May 14th, 2018
Atsumu woke up with tears in his eyes. He blinked them away, startled by their presence alone. Disoriented, he sat up, squinting into the darkness. Where am I again...? Oh. Right. His throat was parched. He needed water—stat.
As he shuffled through the house in a pair of pink, fluffy slippers, he dried his tears.
That dream again... Atsumu held back a sigh. It was not a nightmare by any stretch of the word. But it did make his heart ache with longing—longing for his other half. For Osamu. A sudden wave of loss hit him, and he stumbled to a stop, one hand reaching up to grip the fabric of his nightshirt tightly. He hadn't seen him since he was thirteen. If he had known that the last time he would ever see his twin again was on a cold January night with a chasm ripped between them, then he wouldn't have ever let Osamu leave.
Under the pall of the night, Sakusa's kitchen was hauntingly impersonal in its modern design. It lacked any signs of life, looking like it had been cleaned up to be displayed on a billboard in the suburbs. Mouth gaping in a yawn, he grabbed the pitcher from the counter and poured himself a glass of water. The water sloshed in the cup, a drop landing on his finger.
He was heading back to bed when he noticed him.
Sakusa stood on the balcony, glass doors separating the living room from the outside platform. They were open, and the curtains, too, were drawn and swaying gently in the breeze.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Atsumu changed course. His slippers muffled all sounds of walking, and he stopped at the doorway, not quite realizing what to do next. Deciding to just roll with it, he cleared his throat. The noise was more obnoxious than he bargained for—even to his own ears—and he cringed. Sakusa turned his head slightly. "Uh, hey..."
"Oh. Miya." Sakusa turned around fully, leaning against the balcony railing. He was holding a warm cup of something, if the steam coming out of it was any indication. "Why are you still awake? It's late."
"Why are you?" Atsumu retorted. And I told you to call me 'Atsumu'. Goddamn.
"I asked you first."
"Well, I asked you second."
Sakusa cocked a brow. "Are we really doing this right now? It's fucking two in the morning."
Whoa. Mister Stick-Up-His-Ass can swear like a teenager? Neat-o. "Since you're dying to know, I just couldn't sleep, okay?" He would have said more, but the words fizzled out in his brain the moment that damn night zephyr blew between them, pushing Sakusa's fringe back and drawing his attention to the two moles on his forehead. No. No, no, no. Stop staring. Get it the fuck together. "And, ah, you? Why are you awake, Omi-kun?"
By now, Sakusa had already learned to roll with the punches that were Atsumu's terrible nicknames. Unfazed, he answered, "Same with me. I don't usually have trouble falling asleep nowadays, but it seems tonight is an exception."
A police siren wailed somewhere in the city.
"So." Atsumu took a step closer, the balcony tiles feeling icy even through his slippers. He closed the sliding glass door behind him. Momentarily, his gaze drifted to the view, and his breath caught in his throat. From up here, Minato City looked even more impressive. And he gets to see this every night? Lucky bastard. "You just admirin' the view up here, then?"
"Not really," said Sakusa. "I was thinking."
"Really? About what?"
"None of your business."
"Aw, come on, Omi-Omi. I'm just tryin' ta make conversation. We don't hafta be strangers."
"Hmm..." Sakusa took a sip of his drink. "But we are strangers. We've only known each other properly for approximately twenty-four hours."
Atsumu shot him a grin. "Time is just a construct."
"No. No it is not. If time were a fucking construct, nobody would be dying of old age or being born. And why do you think time travel is impossible? Jackass."
Sakusa Kiyoomi cursed a lot when he was tired. Interesting. "D'ya treat all your guests like this?"
Amazingly, Atsumu could have sworn that he saw a ghost of a smile playing on his lips as he said, "Just you. Also, you're the only guest I've ever housed besides my mother, so your question is pretty much moot."
"Your mom, huh?" He'd mentioned her already, but she had almost slipped Atsumu's mind. "If ya don't mind me askin'... What's she like?" The only mother Atsumu had ever known was Akari, and he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that she was more like a random woman that happened to have given birth to him than an actual mother. I still miss her, though. I know I shouldn't, but I do. The weight sitting upon his chest was heavier than ever, and he sagged, brow creasing. "You don't hafta say anythin' if you don't want to."
"I don't mind. My mother is the strongest person in the world. At least, she is to me."
"What's she like?"
"She's not much of a talker," Sakusa revealed. "But she's brilliant, and she did her best to raise me. Circumstances weren't always ideal in my childhood, but I can't fault her for that."
"Oh." It was like someone had carved a hole in his heart. "She sounds great. She sounds like..." He paused. "She sounds like she really loves you."
