Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hinata did not oversleep the next day. He awoke with a wicked hangover right as the sun was rising. His entrance was heralded by a loud banging as he ran straight into the doorframe of his room on his way out, followed by an alarmed clucking as he almost stepped directly on top of Red.

"Why is it necessary to make so much noise?" he growled at Red, as the rooster fled the room.

"That question is rich, coming from you," Tobio said, setting a bowl of gruel and cup of water down in front of the blacksmith. He doled out his own portion, with an extra full mug of milk, and sat down to eat as Hinata slumped over sideways, laying his head despondently on the table.

"Kageyamaaaa."

Tobio glanced up from his breakfast. "No."

"When you're done eating?" Hinata asked forlornly, lips smashed to the wooden tabletop.

"We don't have time, we've got to get out to the stall," Tobio said. "Stop lagging about and eat."

"My head huuurts," Hinata whined. "And I feel sick. I need help."

Tobio glared at him. Trust Hinata to put him through an entire night of wondering what all the prior day's activities had meant—the dance, the defense of Tobio's romantic prospects, the drunken declarations—only to act like it hadn't happened the following morning. And then have the audacity to nag Tobio on top of it for his own bad decisions.

"You wouldn't feel sick if you hadn't acted like such an idiot last night," Tobio snapped. "Eat and I'll help once I'm done."

Hinata gave a slightly weak and gurgly cheer, and then began attempting to spoon his oats into his mouth while still slumped onto his side. True to form, once he started eating he remembered his enthusiasm for food, and by the time Tobio was done clearing his own plates the blacksmith had nearly finished his meal.

"I ate and you're done," Hinata sing-songed, as though Tobio needed reminding of his own words. Tobio came around to stand behind his chair.

"Sit up," Tobio told him, and Hinata laboriously slouched into an upright position. Tobio bumped the back of Hinata's chair with his hips, and Hinata sighed and leaned back against him, as Tobio brushed his hair back off his face so he could smooth his fingers across Hinata's forehead.

"Thank you," Hinata said, eyes closed, a satisfied smile playing over his lips. His face relaxed, the creases between his brow disappearing, as Tobio rubbed his temples and pulled Hinata's hair out of its tie, so he could comb his fingers through it.

"Not for long," Tobio said. "We have to go." It was a reminder to himself as much as to Hinata. He worried he could just stay like that for hours, perhaps; watching Hinata's face while he wasn't looking, threading the soft strands of fiery hair through his fingers.

"I know," Hinata said. "But it… I just…"

"You have a headache," Tobio sighed.

"It's better," Hinata admitted. "But I like when you… I mean, I just like having you…"

He shrugged helplessly and trailed off, apparently unsure of how to continue. His smile had faded somewhat, and Tobio continued his ministrations in silence for a moment or two, before the lull became oppressive.

"Last night—" he blurted, abruptly, voice loud in the quiet. Hinata jumped and Tobio winced.

"I know, I know," Hinata said, "I should have held back a bit, especially with today being your first day and all—"

"Did you mean it?" Tobio interrupted. "Or—well, what did you mean, exactly?"

"About what?" Hinata asked.

"What you said last night," Tobio said. "To Lev… and also to me. After we got home."

Hinata opened his eyes, and Tobio stopped his massage, as he waited for an answer.

"I don't—" Hinata began to murmur, but then he shook his head. "I'm—damn it, I really stuck my foot in it yesterday."

"Um, well," Tobio said, because this wasn't untrue, "you said a lot of things. A lot happened."

Hinata dragged a hand over his face. "Tobio… I'm sorry, if I made you… I mean, I guess I do a lot of apologizing for this, but I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable—"

"No," Tobio said instantly. "No, that's not… I'm fine."

He was fine, wasn't he? The only problem was Hinata seemed to think nothing of the night before, hadn't seen any significance in it whatsoever. Tobio couldn't ask him if he'd meant it, or if he hadn't truly meant anything at all, without making things awkward himself. Had he been standing up for Tobio out of some sense of obligation? Or even just to be nice? Hinata was very nice, Tobio knew this. But that didn't make his kindness now any less painful.

But Hinata was kind to him when no one else had ever bothered to understand or accept him. And that should be enough. Tobio wished more than anything that it could be enough, where this Wolf was concerned.

But every time Hinata was kind to him, or touched him, or accepted him as he was—Tobio only wanted more.

Hinata squinted at him. "You're not fine."

"I am," Tobio said resolutely.

"I can tell—"

"Because you reading my heartbeat is annoying, Hinata—"

"Okay, okay," Hinata said, adept at recognizing Tobio's rising signs of irritability, by now. "Just… forget it, alright? Let's get ready to go."

"What about your head?" Tobio asked. He wondered if he sounded any less grumpy than he felt. The answer, judging by the look Hinata shot his direction, was no.

"It's stopped bothering me, now," Hinata said. Tobio did not even need to be able to hear Hinata's heart to know that wasn't true. But Hinata was already standing, stretching his arms over his head. "Come on, let's get a move on."

Things were strange between them all through that day. Hinata was quieter, almost to the point of being deferential; instead of the jabs they usually traded while they worked, he focused more on setting up their stall. He was forever looking in the opposite direction when Tobio attempted to catch his eye, and seemed to find the ground immensely interesting whenever they did converse. He stayed more or less out of Tobio's way, even after more and more people had begun to stop by to see their wares.

He seemed small, Tobio thought suddenly, and this was an odd realization. Because despite Hinata's stature, he never seemed diminished in size; like other Wolves, he always seemed to fill more space than the confines of his body. But unlike other Wolves, it didn't make Tobio feel crowded and nervous. He grown accustomed to Hinata taking up more space. It made it easy for Tobio to know he was always nearby.

He didn't like whatever Hinata was doing now—this sudden embarrassment that seemed to have come over him after Tobio had tried to talk about the night before. It wasn't Tobio's fault after all, the things that had been said and the way Hinata had behaved. All in all, it served to make him very irritable, until he found himself snapping at Hinata over the smallest things, like taking too long to package an item, or handing Tobio incorrect change.

But Hinata didn't snap back or show that he was annoyed himself at Tobio's behavior. Normally he was quick to react to any perceived slights or insults. But presently, though several times Tobio caught him wrinkling his nose, a telltale sign that he was about to retaliate, he swallowed it back with a sigh instead. He looked pained every time.

Things remained awkward and stiff the remainder of the day. Even after they closed up the stall for the evening, Hinata didn't relax as Tobio had hoped he would. He'd thought maybe being back at the festival, around people who may have possibly remembered his blustering, was part of the issue. But that didn't seem the case, as they walked back together in silence.

So that meant, Tobio surmised, that it must be entirely to do with him. Maybe Hinata didn't know how to tell him that his drunken words had meant nothing. Maybe Hinata was trying to figure out how he could let Tobio down gently.

