Michiko Kazuno was said to have the hands of a god. She created masterpieces with delicate fingers; leave her alone with a lump of clay, and she would soon turn it into the finest piece of art. Yet, there's something to be said about being a woman w...
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"KAGEYAAAAAAMA," came a sunlit voice one autumn evening. The name echoed into the dark sky, carrying with it a feeling of warmth. As though an aura surrounded him, and his name was like a beacon calling out to him. Kageyama stopped in his tracks, his hands nestled into the front of his tracksuit pockets. His ears picked up on the sound of hasty footsteps, and he felt a presence by his side all too soon. Unconsciously, he relaxed.
"What?" Kageyama grumbled, stuffing his chin in the raised collars of his jacket. He side-eyed his teammate— his best friend.
"You didn't wait for me!" Hinata all but whinged, clutching the strap of his bag.
Kageyama shrugged. "You took too long."
Training had ended a couple of hours ago, but the younger two decided to linger a couple more hours. They practised their quick attack, having achieved a seventy per cent success rate after their summer training camp. However, seventy wasn't one hundred, so they had spent two hours practising with what seemed like ten minutes of silence between them. Their breathing slowed, their muscles loosened from tension, and their hearts began to pound. Hinata broke the silence first, as usual, breaking the cycle of calmness that they always fell back into regardless of what they were doing together.
Like walking, for example.
"Ah." Hinata laughed quietly. It was a laugh that could lighten anyone's mood, even Kageyama's if he would only smile just a little bit. "Let's go home." Home, what a beautiful word. Hinata turned to his teammate—his partner—and his brown eyes twinkled with something that made Kageyama's heart race unwillingly. He straightened his back. "You're coming to morning practice, right?"
"Is that even a question?" Kageyama scoffed, averting his gaze. His cheeks felt awfully hot, and from the knowing smile on Hinata's face, no doubt that idiot knew exactly why.
"Are you that dumb that you don't know?"
"I was being sarcastic!"
"Stupid!"
"Shut up, Hinata boke!"
Hinata stuck out his tongue, hooking his fingers on either side of his lips and stretching his mouth wide open.
Kageyama reacted first. He lunged to the side, one arm raised in the air, ready to knock some sense into the shorter boy, but as usual, Hinata dodged. He always knew what the setter was going to do and, of course, thought nothing of it. We're teammates. I know him inside and out. Then, what about the others? Do you know them inside and out? That's different. Is it? If so, how is it different?
We're...
Whatever they were, it was left unsaid.
Kageyama let his arm drop down to his side, his face contoured into a scowl. Fleetingly, Hinata thought it was cute. He didn't think much of it after that. Instead, he continued walking alongside Kageyama, basking in the silence of the night. A cold breeze passed through the small gap between them, rustling the leaves and the branches above; it sent chills down Kageyama's spine. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.
