This is kind of awkward

The assistant firmly shut the door behind her, leaving Kageyama and Hinata alone for the first time in years.

It was awkward, to say the least.

"S-sit down Shou-- I mean, Hinata" Kageyama gestured to the seat opposite his own. He could feel like whole face burning up, turning bright pink. He looked up, just to let Hinata know he wasn't nervous or anything--

Their eyes met for a split second before they both blushed furiously and look away in embarrassment.

You're an idiot Tobio. As if looking at Shouyou's face if going to help you calm down. He's the very reason you're so flustered!

Hinata cleared his throat gently, forcing Kageyama back into reality.

"So um, Kageyama, how have you been? I-" Hinata paused for a second, allowing himself to breathe. He must not fuck up on this. "I was really surprised when I heard you were working here. It doesn't really seem... Like you."

WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING WHY AM I QUESTIONING HIS JOB I CAN'T EVEN SAY ONE DECENT GOD DAMN SENTENCE?!! COME ON SHOUYOU! SNAP OUT OF IT!

The sheer amount of paperwork and files in the tiny office wasn't helping - if anything, it was making Hinata feel more claustrophobic and nervous by the minute.

Kageyama was slightly shocked by Hinata's question - he could tell just by being in the building for several minutes? - but forced himself to answer regardless.

"I'm... Doing well. This uh, this company, treats it's workers really well so uh yeah... What about you?" You couldn't have messed up this conversation more if you tried! Now Shouyou's going to think you're some kind of workaholic!

"Well, I'm ... I'm a volleyball couch now."

Kageyama looked deeply into Hinata's puppy eyes. They had the same flicker in them, the same sort of immeasurable excitement and energy inside them. Not like his eyes. His dead and lifeless eyes. And now he knew why.

"Really? That's... Well that's amazing Hinata! I'm really happy for you!" Kageyama forced out a wide grin onto his face. It was true, he was happy for Shouyou, but just slightly more so, he felt a burning jealousy. If he could only have spent his life playing the sport he loved, and not stuck here in a fucking stupid office - if only!

"Um, yeah." A small blush crept across Shouyou's little face. "But that's not the reason I came here today."

"Oh?" If he hadn't come here to talk about adult life and compare jobs, then why was he here?

Could it be he... He feels the same way I do? Could it be? Dare I hope?

"It's about the reunion."

"The reunion..?" Kageyama was puzzled. What does he mean by 'reunion'? The reunion between them two? Obviously not! Otherwise he'd have phrased it a different way - he had to stop thinking about Shouyou like that! Six years had passed since then - six whole years! There's no way he still harbours feelings after all that time! But then again, is there a reason he wouldn't; after all, he still loved the flame haired boy, after all this time.

"Yes. The team reunion." A smile had spread onto Hinata's face and he was now struggling to stop himself from grinning like a maniac. He forced himself to carry on. "Sugawara senpai is organising it. He's planning on getting the whole team together to eat Christmas Lunch together!"

"The whole team? Really? Everyone?" A sudden excitement filled Kageyama, and at that moment he realised he didn't just miss Shouyou and volleyball - he missed the whole team. Daichi, Asahi, Nishinoya, Sugawara, Ennoshita, Yamaguchi, Tanaka... Even Tsukishima, that four eyed bastard.

"That sounds like a great idea!"

Hinata nodded vigorously.

"It is! It's loads of fun and we get to see everyone and we always get each other presents and you get to see how everyone has changed and it's really great and--"

"What do mean by 'always'?"

The question came out of Kageyama's mouth faster than he could stop it. A strange silence now filled the room. Kageyama looked at the love of his life. His head was down, eyes looking at the floor. He looked... Ashamed.

"Well, you see... The truth is... We've been organising this every year since the end of high school." The words felt like acid in Hinata's mouth, burning and sizzling his tongue; they felt poisonous, and it was clear from Kageyama's wounded expression that he found them hurtful too.

How that look pulled on Hinata's heartstrings.

"Oh. I see." Kageyama felt sort of empty inside, like all the hope that had filled his heart several minutes before now leaked from his body, spilling on the grey carpet.

They had been meeting up all these years. All that time. Always in touch. Together. And meanwhile Kageyama was alone. On the side lines. An outsider. He bit his lip bitterly. It's just like back in that match in middle school, he thought to himself. I'm alone. I'm unlike anyone else. The cursed king, sitting on his grand throne with no one at his side.

"W-we tried to contact you! We really really did! But no one could find you on Facebook and you changed your number and none of us had your email address..." Hinata trailed off, seeing how pointless all his talk was. Kageyama was sitting hunched over in his chair, eyes cast down, a gloomy look over his face. Nothing could make him happy again for a while when he became like this.

"You know what Kageyama, I, I uh, I have a class to teach at one so um, I think I will be going now."Oh God this is so awkward omg omg omg omg I have to do something I have to I have to I have to--

"I'll leave the time and address of the meet here, OK?" Not really knowing what he was doing, he set down the piece of paper Sugawara had given him on the cluttered desk and stood up to leave, trying not to make so much noise as the chair rubbed against the floor.

"Oh ok... I guess I'll see you there... Hinata."

Kageyama couldn't believe it. After being so happy that Shouyou has come to see him at work, he was now almost wishing he would leave.

Then something happened he never thought would.

The whole scene happened almost in slow motion. Hinata was going to leave, but thn he turned back and slowly leant over the now chair, over Kageyama's messy desk and ever so gently, placed the most delicate of kisses on his forehead.

"Shouyou..? What did you just--"

"Ah I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I just aah, I just saw your really sad face and I--" I couldn't resist kissing you "--I just did it on a whim ok, it doesn't, it wasn't..."

"It doesn't mean anything. I got you." The words sounded weird from Tobio's mouth, like they were unnatural for his tongue. "I just, I just have one question."

"O-Ok." Jesus Christ Shouyou what did you do what did you do what did you do what did you do what did you do what did you do what did you do what did you--

"Are you... Currently dating someone?"

Kageyama couldn't help himself. He had to know. He had to know if there was still hope. He had to. He absolutely had to.

The question hung in the air, suspended in space, just floating around the room, waiting to be answered.

Hinata's mind buzzed with excitement and fear and joy and feelings he couldn't possibly name as they ran rampant in his head, making his chocolate drop eyes swirl. He had to answer the question and answer it now, before it got too awkward, and there was only one possible answer which was--

"Yes."

"Ah."

Hinata left the office and headed outside.