YEAR FIVE.25 3/3 Sanguine
If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.
Hajime Iwaizumi follows the rookery leader into his study, his entire spine rigid.
He has no idea what is coming. He doesn't know if he should expect a thank you and a pat on the back or a beheading. He doesn't know if he will be rewarded for his efforts or imprisoned, doesn't know if he'll see the sun rise tomorrow. He doesn't know if he's made the right choices and he doesn't know if the Grand King will recognize his reasons.
What he does know… is that the man he's always followed, whose back is to him now as he comes to stand in the center of the room, the man he's given his sanity, his very heart and soul to serve—he knows.
They'd finished playing that one match, the rookery team having won by just a hair with the owl setter who he remembers being disturbingly good at knots. It had been a very unpredictable match for them and it had taken every ounce of concentration they'd had to stay on their toes.
Kageyama's team had been a complete wildcard; the only four people he knew anything about Volley wise were the avian heir, the shrimp, the short crow, and the bearded ace. The ibis and crow he'd tailed back to their beach home had both played, the blond in particular quite formidable at the net. The streaked owl who'd been laid up the last time he'd seen him was as powerful as Azumane and as motivated as Hinata.
And they'd set up in a baffling lineup. Nishinoya had rotated in when the small spiker and the ibis hit the back row, always playing defense. He never hit, would occasionally set a ball for Azumane or Kageyama, but damn, he'd gotten good at receives.
And of course, they'd had to deal with that beast of a serve from the crow setter, but the singularly most dangerous aspect about their team had been the quick from Hinata and Kageyama. It was lightning fast and impossible to keep up with. They'd scored probably eight points off that alone, the owl setter grousing about how the rookery blockers would have to be faster if they wanted to stop him. The avian heir and the shrimp were so in sync that it was hard to keep tabs on them. And with Kageyama as setter, every time any of the others went to hit, it was always a perfect toss.
Really, the only reason they'd won was because Kageyama's team had literally not played aerial volley in five years. It seemed like all of Hajime's team's points had been made off the other side's mistakes that were textbook of having not played together, and being out of practice. There were several instances where it was apparent that this group didn't normally play together and had never played aerial together in any case.
And then there was their condition. Every one of them was damn near spent by the time the last point fell. They might have played 'ground Volley' as the grey cat had called it—every day, but it was a different type of energy being spent in aerial and they were clearly unused to it. The first to fail had been Hinata, his wings starting to go unresponsive on him before they hit the last ten points of the game even with the short crow subbing for him on back line. When they'd sent the short cat in and pulled Nishinoya into Hinata's place for the rest of the match despite how he was slowing down as well, Hajime's team had nearly faltered completely in surprise.
Only a sharp word from the owl setter on their side had brought their focus back into call, but it was uncanny how quick that small cat was, and how well he covered all the hits from the ground just like Noya had done in the air. It had been even more unsettling that the cat had constantly been behind and below them, and they'd placed complete faith in his abilities to not only cover them in game, but also to not attack them from behind. It was far easier to forget that their setter and the streaked ace on the other side were owls as they'd played, but the small feline lacking wings was impossible to see as anything else.
Really, the one time he'd seen the Grand King's jaw really tighten throughout that entire match was when that cat had been on the court in easy striking distance of any of the other avians who all apparently trusted him far and away enough to leave their backs to him without a second thought. It didn't' matter that Tooru had set the rest of the rookery team on edge when he'd gone and sat with the grey cat for ten minutes; he wasn't comfortable with his son being in such close proximity to them.
But that had made absolutely no difference to Kageyama who readily interacted with both the cats and the owls. He spoke to all of them without reservation, barked at anyone getting lazy, and even offered quiet praise when they connected for a particularly exhilarating winning rally. He collided with the streaked owl on blocks, automatically found Nishinoya or the small cat for that perfect receive to line up a toss, sought out crows as often as he did Hinata, the ibis, or the owl for hits. Watching Kageyama play with the varied group, it had been obvious that he no longer saw the differences he and the Grand King stumbled over; instead, he'd trusted his receivers implicitly, honed his tosses for each spiker, and had faith that everyone would put forth every bit as much effort as he did.
After the aerial match, they'd proceeded to start a casual game of four on four at the ground Volley net and from there, it had become abundantly clear where their greatest strengths had manifested in the last five years. Even dragging after shelling their wings on an aerial match, the casual ground match had been mind boggling in how quick it was. It had been eerie how comfortable they all were without using their wings, and it suddenly all made sense how the ibis and freckled crow had been able to read him so easily that day he'd followed them home. They'd all been so accustomed to ground movement that there were times where they looked far more feline than avian—like cats with wings instead of actual birds.
Noya's real impact had come through clear with his ability to snap into place perfectly to receive any ball. The small cat on the other side had been just as fluid and just as dangerous. The grey cat had taken flak all around for getting excited when he got a blocking hot streak going, because 'shut up, you furball, you didn't burn out through an earlier match'. But it had seemed to ignite a resurgence of energy just the same, the ibis and shrimp stepping up to hit around him. The two owls, now on the same side of the net, suddenly connected like Kageyama and Hinata had in the air, their practiced precision nearly as deadly. Asahi's power and control off his hand had been frighteningly advanced over the broadside hits off his wing from the aerial match, and the freckled crow's jump serve was as devastating as Kageyama's. And of course, the freak duo had been even more insanely lethal in their element.
