aaaand i started something new without any idea where i'm going with it, yay! (what is plot.) it's mainly daisuga, but if you'd like to request any other pairings, don't be shy to hit up my tumblr on my profile.
i started this in present tense and was gonna write about zombies but then decided nah, so please feel free to point out anything weird.
disclaimer: haikyuu! will never belong to a humble daydreamer like me.
It was still dark when Daichi woke suddenly from the noise. Before his brain had even processed the sound, he's already up and moving, a dagger in his hand and his eyes darting around this surroundings.
The trees were silent; there was no wind that night. He didn't spot any strange movement that could possibly be the source of what woke him up, but he refused to let his guard drop. That kind of thing could get you killed in this world.
He'd learned that the hard way.
Backing up slightly, he nudged his foot against his sleeping companion. "Asahi, wake up," he hissed. His eyes flicked around as he quickly slung his bag over his shoulder with one practiced move. There wasn't any sign of anything that could have been the source of what woke him up, but hell if he was going to lie back down now.
His friend scrambled up next to him, grabbing his things despite eyes being half-lidded by sleep still. When they'd gotten all their stuff, Daichi nodded in a direction behind them, and Asahi followed wordlessly.
He didn't know how far they ran, or even where they were going. All he knew was that they were alive, and he'd like to keep it that way.
For what, he'd lost sight of a long time ago.
[-]
Things weren't always this way. Hard on survival, that is.
It was a couple years ago, when the last world war ripped through what he used to call home. Only this time, it didn't end with one over the other; it ended in bloodshed and no form of government. The human population decreased through bombs and nuclear weapons, until the ones that hid and ran decided to fight back against the ones that ordered the soldiers to shoot the guns.
So, was it over, the war? No. Cities ruined, people scattered, land poisoned, and still there were dangerous people holding dangerous weapons that could make you disappear for good if you happened to stumble into the wrong place. Most people didn't even understand what the hell they were fighting for; they just wanted to survive. Which was kind of hard to do when food was scarce and you were lucky if you managed to find working electricity and running water. Never mind the fact that crazed ex-soldiers or brainwashed followers of the ones that started it all could murder you in your sleep if you weren't careful.
There was no safe place. You just had to keep moving. Even if you couldn't even make yourself hope that this whole nightmare would ever be over.
[-]
"Daichi," rasped Asahi, wiping sweat from his brow. "I think, I mean, can't we... We've been moving for hours."
Daichi sighed, but he couldn't deny that his legs were getting tired too. "Just a bit further," he decided.
Asahi just panted as he followed behind the shorter boy obediently. He carried the heavier bags, but he never complained. Daichi was grateful that his bigger friend had agreed to leave their hometown to run with him. Not that they knew exactly where they were running to, just that there was nothing left to stay for back there. Their town wasn't the first to be trapped in between fire, but it wasn't the last to be bombed, either. All their friends and family were either dead or missing, meaning they probably wouldn't ever see them again. So they took all they could find and locked the memories of another happier life somewhere in the back of their minds, and now here they were.
A while later, they stumbled across some small houses where the trees had started thinning out. Daichi guessed they were at the edge of some small village, only it looked like no one had been here in a long time. The houses looked intact, though a couple of them had broken windows and wrecked doors, signs that meant looters had already been through already.
"Why don't we take a break," suggested Daichi, gesturing to one of the houses that still had whole windows. "You can guard our stuff while I go check if there's anything we can use."
Asahi nodded, scratching his beard tiredly. He watched patiently as Daichi broke them in through the front door, and then set the bags down in the corner behind the couch, where he would have a clear view of both the window and the doorway, in case anyone decided to hit this house while they were both still in it.
Daichi made sure Asahi was holding his dagger and was on the alert before he crept through out the rest of the house. The kitchen was nearly empty save for a couple of canned foods that he stuffed into his bag. He went up the stairs, making as little noise as possible just in case. There was dust everywhere, the smell of aged cloth and disuse. He wrinkled his nose to keep from sneezing. It'd been days since he'd been inside an actual house, and he hoped he hadn't developed an allergy to dust or something.
Entering the first room on the second floor, he quickly went through drawers and the closet, only managing to salvage a blanket that wasn't yet eaten by moths. He found a first aid kit in the bathroom, and breathed a thanks to whatever was up there. They had been running low on supplies since last week, when Asahi accidentally set off a trap and gotten his arm wounded, the big goofball. Daichi was just glad that they'd managed to fix it up before it got too bad. He tried the last room, readjusting his bag at the same time. Unfortunately, that slight lowering of his guard was all it took, because the next second Daichi found himself on the floor staring up at an unfamiliar, but surprisingly attractive, face.
"Who are you?" the boy hissed, his arms, though skinny, managing to pin Daichi to the floor just fine. "Where are you from? Who else is with you?"
Daichi struggled, half-impressed to find that he couldn't get out of the smaller boy's hold, and half-afraid that he would die right then at the hand of this boy that looked like he wouldn't last a day in the wilderness. "Who are you?" he managed. He hoped that Asahi would follow his instructions when he didn't return in fifteen minutes.
"I asked you first," the other boy said, large amber eyes narrowing.
"Look, I mean you no harm," said Daichi, ceasing his struggling in an attempt to show cooperation. "I'm only trying to find supplies. I wasn't aware that someone had already claimed this place. If you'll just let me go, I'll leave and you'll never see me again."
The other boy didn't make a move to get off him. His curly silver hair fell into his eyes as he scrutinized Daichi. "How do I know you won't report us to the suits?"
"Us?"
