Chapter Text
Shouyou glances at the big espresso machine with excitement and mild trepidation, apron in hand while taking in the welcoming atmosphere of the place.
"No need to worry about that now, Hinata, you'll learn everything about it before you even touch it. Ennoshita will take care of you," Sugawara says, his reassuring smile still in place. Shouyou nods—curiosity picked and level of enthusiasm rising fast.
First week of any job can be a little unnerving to anyone—uncertainty, fear of messing up, nerves. But Shouyou is feeling nothing but excitement. Always one to seek experience, he accepted Nishinoya's offer without much thinking and prior knowledge, but with a ton of eagerness to learn. It probably had to do with Nishinoya's own excitement as well, about Shouyou working with his boyfriend Asahi. You would be a wonderful barista, Shouyou! You have a great personality, cute smile and you're already bisexual! He said, leaving Shouyou confused as to why his sexuality played a part, but excited to learn a new skill.
So now, Shouyou—a college graduate with a specialty in Tourism, and three languages in his pocket—plans to take this challenge as he does with everything else: enthusiasm, dedication and the best attitude.
Who would've thought this job would give him everything he didn't know he was looking for.
"Why don't we sit down so I can walk you through the plan?" Sugawara leads him to the unoccupied cozy table in the corner.
He's the manager of the café and in charge of Shouyou's training. The slant of his shoulders seems delicate but sure—Shouyou can feel the confidence radiating from him, but it's a warm glow, instead of an intimidating one. He doesn't make unnecessary moves or say unnecessary words—with his soft features and smile solidifying a very special kind of attractiveness.
"Before we start, Noya told me you speak three languages, that's very impressive!" Sugawara unexpectedly praises. "I studied languages in college so I'm excited to have another polyglot working here!"
Shouyou blushes at the compliment—brushing his undercut with bashfulness. "Thank you, Noya told me you are into languages, too—but I'm not close to your level," he says.
"How many do you speak?" Sugawara asks—starry eyed.
"I speak Portuguese, Spanish, English—although my pronunciation could improve—and conversational Italian."
"Wow, excellent. Now I'm not worried if I leave you at the cashier and a bunch of tourists come in," he laughs, a rich sound that brings Shouyou comfort even though this is their third interaction.
"Sure!" Shouyou smiles, "I love people, what better way to get to know them than learning their language?"
"Well said," Sugawara agrees. He organizes the papers on the table, going through them and muttering words that Shouyou fails to catch.
Straying his gaze away, Shouyou scans the rest of the coffee shop—spacious but with a homey atmosphere. The big windows allow for the sunlight to stream in, the combination of teal and white on the walls create a harmony with the light wood furniture. And the bookshelves deliver the final cozy touch to the whole place.
Shouyou spots the two waiters that he eyed when he came for interviews. Two tall guys, lean, both attractive. One emanates a calm and soothing energy—delicate features accompanied by a flat expression but attentive nonetheless. While the other exudes charm—going from table to table with a perfect smile, smooth movements and eyes like chocolate.
At the coffee bar, there's one guy—slim, short brown hair—preparing multiple drinks at once, wearing a very focused frown on his face. Shouyou stares in awe. He hopes to be that efficient some day soon—he'll put in the work to make it possible.
"Okay," Sugawara says, earning Shouyou's attention once again. "I'll walk you through the schedule of your first weeks here. You're going to learn every station, in case you have to sub for someone—which rarely happens, by the way—but you'll stay at the bar." Shouyou nods along with a smile.
"The first week you'll be at the cashier with me. You'll learn how to charge, how to command from the computer, how to ask the customer for specifics, you know, general customer service stuff, it's fairly easy," he waves dismissively. "You'll also learn our menu, the special drink of the week, promotions, discounts, etc.
"Your second week here, you'll be under Ennoshita's wing. He'll teach you everything you need to know about hot coffee and its preparations. You know, foaming milk, espresso shots, and the preparations: latte, cappuccino, americano, mocha, all that jazz."
Shouyou's mouth waters at the mention of a mocha. "Is Ennoshita the one managing the machine?" He asks.
Sugawara turns towards the coffee bar, "Yeah! He's so diligent, isn't he?" He asks, turning back to Shouyou who nods vigorously in agreement. "I'll introduce you to the staff after this, I'm sure you'll get along great with everyone," Sugawara's kind eyes show no doubt about his statement.
"I'm excited!" Shouyou replies.
It's very unusual for him not to get along with people. Since he was a child he had a very outgoing personality, always making friends, so it would be very unfortunate if he didn't leave a good first impression with the people he's going to work with. Well, even if he does, Shouyou is very capable of changing their minds.
"Misaki's not here, though. You'll meet her when she clocks in," Sugawara goes back to the papers on the table. "After your week with Ennoshita, you're going to help Ushijima with grocery shopping. Most of our shopping is done ahead of time, but there's stuff we need on a daily basis, or stuff we run out of. That week you'll have a different schedule—you'll get here at seven a.m and leave at two p.m, is that alright?"
"Yes, no problem with me. I'm actually up at about five a.m." Shouyou smiles reassuringly.
"Oh wow, what do you do so early in the morning?" Sugawara arches and impressed eyebrow.
"I go on a run and then volleyball practice."
"You play volleyball? I used to play in highschool! We should arrange a game sometime, most of the guys here used to play, too, and Noya. That might be fun." Shouyou vibrates in his seat, nodding enthusiastically at Sugawara. "Then, is the schedule good for you? Wouldn't it take up your practice time?" He asks with furrowed brows.
"Not at all!" Shouyou replies, "I'll practice in the afternoon."
"Great! So, this week you'll learn how to do inventory, where we buy our fresh produce, our coffee supplier and stuff like that. It doesn't actually take all of your shift, so you'll be working half of it with Ennoshita. He'll teach you cold drinks—you'll manage those until Asahi clocks in."
"Okay," Shouyou replies, skeptical about keeping up with Ennoshita but thrilled nonetheless.
"Those are easier than hot drinks—I'm talking frappes, milkshakes, Italian sodas, and such. Any question you have, you can ask him or Asahi. He's a very good teacher so you'll be fine—well, you know him already," Sugawara chuckles.
"Asahi-san is really cool."
Sugawara nods, "Yeah he is. Glad you two get along," he picks up another page and scans it over for a couple seconds.
"I was debating whether you should spend a week with Tendou on baking or not. We're pretty famous for our pastries and a couple months back, Tendou fell sick. Even though we have a back up, we didn't have anyone who could help him with menial tasks like mixing, kneading, glazing—so we lost big sales because of that timing issue, and the fact that we didn't have trained personnel," Sugawara explains with a regretful grimace.
"It's very uncommon for any of the guys here not to show up, but I'd like to be prepared in case anything happens." He glances at Shouyou, "I gave everyone the option if they wanted to learn a little bit about it, in the rare case we need someone to help Tendou. So I'm giving you the same option, if—"
"I'll do it!" Shouyou interrupts him, "I love baking and I'm good at it. I think it would be really fun!"
Sugawara's relief is palpable, with an easy smile directed at Shouyou. "Okay, good! I think you and Tendou could match each other's energy perfectly. After that first month, you'll stay as a full time barista—you'll manage any cold drinks we get in the morning, before Asahi gets here. When he does, you'll move to hot drinks with Ennoshita, until it's your time to clock out, okay?" Shouyou nods, smiling.
"Our rush is from twelve p.m to one—one thirty, more or less. We don't get much traffic in the early morning, since most establishments around here open a bit late, but when the classes of the nearby middle school are over around twelve p.m. We get a lot of moms come in for a coffee or a pastry, a lot of the people who work close stop by for a bite, too. It crowds up a bit," Sugawara explains.
"Cool! I'm good with crowds and kids, they're full of energy, you know? It's awesome," Shouyou says.
Sugawara gives him a look that he can't decipher, but it makes Shouyou tilt his head in confusion.
"Yes, you give off the impression of having energy to spare," he shakes his head slightly. "Then that's pretty much it! Of course, any questions you have, just ask me or Ennoshita. You can ask the others but I can't promise they'll be of much help," Sugawara turns toward the rest of his co-workers, with his eyes full of pity and resignation.
Shouyou laughs uncertainly, "I'll keep that in mind."
Sugawara grins at him once more, straightening on his chair. "Takeda-san and Ukai-san are the owners—you remember them from your second interview," he nods at Shouyou. "They don't come here every day, they'll pop up once a week to go over some things with me, but they're pretty busy so they're hardly here. No need for you to stress about the boss hanging around," Sugawara winks.
Shouyou unconsciously lets out a sigh of relief, remembering the scary, tall and blond owner with pierced ears and a worrisome scowl on his face.
Sugawara gathers the papers on the table—arranging them in a neat pile. "Well, I think that's pretty much it," he stands up. "Come with me so I can introduce you to the others."
Shouyou stands up excitedly, rattling the table accidentally—hands immediately grabbing the edges to stop the wobble. Shouyou smiles nervously at Sugawara, following his lead.
"Since Ennoshita is a bit busy at the moment, why don't I introduce you to Tendou first?" Sugawara asks happily.
They walk across the coffee shop, all the way till they cross the little swinging door separating the main area from the coffee bar. Shouyou glances to his left, admiring quickly how focused Ennoshita is, how organized and clean everything is behind the counter. Crossing the door leading to the kitchen, Shouyou opens his eyes—wide and in complete awe. There's multiple built-in ovens in the back wall, a lot of cabinets, and a misty cloud of flour in the air.
"Tendou, can you come here for a sec?" Sugawara motions for the tallest redhead Shouyou has ever seen to get closer. He's even more intimidating up close. "I want to introduce you to Hinata, he's going to be our new barista," Sugarawa grins at him expectantly.
Shouyou stays frozen for a couple seconds before he bows. "Nice to meet you, I look forward to working with you!"
Sugawara touches his shoulder, "no need to be so formal, we're all friends here." Shouyou straightens.
"Hello! Well, aren't you short?" Tendou leans down, "You look pretty strong, though," he narrows his eyes—noticing Shouyou's biceps. "And I love your hair, is it dyed? Cute freckles! Hey, do you prefer waffles or pancakes?"
Shouyou feels blindsided by the barrage of questions, and the switch from intimidating to friendly in a matter of seconds. He flounders, a little nervous and internally debating which question to answer first. Sugawara stands there, oblivious to his distress—grinning expectantly at Shouyou.
