#trying not to think about how that last line rhymed 🤧

[ellewords]

“you know i’m in love with you, right?” hinata mutters into your shoulder, arms wrapped around you in a tight embrace.

he had to leave. a team had invited him to play in japan. an opportunity of a lifetime had presented itself to him, and he would be an idiot to pass it up. but that also meant leaving brazil. leaving you.

the pair of you had met pretty soon after hinata had arrived two years before, and there had been a spark from the second you laid eyes on each other. you had never been happier than you were during the time you got to spend with him, and as far as you could tell, hinata shared that sentiment. but you knew from the very beginning that your time was limited. that was why you had never made anything official; it would hurt too much when time ran out. you had too much of your life rooted in brazil to validate leaving, and hinata was rooted in japan. it would be unfair to expect that to change just because of how you felt for each other.

yet here you guys were, hinata holding you like you were his lifeline, face pressed tightly into the curve of your neck, confessing like he’d wanted to from the very start as you sniffled. it was cruel, getting a taste of what could have been just as he was about to board a plane out of your life, but you couldn’t help the watery laugh that escaped your lips.

“i love you, too, sho. always have.”

he pulls back, and his smile is wide and wobbly, and his eyes hold so much love and so many tears, and it hurts. neither of you look away.

you don’t know who leans in first, but before you know it, your noses are nearly touching. he looks just about ready to plunge in and seal the deal when the intercom interrupts with the announcement to begin boarding his flight. he winces, pulling away slowly to look at the throng of people beginning to line up. he needs to go soon, but he can’t make himself move. he doesn’t want to move.

he squeezes your hand and looks like he’s debating whether he should pick up his luggage and begin his departure or stay by your side for forever. instead, you make the decision for him, tugging him towards you gently and pressing a kiss to his lips. it’s quick and light, but it starts a fire in your chest. you almost regret it, feeling the longing begin to start up again, but the thought quickly leaves your mind when you see the way hinata blinks rapidly and a smile finally makes its way to his cheeks. then he pulls you tightly into his chest and spins you around, once, twice, a third time as he peppers kisses across your face. when your feet finally hit solid ground again, he’s buzzing with the energy he always seemed to have as he gathers his things and leads you as far as airport security will allow.

“i’m gonna make you so proud, (y/n)! i promise! and then when we see each other again, i’m gonna take you out on a proper date and ask you to be my girlfriend and—“

“i know, sho,” you interject, heart feeling just a little lighter as you watch him get further and further out of view. “i’m already so proud.”

his smile gets impossibly bigger then, and he turns on his heel to walk the rest of the way up the walkway. he stops right before he can disappear, and he looks serious again.

“i love you.”

“i know.”

“i’ll come back to you.”

your heart skips a beat, but before you can respond, another passenger pushes him forward. he’s out of sight instantly, and it finally feels safe to cry. but your smile is still in place.

“i know, sho. i know.”

-💛

— from elle! 💛anon you make my heart hurt and for what?? oh my gosh this is amazing! like legitimately so perfectly bittersweet !! gosh, i love this so so much and the fact that it's timeskip!hinata just makes it all the more *chef's kiss* anyways, i'm picking up where you left off for my little scenario (under the cut, as usual; feat f!reader to go along with what 💛anon sent in). hopefully, i'm able to do justice what you've sent in. thank you so much for this, i hope you're having a wonderful day <3 also i'm not too sure if this is for the first date margins q but i'm considering it as that just in case

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

it’s one of those rare moments wherein he had gotten more than just a couple of days off; in fact, he actually had a couple of weeks. the off season for volleyball had begun — no matches, no tournaments, and for a short while, no practices. just giving the team some rest after months of non-stop playing and training.

the second he had gotten the email that confirmed his time-off, hinata’s fingers found themselves booking a ticket on the nearest flight to brazil, the flight that would bring him back to you. he promised that he would take you out on a date, he couldn’t just show up without a plan. not when all he thought about for most of his waking moments was running home to you.

so he packs his nicest suit, folding it as carefully as he could as to not get it crinkled, and spends all of the 26 hour flight daydreaming of the moment you two would finally meet again in person. would you run up to him? wrap your arms around him? he hopes you would. 

you had kept in touch of course, hinata couldn’t allow himself the displeasure of not talking to you at least once a day. but late night video chats, early morning phone calls, and text messages throughout the day could only do so much. he wanted to feel your skin against his, to hear your voice untainted by the thousands of miles of distance, to run his fingertips along the apples of your cheeks and cup your face in the palm of his hand.

and hours from now, he would finally be able to.

