It's Just Team Bonding (HinataxKageyama)

Chapter 10

Her voice.

I turned around, and looked her in the eyes.

"Emi?"

She diverted her look away from me and blushed. She was considerably shorter then me, shorter than Hinata. She had long brown hair that laid on her right shoulder, and dark hazel eyes that gazed to my right through her circled black glasses. She wore converse, baggy jeans, and a black oversized jacket with a white crop top under it. Hugged against her chest was a pile of volleyball posters identical to the one pinned up on the board behind me. She shifted her papers to one hand and scratched the back of her head with the other.

She smiled. "Been a long time hasn't it. What, four years?" Her nervousness had seemed to wear off and her old self showed through.

"Y-yeah, how have you bee-"

"No no no, we're not doing that crap. Come on, let's sit down and have a REAL conversation." She interrupted, and began walking towards a table. I followed. We sat down and she took her jacket and glasses off, sitting cris-cross in her chair.

She's just like I remember.

"So Tobio, are you still playing volleyball?" She asked, rocking back and forth in her chair.

"I am. I'm actually in Tokyo for team bonding with my high school team. What about you?" A wave of nostalgic memories flooded back to me. Us peppering the volleyball in her front lawn, us watching volleyball games at her grandparents house. I had never considered her a friend, but more a sister.

"Of course I still play! Do you take me as a quitter?" She joked, laughing as she looked out the window, her smile fading and a sadness appearing on her face. "Of course, it's been challenging playing since my shoulder injury."

"Is your shoulder still bothering you?" Back in middle school, she was the starting outside hitter for our women's volleyball team. Her mom had recently remarried, and she used volleyball as a coping mechanism to get her anger out. She overworked herself and ended up causing serious injuries to her right shoulder.

She perked up and straightened herself, focusing her attention back on me. "It's getting a lot better. I've been doing physical therapy since, and I should be good to go soon! Even though I've had to skip a couple volleyball seasons, my love for it hasn't left. I still watch every game that's aired, and I've been a practice player for the high school here, I'm sure you know them."

"Nekoma?!" I almost shouted.

"Yeah, they're great. Our men's team is awesome." She shifted in her seat. "Even though I asked if you still play, I knew you did. I've seen you play against us. You um- really- are something." She blushed.

I scoffed. "Are you insulting me?"

"NO! Nothing like that! You're- well- you're amazing!" She leaned over the table, her eyes sparkling. "I've never seen a better setter before, not even Tooru. I thought he was good in middle school, and when I watched Seijou play Nekoma I thought his talent was godlike. Then I saw you play."

She leaned back in her seat. "At first I didn't recognize you, you've gotten so- um- attractive. And then I saw you set, and wow. Especially your quick attack with that short, orange-haired boy. It's really something else. That boy can jump!"

I blushed. Not necessarily at her complimenting my appearance, but at the mention of Hinata.

"Yeah, that's Shouyou Hinata."

She looked amused. "He's a cutie, I wouldn't mind if you gave me his number."

I tried to change the subject. "So what were you doing hanging volleyball posters in coffee shops."

She sighed. "Ya know, just trying to spread some volleyball love. Reminding people to tune into the Japan games. So, do you got a girlfriend back home?"

I tensed at the sudden personal question. "No I don't, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, I had the biggest crush on the Nekoma men's volleyball captain. But nothing happened there."

There was silence.

"Tobio, I got a question."

I knew what she was going to ask, and I didn't know the answer.

"Do you hate me?"

I thought about the question. Four years ago, Emi was the only bond I had. We were family. I had opened up to someone. But it all changed one day when she stopped talking to me, and begged her mom to let her move schools to get away from me. She was just like everyone else. Everyone left me.

"Sometimes I hate you, sometimes I love you for it. You followed in my mother's footsteps and allowed me to grow unattached. But it hurt. It really hurt Emi."

She began to tear up. "You were my only friend too Tobio. Not having my mom to myself, not having volleyball, everything I loved was taken from me. I didn't want it to happen again. I was young, I figured if I pushed you away first, you couldn't hurt me. I didn't think about the consequences for you. It was selfish and stupid and I regret it." A tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it with the back of her hand. "I learned from my mistake and made new friends, I'm in a happy place right now, with a fresh volleyball career right in front of me."

I wanted to cry.

"I was too scared to contact you," she continued. "I was sure you would despise me. But here you are holding yourself strong and moved on. Surely you've made new friends too, no one can live as lonely as you were when I left. Your mom has come to her senses right? Has your dad come back? I'm sure you're living the life."

I muttered.

"What? I can't here you."

"No, Kaiya." I said again. She frowned over the use of her real name.

"Well you got to have someone on your side. Who is it?"

"It was you, but you left." I tisked and clenched my teeth. "I have to go, we'll meet up before I leave Tokyo." And with that I got up and walked out of the shop.

HINATA'S POV:

I woke up and stretched. It was still morning, only around two hours had past.

Kageyama better get here with my Starbucks.

I heard a key card enter our door. "Kags is that you?" The setter entered the room, his head tilted to where his fringe hid his eyes.

"You got my drink?"

He began walking towards me. I couldn't make out his expression, but before I could comprehend his thoughts, he pulled me into an embrace. I was motionless as Kageyama hugged me tight. I heard sniffling and he held me closer.

"Hey, did something happen?" I wrapped my arms around him too, and scooted in closer to him. His sent filled my nose and my knees began to buckle.

"Thank you Hinata for being here for me." He pulled away from me, his gaze on my lips.

I want to kiss him. So bad.

His face looked heartbroken. While he always carried a frown on his face, this was different.

I laughed and smiled. "As long as I'm here you're invincible, right?"