The thought annoyed Tobio. He was used to being let down in ways that were neither kind nor gentle; brutal honesty he could handle. It was this dramatic shift in their dynamic that was truly throwing him off—because he liked the way they had been, far too much to jeopardize it by doing anything stupid, like complicating things with his feelings. But Hinata was an idiot. So if he was going to wallow in uncertainty, Tobio would have to knock him out of it.

"What do you want to do for dinner—" Hinata started to say as they walked through the door. Tobio wasn't having it.

"What's going on with you?"

Hinata paused, just for a moment. He had his back to Tobio, his face hidden. But then he turned around with the same bright grin as always.

"Nothing!" he said. "It was a long day though, wasn't it? You did really well for your first—"

"Fuck off," Tobio said. There was no heat in his tone, but Hinata fell silent, all the same. "I don't—I don't like this, alright? I don't like trying to pretend nothing happened—nothing did happen, so this is stupid."

He didn't allow himself to look away from Hinata, not even when Hinata's smile faded completely. Hinata glanced at the ground again, and angry words began to build inside Tobio, bubbling up and crowding against the back of his teeth, on the tip of his tongue. If Hinata was going to continue trying to avoid talking about this… avoid talking to him…

Hinata took a deep breath and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Alright," he said. "You're right, I'm sorry. I told you I'd treat you better than this."

Tobio's anger melted away, to be replaced by something like relief. Even if it was relief tinged with sadness.

"You treat me fine, Hinata," he said. "I just want things to stay the same between us, alright? I don't want them to change."

"You…" Hinata started to say, and then cut himself off. He stared at Tobio. "That was the truth."

"Yes, obviously it… was…" Tobio said. But he trailed off; Hinata's expression had turned suddenly stricken. "What?"

"I—it's just that this whole time—I'd thought maybe—"

"What?" Tobio asked.

Hinata shook his head. "I thought you…"

A horrible thought occurred to Tobio. "That I was what? Just… hoping?"

"No—" Hinata croaked, but Tobio had caught him lying, this time.

"You did," he said. Hot, prickling shame crept over him; he could feel his palms sweating and clenched his hands into fists. He knew after all that had happened between them, it was a lot to ask of Hinata not to think of him that way. "I know what it seems like, but I'm not—I'm not desperate. Just because of what happened to me—I've accepted it! I get that I'm—not normal. But I don't need to be fixed."

"You're not broken, Tobio—"

"I am!" Tobio burst out. "And I don't care anymore! I don't want anymore than you've already given me. I don't need to be Claimed, I don't need a Mark, I don't want any of that shit! I don't—I'm not—"

His voice cracked and he shut his mouth tight. He was more than all of that. He had to be. He didn't want to waste his life anymore, trying to prove he could be someone's other half. He would be enough for himself, even if he couldn't be enough for anyone else.

"I know that, I swear to you," Hinata said. He sounded like he was pleading. "I can feel it when you tell the truth. But I made a—I didn't understand—"

"There's nothing to understand," Tobio said. "It's just that you're—you're the only friend I've ever had. Please don't let who I am get in the way of that, too."

"Idiot!" Hinata shouted.

Tobio stumbled back, startled. Hinata never truly got angry with him, but now Tobio felt it. Frustration and fury, rolled into one, and directed right at him. It made him tremble where he stood.

And then Hinata was rushing at him, and he froze, unable to move—only for Hinata to slam into him and fling his arms around him, yanking Tobio into a hug that he thought might crack his ribs from the sheer force of it.

"If I'm still your friend despite your awful personality, what else could possibly make me stop?" Hinata asked.

Stunned, Tobio stared down at the top of his head. "Hinata…?

"I hate you so much!" Hinata yelled into his shirtfront, which now felt distinctly damp.

"Are you…"

"No."

"Crying?" Tobio asked him, and immediately his own eyes started to swim.

"I am crying," Hinata said, "because you are so stupid it's tragic."

Tobio shoved his face into Hinata's hair, letting the familiar scent calm him before he could burst into tears and truly make a fool of himself.

"I can tell you're crying, too," Hinata said, voice still muffled. "I can smell sadness."

"I hate you, too," Tobio told him. He knew without a doubt Hinata would hear his true meaning.

After a moment's hesitation, he allowed himself to rub his nose against Hinata's scalp, breathing the smell of him in, accepting. It still made him feel, to put it in simplest terms; Hinata made his heart pound and his palms sweat, made him want things he never had before, and was afraid to start needing.

He loved Hinata. And he knew Hinata sensed all of what he felt.

But Hinata wouldn't pull away from him, regardless of what he felt in return. Not until Tobio was ready to let go. And they were fine. From the start, Hinata had promised not to abandon him. They'd be fine.

"I'm hungry," Tobio said, at length.

"Well, make us dinner, then," Hinata told him. He did not appear to feel like moving any time soon, and neither did Tobio.

But there was, suddenly, an interrupting knock on the front door. They both pulled apart, wiping at their eyes, looking towards it in confusion.

"Are you expecting…" Tobio started to ask.

"No," Hinata said, with a perplexed shrug.

They opened the door to find Kuroo standing there, hand raised to knock once more. He peered into their faces, nearly as curiously as they were looking at him.

"Sorry," he said, "have I come at a bad time?"

"N-no!" Hinata said, sounding very surprised. Tobio, acutely aware of how red his face and eyes must be, looked away determinedly. "What can we do for you?"

"Ah, do you mind if I come in?" Kuroo asked. "I hate to impose but… it was a bit of an impulse decision, and I realize I'm running out of time."

Hinata glanced at Tobio. "Er, well, maybe tomorrow would be better?" he offered. This came as a surprise to Tobio. The blacksmith always jumped at the chance to have company. "It's been a long day, and—"

"Hinata," Tobio said, "it's okay."

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked.

"I can come to your stall tomorrow morning," Kuroo agreed.

But Tobio had an inkling as to why he was there. "No, come in," he said. "I'll make some tea."

Once the tea had brewed, they all sat down at the kitchen table. Kuroo wasted no time.

"I'll cut straight to the point," he said, and then chuckled. "I'd like to commission you for a blade."

Tobio couldn't entirely hide his small smile. He'd been right. But Hinata looked befuddled.

"You mean like… a knife?" he asked.

Kuroo tilted his head. "No… I mean like a sword."

"A sword!" Hinata yelped, shooting up straight in his chair. "Me?"

"Both of you," Kuroo said. "Kageyama, you're good with engravings, it appears."

"He's fantastic," Hinata cut in, and Tobio accidentally swallowed too large a mouthful of scalding tea, caught off guard by the blatant praise. "But I've never made a sword for anyone before. The ones you saw before were just practice."

"Right," Kuroo said. "What's the point in practice if you don't put it to use?"

He and Hinata stared at one another for a long moment. Tobio stayed quiet, watching—but he knew Hinata all too well. And sure enough:

"We'll do it," Hinata said. "When do you go back to the castle?"

