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For most of his life Kageyama had thought that knowing sign language was useless. His mother had made him learn when he was very young so that way he would be able to communicate with his deaf cousin. Kageyama had hated the learning process, it was difficult and tedious and try as he might he could never make his hands move as fast as everyone else. Even his cousin, who was two years younger than him, was able to sign faster and with a greater accuracy than Kageyama could. Despite all this, he learned, and surprisingly he retained the memory even though he didn't particularly like his cousin and did not speak with her often. So, ultimately, Kageyama was left with a skill that he never had to use and that couldn't help him with volleyball (unless they used to as a code), so really, he thought it was worthless.
That was, of course, before he met Hinata Shouyou.
The first time they met, the shorter boy was attempting to glare Kageyama's teammates to death. Kageyama scolded the second years for their words and sent them back to the gym to get ready for the match. He only just barely noticed Hinata signing something, and it must have been meant for himself, but Kageyama was even more of a smartass when they met and he couldn’t let it go. He signed in response, slightly slower than Hinata had, ‘Your team is completely unheard of, don’t say things you can’t back up.’
Hinata blinked at Kageyama for a moment before he signed aggressively in response, ‘My name is Hinata Shouyou and we are going to win our first match, and keep winning until the end!’
Kageyama simply scoffed in response, “Yeah. Right.”
‘We will.’ Hinata replied, a fire blazing behind his eyes.
Kageyama wondered if the boy could hear, but was unable to speak, or if he could read lips despite not being able to hear. The setter also couldn’t help the spike of excitement he felt at the look in the other boy’s eyes. Kageyama smirked and turned to walk away, calling over his shoulder, “See you on the court.”
In the end, Hinata's team, unsurprisingly, lost magnificently. However, the memory of their conversation at the end of the day stayed in Kageyama's mind for weeks afterward. It had been years since he had needed to use his sign language, and never before had he encountered someone with such a fiery passion like Hinata.
The second time they met Kageyama recognized Hinata instantly, though he played it off like he had no idea who he was. Despite their initial bickering, he ended up translating Hinata's signing to Daichi which was exceptionally annoying for every party involved.
Eventually, with time and continuous interaction, Kageyama and Hinata began to get along, in fact, they even became friends. Every once and awhile Kageyama would find himself glad that he knew sign language because if he didn't he wouldn't be able to speak with Hinata so freely. Their teammates could talk to Hinata just fine, seeing as he was not deaf just mute, but it was usually frustrating for them to try and understand Hinata's responses. Slowly, the team began to pick up on little things, Suga being the one with the greatest success rate. He often went out of his way to ask Hinata how to sign particularly important words, and would stay after practice to work on his ability to understand sign language. Kageyama thought that Tsukishima has also picked up on it very well, considering he would sometimes snicker when Hinata signed something unusually vulgar at Kageyama.
Everyone worked well with Hinata, despite his disability. It seemed like the team became more in tune to one another’s bodies and stopped relying so heavily on words for communication. When Hinata wanted a toss, Kageyama knew without even looking his way (and not just because Hinata always wanted a toss). The other members of the team were able to understand, just by Hinata’s actions, where he was going and what he intended to do. There were a few mistakes, as there are with all things, but for the most part everyone adapted well to having a mute team member.
Slowly, as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Kageyama found himself spending more time watching Hinata’s movements, checking his eyes for that ever constant burning fire, and using his sign language more than he ever thought he would need to. Hinata was something of an enigma to Kageyama, no matter how much they argued or misunderstood each other, Kageyama kept feeling himself getting drawn in to the other boy’s orbit. The setter had wondered in Hinata ever felt even remotely the same. Not that he necessarily returned his ‘oh god I like you’ feelings but that Hinata felt that Kageyama was important to him.
His answer came on a day in which they had just reached the spot where they usually parted to continue on separate paths home when Hinata had grabbed onto Kageyama’s sleeve and pulled on it harshly.
“Hey! You’re going to stretch the fabric, dumbass.” Kageyama complained turning to face Hinata.
