ăcontains: kageyama tobio x reader, kageyama falls first, you're being sneaky where u think no one will see, kiyoko is your bestfriend
you donât actually remember the exact moment kageyama started liking you.
because you didnât start going near the gym because of kageyama.
if anything, heâs just an accidental side effect.
it starts because of kiyoko.
sheâs been your best friend long before volleyball ever claimed her timeâ long before her afternoons were swallowed up by practice schedules, equipment lists, and managing a team full of loud, exhausting boys who somehow required constant supervision. you've been friends since middle school although she was 2 grades above you.
at first youâd wait for her after school like usual, leaning against lockers or sitting on the courtyard benches while she finished up.
but managing the volleyball club turns out to be a lot more time-consuming than either of you expected.
practice runs late. meetings run later.
some days she barely has time to text you updates between tasks.
instead of waiting after practice, you start dropping by before it.
the gym is quiet then, almost peaceful in a way it never is once the team arrives. the doors are usually unlocked, lights half on, the echo of your footsteps bouncing softly across the polished floor as you step inside.
usually kiyoko is already there, organizing equipment or checking inventory lists.
she always looks relieved to see you, her expression softening in that subtle way that only you notice.
you talk while she works, leaning against the bleachers, scrolling your phone, handing her things when she asks. the conversations are easy, domestic, built on years of familiarity.
you stop by, keep her company.
leave before practice starts so youâre not in the way.
youâve never had much interest in volleyball itselfâ but you like being part of her world in small ways.
it makes the distance her responsibilities created feel smaller.
one afternoon, though, sheâs not there yet.
you arrive earlier than usual, the gym lights still off, doors closed.
she replies a minute later.
Kiyoko:
running late. meeting w teacher.
10 mins.
but the walkway outside the gym is quiet, and youâre thirsty, so you wander down to the vending machines insteadâ the ones tucked against the wall near the entrance, humming softly under fluorescent lights.
standing in front of the vending machines outside the gym, still half asleep, scrolling through your phone while you waited for your drink to drop; you were so focused on your screen you didnât notice him walk up beside you.
kageyama had only come for one thing.
he always bought milk after before and after practice. same brand. same machine. same time.
his routine was safe. predictable. volleyball-adjacent.
then, you pressed the button for the exact same drink he was about to buy.
you didnât noticeâ not until both cartons dropped at the same time and you both bent down to grab them, knocking your hands together.
he forgot how to breathe.
because yeah, heâd seen you around school â everyone had â but this was the first time you were this close, this real, looking directly at him.
and he mightâve had the smallest, slightest, tiniest crush on you.
not that heâd ever admit that out loud.
it had started way before this moment, actuallyâ built out of secondhand awareness rather than interaction.
heâd heard your name long before he ever spoke to you.
usually from tanaka and nishinoya, who spoke about you with the same reverence they used for kiyokoâ which, to them, was the highest honor possible.
theyâd mention you in passing during practice breaks, voices loud enough that everyone could hear.
âKIYOKO-SAN'S BESTFRIEND CAME BY EARLIER. I CAN SMELL HER PERFUME IN THE AIR.â
âWHY DOES SHE HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE WE ARRIVE.â
âshe brought us drinks once, remember? my angel.â
âit's already hot enough when kiyoko ignores us but (y/n) ignoring us too?? i might pee myself..â
half the team had absorbed your existence through those conversations alone.
kageyama had listened to those conversations silently, never joining in but filing the information away.
comes by the gym sometimes.
untouchable, in the way girls like you always seemed to be from his perspectiveâ existing just slightly outside his reach.
so heâd only ever observed you from a distance before this.
passing glimpses in hallways.
your voice drifting faintly through the gym when you visited kiyoko before practice.
never close enough to interact.
never close enough to matter.
