Work Text:
08:19 a.m.
Hinata Shouyou: Hey! Yamayama-kun! Yachi-san needs help with the deliveries for her candygram fundraiser and I volunteered the two of us. Meet us at the main doors!
Here's the thing. Once you notice Hinata Shouyou—no, no, really notice him—you are one hundred percent completely and utterly doomed. He’s a crackling fireball of a person. Concentrated sunshine in physical form. Walking glow-stick space heater. Vivid shock of persistence and motion and idiocy.
You have to squint to even glimpse him. Tobio’ll probably blind himself from extensive observation someday or char from prolonged exposure.
He hasn’t, though—not yet, anway—so he watches Hinata pull another pink envelope from the paper bag in his arms, listens to him comment on everything from the handwriting to the cutesy-heart sticker seals, and allows himself a millimeter less space between them. Hinata lightens even Karasuno's filmy gray hallways, like he's catching sun's rays that don't exist per today's incoming-snowfall skies. He's too loud, probably, though Tobio can't recall the last time this bothered him.
A teacher emerges from the classroom they're passing and scolds them for being disruptive. When she shuts the door behind her, Tobio glares and fists Hinata's hair. "Dumbass ," he mutters. Hinata laughs and pokes his tongue out. Tobio scowls. "You're so noisy. Don't get us in trouble!"
Hinata scrunches his nose and swats Tobio's arm away. "You were louder than I was just now!" he protests, even louder.
"Was not."
"Was too!"
"I was not!"
"You were!"
Tobio reaches for the top of Hinata's head again. This time, he ducks out of the way.
"You're so mean!" Hinata laughs. The bag in his arms teeters, the candygrams inside alarmingly close to spilling out. "Liaryama-kun!"
Tobio scoffs. He steps so they're side by side again and forgoes shoving Hinata into the opposite wall to instead nudge his box back into place. "Idiot," he retorts, and ignores the way it sounds like an endearment. "C'mon. We need to deliver ten of these by second period."
10:09 a.m.
Sugawara Koushi: Happy Valentine's Day! How's my favorite kouhai? Don't tell anyone I said that, heh. Did you get any homemade chocolate this year? (･ω<)☆
Here's the thing. Tobio's gotten confessions before. He knows how they work; that a blushing girl clutching a delicate, ribboned package to her chest with a group of friends pushing her in his direction means he must brace himself for as polite a rejection as he can muster.
What he doesn't know—what he has never been able to understand—is why he gets so many of them. He isn't popular; at least, he doesn't think he is, because he doesn't have friends outside his volleyball team and doesn't talk to anyone in his classes. People don't ask him to their houses or invite him to hang out at lunch or at school. Hinata's the only one who does that; Kageyama, send me some tosses! Kageyama, let's grab meat buns from Coach's shop! Kageyama, let's practice more this weekend! Kageyama-kun! Kageyama!
Hinata tries to explain it to him on Valentine's Day of their first year. They're warring with a pile of overdue modern literature homework in the club room, talking over no less than three separate anonymous honmei-choco boxes that were left on Tobio's desk or at his locker.
"It's because you're tall." Hinata taps a pen against his temple, wise and sage. "And handsome. And an athlete. Girls like tall athletes."
"What?"
"Tall. Athlete," Hinata repeats.
"No, the other—what did you—?"
"Oh." Hinata grins, delightedly playful. "I almost forgot you can't take compliments! You're handsome, Kageyama-kun, didn't you know? Hand-some! You're sooooo—"
At this, Tobio lunges over the table and seizes Hinata by the hair. "Say that again and you're dead. Dead. "
Hinata giggles but puts his arms up. "Gwah! Stop it, Kageyama, you're crumpling my homework!"
"Then shut up, dumbass!"
"I'm not even saying anything anymore!"
When they finish their scuffle, Hinata's hair is mussed and both their homework packets are crinkled at the edges. Hinata is still eyeing Tobio with the same expression he gets when he's nagging him for praise.
"What? " Tobio snaps. His pencil lead breaks.
"Nothing, Yamayama-kun," Hinata says, that giggle still in his voice. "It's just—you're so red."