__

hinata stands in the reception area of your office building, flowers in hand, nervous smile on his face. after a nap and a shower, he raced out of his hotel room in his suit, making a reservation to one of your favorite restaurants.

his foot taps on the marbled floor, glancing at his wristwatch every few seconds. he had placed himself by the elevator doors, making himself the first thing you’d see the second you stepped out of it. hinata’s growing more and more impatient as the seconds ticked by, rocking back and forth on his feet. the clock strikes six, any second now.

__

hinata wishes he could capture the bewildered look on your face, the way you stopped in your tracks the second you made eye contact with him. he gives you a sheepish smile, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck before gesturing into a wave. a quiet little “hi” leaving his lips.

you approach him cautiously at first, tentatively, like you were unsure if he was actually there in front of you. he had told you that he had gotten a couple of weeks off, but he never mentioned using them to fly back to brazil. you’re stunned, breath caught in your throat as your eyes move along the entirety of his figure. there’s no way he was here, this is all just a figment of your imagination; the section of your mind that missed him had finally lost control. you want to keep your steps slow for fear of disappointment.

but your heart and your feet betray you, picking up the pace just as you were a couple of feet in front of him. you practically throw your body against his, wrapping your arms around his neck, hoping he’d be strong enough as to not make the two of you fall on the cold floor of your office building.

hinata takes a few steps back from the force of your body impacting his, but he places an arm around your waist, steadying both himself and you. he hears it, the beating of his heart, loud and clear as he takes in the familiar scent of your perfume.

you pull away, placing your hands on his face just to make sure he was really in front of you. gazing directly into his eyes, you breathe out, “you’re here.”

“i'm here.” hinata confirms, pressing a kiss to your temple; just to let you know he's real.

__

hinata gazes at you from across the table, reaching out for your hand so he could hold it in his; he needed this, the warmth of your touch, a gentle reminder that he was once again in your presence.

and you were not one to deny him such a simple thing, mostly because you need that reminder as well.

this isn’t the first time you had eaten at this particular restaurant. during his two year stint in brazil, the place had become a source of comfort for the two of you. it’s where you celebrated birthdays, big promotions, or just had dinner when neither of you felt like cooking.

hinata still knows your order by heart, surprising you. in all honesty, you thought he would forget all about you the second he step foot in japan. there’s a small pull at your heartstrings, a flurry in the pit of your stomach, a fluttering in your chest.

most first dates are spent trying to get to know the other person, but hinata already knew you like the back of his hand. and the same could be said of you with him. you knew in the light in his eyes as he talked about his new teammates how much he adored playing with them. and he knew in the smile on your face as you rambled on about the book you had just finished reading that it would become one of your favorites. 

you can’t help but stare, how could someone change in just a short amount of time? he had grown more confident, looked the happiest he’s ever been. and it certainly helped that he was wearing a suit — you had mostly seen him in sweatpants and pyjamas, so this was an entirely different look to you.

“you know, i wish you had told me you were coming,” you frown, looking down at your work clothes, knowing that somewhere deep in your closet is a dress that would have been perfect for a night like this, “i would have dressed for the occasion.”

“but you’re already perfect.” hinata says it without missing a beat, with such complete and utter sincerity that your heartbeat pick up just as he said it.

__

like a true gentleman, he walks you back to your apartment. a place that isn’t exactly foreign to him, his feet leading him on muscle memory alone. 

the walk back is filled with his and your laughters, arms looped around the other’s as you made your steps as slow as possible; trying your hardest to extend the time you had. 

when you finally reach the front door, hinata stuffs his hands in the pockets of his jeans, suddenly unsure of himself. was this too much for you? was he coming on too strong?

you chuckle, seeing the complete panic in his features, stepping closer to him. you hold his face in your hands, voice barely above a whisper, “i still can’t believe you’re actually here.”

hinata’s breath evens out at your touch, heart finally calming down, blush on his cheeks. and just like that day at the airport, it’s unclear who leans first, but did that matter at this point? everything hangs in the air, months of unsaid words between the two of you, breath hitching as your noses touch.

“i told you i'd come back.” he mumbles against your lips before letting them meet his in a kiss. 

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

a question: what are the hq characters like on a first date?  |  written on the margins masterlist

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