When Kageyama finally called a stop, he'd handed the bundle of herbs he'd been buying when they'd run into them to the smaller owl to make a tea for Hinata in an oddly domestic action. The redhead had scowled at him, and Akaashi had wordlessly nodded and set to the task without hesitation. It was strange, because they had to have known that burning all their energy on the Volley match would leave them vulnerable in the event the Grand King went back on his word, and yet they followed through.
Not once in the following few hours had Kageyama's group turned toward them expectantly, determined to part ways. Instead, they'd secured food for a meal, and the Grand King, Hajime, and his unit had cautiously and reservedly joined them for it on the invitation of the lanky cat much to the short one's supreme irritation.
"But Mori, you'd never be able to eat all this anyway, you're too small."
"You're either masochistic or very stupid." The ibis had remarked before the small cat had had a chance to respond.
"The first one. Mori explained it to me once, and it's that one." The grey cat had said and even Hajime had snorted through his own tension.
"God dammit, Lev. I swear to god, I will bury you." The russet cat had threatened.
"You know, I'm pretty sure it's actually a bit of both. Yaku got Akaashi to teach him that one knot just last week." The streaked owl had said and Noya had perked up.
"The gag one?" He'd asked before turning to the smaller owl. "What did Lev do to piss him off so bad that time?"
"It was a prank." Kageyama had supplied flatly without looking at any of them and Hinata had laughed.
"Lev told Tanaka exactly how high he needed to suspend Yaku's pants while he was in the bath so he couldn't reach them even by jumping." The redhead had chimed in as the smaller owl had handed him his cup of tea.
"Wait, that's why you were so livid that day?" Azumane had asked the russet cat who'd worn nothing but a homicidal scowl permanently affixed to the grey one.
"Hey, that one wasn't intentional. Tanaka sent Natsu to ask the question and I assumed she was just curious. I didn't know any of that was going to happen." The grey cat had groveled.
If one had been able to get over their reservations, the group really was quite entertaining.
Hajime had seen how the Grand King had watched every interaction with a critical eye, had zeroed in on Hinata and Kageyama in particular. And he knew the rookery leader didn't miss the careful attention that was ever on the redhead by everyone as he grew almost visibly stiff in his muscles and wings, his own son most of all. The rookery leader's mouth would quirk slightly when the young crow setter would fall into bantering exchanges with all of them, both giving and taking insults with far more ease than he ever had as a sentry. Tooru's brow had risen when the rest of Kageyama's mismatched group constantly reminded he and the redhead about keeping space between them much to their annoyance.
And Hajime had seen his own shock mirrored in the creases of his king's face when Kageyama had finally brushed them off because 'he'd already let the bat out of the bag, so forget it', the ensuing glow that ignited anytime the two settled together more than a couple minutes nailing a stark reality home.
And his face had smoothed into neutral geniality anytime Kageyama would throw him a challenging glance, as if to say,
'You wanted to see, so look. Are you satisfied? Are you disappointed? Do you think I care? Do you still doubt me? Still intend make me your successor? I will not comply. I will never conform. Go ahead and force me back home, just you try it.'
The young heir's looks were each a silent dare, a declaration that he stood against everything the Grand King wanted for him—wanted from him… and Hajime knew that somewhere inside the rookery leader, they had each cut like a knife. Here was the person he'd invested everything in, but who wanted nothing to do with him—not even the time to talk. He'd spent centuries grooming this kid to take his place only to have everything he'd planned to hand over thrown back in his face, because he'd never paused to listen to him when he'd needed Tooru's support and understanding most.
They'd never fostered a relationship that allowed that connection and it was destroying whatever was left of it now. Because Kageyama and Hinata were levelers… and the black cat had been right.
The Grand King would have killed his own son, unintentionally as it might have been. Somewhere along the line, Hajime had discerned that the rookery leader had intended to exile Hinata, not just ban him, and he knew the life expectancy of a grounded avian had been bleak. If Kageyama had allowed things to continue as they were, had let him be exiled, they might have already had a dead prince. And Hajime knew that painful reality had struck deep, and was only exacerbated by Kageyama's flatly rebellious and accusatory glances.
The others had taken their cue from him. While not as outwardly hostile, they'd maintained a buffer of politeness, but it was easy to tell that they were simply waiting for the sentry group to leave. Kageyama might not have wanted to lead, but the entire group here moved off his word. He'd said that Kuroo ran the show at the beach house… but even back then, the avian heir's opinions had held weight. He'd watched the avians and cats around the crow prince and Hinata with their carefully attentive demeanor, his brow scrunched.
And in a flash of insight, Hajime had understood.
It wasn't Kageyama who was the puppet master… because even he made every choice and move with regard to another. The idea that the small redhead was actually the one holding the strings of this entire group of mismatched individuals had been mind boggling, because Hinata himself was probably the most oblivious to it. Which meant all of these people followed Kageyama because of the sunny redhead, gravitated and listened to the cobalt-eyed prince because his leveler did. And they all did that of their own free will—even the antagonistic ibis.