"I'm short, but I play volleyball and I can jump!" He states. Tendou glances with zero shame at his legs with raised eyebrows. "My hair is natural, and I prefer pancakes!"
Sugawara laughs, "Hinata is actually going to join you in the kitchen to learn a thing or two for when you need it, is that alright?" He squeezes Shouyou's shoulder.
"Are you kidding me? That's exciting! Are you ready to learn from the master?" Tendou strikes a proud pose.
"Yeah!" His excitement takes over Shouyou, too. "I love baking, I'd love to learn from you," he smiles so big his eyes close.
Tendou laughs, loudly and genuinely and with his whole body. "I like you, can't wait!"
Shouyou nods while Sugawara drags him out of the room. "Now let's introduce you to the waiters," he says, sounding apprehensive and amused. "And you'll meet Ushijima tomorrow."
The café is relatively empty, there's just a couple of students sitting at the tables on the back—engrossed in their activities, with headphones on. The waiter with the calm expression is busy dusting off the bookshelf, while the other is refilling the napkin holders.
"Tooru, Akaashi, could you guys come closer for a moment?"
Both men approach with a leisure pace, pausing their respective activities to stand in front of Shouyou. The taller one of the two—with an intimidating gaze—stands with arms crossed, appraising Shouyou from head to toe. While the other stands with perfect posture—hands behind his back like the perfect example of a poster child if you ask Shouyou.
"This is Hinata. He's our new barista, so I hope you make him feel welcome and behave," his tone takes a warning shift, "that goes for you Tooru," he says with a menacing smile, earning an indignant squawk from the waiter.
"Hi," Shouyou bows slightly, "I'm Hinata Shouyou, I look forward to working with you!" He straightens, grinning big.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Akaashi Keiji," he bows as well. "If you have any questions, please refrain from asking Oikawa-san." Akaashi is mesmerizing to look at, Shouyou has met pretty people before, but he's the kind of pretty that you can't help but stare at.
"What is with all the hostility today? Sometimes I forget I work with heathens," the other waiter hisses at both Akaashi and Sugawara. It makes Shouyou chuckle. "Nice to meet you Shou-chan! I'm Oikawa Tooru, and don't worry, I'll take care of you," he winks at Shouyou. "You can ask me anything, they don't know what they're talking about."
Oikawa is also very pretty, but a different kind from Akaashi. He's attractive enough to get away with the obnoxiousness Shouyou perceives from just this interaction. And he likes the nickname, but there's something plastic about Oikawa that Shouyou can't quite place. Even so, Shouyou is a great judge of character, and Oikawa doesn't seem malicious so he thinks they'll get along fine.
"Don't mind him, Hinata, there's a reason why Tooru is the one waiting at the tables," Sugawara laughs.
"Is it because he's pretty?" Shouyou asks, with genuine curiosity. It makes sense that people would come back to be waited on by both Akaashi and Oikawa.
"Oh, Shou-chan," Oikawa brings his clasped hands to his chest, "you have become my favorite!"
Sugawara groans, muttering something about gigantic egos.
"That's not a good thing," intervenes Akaashi.
"Isn't it because of that?" Shouyou asks—tilting his head in confusion. "Akaashi-san is pretty, too, it makes sense."
"Thank you, Hinata-san," Akaashi says, sounding collected and flustered at the same time. Shouyou wonders how that is possible.
"Enough with the introductions," Sugawara says, fanning the papers between Shouyou and the men in front. "You are a menace, and prohibited from inflating Tooru's ego even more," he gives Shouyou a serious look.
"Hey! You can't do that, Kou-chan! That was a genuine compliment, I rarely get any of those," Oikawa pouts, crossing his arms again.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to Ennoshita." Sugawara leads him towards the coffee bar, while Shouyou throws a smile over his shoulder—getting two in return.
Standing closer, on the other side of the counter, Shouyou notices the themes and color palette of the café present on the mugs, cups and plates. He decides right then and there that the little teal espresso mugs are the cutest thing he's ever seen. There's the pastry display—spotless, with fresh pastries that look and smell indecently delicious. Beside it, there's a little refrigerator for cakes, puddings and other desserts. As well as water bottles, sparkling water and flavored milk.
"Hello, Hinata, nice to meet you," Ennoshita demands Shouyou's attention with a firm yet polite greeting.
"Hi!" Shouyou shouts out of his stupor. "Yes, thank you—nice morning, I mean—nice to meet you, I'll do my best!" He bows.
Sugawara fails at containing his laughter at Shouyou—uselessly covering his smile with the papers.
"I know he has an intimidating aura, Hinata, but Ennoshita is very laid back. No need to be nervous," Sugawara pats his back softly. "Ennoshita was the one who picked you out of the other candidates, Hinata." Sugawara puts an arm around Ennoshita's shoulders, "he's very excited to work with you."
"Gwaaa! I feel so honored," Shouyou smiles big, "Thank you for the vote of confidence, I'll try my best to learn from you and not make a mess."
"Eh, no need to worry," Ennoshita waves a hand dismissively, "when you work with food there's always a mess, big or small—so don't worry. I'm sure you're going to be great, I recognize the hunger to learn," he nods at Shouyou.
Wow, he's so confident!
"Of course!"
"But that's going to have to wait, this week you're with me," Sugawara puts the papers away under the cashier, and hands Hinata a name tag. "This goes on your apron," he nods encouragingly with a smile.
Shouyou vibrates in excitement, finally putting on the teal and dark brown apron—a comfortable fix, hugging his waist. He makes a knot at the back and pins the name tag on the front with his name on it. He smiles down at it.
"It's very comfortable!"
"Right? Asahi designed them, aren't they cute?" Shouyou nods, touching the fabric while Sugawara fixes the straps on his shoulders.
"Looking dashing, Shou-chan!" Oikawa whistles, on his way to the back. Shouyou winks back, eliciting a hearty laugh from Oikawa—it sounds genuine.
"So," Sugawara calls back his attention. "Should we start with how to take orders?" Shouyou nods—joining Sugawara.
He walks Shouyou through the system they have set up on the tablet—the payment, how to mark the sale, if it's with cash or card. How to print the receipt and apply a discount, in case of the promo of the week or for employers. Shouyou is not an alien to technology, but the system looks very sophisticated for a coffee shop. When Shouyou points it out, Sugawara says that the owners are all about excellent customer service . You'll never have a problem with it, and it's easy to use! He mentions.
In the meantime of Sugawara explaining the menu to Shouyou, the horde of moms and children he talked about earlier arrives at the café—Shouyou is surprised to see how many there are.
"Here, Hinata," Sugawara hands him a physical menu, "why don't you read this while I take care of the orders?"
Shouyou nods, somehow worried about Sugawara but relieved he's not going to deal with that many people on his first day. He steps aside, giving both Ennoshita and Sugawara room to work diligently, and leans on the freezer by the kitchen door. He browses through the menu and comes to the conclusion that it was a big mistake to skip breakfast just because he didn't want to be late.
The pictures of every pastry are making Shouyou salivate like a lion savoring a steak. They look so pretty too—the kind of pretty that you don't wanna ruin it by biting it. It's ridiculous, Tendou sure puts a lot of effort into them, Shouyou can't wait to learn a thing or two working with him. The presentation on the drinks are also a sight to behold, it seems like the people who worked on this menu have a great eye for aesthetics. The milkshakes, especially, are making Shouyou's eyes sparkle.
Shouyou is hypnotized looking at the affogato when Sugawara calls him over. On the other side of the counter there's a woman with a kid by her side.
"Is it okay if I take your order while I teach him?" Sugawara smiles at the woman, who nods kindly. "Thank you. Here, Hinata, I'm going to show you how to ask for specifics," he clicks on 'new order' on the screen, "she wants two lattes so we click on 'coffee/latte', then in 'quantity' you specify two, correct?" Shouyou nods.
Sugawara explains in detail, and Shouyou pays attention to every word coming out of his mouth. He teaches Shouyou the specifics of milk, flavor, extras, sizes, etc. Explaining with a level tone, being patient with the customer and Shouyou as well—with a polite and warm smile plastered on his face. Shouyou feels lucky to learn from someone who's so good at teaching. He can't imagine Nishinoya trying to explain something so intricate, it would be impossible for Shouyou to pick up on anything.
After a long afternoon shadowing Sugawara at the cashier, Shouyou feels accomplished but also exhausted. Technology is not his strong suit, and as much as he tries to be kind to every person he comes across, not everyone reciprocates. It was a good opportunity to see how Sugawara dealt with those types of customers—always discussing things with a level head and reaching an agreement for both parties. But if they disrespect you in some way, just refuse the right to serve them. Don't let people be assholes to you, Hinata, he orders.
At some point, Asahi arrives—welcoming Shouyou with a warm smile—excited to work together and eager to tell Nishinoya about Shouyou getting the job.
So after his very first day, Hinata leaves with a satisfied smile and an iced mocha in hand. He texts the group chat with Tadashi and Tsukishima about getting the job—with an offensive amount of emojis, as Tsukishima likes to say. He walks to the bus stop, elated with the feeling of trying something new.
—
The rest of the week goes by pretty much the same—calm, a lot of moms to attend and the smell of fresh pastries surrounding him. Shouyou gets distracted cleaning one of the bookshelves, reading the interesting titles on it. There's a lot of Japanese literature, but other than that, there's a lot of other languages. Mostly English, Spanish, German and French. A lot about architecture, classic novels in other languages and photography—something for everyone, Shouyou supposes.
He learns the menu and gratefully accepts the samples Tendou makes for him to take home. Shouyou gets to know his co-workers too—Akaashi's still as polite as the first time Shouyou met him and if the place is quiet and there's not many people, he will sit by the bookshelves and read something. He's also the one in charge of cleaning things not even Sugawara would think of. If the ceiling was reachable, you bet Akaashi would find a way to clean it, Ennoshita muttered to Shouyou one afternoon.
Oikawa seems like the type of person who has everything figured out and exudes confidence in every action he makes. He's definitely the one who brings in more customers—where Akaashi possesses an intimidating kind of beauty, Oikawa is pretty in a way that brings you in, wanting to admire it closer. And it only adds to the spell with that charming personality of his. Even so, Shouyou wouldn't call it flirting, it seems like Oikawa puts on a mask and makes the interaction about the other person, so they don't realize they are not actually getting to know him.