11:12 a.m.
Sugawara Koushi: Ha, I have a suspicion you'll be getting some later on though, just you wait! Anyone in particular you want a confession from? (¬‿¬)
Here's the thing. Tobio has never been a complicated person. He eats, he sleeps, he plays volleyball, and he tries to keep his grades high enough so he doesn't get kicked off his volleyball team. And sure, volleyball isn't easy; there are team dynamics and difficult plays and communication to figure out, but in its essence, Tobio's relationship with volleyball is simple. He wants to stay on the court. He wants to keep playing. He wants to get better and better and better. He has always understood this about himself.
Except, recently, there are things he hasn't understood about himself. Like when Hinata, in all his excitable ginger glory, became the first person Tobio sought out in every room. Or when he started taking to swiping glances of him dozing in the classes they share, one of his cheeks squished against one arm and the other dangling at his side, fingertips brushing the volleyball by his backpack. Or when Hinata's head against his shoulder on the bus after practice matches went from unwanted to tolerable to standard.
Mostly, when he shifted from only wanting to reach the top to wanting Hinata Shouyou to stand there with him.
12:22 p.m.
Yachi Hitoka: Can you two meet me at the table at lunch? You know, the one I showed you guys this morning? I want to try and get more candygram sales!
Here's the thing. Maybe Tobio's gotten confessions before, but Hinata never has. They're sorting through the most recent candygrams as Yachi handles the selling and labeling at her little fundraiser table, grouping the envelopes by which area of the school the recipient will be in during fifth period when Hinata yells.
"Dumbass," Tobio says on instinct, swiveling to see what Hinata could possibly be shouting about. "What the hell?"
"Look, Kageyama!" Hinata practically vibrates as he brandishes one of the baby-pink envelopes. "It's one for me!"
And sure enough, in the center of the envelope is for Hinata Shouyou written in large, loopy kanji flanked by pen-doodle hearts.
"Was that it?"
Hinata wrinkles his nose. "Stupid Yamayama! I get confessions all the time-yama. I got a bunch of candygrams already-yama. Be happy for me, damnit!"
Tobio blinks. "Oh. Good. Job?" he tries. "Did you like her or something?"
"No, Kageyama." Hinata pouts. "It's just cool! I never get stuff like this."
"Oh," Tobio says again. He tries to understand, just a little, even though he still doesn't know how to respond.
"Good for you," Tobio says, trying his best to make his voice reflect genuinity. He supposes he can be happy that Hinata’s happy, even though he still isn’t entirely clear why. Even though a part of him is also unhappy because, well.
"Really," he adds. Just for good measure.
02:14 p.m.
Yachi Hitoka: There's a couple candygrams left if you or Hinata-kun want to send your own—free of charge for you two! Thanks for all your help!
Here's the thing. Candygrams aren’t Tobio’s style. Scratch that—Tobio isn’t entirely sure what his style is because he doesn’t actually have one. He’s never had to do something like this before; never wanted to do anything remotely near the vicinity of the ballpark of this—whatever this is.
"Yamayama-kuuun," comes Hinata's singsong. He wavers at Tobio's side; ever-present, constant. No shadows without sun. "Are you gonna send a candygram?
Tobio scowls. "Of course not." Of course not.
This earns him a pout from Hinata. It's a very Hinata Shouyou pout; very why didn't you set the ball to me, very come on, Bakageyama, tell me that was a good receive! A part of Tobio dares to find it endearing. The rest of him tries to smother it out of his system.
"Bo-ring," Hinata insists. "Are you sure, Kageyama-kun? There's nobody you wanna even give candies to? Even anonymously? Nobody? " He waves one of the pink envelopes in front of Tobio. In the middle, a scribbled from Shouyou!!! with no other embellishments.
"Get yours out of my face, dumbass." Tobio swats at Hinata's arm. "Who the hell are you confessing to, anyway?" Because, of course, it's completely fine that Hinata's got someone else he's confessing to. One hundred percent A-OK.
Hinata grins wide. "It's a secret, Yamayama. Duh."