"At the festival's end," Kuroo told him. "But I can send a courier—"

"We'll have it to you the night before you leave," Hinata said, eyes alight. Tobio felt some of the weariness of the day sloughing off his shoulders, some of the heavy emotions lifting off his chest.

A sword. Someone wanted to commission a sword from them. And not just any someone—one of the kingdom's finest soldiers.

"Excellent." Kuroo thumped the tabletop with the flat of his hand, clearly thrilled. "We can discuss specifics tomorrow morning?"

"Tonight," Tobio and Hinata both said at the same time, and Kuroo's lips curled into the most satisfied of smiles.

*

Things returned to normal for Tobio and Hinata, for the most part. Now that Hinata was back to acting like himself, running the blacksmith's stall side by side was fun. They still didn't always agree on pricing, and more often than not got in each other's way, but the arguments and making sales and chatting with those who stopped by resulted in long and satisfying days.

In the evenings, they would stop by the tavern for a drink and some dinner, sometimes with Hinata's visiting friends, and other times just the two of them alone, talking about profit and wares and improvements they could make. And then, energized once more, they would return to the forge, to work on Kuroo's sword.

It was a tense job, to be sure. To make the sword in the month remaining before the visitors from the castle departed, they could not afford to make a single mistake. Given their relative inexperience, this was asking quite a lot of them.

These were challenges faced by them both. But there was one lingering uncertainty Tobio had to endure, one that kept him awake at night, and made him feel like he was trapped in place, unable to ever truly move forward.

After the conversation he'd had with Hinata following that awkward festival day, Tobio had finally come to understand what it was he'd been wanting from himself. But he was still unable to cast off the pull he always felt toward the Wolf. He was worried the words they'd exchanged had made his situation even more pronounced.

They hadn't fooled around or touched one another after that morning. Of the intimacy that had taken place between them the past few months, neither spoke a word. Instead, they continued on as they had been before it had all started—as they shouldn't ever have strayed from, Tobio thought, on more than one occasion. Closed doors and muffled gasps and ignoring the incessant pull between them might be better than making another foolish mistake, than giving in to hope.

Tobio wasn't sure who had pulled back first, himself or Hinata. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. If it was Hinata, Tobio understood why, after the awkwardness that had briefly developed between them. At least they had gotten past it, but it wasn't an issue he wanted to push at. And if it had been him, if Hinata had sensed his own reluctance, then he couldn't suddenly change course once again. Hinata deserved better than being at the beck and call of Tobio's confused whims. And so he had begun to ignore what had become second nature for a time, reaching out to Hinata when he needed him, needed the Wolf's warmth. The painful part was being aware that he was turning away from one of the best things he'd ever had.

But they had also reached a new turning point. Tobio felt the existence of something almost fragile in their friendship, now, but it wasn't an unwelcome sensation. It was almost, he thought, like taking care of a baby bird—something too uncertain to survive on its own, at first; but with time, nurtured and loved, it might fly.

Hinata wasn't just his friend. Tobio could now sometimes admit to himself, with such an intense thrill of joy that he could never contemplate the sentiment for very long—Hinata was his best friend. And Tobio was almost, fairly, mostly sure that he was Hinata's.

Tobio had never allowed anyone to know him as well as Hinata. It wasn't just his poor attitude that had frightened them all off—though that had contributed quite a bit. He hadn't wanted anyone to know how isolated he'd felt and either mock or pity him for it, so he had never expressed it out loud before.

But Hinata had crept past that particular barrier; maybe because Tobio's bad manners only seemed to make Hinata try to get under his skin, get ever nearer to him. And if he couldn't be scared away by Tobio's demeanor, or his loneliness…

If Hinata didn't mind being his only friend, what else might he be unopposed to? The thought occupied most of Tobio's empty moments of consideration, now, as much as he tried to push it off. He didn't have time for such things, he tried to tell himself. They had too much work to do.

The days were difficult and demanding, between tending to the festival stall and forging the sword. But this was work to be proud of—backbreaking and unforgiving, but accomplished with their own two hands, whether it was selling a piece at the stall, or striking their hammers against the scalding metal. And they were doing it together, sharing the burden. They were partners at that forge now, and that made the load feel feather-light, to Tobio.

To finish Kuroo's commission on time, they had divided up the work. Tobio took over the time consuming, but less skill intensive task of hammering and folding the metal into the shape of the blade. This took many, many hard hours of laboring over the anvil, nearly melting in the heat of the fires and summer nights. He must have sweat his weight before the sun came up, he thought more than once, but it was important work, because it freed the blacksmith up to attend to the task of forging the hilt.

This was the true challenge in making a sword. Even a masterfully crafted blade, under the constant stress of crossing with others in battle, would crack, and eventually break. It was the hilt that would endure, be passed down through the generations, or perhaps from knight to squire, if the younger was worthy enough.

So this was where Hinata focused his attention. It was not a horseshoe or a door handle or a set of silverware; but he'd never dreamed of making those things. He had dreamed of armory work—and Tobio could see, with the firelight reflected in his eyes, that Hinata might be happiest at work like this.

It was these moments that proved most difficult for Tobio—something about seeing Hinata dreaming, because it was something Hinata had only begun to do now that the two of them were working together. And Hinata knew it, too, judging by the way Tobio caught his stray glances, every so often. The Wolf's eyes didn't hold lust or curiosity; only gladness. It made Tobio's breath hitch in his lungs, the way Hinata watched him sometimes. It was often when he wasn't looking, but when Tobio noticed, Hinata wouldn't look away, though he usually looked a bit sheepish at being caught. But then, he would always smile.

And Tobio wanted to tell him it was alright, that this was another thing he somehow didn't mind Hinata did, even though he'd always hated being stared at before. But Hinata didn't stare at him like he was some unfinished work in progress.

He always smiled like he was just happy, to have looked up and found Tobio there at all.

It thrilled Tobio as much as it scared him, to be looked at like that. His old life had been all about grand expectations; but it was these small, everyday ones that he was most afraid of not living up to.

One evening, instead of simply watching, Hinata drifted toward him instead, to see how his work was going. Despite the cloth draped over the back of his neck, a meager attempt to try and soak up some of the sweat he'd worked up while laboring away over the sword hilt, the scent of him fell heavily over Tobio, growing stronger the closer he got.

"How are you coming along?" he asked, as Tobio stopped hammering for a moment, to catch his breath. "Not sore?"

Tobio shook his head. He was being untruthful, because his arms ached, but he didn't want to admit he was tired. But it was no use trying to get away with a lie, even a small one, around Hinata. The Wolf's smile was a dead giveaway that Tobio hadn't fooled him in the slightest. But instead of needling Tobio about it, Hinata nodded.

He reached out and ran his fingers lightly over Tobio's arm, lips pursed. Tobio froze under his touch, but didn't move away.