âoh,â you said, blinking. âgood taste.â
he stared at you like youâd just spoken fluent ancient greek.
that was the entire conversation.
you walked away sipping your milk like nothing life-altering had happened. on the other hand, kageyama stood there holding his carton like it contained his future.
after that, the coincidences started. or⌠they felt like coincidences to you.
to him, they felt like divine intervention.
every few days youâd run into each other at the vending machines again. same drink. same time.
sometimes youâd talkâ casual, easy, like it was normal to chat with him.
you never treated him like he was intense or intimidating.
you just treated him like a guy.
and for kageyama, whoâd spent most of middle school being avoided like a thunderstorm, that alone was enough to fry his brain.
and he started looking forward to those five-minute conversations more than practice cooldowns.
which was saying something.
and getting close to him doesnât happen all at once.
it isnât dramatic or obvious or anything you could point to and say thatâs when it changed. itâs quieter than that, built out of repetition and familiarity, the kind that sneaks up on you when youâre not paying attention.
you start lingering in the gym after school under the excuse of 'waiting for kiyoko'. you sit on the highest seats of the bleachers, back against the cool wall, notebook open in your lap even when youâre really just on your phone. the sounds of practice echoes throughout the gymâ sneakers squeaking, volleyballs smacking against hands, voices echoing sharp and loud.
you watch without making it obvious.
kageyama doesnât notice at first.
heâs too focused, too locked in, but eventually he starts noticing patterns the way he always doesâ not consciously, just instinctively. when practice ends and heâs toweling off sweat, his eyes flick toward the benches without him meaning to.
sometimes you glance up and meet his gaze. sometimes you donât, other times, you're not there. either way, the sight of you settles something in his chest, like a routine he didnât know he needed.
when everyone finally packs up, he finds himself slowing down without realizing it. waiting. hovering. pretending he forgot something in the gym so he can exit at the same time as you.
he doesnât question itâ just knows that the walk out of the building feels strangely incomplete if youâre not there beside the doors, slinging your bag over your shoulder while you scroll through your phone.
so the first time he steps outside and realizes youâre already gone, it throws him off more than it should.
he notices it again the next day.
you still come by before practice sometimesâ he sees you near the gym doors talking to kiyoko, leaning casually against the bleachersâ but youâre not waiting afterward anymore.
at first he assumes you're just leaving early.
but one evening, when coach ukai gave them a little break between their practice, and he spots you near the entrance instead of the benches, already adjusting your bag like youâre about to head out, he pauses. (fortunately the other boys were distracted with some new cool technique noya has to notice kageyama slipping away to talk to you.)
ââŚyouâre leaving already?â
you glance back at him, unsurprised.
âyeah. kiyokoâs busy tonight. and my house is the opposite direction anyway, so waiting doesnât really make sense.â
he nods slowly, but something about the answer doesnât fully explain it. because he remembers how often you used to wait. how late youâd stay.
so he asks before he can stop himself.
ââŚthen why did you wait before?â
you shift your bag higher on your shoulder, thinking for a second before answeringâ not guarded, just casual, like itâs normal. âwhen i walk with kiyoko, i donât actually go home right away.â
âi usually just go to her house. have dinner there.â you shrug lightly. âitâs kinda like my second house at this point. she always makes extra food anyway, and i hate cooking for myself.â
thereâs a pause before you add, quieter but still matter-of-factâ
âi live alone, so⌠itâs nicer eating with people.â
ââŚyour parents?â he asks.
âabroad,â you answer. âiâm finishing high school here.â
you say it easily, like itâs just another fact about youâ not lonely, not dramatic, just practical.
but he files it away carefully, the way he does with everything important.
suddenly, all those evenings you waited make sense in a different way.
you walk a few steps ahead before turning back slightly, breaking the quiet.
âbut yeah. since kiyokoâs been busy with school stuff, and you guys, i stopped waiting every day. walking the wrong way just to eat dinner isnât super efficient.â
you gesture with your hands, drawing an imaginary road in the air.
âmy house is past the convenience store. then the long hill.â
because thatâs his route too.
the realization clicks into placeâ all the near run-ins, the vending machine meetings, the familiar street corners.
ââŚi go that way,â he says.
you tilt your head, surprised for half a second before smiling faintly.
âoh. guess we can walk together next time then.â
like it doesnât mean anything.
but when next time comes, and you fall into step beside each other, the quiet that settles between you isnât awkwardâ itâs warm, familiar, like itâs been building toward this without either of you realizing.
and from that day on, the routine shifts again.
you donât go to kiyoko's house often anymore. (yes, she knows about whatever situation going on between you and kageyama.)
instead, you walk home with himâ past the convenience store lights, up the long hill, through the soft evening quiet.
your conversations drift from school complaints to random observations to comfortable silence. he listens more than he talks, but when he does speak, itâs earnest and unfiltered, like heâs not capable of pretending to be cooler than he is.
