Haikyuu!! x Reader

Frustrated {Kageyama Tobio}

For what seemed like the longest time, you tossed ball after ball to Kageyama so that he could practice a new set that he could use with Hinata. The time had passed by slowly and the sound of the ball hitting the floor, along with the sound of a bottle crunching, were tedious to listen to. The only time his setting came to a pause was when he took a break for water or when you'd run out of volleyballs to toss to him.

As he stood at the net, glaring with his deep blue eyes at the remaining bottle that served as a target for him, you didn't complain about how tired your arms were or how much you wanted to end the training session. You could see the weariness that had settled into his features, but you knew he wouldn't stop until he had absolutely perfected his sets.

He turned his attention away from the bottle and looked over at you, his eyes moving from your face down to the ball you held in your hands. He seemed to watch it with a sort of ferocious hunger that it unnerved you. You hesitated slightly before tossing the ball to him. He moved slightly and tossed the ball out towards the bottle with perfect height and speed; however, the bottle remained untouched when the ball hit the floor.

Before you could even understand what was going on, Kageyama was growling loudly and stomping around. He stormed over towards the bottle before kicking it across the gym. He then took the ball and slammed it down onto the floor.

"Tobio!" you cried once you came to your senses and realized what was going on. He was having another breakdown, and you needed to help him by putting an end to it.

"I'm never going to be able to do this! Damn it! No matter how hard I try, I can't hit that damn target or set Hinata the way he wants to be set! Agh!" he yelled, turning his back on you and clenching his hands into fists.

"Tobio, please stop being so hard on yourself. You'll get it eventually," you told him gently and walked over to him. You put your hand on the back of his shoulder, but he swatted it away.

He whirled around to face you and put his hands on your shoulders, looking into your wide (e/c) eyes with a frightening glare. "You don't get it! You don't understand how frustrated I am right now! I have to learn this set now! 'Eventually' isn't soon enough for me when both other people and myself expect nothing less than perfection! I can't let my team down! People who are easy on themselves never get anything done!" he snarled at you, his breathing heavy and ragged.

A long silence ensued as you stared into your boyfriend's deep blue eyes and waited for him to calm down. You gently placed your hands on the sides of his slightly hot and sweaty face.

"Tobio," you began.

"(F/n), you—"

"Shh." You hushed him and put a finger over his lips. "It's my turn to talk." He frowned and looked at you with annoyance, but obeyed and kept his mouth shut. "Listen, I don't understand exactly what you're going through. You're right about that. But I understand the feeling of frustration and the fear of not being good enough. Tobio, you're an amazing setter and you are so talented. I can see that all the way from the stands when I watch you play. I see how much pressure you put on yourself, but I think that you're doing just fine. Sure, you're trying to expand your abilities to serve your teammates, and it's difficult right now, but you're going to pick it up before you even know it. I believe in you, and some do your teammates. Now, you just have to believe in yourself."

Another long silence ensued after you said that, and Kageyama let out a deep sigh, relinquishing his grip on your shoulders as he turned his gaze down to the floor. He didn't speak for a long time and you tried to figure out what was going through that complex mind of his. After a few moments, he moved closer to you before plopping his head down onto your shoulder, burying his face in the soft fabric of your shirt.

You wrapped your arms around him and kissed his head gently as he put his own arms around you and held onto you tightly. "Let's take a break from this and go get some ice cream," you suggested.

"Okay," he agreed quietly. You were slightly surprised that he hadn't argued with you over it, but you weren't going to complain. When you started to move, he tightened his grip on you and kept you from going anywhere. "But I want to stay like this for a bit longer."