And he finally got to meet Misaki, their schedules align only for a couple hours, but it was enough time for Shouyou to think she's the coolest person working there. She's pretty close with Akaashi and seems to have Oikawa and Tendou on a leash when Sugawara isn't there to scold them. She's the one who organized everything on the coffee bar to be as efficient as possible and has a massive fanclub of high school boys that apparently show up every Wednesday. She also welcomed Shouyou with an excited hug that caught him off guard but felt very warm—so he returned it.
Sugawara is as schemy as he is kind, which is to say, a lot. He loves to tease Asahi alongside Ennoshita and is always messing up Oikawa's hair, which is sacrilegious, apparently. He's strict and resourceful. Every time Shouyou thinks something is going to go wrong, Sugawara steps in and solves the problem with poise and patience. Shouyou also got to meet his fiance, Daichi—a very cool person that gives off dad energy, with the build of a gym trainer. Shouyou even asked him about his thigh routine without thinking.
Friday afternoon is colder than usual, that's why Tendou makes cinnamon rolls for everyone. The place is a bit deserted and Sugawara went out to eat so Shouyou is alone on the register. Ennoshita is reading—sitting on the stool, while Akaashi places stickers on the disposable cups, and Oikawa scrolls on his phone, sitting across from him. Shouyou shivers, rubbing his arms to get warm—leaving the register for a moment, he goes to close the door, but stops in his tracks when someone steps in the threshold.
Ignoring the cold breeze, Shouyou smiles at the stranger, "Hi, welcome to Sakanoshita café," Shouyou steps aside for the person to enter and rushes behind the register.
Once there, Shouyou waits for him to pick his order from the menu. From the corner of his eye, he notices Oikawa acknowledge the new individual—springing out of the booth—combing his hair rapidly.
Shouyou frowns, glancing back at the customer—he has green eyes, black spiky hair, astonishing build, and a lot of piercings on both ears. Maybe they know each other.
"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa greets, gleefully. Shouyou hears the stranger sigh—rolling his eyes. "It's been so long, did you miss me?"
"It hasn't, and I didn't," the guy replies—curt and annoyed. Shouyou thins his lips, waiting for the guy to order.
Oikawa pouts, "well, I missed you," he changes into a smile, "you and your cute frowny face."
The stranger frowns at the menu—eye twitching—hands clenching the laminated page. He looks up with a warm smile—it gives Shouyou enough whiplash to widen his eyes. "I'll have a large iced americano, and—"
"Two lemon madeleines!" Oikawa finishes for him with a cheeky smile. The guy throws Oikawa a glare before redirecting his gaze back to Shouyou and nodding stiffly—a soft pink coloring his ears.
Shouyou looks between the two, debating whether to take the order or burst out laughing. He chooses the former—nodding at the customer and tapping away his order on the tablet. He hears Ennoshita getting started on the drink.
"Would you like your madeleines to go?" Shouyou asks.
"Yes, thank you." Oikawa's face falls slightly at the guy's request.
Shouyou restrains from laughing as much as he can—crouching to pack the pastries—but his shoulders shake nonetheless. While Ennoshita finishes the drink, the frowny guy pays for the purchase—grumbling answers to Oikawa's questions about his day and week. Oikawa has a dreamy look on his face while this dude looks like he'd rather be anywhere else, far away from here.
"Here you go!" Shouyou hands over the drink and paper bag—smiling politely.
"Thank you," he glances at Shouyou's name tag, "Hinata. Nice to meet you, I'm Iwaizumi. I work at the tattoo parlor, Alexander, crossing the street, so we'll be meeting regularly." he says—a boyish smile on his face.
"Sure!" Shouyou waves, "Nice to meet you, Iwaizumi-san, have a nice day!"
"Au revoir, Iwa-chan, enjoy your madeleines," Oikawa blows Iwaizumi a kiss that gets completely ignored by the guy sprinting out of the café.
The silence following Iwazumi's departure lasts for thirty seconds before Ennoshita and Tendou burst out laughing. Shouyou can even see Akaashi try to cover his chuckle.
"You're trying too hard, Oikawa," Tendou shakes his head in disapproval.
Oikawa pouts—plopping back down on the booth, "I'm not!"
"You are," Ennoshita cuts in. "Maybe don't grill him with questions the moment he enters?" he grimaces.
"I wasn't grilling him!"
Akaashi fixes Oikawa's hair, "you were, a little. But he answered this time, didn't he?" he says. Oikawa's forehead hits the table with a groan.
Shouyou has only met Oikawa for less than a week, but looking at his slumped form—Shouyou wants to help him. "Maybe be less… obnoxious?" he hesitates.
Ennoshita and Tendou laugh again.
"Shou-chan!" Oikawa whines.
"I'm sorry! I just mean—why don't you treat him like every other customer? Maybe the attention is what makes him uncomfortable," Shouyou explains.
"He's not like any customer, did you see his arms?!" Shouyou considers that for a second—Iwaizumi looked ripped if he's being honest.
"Hinata is right," Tendou agrees, "Iwaizumi's kind of reserved, and you make a whole show every time he shows up. He probably doesn't like to be the center of attention."
Oikawa points at Tendou, "you are not allowed to give me romantic advice, you're dating Ushiwaka." Tendou sticks out his tongue in response. "But I guess I see your point," Oikawa sighs.
"There you go," Akaashi flicks Oikawa's forehead, "Now help me put the stickers on these cups." Oikawa obliges, grabbing a sticker sheet from Akaashi.
Shouyou smiles down at the counter—amused at the whole thing—busying himself with cleaning the glass of the display case, going back to his work as well.
Shouyou's second week on the job has him high on a rush—finally learning about hot coffee and all its preparations. Even with the couple of things Ennoshita taught Shouyou in the free time they had the week prior, it's much more intricate and interesting to get the full learning experience. The espresso machine looks intimidating but it's actually very easy to use—Ennoshita explains everything carefully and shows Shouyou the things that could go wrong and how to fix it.
"Learning how to foam milk can be hard, but not once you've burned it, I'm impressed," Ennoshita praises.
Shouyou smiles, "thank you, I'm very good at measuring temperatures, a skill I developed thanks to baking."
Ennoshita nods, "that makes sense. Your cappuccino foam could use a little more air, though. Next time, leave the wand on the edge a little longer and you'll be fine."
Shouyou nods, finishing two hazelnut lattes, making a mental note of Ennoshita's observation. He surprised himself with how much fun latte art can be. He's nowhere near Ennoshita's precise and polished skill, but Shouyou has been trying hard to nail different shapes, and even the foamy figures Ennoshita makes sometimes to impress people. His cats are particularly popular—Shouyou hopes he can perfect those soon.
The café is busy today, but he doesn't feel the stress that comes with rush hour. Shouyou is helping Ennoshita with the easy orders. There are people sitting at every table and a couple people waiting to order.
"Hinata," Sugawara grabs his attention, "can you cover me for a sec? I need to make a call real quick."
Hinata passes the espresso shot to Ennoshita, "sure!" He stands in the register, waiting for the lady to pick up her drinks and give way to the next customer.
Shouyou smiles, "welcome, what can I get you?"
The guy stays still for a second. "Uh… a drink," he replies.
"What kind would you like?"
He seems frozen—gaze heavy on Shouyou—opening his mouth and closing it a few times before answering. "Cold."
"Alrigh—"
"No!" Shouyou startles at the interruption, "Hot—and chocolate."
Shouyou hesitates, "you want a hot chocolate?"
His eyes close for a second. "No," the guy groans.
"Do you want a mocha latte?" Shouyou tries again.
"Yes!" the customer clears his throat, "yes, a mocha, please—yes, thank you."
"You got it!" Shouyou smiles and places down the order, asking for specifics that for some reason feel like pulling teeth from the customer. Since he's the last one in line, Shouyou prepares the drink himself to give Ennoshita a break, and because he loves the smell of coffee and chocolate when mixing.
When Shouyou finishes the mocha latte, he slides the cup carefully over the counter for the guy to take it. "Here you go," Shouyou gives him a napkin too.
He looks down at the cup with a conflicted frown. Did Shouyou mess it up? Maybe he wanted something else. It did feel as if it was his first time ordering coffee.
The guy stares at Shouyou, "would you…" His frown is getting deeper and deeper.
"Yes? Do you need anything else?"
At that moment, Asahi comes in for his shift—walking through the door—greeting both Shouyou and Ennoshita when he puts on his apron. When Asahi notices the customer, his eyes widen—smiling and raising his hand in greeting. But before he can even say anything, the customer at the counter tenses.
"Asahi-san! This is for Noya, this is not for me, I'll see you later!" he all but shouts, startling a few people around. He stops mid turn and directs that heavy gaze towards Shouyou once more—Shouyou tenses, unsure of what to do. "Thank you," he says, and exits the place with heavy steps.
"Huh," Sugawara muses, standing by the kitchen door.
"I know," Asahi chuckles lightly.
Shouyou doesn't have time to question whatever that was, because a group of high school girls enter the café, giggling and blushing when they notice Akaashi on shift. Sugawara pats him on the back, letting him know he'll take their orders, while smiling bemusedly at Shouyou. There's something cryptic in that smile that Shouyou can't place—as if he knows something Shouyou doesn't.
Shouyou is absolutely thrilled when he gets to prepare drinks, the thrill of rush hour gets him pumped like a volleyball match. But the company makes it even better. Shouyou never had a problem getting along with all sorts of people, but he knows that not everyone can and will match perfectly. Even when people like Asahi and Oikawa are pretty different, there seems to be a harmony surrounding every interaction. They're all friends. And even if Shouyou has been here for almost three weeks, it's as if the sense of belonging grows stronger each day.
Shouyou's week with Ushijima is the calmest and most efficient so far. Even if it's just a couple of hours doing grocery shopping and meeting providers and buyers alike, Shouyou gets more done than he does working at the coffee bar. And it has everything to do with Oikawa, Tendou and even sometimes Misaki that get on gossip mode and drag everyone into it—messing up the flow of work.
Ushijima doesn't waste time, motion, or words. Even as someone so quiet, he replies to every question Shouyou asks him. It's not as if he's filling up the silences, but more like curiosity gets the better of him. He looks intimidating but not unfriendly. Shouyou knows a lot of people like that—playing volleyball and all—so it's only natural for him to want to know Ushijima. Shopping for four days with this tree of a man makes Shouyou appreciate his serene personality, in comparison to the chaotic characters working back at the café.
