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Description
Another day, another game. That was your motto at this point of the volleyball season. Days seemed to be a never-ending loop of volleyball, be it practice or a game. Not that you minded; you loved it actually. Even though you were only a manager for the Karasuno boys’ volleyball team, you looked forward to each day. Even on days like this: the days you arrive at the school at six in the morning on a Saturday to catch the bus to a tournament.

It was rough, but it was definitely worth it.

Yawning, you lean into Hinata’s side as you wait for the rest of the team to file into the bus. He blinks tiredly and chuckles. “Do I make a good pillow, (Y/N)?” He teases through a yawn. You only hum in contentment, closing your eyes for a moment.

”Oi! You gonna take a nap in the parking lot or get on the bus, dumbasses,” Kageyama complains. You frown, peeking at him through one eye. He impatiently waits at the door of the bus, usual scowl in place. Groaning, you pull yourself off Hinata and stumble toward the bus.

”It’s too early for yelling, grumpy pants,” you mumble as you pass him to enter the bus, playfully pushing his shoulder. He grunts, and you are well aware he rolled his eyes before following after you. Plopping yourself in the only empty set of seats, Kageyama and Hinata pile in next to you. Kageyama’s shoulder presses into yours and he stiffens immediately. You can’t help but giggle at his obvious discomfort.

”Do you wanna switch seats with me, Kageyama?”

He stares at you for a moment with an unreadable expression. He looks oddly embarrassed. You’re too tired to even try to read into the hidden meanings of minuscule pieces in his expression, so his glare is all that is evident to you. However, you also barely notice a tinge of pink coloring his ears.

”No.”

”Are ya sureeeee?”

”Yes.”

”Are ya sure you’re sure?”

”Shut up already.”

”Fine,” you huff, leaning into his shoulder. “I’m gonna be using you as a pillow then. I don’t want to bump my head on the window.”

You shuffle into a more comfortable position, finding it the most comfortable borderline curled into Kageyama’s side. Closing your eyes, you expect a quick retort: a refusal of some sort or an insult. He would try to fight you regardless of knowing he would never win. However, he is quiet for a moment. You wait in the stiff silence, feeling his tensing shoulders beneath your cheek. You’re about to question his peculiar behavior, but you are stopped before you have the chance.

”Whatever.” He is clear the discussion is over.

As you doze off, he prays that you aren’t close enough to hear his racing heart.

*~*~*

Stretching your hands over your head, you blink in your surroundings. It felt good to stretch after being on a stuffy bus for so long. As everyone marches into the gymnasium with their stuff, you teasingly nudge Kageyama with your elbow.

“You’re a good pillow, you know that?”

He glares down at you for a moment, unable to think of a proper retort. Quickly, he looks away, as if he never saw you. You stare for a moment, confused by his lack of comebacks today. You hardly notice his, once again, pink ears. You fight off your own blush as you notice for the hundredth time that week just how pretty he is.

Shrugging off his weird mood and pounding heart, you look around the building you have entered instead. It was pretty big, larger than the Karasuno gymnasium even. The amount of teams and spectators already filing in only make it seem larger.

Behind you, Hinata watches at the interaction curiously, noticing the blushing and awkward composure. Though he wants to shrug it off, something urges him to get a second opinion. Grabbing Tanaka by his jacket sleeve, he motions for the upperclassman to come closer. Once they were a safe distance from the group, Hinata quickly glances around as if Kageyama would appear suddenly. Squinting thoughtfully, he lifts a hand to shield his mouth. “I think Kageyama has a crush,” he whispers carefully, gesturing to you and said boy with a nod of his head.

Tanaka grins wickedly. “Oh?”

They watch for a moment as you walk in a comfortable silence next to Kageyama. Slowly, moving almost robotically, he steals a glance at you before ripping his gaze elsewhere. The pink coloring of his ears only darkens. Hinata and Tanaka give each other a knowing look, giggling like two school girls. Suddenly, Tanaka becomes alarmingly serious. His stony face becomes similar to that of a soldier.

“You know what this means.”

”Huh?”