When the Grand King had called for he and his unit to gather so they could head back to the rookery without so much as a word of summons in Kageyama's direction, Hajime had been…surprised. The Grand King had turned toward the group that watched them warily, his gaze pausing on the grey cat who'd smiled slightly at them before he found his son.
"We should play again sometime, Tobio. I'll have to ask your source to set up another match." Hajime had tensed, but the avian heir hadn't even glanced at the sentry leader.
"You are letting us go?" Kageyama had asked instead, as if he could hardly believe it.
"That is what you wanted, right? Take care, Feathers." He'd said with a pinched smile, and Kageyama… had stared.
And then the avian heir had taken three steps forward and bowed to the rookery leader. After an entire evening of scalding looks, the action was the first from his son that wasn't rebellious or willfully provoking. It was one of respect… and gratitude. It had made the rookery leader's shoulders pull up just a touch in surprise before he'd turned and leapt into the sky, Hajime and the rest of the other sentries following without needing any order.
The glimpse he'd caught of the expression on his face… had been one of joyful sorrow. The creases at the corners of his eyes had betrayed how much pain he was feeling, but the small serene smile that touched his lips had told Hajime that he would suffer it in silence.
And Hajime wants to cringe, because the entire trip home, the rookery leader hasn't once looked at him.
Tooru hasn't looked his way since that one glance back at the little shop in the moments after they'd first run into Kageyama. Hasn't sought his gaze since that one instant where the rookery leader's eyes had been creased with comprehension and betrayal.
The Grand King knows. There's no way he can't. He's one of the sharpest people Hajime's ever met, an aspect of his personality that hasn't changed since Kageyama and the first unit left.
And all he can do is wait for the impending disaster as he watches the Grand King's silent form, the room feeling too crowded despite the way they are the only two in it.
"You lied, Iwa." The declaration comes, quiet and flat, and Hajime is glad that Tooru is facing the back wall of his study, because he doesn't want to know what expression he's wearing. Still he swallows all the same; he won't cower in shame.
"Yes." He says, his voice sounding hollow. The Grand King's head turns just slightly, as if he's making sure to catch every word, but determined not to give him the respect of his attention.
"You kept information from me." That dead tone grates on Hajime's nerves, but he won't shy. He did this; he will be prepared for whatever comes because of it.
"Yes, sir."
"You fed them info in return." He flinches, because while he didn't feed the beach crew information that would necessarily have compromised the rookery leadership or military, he did warn them when sentries were encroaching too close.
"I did." He says woodenly and the Grand King's shoulders slack, his gaze dropping to the floor by his feet.
"How long, Iwa." It's not the query Hajime expects. It's not that all-encompassing, critical 'why'. But the Grand King knows… and Hajime is through with lying.
"I found them about a year after they went missing." He says.
"Four years." The Grand King says softly. He lets out a tired breath and moves to sit at his desk, still not meeting Hajime's eyes.
"Four years, Iwa. There's something really disheartening that the only person to have been blatantly honest with me regarding Tobio happened to be a cat who doesn't have a filter. Your source this whole time was my own son." He says and Hajime frowns.
"No. I was in contact with someone who knew Feath—Kageyama; he wasn't the actual source." He says, the moniker for the avian heir almost rolling off his tongue through sheer reflex.
After four years of conversing with the black cat and the name having become synonymous with the avian heir, he's painfully aware of how he's almost come to use it more than the avian prince's own name anytime he thinks of him. He feels another pang of guilt as the rookery leader's eyes flicker to the side, knowing he didn't miss it. That blasted name that brought everything to a head, to light, to ruin… and Hajime couldn't be more ashamed to have uttered it now, more than cementing his role in all of this.
"Well at least you aren't lying about that." Tooru says quietly, his face creasing with the slightest frown.
"I beg your pardon, sir?" Hajime asks uncertainly.
"Tobio is my son; I know his handwriting. Neither of the two individuals' on that missive you showed me were his."
Oh.
He really had been toying with fire this whole time; the slightest slip, one wrong step, and it would all have shattered. As it turns out, his gamble to get the Grand King to act and save Kageyama and the others from the snake nest had proved too much of a stretch. He'd caved too far under the pressure of time constraints and a critical situation.
"But Feathers is unquestionably Tobio." The Grand King says, a bid for clarification that recalls his attention. Hajime nods once.
"The same. He was at the snake nest that night."
"That was why you were so adamant."
"My contact called for help to save him; if I'd refused, he probably would have died."
"And did you know about Tobio and Hinata?" The Grand King doesn't have to say anything more for Hajime to know that he's asking about their leveler status.
"No. When I found him, the shrimp didn't have wings again yet, and they didn't tell me."
"But you knew his location—you know where he is now. Did you help him escape?"
"I did not. I was as baffled by his disappearance as anyone until I found out myself."
"Iwa."
"Sir?"
"Where has my son been the last five years?" Hajime's breath catches.
"I can't reveal that, sir." He says and Tooru's eyes narrow even if his expression remains flat.
"Because you don't want me to find him? Because you want his place?" Hajime's jaw drops and then his brow wrinkles into a hard frown.
"Because he will disappear again the moment he finds out you know. That was the deal—I'd be allowed to know their movements so long as you never did. I made the choice to be able to contact him if the need should arise over losing touch with him altogether again."
"I don't know if I should trust you, Iwa." His gut twists at those words.
You can.