"Do you want me to bring the whipped cream while you pick up the chocolate syrup?" Shouyou suggests, once they enter the supermarket. It's their last stop before they go back to, and Shouyou finishes his shift with Ennoshita.
Ushijima nods, going through the list again, checking everything's in order. "Yes. Whip Topping, bring two." Shouyou nods, turning towards the ice cream fridge.
Once he finds the cartons of whipped cream, Shouyou makes his way to the sweets aisle. Ushijima is talking with someone—a gallon of chocolate syrup secured on his strong arm—his expression as passive as ever.
"Oh, Hinata," Ushijima acknowledges him. "Meet Iwaizumi, we went to university together."
"The iced americano guy!" Hinata chirps. "Good to see you, Iwaizumi-san."
Iwaizumi smiles, nodding at Hinata. "How's the job so far?"
"Pretty good! This week I'm shadowing Ushijima-san, and I'm learning a lot."
"Hinata is very quick to follow instructions," Ushijima adds with his monotone voice. "I'm pleased with his efficiency so far."
Iwaizumi laughs, putting the bottle of maple syrup on the cart—giving Ushijima a slap on the shoulder. "It can't be worse than your week with Oikawa, right?" he chuckles.
Ushijima nods in understanding. "You are correct. Even though Oikawa is skilled in any field, he lets his personal feelings get in the way of his productivity."
Shouyou frowns. "Are you and Oikawa close, Iwaizumi-san?"
Iwaizumi looks surprised for a second, then frowns at Shouyou. "Not really," he says with a clipped tone.
"Then are you uncomfortable around him?" Shouyou tilts his head in confusion. Ushijima looks at Shouyou, then at Iwaizumi.
"What? I—" Iwaizumi flounders, scratching the back of his neck. "No? No, I'm not," he replies, looking between Ushijima and Shouyou.
"From what I've seen so far, Oikawa is always nice to you," Shouyou says, "he flirts with you, so if you don't want that attention, why not cut him off?"
Iwaizumi gapes down at him, his ears taking a soft rosy color. He turns towards Ushijima, perhaps silently asking for help.
Ushijima stays silent—considering Iwaizumi for a second. "That is inconsiderate of you, Iwaizumi."
Iwaizumi groans, "that is not—he wasn't!" he sighs, dragging a hand down his face. "He's not flirting, he's like that with everyone," he said through clenched teeth.
"Mmm, I don't think so," Shouyou shakes his head, "I've never seen him behave that way with anyone else."
"Me neither," Ushijima is back to re-reading the list—going back and forth between the list and the items in the shopping cart behind Shouyou.
Iwaizumi rolls his eyes but says nothing else. Shouyou catches his eyes narrow in consideration. He goes to say something but gets interrupted by someone.
"Here's the pancake batter," the person drops the item into the cart beside Iwaizumi, making eye contact with Shouyou. Those are striking blue eyes.
"Ah, Kageyama, you remember Ushijima?"
"Yes," the guy nods, "good to see you, Ushijima-san." he gets a curt nod in return.
"And this is Hinata," Iwaizumi smiles crookedly. "He's the new barista at Sakanoshita's, remember?" his tone implies something privy to them that makes those blue eyes widen, and Kageyama 's posture to tense.
Iwaizumi directs his attention to Shouyou, "this is Kageyama Tobio, he works at Alexander with me. If you ever want a tattoo, he's the guy for you," he claps Kageyama on the back, hard enough to bump into their cart.
"Nice to meet you, Kageyama-san," Shouyou grins.
Kageyama clears his throat, "Right. Hi." He turns to Iwaizumi, "Kenma called, we have to go."
Iwaizumi regards Kageyama with narrowed eyes, "Mhm, okay," he grabs a jam jar from the shelve and snorts. "Nice running into you both, see you around," he turns the cart around, walking towards the cashier.
Kageyama stands there for a second too long, awkwardly glancing between Shouyou and Ushijima.
"I guess I'll see you around, Kageyama-san," Shouyou waves lightly.
"Just Kageyama is fine," he turns and then stops. "I'll see you around, too," he mumbles before rushing out the aisle.
"Wow, I wish my legs were that long," Shouyou muses, watching his retreating form.
Affogatos are Shouyou's favorite thing now. The way they taste, the way they look, they way they smell is Shouyou's new heaven—his favorite thing he's learned from Asahi.
This week has also been the most relaxed out of the three previous ones. Asahi is great at teaching, despite his intimidating appearance. It also helps that they know each other already and get along really well. Asahi shows him the intricacies of the milkshakes they have, the ones that caught Shouyou's attention the moment he opened the menu. He teaches him the preparations of every cold drink they sell, and Shouyou is astounded the first time he sees Asahi pipe the whipped cream artfully on top of a matcha frappe. He's also the one who came up with the presentation of each drink, and nerds out with Shouyou about color theory.
It's an excellent opportunity to get to know him better. Asahi seems to enjoy his job a lot, but he enjoys talking about Nishinoya a little bit more. Shouyou admits that Nishinoya is an exciting person, he always has things to say, anecdotes to tell, and good advice to give. But the way Asahi talks about Nishinoya gives Shouyou a wistful feeling—a longing he didn't know was inside him. It's like he's talking about his soulmate, Shouyou can't think of another way to put it.
"You two are very different, but I think you fit each other," Shouyou measures the milk into the blender, then adds two ounces of caramel sauce. "You ground Noya. It's a good balance."
Asahi chuckles, "yeah, I think so too." He hands Shouyou four Lotus crackers that he plops in the blender. "What about you, Hinata? Anyone to balance you out?"
Shouyou pauses for a second, before turning the blender on. "Not really," he answers honestly.
It's not like Shouyou hasn't thought about it, but with everything else going on in his life, the thought of dating is a fleeting breeze that comes and goes. He's dated in the past, two relationships that weren't really meant to be. The amount of energy Shouyou has can be overwhelming to some people, he knows. And he doesn't blame them, it's just how life is sometimes.
He's surrounded by people every moment of the day. He loves nurturing his friendships, loves to soak up knowledge from people and loves sharing interests with them. Volleyball is something beyond important for him, it brought him closer to his sister and it gave him the closest friendships Shouyou could ask for. He can't imagine a life without Yamaguchi's kindness and even the snarky humor Tsukishima brings into their relationship—he may act all cool, but Shouyou is confident he can trust Tsukishima with his life. He wouldn't, just to be safe, but it's the thought that counts.
But if Shouyou gives it a thought, he thinks he'll be better with someone matching his every step. Someone to compete with, to share passions on a level not many people do. Someone who pushes him daily, to be better, to improve.
"I don't think you need someone to ground you, as much as lift you," Asahi smiles at him, crouching in front of the pastry display to wipe the glass.
"What do you mean?" Shouyou inquires.
Asahi hums, pausing with the cloth in hand—narrowing his eyes at the pastries. "I think you are a person who thrives when someone matches your energy, so you need someone who makes you fly, who's there with you every step of the way," he glances at Shouyou, "you know what I mean?"
Shouyou nods slowly, "… yeah."
"Hi." Shouyou turns to the new voice.
"Hey, Kageyama!" he smiles at him.
Now that Shouyou is not distracted by introductions and Iwaizumi's secretive smiles, he notices the tattoos along Kageyama's arms. Varying from waves in black and color on the right, and a couple of slender dragons—in beautiful red ink—on the left one. They look mesmerizing, just like his eyes.
"Hello, uh," Kageyama stares at him.
"Hinata," Shouyou reminds him, smile fading a little.
"No. I mean—yes, I remember. It's just," he gestures a slender finger to his own chin, "you have caramel on your chin."
"Oh!" Shouyou grabs a napkin. Embarrassed, he cleans the caramel off with a laugh. "Thank you, I was just trying it out," he admits. "What can I get you?"
"Noya sent me for his coffee," he says, looking to the side.
"Alright, cold latte with two vanilla shots and caramel drizzle, right?" Shouyou peers at Kageyama.
Kageyama scans the café carefully, and once he's done, his shoulders visibly sag. "Yes, that."
While Shouyou enters the order dutifully, Kageyama asks, "where is Sugawara-san?"
"I think he's out eating, but he should be back any second now," Shouyou replies after accepting the cash. "I'm going to prepare your drink, it'll only take a minute."
Asahi stands—done with cleaning the display—and stops Shouyou with a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Hinata, I'll make it," he smiles at Kageyama, "it's for Yuu, isn't that right?"
"Thank you, Asahi-san," Shouyou goes back to Kageyama, "Would you like anythi—hey, are you okay? You look really pale," he assesses Kageyama's horrified expression—his skin losing all its color.
Kageyama's wide eyed gaze is drilling holes into Asahi's back. Once he remembers Shouyou, he turns to him and it's like watching a glass fill with blood—his face goes from pale to red in a millisecond.
"Hey, would you like some water?" Shouyou offers, concern coloring his tone. "I'll bring you some," Shouyou rushes to fill up a glass and returns to Kageyama as fast as he can.
Kageyama's face is still burning—a shine of sweat visible on his sharp features. He accepts the water in a daze, drinking it all in three big swigs. "Thank you," he says with a raspy voice, giving the glass back to Shouyou—their fingers touch and Shouyou notices how unusually warm they are.
"Kageyama, if you're getting a fever you should've stayed in bed. Let someone take care of you."
Asahi comes to stand next to him, "that's very considerate advice, Hinata," he hands Kageyama the drink. "Say hi to Noya for me, Kageyama."
"Me too!" Hinata chirps. "And take better care of your health, Kageyama."
Kageyama groans, covering the lower half of his face while glaring at Asahi. Maybe he's one of those people who gets grumpy when they're sick.
"Bye," he grunts—opening the door and almost running into Sugawara.
"Oh—hey, Kageyama! Wow, your face is very red," Sugawara notices, frowning at Kageyama's tall frame.
"Of course," Kageyama complains, throwing his hand in the air—coffee sloshing inside the cup—and leaving the café. Crossing the street in big, fast strides.
Sugawara glances at Asahi, and the moment they make eye contact, he bursts into giggles.
"Is he going to be okay?" Shouyou asks, trying to catch a glimpse of Kageyama through the glass door.
