***Inspired vaguely by a piece of fanart***

***WARNING: This story contains high levels of angst. Please proceed with caution.***

***SPECIFIC CHAPTER NOTE: This chapter is set just A LITTLE WHILE AFTER the events of chapter 4, "The Fall." Please keep this in mind as you proceed.***

...

Sugawara had never been a heavy sleeper.

It was a curse, really.

If there was a lot of traffic outside his house, he couldn't sleep; if people were talking around him, he couldn't sleep. During storms, he'd lie awake, trying futilely to sleep before finally throwing in the towel and studying until the storm blew over—and if the storm didn't blow over, he'd just study until the next morning.

There was a storm right now, and it was keeping him awake. He really needed to get some earplugs. It would save him a lot of sleepless nights.

In hindsight, though, maybe it had been a good thing he'd been unable to sleep that night—otherwise, he wouldn't have heard the small, tentative knocks outside his door.

He got up from his desk after he first heard the knocks, paused a moment, then moved downstairs to investigate. The storm was noisy, a mixture of rain like machine gun bullets and lightning and thunder that shook the sky, so it was really a miracle that he'd been able to hear the knocks in the first place.

He was home alone; his folks were out on business and not supposed to return until early morning, so he really hoped this wasn't a burglar, though he already seriously doubted it. After all, burglars didn't really knock, did they?

He crossed the living room over to the door, grabbed and turned the knob, and swung it open.

Instantly, his eyes widened in shock.

"What the—Hinata!?"

And Hinata smiled faintly (fakely), dripping wet from head to toe, holding onto his service dog's harness with a pale, white-knuckled hand. "S-Sorry for the intrusion," Hinata said quietly.

"You—how—what—" Sugawara took a breath, calming himself. "Come inside, now," Sugawara said, taking Hinata by his free hand and quickly pulling him through the doorway, shutting the door as soon as possible to keep out the cold, stormy wind.

"Stay here," Sugawara told Hinata, "I'll be back." Hinata nodded shakily, and Sugawara sprinted off.

What is he doing here? Sugawara thought, as he headed to the closet and pulled one – two – three spare blankets off the shelf. Sugawara couldn't understand it. It didn't matter what scenarios he ran through his head; none of them added up.

Hinata had been over to his house before, of course, but back then he'd been accompanied by Kageyama for a planned visit, in the daytime, when the weather was pleasant.

But this was the exact opposite of that previous visit. Hinata was alone (other than Kags, who Sugawara was sure had led Hinata here by memory, but the dog didn't count), it was stormy, it was dark, it was in the middle of the night, and completely, one-hundred-percent unexpected.

However, despite everything rushing through his head, Sugawara didn't ask any questions (not yet, anyways). Right now, he was more focused on making sure Hinata didn't get hypothermia or something from walking in the cold rain.

They didn't even live close, why on earth was Hinata here?

When Sugawara made it back over to Hinata, the younger had already pulled his sopping wet shoes off and left them at the door; Kags was sitting by his side, waiting.

"Here," Sugawara said, taking one blanket and throwing it around his teammate. "The last thing I want is you getting sick."

Hinata blinked at him—those blind, clouded eyes, and Sugawara bit his lip, concerned. Hinata had always been a very transparent person. Even from a distance, one could tell what mood he was in, what he was thinking, or what he was feeling.

But for the first time in his life, looking into Hinata's eyes, Sugawara couldn't tell what what was going through his head.

"C'mere," Sugawara said, taking Hinata by the wrist and pulling him out of the entrance, into the living room. Hinata rolled with it, and his service dog rolled with both of them. Sugawara led Hinata to the couch and had him sit down; then, he turned and headed into the kitchen.

Something was bothering Hinata. That was really the only thing Sugawara had gathered thus far.

"I have hot chocolate. Do you want any?" Sugawara asked over his shoulder, and he saw Hinata nod shakily. Sugawara then set about bringing water to a boil over the stove and preparing two mugs.

"With or without marshmallows?" he asked.

"With."

"Alright."