At that, Sakusa peered at him. The edge in his dark eyes had disappeared, or maybe Atsumu just couldn't see it anymore in the darkness. "All mothers love their children, Miya."
"Hah! Sayin' that to me of all people—"
"Mother doesn't necessarily translate to the woman whose womb you came out from," Sakusa interrupted. "If that was the only qualification to being a mother, then motherhood would be cheap."
Atsumu blinked. "Huh. I guess so. So, uh," he stumbled in trying to keep the conversation going, "Hobbies?"
"She likes reading," elaborated Sakusa. "Her favorite is The Art of War by Sun Tzu. She also enjoys listening to Pachelbel, and exploring Napoleonic battle strategies." Atsumu opened his mouth, but then closed it at the warning stare Sakusa gave him. "Don't ask. Even I don't understand what she enjoys. The last I heard from her, though, she'd started attending a neighborhood mahjong club."
He let out a low whistle. "Wow, that's a lot to take in. Your mom's pretty popular, huh?"
"Despite herself, yes." Sakusa made a face. "She dresses like a Victorian noblewoman met a twenties flapper."
Atsumu didn't even need his water to choke. "Sounds... unique."
"Indeed."
"Guessin' you're not exactly a fan of it?"
"It's not like I exactly have a say in what she wears. She's my mother."
"True, true. I can't imagine tellin' my mom what to wear."
They shared a chuckle at that, and Atsumu was sure. Was sure that he could have stayed in this moment forever. The quiet. The peace. He wanted to live in it. Then Sakusa drained the last of his drink. "It'll be three if we don't sleep soon. I'll see you in the morning, Miya."
"Didn't I tell you to call me Atsumu? Like, seriously, I've toldja like—what?—a dozen times now? Keep up, Omi-Omi."
"No," Sakusa side-stepped him, and Atsumu could feel him tense briefly when their shoulders accidentally touched, "You keep up." He slid the door to the side, leaving it open for Atsumu to follow.
Quietly, Atsumu laughed to himself. "Bastard."
He did not dream about Osamu again that night.
Very rarely did Kunimi Akira ever wake up with the sun. Kuroo Tetsurou did, however, and it was dawn when they stared at each other from across the dorm—Kuroo standing in the kitchen and Kunimi sitting up in his bed—caught off guard by the fact that both of them were actually awake at the same time.
"Well, good morning, sunshine." Kuroo regained his bearings first, waving his spatula at him. He was frying something in a pan. "Had a good sleep?"
"I feel like death," Kunimi said, hoarsely.
"Great. I'm making breakfast. Do you want your omelet with or without fish?"
"Without, thanks."
"And the cheese? Want me to hold back?"
"Nah. You can go wild with the cheese."
"Awesome. Don't mind if I do."
Well, this is certainly surreal, Kunimi thought to himself as he grabbed his water bottle from the nightstand. It was one of those insulating kinds, and the water was still warm. The whole interaction he'd just had with Kuroo felt like something out of one of Kindaichi's hilariously bad American sitcoms. And speaking of Kindaichi...
By now, Kindaichi would have probably listened to Kageyama's interrogation CD. He had gotten to keep his laptop at the hospital with him, after all, after a psychiatric evaluation. However, he only got to have two hours of monitored internet access per day. They didn't want anything to trigger his PTSD.
Yes, PTSD. Kindaichi had been diagnosed with PTSD. God. The thought of it made Kunimi shiver, even if he knew, logically, that it only made sense. It wasn't overt, but it was still there, and that scared him. Mostly because he knew that this likely wasn't a new thing. Ever since that night... I bet... Once his memories came back... So did all the trauma. But Kunimi would help him through it. He would. The whole reason why he had even begun to study psychology in the first place was so that he could help him.
"Oh, hey," Kuroo's baritone broke him out of his reverie, "My girlfriend's coming over today. Just thought I'd let you know. Um, you don't have to leave or anything if you don't want to. I promise we're not gonna do anything freaky."
Kunimi scrunched up his nose. "Gross. Don't even make me entertain the idea."
"Really? Because she does this great thing with her tongue—"
"Literally fuck off."
Kuroo guffawed. "Glad you're feeling better, bud."
"I'm..." Kunimi trailed off. Huh. I do feel better, actually. Even if he had gotten up at an ungodly hour of the morning, he felt more energetic than he had for the last few days. Seeing Kindaichi walking and talking again had done wonders for his peace of mind.
"Now I can finally tell you about our eviction notice!"
"Our what?"
"Okay, okay." Kuroo backtracked as he dumped a folded over omelet on a plate. It was slightly charred. "You see, we're not being evicted, per se—"
"What other fucking meaning does being evicted have?! I paid for this dorm, you freeloader!"
