pet shop ✰ kagehina

his world was changing

and he didn't know how to go about following its new path.

summer break began, and shōyō was at the pet shop every day; on tobio's breaks, the two went to the busy park just around the corner and passed a volleyball back and forth, occasionally getting into playful squabbles over who was gonna become the ace of the karasuno team one day.
shōyō was always there, right by his side, as if he knew nowhere else to go- and as much as tobio liked it, it made him more nervous than happy. he was losing himself to the feelings growing inside him, and the anxiety was trumping the content. when the tangerine-headed boy came close, something like electricity ran through tobio, from his head to his toes, and into his fingertips, too. he couldn't look at shōyō for long before he began blushing profusely.

you're known for being the rudest guy there is, tobio, he scolded himself, how did you get so weak?

"snap out of it, kageyama!" shōyō called playfully, darting far ahead on the sidewalk towards the park as tobio closed the glass door of the shop behind him.

"slow down, shō!"

the taller boy chased after him, trying to speed past, but found himself struggling to match speed. when tobio finally got to the park, shōyō was standing proudly, seemingly not even winded from the sprint.

"slowpoke," shōyō giggled and poked tobio's cheek. his skin burned red hot where his finger had just been. "what's that face for?"

"what face?"

"you look like you're embarrassed. did i embarrass you, kageyama?"

"no!"

"sure," he winked, turning around and running towards the tree in the corner where the boys played in the shade.

"h-hey... uh, shō?"

"what's up?"

silence.

"you okay?"

silence.

"just spit it out, stupid!" shōyō called, a goofy grin pulling at his lips.

tobio squeezed his fists tight enough to feel his nails start to dig into his palms, and then he opened his eyes.

"shō, i have something to tell you."