Well, at least Hinata was talking to him now. Sugawara poured the hot water into the mugs and stirred in the contents of the hot cocoa packets until they dissolved. Then, he turned and crossed the kitchen to the cabinet on the other side of the room.

"Are you mad at me?"

Sugawara stopped mid-step, looking back at the couch. Hinata wasn't looking at him, his gaze turned towards the ground – almost in shame.

"...No," Sugawara said, and he moved, grabbing the marshmallows from the cabinet and adding some to the cocoa. "I'm not mad at you. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little frustrated."

Hinata swallowed. "Sor—"

"No apologizing," Sugawara said firmly. "That's all you've been doing lately. I'm not frustrated with you, I just wish you would've called me ahead of time. I would've been able to meet you at your place so you didn't have to walk by yourself."

Sugawara didn't like this one bit. He was fine with Hinata coming over, really, he was, that wasn't the problem. The problem was how defeated Hinata looked and acted. In the past, Sugawara had compared Hinata to a spring. It didn't matter what happened; he'd bounce back, just like that, and try even harder the next time.

But recently...he hadn't been like that at all. He'd been closed off, pushing himself away from his friends in isolation. Sugawara hadn't thought much of it at first; after all, different people coped with circumstances in different ways.

But Sugawara decided now that it was doing more harm than good. It was hurting Hinata, and although the spiker never admitted it to anyone, that didn't mean his teammates didn't notice, because the did. They all did.

It makes sense, thought Sugawara, as he grabbed the mugs and stepped towards the couch, that Hinata's behaving differently.

After all...

...His entire life has changed.

Honestly, when Sugawara first heard the doctor's verdict in that dull, lifeless hospital waiting room, he'd been unable to comprehend the situation. Whatsoever. It didn't matter what he did, he just could not convince himself of the truth.

His mind knew it, but his heart refused to accept it.

Hinata is blind.

No he's not, he can't be. He's not.

Hinata is blind.

No he's not.

He's blind.

He's not.

And then came the hospital visits, nearly every day from the time the accident first happened up until Hinata was discharged. On Sugawara's first visit in which Hinata was conscious, he finally was able to take in the truth.

Hinata was blind. Nothing would change that.

And sometimes Sugawara felt responsible. Excluding Daichi and Asahi, Sugawara was the oldest member of the volleyball team. He was a senpai to the first years and second years alike. He should've been watching out for them. He should've noticed the car.

Heck, Hinata noticed it and reacted quickly enough to pull Kageyama from danger, and Hinata never noticed anything, so how could Sugawara have missed it? He didn't even know anything was happening until it was too late.

So he blamed himself. He understood where Kageyama was coming from, when the younger setter refused to visit Hinata in the hospital. Sugawara was just better at hiding it, that's all.

"Here you go," said Sugawara, breaking away from his thoughts, setting one mug on the coffee table and pressing the other one into Hinata's cold hands. "It's hot, so be careful, 'kay?"

Hinata nodded. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, it's no trouble," said Sugawara, smiling softly. Then, he frowned. "You still look freezing," he said, sitting on the couch beside his kohai.

"I'm okay," Hinata said. "Better now."

Sugawara didn't believe him, but said nothing. "Alright," he said. "But I am wondering...why come all the way here at this time of night? Not to mention in this kind of weather."

"I…" Hinata looked away again. "I...I just...wanted someone to talk to. Who wasn't my family or Kageyama."

"Why not Kageyama?"

Hinata didn't answer for the longest time. "...Because I scare him sometimes," he said quietly. "Just, with...with everything that's been happening lately. He doesn't say it, but I know he's scared."

Sugawara didn't argue. He knew as well as anyone that Hinata and Kageyama could practically read each other's thoughts. It was scary sometimes, but true nonetheless.

"And because he blames himself for everything that happened," said Hinata. "He told me he'd stopped blaming himself, but he was lying, I know it. I don't want him to think this is his fault anymore."

Sugawara nodded. That made sense. "Did you tell anyone where you were going?"

Hinata shook his head.