"Yeesh, calm down, will you? We're just being... transferred to a smaller dorm. One for two people. The university will refund some of your money back."
"But..." Of course. This is a four-person dorm. And only the two of us live here. Still, though. Kunimi didn't want to go. "This is our dorm." Mine and Kindaichi's and Yahaba's and... Goshiki's. It was ours.
Kuroo turned off the stove before using his spatula to nudge the other omelet onto another plate. "I know it must suck, but... It is what it is, man."
"It's our dorm," Kunimi repeated, stubbornly.
And Kuroo's eyes softened. "I know. I tried negotiating with the deans, but they overturned their previous decision to let us stay when they realized there was an open duo dorm. I'm sorry."
Bitterly, Kunimi hugged his knees to his chest, glaring at his bed-sheets. "No. It's not your fault. I get it. The university needs to save a quick buck."
Kuroo placed the egg dishes on the kitchen island. "Come eat. You'll feel better once your belly's all full."
"Hmph." Begrudgingly, Kunimi got out of bed and trudged over to the island, where he took a seat at the bar stool. "Do... Do you have a marker or something?" he asked suddenly, stabbing his fork through the sheet of egg, meat and vegetables.
"I think so. It's a whiteboard marker, though. I use it for my tutes."
"That's fine. Can I borrow it?"
Without a mouthful of egg in his mouth, Kuroo nodded. "Knock yourself out. It's in the front pocket of my bag."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
A beat.
"So," Kunimi said, slowly. "I've noticed you cook a lot of egg dishes for breakfast."
"Eggs are an eggcellent source of protein."
Yes, I know. Everyone and their grandmothers know that. "Hm. Noted."
"Did you note down the pun as well?"
"You mean that unnecessary play on words? You have the ingenuity of a fourth grader."
"Hey! I resent that remark."
After breakfast, Kunimi chugged his water and went straight for Kuroo's marker while the latter washed the dishes. Then he climbed up onto what used to be Yahaba's bed—the top bunk. With wobbly legs, he stood on his knees, the upper half of his body more than long enough to make up for the gap between the bed and the ceiling. The marker cap came off with a pop, attracting Kuroo's attention.
"You good up there?" he called, wearing a pink apron that said Kiss the Cook. The culinary equivalent of Kindaichi's Big Spoon nightshirt.
"Yeah, it'll only take a moment."
Keeping his handwriting as neat as possible, Kunimi began to write in small, neat strokes beneath the line where the wall met the ceiling.
Kindaichi Yuutarou
Kunimi Akira
Yahaba Shigeru
Goshiki Tsutomu
Kunimi sat back on his ankles, admiring his handiwork. "'Kay, I'm done."
"What did you do and why do I have a feeling it's vandalism?"
"Just left a little memento."
A declaration of sorts—as if to say: We were here.
Once upon a time, we were here.
"If it all goes well," the doctor relayed to him, Kindaichi nodding absently, "Then we'll have you discharged by this Thursday."
"Wait." Kindaichi snapped to attention. "Really?"
"Your recovery is going very smoothly. The cast won't be taken off anytime soon, and you'll have to come back periodically for check-ups, but there's no reason for you stay for any longer." The doctor glanced over his shoulder, at the closed door. "Visiting hours are the same as usual. Are you expecting anyone today?"
A little sheepishly, Kindaichi said, "Kunimi, probably." By now, his doctor was familiar with all of his guests.
"A loyal friend," the doctor stated, appreciatively. "What about the others? And... Your parents?"
"Oh." Right. Mom and dad. In the whirlwind of chaos his life had been lately, he hadn't had the time to think about his parents. Guilt tugged at him. "Um, I don't know, actually. The hospital notified them, right?"
"Of course. Once, when you were admitted, and another time when you awoke. Not to mention all the sensationalism surrounding your... unfortunate incident."
Slowly, it sunk it. Not a single call from either of his parents. What were they doing? Did they even care? Kindaichi sighed, adjusting his position in bed. "Whatever. I just wanna get out of here as soon as possible." Part of him didn't want to face the music—the messes, the masses, and the chaos—but it was better to get the uncomfortable things done as quickly as he could.
The doctor exited a few minutes later, and Kindaichi was left to his own devices. For a while, he just thought—thought back to what had happened yesterday. After Sakusa, Atsumu, and Kunimi had left, Chinen had sat down beside him and coaxed him to answer some questions. Her bodyguards—was that what they were?—were intimidating, but she had assured him that they wouldn't harm a fly.