Kageyama felt his heart rate accelerate at the fire in Hinata’s eyes. That burning look always caused a reaction in the setter, and he knew that it was this obvious display of emotion that made Kageyama start liking Hinata in the first place, “What?”
Hinata’s eyebrows furrowed slightly and he opened his mouth once before closing it again. A flash of determination etched onto his features and he opened his mouth a second time, “Kageyama.”
The middle blocker had a look of total accomplishment on his face. Hinata looked as if he had just won nationals and was being proclaimed the ace of the world.
Kageyama felt his eyes widen, “Did you just… Talk?”
Hinata was nodding, a grin practically splitting his face, “Kageyama.”
Before he really realized what he was doing, the setter pulled Hinata in close to him, one arm around his waist and the other in his hair, crushing him in a hug. They had never been so close before, and Kageyama wondered if Hinata could hear his heart pounding considering the shorter boy’s head was resting on his chest. After a long moment Hinata reached out and wrapped both arms around Kageyama’s middle. The setter couldn’t help but laugh, “You just talked. You said my name. Wait.” He pulled back just enough to offer Hinata some hand space to sign a response, “Is that the first word you’ve ever said?”
Hinata’s answering smile was so brilliant that he didn’t even need to use sign language to confirm that yes, it was.
Kageyama pulled Hinata back in for another hug. And the middle blocker softly muttered, “Kageyama” again. The setter closed his eyes, committing the other boy’s voice to memory and silently thanking whoever was listening that his name got to be Hinata’s first word.
Hinata only ever spoke when no one besides Kageyama was around. Which mostly could be attributed to the fact that the only word he could say was Kageyama’s name. However, Kageyama liked to think that it was something that they shared, something that was theirs: at least for now.
Hinata was able to put emotion into that one word, and as time went on Kageyama could hear exactly how Hinata felt just by the tone he used. This, impossibly, brought them even closer together.
The first time anyone else heard Hinata spoke was during practice. Hinata was just about to jump, and he shouted out to Kageyama, “Here!”
Kageyama was so surprised by hearing a new word come from Hinata’s mouth that he messed up his toss spectacularly. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice as they had all instantly crowded around the middle blocker.
“Did you just talk?!” Tanaka shouted, bouncing up and down beside Hinata.
Noya karate chopped the first year in the side, “How long have you been able to do that?!”
Hinata let out a silent gasp at the hit and shook his head fiercely before looking over at Kageyama and signing, ‘tell them I still can’t talk.’
Kageyama rolled his eyes, “He can’t talk guys. Seems like he has only learned a few words.”
The words were out before Kageyama could call them back and he frowned at himself when Suga asked Hinata, “What else can you say?”
The middle blocker’s cheeks were slightly red when he replied, “Kageyama.”
Hearing Hinata say his name in front of every sent a little zing through Kageyama’s heart. Sure, hearing Hinata say his name had affected him before, but this was on a whole other level.
“Not surprising he can say your name,” Tsukki smirked and mumbled at Kageyama.
Kageyama felt himself blush in response but before he could question the other boy Noya was speaking, “What! Learn my name too! That would be so cool!”
‘Really?’ Hinata signed, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Heck yeah!” Noya replied, not needing a translation for such an easy word, “It would be awesome!”
Hinata nodded, ‘Okay!’
After that Hinata began to pick up certain words, he could say most of the team’s names, though he struggled significantly with longer ones, especially Tsukishima’s. Surprisingly, the other middle blocker had said that it was okay for Hinata to just call him Tsukki if it was easier.
Hinata also was able to say various other words related to volleyball, each time he got it right he would become visibly excited and would chant the word in sets of threes until someone (usually Daichi, Suga, or Asahi) would kindly ask him to stop and focus.
Kageyama was walking home with Hinata when he asked, “How did you speak the first time?”
Hinata had frowned, ‘Well. Technically my vocal cords and stuff aren’t damaged, but for some reason I just can’t get them to work. When I decided that I really wanted to learn how to talk, I just started practicing. I know what your name sounds like, so I would just form it with my mouth? And I kept trying and trying until some sound came out!”
