The Sum of Our Parts

Chapter 4

The air was getting colder, and the team was focused on preparing for the winter competition. It had been five months since Kageyama had bonded to Hinata. The most baffling thing about that time frame, was that Hinata was still invested in their relationship.

It made no sense. Not a single bit.

Kageyama hadn't reinforced the suggestion. Despite his best efforts, he hadn't changed his personality either. He worked hard at trying to curb his anger, harsh words, and sullen face. He failed regularly. Yet, Hinata stayed just as unaffected as he always had.

Shouldn't that be different? Now that they were dating, shouldn't Hinata expect more effort and niceties out of Kageyama?

Day after day, Kageyama failed the goals he set for himself, slipping back into his regular habits. And day after day, Hinata stayed, smiling and laughing and holding Kageyama's hand. More than that, Hinata seemed all too happy to indulge in their newfound intimacy.

That is to say: they made out. A lot.

Guilt rushed through Kageyama with every incident, but hormones overpowered it every time. The more it happened, the less it bothered him. Often, he would beat himself up over becoming so complacent, but what else was there to do? They were stuck with each other, and Hinata was getting even better at reading Kageyama's moods.

He was fretting over exactly that at one of their regular study sessions with Yachi. Hinata had become comfortable around Yachi, and didn't hold back in his affections towards Kageyama. Often, Hinata would end up propped up against Kageyama as they worked. At a loss of what else to do, Kageyama wouldn't cling in return, but he also didn't push the man away. They were in a stalemate that Hinata hadn't a clue was happening.

At some point during the study session, Hinata announced his need for the bathroom, and left the room. Yachi fiddled with her pen, casting not too subtle glances at Kageyama. Unable to take it anymore, Kageyama blurted out what had been driving him insane for months.

"I like him, but he's gonna hate me because this is all fake, but I keep falling for him, and I just wanna die." Kageyama dropped his head onto the table with a loud thunk.

Yachi jumped at the sudden statement, and again at the sound of forehead meeting wood. She took a deep breath, and sighed as she lightly doodled something at the top of her paper. After some thought, she asked quietly, "Have you hypnotized him again?"

"No."

"Then why isn't it real?"

Every last inch of Kageyama tensed. "What do you mean? Without my suggestion, he'd hate me. He'd be afraid of me."

"Before, maybe. You've proved that you aren't going to be like that, though. All of your relationship development started after the bonding."

"Which means it's all influenced."

"For now..." Yachi let out a breath, and steeled her shoulders. "If you stopped the magic, you could talk about it, and everything would work out."

So that was her play. It wasn't that Kageyama didn't understand where she was coming from. He didn't like Hinata being influenced any more than she did. It would be great if things could work out as well as she believed that they would.

But that was a fantasy...

"Hinata was ready to just hand himself over to the government without saying a word." Kageyama lifted his head up to stare her down, but she refused to make eye contact. "You really think he'll play along long enough to talk about it? Assuming he even forgives me..."