”We have to do something!”

Hinata nods excitedly, saluting to his “lieutenant”. Scheming, the players place their bags along the wall of the gymnasium. They, very conspicuously, observe you and Kageyama and question whether you like him or not. Most signs point to yes, but they couldn’t wrap their head as to why.

In the midst of their theorizing, Oikawa arrogantly approaches Kageyama. They seem to start arguing, which isn’t that surprising. Awkwardly, you slowly shift away from the pair. You attempt to look unbothered, but you were sure it was obvious you weren’t sure what to do. Soon enough, you wander to a spot by Hinata and Tanaka. You begin to strike conversation, but they ignore you for the sake of watching Kageyama.

”Ah, man. Looks like Kageyama is in trouble,” Tanaka mutters. You quirk a brow at him.

”I think he’ll be fine,” you laugh. He shakes his head firmly, closing his eyes and clenching his fist dramatically. Oikawa laughs and Kageyama’s cheeks flush.

“No. We have lost a soldier.”

”Kageyama will survive.”

”But if he gets all annoyed, he’ll be too distracted to play his best!” Hinata argues. You honestly doubt Kageyama would allow his feelings to get in the way of a match. Watching the scene, you had to admit you felt bad abandoning him. He angrily yells at his prior teacher.

”He’ll be fine,” you attempt to convince yourself. Though you tried to hold the uncertainty in your tone, enough slipped out to inform the boys that you were genuinely worried.

”I think you should go save him, (Y/N).” Hinata suggests. Tanaka nods in approval, firmly shoving you into their direction. You turn back to them, attempting to stay put as they fight against you.

”Why can’t you? Just say you need him for something if it bothers you that much!”

”Noooo, we can’t do that. We- uh... We gotta go get something off the bus actually, right, Hinata?”

”Yup! You should pretend to be his girlfriend! Then Oikawa will leave him alone.”

Your attempts to protest were silenced with a final shove and you stumbled forward. You glare over your shoulder at your motivators, who shiver in response but give you a thumbs up nonetheless. You quietly clear your throat and straighten your posture before approaching. Slinging an arm around Kageyama’s waist, you smile brightly at Oikawa. His teasing expression quickly shifts into one of surprise.

”Hi! I’m (Y/N). Nice to meet you,” you greet with the friendliest air you can manage. He blinks at your sudden appearance, before introducing himself back just as energetically. Turning to Kageyama, you mentally brace yourself. Hopefully, he’d be able to play along and not hate you afterwards. Quickly, press a gentle kiss to his cheek. A fiery red creeps up Kageyama’s neck and cheeks immediately. Oikawa tries to suppress a laugh. Gently, you grasp both his hands in yours. “Could you help me with something, babe?”

“B- Ba- You- Wh- Bab- B-,” he stumbles clumsily over his words as you pull him away and into the hallway outside of the gym. The second the doors close, you deflate entirely. Blood rushes to your face, and you allow yourself to fall to your knees tiredly. You can hear your heartbeat pulsating in your ears. Shoving your burning face into your hands, you cry out an apology.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. Oh my God, I can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry-“

”Babe?”

Removing your face from your hands, you stare up at Kageyama. His face seems even darker than before as he stares blankly down the hall. One hand gently cups the cheek you kissed.

”What?” You breathe squeakily.

Slowly, his gaze lowers to your sunken form. He mumbles something before coughing awkwardly. For some reason, the way he looks at you makes your heart skip a beat. His hand falls delicately from his cheek to hover over his chest, as if to calm his heart. “Did you- did you call me..,” he pauses as if he were a child about to swear, “babe?”

You stare at him blankly. Was this all just now processing for him? This moment alone had lasted far too long for you; at least several years. Why is that the only thing he’s questioning? In your opinion, there were plenty of questionable things you had achieved in the past two minutes. Cupping your cheeks in your hands, you groan at the ground before looking back up at him. Looking him in his infuriatingly gorgeous eyes only burned your face more.

