We Only Had Volleyball?

Chapter 16

It was after midnight, when Hinata finally slunk back into the room. He stood for ages outside the door, sulking at how Oikawa and Iwaizumi had once again kicked him out of their room, just as they had done every night since then. Calling to Kageyama softly as he walked in the door, checking to make sure that he was already sleep, before breathing a sigh of relief. Creeping over to Kageyama's bed, he stood there quietly as he silently watched him sleeping, a sad lonely look upon his face. He knew that in avoiding him, he was denying Kageyama the chance to explain, to apologise, but Hinata didn't know if he wanted to hear it and yet he knew things couldn't go on like this. Every night he would hang out in Iwaizumi's room, begging to let them change rooms, to give them some space, but it continued to fall upon deaf ears. He just didn't know what to do anymore, didn't know what it was he felt...it was hard.

Siliently he clambered up to his bed, above Kageyama's, snuggling under his blankets as he rested his head upon his pillow. The crinkling of paper, could be heard and felt under his weary head. Surprised and confused as to why a piece of paper was sitting on his pillow, he hurriedly reached under his pillow where he had just tucked is phone away and switched its torch light on. As he began to examine it, he quickly noticed the familiar scrawl of Kageyama's hand, a scrawl that he could recognise anywhere having copied notes written by this hand so many times in the past. He sat up even straighter now, as he hesitatingly began to read what was written upon the flimsy piece of paper, or as silently as he could as tears began to run down his face in response to the words so beautifully written there.

It wasn't a not that begged for forgiveness or made excuses, but was a simple apology. An apology that was written with words that were sincere and heartfelt. One that Hinata knew would have taken Kageyama a long time to write, despite the simplicity and shortness of the message it conveyed. He knew, he understood that Kageyama was not one who readily spoke of his feelings or made apologies. The worry, the stress that he would have felt when writing this, Hinata understood it all, and this made these few words precious to him as he clutched it to his chest, the tears continuing their trek in silence down his face. Snuggling back down in his bed, the note held tightly in his hand while a smile spread uncontrollably across his face, the first time he had felt so happy in a long time. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be truly happy, and it wasn't the words I'm sorry that tugged at his heart, setting his chest alight with warmth, but a solitary word, a word that he had missed hearing and needed to hear once more...love. The hope that single word conveyed to Hinata, wiped away all the doubts that still remained in the small corner of his heart, fanning the his true feelings back to life...things could still be fixed.

..................

Kageyama woke up during the night with a start. He didn't understand why he suddenly woke up, but it was tough trying to convince his body that he really needed to go back to sleep. After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, he finally gave in and crawled out of his bed, grabbing his phone of the desk to check the time. '2am...Argh...it really was too early,' he thought. 'Too early to even go for a run.' Placing his phone back on the desk, he turned to get back into his bed, briefly glancing up at Hinata's be absentmindedly. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his Hinata's sleeping form tucked up tightly under the covers, pleased that he had at least returned to their room to sleep. Curious to know whether his note had been found, he glanced around the floor to see if it had been crumpled up and thrown away, but in the grey light of the early morn, he couldn't see anything that looked like a ball of paper. He crept closer to Hinata's bed, watching his peaceful sleeping face, wishing he could reach out and touch it, wishing that the smile that was upon his face was because of him. That was when he spotted it, a piece of paper poking out of the blankets, firmly clutched in Hinata's hand. 'His smile was because of me' a relieved Kageyama repeated over and over in his mind as he clambered back into his bed, his mind in a daze. Hugging his pillow tight, to muffle the sounds of glee that he wanted to scream, as a grin appeared on his face too, as his chest ached with hope...hope that things might be looking up, that maybe he still had a chance to rectify all the mistakes they had made...that he had made. His mind was buzzing, as he drifted back off to sleep, hoping that Hinata wouldn't disappear on him again, when the sun finally rose.

.................

As the morning sun began to shine into their room, the dreams that had haunted Kageyama in the past returned, except this time it was different. Something had changed within the dreams, as those soft lips he had missed nervously pressed against his, leaving behind a lingering sweetness that was still so familiar. The dream was different, no longer just filled with the taste and feel of the familiar, but he could have sworn that the person hidden in his dreams was calling his name. He could hear it, a sweet voice softly calling to him, repeating his name between every kiss that they left upon his lips.

"Wake up Tobio..." the voice called to him, over and over. A sound that was familiar, a sound that he had missed. He slowly opened his eyes, fearing that the dream that was so real would just be that...a dream.

"I must still be dreaming," he muttered, rubbing his eyes in disbelief at the sight he saw before him. Kneeling by his bed with a smile upon his face as bright as the sun, was Hinata. A smile that sent shivers down his spine, a smile that he had missed so much...but it couldn't be real, could it. "I must be dreaming," trying to close his eyes once more. "It's too early in the morning," he grumbled half-heartedly.

"Wake up...Bakayama." Hinta chirped, leaning into plant another kiss upon his lips. He was going to wake him up, no matter what it took. They had wasted too much time already, with their stupid stubbornness and he wasn't prepared to lose anymore. Especially not because of a reason like 'it's too early in the morning.'

"What time is it...i-idiot," reaching out to wrap his arms around the person in his dream that looked like Hinata, felt like Hinata. He was still not prepared to admit that this was no longer a dream that this was real. It all seemed to be happening to easily, to smoothly and he was waiting for the catch, for the moment he woke up and Hinata was gone once more.

"It's 6am."

"Uggh...what are you doing up so early? Don't you have a game this afternoon?"

"Hmm..I was going to go for a run," Hinata replied, though he din't really want to leave the warmth of the Kageyama's arms behind, as he rested his head upon his chest and listened to the sound of his heart racing away. "You're going to come watch the game...aren't you?"

"Hmm...maybe...?" He really wasn't sure. It was hard to watch a game when he wasn't playing, when he wasn't the one setting the ball for Hinata.

Hinata chuckled, understanding Kageyama's reluctance to come watch. "I know you don't like too..." watching as a surprised look passed over Kageyama's face. " You don't think we hadn't noticed the way you would glare at the second year setter, that one time you visited practice after you were injured." Kageyama blushed with embarrassment as he thought no one had noticed at the time. "...but I want you to watch me...it wont be long and you'll be able to play again...to be on the court with me."

"Ok," he agreed, as he run his hands through Hinata's hair, enjoying the feel of its silky strands as it ran through his fingers. He had so missed this. Slowly it began to dawn on him, that this might not be a dream, that Hinata really was here, resting his head upon his chest as Kageyama held on to him tightly. "I'm not dreaming...am I?" voicing his final doubt at the whole situation that was unfolding before him.

"No, you are not dreaming...Bakayama...Now get up and come for a run with me."

"What? How did it just go, from me thinking this was a dream....to going running with you?" pushing Hinata out of the way so that he could get out of bed, sneaking in a few kisses of his own as he did.

"I'll race you!" as Hinata bounced out the door ahead of him, as soon as they were ready to go.

"Oi...no fair," he laughed, chasing after him.