Work Text:
Tobio suspects his change in perspective begins late in the evening, just after the practice matches in Tokyo. However, he is not sure if the realization of his feelings he was currently experiencing had existed prior to this occurrence.
Whereas Hinata was always an annoying bundle of energy bounding around the court, the hyperactivity always seemed to suppress itself on the team bus rides.
The setter and middle blocker had always been seat partners since before their first practice match with Karasuno’s volleyball club.
Hinata had been lurking around the aisle looking for an open seat. A goofy smile spread across the ginger’s cheeks when Tobio rolled his eyes and pointed nonchalantly to the spot next to him.
They sat with generous distance between one another, not willing to set the other off just before the match.
But there existed a contrast after the match.
With exhausted bodies and the bitter taste of defeat in their mouths, the two did not take into account that reserved, unspoken space between them.
They leaned on the other’s body, collapsing against the other player’s warmth with tired, dry eyes.
And they slept.
The ride to each game was always cautious, and often filled with bickering. But the ride home was a religiously shared bout of fatigue. Neither of the pair were really aware of the other in those quiet rides home.
But then, on their last long drive to the joint practices in Tokyo, there was an unusual morning. Hinata’s endless spring of energy seemed dull, he blinked blearily as he climbed the high steps into the bus.
“What’s with you?” Tobio questioned as Hinata sauntered tiredly to their seat. The red head shrugged as he slumped next to the setter, not even fighting for a window seat.
He nodded off for the first half hour of the trip, his response to Tobio’s teasing only resulting in mumbled nonsense.
Tobio sighed, reluctantly missing the runt’s bubbly demeanor. He leaned his head against the cool glass window, his skull buzzing with each bump.
Suddenly, a weight fell against his shoulder. Tobio, flicked his eyes over to see Hinata’s orange mop of hair leaned onto Tobio’s side.
Of course Tobio was aware that they had relied on each other's bodies to sleep before on these bus trips. But that was when the two were both laden with the need for rest and a makeshift pillow. Right now, Tobio was fully aware of Hinata.
He was fully aware of how his curled hair tickled his neck. He was aware of each soft breath as he pressed against him. He was aware of how long his eyelashes were as Tobio peered at his sleeping face. He was aware of how red Tobio’s face was.
He desperately tried to pull himself out of the situation and go back to spacing out the window, but he could not help but focus on his teammate. When he turned his head, he could catch the scent of Hinata’s shampoo.
Was it coconut scented? No, wait- don’t think about it, don’t think about him, DON’T THINK ABOUT HIM.
Tobio squeezed his eyes shut. His heart hammered against his chest with a velocity he had only felt making those split second calls as a setter. Yet he was nowhere near the court, he was in the back of a bus, with one of his blockers drooling on his jacket.
He had to think of something else, anything else but the boy leaned up on him. Serving, tosses, milk, just anything but Hinata.
Why was it such a big deal? It was just the dumbass who is more likely to get a ball to the face than a successful serve. The dumb, inexperienced idiot who couldn’t recieve a serve correctly to save his life. Always so bubbly with that stupid, cute smile he always wears.
Cute?
Tobio’s face burned relentlessly as he leaned himself against the cool window. The color only deepened as Hinata stirred, his hand clutching Tobio’s jacket as he nuzzled his face deeper into his side.
“Dumbass.” Tobio mumbled as he let himself press closer to the ginger. A small smile crawled on Hinata’s sleeping face as he murmured more gibberish.