"What would you like me to do, sir?" He asks hollowly instead.
"Talk to me, Iwa." The Grand King says, his eyes never leaving top of his desk.
"What do you want me to say?" He feels like his chest is being crushed.
"All of it." Hajime's gut sinks.
"I can't tell you everything, sir." He murmurs in a strangled voice.
"I don't care, Iwa. Just speak."
So Hajime speaks.
~Three Months Later, Summer's End~
Hajime takes a deep breath and pushes into the rookery leader's study. He's wholly uncomfortable with this plan, and he's most displeased with the damn cat showing up here yet again.
They've been over this, time and again. Cats don't belong in the freaking rookery.
"Ah, Iwa! I was actually just going to come find you. Yahaba was in here not too long ago complaining about how much you've been leaving the team practices to him. You know, your team will suffer if your performances decline, right?"
"Yes, well that will have to wait, sir. There is someone I'm supposed to bring you to meet."
"Oh, your contact? You've set up a location to talk with the cat?"
"Eh…" Hajime blows out a breath of frustration and runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess. He's in the next room over." Tooru blinks at him.
"Excuse me?" Hajime wants to grimace.
This was why he'd told the cat not to come here.
"Next room over. He's waiting for you." He repeats. Tooru stands, his face creasing with irritation. As he steps around his desk and heads for the door as Hajime holds it open for him, the rookery leader's face takes on the hint of a scowl.
"And how many people know he's this deep in the rookery?" He asks as Hajime steps around him and leads the way the ten steps to the next little conference room, mentally trying to prepare himself for the coming storm.
"None." He says flatly as he reaches for the door and the rookery leader jars.
"What? How the hell did you get him here without anyone knowing?" The Grand King asks critically as he follows him inside.
"He didn't. We found our own way in." The voice of the black cat answers for him and Tooru pauses, throwing an uneasy glance his way. Hajime merely steps back and bows with a hand extended toward the room in invitation to allow the rookery leader by. His eyes crease slightly with accusation before he regroups, his features smoothing out into amiable guardedness, and Hajime knows automatically that it isn't genuine; the slight tension in the muscles of his neck betray how on edge he is.
And as he takes in the room's occupants, the sentry leader sees them tighten just a little more. Both the ibis and streaked owl are here, too; neither had been part of the meeting request the Grand King had had him extend to Kuroo. As the black cat stands to his full height, he wonders if the feline did it on purpose for intimidation, because the Grand King isn't accustomed to being one of the shortest people in the room.
"Kuroo, I presume? I see you've brought friends." He says easily and the cat nods and extends a hand.
"Insurance. You will have to forgive the unexpected intrusion, but I have a hard time trusting you any farther than I can throw you." The cat says evenly, his mismatched gaze piercing in its intensity. Tooru takes the hand with only the slightest hesitation and a mild smile, but his eyes crease slightly with guarded caution.
"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual." He says and Kuroo's gaze sharpens.
"Mutual as in your minions directly killed off half my friends and family?" He asks quietly, his presence barely changing, but the words make him far more menacing. But Tooru meets the challenge head on.
"Mutual as in you have my son in your care, and I haven't had a confirmation of Tobio's wellbeing since that impromptu meeting and match three months ago; just your word through Iwa's ravens."
"Then I shouldn't point out that your one relative has fared far better in my care than all of mine did in yours? You'd be interested then to know I was the one that talked him into holding off on picking up and moving when we got your request for a rematch." Tooru's gaze fractures but his eyes harden.
"If that's true, what reason would you have for doing that? What are you after?" He asks releasing the cat's hand.
"Sleepless nights and a whole new level of hell, apparently." He says and Bokuto snorts, earning an exasperated gaze that makes Hajime think the cat has already had to remind the owl why they are here.
Kuroo turns and gestures for the rookery leader to sit before taking the chair across the table. Hajime can tell that Tooru is uncomfortable, can see the rigid set to his shoulders as he does as the cat bids.
"I told your idiot kid to sit tight because a certain grey cat asked me to, not because it was any idea of mine."
"Then I suppose I owe Lev a thank you." He says and Kuroo's eye flashes. Hajime is privately impressed that the Grand King remembered his name from that one evening of interaction—although Yaku had barked it often enough that he'd be amused if he didn't.
"I hope so. You won't get another opportunity to tap him for information like that again. He might mean well, but he has about as much awareness of what he's dealing with as if he were to walk into a viper pit blindfolded—and experience says he might well pay for it."
"The cat was honest; you have nothing to fear for him from me. All I want is for Tobio to honor our agreement." Hajime hates how honesty has become one of the Grand King's biggest concerns in the last three months where it hadn't been in the last however many centuries. It's easily the biggest sticking point in their own odd relationship right now.
"Exploiting a minor technicality of that deal is pretty underhanded for a king." The ibis cuts in and Kuroo glances at him sharply.
"The guy is right, though. We didn't actually give him a match; we gave the sentry unit with him a match." The owl on the cat's other side rebuffs. Kuroo clears his throat and the streaked owl scowls.
"In your message, you asked for two things: the location of our home and a Volley rematch. I want to give you neither." The black cat says darkly.
"But we might be able to give you both." The owl says with a cheeky smirk.