"You're still not used to this," Hinata said, and for a moment, Tobio lost track of what he meant—no, he wasn't used to being touched so carefully. But he didn't dislike it, not at all. But Hinata continued on. "You don't want to hurt yourself."

No, he didn't, Tobio thought, even as he realized Hinata was talking about his physical limitations. But this was an ache of a different sort.

"I'm… I'm okay," Tobio mumbled, still enjoying the soft trailing of Hinata's fingers on his skin, as Hinata gently kneaded the muscles beneath. "I… ah, Hinata…"

He gave in, a little bit, letting his head lower until he could feel Hinata's soft hair brushing his forehead.

"You've been working really hard," Hinata murmured, and Tobio shivered, at the lowness of his voice. "Do you need to take a break?"

Though he knew Hinata didn't mean it in the old sense, they had found other ways, to ease all the pent up physical tension, a little bit. Their time was too precious to waste idly, but as they already enjoyed their work, having the moments in between be functional was no great hardship. They used the time to spar against one another, putting both the practice blades and Tobio's evolving skill in making them to the test.

Though it was a different kind of break than the ones they needed to take in private, their sparring matches served a similar purpose. Tobio had better control over himself now, but more importantly, just being near Hinata, being able to be honest, without shame or the need to hide the instincts he couldn't help, made his feelings that much more manageable.

But tonight felt a bit different. Tonight, he wanted to lose himself in the thrill of their fight.

Tonight, Tobio could sense it—the balance and weight of the sword in his hand, the way the impact of each blow reverberated up his arms, even the sound, clear and ringing, with every strike.

Tobio's early attempts had not been strong enough. Without fail, the blades had all cracked or broken, when faced by Hinata's furious assaults. But neither could Hinata beat him in a fair fight, only ever managing to steal victory when Tobio's weapon inevitably fell apart in his grasp.

Hinata, too, had been learning, little by little. He had finally started operating on more than his instincts and scarily fast reflexes. The way he watched Tobio's movements was calculated, like a true soldier's, his old castle training showing through. It had become ever harder to feint or otherwise trick him.

He was fast, and dangerous. Tobio was struck once again by how foolish Hinata's old trainers had been, to overlook him the way they had.

"Stop thinking so hard," Hinata said. "Come at me with everything you've got." His voice was a challenge, and Tobio felt his blood boil to match.

With renewed energy he struck out, nearly catching Hinata off guard. In sparring matches before this one, his blades had all crumbled beneath the force of their blows, but not this one—he could see the same realization in Hinata's expression. This was a sword edge that would stand up in battle.

And rather than break, this weapon would need to be defeated fairly—by an opponent who could gain the upper hand. And no sooner had Tobio thought this, than his excitement over his own accomplishment was followed by surprise, as Hinata turned the tables on him, striking back and managing to knock the sword clean out of Tobio's grasp, sending it spinning into the air.

Panting, Tobio stared at Hinata, steeling himself for the triumphant teasing that was surely about to happen. But Hinata was staring at the sword where it had landed.

"It didn't break," he murmured, so soft Tobio could barely hear him.

"No," Tobio huffed, "you win."

Hinata didn't respond. He walked over to pick up the sword, and Tobio watched wordlessly, as Hinata turned it over in his hands, inspecting it. Tobio felt like he should be more annoyed—maybe would have been, once. But Hinata had beaten him fair and square, and Tobio had been the one to teach him to duel like that. Like he should have been taught in the first place, at the castle.

"Tobio," Hinata said, more urgently, "you did it."

"Did… what?" Tobio shook his head. "I didn't—"

"You forged a sword!" Hinata finally exclaimed, so loudly and happily it startled Tobio. "This is a blade worthy of a knight. Do you… understand how amazing that is?!"

Tobio stared at him. Hinata didn't even seem to have noticed he'd lost. Instead, he was beaming at Tobio; he looked fiercely proud.

"I…" Tobio swallowed. "It still took me ages. I've been trying for weeks and…" He trailed off, the words drying to a whisper in his mouth.

He had done this—he'd set his mind to something, and he had achieved it, with time and… and encouragement. It was something to be proud of, and Hinata knew that. He wanted Tobio to know it, too.

He sucked in a breath, when Hinata took his hand. But the Wolf only uncurled his fingers, and slid the sword hilt between them, closing Tobio's hand around it once more. Tobio frowned. Hinata's hands were shaking.

"Are you—?"

"Fine!" Hinata said. He pulled his hands away quickly and grinned at Tobio. "Just tired. But… we did it, huh?"

"Yes," Tobio said. He gazed down at the blade he held. "Thanks for letting me… thanks for trusting me."

Hinata only looked at him. He was still smiling, but his eyes crinkled and tightened around the edges, and for a moment, his expression wavered between happiness and something at odds with it, something Tobio couldn't place.

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Hinata asked. Before Tobio could question this odd response, he looked away, stretching exhaustedly. "We should both turn in a bit early—I can't believe this year's festival is nearly over… I'm going to sleep for a year after tomorrow."

That sounded like a good plan, Tobio thought, as he followed Hinata's lead. They still had dinner to eat, but settled on something easy, soup and bread; and then it was off to bed, yawning and shuffling their feet as they went. Tobio toppled into bed gratefully, though he was well aware he had to be up in just a few short hours. Just one more day of the festival. And after that, back to that quiet life of theirs.

He drifted off, but he was barely asleep before he started dreaming.

In this dream, he found himself back at the castle.

To have suddenly returned to that place was disorienting. It had been so long since he'd seen it last, either awake or in dreams. The castle had always been many things to him, not all of them pleasant. But he had still known those stone walls and winding paths and open courtyards. Now it was something it had never been before. It was unfamiliar.

He was alone.

Not as he had used to be, isolated and shunned, but truly. Completely alone. Not a soul save for himself moved in that space. There were no whispers. The only sound he could hear was his own breathing. The castle was completely empty.

Isn't it enough, what I have now?

He ventured through the silent, empty halls of the castle, until he had reached the doors to the outside. Pushing them open, he found the village, once more. Bright and sunny as ever.

But it, too, was deserted.

There might have been people there moments earlier, or perhaps there had never been. It seemed frozen in time, more so than even the castle, because Tobio was used to how alive this place always was. But there were no animals, no people in the streets. Even here he was alone, and now, he started to feel uneasy.

He didn't want to be alone here, because this place had made him feel, for the first time in his life, as though he didn't have to be.

He walked faster, faster, and then came upon the forge. Smoke rose from its chimneys, he realized, and he rushed forward, but it was all locked up. There was no movement or sound from within, just the columns of grey cloud twisting up into the blue summer sky.

It's alright if he doesn't want me the way I want him. I don't deserve any more than that.