They'd gone through everything. From the night it had all began—teeth and tears and anguish—to the day Goshiki had shot him in the shoulder. Just thinking about the metal burying itself in his flesh—holding all of Goshiki's grudges and fury—made him tense, and he gripped the sheets tightly.
"Will you testify?" Chinen had asked him, voice low and pure and patient.
And Kindaichi had swallowed and said, "I will. I have to."
"Good," she'd said. "We'll need you to make a strong case. You're our wild card, Kindaichi-san."
Somebody rapped their knuckles on the door, and Kindaichi had a half a mind to invite them inside. But it was silly. It was probably his doctor again, here to tell him of something that had come up in his test results or something like that—
Kageyama's disembodied head was the first thing Kindaichi saw peaking into his room, followed by the rest of his body. He saw Kindaichi, blinking. "Ah."
"Ah," Kindaichi echoed back, stunned. Kageyama... Kageyama, oh god, Kageyama... What do I even say to you after all this time? After knowing what happened to you? The questions swirled in his head. "Um... Hey."
"Hey." Kageyama, wearing a black hoodie and slacks today, fidgeted. Then he pulled something out of his back pocket, holding onto it for dear life as he shuffled toward Kindaichi's bedside.
It was comforting, Kindaichi supposed, that Kageyama appeared to be as out of his depth as Kindaichi was. He shook his head, cracking a smile. "This is so unreal. You're here to see me?"
Unfortunately, something in his tone must have been off, because Kageyama stiffened. "You... didn't think I'd come?"
"What? No, no, I didn't mean..." Kindaichi worried his bottom lip. That's exactly what I meant. But not for the reason he's thinking! Probably. Does he still think I hate him? Because I don't! Far from it... Trying to salvage as much as could from the situation, he said, "Forget it. Sorry about that. It's just that... Well... I-It's been a long time, right? So I didn't think..." Fuck, I'm digging myself into an even bigger hole. "You know what? Never mind. I'll shut up now."
Luckily, Kageyama seemed to get it, and brushed it off with ease. "I'm not alone."
"Eh?"
"Knock-knock," a bell-like voice called before a blonde woman stepped in, an elaborate bouquet of flowers obscuring her face. The florets shifted as she tried to peer around the stalks, one twinkling blue eye meeting Kindaichi's shocked gaze. "Hello, Kindaichi-san. I'm glad we're able to meet in calmer circumstances today."
"O-oh...! You're..." Kindaichi searched for the name in his head before wincing. "Sorry, I don't..."
Shino put the bouquet on an occupied table to the side. "It's quite alright, Kindaichi-san. My name is Iwasaki Shino," she told him, amused by his forgetfulness. "I imagine you were quite stressed the first—and last—time we encountered each other."
"Definitely." Kindaichi groaned. "I'm pretty sure a couple of my hairs went gray."
"You look fine," Kageyama stated, blunt as Kindaichi remembered him to be. "But your hair's getting long." Not quite as joyless or as stringent, though, which was a relief. He didn't know what Kageyama had been through in their years apart—the interrogation CD had been but a mere glimpse into his life after middle school.
"Maybe I'll grow it out," Kindaichi said, distantly. He was more surprised that Shino had come to visit him more than anything else. She was, after all, only a fleeting figure in his life. He hadn't even been able to remember her name (That was fucking embarrassing, he thought, blushing), even though she had known his. It was a nice distraction, however, from some of his more pressing concerns. "So, ah, Iwasaki-san—"
"Just Shino is fine," she interrupted, not unkindly.
"—Shino-san, I... Thanks for coming. Even if we don't really know each other," he tacked on, a little sheepishly.
"Of course I came. You saved my life," Shino said, matter-of-factly.
"You did," agreed Kageyama, fiddling with whatever he had in his hand. "You saved all of us."
Kindaichi snorted, surprisingly acrid. "Don't give me too much credit."
"But it's true," insisted Shino with a startling amount of force. "You talked him down from hurting us." Guiltily, her eyes shifted to his arm, which was in a sling. "You even got yourself hurt in the process."
"But I—"
"Can you just take our thanks?" Kageyama ground out, shoving something in Kindaichi's face. "Here. I got it for you."
"Huh?!" Kindaichi ogled at the palm-sized glass item in Kageyama's palm. Gingerly, he plucked it from where it rested, examining it. It's beautiful, he thought, numbly. "A paperweight?"
"It's not much," Kageyama was saying hurriedly, and Kindaichi knew he hadn't even heard him or his awe in his haste to justify his own gift. "I got it for only a few yen at a dollar shop..."