Asahi slaps him gently on the shoulder, "don't worry, he'll be fine, Hinata."
"Who's going to be fine?" Oikawa asks—leaving the kitchen with two trays filled with blueberry tarts. Shouyou rushes to help him, earning a soft thanks from him.
"Kageyama just left, I think he was getting a fever," Shouyou explains.
"Tobio-chan? With a fever?" Oikawa asks in disbelief, "as if that would happen, he's the healthiest person I know."
"He was here because Noya asked him for coffee," Asahi nods at Sugawara—his tone emphasizing Nishinoya's name with a weird tilt to it.
Sugawara laughs harder—tears gathering in his eyes. Shouyou is lost, once again, in the silent conversation.
Shouyou has to move his practice to the afternoon for his week shadowing Tendou, which means no volleyball with Tadashi and Tsukishima. It bums him a little, but he's also excited to bake and learn so much from the person capable of creating such stunning and tasty treats. It makes his mouth water just thinking about it.
"If you want me to, I can change it too, just for this week ," Yamaguchi offers through the phone. " I can talk to Tsukki."
"No, I know you're tired after work. It's just a week, I'll train with Kindaichi and Kunimi, I already talked to them," Shouyou zips up his jacket—the chilly morning air messing up his curls while he walks down the deserted street.
"Okay, if you're sure. I'll still ask Tsukki, just to mess with him ."
Shouyou snorts, "please, with how protective of his afternoons he is, he's bound to put on his irritated face."
Shouyou laughs along Tadashi, moving the conversation towards mundane topics, catching up on their week and making fun of Tadashi's co-workers. Once Shouyou arrives at the café, he hangs up and sends Tendou a text to let him in. Baking takes a lot of prepping, that's why Shouyou arrives an hour before they open. Not that it bothers him, he's an early bird.
They get to work as soon as Shouyou puts on his apron and he gets lost in the motions of baking. He thinks of his sister and his mom the entire time—because it's an activity he mostly does with them—but Tendou's interesting questions and comments bring him back to the present. His energy is contagious, and his gaze heavy but curious—Shouyou is amazed by how invested he can be in conversation, while assembling beautifully colored macarons.
After helping Tendou with piping the madeleines into multiple trays and preparing a batch of cinnamon rolls, Shouyou feels fulfilled but exhausted.
"I love baking, but doing this everyday… that's impressive, Tendou-san," Shouyou wipes the sweat on his neck with a towel.
"Time sure flies by, doesn't it?" Tendou puts the last tray of madeleines into the oven and starts to put the flour and butter away. "And you can drop the formalities, Hinata."
Shouyou nods, getting started on washing the bowls, measuring cups and spoons. "I can't believe it's almost one pm! Sorry I was a little late today, I was changing my practice schedule."
"Right! You play volleyball," Tendou comes to stand beside him, snatching a cloth and drying the utensils Shouyou washes. "I did too, that's how I met Wakatoshi-kun."
Shouyou perks at that, "Really? What position do you play? Did you guys play in college?"
Tendou laughs, nodding heartily. "I was a middle blocker, and we played all through high school and later in university, too. He's a wing spiker, his spikes were lethal!"
"Gwaa! That sounds awesome, we should play sometime!" Shouyou says, excited from the prospect of playing with Ushijima—whose arms look like they could cut a log in half.
"Sure, that'd be fun," Tendou ruffles his hair.
Since all that's left is to wait for the pastries to bake, Shouyou makes idle conversation with Tendou about everything and nothing. He learns that even though Tendou is fantastic at baking, what he's best at is chocolate. He wants to move to France and become a chocolatier. Shouyou asks him if he can try it sometime, to which Tendou agrees excitedly.
"I'm very busy on Valentine's day, so if you want a treat for your special someone, be smart about it and fill in an early request," Tendou advises.
"Maybe for Christmas, I'll get some for my sister and my mom," Shouyou muses. They love sweets, and Tendou is bound to be busy on Christmas day too.
"No special someone? And here I was bragging about Wakatoshi-kun being the best boyfriend," he laughs—but Shouyou doesn't pick up any malice from it.
"Don't worry! It was cool, listening to your story," Shouyou assures.
"Well, never say never. You might catch the bug when you least expect it," Tendou says. The oven dings and he stands up from the stool to take out the madeleines and rolls.
Shouyou starts on the glazing, adding the lemon zest carefully, not to make it sour. He goes out to the bar to grab a couple more Eureka lemons for the juice and the change in temperature makes him a bit dizzy—he sways once he crosses the threshold.
"Hinata, are you okay?" Akaashi grabs him by the shoulders.
"Yes, I'm fine, Akaashi-san. It's just too hot in the kitchen." Akaashi lets him go slowly.
"Maybe drink some cold water, you've been there almost all day."
Shouyou smiles, "thank you, Akaashi-san!" He goes to the fridge, searching for the lemons but finds none.
"Are we out of Eureka?" Shouyou moves the bags of frozen fruit around.
"Yes, I was just about to go down the street to buy some," Sugawara replies.
"I can go, no problem," Shouyou offers—noticing how busy everyone is.
Sugawara sighs in relief, charging two men at the counter. "Thank you, Hinata, that's really helpful," he hands Shouyou a couple bills. "You can tell the lady there that you're from Sakanoshita, we have a discount."
Shouyou leaves the café, enjoying the chilly breeze enveloping him—making way towards the green grocer. Out of the corner of his eye, Shouyou catches sight of Kageyama, standing outside the tattoo parlor—frowning down at his phone. Whatever is making him glare at his phone like that, must be upsetting—Shouyou feels the urge to smooth out his frown. But at least he doesn't look sick anymore, that makes Shouyou smile.
"That's pretty generous of you, Kageyama," Sugawara gives Kageyama his receipt. "You're a current fixture in the café now and you don't even like coffee."
Kageyama sighs while Shouyou turns to him with a disbelieving expression. "You don't? How is that even possible?! I made all those awesome lattes for you!"
"I do like it!" Kageyama glares at Sugawara, "those lattes were good, too," he mumbles—rubbing the back of his neck.
Shouyou clicks his tongue, "Just good, huh? I'll have to make you a mocha, then you'll be a slave for caffeine, like a normal person," Shouyou puts the lid on Iwaizumi's iced americano, and gets started on the mint latte.
"Here you go, Tobio-chan," Oikawa hands over the box with pastries. "An apple pie, two cream puffs, and two lemon madeleines for Iwa-chan~"
"I'll refrain from saying you touched the box, otherwise Iwaizumi might throw it in the trash." Oikawa flicks his forehead, muttering damn brat multiple times on his way to the last booth.
Shouyou was confused at first by the awkward and weird friendship Oikawa shares with Kageyama. They met in middle school, swearing to be rivals, but Oikawa has referred to Kageyama as his pupil. Even so, it looks like a solid friendship, even if all they do is bicker and get on each other's nerves.
His own relationship with Kageyama has been building steadily, because even if Kageyama is lacking social skills, Shouyou doesn't mind carrying on their interactions. Well, the few they've had so far.
Kageyama is someone that seems quiet, but when Shouyou caught him interacting with Sugawara, Oikawa or Misaki—he's surprisingly loud. His face is easy to read, even though his default frown takes over his handsome features most of the time. So far, he's been letting a little more loose around Shouyou. Or at least that's what he thinks—given that their interactions limit to the five or so minutes that it takes Kageyama to order Nishinoya's coffee, and Shouyou to make it.
Maybe they can hang out sometime, in another setting, with more time to get to each other. Shouyou nods to himself, pouring in the milk and making a mental note to ask Kageyama to practice with him, Tadashi and Tsukishima. Volleyball is a great activity to get to know people, right?
"Well, Kageyama, can't complain, it's very entertaining to have you around," Sugawara smiles innocently at Kageyama.
"Very entertaining," Oikawa adds in passing. "I was going to say you should keep coming, but you don't need any more encouragement ~"
Shouyou finishes up with the latte, and brings the rest of the drinks to the bar—snatching a disposable coffee tray for Kageyama's order.
"It's very nice of you to buy everyone coffee, Kageyama," Shouyou smiles, sliding the tray over. Kageyama's gaze comes back to his own, making home momentarily—it's crazy how black his eyelashes are. Shouyou glances at his hair, noticing how dark it is, too.
"Yeah…" Kageyama keeps looking at him.
Shouyou leans on the counter, "do you need anything else?" Asahi snorts in the background.
Misaki shuffles over, "Kageyama, weren't you going to invite Hinata to play pool with us?" She elbows Kageyama's arm repeatedly.
Kageyama rubs his arm—looking between Shouyou and the coffee tray. "I, uh," he scratches the side of his neck. "Iwaizumi is inviting everyone to play pool to celebrate… something that I forgot," he frowns.
Shouyou laughs, catching Kageyama's eyes once more. It's cute how spacey he can be.
"So, do you want to go?" He asks, fiddling with a napkin.
"Hell yeah! Be prepared because I'm very competitive, Kageyama," Shouyou smirks at him.
"No way I'm losing to you, dumbass!"
Shouyou puts a hand to his chest—bubbling laughter escaping his lips. "Kageyama! You can't call me a dumbass!"
Kageyama grabs the coffee tray and the box, "well, then don't be one," he turns to leave.
Shouyou crumbles a napkin, throwing it at Kageyama's broad back. "Bakayama, I'll beat you! And I'm spitting in your coffee next time!" Shouyou yells.
Kageyama waits awkwardly by the door briefly—incapable of opening it because he's holding his purchase—until Misaki takes pity on him and opens it for him. He throws Shouyou a smirk over his shoulder before crossing the street. Shouyou can't wait to wipe it off of Kageyama's lips.
Considering it's a large private room, it feels a little cramped. Not that it bothers Shouyou, more people for him to meet. The tattoo parlor party seems very close to everyone that works at Sakanoshita, it feels as if they get together regularly, with how the conversation flows. It also helps that Nishinoya has taken upon himself to hand out tequila shots to everyone he makes eye contact with. Shouyou drank two so far.
Iwaizumi knocks a ring against his beer—getting up and calling everyone's attention. "I just wanna say, that I'm very proud of you, Kuroo," his cheeks are tinted a soft red, meaning he's probably a little drunk.
"Fuck yeah, sappy Iwaizumi!" Bokuto—who Shouyou just met, but is now one of his favorite people—hollers excitedly.