”Yes. Yes, I did,” you mumble. Slowly, he sits down in front of you. He stares at you, obviously in deep thought. His eyebrows furrow, but not in his usual scowl. Your heart feels like it’s going to beat out of your chest as his eyes burn into you. You aren’t sure what to expect. Maybe a bit of yelling, being called an idiot (but with a look in his eyes that tell you that’s not what he really thinks), or getting hit over the head with a surprising gentleness... Like he has for all your previous stupid choices.

”....Why?” He finishes lamely. You can only look at him for a moment. What were you supposed to tell him? Hell, you weren’t even sure why you took the specific route you did. You easily could have pulled him away by telling him Hinata needed him or something. You open and close your mouth like a fish, desperately trying to grasp onto a hook that is a proper answer.

Then, it all pours out of your mouth in the form of word vomit. You tell him every single detail to the point it was unnecessary in one long exhale. Taking a breath, you once again hide your face. “So, yeah. It was their idea.”

”Oh...” He sounds almost disappointed with your answer. You hear him shuffle around as he rises from the floor, but refuse to look at him. This was all simply embarrassing. All you can do now is question why you were so awkward at all points in time.

Gently, a finger pokes your head once. When you don’t move, he pokes even softer a second time. When you finally look at him, he refuses to look you in the eye, but offers a hand to help you up. Gingerly, you take his hand. You try to distract yourself from how perfectly your palm fit into his.

He doesn’t let go of your hand when he reaches to open the gym doors before pausing. His fingers hover around the handle, shaking ever so slightly with poorly hidden anxiousness. Allowing his silky, raven hair to cover his face, he refuses to turn to you. He clears his throat to take away the growing silence, but also by himself a moment. “You don’t need to be sorry,” he says in such a quiet tone, you can just barely hear. Confused, you’re about to question him, but you’re stopped before you have the chance.

“I... I don’t mind it if you- If you call me... babe.”

Color blossoms across your face once more at his words. You are stricken into a wide-eyed silence. You couldn’t formulate a proper response. Temporarily paralyzed, you allow him to pull you into the gym. A love-struck grin gradually pulls its way onto your face.

His ears were red.

Description
Another day, another game. That was your motto at this point of the volleyball season. Days seemed to be a never-ending loop of volleyball, be it practice or a game. Not that you minded; you loved it actually. Even though you were only a manager for the Karasuno boys’ volleyball team, you looked forward to each day. Even on days like this: the days you arrive at the school at six in the morning on a Saturday to catch the bus to a tournament.

It was rough, but it was definitely worth it.

Yawning, you lean into Hinata’s side as you wait for the rest of the team to file into the bus. He blinks tiredly and chuckles. “Do I make a good pillow, (Y/N)?” He teases through a yawn. You only hum in contentment, closing your eyes for a moment.

”Oi! You gonna take a nap in the parking lot or get on the bus, dumbasses,” Kageyama complains. You frown, peeking at him through one eye. He impatiently waits at the door of the bus, usual scowl in place. Groaning, you pull yourself off Hinata and stumble toward the bus.

”It’s too early for yelling, grumpy pants,” you mumble as you pass him to enter the bus, playfully pushing his shoulder. He grunts, and you are well aware he rolled his eyes before following after you. Plopping yourself in the only empty set of seats, Kageyama and Hinata pile in next to you. Kageyama’s shoulder presses into yours and he stiffens immediately. You can’t help but giggle at his obvious discomfort.

”Do you wanna switch seats with me, Kageyama?”

He stares at you for a moment with an unreadable expression. He looks oddly embarrassed. You’re too tired to even try to read into the hidden meanings of minuscule pieces in his expression, so his glare is all that is evident to you. However, you also barely notice a tinge of pink coloring his ears.

”No.”

”Are ya sureeeee?”

”Yes.”

”Are ya sure you’re sure?”

”Shut up already.”

”Fine,” you huff, leaning into his shoulder. “I’m gonna be using you as a pillow then. I don’t want to bump my head on the window.”