Sugawara paled at the realization. "You should've told someone," he said. "Your mom, your sister, somebody…" All Sugawara could think of was Hinata taking a wrong turn and getting lost, and nobody knowing where he was—or maybe a criminal would find him—or maybe he'd walk into the road without realizing it, or maybe...well, the list of made-up scenarios never ended.

"I know, but…" Hinata paused, biting his lip. "...They would've tried to come with me, or told me not to," Hinata said. "My family's been so worried about me lately, I just...I didn't want…I don't..."

"You don't want them to worry anymore," Sugawara finished, and Hinata nodded silently. "I understand that," said Sugawara. "You don't like depending on others, but sometimes you have to. They love you. We love you. That's why we worry."

"I know," Hinata said. "I know, but...but still, I just…" His voice trailed off, and he didn't say anything else.

Sugawara nodded. "You don't have to explain yourself," he said, "I understand. But next time, let somebody know where you're going, alright? Please. For your own safety."

Sugawara's heart was bound to give out if Hinata ever walked the streets alone in the middle of the night without anyone knowing where he was.

Hinata nodded, just barely. "Okay," said Hinata. "I will."

They waited in silence for a little longer, sipping their hot beverages. Kags laid on a blanket on the floor at Hinata's feet, sleeping; he must have known Hinata would be safe with Sugawara, or else he wouldn't have let his guard down. Sugawara was honestly honored by this; he was glad the service animal was so loyal to his master. It put Sugawara at ease.

However, there was something else nagging in the back of Sugawara's mind, and at long last, he could take it no longer.

"So, Hinata…" Sugawara set down his mug and turned to face the spiker. "You said you wanted someone to talk to, right? What do you want to talk about?"

By the look of shock that momentarily crossed Hinata's face, he hadn't been expecting this question one bit.

"Oh, um…right," Hinata blinked a couple of times at the floor he couldn't see, and then reached over, setting his mug down on the coffee table. "I wasn't going to come here originally," he said. "I was going to just keep it to myself, but...but then I thought about what Kageyama told me, about how you guys feel when I hide things from you, and...I thought I should tell someone."

Sugawara swallowed, already fearing this conversation though he didn't know where it was going. "I'm listening."

"I...I think…" Hinata's voice cracked. "I think...I think I'm starting to forget."

Sugawara blinked, somewhat confused. He reached over, laying a hand on Hinata's shoulder gently as not to startle him. "Forget what, Hinata?" he inquired softly.

Hinata swallowed thickly, balling his fists against his knees. "Forget...you guys," Hinata said quietly, his voice strained. "Like, what you look like, I mean. I can't...I can't picture anyone very clearly anymore."

Sugawara's heart wound itself in knots. Oh.

"And...a-and I'm scared," Hinata said, and his voice cracked worse than ever, and tears began streaming down his pale face. Sugawara felt him shaking from the hand still on his shoulder. "I'm scared, Sugawara. I don't want to forget you, or Nishinoya, or Tanaka, or Daichi, or Kageyama, or Asahi, or anyone. I don't want to forget. I c-can't…" Hinata buried his face in his hands, muffling his voice and his sobs. "I can't forget. I just can't. I can't, I can't, I c-can't, I-I c-can't, I-I c-c-can't—"

Sugawara leaned over and captured Hinata in a tight embrace, unable to take it any longer, and Hinata clung to him desperately like he was the only real thing in the world, crying hard. Sugawara's own eyes stung, but he refused to let any tears fall. This wasn't about him; it was about Hinata.

Sugawara couldn't find the words to say. He couldn't find anything worth saying, anything that wouldn't feel like stupid, hollow, worthless, pointless words. There wasn't anything to say.

After all, Sugawara didn't know what it was like...to be blind.

"What if I forget?" Hinata sobbed, breaking Sugawara from his thoughts. Hinata was trembling so hard it was almost ridiculous, and Kags, now wide-awake, let out a low, worried whine. "I-I feel like I just met you all. I f-finally have a real t-team, and...a-and...I c-can't forget, Sugawara. I c-can't."