"Ignore him. He's just amped at the idea of another chance to beat you guys. His opinions carry no weight." The ibis says and Kuroo looks like he's losing his patience as the streaked owl puffs up with indignance.
"You blond prick—"
"Do you guys remember what I asked you along for?" Kuroo cuts Bokuto off and the owl blinks.
"We're supposed to be backup in case things go south." He answers while the ibis merely watches them all with a bored look.
"Right. And I enjoy the running commentary from you two, but I don't think it's necessary for this interaction. Can we resume this on the way home?" Kuroo says with a nonplussed look. When the other two avians fall silent he turns back to the Grand King.
"I have to wonder what you did to Feathers that he's willing to go to the ends of the earth to get away from you. It took his redheaded leveler two days to convince him to even think about it. Do you know how long it normally takes him to get Feathers to do something? Two minutes, tops. It even almost sparked another 'breaking' fight. Kageyama wanted nothing to do with your request." He says, his one clear eye straying nonchalantly to his nails.
"What happened is in the past and none of your business." The Grand King says stiffly. The cat's uneven golden gaze flickers for a moment before finding Tooru again.
"Actually, it kind of is. Kageyama might be your son, but he's my clanmate and friend, and I happen to care about his mental state, despite his penchant for frazzling my mind. Either way, I've heard enough that I can probably guess the rest." Kuroo says quietly, his gaze piercing and Hajime gets the feeling that the cat probably knows more about that strained relationship than even he does.
"Lev might have asked me to cool his wings, but if you want someone to thank, it should be the shrimp. Kageyama is willing to consider a rematch—at our home—under one condition." Kuroo says critically.
"Which is?" Tooru prompts, almost sounding eager.
"You declare a successor." The Grand King blinks at the black cat with surprise.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You must declare a successor such that you will have no way to force him back home by pinning the responsibility back on him."
"And who am I just going to throw into that position on a whim? It takes centuries to condition someone to rule."
"Then it will be centuries before you see your son."
"But Daichi did have a suggestion." The streaked owl cuts in.
"Pinfeathers, Bokuto. You suck at being a wallflower." Kuroo says exasperatedly.
"Pinfeathers?" The Grand King asks, a brow cocking disbelievingly and Kuroo shakes his head with a huff of annoyance.
"Yeah, just another one of your avian-isms," he murmurs with a flourish, "I'm surrounded by more winged morons twenty-four-seven than I can keep track of; it was bound to start happening eventually." The Grand King clears his throat lightly.
"I see. So who does Sawamura recommend?" He asks politely, as if he has no intention of taking it seriously in any case.
"The person who's constantly been at your side." The cat answers frankly, finding Hajime behind the rookery leader, his companions' gazes quickly following. There are several moments where both he and the Grand King stare back at the black cat before Tooru's gaze flicks toward him with a raised brow.
Oh, yes, this doesn't look like a setup for me at all. It definitely doesn't look like I kept their secret in return for their support in my own bid for power. Gods damn you, you blasted cat.
The Grand King doesn't even get the chance to argue, because Hajime's losing his temper faster than the rookery leader can turn back to the large feline.
"You can kindly go to hell. I'm not going to lead this place." He growls.
"Unless I'm mistaken, your assessment isn't the one that counts." The ibis says frostily.
"The blond is right…" The Grand King says before turning back to Kuroo inquisitively, "but I'm curious on the basis for Sawamura's choice. Iwa lied to me. Why should I make him my successor?" Tooru says, leveling an expectant look at the cat.
Despite his ire over being put forth as a candidate for consideration, the Grand King's words sting, and his gut twists on him like it has every time Tooru's reminded him of this fact.
"His exact words?" The cat asks before leaning forward on his elbows to continue without prompting. "'There is no one else who could be more loyal to the Grand King's bloodline. Iwaizumi did his best to serve both father and son even when they were at utter odds, risking his own life to maintain a treasonous connection to a unit guilty of desertion. To ensure that Tooru's son lived and that he'd be available to help should Kageyama have needed aid without regard of the consequences he might bear—and all for the sake of the Grand King's eventual reconciliation and peace of mind, is a mark of the greatest devotion. Tooru will find no one else more fit to take up his mantle.'" The rookery leader blinks before his brows draw down in a frown.
"Iwa still lied to me. He kept the knowledge of Tobio's location from me. Even let me fear he was dead. Would you rely on someone who betrayed you like that?"
Hajime does his damnedest not to let his gut pinch at the words; they are true after all. The black cat leans back, sprawling casually in his chair with an amused upturn of his mouth.
"That would depend." The sentry leader sees a muscle leap at the corner of the rookery leader's eye.
"On what, Cat?"
"On the circumstances surrounding that choice, Crow. Did you ever ask why he kept it from you?" The cat says bluntly, purposely mirroring the Grand King's rude address.
Tooru almost looks like he wants to rattle off a burning retort before he pauses, the black cat's words getting through. Hajime wants to curse as he sees it register, sees the Grand King's brow crinkle in a slight frown, sees his sorrel gaze seek him out as he turns to look at him expectantly.