Iwaizumi shushes him, "I wanna say that I'm proud of you, man. All that hard work payed off, congrats on your new job!"
Kuroo—also a new acquaintance for Shouyou—clinks his beer with Iwaizumi, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend Kenma. It's cute and warm, Shouyou thinks, how Kenma reciprocates with a kiss on Kuroo's cheek.
"Drink up!" Nishinoya yells.
—
After both Oikawa and Misaki drag him around to make the rounds and introduce everyone, Shouyou sits down on the stool—enjoying his fourth beer, feeling how the previous shots Nishinoya gave him start to tickle his skin. He checks his messages, laughing lightly at a picture Tadashi sent of Tsukishima losing at Monopoly.
He pockets the phone and redirects his attention towards the pool table, watching Oikawa play against Iwaizumi. With graceful, precise movements—and only two balls left to claim victory—Oikawa taunts Iwaizumi every chance he gets. Only this time, Iwaizumi doesn't seem as dismissive as before. Shouyou gets how someone like Oikawa is very competitive, but it looks like Iwaizumi isn't fond of losing either. He positions the cue stick and strikes the cue ball—pocketing the last two solids with one movement, leaving only eight left for him to win the game. Oikawa's eyebrow twitches, prompting Shouyou to take a swig of his beer to hide his amusement.
"We're next," Kageyama says—sitting down on the neighbor stool, with a beer of his own.
"Are you ready to lose, Kageyama?"
"In your dreams."
"I'll have you know, I'm very competitive, and fantastic at pool," Shouyou says confidently.
"You probably suck at pool, it's gonna be so easy to beat you."
Shouyou smirks, "you'd like that, wouldn't you? You'll eat your words soon."
"I bet I can pocket four balls on my first turn," Kageyama challenges—fiery blue-eyed gaze focused on Shouyou.
"You talk big," Shouyou returns the intensity, leaning in closer with narrowed eyes.
"I don't, my precision is excellent."
Shouyou leans back, considering Kageyama's statement. Sure, he's a tattoo artist, he has to be precise for a living. But Shouyou is confident in his game, so confident that—
"If you pocket four balls and win against me, you can tattoo me," Shouyou declares, eyes determined—meeting Kageyama's wide-eyed stare head on.
After a moment, Kageyama swallows—glancing at Hinata's neck, then chest, and coming back to make eye contact. "Are you sure ?" He asks, voice raspy and low. "You said you don't have any tattoos, which now that I think about it, it's a little weird for a barista."
"Everyone has been saying that," he snorts. "And yes, I'm sure I'm going to kick your ass."
Kageyama snaps out of whatever trance he's in, and smirks at Shouyou. "You are on ."
Shouyou nods. "Wait! What about me? Bakayama, I want a prize too."
Kageyama clears his throat, shifting his weight on the stool. "Like what?"
Shouyou mulls it over for a solid minute—feeling Kageyama's gaze burning holes on the side of his head. But it seems his brain is a little mushy at the moment—preventing him from coming up with something. Shouyou angles his body towards him, "I'll think about it and get back to you," he eventually replies, a cheeky laugh escaping his lips.
Kageyama pouts cutely at Shouyou—a bratty frown pulling down his narrow eyebrows. He's wearing dark blue jeans, and a black mid-short sleeved t-shirt—enhancing his tattoos. Shouyou notices the lack of goosebumps on his arms, and reaches out to see if Kageyama's skin is warm—index finger gliding along his veiny forearm. Kageyama flinches at the contact, questioning blue eyes set on Shouyou.
"Sorry," he draws back, "I was wondering if you were cold, but your skin is warm," Shouyou says, throat oddly dry. He takes a sip of his beer.
Kageyama's ears turn red. He frowns at Shouyou and mumbles, "I run warm, but I brought a jacket, just in case."
"Good! We don't want you getting another fever, Bakayama," Shouyou bumps their shoulders.
Kageyama frowns at him, "another fever…? Oh."
"Hey! That's a volleyball!" Shouyou grabs Kageyama's elbow, twisting it to see the tattoo clearly. "You have a volleyball! Tattoed! On your arm!"
"Ow! Yeah I do! Let go, you're twisting my arm," Kageyama complains, face flushed—probably because of all those shots Nishinoya made him drink earlier—glaring down at Shouyou.
"I'm sorry, but holy shit!" Shouyou glides a thumb over the ink, "I have like a million questions!"
Kageyama twists his arm to a more comfortable position, without freeing it from Shouyou's grip. "What questions?"
"Do you play or do you used to? What position? Have you ever gone to a tournament?" Shouyou smiles, expectant—vibrating from excitement.
Kageyama gets a constipated look on his face—cheeks getting redder—and forearm twitching under Shouyou's fingers. He opens his mouth, about to say something, but gets interrupted by Kuroo and Bokuto howling at the door. Shouyou turns to the commotion when Kuroo runs to the door to hug someone—jumping up and down.
"Atsumuuuu! Man, you came! I feel so blessed," Kuroo lets go of the blonde guy. Bokuto slaps him on the back, with enough force to topple Kuroo and the new guy over.
"Bokkun! Too much force!" The guy collects himself. "I said I was coming, didn't I?"
"Yes you did, you fucker!" Kuroo messes up his blond hair. Bokuto's joyous laughter fills the room while the party at the door gets reacquainted.
"Who's that?"
"That's Atsumu," Kageyama says, with a certain edge to his tone.
"Do you know him?"
"Not really, he's just close with Kuroo and Oikawa, that's how I know him."
Shouyou hums. For all the things that Oikawa blabbers on a daily basis, he never mentioned the guy before.
"They went to the same university, the three of them, but he moved back to Hyogo," Kageyama adds tensely, giving Shouyou the impression he's not a fan.
"Bakayama, do you two not get along?" He elbows him—wiggling his copper eyebrows teasingly.
Kageyama stays silent long enough for Shouyou to get curious.
"It's not like that, but it's also not not like that," he eventually replies.
"Geez, Kageyama, is there anyone you do get along with, aside from Noya and Iwaizumi-san?"
"I get along with plenty of people!" He bites. "You, for example."
Shouyou giggles—pinching Kageyama's cheek. "I don't count, I get along with everyone!"
"You don't have to remind me," Kageyama grumbles, rubbing his cheek. "It's not that, it's just—Atsumu is much like Oikawa. The few interactions we've had weren't the best, but I don't hate him."
Shouyou chuckles, flicking Kageyama's forehead. "Well duh, you're not capable of hate. You're one of those guys that looks all scary and angry but it's all mushy on the inside," he fixes Kageyama's fringe. "I clocked you pretty early."
Kageyama's face warms further—Shouyou considers getting him some water to sober up. Once again, he's about to say something to Shouyou when he gets interrupted.
"Tobio-kun, you're here!" Atsumu approaches them. "It's been a while—oh! Who's this?" Brown eyes focus on Shouyou—a slow smile tugging up his lips while appraising him from head to toe.
"Hi, I'm Hinata Shouyou, nice to meet you!" He introduces himself with a friendly grin.
"Miya Atsumu," he extends his hand—shaking Shouyou's with a soft grip. "Pleasure to meet you. What are you doing here with Tobio-kun? Was it some kind of dare?" He laughs.
Shouyou notices Kageyama's grip tighten on his beer out of the corner of his eye. "I actually work with Oikawa-san and half the people here," he replies. Maybe he should make this interaction brief, he doesn't want Kageyama to get annoyed.
"Ah, so you're the new barista Tooru-kun mentioned," Atsumu smirks. "Well, then I'll be seeing you around, Shouyou-kun."
"Sure, Miya-san!"
"Call me Atsumu. I have a twin brother so everyone calls me Atsumu," he says with a sly tilt to his tone. His hooded eyes glance at Kageyama, "until next time, Tobio-kun."
Shouyou watches him walk towards Oikawa, hugging and slapping each other on the back. At some point, Atsumu whispers something to Oikawa that prompts him to peek at Shouyou—punching Atsumu on the shoulder playfully.
"Come on," Kageyama stands up—swaying mutely—glaring daggers at the floor. "It's our turn."
Shouyou perks up, "are you ready to witness my victory, Kageyama?" He follows him to the pool table, snatching a cue stick and glazing the tip with chalk.
"I'm ready to witness your defeat," Kageyama smirks, racking the balls.
Shouyou scoffs—positioning his hand to bridge the cue stick, and performing a graceful break shot. He ends up pocketing two solids right out the bat, smirking at Kageyama when he grunts in annoyance. Shouyou goes one more time—pocketing another one. On his third attempt, he goes for a bank shot, but fails—missing the pocket by a hair.
"Shit," he groans. "This is it Kageyama, if you pocket four, you have fifty percent of the bet won." Shouyou shuffles out of the way to give him some room.
"Check this out," Kageyama leans down to get into position—the arch of his broad back accentuating the slope of his waist, Shouyou notices how athletic Kageyama's build is.
Kageyama pockets a striped, easily, then rounds the table to pocket one more—with a successful bank shot. Kageyama smirks at him, clearly telling Shouyou I beat you on that one with his arrogant expression. Jaw clenched, Shouyou crosses his arms—electricity thrumming through his body.
Kageyama walks over to Shouyou without breaking eye contact until he leans down again—bridge and cue stick ready. He speaks without turning around, "you better start thinking about what tattoo you want," he says—voice menacingly low—before striking the cue ball with a jump shot and successfully pocketing the fourth striped on his first turn.
"You—damn show off!" Shouyou pokes Kageyama softly on the leg with the cue stick. "Don't get cocky, you still have to win."
Shouyou doesn't waste his turn, pocketing three more solids in a row. Only two more left to win, he smiles confidently. Kageyama grips the cue stick hard enough that Shouyou hears a tiny crack.
He laughs, "Bakayama, you really hate losing, don't you? Don't break the stick just because I'm better than you~" Shouyou sticks his tongue out. He strikes again but misses, cursing softly.
"The game is not over yet!" Kageyama huffs, annoyed.
To Shouyou's utter disappointment, Kageyama pockets three more striped balls, acting as if he's just humoring him. The need to beat Kageyama strengthens, it brings a chill down his spine and hardens his resolve to win.
Once Kageyama misses the eight ball, Shouyou looks at him squarely. "I'm not losing," he declares, intensely, making sure Kageyama understands.
Those deep blue eyes sharpen, mirroring Shouyou's resolve—Kageyama smirks, "I'm not losing either."