you like how he doesnât try to impress you. except he lowkey does, but he's so bad at it that you don't even notice.
how he doesnât posture or exaggerate or perform the way some boys do when they talk to you.
with kageyama, everything is straightforwardâ sometimes blunt to the point of accidental rudeness, but never fake.
it makes being around him feel easy. predictable in the best way.
and somewhere along those walks, the vending machine stops becoming just a hallway stop and turns into something closer to ritual.
the day it happens doesnât feel different at first.
practice ends. you meet him outside the gym like usual, after everyone's packed up and left.
your conversations drift the way they always doâ school complaints, hinata being a dummy, the usual.
nothing dramatic, until you reach the vending machines.
you stop automatically, already digging coins out of your bag.
the machines hum softly, fluorescent lights reflecting faintly off the polished floor tiles and you press your usual button.
both cartons drop at the same time with a dull mechanical thud.
you both bend down to grab themâ and your hands brush again, just like the first time you met.
it makes you pause this time.
not startled. just aware.
you straighten slowly, drink in hand, leaning your shoulder lightly against the machine beside him.
heâs still focused on opening his carton, movements precise but slightly stiffer than usual.
you watch him for a second.
then, casually, like youâre commenting on the weatherâ
you take a sip first, buying yourself half a second of silence, then lower the carton.
âdo you wanna go out with me?â
the question lands quietly in the humming space, but the effect is catastrophic.
his hand tightens too hard around the carton.
milk spills across the floor in a pale splash that spreads toward your shoes. he doesnât even notice.
heâs staring at you like his brain just lost power.
you tilt your head slightly, completely calm.
âdate me,â you repeat. âyou like me, right?â
heat floods his face instantly, color rising from collar to ears so fast it almost looks painful.
his mouth opens then closes.
he looks down at the spilled milk like it might contain answers.
ââŚhow do you know that?â he manages finally, voice rough.
you shrug, pushing off the vending machine so youâre standing a little closer now.
âi dunno. just a guess.â
that does him in completely.
he exhales hard through his nose, eyes darting anywhere but your face.
thereâs no dramatic speech in him. no practiced confession.
just honesty, raw and unpolished the way everything about him is.
ââŚokay.â itâs quiet, but certain.
you smileâ slow and satisfied, nudging his shoulder lightly with yours. âis that any way to accept a girl's confession?â you tease.
you take another sip of your drink, watching him try to explain how you caught him off guard. it was cute.
âi'm playin' with ya, calm down. youâre my boyfriend now.â
he nods automatically, like heâs agreeing to terms he hasnât fully processed yet.
but the warmth spreading through his chest is undeniable.
standing there in the vending machine glow, milk still pooled on the floor, your presence steady beside him, it feels surreal in the calmest way possible.
like the routine heâd grown used to walking through had just shifted again.
dating kageyama doesnât feel dramatic at first.
thereâs no grand announcement, no visible change, no moment where the world suddenly realizes something has happened between you.
if anything, the shift is so quiet it almost feels like it exists only in the space between you.
but the secrecy isnât your idea.
not because heâs embarrassedâ you know that much from the way he looks at you when youâre aloneâ but because he knows his team too well.
youâve seen enough to understand.
tanaka would cry.
nishinoya would cry louder. or maybe they'd cry equally as loud.
tsukishima would be on his ass.
and hinataâŚ
hinata would ask approximately eight million questions per hour.
so the relationship settles into hidden spaces instead.
staircases no one uses, quiet hallways before practice, vending machine corners just out of sight of the gym doors.
you never walk into the gym together.
never leave side by side when others are around.
if you talk near the team, itâs casualâ friendly, but nothing that lingers long enough to spark suspicion.
youâre good at that kind of social navigation.
so you handle most of the stealth.
it becomes almost funny how successful you are.
youâll be leaning against the wall beside him one minute, talking quietly while he drinks his milkâ then the second you hear tanaka and noya's voice echoing down the hall, you step away like magnets repelling.
by the time the team rounds the corner, youâre already scrolling your phone like you were never close to begin with.
kageyama stands there stiffly, trying to look normal while tanaka launches into whatever loud story he was mid-sentence about.
you hide your smile behind your drink.
somehow, weeks pass without anyone figuring it out.
not anyone, not even hinata, despite how closely he orbits kageyamaâs personal space.
and thereâs something strangely thrilling about itâ the secrecy, the hidden glances, the knowledge that this version of him exists only for you.