But as much as Hajime is finished with lying, this is one thing he will not volunteer. He will not parade his deepest motivations and reasons around as if they should be considered points in his favor. He isn't standing beside the Grand King after everything that's happened because he seeks recognition or military experience or to usurp Tooru's position, and it certainly isn't because he wants Kageyama's place. He doesn't. He never did. He stays beside the rookery leader because he is a worthy king and a good man despite all his shortcomings. Hajime will follow him because he is a great ruler that he's sure no successor will measure up to. There is no one else he'd want to guide the rookery into the future.
And when Tooru tires of his company, Hajime will accept that with grace even if it isn't what he wants. He has no idea how long the Grand King will keep him around, honestly believes he'd have been executed by now for his role in this mess but for his connection to Kageyama. He will not vaunt his loyalty to the rookery leader in a bid to prolong his life, for it is not his to fight for; that privilege belongs to Tooru, and Tooru alone, and if he commands Hajime to die, then die he will.
"Iwa?" The rookery leader's prompt forces his eyes to the floor, but he keeps silent. He has nothing to say. The Grand King looks back at the black cat, and when Hajime looks up once more, his face is contorted with dangerous suspicion.
"What did you do to him." He growls, and Hajime is quietly stunned at the rise of aggression on his behalf, the complete discard of that mask altogether.
"Do?" Kuroo asks with a surprised expression. "We tied him up for a bit, but we didn't do anything to him." He says before leaning forward almost conspiratorially, his elbows dropping on the table, his hands coming together in a relaxed clasp as he stares back at the Grand King. "We simply told him that if he didn't keep our location a secret, we'd ice you."
Several long moments pass where Tooru watches Kuroo with a slack jaw, before glancing back at Hajime with wide eyes. For his part, the sentry leader can't unstick his feet from their place on the floor, his entire body rigid. This was one of the few things he'd omitted when he'd told the Grand King everything he possibly could. This and Feathers' location. Tooru's gaze drops into a frown before he looks back at the black cat who watches him calmly.
"You were going to kill me." He says skeptically. Hajime tenses slightly when Kuroo's mouth turns up at the corner.
"Is it that unbelievable? We made it into the rookery, into the military compound, into your main garrison all unnoticed. How hard would it have been to simply walk the next twenty feet to your study?
"I know that you keep your quill on the left side of your desk and you favor milk bread. You stare at an aged Volley game ball in the corner of your room an inordinate amount of time, and you throw arrowheads at the tapestry on the south wall with a fervent dislike when you are annoyed—but never in front of another person. Would you like to know how far of a drop it is from the rafters to your chair? Be careful, Grand King. We haven't shelved the idea yet."
If it's possible, Hajime's limbs seize even more and his heart races as he watches the rookery leader dart a glance to the ceiling, his face smoothing into an unreadable expression. And for a moment, his head is filled with images of the number of dead snakes they'd found at the nest holding point up by Ivoya; there had been over fifty and he has to wonder how many of those were the black cat's doing.
He's always had the feeling Kuroo was dangerous, but the cat is coming out swinging and it's disconcerting at the very least. He's sure the Grand King has seen his fair share of threats in his day but Hajime knows that he's definitely hearing this one, because that flat look—he's only seen it one other time: the day Kageyama fled with the shrimp.
"You want me to declare Iwa my successor." He states coldly and Kuroo sits back once more with a shrug.
"Name who you like. I could get along with Iwa. But without it, Feathers won't budge." Hajime wants to argue, but the Grand King's voice cuts across the room, razor sharp and brittle.
"I will not force Iwa into that position. I did that with Tobio and look where we are."
The sentry leader's voice catches in his throat and his gaze snaps to the rookery leader's face. Tooru's sorrel eyes are set with icy resolution, his face laxed into a dangerous neutrality that makes Hajime think that he's seeing nothing but sincerity.
And the words he's just spoken… Hajime doesn't think he could speak even if he were ordered to. The Grand King has all but said that he will not push Hajime away like he did with Kageyama, will not repeat the mistake and alienate him as well. Which means Tooru doesn't intend to disband or discard him, won't use him as just another tool—is willing to fight for him. Which means that despite everything, the Grand King still values his presence.
"How's it feel having no control and being at another's mercy? Funny how priorities change when the plan goes to hell, isn't it?" The black cat says with a smirk. The rookery leader's face goes glacial.
"I will not ask Iwa to bear that burden." The black cat's head tilts, his uneven gaze flickering.
"But Kageyama was somehow expendable?" He challenges quietly and Hajime's brow darkens, his anger overriding his composure once again.
Before he can catch himself, he steps forward, his fist dropping to the table with a resounding crack through the room making all four of the other occupants jump.
"You overstep, Kuroo." He snaps and the cat's eyes lock on him with glittering anger, but he could care less. Hajime is mad enough that even the rookery leader's disapproving interjection is ignored before it's even fully out.
"Iwa—"
"Kageyama has never been expendable; if he were, the Grand King wouldn't be fighting so hard for him now. Leading the rookery is a huge responsibility that can't be entrusted to just anyone; he'd spent centuries preparing Kageyama to take over with all the best knowledge and tools at his hands for that very reason. I didn't retrieve my king for this meeting so you could threaten and provoke him at every turn; mind your remarks, Cat." He growls.
The cat's uneven gaze that is narrowed on him with acute displeasure is unnerving, but he will not stand by while the feline launches insult after insult toward the Grand King.