You shuffle into a more comfortable position, finding it the most comfortable borderline curled into Kageyama’s side. Closing your eyes, you expect a quick retort: a refusal of some sort or an insult. He would try to fight you regardless of knowing he would never win. However, he is quiet for a moment. You wait in the stiff silence, feeling his tensing shoulders beneath your cheek. You’re about to question his peculiar behavior, but you are stopped before you have the chance.

”Whatever.” He is clear the discussion is over.

As you doze off, he prays that you aren’t close enough to hear his racing heart.

*~*~*

Stretching your hands over your head, you blink in your surroundings. It felt good to stretch after being on a stuffy bus for so long. As everyone marches into the gymnasium with their stuff, you teasingly nudge Kageyama with your elbow.

“You’re a good pillow, you know that?”

He glares down at you for a moment, unable to think of a proper retort. Quickly, he looks away, as if he never saw you. You stare for a moment, confused by his lack of comebacks today. You hardly notice his, once again, pink ears. You fight off your own blush as you notice for the hundredth time that week just how pretty he is.

Shrugging off his weird mood and pounding heart, you look around the building you have entered instead. It was pretty big, larger than the Karasuno gymnasium even. The amount of teams and spectators already filing in only make it seem larger.

Behind you, Hinata watches at the interaction curiously, noticing the blushing and awkward composure. Though he wants to shrug it off, something urges him to get a second opinion. Grabbing Tanaka by his jacket sleeve, he motions for the upperclassman to come closer. Once they were a safe distance from the group, Hinata quickly glances around as if Kageyama would appear suddenly. Squinting thoughtfully, he lifts a hand to shield his mouth. “I think Kageyama has a crush,” he whispers carefully, gesturing to you and said boy with a nod of his head.

Tanaka grins wickedly. “Oh?”

They watch for a moment as you walk in a comfortable silence next to Kageyama. Slowly, moving almost robotically, he steals a glance at you before ripping his gaze elsewhere. The pink coloring of his ears only darkens. Hinata and Tanaka give each other a knowing look, giggling like two school girls. Suddenly, Tanaka becomes alarmingly serious. His stony face becomes similar to that of a soldier.

“You know what this means.”

”Huh?”

”We have to do something!”

Hinata nods excitedly, saluting to his “lieutenant”. Scheming, the players place their bags along the wall of the gymnasium. They, very conspicuously, observe you and Kageyama and question whether you like him or not. Most signs point to yes, but they couldn’t wrap their head as to why.

In the midst of their theorizing, Oikawa arrogantly approaches Kageyama. They seem to start arguing, which isn’t that surprising. Awkwardly, you slowly shift away from the pair. You attempt to look unbothered, but you were sure it was obvious you weren’t sure what to do. Soon enough, you wander to a spot by Hinata and Tanaka. You begin to strike conversation, but they ignore you for the sake of watching Kageyama.

”Ah, man. Looks like Kageyama is in trouble,” Tanaka mutters. You quirk a brow at him.

”I think he’ll be fine,” you laugh. He shakes his head firmly, closing his eyes and clenching his fist dramatically. Oikawa laughs and Kageyama’s cheeks flush.

“No. We have lost a soldier.”

”Kageyama will survive.”

”But if he gets all annoyed, he’ll be too distracted to play his best!” Hinata argues. You honestly doubt Kageyama would allow his feelings to get in the way of a match. Watching the scene, you had to admit you felt bad abandoning him. He angrily yells at his prior teacher.

”He’ll be fine,” you attempt to convince yourself. Though you tried to hold the uncertainty in your tone, enough slipped out to inform the boys that you were genuinely worried.

”I think you should go save him, (Y/N).” Hinata suggests. Tanaka nods in approval, firmly shoving you into their direction. You turn back to them, attempting to stay put as they fight against you.

”Why can’t you? Just say you need him for something if it bothers you that much!”

”Noooo, we can’t do that. We- uh... We gotta go get something off the bus actually, right, Hinata?”

”Yup! You should pretend to be his girlfriend! Then Oikawa will leave him alone.”

Your attempts to protest were silenced with a final shove and you stumbled forward. You glare over your shoulder at your motivators, who shiver in response but give you a thumbs up nonetheless. You quietly clear your throat and straighten your posture before approaching. Slinging an arm around Kageyama’s waist, you smile brightly at Oikawa. His teasing expression quickly shifts into one of surprise.