the closest you ever get to being caught is small things.
a split-second pause when your hands brush and donât separate fast enough.
the way his gaze lingers a fraction too long when you walk away.
the way you instinctively look for him in a crowded hallway.
nothing concrete. nothing provable.
so the team remains blissfully unaware. completely, impressively fooled.
and kageyama, who thought keeping a relationship private would be impossible with teammates like his, starts to relax into the illusion that maybeâ just maybeâ
you two can keep this secret a little longer.
so that's why the staircase becomes your favorite place.
itâs tucked far enough from the classrooms that no one passes unless theyâre lost or deliberately avoiding crowdsâ concrete steps dimly lit, the air cooler, quieter.
you find him there during breaks between classes some days, waiting halfway up the landing like he always does, hands in his pockets, posture stiff until he sees itâs you walking up the steps.
today is one of those days.
you lean back against the wall, watching him with a faint smile. âyouâre getting bold, tobio. asking me to secret staircases now?â
âyou came,â he points out.
he steps closer, close enough that the space between you disappears naturallyâ no hesitation anymore, no awkward recalculation.
his hand finds your wrist first this time, thumb resting lightly against your pulse like heâs grounding himself.
ââŚyouâre less jumpy lately,â you murmur.
he exhales quietly, gaze softer than it ever is around anyone else.
âwhaâ i was never jumpy..â
âyeah, yeah." you snort. "embrace it. confidence looks good on you.â
he almost rolls his eyesâ but the faint pink at his ears gives him away.
the quiet wraps around you both, heavy but comfortable, broken only by the low hum of the flickering stairwell light.
it feels removed from the rest of the world.
like no one could possibly interrupt this space even if they tried.
you reach up, tugging lightly at the collar of uniform, pulling him just a fraction closer.
his hand tightens slightly around your wrist in response.
and for a moment, the world narrows down to proximityâ shared breath, steady silence, the quiet awareness of each other.
you lean closer, minty breath against his parted lips, untilâ
rapid footsteps echo, coming up closer and closer.
hinata rounds the corner at full speed, probably looking for a lost volleyball, and he freezes. like, cartoon skid-stop, eyes going saucer-wide.
hinata sees: tall, scowling kageyama looming over kiyoko's pretty bestfriend, pinning her to the wall, faces inches apart. from hinata's point of view? it looks aggressive as hell. no context, no "oh that's just how they flirt" memo. just "oh shit, kageyama's finally snapped and is harassing a girl" panic.
kageyama releases your wrist instantly, eyes widening.
hinataâs gaze snaps to you.
wide. protective. panicked.
he takes one step back and doesn't even process. he yelpsâ actual high-pitched yelpâ "KAGEYAMA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" then bolts like his ass is on fire.
he full sprints to the other guys' classes, like nationals depends on it. "GUYS! GUYS! EMERGENCY! KAGEYAMA'S CORNERING (Y/N) IN THE STAIRS! HE'S BEING WEIRD! WE GOTTA SAVE HER!"
you turn back to kageyama and he looks like his soul just left his body.
you press your lips together.
try to stay composed.
fail instantly as laughter starts spilling out of you, echoing loudly in the empty staircase.
kageyama drags a hand down his face in despair.
youâre still laughing when you hear it. footsteps. multiple this time.
fast. heavy. uncoordinated.
voices echoing faintly down the hallway outside the stairwell doorâ overlapping, urgent, loud enough that you and kageyama both freeze mid-breath.
he straightens immediately, posture snapping back into rigid alarm.
you wipe at your eyes, still smiling despite the incoming disaster.
âhow many is âthemâ?â
you donât have to wonder long because daichi steps in first.
his presence alone fills the stairwellâ broad shoulders, captain aura overwhelming with an expression so serious in the way that means heâs already prepared for the worst.
sugawara is right behind him, eyes scanning quickly, concern written plainly across his face.
and finally hinata, pointing dramatically past them like heâs leading a raid.
the entire stairwell goes silent.
every set of eyes lands on you and kageyama.
youâre standing a normal distance apart nowâ but the tension in the air is still thick enough to feel.
daichi assesses the scene in one sweep.
kageyama's embarrassed, not aggressive.
he already knows this is not what hinata thought it was.
you can see the exact moment the disappointment settles into daichi's bones.
sugawara knows tooâ his lips twitching like heâs trying not to laugh at the absurdity.
but tanaka and nishinoya?
they are operating on pure protective instinct.
tanaka steps forward immediately, sleeves already half rolled like heâs about to square up.
his voice drops into that low, dangerous register he reserves for âhonor defenseâ situations. he's not even yelling, that's how you know it's serious serious.