He started to run, gave into the anxious urge building within him. He ran from the silent forge, and soon found himself in the woods, where surely, surely they would be there, like they always were…

But the woods, too, were abandoned, the trees stood alone, and there were no eyes peering from the darkness. The ones who had judged him had finally left him, and he no longer felt them at his back; for he no longer put stock in their words and watchfulness.

But neither did another emerge from the trees. No wolf or Wolf came forth to meet him, to stay with him until he woke.

There was just a voice now. One last voice that was unsatisfied. That still thought he might never live up to expectations.

I have to be enough for myself. I can't expect any more than what he's already given me.

But no matter how he told himself these things, no matter how much happier he was now than he'd ever been before, he couldn't stop himself from wanting. He couldn't stop himself from feeling everything.

He was still alone. He slowly raised his face to the sky, tilted his head back, closed his eyes.

"Why?" he asked the silence.

"Why don't you ever listen when I answer?"

Tobio opened his eyes. There was no one else there. But he knew that voice. He heard it every day.

He loved it.

"You never answer me," he told it.

"I always answer you," it replied. "But you never seem to hear me."

"I'm listening now!" Tobio cried out. "What is it?"

"Wake up."

"No! Not until you tell me."

"Tobio, wake up."

"Please—Hinata—"

"I'm right here, wake up—"

Tobio woke with a gasp. It was still dark in the room. For a moment, they lingered, the feelings the dream had left him with; doubt and confusion and a sense of loss. But presently, he became aware of something else—someone else, sitting beside him.

The familiar comfort of fingers, stroking through his hair, made him relax again, sheets falling away from his hands as he unclenched his fists. He blinked to try and adjust to the darkness, turning his head shakily.

Hinata kneeled by the edge of the bed, the dark circles under his eyes making them look even heavier with what Tobio assumed was weariness. Guilt rankled at Tobio—Hinata had already been so tired.

But Hinata just gave him an exhausted smile, resting his palm against Tobio's cheek, and when Tobio rolled towards him, the Wolf put his arms around him readily, holding him tight.

"It's alright," Hinata murmured. There was something about his voice, that curled around Tobio to ward off the sadness that had come with the dream. "You scared me a bit, though. You wouldn't wake up…"

Tobio buried his face in Hinata's neck. "I'm sorry," he said.

"That seemed like a bad one," Hinata said quietly. He kept threading his fingers through Tobio's hair, trailing down the back of his neck. He was warm, Tobio realized, hot, even. His fingertips were wet with perspiration.

Tobio pulled back, intent on sending him back to his room, and to sleep he clearly needed. "It was—" He shook his head. "It's fine, they're just…"

"You haven't gotten one in a long time," Hinata said, and Tobio froze.

Hinata didn't seem surprised, at finding him caught up in a nightmare. He seemed sad they'd come back. Which could only mean…

"How long have you known I have them?" Tobio asked. "The dreams?"

"Ah… I'm not sure," Hinata said. He sounded embarrassed. Tobio didn't understand why; he was the one who should be embarrassed, not Hinata. "You had the first one right after you came here, I think."

"Since then?" Tobio stared at him. "This whole time, you never said anything?"

"If I said something, you'd've been upset," Hinata said. "Besides, it seemed to be working… I thought they were going away."

"What's been working?"

"This," Hinata said. "Sitting here? I know that's… strange. I was too nervous to tell you… I just didn't know what else to do, and you are in my care."

For a long moment, Tobio couldn't understand what he meant.

Then he remembered—how Hinata's hands in his hair had always felt familiar, how it always calmed him even while he was awake. The first time he'd had the dream while living in the village, his hair had been pushed back off his forehead.

There was the pillow that had fallen from his bed to the floor—one was missing now. It hadn't fallen that first time, he realized; Hinata had taken it to sit on.

He remembered the last dream he'd had, how Hinata had been awake before Red had started crowing when he'd woken.

Hinata had been coming to him whenever he had the dreams. He must have stayed with Tobio for hours, some nights.

"It's been you," Tobio breathed, stunned. "You're the reason they've been getting better, the dreams?"

"I hoped maybe they had been," Hinata said. "I'm glad."

"Hinata…" Tobio said, "I'm—you've been doing this every time? Shit—"

"I'm not sure! I don't even know if I've woken up for all of them," Hinata reassured him. "It's just been the times when you…" he hesitated, and then said, "…whenever you call out for me."

Tobio pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking wide-eyed at Hinata. His face had flooded with a mortified heat.

"You—you should just ignore me."

Hibaya grimaced at his words, sighing. "Why would I do that?" he asked. "I would never want to."

And, with a shock, Tobio finally understood. He hadn't been listening. Everything Hinata had done for him was the answer to the question Tobio kept asking, over and over. Tobio hadn't been able to hear it. His own uncertainties had always drowned it out.

But he was listening, now.

"Hinata? You really—"

He nearly choked, swallowing the words that were so hard to say. Frightening, because they had never been true before, and for that reason, he had tried to pretend they never mattered. But they mattered. They mattered because whether or not he had ever been a proper Lamb, he was still only human.

"You really do care about me, don't you?"

Hinata laughed at him, but it was only sweet. "No, idiot," he whispered fondly, "I can't stand you."

Tobio bit his bottom lip, as Hinata leaned up to press their foreheads together, cradling Tobio's face gently in his hands.

"I hate you," Tobio said, helplessly. It might be obvious to Hinata, but how could it have been, to him? People took obvious things for granted. And Tobio hadn't been able to afford that, not until he was sure.

He felt like he was ready to be sure.

"That first night of the festival," Hinata said, "I thought I'd ruined everything. When you asked me if I meant it, I thought I'd told you something you didn't want to hear, I couldn't remember what I'd said—"

"You couldn't—" Tobio laughed, disbelievingly. "You told me if I wanted to be happy with you, you'd be happy, too." 

A soft smile spread across Hinata's face. "That wasn't clear enough?" 

Of course, it was now. It had just taken a long time, for Tobio to be ready to hear it, to understand what Hinata was saying.

"I want you to be with me. I care about you," Hinata whispered, and Tobio reached for him in return, pushing his hands into Hinata's hair and clutching tight. He shut his eyes as Hinata brushed kisses over his cheekbones. "Not because of what we are. Not because of what anyone expected you to be. Do you understand?"

Tobio nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Is it alright?" Hinata asked him next, and Tobio stared at him, at a loss for how to respond. He couldn't understand how Hinata might think it wasn't alright, not with how consistently and desperately Tobio had latched onto his affection.

"It's alright," Tobio told him, voice escaping him hoarse as his throat tightened and his eyes burned.

"You said, you wanted things to stay the same between us," Hinata blurted out. "That you didn't want them to change. You weren't lying, then." He sounded scared to remind Tobio, and Tobio realized where the root of all their misunderstandings lay.

He had been afraid of Hinata caring about him. He'd rejected the idea, and Hinata, right out—on more than one occasion. He'd told Hinata he hated Wolves from the start.

