Injured (Hinata x Kageyama)

28

"You can jump well, you're fast, but you're lousy overall." Kageyama faced his back to Hinata. "You'll never be an ace, the pillar of the team."

Hinata felt his heart sink.

He already knew that in his heart deep down, but nothing was going to stop him from trying. Not even dumb old Kageyama.

Tanaka tried to speak up and defend Hinata, but was quickly interrupted.

"But!" Kageyama stood taller. "As long as I'm here, you're invincible!"

And to that Hinata was speechless.

He was preparing a list of comebacks in his head, but there was something so genuine in the way the setter had said those words, that made it resonate in his head countless times until it slowly died away.

"Whenever I toss to you, do you ever get blocked?"

Kageyama might have meant that in a way where he was just someone who made Hinata a stronger player, but Hinata felt everything change after that.

He felt different about Kageyama but he wasn't sure how to describe it.

It was respect and admiration,  and a feeling he could only describe now as love.

And so, he tried to replicate the saying but he knew the words didn't convey as much emotion as he would have liked.

"Man the grand king really is amazing..." Hinata said, urging a reaction out of the setter. "But even so, as long as I'm here, you'll be invincible!"

"Why would you use that saying against me?" Kageyama groaned.

"Isn't it true though? I promised you that I would make you invincible and I didn't."

"Failure is upon both of us, I suppose. I too, made a promise to you, and therefore failed as well." Kageyama said in a strange accent and with dramatic gestures.

Hinata giggled and lightly punched his shoulder.

"What are you, Shakespeare?"

Kageyama cleared his throat and sat up straighter, his face mimicking a serious old English theater actor.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

Hinata practically fell over from laughing at Kageyama's ridiculous gestures. His hands were moving in such random motions.

Quickly, Kageyama grabbed Hinata's hands and looked him in the eyes. "Thou art more lovely and temperate."

Hinata flushed. "Stoooop."

Although he was pretty sure Kageyama was just teasing him and joking around, there was something about the way that he looked at Hinata that made him blush.

"I don't remember the rest anyways," Kageyama grinned, letting go of the middle blocker's hands. The loss of contact left Hinata regretting saying anything.

"You never pay attention in English anyways."

"English isn't going to make me invincible."

"I don't know, Kageyama-kun, words seem pretty powerful."

Kageyama's smile disappeared. "Actions are pretty powerful too."

Hinata shrugged, unsure of what he meant. He sighed and stood up. Their interactions were still a bit awkward.

"Guess we should head back in."

Kageyama tugged at his sleeve. "Can we stay out for a bit longer? My heart kinda hurts."