"As long as I'm here, you're invincible."

Hinata never really knew when he fell for Kageyama, but if he had to pick a moment, it probably would have been right then. When Kageyama saw through all the walls he put up and broke them down, all in an instant. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like he had been given the world when he said those words.

"Man, the grand king really is amazing. But even so, as long as I'm here, you're invincible."

Kageyama couldn't remember when he became captivated with Hinata, but if he were forced to choose, it would have been at that moment. The moment when he doubted his abilities most and Hinata knew the perfect thing to say, copying the words Kageyama had used to long ago. Somehow, he knew those would help him, and as Kageyama had looked at him, the smile he wore had blinded him.

---

Love was difficult. It made you do things you never would have thought to do before. It made you throw all rational thought out the window. It made you abandon all traces of sanity. And for some reason, it was what everyone strived for.

Hinata knew that love was the most amazing thing in the world. His parents had always been sure to tell him that, but actually being in love was a completely different story.

It made everything hurt more when it all crashed down and made it all feel better too easily when it was taped back together again. It made you want to make that person feel their best. It made you want to do your best for that person. And whenever that person doubted you, it hurt so much more. Love hurt you so much that it was easy for Hinata to see why it was called a crush. It crushed your heart to pieces, but you never even noticed.

Yet, despite all that, Hinata wanted to love Kageyama forever. No matter how many times he hurt, he wanted to feel it. He wanted to stay by his side. He wanted to help him. He wanted to do everything he could to make him feel his best.

He didn't like the hurt by any means, but it was better than nothing at all.

What made it all worth it was the times with no hurt. The times when Hinata asked if Kageyama would toss to him one more time, and he just couldn't refuse. The times when Kageyama tossed the ball to him with the utmost amount of trust. So much that it must hurt him sometimes.

Even outside of volleyball, he was so amazing. Hinata thought it was adorable how much he loved milk. How he seemed to genuinely like children and animals, even if he scared them away. How he had unintentionally become friends with Natsu during a series of study sessions. How he flushed whenever he was nervous. There was something about it that made his heart swell.

Even with all the pain and hurt and love and joy, all the things he couldn't make sense of, he knew one thing. He would never stop loving Kageyama Tobio.

---

Kageyama loved Hinata and there was no denying that. It was a fact of the universe, and no one could possibly refute it.

Even when Hinata yelled at him, it was out of love. Love for the game or love for the boy, he did not know. Even when he refused to speak with him, he couldn't help but stick around somebody else. He could make friends with anyone. Even when he was annoying and loud, he never held back. That was something Kageyama wished he could do sometimes.

It hurt like hell to love him sometimes, but being in love with the sun had its upsides.

He never took any of Kageyama's shit, which he assumed had been his whole problem in the first place. None of his past teammates had properly called him out on it. With Hinata, he had to be constantly looking ahead, improving, or he would be left behind.

Kageyama had always loved a challenge.

But he also seemed to be captivated by the boy, himself. The way he spoke in barely understandable Japanese, with all those adorable sounds. The way he smiled every time Kageyama couldn't deny just one more toss. The way his face went red every time Kageyama gave him a genuine compliment. It was all so him, and Kageyama couldn't imagine it any other way.

It was hard not to fall in love with him. He was like the sun, constantly pulling people along with him. You couldn't help but adore everything he did. It was no secret that he was in love with Hinata Shouyou.