âstep away from her.â
nishinoya is already beside you, planting himself like a human shield, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
âdonât worry, my sweet angel. we got you.â
you bite your lip so hard it almost hurts because the urge to laugh is climbing your throat again.
hinata rushes to your side, face tight with concern. âare you okay?! did he do anything?!â
you blink at him, still trying to process how this escalated so fast.
kageyama, meanwhile, looks like he wants the staircase to collapse and swallow him whole. âi didnât do anything!â he snaps, mortified. âwe were just talking!â
âin a dark staircase?â tanaka fires back.
âalone?â nishinoya adds.
âholding her wrist?!â hinata says, voice climbing.
kageyama chokes. âi wasnâtâ thatâs notââ
daichi pinches the bridge of his nose, already exhausted. while sugawara turns slightly away so no one sees him laughing.
you could end this instantly in one sentence.
but whereâs the fun in that?
you straighten slightly, folding your hands behind your back, expression calmâ sweet even. âhe was asking about class notes,â you say smoothly.
sugawara coughs into his hand.
hinata frowns. âthen why was he grabbing you?â
you glance down at your wrist like you forgot it existed. ââŚi owed him money.â
kageyama makes a strangled noise beside you.
tanakaâs eyes widen in outrage. âHE'S COLLECTING DEBTS NOW?!â
nishinoya looks ready to square up harder. âTHAT'S LOW EVEN FOR YOU, KAGEYAMA!â
âI WASNâT COLLECTINGââ
you elbow him lightly before he can finish. "i was kidding. he was just asking me to lend him notes from class."
daichi sighs so deeply it echoes.
it takes several painful minutes of explanation, clarification, and hinata apologizing to you at least three separate times before the rescue squad finally starts to stand down.
but of course, noya, tanaka, and hinata grabs kageyama by the shoulders, shaking him violently.
âHOW DID YOU EVEN PULL HER?! YOUâRE ALWAYS GRUMPY AND BOSSY AND YOU'RE ALWAYS SCOWLING!â
âWHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!â
âYOU YELL AT ME FOR EXHALING WRONG!â
âBECAUSE YOU DO IT WRONG!â
âYOU DON'T EVEN TEXT PROPERLY!â
then tanaka staggers backward, clutching his chest.
ââŚthis is betrayal.â
nishinoya grabs his arm for support, equally shaken.
kageyama stares at them, bewildered.
âtrusted me with what?!â
âI DON'T KNOW!â tanaka cries.
nishinoyaâs eyes start watering.
âyou canât just secretly get close to (y/n)⌠without telling usâŚâ
ââŚwe wouldâve supported you.â
thatâs when the tears start.
full grown second-year tears.
tanaka wipes his face angrily, but it makes it worse. hinata looks between them, horrified but also emotional by proximity.
kageyama looks like he wants to evaporate.
âwhy are you crying?!â
tanaka points at him accusingly through tears.
âbecause YOU pulled someone way out of your league without even consulting us!â
âi didnât âpullâ anyoneââ
nishinoya wipes his eyes dramatically. âfirst kiyoko-san was already unattainableâŚâ he sniffles.
âand now her best friend too?!â tanaka wails. "WHAT DOES HE HAVE THAT WE DON'T?!"
eventually, daichi claps his hands loudly, cutting through the chaos and herds them all back down the staircase, muttering something about âpractice disciplineâ and âfalse alarms.â
hinata's convinced kageyama's secretly the devil who cast a spell on you. and tanaka starts a conspiracy theory that kageyama must have saved your life in a past one or something because "no way natural selection lets THIS happen."
and sugawara gives you a knowing smile as he passes.
âso thatâs whatâs been going on.â
you just smile innocently.
âwe were doing so well.â kageyama sighs into his hand.
âconfidence got you caught, babe.â
your perfectly maintained secret relationship timer officially runs out.
im rewatchng hq rn and brooo i cant get enough of this guy i swear hes such a cutie patootie ughhhh
i tried to make the kiyoko thing make as much sense as possible LMAO but i lost the plot