"Then how about you? You sound like you've been to very few meetings between key figures; threats and provocation are the breadth of these conversations. Pipe down while Mom and Dad talk, huh?" He remarks dryly and Hajime wants to punch him.
"Kuroo, I swear—"
"Iwa."
There's a hard edge to his name this time and he instantly falls silent. He straightens, his mouth forming a thin line, his anger burning in his chest. The rookery leader rarely gives him an order like this, unspoken as it might be behind the single word of the name the Grand King calls him by, and his entire being down to his core hates it.
"Well, Great King, do you need more convincing? Your guard dog can't help himself; he breathes truth into Daichi's words with every one of his." Kuroo says looking back at Tooru. The Grand King's eyes drop to his hands with a slight frown, his mouth pursing on one corner.
"I will not relinquish my power to Iwa. I will not trade his devotion merely for the chance to see my son." He says quietly and Kuroo scoffs. The rookery leader's sorrel eyes rise to meet the black cat's once more with resonating disappointment.
"I guess I will have to wait for Tobio to decide otherwise."
Hajime blinks, the air catching in his lungs and his chest tightening. Negotiations are breaking down… but he can hardly think, the rookery leader's words skipping through his head. The Grand King has effectively chosen to protect him over meeting Kageyama once more, but his expression—there is no satisfaction there, only resignation.
Hajime understands now.
The Grand King wants more than anything to have a relationship with his son… but not at the expense of his relationship with Hajime. He's being set with an impossible decision: lose his closest confidant who's arguably grown closer to him than he's ever been with his own son, or face a future where he might never see that son again. And he's choosing Hajime.
"What if you tentatively named someone?" The streaked owl says and the sentry leader mentally stumbles as Kuroo cuts a glare in his direction.
"Seriously, Bokuto."
"What? It was something Suga was talking about." The owl says defensively.
"You mean like conditionally appoint someone?" Hajime asks with a scowl, forgetting that he's supposed to stay silent.
"Conditional nomination allows it to be retracted which puts us right back at square one in a situation Feathers was adamant on avoiding and we'd have given up our location. No." The black cat says, determined to shut down the idea off the bat.
"Naming a reserve heir with a contingency in place to retract the responsibility if it proves detrimental is a reasonable expectation." The ibis says and the black cat's expression goes black.
"Cat balls, whose side are you guys on here?" He mutters before setting Tooru with a flat look.
"Kageyama would never agree, so I cannot commit to it either."
The Grand King settles back in his chair, his entire frame losing all tension. A wistful smile tips his mouth, and Hajime wonders if he's trying to pull the mask that's been missing through a majority of the proceedings back into place. But with a quiet breath of amusement, Tooru's sorrel eyes simply drift back to his hands, the creases at their edges whispering of sorrow like he's only ever seen the few times when he's searched out the Grand King only to find him beside his wife and infant daughter's memory tree.
The Grand King is giving in.
It hits Hajime like a fist to the gut.
"As you should." He murmurs softly. "Tell Tobio that if he ever changes his mind, he knows where to find us."
And for all his training, Hajime can't stand aside, can't let that expression remain on his king's face. The Grand King's order for silence a moment ago doesn't matter; he can't do it. A heavy breath leaves his lungs and Kuroo glances at him with misgiving.
"I'll do it." The words are dragged from his lungs like hot coals, drawing everyone's attention.
"What?" The cat says, a brow rising skeptically, but it's Tooru's wide eyed, horrified gaze that tugs at his chest.
"I'll take the nomination." The words drop without thought.
"Iwa—"
Hajime's brow furrows and he catches up the Grand King's shirt in his fist in an action he'd never have dared in all his centuries of serving him.
"I'm not Kageyama. I never will be." He says forcefully and those brown eyes blink up at him owlishly.
"Of course, not, Iwa—"
"I don't know if I can fill the position as it should be, but I will try. Make the nomination." He says. Tooru's blown pupils watch him a few moments more before his mouth closes and his chin rises just a touch.
"No." Hajime blinks at him.
"What do you mean, 'No'? You will get to see Kageyama again."
"Not at the cost of you." Hajime scowls.
"If this is what is required, then I will do as you bid. You never shy from the hard decisions, don't start now." He says sharply. Tooru flinches, but his wide eyes never leave his face.
"Iwa…"
"Make the nomination." He repeats.
He doesn't want to rule, doesn't want to give orders instead of taking the Grand King's. He doesn't want to be any other place than at Tooru's side. But if this is what it takes to serve the rookery leader… Hajime levels a deadly serious look at the man he's always followed without question.
I will take the mantle and the responsibility. Reunite with Kageyama, Grand King. And never make that face again.
The rookery leader watches him for several moments before he finds the cat, his sorrel eyes searching through his own thoughts.
"I will not relinquish Iwaizumi for that purpose except on one condition." He says and when Hajime looks back at the cat, he's watching the Grand King guardedly.
"We're all ears."
"I will nominate Iwaizumi as reserve heir only as a contingency plan in the event that I find no one else. I give my word that I will never reinstate Tobio for the position."
"I said before I can't commit to—"
"It's not an agreement. Take it back as a condition to the condition. I want you to take a letter with it and let Tobio decide from there."
"Seriously?" Kuroo says with a sigh, "You realize Feathers holds all the cards this time? No coercion or guilt trip in a letter will change that, and he will not be swayed by a counter condition."