He told himself he would keep it together today. But, somehow, the sight of Kageyama's humble get-well present between his fingers made Kindaichi's stomach coil. Kageyama had got this from him. Kageyama, who he had spent the better part of middle school loathing. Kageyama, who he had lost touch with years ago, whose experiences he couldn't even begin to understand—
Kageyama blinked at him owlishly. "Are you going to cry?"
"No!" Kindaichi protested, voice cracking. The back of his eyes were already beginning to sting with that all-familiar sensation of oncoming tears. "No," he tried again, more firmly this time. "I..." His words stuck to his throat and he took a deep breath. "God. Only you could do this to me, Kageyama. And I don't mean that in a bad way." His fist closed around the paperweight. "I'll keep this forever. Thank you, Kageyama."
Shino had stepped back, allowing the two of them to reconnect with more privacy. The bouquet was back in her arms as she waited her turn to present her gift to Kindaichi.
"It's alright." Kageyama accepted his gratitude gracefully. "I... I'm glad you like it."
"Hey, uh," Kindaichi tried to open himself up as much as possible, his good arm flinging to the side, "Put it here?"
Kageyama stared at him for a long moment before understanding. Without saying anything to further embarrass Kindaichi, Kageyama leaned in. The ensuing embrace was an awkward flail of limbs, and Kindaichi's ears grew hot when he realized Shino was here to witness every second of it.
Kindaichi held Kageyama in his arms for longer than he would've expected himself to tolerate. When they were finally separated, Shino moved forward, holding up the bouquet to Kindaichi so he could appreciate every angle of it. "For you," she said, beaming. "I'll go find a vase to put it in."
"Thanks," Kindaichi smiled, "They're beautiful."
"Carnations," Shino informed him as she searched the room for a vase. "For love and good luck." She found one in the cupboard of the kitchenette. It was dusty, and she had to set her flowers aside again to wash the vase off under the tap.
"Hah. I haven't had much of either lately, especially love. I can't even remember the last time I went on a date."
"Kunimi loves you," Kageyama said, very seriously.
Kindaichi nearly choked. "Kageyama!"
"What? It's true. He's loved you since middle school."
"Well, yes, but—but not like that."
Kageyama was bemused. "Like what?"
"Romantically," Kindaichi clarified, cheeks going red. "Kunimi doesn't love me romantically. We're more like brothers than anything else. It'd be, like, incest. Also, I like women." And I'm not sure if Kunimi is even attracted to other people.
"Oh, okay." And that was that. Or so Kindaichi thought. "I like men."
"Huh?!"
"Is that okay with you?"
"I—yeah, it is! I'm just surprised, that's all."
Kageyama nodded. "That's okay. I just figured it out recently."
Kageyama having a love life of all things was definitely the last thing Kindaichi had expected to hear today. He wriggled upright, barely feeling the ache in his shoulder. "So who is it? The lucky man."
"Hinata," said Kageyama, not providing a first name. Unless that was his first name. But wasn't that a woman's first name? "About yay-high," he raised his hand to somewhere around his chin, "orange hair. Compact. Moves around a lot. Like a cockroach." His expression never changed when talking about his lover, but Kindaichi was still just frankly in awe with the fact that Kageyama had managed to secure a partner before him. Or, at least, have someone he liked.
"Oh, Kageyama-san," Shino sighed in fond exasperation as she arranged the flowers in the vase. "You're just saying that because he's right outside."
Kindaichi turned to her. "He's what?"
To demonstrate, Shino opened the door. A man fitting Kageyama's description almost tumbled inside, clearly having had his ear against the door before Shino exposed him. Hinata, squatting on the floor, stared at them. "Uh."
Kindaichi stared back. "Uh."
"Dumbass," Kageyama berated, though it wasn't serious. "Why didn't you just come in with us?"
Hinata spluttered, drawing himself up to his full height. "I told you! I didn't wanna overwhelm him with so many people inside."
"Oh, it's alright," Kindaichi said without thinking. "You don't exactly take up much space."
Dejected, Hinata hung his head. "Ah. So that's how it is..."
"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."
"He's right, though," Kageyama chimed in, unhelpfully.
"Hey!" Hinata and Kindaichi yelled, indignant, at the same time. They exchanged a glance before breaking into chuckles and snorts.
"So," Kindaichi started as the laughter tapered off, "How did this even happen?"
At the dreaded question, Kageyama blushed. He blushed. Wow. Kindaichi was never going to get used to this, was he? Hinata wasn't much better, going even more red-faced than Kageyama was.
"It was her fault." Kageyama pointed an accusing finger at Shino—who simply kept adjusting the flowers, unfazed—as if she had committed a very violent war crime rather than do them the favor of getting them together.