With the tension thick in the air, Shouyou positions himself in front of Kageyama, a sudden intake of breath catches Shouyou's ear when he bends over. He strikes the cue ball softly—successfully pocketing the last solid and moving onto the eight. Holding his breath, Shouyou briefly calculates the angle and strikes, not thinking too much.
It's in.
"Fuck yes!" Shouyou celebrates, raising the cue stick into the air.
Kageyama groans—slumping over until his forehead hits the side rail of the table—muttering endless curses that drown below Shouyou's gleeful laughter.
"No way," Iwaizumi approaches the table, "did you just beat Kageyama?" He asks, surprised, pointing a finger at Shouyou.
Shouyou locks eyes with Kageyama, smirking when he watches Kageyama's frown deepen. "I most certainly did."
"Damn, Sho-chan, way to go!" Oikawa congratulates, coming over to put his arm around Shouyou's shoulder.
"Kageyama, you're not undefeated anymore," Iwaizumi claps him on the back, laughing when Kageyama's nasty glare poses on him.
Shouyou grabs their beers, motioning Kageyama to come take a sip with a satisfied smile. Kageyama obeys—still frowning—but there's a tilt to his lips, barely noticeable.
"Next time, I'm going to beat you," Kageyama proclaims—gaze zeroing on Shouyou.
Shouyou grins excitedly, "I can't wait!"
Kageyama stands in front of Shouyou at the coffee bar. He fidgets—hands going in and out his pockets, leaning them on the bar then straightening up with his hands behind his back.
"Kageyama, are you okay?" Shouyou chuckles dubiously.
"I want a mocha," he says, bluntly.
Shouyou's mood and expression brighten noticeably. "You want one of my famous mocha lattes? Finally?"
"No need to get that excited over coffee," Kageyama rolls his eyes—his face, red from the cold outside, twists in distaste at Shouyou's enthusiasm.
"Shut up, Bakayama, it's a big deal to me," Shouyou rapidly puts the order in and gets started on the drink.
It's a slow afternoon, with barely any people on the street. It's also Oikawa's day off, so the café feels particularly peaceful today. Sugawara is out with Ushijima, so Shouyou is handling the cashier as well.
The weather is colder than usual, the chilly air forcing people to bundle up. Not that it makes any difference to Kageyama—wearing a black turtleneck with his sleeves rolled up. His forearms are in perfect display, tattoos catching Shouyou's attention since that day they played pool. He thinks Kageyama has nice forearms, attractive, he supposes. Shouyou realizes he's never thought about that specific body part before, but Kageyama's presence and tall limbs demand attention, as far as Shouyou is concerned.
Kageyama stands there, watching his every move and it makes Shouyou's skin tingle. Being the focus of that blue-eyed gaze causes Shouyou to try extra hard on this mocha. And also because he wants to impress Kageyama—this has to be the best mocha latte Kageyama ever has.
He foams the milk—mug with the chocolate and coffee blend ready by his side— Shouyou pours slowly and stops when an idea pops into his head. With the last bit of milk and careful motions, Shouyou draws a volleyball on it. The rich color of the chocolate contrasts perfectly with the white silky foam. Grabbing one small dish, Shouyou plates two blueberry mini muffins, lightly dusting them with powdered sugar.
He turns around and places both things in front of Kageyama. "The muffins are on me," he smiles at Kageyama.
Kageyama looks down at the mocha, blinking twice before his gaze snaps up to Shouyou again. "This is a volleyball."
"Well duh," Shouyou chuckles.
Kageyama looks down again. "You made this for me?"
Something in Kageyma's tone pulls at Shouyou’s heart, it's soft and wistful and something else that he can't recognize, but it makes Shouyou's face warm up. He's never heard Kageyama's voice like this.
After a couple of seconds of Kageyama staring at the foamy volleyball, he smiles —it's closed-lipped but definitely noticeable, soft and so endearing. Shouyou can't look anywhere else but Kageyama's lips.
They move.
Kageyama's lips are moving.
"—with me?"
Shouyou snaps out of it—feeling the blush on his face grow. "Sorry, I didn't catch that," he apologizes.
Kageyama pouts—a constipated expression replacing his smile. Shouyou mourns the loss internally.
"Since it's pretty empty here, do you want to sit with me? You can have half a muffin."
"Half?! Why not one?" Shouyou asks, walking around the bar to join him. "Learn to share, Kageyama."
"I am sharing!" Kageyama sits on one of the tables, opposite of Shouyou.
Shouyou laughs—elbow on the table, chin on his hand—watching Kageyama munching pleasantly, widen his eyes in delight at the first sip of his drink. Shouyou's heart has never beat faster.
Later that day, after spiking one too many balls, he turns to Tadashi and Tsukishima—sweaty and tired but sure about his newest realization.
"I like someone."
After Shouyou admits it to himself—ignoring Tsukishima's pained expression and appreciating Tadashi's excited one—his interactions with Kageyma stay pretty much the same. The difference is that now Shouyou notices Kageyama. Sure, he's always been hard not to notice, being so tall and attractive and having that mysterious thing going for him. But Shouyou is hyper aware now—of everywhere they touch, every time they lock eyes, and the spaces between them.
Now there's this tension that sometimes it's like an exciting soft rain and other times it becomes this suffocating storm, leaving Shouyou drenched from head to toe with the realization that he's very attracted to Kageyama.
Although Shouyou feels the need to be honest with himself and admit that Kageyama is irritatingly handsome, he's also aware of the way Kageyama just is —it strikes Shouyou. The passion behind his work—rough, beautiful sketches he's shown Shouyou a couple times. The adoration and nostalgia adorning his voice whenever he discusses volleyball—the fiery look in his eyes, analyzing the game with sharp eyes.
And another thing that drives Shouyou crazy: Kageyama matches him every step of the way, further causing him to fall, fall, fall.
Enjoying the college volleyball matches together was filled with bickering and yelling. For every thing Shouyou had to say about it, Kageyama had two. The back and forth between analyzing, and playfully antagonizing Kageyama was one of the most stimulating conversations Shouyou had ever had. They ended up at the ramen place and kept the loud discussion going, no doubt annoying every person there as well as each other.
And as if Shouyou wasn't struggling enough, when they parted ways, Kageyama said they should play together—with that same smile that made its debut with Kageyama's first mocha, and that Shouyou has been catching glimpses here and there.
So now Shouyou swallows his heart on the regular, his blood rushes to his face with more frequency and his fingertips tingle every time he glances at Kageyama's inked arms—craving to trace every tattoo that's on display, and the ones in hiding.
"Hinata, can you do me a favor?" Asahi brings him back to the present.
It's almost time for Hinata to clock out. Today they had an intense rush with a couple entitled clients that Shouyou handled as best as he could, but even so, he's eager to get home and unwind.
"Sure, what do you need?"
"Can you take this to Yuu?" Asahi hands Shouyou a bag. Shouyou has to adjust the grip, not expecting the bag to be that heavy. "He's had appointments all day, he needs to eat."
"Of course, I'll be quick."
"Take your time, you know, say hi," Asahi smiles meaningfully at him. "It's pretty dead, no need to rush."
"Ugh," Shouyou blushes. "In that case," he quickly bags a cinnamon roll with raisins and a big blueberry muffin—ignoring Asahi's laughter.
Crossing the street and entering the tattoo parlor, Shouyou greets Yachi silently—smiling at her. Shouyou beelines for Nishinoya's booth to drop by the food, earning a grateful nod and a cheeky smile when Shouyou asks where Kageyama is.
"His booth is upstairs, beside Kenma's, you can't miss it," he winks.
Shouyou nods, feeling how his ears warm up. He climbs the spiral staircase and stands face to face with Kenma's booth. Shouyou can't help but peek, watching Kenma pierce someone's tongue—needle going through the muscle, watching the customer grimace while Kenma wears a bored expression.
"Down the hall, Shouyou," Kenma says—startling Shouyou—without turning away from his work. "He's with a client right now but you can come in."
Shouyou nods, thanking Kenma before walking to the next booth. If Kageyama is working then maybe Shouyou will just leave the pastry bag with a quick hello and let Kageyama do his job.
He stops for a second, suddenly needing a minute.
Shouyou sticks his head in, and that minute was not preparation enough for the sight of Kageyama deep in concentration. Shouyou finds it funny that when he's concentrating, there's no sight of that familiar frown Kageyama wears all the time. He's wearing a sleeveless shirt, displaying his toned, inked arms in all their glory. The black gloves cover his beautiful steady hands, while they hold the gun gracefully—Shouyou swallows at the sight. His silky black fringe barely screening his sharp, calculating gaze. The mask covering his mouth is a shame, though. Shouyou bets Kageyama is pursing his lips slightly.
The guy getting tattooed is lucky to be that close to Kageyama, close enough to count each and every one of his thick eyelashes, or get lost in the deep blue of his eyes. The guy notices Shouyou, so he takes it as his cue to announce himself with a knock on the door frame.
"Hey, Kageyama," Shouyou grins. "You're busy, so don't mind me, I just came to give you this," he leaves the bag on a nearby chair, "eat it, okay?"
Kageyama stares in silence at Shouyou with an expression hard to discern given that half his face is covered up. Shouyou glances at the customer and pursues his lips while looking at Kageyama.
Shouyou turns to go. "I'll leave yo—"
"Hinata, wait!" Kageyama exclaims, stopping Shouyou on his tracks. "You get out at five, right?" He asks, voice muffled by the mask but understandable enough. And s hit, does Kageyama even know how that sounds to Shouyou?!
"Yeah, why?" Shouyou hopes his nerves aren't present in his voice.
Kageyama leaves the tattoo gun on his station and pulls down his mask, finally revealing those lips that featured many of Shouyou's dreams. "Do you want to hang out after?" he asks, fiddling with his glove.
"Ah, I can't today," Shouyou says, regretfully. "I have to help my mom with cleaning tomorrow so… after work I'm going home instead of my apartment."
"Oh," Kageyama falls silent briefly. "I can drive you there, if you want," he eventually mumbles, avoiding eye contact.
Shouyou smiles, beyond endeared at Kageyama for offering the favor. "You don't even know where that is, Bakayama."
"As long as you know, dumbass."
His annoyed tone makes Shouyou laugh lightly. "It's okay. Thanks for offering, but it's a ten minute walk from the café."