And Sugawara found himself at a complete loss. A complete, utter loss. There was absolutely nothing he could do, and he hated it. He hated the fact that he couldn't help Hinata when he was scared. He hated the fact that there was literally nothing he could do about Hinata's sight.

So he did the only thing he knew how to do.

He hugged Hinata tighter and didn't let go. He didn't, and he wouldn't, not now and not ever.

"It's okay," Sugawara said, feeling stupid, but he'd feel even stupider if he kept silent through all of this, so he kept going. "It's okay, Hinata. We're here. We're still here, and we're not going anywhere. Even if you forget...we're never leaving. We'll always be right here."

It wasn't much, but it was a sound promise Sugawara could make knowing without even the slightest bit of doubt he and the rest of the team could keep. Would keep.

Hinata fell silent for a moment, and then, he dissolved into sobs once again, but this time he was murmuring "thank you" under his breath, just loud enough (and coherent enough) for Sugawara to hear.

"...You don't have to thank me," Sugawara said, trying to keep his own voice from shaking. "Please, don't thank me. It's okay."

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Hinata gasped. "I-I'm sorry, f-for...f-for s-showing up s-so late—"

"It's okay. Don't apologize, I told you it's okay."

"I-I f-feel like...l-like I'm...I-I'm s-such a b-burden."

"Never. Never. You're not a burden, I promise. We all love you, more than you realize. We want to help you."

Hinata didn't answer this time; just clung to Sugawara even tighter and let his tears fall. Sugawara returned the gesture, squeezing his kohai tight.

"And...Hinata…"

Hinata didn't reply verbally, but Sugawara felt his nod against his chest.

"...Don't ever call yourself a burden again. And I mean ever. Alright?"

Hinata fell silent again for just a brief second, and then, he nodded, this time much more fervently and feverishly. Sugawara didn't say anything else after that, and neither did Hinata. Nothing more had to be said.

Sugawara lost track of just how long he and his kohai sat unmoving on the couch, Hinata still wrapped in blankets (which were now damp thanks to his sopping clothes) and the service animal still laying on the floor. It didn't matter how long they were there, either. Whether it was minutes or hours, it didn't matter.

All that mattered right now was Hinata.

It took a long time—longer than Sugawara would have liked—but finally, Hinata stopped shuddering, and his tears ceased. The house was completely silent now, and it took Sugawara a moment before he realized that the storm raging outside had ceased, too.

And after that, it took yet another moment for him to realize Hinata had fallen asleep.

Sugawara smiled softly—and dolefully—and then, he carefully untangled Hinata's arms from around his waist and laid the younger down on the couch, covering him with another blanket afterwards. Hinata didn't even stir.

The spiker was exhausted; this was something Sugawara could tell from the instant Hinata walked into his house. Going through all of this was taking its toll, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes, Sugawara didn't know how Hinata found the strength to keep going.

Maybe he was a lot stronger than they took him for. Or maybe he was just stubborn. Either way, Sugawara admired it.

He turned up the house's heater a couple notches and left briefly to find an old t-shirt Hinata could wear. He didn't want to, but he knew he'd eventually have to wake Hinata up and have him change out of his wet clothes, or he really would end up getting sick.

Just as Sugawara was returning from his room, his phone suddenly rang, making him jump. He'd quite forgotten that he'd kept his phone on him since earlier that evening.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared down at the caller ID displayed on the phone's outer screen.

Incoming Call: Kageyama Tobio

Sugawara frowned, glanced over at the couch to make sure Hinata hadn't woken up (he hadn't), and then, he flipped his phone open and accepted the call.

"Kageyama?"

"SUGAWARA!"

Sugawara yanked the phone away from his ear as fast as physically possible, and all the way over at the couch, Kags perked up, looking around wildly. Hinata still didn't stir.

"LISTEN, I'M SORRY FOR CALLING SO LATE, BUT HINATA'S NOT ANSWERING HIS PHONE! I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT HE ALWAYS ANSWERS WHEN I CALL HIM, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF HIM FOR AN HOUR NOW! I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS!"