The boy cursed under his breath, amber eyes sliding to the side for a moment. Dazedly, Daichi's eyes followed the movement to the beauty mark just beside the boy's left eye. Daichi was kind of surprised to hear the harsh word come out of the smaller boy, who, despite the scrawniness and fierce defensive scowl, gave off an air of gentleness and general niceness. If he didn't know better, Daichi would have sworn the dude was a prince.
Before Daichi could question his own sanity at his random thoughts, a new, quietly firm voice spoke up from the doorway.
"Sugawara-kun, release him. Ukai-san has his friend downstairs, let's talk it out, okay?"
The silver-haired boy, who was apparently named Sugawara, glanced over his shoulder and hesitated. Then he sighed, and climbed off Daichi, who breathed out a silent sigh of relief. He stiffened when Sugawara turned back to him with a severe look in those bright amber eyes of his.
Daichi held up his hands, telling him that he came in peace. He allowed the boy and the short bespectacled man to herd him back down the stairs to where Asahi was sitting with his hands empty in front of a man with blond hair.
"Daichi!" Asahi was pale but he looked less like he was going to pass out from anxiety when he caught sight of his friend.
"Are you alright?" Daichi asked, scanning his friend for any harm. He's not surprised that, despite the fact Asahi was taller and stockier than the man, he's just sitting there obediently. The big guy could take care of himself, but oftentimes the giant's glass heart got in the way of things. Because of that, Daichi was still over-protective of his friend, but he knew Asahi would always have his back when he needed it. Besides, it was in his nature to worry over other people anyway.
"I'm okay."
"Good." He glanced back at the three strangers, who had moved so they subtly closed off all escape routes. They didn't look like they were connected to the suits or any of the violent rebellious groups, but Daichi had to admit they were pretty good at this game.
"So you're Daichi, huh?" the blond man standing in front of Daichi said, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "I assume you're not with any associations?"
"No," answered Daichi. "We're just trying to survive. The war's got nothing to do with us."
"Don't you wish," snorted the man. "Where are you from?"
Daichi hesitated. He told them, and they frowned.
"Wasn't it bombed two years ago?"
"Yes."
"And you two've been on the run since?"
"Yes."
"No other friends or family?"
"... Yes."
There was a pause as Daichi stared right back at the blond man, whose expression had loosened some. "How old are you two?"
"Nearly eighteen."
They looked surprised, glancing at Asahi with his beard and filled-out body. Asahi glanced away from their gaze, blushing slightly. He'd been silent throughout the conversation, slowly recovering from his slight panic attack before Daichi showed up.
Daichi decided to turn the tables. "Who are you guys, then? Where are you from? What are you planning on doing with us?"
The blond man shared a look with the shorter man with the glasses, while the silver-haired boy continued to stare at Daichi with an unreadable look. He wasn't sure if the boy was angry at him or not, but he didn't really want to find out. The boy's pretty amber eyes could be really scary when he wanted it to be.
"Name's Ukai," the blond man said. "I was from the farms up north before." He pointed to the other man, who waved slightly. "That's Takeda, who used to work for the techies before those army men took over. He's on the list of wanted, though far down the list, but I expect you to keep quiet about it." When both Daichi and Asahi nodded, Ukai gestured at the boy leaning against the doorway. "And that's Sugawara. He's the same age as you guys."
Suga pushed off the doorway, stepping closer now that they'd decided they weren't going to kill them or whatever. "Just Suga, really." He smiled, and Daichi nearly choked on his own spit because, wow, did that guy have a nice smile. "Sorry for sitting on you before," the boy with the mole said.
Daichi waved it off. "We're all doing what we have to, yeah?"
Suga's smile didn't disappear, but Daichi felt as if a sort of heaviness had fallen over the silver-haired boy's face. It's strange, because Daichi was sure he'd never met the kid before today, but he couldn't help feeling like Suga's face was sort of... familiar. Maybe it was too many days with only Asahi's company, or maybe it was how perfectly sunny the silver-haired boy's face was, or maybe Daichi's nearly suppressed hormonal needs were acting up again. He decided there were more important things to think about.
"We've been resting here since yesterday, though," Ukai said. He considered the two boys before him. "Where were you boys headed?"
Daichi glanced at Asahi, who shrugged helplessly back. He turned back to Ukai. "We were hoping to find a shelter, or one of the secured cities. We heard the suits were moving in from the east, and the fighting's gotten worse up north."
"That's right, unfortunately." Ukai rubbed his head, sighing. "There's nothing up north. Your best bets, I'd say, would be going further down south, or west. There's another party cooking up who-knows-what down south, and I'm sure you don't want to be caught in that mess. Right, Takeda?"
"Yes." The smaller man, pushed his glasses up, giving Daichi a sad smile. "We're also headed west, actually." He glanced at the blond man, and they seemed to come to a conclusion. "Would you like to come with us?"
Daichi glanced at Asahi again, but his friend's expression only told him that the decision was his. He turned back to the three strangers he'd literally just met. He wasn't sure he could trust any of them just yet, and he was sure they didn't trust him and Asahi completely either. But if more people, and adults, could mean more protection... it also meant a higher chance of survival.
"If that's alright with you," he said.
Ukai nodded, and Takeda smiled. "We'll stay here for tonight then, and head west tomorrow."
Suga still wore that gentle smile of his as he stepped closer, offering to help Asahi with his wounded arm. The bigger boy blushed and stammered his thanks, clearly relieved now it was clear no one was going to get hurt.
Daichi sighed to himself, feeling like some of the heavy weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying ever since their town was destroyed had been lifted. They weren't just two kids on the run anymore; they weren't alone in this cold cruel world anymore. There's no saying if they'll live to see another day or even another era where diving for cover when a plane flew overhead wouldn't be the norm, but for now, they were safe, and Daichi would take what he could get.