"I was wrong," he said. Hinata stared at him, utterly focused, and Tobio struggled to find the words to explain. "I didn't think it could change—into something like this—"

He had just never thought to presume what they had could be even better—that it could be what he so clearly wanted, yet was too afraid to acknowledge.

"I—I think I need it," Tobio said. He felt as though he couldn't breathe. "I need you…"

Hinata gasped—a shaky, shivering noise, almost pained—and pulled away.

"You… you have me," he said, as though it were a great effort. "But we—sleep, we need sleep. In the morning… we'll talk more."

"W-wait—" Tobio started to say, because he didn't understand. Suddenly even the morning felt too far away—how could Hinata just leave, after this?

"In—in the morning, Tobio," Hinata said again, "right now, I—"

He stood, unsteadily, and then staggered, falling heavily against the wall across from Tobio's bed. Tobio tossed back his blankets, alarmed.

"Hinata? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," Hinata panted, clearly anything but fine. He leaned into the wall, body curled around himself—he was shaking violently, Tobio realized. "I'm just—I need to get back to my own room."

"Are you hurt?" Tobio asked. "Why didn't you say something? Let me—"

"No!" Hinata said, so sharply that Tobio recoiled. "No—I'm sorry, you can't help with this—"

"With what?" Tobio demanded. He wouldn't be intimidated, not now. "Hinata, tell me, I'm—I'm here for you, too!"

"You can't tell me you need me!" Hinata said urgently. "You can't say that to me, not right now—"

"Why not right now?" Tobio asked. "You asked me if I understand, and I finally do! I need you so much—"

"Fuck," Hinata cried out, and Tobio fell silent, at hearing the way his voice broke. "My—my heat. I'm in—I'm in heat. Oh, god—oh, my god, it hurts. It's never been bad like this—"

He was sinking, sliding down the wall like he'd finally given up, his voice fading to a whisper. He didn't say a word when Tobio climbed out of bed, slowly approaching him, to crouch by his side.

"I didn't know," he said. He'd never been around a Wolf in heat, and even if he had, he wasn't sure he'd have been affected. But Hinata was different. He wondered if that had been the reason for his dreams becoming suddenly tumultuous again—matching Hinata's rising, out of control emotions.

"You weren't supposed to find out," Hinata said. "I'm fine. I'm g-going back to—"

"Stop," Tobio told him. "Stop trying to get away from me suddenly." He didn't like that. Hinata had never pressured him, but he'd never tried to run from Tobio, either.

"Why can't you understand?" Hinata moaned. "I need you to leave me alone—"

"No," Tobio said. "You need me. Right now."

Hinata froze. He didn't look at Tobio—and Tobio suspected it was because he was using the very last of his energy to hold himself back. But Tobio didn't want that.

"I need you, Hinata," he said again.

He found himself knocked flat on his back on the floor, as Hinata crawled on top of him. Tobio spread his thighs apart wide, to fit around Hinata's hips. The Wolf felt perfect between his legs. They'd never lain together quite like that—as intimately as they would need to, for Hinata to be inside of Tobio.  

"Please be sure," Hinata whispered, even as he ducked his head to mouth at Tobio's neck. Tobio whined, as Hinata closed his teeth slowly over the beating pulse of his throat.

"I am sure," Tobio gasped. Hinata's hands were on him now, and Tobio arched into his touch when Hinata smoothed his palms down over his chest, then firmly over his hips. It had been days and days since Hinata had touched him at all, let alone like this. His touch was hot, a firebrand wherever it lingered. His fingers dug into Tobio's flesh possessively.

"I don't want…" Hinata trailed off into a low groan as Tobio shoved his fingers into his hair, pressing Hinata's face into his neck where he knew his scent would be strongest. "You said you hated Wolves. I want—I've needed to be more to you than just that, I don't want to make you hate me too—"

"I can't," Tobio said. "Not you."

For a moment, he was afraid from the silence that Hinata might not be able to believe him. But Hinata just nodded, and kissed the hollow of his throat, lips lingering.

"Then," he said, voice hoarse, "will you come to bed with me?"

Tobio knew he didn't need to say yes—but he did anyway, as Hinata pulled him to his feet. They were both shaky, stumbling through the door, and it was Hinata who fell onto the bed first, legs almost giving way again. He laughed, almost disbelieving.

"Tobio, here," he said, and Tobio stepped to the edge of the bed.

Hinata's hands found his hips and worked his loose pants off slowly. As soon as they'd fallen to the floor he hauled Tobio forward—a little rougher than either of them expected, it seemed, and Tobio let out a startled grunt as he tumbled forward into Hinata's lap, hands braced on the wall on either side of Hinata's head.

"Sorry," Hinata mumbled, fingers already at the bottom of his shirt, and Tobio grabbed it by the collar to yank it off over his head as Hinata stared up at him.

And stared. And stared. He traced his way up Tobio's body with his eyes and his hands, mouth dropped open in what seemed, unbelievably to Tobio, like amazement. His fingers moved in a slow slide up Tobio's stomach and chest, as his gaze raked over Tobio's skin. When their eyes met, Tobio could see Hinata's were soft, hazy with desire.

It was far from the first time Hinata had seen him naked, but it felt different to all the rest, and that was what led Tobio to ask his next question.

"Can I… can I kiss you?" Hinata gaped at him, without a response, and Tobio rambled on nervously. "W-we just never have, and I know you probably just need to—fuck me right now, but—but I really—"

He broke off, as Hinata slid a hand against the back of his neck, leaning up, dragging Tobio down at the same time—and then their lips were meeting, as Hinata kissed him for the first time.

His mouth was warm, a little sour after having woken from sleep, but Tobio licked into him with an eagerness that surprised them both—Hinata inhaled sharply through his nose and brought his hands to cup Tobio's face between them again, less cautious now. Craving. His taste gave way to sweetness, that same heady smokiness Tobio always smelled off of him, as he dragged his tongue against Tobio's in slow, languid strokes.

"I'm sorry," Tobio mumbled, words muted by Hinata's lips, "I'm so sorry—"

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Hinata said, catching Tobio's bottom lip between his own. Little nibbles, no ravenous bites, like Tobio had prepared for. Hinata was starving, but he would hold back for Tobio, no matter what.

"I didn't realize it hurt you," Tobio said, with a gentle rock of his hips. Hinata groaned.

"I could handle it," he replied. "It was just—it was worst not being able to tell you—to show you how much you mean to me…"

Tobio kissed him again, just because he could. "What do you want from me?"

"I want… you to let me make you feel good," Hinata whispered against Tobio's lips. "Whatever you want me to give you, I will."

"How could I say no to that?" Tobio asked.

Hinata huffed. "You don't."

Tobio wanted Hinata to have him, finally; to ease the burn of his heat. Because from the moment they'd met, Hinata had been willing to give everything to him. Tobio just hadn't known it yet.

"I want you, then," Tobio said. "Give me all of you."