"I see."
The two of them fall silent—looking at each other.
"You can walk him there." Both Shouyou and Kageyama snap their heads to the guy sitting there. Shouyou completely forgot about him.
"Sure!" Shouyou agrees with delight. "You can carry my bag, like a good senpai."
"Hey, I'm not a mule! And you're older than me!"
Shouyou laughs—turning around and waving Kageyama goodbye. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later~"
—
It feels like the blink of an eye for Shouyou. One moment he's leaving Alexander's with Yachi's knowing smile burning holes on his back, and the next one his shift is over and Kageyama is waiting outside the café.
On the way to Shouyou's childhood home, they argue about nothing and everything. Shoyou asks what Kageyama was tattooing earlier, to which he answers something about a movie called Your Name, that he confesses to having never seen before. Shouyou—like any cultured human would—freaks out, scolding Kageyama while ignoring his adorable pout. An impossible task that he obviously fails. Shouyou declares that they're going to watch it next time they're both free, and that he's very lucky to experience such a masterpiece for the first time. Kageyama calls him ridiculous but doesn't object to the idea.
A block away from his house, Shouyou tells Kageyama about Natsu and his mom—complaining about the deep cleaning he has to do on his day off and how they both take advantage of him.
"It's too much work, you should come and help me," Shouyou whines, grabbing Kageyama's wrist with both hands and shaking his arm annoyingly.
"Quit it!" Shouyou let's go with a squeeze. "I have two appointments in the afternoon," he explains—glaring at the pavement. "But you could use the exercise, it'll be good for your noodle arms," Kageyama squeezes Shouyou's bicep once, twice, then promptly lets go—clearing his throat and adjusting Shouyou's bag on his shoulder.
"I do not have noodle arms, you take that back!"
"Like ramen."
Shouyou gasps, "Kageyama!"
"Like udon," he adds, the tilt of his lips blessing Shouyou's eyes once more.
At the doorstep, Kageyama passes Shouyou his bag, standing there awkwardly until Shouyou tells him to wait. He rushes inside, quickly snatches a small carton of yogurt he bought a couple days ago, and rushes back to Kageyama.
"Here," he gives Kageyama the drink. "Thank you for walking me. Be careful on your way back, Kageyama," Shouyou smiles softly at him, hopefully conveying how fun a ten minute walk this was for him.
He glances at the yogurt and Shouyou closes the door on his face before Kageyama can notice the redness of his cheeks.
The next day, Shouyou gets a text from Kageyama around two p.m, saying his appointments got canceled, so he walked to Shouyou's childhood home to help him but got lost. So now Shouyou walks to the nearby park to pick up a grumpy tattoo artist that's probably glaring at any child that walks by.
He's sitting at one of the benches—with his back to Shouyou—wearing a hoodie for once, while Shouyou wears two sweaters and still feels chilly.
Shouyou creeps up on him, walking slowly until he can speak into Kageyama's ear. "Stop glaring at the pigeons, Kageyama, what did they ever do to you?"
Kageyama jumps away, glaring at him while rubbing his very red ear. "Hinata! Don't do that!" His nose is a little red from the cold—Shouyou resists the urge to kiss it. "I wasn't glaring at anything ." Shouyou snickers.
"Those kids are playing volleyball," he points at the old court where Shouyou used to play.
Shouyou lights up, a wave of excitement and nostalgia takes over him. The whim to play prompts him to grab Kageyama's wrist and pull them forward.
"Hey!" Shouyou approaches the group. "Can we play with you?" He asks with a friendly smile.
The kids look dubiously behind Shouyou, surely intimidated by Kageyama.
Shouyou laughs, "don't worry, he's harmless, and a setter! So awesome, right?"
That certainly does the trick, and without much wait, they join the volleyball game.
Now Shouyou is not a religious person, but spiking Kageyama's tosses must be what ascending to heaven feels like. The pinpoint precision, the care, the easiness in which Shouyou spikes them. Everything about Kageyama's game is flawless, passionate, dedicated. Shouyou can't go back to Semi's sets now, not after experiencing what perfection feels like.
And even when Shouyou thought it couldn't get any better, Kageyma takes his breath away.
"Just run as fast as you can, jump as high as you can, I'll get you the ball," he says, eyes ablaze with the same electricity that flows through Shouyou.
He does as told, giving his very best to Kageyama because it's only fair. He runs, closes his eyes while jumping, and trusts Kageyama's words.
Easy.
It all happens in a second—the ball makes contact with his palm, the spike leaves ripples through his body and the smack sound on the other side goes accompanied with a collective gasp from the sidelines.
Shouyou wants to feel this way for eternity.
On the trek back—after his mom calls and berates him for getting distracted—Shouyou walks on cotton. It may sound silly, but he feels as if Kageyama and him did the impossible.
Kageyama asks him about his previous team, and what the hell prompts him to close his eyes. So Shouyou tells him that it was just trust. He tells him about not having a proper team until high school, how he used to pester people to play with him and give him tosses.
They walk in silence after that, a comfortable one that wraps Shouyou entirely, giving him a sense of peace he doubts experiencing before.
When cleaning and decluttering is over and after Shouyou's mom and Natsu fawn over Kageyama during dinner, Shouyou walks him to the door.
"Thank you for helping me, Kageyama. Lucky for me your appointments were canceled," Shouyou chuckles. "You even did more work than me, so I owe you dinner."
Kageyama nods, standing under the porch light—dark eyelashes casting shadows on his cheekbones—gazing down at him.
"Earlier… when you were talking about not having a team," Kageyama starts—tone a little too serious for Shouyou—his deep blue eyes focusing on Shouyou solely. "Just so you know, I would've saved my best tosses for you."
It's that easy for Kageyama to knock the wind out of him, just like that. It's safe to say that Shouyou won't ever recover. Well, not that he even wants to.
He smiles at Kageyama, hoping to show how much those words mean to him.
"She reminds me of my grandfather," Kageyama says softly—nodding at the screen.
They're watching Your Name in his apartment, like Shouyou promised two weeks ago—the scene where Mitsuha's grandmother teaches her the meaning of musubi. Sitting on the couch, close to Kageyama, sets Shouyou's skin ablaze—it's a little suffocating in the best of ways.
"The way she explains things… he used to explain volleyball to me the same way." Kageyama finishes.
Shouyou's heart clenches, watching Kageyama's longing expression fill with admiration.
This time, Shouyou doesn't resist the urge and leans his head on Kageyama's shoulder, expecting him to flinch or tense, but all Kageyama does is lean his own on top of Shouyou's.
"I like the movie, so far," Kageyama mumbles after a period of silence.
Shouyou chuckles, impulsively reaching one hand to play with Kageyama's slender fingers. "You're going to bawl like a baby later."
Kageyama's fingers fight back for a second before intertwining their fingers with a smooth motion. Shouyou's heart rate skyrockets.
"I most certainly won't," he counters, voice shaky.
Feeling cozy and comfortable—with Kageyama's fresh scent surrounding him—Shouyou starts to feel sleepy, and before he realizes, he wakes up in a pitch black apartment. The TV off, a soft blanket over him, and Kageyama below him—sleeping peacefully. His features are soft, devoid of any tension, and breathing evenly.
Shouyou's heart skips several beats when the word cuddling pops into his head.
Shouyou cleans the window for the fifth time, wiping over and over the same spot, lost in thought.
After Shouyou cautiously moved off from a sleeping Kageyama without making any noise, he pretended nothing happened once Kageyama woke up—blinking slowly at Shouyou. He looked so cute and soft Shouyou wanted to bury his face in Kageyama's neck and fall back asleep.
He's been thinking about it all week. Every time he sees Kageyama across the street, every time Shouyou sits on his couch, every time Kageyama texts him back. All. Damn. Week.
But even if Kageyama seems and acts normal, what if he's pretending not to remember just to spare Shouyou the awkwardness?
Shouyou shakes his head. No, Kageyama would tell him if Shouyou does something that makes him uncomfortable.
Before Shouyou can examine what that means, Misaki calls out to him.
"Hinata!" Shouyou turns to her. "You've been spaced out all day, is something wrong?"
"Not at all!" Shouyou goes back to wiping.
"Stop that! I've been telling you that your shift is over, it’s five fifteen already!"
"Sorry, Misaki," Shouyou apologizes, leaving the cloth in its place and taking off his apron. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's your day off!" Misaki exclaims, frustrated but laughing at him.
"Right! Then, later, I guess," Shouyou gathers his things in a daze and leaves the café.
Shouyou starts to walk towards the bus stop but someone calls his name.
"Hinata!"
Shouyou turns, spotting Kageyama standing across the street—crossing with fast, intimidating steps until he's standing before Shouyou.
"What? What is it?" Shouyou asks, raising his arms in defense.
"Do you want to go out for dinner?" Kageyama asks, out of breath.
"Yeah, sure," Shouyou agrees. "We can go tomorrow to this place Akaashi-san mentioned, it sounds rea—"
"No," Kageyama interrupts him with a firm tone.
"No?" Shouyou tilts his head in confusion.
"Not like, dinner as any other dinner," Kageyama says—frustrated.
Shouyou frowns in confusion. "Like, lunch?"
"No! Ugh, shut up for a second, please?" Kageyama glares at him—Shouyou snaps his mouth shut. "Like—like a date," Kageyama clarifies. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"
After that question, static is all Shouyou hears. Like an old movie, there's a spotlight on Kageyama—everything surrounding them becomes obsolete to Shouyou at the moment. He can feel the heat rush slowly to his face—impossible to hide it. Shouyou's heart will beat out of his chest, the happiness he feels right now can't compare.
"Yes, Kageyama, we can go to dinner," Shouyou replies, delightfully surprised.
Kageyama's shoulders lose the tension Shouyou failed to notice before. He leans down slowly—until his face is just a few inches from Shouyou's.
"Good,” he says—voice low, breath tickling Shouyou's cheek. “I'll text you," he kisses Shouyou's cheek.
Shouyou doesn't even register when Kageyama leans back after assaulting his personal space like that, without taking any responsibility for the mess he made—leaving Shouyou standing like a moron in the middle of the sidewalk, with a scalding blush and weak knees.
He walks with a spring in his step—fingers tracing the ghost of Kageyama's kiss on his cheek—wishing, hoping and praying that tomorrow comes sooner than he expects.