Tobio rolls his eyes. There's an odd thrum through his chest; a barely-there tightness. Heart throbbing against ribs. Hinata's sending a candygram to someone. "Is it the girl who sent you one earlier?"
"Wh—oh, Akiko-san?" A laugh. "Of cou—" Hinata freezes. "Wait, wait, are you jealous?"
"The hell? Of course not, idiot—"
Hinata's face scrunches up. "You don't even talk to Akiko-san though, do you?"
"I—what?"
"Hey, no way!" Hinata crosses his arms, pink envelope still grasped loosely between thumb and forefinger. "You can't tell me you've had a crush on Akiko this whole time."
"Hinata," Tobio smacks the back of his head. "Dumbass. I don't even know who she is. I'm not going to steal your Valentine."
Hinata squints at him for a moment longer before he relents, shuffling the candygrams they still have to deliver in the paper bag hanging from his wrist.
"Yeah, yeah," says Hinata. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't worried about that."
Tobio stares at him. He doesn't ask questions.
03:04 p.m.
Nishinoya Yuu: SHOUYOUUU I PROMISE IT’S MUTUAL!!! (Also for the record? Don't ask me for advice bro, I may be dating Asahi but I have zero idea how that happened.)
“Here’s the thing,” Hinata says. "I don't know how to do this."
Tobio raises an eyebrow. They've got one more hallway to cover for the remainder of the candygrams Yachi sold at lunch, plus wherever Hinata's going to have to go to deliver his. He still won't tell Tobio who it's for. He promises it can wait until the end because it won't take as long to deliver.
“What?”
Hinata pouts like Tobio is supposed to know what he’s talking about. “This candygram thing, Bakageyama-kun! What do I even do?”
Tobio stares ahead. “Why are you asking me, dumbass?” Because while it is absolutely, definitely fine that Hinata is delivering candygram to someone else who is not Tobio (it’s fine, really, it’s fine), giving Hinata advice on how to deliver said candygram is where Tobio draws the line.
“Because,” Hinata whines, flicking the side of Tobio’s head. “Help me out for once, would you? Just like, if you were getting a candygram delivered in person, how would you want it to go?”
“I dunno,” Tobio mutters, which isn’t a lie—he genuinely doesn’t. “It wouldn’t really matter. I don’t really want a candygram from anyone.” Which is a lie, except he’s not going to tell Hinata Shouyou he wouldn’t object to a candygram from him. Not to mention the thought of wanting a candygram confession from Hinata is so embarrassingly corny that maybe Tobio really doesn’t want that after all.
“Not helpful, Yamayama-kun!” Hinata swats at his shoulder with his candygram. “You’ve gotten confessions before, haven’t you? What was the like, least bad way people gave them to you? Did you like it better when you were alone, or like, when they did it in a classroom or something?”
“You’re so annoying,” Tobio says.
“Can you give me an answer, at least?”
“It really doesn’t matter to me,” Tobio says flatly. “Just walk up to her desk and hand it to her. Anybody would be fine with that.”
Hinata doesn’t give up. “Like, including you?”
“Sure? The hell are you concerned with what I think for, dumbass, it’s not like you’re giving me a confe—”
“Oh, hey!” Hinata says loudly, stopping in his tracks. “We’re at Class 2 now, Yamayama-kun. I’d better deliver the three candygrams addressed to people here. Be right back!”
“Wh—dumbass, this is Class 3—”
But Hinata’s already stepped into the classroom and shut the door behind him. Tobio spends half a minute trying to figure out what just happened before deeming it a lost cause.
04:05 p.m.
Nishinoya Yuu: SHIT WAIT THAT LAST MESSAGE WAS TO THE WRONG PERSON DAMNIT KAGEYAMA DID YOU READ THAT PLEASE IGNORE ME
Here's the thing.
They finish delivering all the candygrams twenty minutes before the last bell, so they lean against the outside wall of the gym in preparation for afternoon practice. It's not like there'd be any use going to their last period at this point, anyway. (It has nothing to do with the fact that said last period is English).
Well, almost all the candygrams, at least.
"Aren't you going to deliver yours?" Tobio asks.