"You are welcome to read it once he's finished if he so chooses. If Tobio is indeed well in your care, then the choice will be his without outside influence, neither yours nor mine the exception. All I ask is that you inform me of his decision."
Kuroo runs a hand over his face before it slides back to cup the back of his neck and he glances at the ceiling in frustrated consideration. He groans out another heavy breath before dropping his head to the table.
"Alright." He murmurs, his voice slightly muffled. "I will take your letter back along with your proposition." The cat's uneven golden gaze flicks up at Hajime with annoyance.
"But I'm not a messenger, I'm a cat. I don't just come when called and I won't be commuting back and forth every time you idiot crows have a new idea. I know I used to frequent this place often enough back in the day plotting to make Feathers an orphan, but it's quite lost its appeal. I'll keep my companions, our home, and ground Volley; I dislike abandoning them, both for my own peace of mind and avoiding the chaos I will inevitably return to. The only reason I came this time was to actually meet your 'great leader' once in person. Getting to trade threats with the man who is the builder of empires and destroyer of lives has been a trip, but don't expect this to become a habit."
"You won't meet any resistance from me, Kuroo. I've told you every time you show up here how little I like your presence." Hajime grumbles, doing his level best to ignore the cat's continued barbs.
"Rude, Iwa. It has been enlightening speaking with Tobio's new guardian. I hope you were at least a good host for our guests." Just by the tone in the rookery leader's voice, Hajime knows his composure is back under control, his default mask back in place—meaning he must be satisfied with this outcome. He deadpans.
"They're still alive; hospitality served." He grouses.
"The least you could have done was get them a drink after coming all this way, or maybe something to eat that would make them feel at home."
"Maybe subtle enough of a probe for the streaked moron, but you won't catch Kuroo with it." The ibis murmurs with a most unimpressed look and the Grand King glances at him with a quirk of his mouth as Bokuto takes a half-assed swing at Tsukishima.
"This one's sharp, too, Iwa. What was he again?" Kuroo scoffs and gets to his feet, his eyes creasing with aggravation as he collars the streaked owl mid assault on the blond.
"Oi, Kuroo—"
"Shut up, Bokuto." The cat mutters crossly before fixing a lazily irritated grin on the Grand King where he watches with mild amusement from his seat. "You're as infuriating to deal with as the damn fox. Prepare your letter; we will be leaving as soon as I have it. Don't take it personally when I say I hope I never see you again, Grand King."
"Pity, because I find you most interesting, Kuroo." He says with an answering smirk before following his lead and rising.
"Don't do anything stupid on your way home. It would be a shame if Kageyama somehow lost his new caretaker while on a trip to negotiate with his estranged father. That would have dire ramifications for everyone, I think." He says easily before offering another tense handshake and following Hajime out of the room and back to his own.
Hajime waits patiently while the rookery leader pens a letter. It doesn't take him long and there isn't an excess of ink filling the page by the time he folds it and hands it to Hajime, a faraway look in his gaze.
"Tobio is safe with the cat, isn't he Iwa." Tooru says as he takes it from him. It's not a question the way he says it, more of a lament, and Hajime knows that not all of Kuroo's words had rolled off him as cleanly as he'd have him believe.
"He was fine when I saw him, and Kuroo takes his lead from him with regard to rookery matters. The cat leads by default, but has little issue stepping aside for another to front their knowledge or experience, I think. Kuroo let me live when I found them because Kageyama asked." He says, hating to admit that, but wanting to reassure Tooru all the same.
"Iwa." Hajime pauses as he turns to leave, letter in hand, and glances back. The king's face is missing the mask again, that wistful smile back in place, but the creases at the corners of his eyes… they whisper of hope now.
"Sir?" He asks and Tooru's mouth quirks.
"Thank you."
Two weeks later, a raven arrives bearing not Iwaizumi's name, but the Grand King's. And Hajime is privileged to see the watery look of relieved joy that overtakes his features as he reads it before handing it to the sentry leader. On it are two lines of scrawl in simple, rounded script, a mere fifteen words:
Volley rematch; Spring Solstice. Details following your return from migration. We won't lose.
Hajime glances up at the rookery leader, his jaw hanging slightly. The Grand King smiles, a real one, deep and content.
"Iwa… that is my son's hand. Tobio wrote that message."
A/N: Another LONG chapter (alomst 9000 words) and Well... Oikawa is still OC and the bane of my writer existence. This chapter is drastically different from how it started. Like, i virtually scrapped three fourths of it and started new- The second scene didn't even exist in my head until a week ago when i had people who were like 'I want to see a meeting between Kuroo and Oikawa', and I was like...HOLY SHIT, SO DO I... but I have no idea how that would go down. It took me until LATE last night to finally get it all hammered out nicely, but I think I'm satisfied with it. On the bright side, Seattle had a snow day, so I had all day to format and polish it a bit- and neglect everything else that I should have been doing instead XD
My apologies for the wait... My inspiration has been lagging a bit and I think it definitely showed in the last chap especially, and I wanted this one to be better. This is the final official 'chapter' of Horizon; the next one is the epilogue and since I rehashed this one instead of working out that one, it's going to take me a few days to post it. Again, I apologize for the delay; I hope this makes up for it ;)
Have a brilliant evening you guys!