Chapter Text
For Hinata, his priorities were always three things: eat, sleep, and volleyball. That’s been his mantra since his enrollment to Karasuno High School. That was the way things were supposed to stay as his first year swiftly progressed with newfound discoveries and victories that came along with being a part of Karasuno’s volleyball club. They were on their merry way to getting into the prefectures for nationals. With that came a lot of practice...lots and lots of practice. Initially, Hinata was more than excited. Training for this was all that he knew and all that he wanted to know. His journey to becoming the most powerful decoy was set and cleared for him during spring practice.
That was until…
The beginning of Spring came and love blossomed along with the seasonal flowers. There was a short break before classes resumed, dedicated to practice only. You’d think any student would want to have a leisurely break before classes started back up, but not Karasuno’s volleyball team. After tasting a small victory against Date Tech and the upsetting loss to Aoba Johsai, the team was more determined than ever to get to nationals.
Hinata’s practices consisted of long days in the stuffy gymnasium practicing his receives and power spikes for hours on end or trying to outrun Kageyama during their warm-ups, sometimes he’d get one-on-one time with each of his teammates to practice different plays, and occasionally, Tanaka and Sugawara would persuade coach Ukai to move practices to the courts that sit by the mountains for the fresh air. That was the beginning of Spring: Practice, Practice, Practice. Soon enough, that wasn’t the only thing that was entailed in Spring.
The change came when the sun rose. It happened one morning during his morning race to the gym with Kageyama. During their early races it wasn’t uncommon to see other students from school lingering about in the area, but there was a certain third year couple that appeared one day and Hinata’s attention was drawn to them. He hadn’t noticed the third year couple the first couple of times, but once he started paying close attention to them, he couldn’t stop. The girl was a part of the tennis club while the guy belonged to the soccer club. They’d meet up every morning to stretch on the court. Nothing out of the ordinary at first glance.
What stood out the most with their stretches was the stolen kisses they constantly gave each other. Hinata felt his face go red the first time he saw them, in which Kageyama scoffed, “You’re flushed and tired already?! That’s a trait of a loser.” and Hinata snapped out of it to scream back and run even faster. He knows that Kageyama is just as if not more observant than him...but he wonders if Kageyama saw them too. Of course he’d never ask a question like that but he hates being left with unanswered thoughts.
His mind drifts back to the small kisses and the couple smiling at each other constantly and Hinata wonders if there's a chance for him to do something like that. He wants to blame the fresh first year hormones for having him think about intimate things like that. But, the more he tried to blame his hormones and brush the thoughts off, the more he found himself coming back to a lot of “what if’s” and “hows” that would bombard his thoughts and have him daydreaming. His teammates are used to him daydreaming, it’s kind of his ‘thing’ but that was volleyball daydreaming. This is yearning for intimacy daydreaming and it came to his mind more frequently than he’d like. He’s gotten yelled at constantly by coach Ukai, Tanaka, Kageyama of course, Tsukishima had a few slick comments to say under his breath, and even Sugawara who’s known for being the most patient raised his voice.
“Hinata, what’s gotten into you?” Nishinoya questions. Recently, Nishinoya and Hinata took it upon themselves to stay a few extra hours after regular practice to figure out new dynamics. Their first practice camp was coming up in a couple weeks and the two wanted to show off new techniques the other players wouldn’t expect. “You’ve been more distracted than usual...is something bothering you?”
Hinata freezes in one of the corners of the tiny equipment closet. He was putting the broom back on the hook while Nishinoya crammed the bag of volleyballs in their correct spot. His grip on the broom tightens as he struggles to come up with a quick answer. “No…” Hinata replies.
“It was like you were playing volleyball for the first time. You barely received any of the balls I spiked.” Nishinoya inquires. “Are you hurt?”
“No…” Hinata repeats while shaking his head. It’s not like they’ve said much to each other but he doesn’t have the guts to face Nishinoya because he’s scared more questions will be pressed. “I’m fine...just...hungry. I’ll make sure to work harder tomorrow,” Hinata continues. The last bit tries to come off as enthusiastic but it sounds more forced than anything.
Hinata thinks he’s gotten off the hook when there’s no response from Nishinoya. He lets out a sigh of relief but immediately tenses back up when he feels a firm hand on his shoulder. Of course Nishinoya isn’t buying it. Hinata can admit, he’s not a good liar.
“It may not seem like it but I’m actually a really good person to vent to. I don’t always have advice to give but I listen. ” Nishinoya offers with a small smile. “Sometimes I might even judge or tease but you’re an exception.”