"Don't be so rude, Bakageyama," admonished Hinata, jabbing him in the ribs with one elbow. "She barely had to do anything before I started kissing you back."
The redness of Kageyama's cheeks spread to his neck and ears. Kindaichi was certain he would have to call him a doctor sometime soon. "Dumbass," he said again, impact loss in his delivery. "Don't go around telling people this stuff..."
"Why not?" Hinata teased, grinning.
Kageyama had nothing to say to that. Knowing he had lost, he grumbled and turned to Kindaichi. "It started this morning..."
Some hours ago
Shit, I'm late. Kageyama blamed it on the bus. On the traffic. On his untied shoelaces, even. His sports bag—one he had been using since high school to carry everything in—thumped against his torso as he dashed from the bus and toward campus. Their first joint counselling session together and he was late. Kageyama screeched around a corner, his heart leaping to his throat when he saw the counselling centre. He raced toward it, dodging wandering students precariously holding trays of coffee or ice tea.
He arrived at the centre with his hair sticking out in various spots. He smoothed it down as he walked up to the front desk, where a woman he assumed was Dr. Nakamura's T.A. was sitting. She was young—maybe his age—with dirty-blond hair and glasses perched primly on her nose as she typed away on her laptop.
Kageyama cleared his throat. She looked up. "I'm here for an appointment with Nakamura-sensei."
The T.A. perked up. "Oh! Of course." She checked over a clipboard she had next to her. "Kageyama Tobio-san, correct?"
"Yes."
"My name is Mitsuhara Otome," she introduced herself enthusiastically, standing up and bowing swiftly. He mirrored the action. "It's nice to meet you, Kageyama-san. Nakamura-sensei is inside," she gestured down the hall, "with your friend, Hinata-san. Don't worry—I doubt they've started without you. Hinata-san himself only got here a few minutes ago."
"Okay, thanks." He was about to part from the front desk before he paused. "Excuse me, Mitsuhara-san..."
"Yes?"
"Is Kunimi in?"
Otome looked surprised. "Oh, you know him? He's not here today. Sorry about that."
"It's fine. I didn't expect him to be here anyway." It would not do good to keep the doctor and Hinata waiting. So, bidding silent farewell to Otome the T.A., Kageyama made his way down the corridor.
There was little fanfare as he entered and sat down next to Hinata, murmuring, "Hey." There was no visible clock in the room. He turned. Oh, there was one. But it was positioned so that only the counselor could see it.
"You're late, Bakageyama," Hinata reprimanded, tone lighthearted.
"Sorry. Got stuck in traffic." The apology was directed more to Dr. Nakamura than Hinata.
"That's quite alright," Nakamura replied, calmly. Regardless, something in his tone had both of the men sitting up straighter. "Now... let's begin with a simple test." He slid forward across the desk two sheets of paper. Looking down at it, Kageyama could see that it was a questionnaire of sorts. "This is a TST. A Twenty Statements Test. All you have to do is fill out the blanks with twenty sentences about yourself. Beginning with 'I' if you'd like."
"That's it?" Hinata picked it up, frowning slightly. "There's no catch or anything?"
Nakamura smiled. "No, there's no catch. Only a time limit. Five minutes."
"We just write..." Kageyama squinted at the paper, skeptical. "Anything?"
"Yes. Anything about yourself that comes to mind. Oh, and boys..." There was a glint in the counselor's eyes. "It's not a race."
Hinata and Kageyama stiffened, the former grinning abashedly.
"Your time starts now."
Picking up his pen, Kageyama began to write.
The counselling session wrapped up in an hour and a half. Hinata and Kageyama bowed to him, expressing their thanks for his time, before leaving his office. Otome said goodbye to them as they walked out, noise assaulting their ears when they stepped outside.
Hinata stared straight ahead, lost in thought. He was vaguely aware, however, of Kageyama shooting him prodding looks. It had been... weird. Having his mind and soul laid bare by Nakamura. Only the first session, but Hinata already felt like he understood more of himself than he liked.
"Hinata?" There was a concerned quality to Kageyama's usually gruff voice, and Hinata's heart swelled abruptly.
"Oh! Sorry about that, Kageyama." Hinata laughed it off. "I'm just... thinking."
"About?"
"All sorts of things," Hinata told him as they walked through campus, aimless. The students around him blurred into faceless entities. Now, it was just him and Kageyama in their small, small world. "You know." He glanced up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly. A perfect morning. "All things considered, I think I'm in a pretty good place right now."
"Oh." He didn't know what to say.
Hinata thought it was cute. He threw him a bone, side-stepping in a random direction. "Hey, do you wanna maybe—"
"Wait." Kageyama tugged his sleeve. "Look." He was pointing at two people standing on the opposite side of the clearing.