"I can do that," Hinata murmured, trailing his hand against the small of Tobio's back, and lower. Tobio nodded and nodded, head falling back when Hinata slipped his fingers against his entrance.

"Stop—wasting time then—" he gasped, and Hinata huffed a slightly unhinged laugh.

"I can't just—"

"Yes, you can," Tobio said. He wound his fingers into Hinata's hair. "I want your cock, Wolf—give it to me."

Hinata shuddered underneath him, pushing his fingers into Tobio, and Tobio moaned out a sigh of pleasure. It had been too long since he'd had this—his whole body had been waiting for it, and he had been denying it. He couldn't imagine how Hinata felt.

"You're making this very difficult," Hinata said, teeth grit, and Tobio felt only slightly guilty. Not much longer to wait.

"G-good," Tobio panted, as Hinata stretched him, three fingers deep—he was easy tonight, used to taking Hinata's fingers and wanting so much more now, besides.

"I really don't think I can—hold out much longer—" Hinata told him, voice strained, and Tobio pushed up onto his knees.

"Then don't," he said. "I'm ready."

Hinata nodded, biting his lip. He pushed his pants down, his cock springing free, red and leaking. Tobio moaned.

"If you don't want this, we shouldn't—" Hinata started to say, sounding pained, but Tobio cut him off.

"I want it more than anything," he said. "So shut up and let me do this."

He couldn't believe either of them had held out this long. He gripped Hinata's shoulders hard, and Hinata held his hips steady as he lowered himself.

Hinata's cock was hot at his entrance, the head thick where it pressed against him. Even after being stretched on his fingers, Tobio could tell—that would be nothing compared to this. He couldn't wait to feel it split him open.

"That's good," Hinata said, as he eased himself down. Every so often the Wolf's fingers tightened at his waist, digging hard into his flesh. Tobio couldn't tell if it was reflex, or Hinata trying to make sure he didn't go too fast. "Ah, Tobio… you feel good…"

If Tobio felt good to Hinata, he wasn't sure what he could say in return—because he had never felt anything like this, not even the first time Hinata had touched him. Even when Hinata had held him and fucked him with his fingers.

"Y-you—feel—" he managed to say, and then faltered off into gasping nothingness, when Hinata pushed a hand up his chest to fit against his collarbone, holding down on his shoulder, his thumb pushing the barest hint of pressure at Tobio's throat.

Perfect, maybe, was the word he was seeking, if he could have spoken. Instead he just let Hinata fill him, one arm secured around Tobio's waist, warm and reassuring. He was so thick Tobio could feel the way it opened him, felt Hinata pressing against him inside. It burned him up—he hadn't imagined another person could feel like so much fire, but if it were to be anyone, of course it would be Hinata.

"…You're…" Hinata whispered, voice barely leaving him, "…doing so good, Tobio. You look so good."

He was looking up at Tobio with an expression that defied categorization, blinking slow, eyes wide and dark and mesmerized. Tobio felt caught, laid completely bare.

"You don't care?" he wondered suddenly. "It doesn't bother you—that I'm—"

"What?" Hinata asked. He caressed Tobio's side, fingers bumping over each rib in turn.

"I'm t-tall," Tobio stammered, embarrassed. "I'm bigger than you, even though—"

Hinata actually laughed. "Where'd that come from?"

"I just—" Tobio tried to explain, "I know I'm not—for a Lamb, I'm—"

"Mmm…" Hinata murmured contemplatively. He gripped Tobio's hips and rocked his own, and Tobio gasped, loud and long. Hinata was now so deep inside him. "You feel good?"

"Y-yes—yes," Tobio said, good didn't come close to describing it— "m-more—please, more—"

"Then," Hinata said, kissing across his collarbone, nipping at his shoulder, "why would I care if you're bigger than me? Am I enough for you?"

"Yes," Tobio moaned again. He choked on his words as Hinata worked his hips in a slow, lazy circle. It made him arch his back, body shuddering at how completely full Hinata's cock made him feel.

"You're everything you're supposed to be," Hinata whispered. "Stop worrying. All I care about is letting you feel every inch of me inside you."

"Hnnh—" Tobio whined, "I w-want it. I want it—I want—"

Hinata shushed him gently. "I know. Oh, god, I know you do."

Tobio had no prior experience in matters like these, in order to say for certain if Hinata was as skillful as his friends had joked about—but he now suspected that those were not jokes, after all. Hinata was the one in heat, and yet, somehow, it was Tobio who fell apart faster, as Hinata started to fuck him in earnest, legs spread apart and feet planted on the floor. Tobio wanted to help him, but it was all he could do to stay upright and rock his hips in time with Hinata's slow, solid thrusts. Hinata traced his hand up and down Tobio's spine, his other arm wrapped around his waist, pulling Tobio flush to him with every hard roll of his hips. He trailed his lips across Tobio's neck and throat over and over, like he couldn't help himself, couldn't keep from tasting.

It wasn't the fact that nobody had ever touched Tobio like this before, that made it so overwhelming. It was that he had started to accept that no one would ever want to. He had believed that no one would ever feel this much for him.

He had been totally unable to see how much Hinata cared about him.

Tobio laughed—the sound was almost unrecognizable, was too close to crying, and Hinata's arms around him tightened. He stilled underneath Tobio, and Tobio wanted to say that it was alright, that he was fine, but couldn't quite manage it. He didn't know what to say to Hinata. He'd never been good with words. He didn't know how to tell someone that he hadn't really known what it meant to be happy before he'd met them.

"Tobio?" Hinata breathed, and Tobio knew he had to say something, because the strain on Hinata must have been immense. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know how to—I feel like I don't deserve this."

He'd been told throughout his whole life that he wasn't good enough, not good enough to be a Lamb, not good enough to satisfy a Wolf. He'd fought and he'd fought, he had tried not to listen, but slowly, it had become true to him. He'd accepted it. And now here was one man who was better than all the rest, who had believed all along that Tobio was best as he was.

Tobio felt like he could never live up to it.

But Hinata would never let him believe that.

"Yes, you do."

He was glaring up at Tobio, with that fiercely determined expression of his, and Tobio took his face in both hands, drinking in his conviction, so much of it that he knew he would overflow.

"You do because—you're mine, you're mine now," Hinata said, "everything I want to give you is yours to take."

"What if I want all of you?" Tobio challenged him, mulish still, even though his vision was swimming. "Everything."

"You… stubborn Ram," Hinata murmured, smiling already, and Tobio leaned in to kiss him. Amazing, how fitting that old nickname sounded, when Hinata said it. "Like that's supposed to scare me. It's okay—to want this."

