Just Breathe (KageHina)

Can't Breathe

It was just after four in the morning when Kageyama feels himself drift into consciousness.

It wasn't routine for him to wake up in the middle of the night and frustration builds in his system when he opens his eyes and spots darkness around him.

A quick glance to his wristwatch confirms it.

He sighs and rolls over, trying his best to calm himself enough to simply fall asleep again.

Problem is, the sleeping bag next to him is empty.

The young man props himself up on his elbows and looks around, trying to catch a glimpse of Hinata. No sounds came from anywhere in the small room, except for a few soft snores and a mumbled slurr.

The team had annexed the lounge of the local inn to sleep in, the coach and girls were each assigned the only two rooms the small inn had. At least the owners were fans of the game.

The hallway leading down to the bathroom was empty and the light was off, which worried Kageyama even more.

He sighs, which quickly turns into a yawn, as he sits up and slips on his shoes.

As softly as he could manage, not easy when it's a notoriously small lounge and the players left their shit everywhere.

But persistence pays off once he finally exits the front door with little more than Sugawara-san asking him to 'Not stay out too late'. All in all, a win-win.

He walks down the road a bit, no real destination in mind as he goes. He knew Hinata would be alright by himself. After all, that dumbass is too stubborn to be anything but alright... even if he isn't.

Another sigh escapes him. The white burst of fog reminds him that he should've rather worn a jacket, after all, it's winter now. The lightest dusting of snow is enough to cause a slight crunch to his light walk. It was cold outside.

A few blocks down the road, he spots the ever-shining flood-lights of the soccer field of the local school. The illumination was in stark contrast to the rest of the darkness around him and he automatically head that way without even really meaning to.

A run might be good. A few laps around the field, yeah?

It'd tire him out and he'll head back to bed and go to sleep without worrying about anything or anyone. Right?

Definitely.

So, he picks up his pace and ends up jogging towards the track, intent on setting the right pace to match his usual running speed once he sets foot on the open playing-field.

He just enters the stadium's entrance when he notices the orange-haired male.

The dumbass was running with no snood, no socks and no jacket. WHAT THE FUCK WAS HE THINKING?! And, instead of a quiet reprimand, the only thing that escapes the lips of Kageyama Tobio is: "FUCK HINATA?!"

"No thanks!! It's too early!" Hinata yells back, in a chipper mood as the track leads him around the corner, closest to the entrance. He laughs happily and does a few air-punches as he passes the stunned-Tobio, "Couldn't sleep too?"

With a grit of his teeth, Kageyama bolts after him, catching up to his pace a moment later, "What the hell are you doing?!"

The look of confusion couldn't be mistaken as it crosses Hinata's face, "... run...ning?" he answers slowly. No signs of fatigue anywhere as he shrugs, "I couldn't sleep. I had too much energy."

"So you take off and go running without a jacket? If you -"

"I go running without a jacket all the time.... It takes me two hours to get to school everyday," Hinata says and ends up going a few bounding leaps before returning back to his normal pace, "I dunno! If I don't get it out of my system I feel restless all day..."

The understanding suddenly causes everything to make sense. Kageyama had seen Hinata sit through the meeting all day, rapidly bouncing his leg up and down throughout. Even at dinner. He'd thought it was another attack creeping up on him. Everytime just before an attack, Hinata would get restless and anxious... and then, just when he seems to finally relax, it hits him.

Kageyama had been prepared, but not for this.

His jog pace collapses and he ends up stumbling to a halt.

He had been worried the entire time for nothing.

He groans internally, furious at himself for being so overly-concerned, so worried, so focused on the sun-child that he completely neglected everything else. He had to ask Samuwara-san to reiterate the schedule to him. He had to ask Nishinoya-san to show him where the courts were. Shimizu-san had to explain to him again where he needed to go to sign-in in the mornings.

"Oi, are you okay?" the soft whisper next to him causes the setter to instantly tense up.

"Yeah," he answers automatically, only to spot a pair of very concerned-looking eyes focused on him.

"... you were spaced-out all day," Hinata notes calmly, his breaths coming out in short huffs, a slight whistle following each breath, "Who's the girl?"

"What are you saying, dumbass?!" Kageyama yells in embarrassment, his face quickly flooding with colour as he glares at the other.

"Is she cute?" Hinata continues without missing a beat.

"W- it's not a girl!!" Kageyama retorts without thinking, feeling his face burning with a tomato-red blush now.

It makes Hinata smile though. A dusting of pink from both cold and the exercise was resting on his own cheeks. The small clouds of fog from each breath escapes him as he catches his breath.

"... What?" Kageyama snaps after a moment when Hinata doesn't carry on with his run.

"... Nothing," Hinata says and can't help but laugh a moment later, "... Is it someone I know?"

"Boke!" A warning yell that makes Hinata's head tilt.

"... Kags... "

The way Hinata spoke it was different than all the other times in his life when Kageyama had heard his name spoken. It was soft, heavy, and all at once felt too much like honey.

"Thanks for worrying about me... but ... you don't need to, you know?" Hinata says, his voice low now as he looks down and shuffles his feet a bit, "I mean... I'm your partner in volleyball, and I'll always have your back, you know that."

The air feels a bit colder than a moment before and all the setter could do is wait for the decoy to continue.

"I... you need to keep other people's feelings in mind too. They'll get jealous if you spend too much time with me... so, I'll do my best not to make you worry so much," Hinata quickly states and rubs his nose fiercely before looking up. Tears were suddenly present and it felt too much like a sunset on the ocean when Hinata spoke, "So, don't go looking out for me like this anymore. I'll take care of myself."

Instinctively Kageyama wrapped up Hinata in his arms and sighed as he hugged him close. It was the first time they actually ever hugged, but it also just felt natural. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You shouldn't-"

"Don't tell me what to do," Kageyama growls out and drops his forehead against the top of Hinata's head, earning a wince from them both, "I'll worry about whoever I want."

"... you want to?" Hinata repeats, his words muffled by Tobio's shirt. He looks up, on instinct he jumps when he realizes Tobio hadn't moved away.

"You're such a dumbass..." the young setter announces and crushes the young man against him. The crushing pain in his chest finally seeming to die out as he hugs Shoyou tighter.

"I can't – I can't breathe..." a strangled huff escapes the young decoy.

"OH – SHIT I forgot to pack-!!" the setter yells in a panic as he pulls away, only to be pulled back.

"No, you were squeezing me too tight...." Shoyou states with an annoyed huff, glaring at the setter.

"Oh, sorry..."

"I didn't say stop."