"Oh!" Hinata exclaimed, also spotting the pair of blondes. "It's Shino-san and... uh..."
Shino and the other blonde noticed them from across the square and immediately went to close the distance between them. "You guys!" she greeted, exhilarated by just their presence. Hinata didn't blame her—he felt the same way. After what had happened, just seeing her again was a breath of fresh air—something Hinata and Kageyama both sorely needed.
"Shino-san!" Hinata hugged her. "It's good to see you again!"
"You too, Shouyou-san!" Shino nodded at Kageyama as she pulled back from Hinata. "Same goes for you, Tobio-san."
"Yeah, hey," Kageyama offered, not as enthused.
"Shino-chan?" the other blonde said, hesitantly. "These are friends of yours...?"
"Oh, yes." Shino dragged her closer so that they were shoulder-to-shoulder. "Shouyou-san, Tobio-san, this is my big sister, Sayori."
Politely, they bowed to her.
"Nice to meet you, Sayori-san," Hinata said, smiling. "I'm Hinata Shouyou!"
"Kageyama Tobio," muttered Kageyama, a little awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you..."
Sayori bowed back. She was beautiful in the same understated way as Shino, soft features accentuated by light makeup. Her eyes were chocolate brown. "Likewise." The older Iwasaki fidgeted with the strap of her messenger bag. "Shino-chan, if we want to get there in time for visiting hours, we should go find a shop right now."
"You're right." Shino hummed. "But... Tobio-san, Shouyou-san, do you want to come with us? We're going to buy a present for Kindaichi-san."
Hinata peered at Kageyama, noting how he seemed to freeze up. "A present?" Kageyama parroted. "For... Kindaichi?"
"I'm thinking flowers," Shino continued dreamily, unaware of Kageyama's internal conflict. "They're a classic. Not to mention, certain flowers symbolize certain things."
Sayori poked her sister's shoulder. "I saw a flower shop, like, five minutes ago. You wanna go check it out?"
A present was a great idea in Hinata's opinion. Kindaichi had saved their asses, and the least he deserved from them was a visit and a get-well gift. To Kageyama, he said, "Come on, Bakageyama! I don't know what happened in the past between you guys, but I'm sure it'll cheer him up."
"I'm not hung over the past," Kageyama said, irritably. "I just..." He coughed into his fist. "I don't have much money."
"So? It's the thought that counts. Come on—I'll help you pick something out."
"Hinata, I have two-hundred yen on me right now. That's not even enough for an instant meal from Lawson."
"Um..." Sayori lifted a hand, like she was back in the classroom. "Actually, I also noticed a dollar store next to the florist... I'm sure you'll be able to find something there." There was a fog of perpetual melancholy that hung around this girl. As if something had happened to her in the past—something that she had never gotten over. Hinata, of course, didn't know what it was. Hadn't the slightest clue. But it made him just a little more partial toward her.
Hinata nudged Kageyama. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go."
"Fine."
Together, the four of them meandered through campus. Unfortunately, Sayori's sense of direction was poorer than she had first made it out to be, so they took their time browsing stores.
An exasperated Shino was checking her phone when they walked past the same fountain Hinata had seen fifteen minutes ago. "The florist and the dollar shop are a five minute walk away in the opposite direction. Sis!"
"Geez, sorry."
Eventually, they made it.
The sisters dove into the florist, while Hinata and Kageyama entered the dollar shop next door.
"What do you think?" Hinata asked, holding up two gnomes he had found in the outdoor section of the shop.
Kageyama deadpanned. "Those are hideous."
"Aww, they're kinda cute, don't you think?"
"What would Kindaichi even do with a garden gnome? He's bound to a hospital bed."
There was the slightest, slightest pout on Kageyama's face as he examined the gnomes. Hinata faltered, nearly dropping both of the ceramic monstrosities on his foot. Up close, Kageyama was...
"Oi, dumbass. Are you listening? I said put those back."
And the moment was ruined. Hinata didn't mind, though.
He didn't know when exactly he had started feeling this way. But as he trotted after Kageyama, the latter scouring the shelves for something cheap and gift-worthy, Hinata smiled to himself.
Kageyama halted abruptly, and Hinata almost slammed into his back. Curiously, he stepped around him so that they were standing side-by-side. "What is it? Did you find something?"
Kageyama didn't answer. Instead, he just held up a lovely paperweight he had gotten from the clearance bin to the light. Hinata gaped at it. Kageyama has better taste than I thought! What a lucky find. Would he ever get me something like that? He waved that last thought away. Last he had checked, Hinata hadn't been shot and sent to hospital.