”Hi! I’m (Y/N). Nice to meet you,” you greet with the friendliest air you can manage. He blinks at your sudden appearance, before introducing himself back just as energetically. Turning to Kageyama, you mentally brace yourself. Hopefully, he’d be able to play along and not hate you afterwards. Quickly, press a gentle kiss to his cheek. A fiery red creeps up Kageyama’s neck and cheeks immediately. Oikawa tries to suppress a laugh. Gently, you grasp both his hands in yours. “Could you help me with something, babe?”

“B- Ba- You- Wh- Bab- B-,” he stumbles clumsily over his words as you pull him away and into the hallway outside of the gym. The second the doors close, you deflate entirely. Blood rushes to your face, and you allow yourself to fall to your knees tiredly. You can hear your heartbeat pulsating in your ears. Shoving your burning face into your hands, you cry out an apology.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. Oh my God, I can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry-“

”Babe?”

Removing your face from your hands, you stare up at Kageyama. His face seems even darker than before as he stares blankly down the hall. One hand gently cups the cheek you kissed.

”What?” You breathe squeakily.

Slowly, his gaze lowers to your sunken form. He mumbles something before coughing awkwardly. For some reason, the way he looks at you makes your heart skip a beat. His hand falls delicately from his cheek to hover over his chest, as if to calm his heart. “Did you- did you call me..,” he pauses as if he were a child about to swear, “babe?”

You stare at him blankly. Was this all just now processing for him? This moment alone had lasted far too long for you; at least several years. Why is that the only thing he’s questioning? In your opinion, there were plenty of questionable things you had achieved in the past two minutes. Cupping your cheeks in your hands, you groan at the ground before looking back up at him. Looking him in his infuriatingly gorgeous eyes only burned your face more.

”Yes. Yes, I did,” you mumble. Slowly, he sits down in front of you. He stares at you, obviously in deep thought. His eyebrows furrow, but not in his usual scowl. Your heart feels like it’s going to beat out of your chest as his eyes burn into you. You aren’t sure what to expect. Maybe a bit of yelling, being called an idiot (but with a look in his eyes that tell you that’s not what he really thinks), or getting hit over the head with a surprising gentleness... Like he has for all your previous stupid choices.

”....Why?” He finishes lamely. You can only look at him for a moment. What were you supposed to tell him? Hell, you weren’t even sure why you took the specific route you did. You easily could have pulled him away by telling him Hinata needed him or something. You open and close your mouth like a fish, desperately trying to grasp onto a hook that is a proper answer.

Then, it all pours out of your mouth in the form of word vomit. You tell him every single detail to the point it was unnecessary in one long exhale. Taking a breath, you once again hide your face. “So, yeah. It was their idea.”

”Oh...” He sounds almost disappointed with your answer. You hear him shuffle around as he rises from the floor, but refuse to look at him. This was all simply embarrassing. All you can do now is question why you were so awkward at all points in time.

Gently, a finger pokes your head once. When you don’t move, he pokes even softer a second time. When you finally look at him, he refuses to look you in the eye, but offers a hand to help you up. Gingerly, you take his hand. You try to distract yourself from how perfectly your palm fit into his.

He doesn’t let go of your hand when he reaches to open the gym doors before pausing. His fingers hover around the handle, shaking ever so slightly with poorly hidden anxiousness. Allowing his silky, raven hair to cover his face, he refuses to turn to you. He clears his throat to take away the growing silence, but also by himself a moment. “You don’t need to be sorry,” he says in such a quiet tone, you can just barely hear. Confused, you’re about to question him, but you’re stopped before you have the chance.

“I... I don’t mind it if you- If you call me... babe.”

Color blossoms across your face once more at his words. You are stricken into a wide-eyed silence. You couldn’t formulate a proper response. Temporarily paralyzed, you allow him to pull you into the gym. A love-struck grin gradually pulls its way onto your face.

His ears were red.