“But how did you know you could do it more than once? I mean, you didn’t practice or anything before you spoke to me the first time.”
‘Well, if I can do it three times in a row in practice, I should be able to get it right any time after that!’ Hinata signed, smiling brightly.
“Oh,” Kageyama nodded, “Is that why you always say things in sets of three?”
‘Yeah! I’ll be able to remember it as long as I say it three times.’
Kageyama nodded again, “Three times, huh?”
“Yes,” Hinata mumbled before saying a bit more loudly, “Yes, yes.”
“Okay.” Kageyama replied, hiding his smile, “Okay, okay.”
Hinata’s habit of saying things in threes quickly passed to Kageyama. The setter even found himself thinking in threes when he wanted to remember something important. They would annoy the other members of the team with their repetitiveness, but it was only Kageyama who would get scolded. Probably because he didn’t need to do it, but more likely because no one wanted to discourage Hinata from learning new words.
Today however was a Saturday, so it was just Hinata and Kageyama practicing in the gym. Hinata was being a little bit fidgety and was missing more tosses than usual. Part of Kageyama wanted to sigh and ask the dumbass why he had texted asking to practice if he was just going to spend the whole time being obviously preoccupied with some other thought. Another part of him realized that this behavior often meant that the middle blocker was going to try and say something for the first time, and honestly, Kageyama wouldn't miss that for the world.
So he put up with Hinata missing toss after toss, even ones that he should have been able to hit easily. After about an hour of this frustrating behavior Hinata finally sighed and said, while gesturing for the setter to come closer, “Kageyama.”
Kageyama jogged across the court, “What?”
The fiery look that Kageyama loved so much was burning in Hinata’s eyes, much stronger than how it would normally, especially on an average day. Kageyama could feel his breath catch ever so slightly as the two stared at one another for a long moment. Finally, after what felt like forever, Hinata spoke, “I love you.”
To Kageyama, it felt as if someone had just punched him in the face. Hinata had never said anything with more than two words in it, and he had definitely never put those words together. Part of him was impressed with the middle blocker for this feat, but most of him was left in total shock because Hinata had just said that he loved him.
Kageyama wanted to respond, but instead he stood, gapping, as the fire in Hinata’s eyes slowly fizzled out. Replacing it was a look of winter; cold, suffering, lonely. Hinata looked away from Kageyama before sucking in a breath and turning around in order to walk away.
It was seeing Hinata’s back as he walked away (Kageyama never wanted to see that sight. He wanted to walk beside Hinata always, always, always) that spurred him into action. Kageyama jolted forward and grabbed Hinata’s shoulder, turning the shorter boy around so they were once more facing each other. The fire that he loved so much wasn’t gone, as he had first thought. It was simmering lowly just beneath the surface. Kageyama was seized with a desire to fan those flames, to ignite them into a destructive force that could burn them both alive if they weren’t careful.
“Hinata.” Kageyama breathed out before pulling the other boy to him and crushing their lips together. It was far from the perfect kiss. There was too much force, too much teeth, but Kageyama could feel that burn engulf Hinata and pour into him through their connected lips and honestly, he doubted that they should have shared a better first kiss than this.
When they finally pulled apart Kageyama could see that burning he adored in the middle blockers eyes, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
Hinata let out a laugh, the first one he had ever produced, at the repetition, understanding that Kageyama had said it that way because he wanted Hinata to remember this always. Tears spilled over as Hinata blinked, moving in to press their lips together again, “I love you.”
Their foreheads were touching, and Kageyama felt closer to Hinata than he had ever felt with anyone else before. The joy the shorter boy was feeling was evident in his every action, “Dumbass,” Kageyama was smiling, “I’ve loved you forever.”
“Forever,” Hinata breathed in response, another first word, one that was obviously said with no previous private practice, “Kageyama, I love you. Forever.”
Kageyama pressed their lips together, a third kiss and a promise. It didn’t matter how young they were or what challenges they would face in years to come. All that mattered was keeping that fire alive and staying together always, always, always.