Kageyama said it all in one breath, shouting all the while, and honestly, this impressed Sugawara more than he wanted to admit.

"Kageyama, calm down," Sugawara said gently. "It's alright, Hinata's fine. He's with me."

Sugawara realized now that Hinata must've left his phone at his house. The realization that Hinata didn't even think to bring any form of communication with him terrified Sugawara. He'd always been protective of his teammates—moreover, his friends—but as of recent, he'd been especially protective of Hinata.

He heard Kageyama let out a long, shuddering sigh. "H-H-Holy crap...that scared me for a second...erm, sorry for freaking out, Sugawara…"

Sugawara shook his head. "No, it's alright," he said. "I'm sure I'd be pretty worried, too."

"Yeah...right…"

There was something in Kageyama voice—exhaustion?—that Sugawara didn't fail to miss.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

There was a long beat of silence before Kageyama answered. "Do you really think any of us are 'alright' right now?" There was a bitter edge to his voice now, not that it really mattered.

"That's not what I'm asking," said Sugawara. "I'm asking if you're okay. If you're taking care of yourself."

Silence.

And then...

"...I've been on edge. A lot. I'm...frustrated. Really, really, frustrated."

"I know," I'm living it, too, "but—"

"I can't do anything. I can't even help the idiot. I don't know how. I'm useless."

Kageyama had never opened up to Sugawara like this before, so for the longest while, Sugawara didn't know how to respond.

"You're not useless," Sugawara said at long last. "Nothing you've done or been doing is useless. I think...I think morale support is really what Hinata needs right now. Friends, I mean. So nothing you're doing is pointless, alright? You're doing everything you can, I know you are, so don't worry."

"I know, I just...wish there was more I could do."

"We all do, but sometimes...sometimes there isn't more you can do."

"...Right. You're right."

Sugawara nodded. "I've got Hinata," he said, "so you don't have to worry about him anymore. Take some time to yourself, alright?"

"But—"

"Take a shower. Eat something. Go to sleep."

"But—"

"Nothing you say is going to change anything, Kageyama."

Kageyama didn't respond for a few seconds; he was probably trying to think of some sort of "smashing" reply.

But apparently, nothing came to mind, because a few seconds later, Kageyama resigned and sighed, "Alright. I'll try sleeping."

"Good. Take care of yourself, alright? Don't forget, your health matters, too."

"...Alright. Thanks."

Click.

And Sugawara closed his phone and set it on the coffee table in case he needed it later.

…

As it turned out, Sugawara did need his phone more sooner than later; he phoned Daichi, who Sugawara knew stayed up to ungodly hours, and asked him for Mrs. Hinata's number (which he was aware Daichi had) and then, Sugawara called Hinata's mother. At first, the woman was frantic—specifically when Sugawara mentioned the fact that Hinata had been completely alone other than Kags—but Sugawara was quick to remind her that yes, Hinata was safe, and yes, he would be fine until morning.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come pick him up?" Mrs. Hinata had asked him, motherly concern seeping into her tone.

"I'm sure," Sugawara had replied. "He's sleeping at the moment. Don't worry, I'll look after him."

Mrs. Hinata thanked him more than once for his kindness, apologized for the trouble (even though Sugawara told her it was unnecessary) and then hung up. Sugawara then took care of everything else; he got Hinata to wake up long enough to change out of his wet clothes and into some of Sugawara's old ones, and then, when Hinata went back to sleep, Sugawara dried Kags' wet fur with a couple of old towels. As soon as he was finished, Kags leapt onto the couch and curled up beside Hinata, and almost instinctively, Hinata shifted, rolling over onto his side and hugging the service animal tightly.

Sugawara smiled at the scene, left a small bowl of water on the floor for the dog, and headed upstairs to grab his homework. He didn't want to leave Hinata downstairs by himself for very long, so he resolved to grab his books and study until his parents came home.

He wasn't tired, and even if he was, Sugawara knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. There were too many loud, persistent thoughts running through his head, and they were just as loud (if not louder) than the storm from earlier.

After all, Sugawara had never been a heavy sleeper.

But maybe it wasn't a curse after all.