"I don't know," Hinata says. He bites his lip. He looks genuinely thoughtful. "Maybe... not? I don't know. I don't know if they'd want it from me."
To Tobio's surprise, he finds himself responding, "Why not? Why are you backing out now?"
Hinata blinks up at him with round, round eyes. "What?"
"I mean. It doesn't really matter to me if you send it or not." Tobio pulls an extra milk box from a side pocket of his bag and stabs the straw into it. He doesn't look at Hinata as he continues, "Just. Wouldn't not sending it at this point be kind of like losing?"
Hinata is silent for a moment. Then, "Wow, Kageyama-kun! That was so introspective of you!"
Tobio scowls. His cheeks are burning, burning, burning. "Shut up, moron."
"Aww, thanks, Kageyama!" Hinata's grinning again, all thoughtfulness forgotten. "You know what?"
"What."
"Maybe I will deliver it after all."
Tobio slurps the last of his milk. "Okay. Good for you."
"Because you inspired me!"
It's the middle of February. It's too warm. Hinata really is made of condensed sunbeams.
"Okay," Tobio says again.
Hinata sighs melodramatically, then turns so he's facing Tobio.
“Here. Delivery.” He holds the envelope between them: strawberry-red, torn-in-one-corner. It isn't addressed to anyone.
“What? No way.” Tobio scowls. “I’m not delivering it for you.”
Hinata slaps him in the arm with the candygram.
“Yamayama-kun,” he huffs. “You are so stupid."
"The hell, you dumbass—"
"It’s yours, Bakageyama. It’s for you." Hinata pokes his cheek with the corner of the envelope.
"...huh?"
"Ka-ge-ya-ma-kun," Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke. "It's yours! Your Valentine. From me to you. Because I like you! I don't know if you like me, too, but—wait, do I lose if you reject me? Because maybe then it would've been better to just not—"
"Dumbass," Tobio says weakly. "What the hell?"
Hinata grins, sheepish. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Geez, Kageyama-kun, you could be nicer about it, y'know. Are you like this with all the poor girls who confess to you? Look, I'm not even gonna make you open it, okay—"
"You didn't—lose. Or whatever," Tobio mutters.
"Eh?"
"That stupid analogy you just went on about. You didn't... lose."
“Eh?” Hinata looks at him like he’s just uttered one of the English idioms they’re supposed to be memorizing.
“Hinata. Dumbass.” Tobio grits his teeth and looks sidelong. Not at Hinata, because his face is already warm and damnit, Hinata. Damn you, Hinata Shouyou. “I’m not. Rejecting you.”
It appears to dawn on Hinata in slow motion; his eyes get rounder, his mouth drops open the tiniest bit, his face brightens. Then he springs into the air like he’s just scored a victory point.
“Really?” he says. As soon as he lands, he bounces back up onto his toes so he’s leaned in as close to Tobio’s face as he can get. Tobio doesn’t dare turn to look at him. “Really? You like me too?”
So warm. So, so warm.
“I’m not saying it again, moron.”
Hinata sticks his tongue out. “Oh, but you didn’t say it yet,” he giggles now. It should not be endearing. “Come on, Kageyama, tell me you like me. You do, don’t you?”
Tobio breathes in sharply, then snatches the candygram from Hinata’s grasp. “Yeah, whatever,” he mutters. “I like you, idiot. Are you happy now?”
“Mm-hm.” Hinata beams. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Kageyama-kun! Does this mean we’re dating now?”
Tobio rolls his eyes. Even so, his heart is so, so light. He’s still warm—Hinata’s fault, definitely. Always Hinata’s fault. Always Hinata. But maybe it’s okay now.
“Sure,” he says, and he lets Hinata latch onto his arm. Hinata’s grinning. He’s so, so bright. Tobio’s definitely going to go blind. Maybe that’s okay, too. “Happy Valentine’s, dumbass.”
09:10 p.m.
Hinata Shouyou: So, Kageyama-kun. Kageyama-chan? (Kidding, don't ignore me!!!) Since we’re boyfriends now (!?!), wanna go on a belated Valentine's date tomorrow? ♡