That’s all the reassurance Hinata needs. He takes a deep breath and lets his shoulders fall back down. He hadn’t even noticed they were tensed up. Another thing he was unaware of was his eyes being shut. The realization came when he turned around to face Nishinoya and he was faced with darkness instead. Hinata opens his eyes and isn’t surprised to find his senior staring at him with a confused look.
“Ready to talk about it?” Nishinoya offers.
“Mhm,” Hinata nods with a hum. “It’s kind of awkward though...I don’t want to come off as weird.”
Nishinoya pauses, “If I mentioned half of the things I’ve heard and encountered I don’t think you’d think of your situation as weird. Lay it on me.”
“Well…” Hinata sighs once more. “Kageyama and I have always raced to the gym in the morning. That’s not something that’s out of the ordinary...but a few weeks ago there was a third year couple I started seeing during our races. They’d always stretch and share kisses...sometimes they were small and sweet...and one time, I caught them during a passionate time. The guy had his arms wrapped around the girl’s waist as they shared a deep kiss and it all seemed so intimate and tender. Usually I’d think something like that is gross but I found myself in awe by their relationship...and how they kissed. It’s all I keep thinking about.”
As he explains himself he checks to see if Nishinoya shows any signs of discomfort or disgust, but Nishinoya wears the same expression the entire time. His bright raven eyes have been locked on Hinata’s the entire time they’ve been in the cramped closet space and he shows no signs of disinterest. Actually, he’s wearing the same expression he does when he’s eyeing a game closely from the sidelines, full unwavering attention. It makes Hinata feel more comfortable to continue what’s been on his mind the entire week.
“After seeing them kiss I kept wondering how it would be if I had the chance to kiss someone like that...for the first time. That’s a notion that replays itself over and over in my head. Would it be just as sweet as that couple? Would I feel something in my stomach when it happens? Sometimes I think I just want to kiss without the relationship but I don’t know...it’s all too new,” Hinata concludes. It makes 20% more sense saying it aloud but Hinata knows it’s still going to come off as a little strange. Regardless of the matter, he can honestly say he feels better.
“I wasn’t expecting that. I thought maybe you had something growing on you and it stressed you out,” Nishinoya sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. Hinata feels his sanity being snatched away from him. “Wait! Don’t look at me like that, I’m not being serious, I was only trying to lighten the mood!”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have told you!” Hinata pouts with his arms crossed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!” Nishinoya raises hands up in defeat. “Look, I’m happy you told me what’s been on your mind. What you’re thinking about is perfectly normal for your age and there’s nothing strange about it...Actually, it’s pretty innocent considering how I wa—wait! This is about you.”
Hinata stares blankly at his second year teammate in disbelief. He knows Nishinoya is always like this but wow, Nishinoya is really like this.
“What I’m trying to say is, the only way to get rid of those thoughts is to experience it. You’ll keep questioning it and you’ll be left with a lot of unknowns until you actually try kissing someone. Once you do that you can probably have definite answers about what you want and what you may not want. That’s what makes life so fun, the experiences.”
Hinata lets the words marinate in his mind. Nishinoya did make some points. He wouldn’t know how things would feel or how he felt about it until he tried it.
“Nishinoya?” Hinata shyly asks.
“Yeah?”
“Have you kissed anyone before?”
“Of course I have!” Nishinoya’s face goes red in panic as his arms flail exasperatedly. “I’ve kissed tons of people before so why would you ask something like that?! Are you trying to call me an unkissed loser?!”
“No! I was just going to ask you how it felt. What is wrong with you?” Hinata asks right back. It’s a rhetorical question but he knew Nishinoya wasn’t going to answer him back.
“Oh,” Nishinoya lets out an awkward laugh. He’s back to rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Sorry...I...I’ve only kissed two people in my life so far.” Nishinoya looks down at the ground for a quick moment. “The first one was in middle school and it was with my classmate. We didn’t date or anything just a dare. It was only a peck but I did feel something twist in my stomach, it was like a surge of electricity striking down in one spot. She was really pretty too so I was grateful that she was my first kiss. The second person I kissed was actually someone I dated in secret in my first year. It wasn’t that serious though, only a couple of months, but I enjoyed myself. I got better at kissing too.”