"Hinata," Kageyama turned to him, urgently, "Do you think he'll like it?"
"Well, yeah," Hinata answered. "Why wouldn't he? I think he'd like anything from you."
"Okay. I'll get it then."
When did I ever get so moon-y over him, anyway? Hinata thought, feeling the back of his neck heating up. In front of him, Kageyama was paying at the counter. I know I like him. But... How do I tell him that?
No way in hell was Kageyama the sort of person to pick up on hints. He was all direct action and straightforwardness packed into a human shape. His worst enemy would have to pie him in the back of the head to make him understand that they were, in fact, enemies.
"Gah! Why did I have to fall in love with someone like you?" Hinata muttered to himself as he stalked outside. The sisters had already bought the flowers and Kageyama was not too far behind Hinata.
"What was that?" Kageyama sidled up to him.
"Nothing!"
"You weren't talking shit about me, were you?"
Hinata wheezed at the absurdity of such a statement. "Of course not!" More like the opposite!
Watching their bickering, Shino and Sayori exchanged a knowing glance that went unnoticed.
"Well," Sayori announced, loudly. "I have my book club to get to. Boys, please look after my little sister from perverts on the bus. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive you guys."
The notion of responsibility over Shino's safety had them straightening their backs.
"We don't let you down," Hinata promised, and he meant it. "Kageyama here has experience beating people up and I won't hesitate to bite."
"That's... reassuring? Anyway! Call me when you get to the hospital, Shino-chan."
"Will do," Shino assured her. "Now stop being a worrywart and go already, sis."
Once Sayori was gone, the remaining three headed for the bus stop. Shino dedicated equal parts of conversation to them, though Hinata was ultimately the more responsive one. Even so, he was only half-there, the half of him being—
Shino cocked her head. "You're not paying attention, are you?"
Busted. "Uhh... Shino-san, I—"
"No need. I understand. And I would like to apologize in advance for this."
"What do you—"
Shino shoved him. Had he awoken a demon in her? Oh, god, girls were scary—
"Hey, watch it...!" Kageyama caught him, Hinata's forehead knocking against his chin. The plastic bag containing the paper weight was crumpled between their bodies. "Ah."
"Ah."
Hinata stared up at his face. Kageyama had ridiculously long eyelashes for a guy. God. Fuck. The proximity was turning his brain into mush, evidently.
"Oh my god," Shino groaned. "Can you two just... Just do it already? The bus will be here in two minutes."
"Do what?" Hinata yelped. "Wait, you're not thinking of something lewd, are you? Shino-san!"
Shino was horrified. "Shouyou-san!"
"It's a valid question! Anyway, I'm sure Kageyama wouldn't want... to..." Hinata waited for Kageyama to protest their current situation, but he said nothing. Even continued to hold Hinata close to him like he was still in danger of falling onto the sidewalk. "Kageyama? Hello? Earth to Kageyama."
"Hinata. Can I kiss you?"
The last brain cell in Hinata's head fizzled out of existence. "What. Wait. Yes. I mean. Yes? Wait, you want to kiss me—mmph." Not rough and impatient, but not timid or probing either. Firm. Solid. Kageyama's lips were warm. They were also out in public. Would people care? Probably. But Hinata didn't.
"Oh, finally," mumbled Shino, clutching her bouquet closer to her chest. "The tension was unbearable."
Hinata didn't hear her.
When they finally broke away, Kageyama was frowning. Hinata's face fell. Had he not liked it?
Then, slowly, Kageyama asked, "Does that mean we're dating now?"
Oh, he was an absolute imbecile, but Hinata wasn't much better. He burst into laughter. "Do you want to date me, Bakageyama?"
"Uh. Yes. I'm pretty sure I do. That's what you do with the person you like, right? When they like you back, you... date them." Kageyama looked to Shino, as if expecting affirmation.
She shrugged. "I don't have much experience on that matter, but that's generally how things work, yes."
The bus pulled up.
"Hey, Kageyama?" Hinata said as they stepped on, scanning their bus passes.
"Hm?"
"I like you, too."
A/N: If you haven't been paying attention, Iwasaki Sayori is one of Oikawa's ex-girlfriends from past flashbacks :P Relatively unimportant, just exists to flesh out the world of this story.
Fun fact, though: In the original story she appears in, she commits suicide and Shino had a brain injury that prevented her from feeling emotion. Here, however, she is still alive, and Shino is mentally well (and rooting for KageHina).
This will likely be the last SS update for this year! One ending on a relatively happy note as well.
So... I guess I'll see you all next year! Happy (early) New Year, and hopefully 2021 treats us all a little better :)