Actually, if being a light sleeper meant being available to help his precious kohai when he needed him, then it was a blessing.

Author's Notes:

Sugawara is the Team Mom and no one can convince me otherwise.

Speaking of moms, am I the only person who imagines Hinata's mother being like Molly Weasley from Harry Potter? I mean seriously, I can't be the only person...right?

This was originally going to be "training camp" chapter but writing that's taking more thought than I originally thought it would, so that's gonna have to be the next chapter, unfortunately. But here's a simple lay-out of what I have planned, so you know what to look for:

Chapter 13, The Strengthening (Training Camp)
Chapter 14, The Breakthrough (Karasuno vs. Aoba Johsai)
Chapter 15, OMAKE, A Group of Crows is Called A Murder (Hinata Protection Squad Part 2)
Chapter 16, OMAKE, The Senpais and their Kohai (focusing on Tanaka and Nishinoya)

So that's what I'm planning. Again, if you guys have any other ideas, let me know. :) The more the merrier (and the more ideas I have the longer this fic will be in the end sooo...yeah if that's motivation at all. :P)

And now, shout-outs, beginning with the favoriters/followers and going down to the reviewers! :D Here's to 3elizabeth, 7thScythe, 27aquarrow72, 1-10 were taken, Aurora M Borialice, BlueMoonChaos, Ancient Glory, AnimeWolf56, ArchimedesAckermann, angiecrevansalamero, AnimeXD801, Bibi2002, BlueThief, Bluehawk4, CallofRanger13, Cardfighter By Maple, CrystalSeker, Caleo Ignacium, CareBear0309, Dark Papercut, DemigodBooks, Dutchess Frost, Entity Rose, ErinGreen, GAARA12223, GuardianWitchDemiGhost, Hizuri Kyouko, HalfwayParanoid, HarryPotterObsessed44, Helafina, Hikari1994, horsegrl2000, InsanityOwl, Iris Patton, ItsHoodButItsGood, ImpsDream, KisunaFuji, KyoRina97, Lexihenning12, Lilithsleeps15, LostSilva, LucarioLilySH, NPham1, NKelley756, Olorin69, RandomFujoshi, Reyna di Angelo, Sebastian Michaeles, Saphirabrightscale, Slam'in Burst, TarantulaLove, Turtles18, tsukasa913, TimeTurner394, tista93, Yami no Ookami, ayyyrahh, kpoplover456, Meiyo12, Monki91, mangageek3, m is for mochi, meroku, MooseTalk, 3, pantherlilly17, plomieniefeniksa, MysteryElv, Nona-96, nanigirl15, RepeatingSimplePhrases, reveal13, Yukio4, happycookie2300, kaizyfordemwalt, XxYesterdayTodayTomorrowxX, ViolentOtaku, and monkey76! Thanks for all your continued support! If I missed any names, let me know! :)

And here's to the reviewers:

Zunifex: Aww thank you! :)

Sadie: Here's your update! :D

happycookie2300: YEAH! GO HINATA! :D

LucarioLilySH: Indeed. *sips tea* I am looking forward to the match. :D

Cardfighter By Maple: I knnnoooow! I love Hinata so much! He tries so hard! :)

RepeatingSimplePhrases: OH MY GOSH THAT IS HILARIOUS I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO UNSEE THAT NOW OH MY GGGOOOOOSSSSHHHHH.

Guest: I KNOW, RIGHT!? I'M SO PROUD OF HINATA! :D

Dutchess Frost: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to leave a review! :D I had SO MUCH FUN with that movie chapter; I'm so happy so many other people enjoyed it! :D Thanks for the review! :D

RandomFujoshi: Awwww, that's quite the compliment there! I'm honored to hear you like my story that much! :D Thanks for the review! I'm looking forward to the Spring Tournament, too! :D

Iris Patton: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Wow. XD Thanks for the review! :D

And that's it! Thank you all for your continued support! If I missed anyone in the shout-outs, please, please let me know! I don't want anyone to be left out! :D

Cheers!

-BeyondTheClouds777