Nishinoya has Hinata’s undivided attention as he goes on about what he’s experienced so far when it comes to kissing and how the most important thing is how comfortable a person is with someone they want to share a first experience with or any experiences. In that moment as Hinata’s bright brown eyes are locked on Nishinoya, he notices a couple things: One, The gel in Nishinoya’s hair was starting to fade away after long strenuous practice, making him look more youthful and it was down like how he liked it. Two, This is the most comfortable he’s felt talking about non-volleyball related things since he’s come to Karasuno. And three, Nishinoya looks very attractive when he’s talking seriously about something. Hinata always thought Nishinoya was cool when he’s in action saving the team from a risky spike or when he’s on the sidelines giving pep talks to the team or even when he walked around. Right now it’s a different story. The coolness he exudes as he talks is enough to make Hinata ask a risky question.
“Nishinoya?” Hinata calls out one more time. This time his voice is a lot more timid. Nishinoya cuts himself off from his rambling to look at him. Hinata’s now certain he wants to ask what he’s about to ask. “Will you be my first kiss?”
“Huh?” The color fades from Nishinoya’s face but comes back in a very red pigment within milliseconds. “You want me to be your first kiss?”
“Uhhh...yeah, if you wanted to be.” Hinata rubs his arms frantically. Suddenly it feels like it’s freezing in the equipment closet. “You said it was all about being comfortable and being attracted to someone...I’m comfortable with you and I think you’re a good looking guy. Although my preferred first kiss would be with someone taller than me because I would want to look up, I don’t mind looking dow—”
Hinata doesn’t get to finish his sentence because of a harsh nudge to the back of his knee that makes his legs buckle. Very quickly, he’s laid out on the cold hard floor of the equipment room. Nishinoya is hovering above him with his hands planted firmly by his head, leaving Hinata pinned in between.
“Now. Are you looking up?” Nishinoya asks in an authoritative tone.
It’s hard for any words to come out of Hinata’s mouth because he’s so overwhelmed with jitters. His only answer is a frantic nod. He can feel all the heat rushing to his face and his mind starts getting hazy as he stares up at Nishinoya. The moonlight is cramming it’s way through the tiny window in the closet and it’s shining directly onto Nishinoya’s captivating raven eyes. Those beautiful eyes lock on Hinata and soon they’re getting closer to him.
Nishinoya stops when their noses are touching. Hinata stares deep into his eyes and feels all types of electric surges going through his body. Not like the feeling he got before a game, but a more exhilarating feeling. “First thing’s first, the most important thing is consent. Do I have permission to kiss you?”
Hinata can feel Nishinoya’s lips hovering over his own, waiting for Hinata to give his answer. It’s now or never, Hinata thought to himself. “Yes.” Hinata breathes out and soon after he can feel Nishinoya’s lips on his own. It feels like a shockwave when their lips connect. Hinata shuts his eyes tight and he can feel his heart beating out of his chest. The feeling doesn’t last for long due to Nishinoya pulling away first.
“That was your first. This,” Nishinoya leans back in for another chaste kiss on the lips. “Is your second. And this,” His motions repeat as he leans down, but this time Hinata feels his soft lips place small kisses on every inch of his cheeks until he plants the final deep one on his lips. Hinata was in too much shock to move his lips to match Nishinoya’s. His entire body was frozen, even his lips, but he still felt euphoria wave over his body during the kiss. Nishinoya pulls away for the last time with a soft smacking noise that echoed between them. “This one was the last...for now.”
Nishinoya unpins his hands from Hinata’s side and quickly stands up like nothing happened. He extends his hand out to Hinata who’s still sprawled out on the floor in a daze, permanent blush radiating off his cheeks. Hinata finally snaps out of it to grab his seniors hand and pull himself up.
“Well, that was interesting.” Nishinoya stretches his arms and his back. “We have to lock up good or Daichi’s going to kill us. Is your head cleared up now?”
“...yeah,” Hinata says in a trance. “I guess…”
“Since your head is cleared up, we have a lot of practice to do tomorrow in terms of your receiving. And, we also have to practice your kissing skills.” Nishinoya winks. Hinata feels himself go flush again. “Not that I didn’t enjoy our little moment here. I just want to teach you a couple more things. But for now,” Nishinoya wraps one arm around Hinata’s shoulder and leaves the blushing boy speechless. “Let’s get food from the convenience store. I’m starving.”
Just like that, Hinata was back to his regularly scheduled program: eat, sleep, volleyball. But he also has a little deviation to his schedule which will be practicing how to kiss with Nishinoya. When Hinata lays in bed that night he thinks about his techniques he wants to practice tomorrow and he also thinks about what Nishinoya might have in mind for their ‘other’ practice.