ve matched me step for step.”
Something about the atmosphere, cold and warm, dark and brightly lit, just charged Hinata’s words with so much sincerity that Kageyama felt chocked. His heartfelt full to bursting and he understood, at that moment, why Hinata had started crying earlier. When you have so much emotion building up, rising to the surface, what else can you do?
Hinata didn’t wait for him to respond, just grabbed his hand again and brought it up to his lips again, pressing a kiss to the pads of his fingers.
“I love you, I could name reasons all day long,” Hinata said. “You’re amazing at volleyball. I don’t feel dumb with you. And…” he looked down at Kageyama’s body. “And obviously, you’re like the hottest guy at school.”
A startled chuckle escaped Kageyama and he shook his head. He couldn’t think of what to say in response to that so he did what he did best and took action instead. He tilted Hinata’s chip up with a hand and kissed his lips. He drew back a bit, leaving a sliver of space between them.
“Thank you,” Kageyama breathed out, lips brushing Hinata’s with the words.
They smiled at each other before Hinata laid his head back down on Kageyama’s chest. The setter tightened his grip on the other boy before looking up at the starry sky, a content smile on his lips.