"Ah, I—I do," Tobio mumbled, grinding against Hinata needily. "F-fuck me—"

He wanted to feel Hinata moving again, and Hinata didn't need to be told twice. He braced his hands on Tobio's thighs, fingers squeezing into the muscle there as he set a new pace, harder, and much more frantic. He must be right at his limit, Tobio knew, and it felt good, now that he'd had so long to adjust. Hinata pounding into him like that made him dizzy, he could hear it, every time he was emptied and filled again—it made him moan, how wet and open he felt. He couldn't stop the sounds from pouring out of him, climbing higher, more desperate, on every thrust Hinata gave him.

"You take me so good, Tobio—" Hinata panted, "like you were made for me—I love the noises you make—"

"Ah, Hina—Shouyou—"

"I'm going to have you like this—all the time—" Hinata said, grinding his hips in a slow roll. Tobio cried out, as Hinata dragged pressure inside him where he was most sensitive. He tensed up entirely, trembling and about to finally break. "I'm going to finally get my fill of you—"

"I'm—" Tobio gasped, "I'm going to—I need to come—"

"I could Claim you for myself," Hinata breathed, "right now—"

"Do you want—"

"—but I don't need to," Hinata said, as he pressed his lips warm right over Tobio's heart. "I'm already yours."

Tobio swore as he finished, vision going stark and white, voice breaking under the stunning wave of pleasure that overtook him. It was a different kind of deep, satisfying bliss than he'd ever felt before—and instead of fading, it grew stronger, when Hinata pressed his face into his chest and raised his arms again to cling to him, stifling a long groan into Tobio's skin.

He murmured Tobio's name again and again, and that kept Tobio shivering through the aftershocks, as Hinata spilled inside him, hips jumping unevenly until at last he was still, save for his chest heaving with his breath.

They were both quiet. Then Hinata sighed, warm air blowing out against Tobio's chest, and Tobio remembered the reason everything had just happened.

"D-do you feel better?" he whispered.

"Oh, god," Hinata groaned, and then laughed. "So much better. But once might not be enough tonight."

Tobio blinked. "Th-that's fine. I'll sleep in here."

Hinata finally raised his head to look at Tobio. His eyes were wide again. "Tobio… were you going to ask me if I wanted to Mark you?"

It took Tobio a moment to realize what he was talking about. He flushed and looked quickly away, thoughts reeling. He had been very caught up in the moment—but at the time, he'd been thinking only of Hinata, of what it might mean to be Claimed by him, not just any Wolf—

"Hey," Hinata said, threading his fingers through Tobio's, "I meant what I said. You've got me as it is, I don't need to bite you to prove it."

Tobio leaned down to press his forehead against Hinata's. "That means," he said, "that I'm yours, too."

"That means you're mine," Hinata agreed, with a smile spreading over his face. "Mine for me to love, Tobio."

And there was not a doubt left in Tobio's mind that this was true.

*

Several weeks after that—after the excitement of the festival, the nonstop effort required to keep things running, had died down—Tobio received a letter.

He hadn't been expecting the letter. But it would be a lie to say he hadn't been hoping for it, either.

It was delivered to him near the end of the day as he was finishing up tidying the shop, and he set aside the broom he was sweeping with to peruse it. The parchment was thick and the address written in a fancy script, colored ink; it was sealed with wax, upon which had been stamped the crest of a noble.

Quickly, he opened it and skimmed through it, delight growing with every sentence he read. Broom forgotten, he turned and hastened towards the forge, where Hinata was still working.

"Hinata!" he called. "Hina—oy, stop hammering for a second so I can talk—"

Hinata heeded him, though he looked slightly put out. "I'm nearly done for today!" he protested. "I really wanted to make some good progress on the—"

"Trust me… you'll want to read this," Tobio said.

Hinata was working on a new project, a large one. Tobio had offered his assistance, but Hinata had said it was something he wanted to do himself. Something for the two of them, that Hinata had made for them to share. He had been incredibly focused on it as of late, but at Tobio's insistence, he took the letter from him and began to read it aloud.

"To the fine gentlemen—oh, well this can't be addressed to us, already," Hinata said, and Tobio pinched his cheek, hard. "Ouch! Okay, okay—to the fine gentlemen of Wolf and Lamb Smithing. We have recently come to witness your… your impeccable craftsmanship in the work you have done for—Sir Tetsurou?" Hinata looked up at Tobio with wide eyes. "For Kuroo? Kageyama, who sent this?"

"Keep reading," Tobio said, moving to stand behind him and wrap his arms around Hinata's shoulders, resting his chin on the top of his head. Hinata blinked down at the paper, and continued.

"He had a most high regard for your work ethic, and your skillset, and encouraged us to write you ourselves. In short: we would like to—" Hinata squeaked, bringing the letter up to his face, as though wondering whether the words might change if he stared at it with his nose touching the paper. "We would like to commission you... for a sword of—y-your own design?! Tobio—"

"Told you it was good," Tobio said, grinning.

"This isn't real," Hinata said faintly. "There's no way this is—did you write this?"

"Where would I have gotten that seal from?" Tobio asked, pointing to the house family crest in the wax, one of the oldest and well-to-do noble families of the kingdom. They were a very reputable house, and would not make a request of that manner lightly. "They must have been really impressed with you," he added.

"And you!" Hinata cried, and then, without warning, turned and tossed his arms around Tobio. "You know that right? This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't… if you hadn't made me believe I could do it."

"Ah—" Tobio said, and then shut his mouth as a wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm him. Fondness, and pride, and, he was sure now—love. He cleared his throat. "You should just believe me when I tell you things from now on. I always know better than you."

"I don't even need to listen to this to know you're lying," Hinata said, ear pressed to Tobio's chest. And then he looked up, and beamed up at Tobio. "You should know better than to try by now."

Tobio shoved him off, trying to hide his smile. "Finish up with this and let's have dinner. I'm starving."

He gave the bedframe Hinata was working on a good-natured kick—it rattled off the iron, and Hinata grabbed it protectively to stop its quivering. He was assembling it in sections—a big, spacious bed, more than enough for the two of them to sleep comfortably next to each other night after night. Tobio didn't know if it needed to be quite so large; after all, they both slept best when they could be close.

Though, he supposed, their current sleeping arrangements were a bit small for some of the activities they now enjoyed on a regular basis.

"Don't be rude!" Hinata griped at him. "You know, the metal will pick up on things like that! Your emotions… I don't want a grouchy new bed!"

Tobio glared at him. "You can just share with Red, then. He'd like that, wouldn't you, Red?"

The rooster, who was keeping Hinata company while he worked, gobbled in what might have been agreement, or confusion. Tobio couldn't be sure.

"Hmm," Hinata said, mock seriously, "maybe I'll just move you out into the chicken coop, if that's the case."

Tobio turned on his heel. "I hate you, I hope you know."

He knew his heart would give away his true meaning, even without looking at the Wolf's expression. And yet he glanced over his shoulder anyway, just to catch Hinata's smile.

"I hate you, too," Hinata said—and it was the warmth in his voice that molded and strengthened the happiness inside of Tobio. "So very, very much."