OMG. I am totally embarrassed. I apologize for the mis-upload the first time around. Lets try again. Thank you someonetheelusivefangirl for pointing that out. Here's the real chapter 35:
YEAR FIVE.25 2/3 Tentative Direction
Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time. ~Lynden B Johnson
Lev Haiba smirks as the small redhead pauses beside the net with something of a guilty look of surprise, realization dawning.
"Eh… Kageyama?" Hinata says sheepishly as he looks at the Volley net. "I maybe spoke too soon. I didn't realize we were talking about regular Volley…"
"You don't say." The setter deadpans.
"We only ever played aerial at the rookery, it makes sense that they wouldn't know the ground game." Asahi says and Noya cocks a brow at him.
"Did you plan this?" Lev grins. Kuroo may have gotten to see aerial Volley games— and maybe Mori, too, but he never had.
"They have a ground net just over there if we want to play a bit later. Mori could probably still play either way, though; he doesn't need height for his position so I doubt he'd need wings, either." He says instead, his leveler's death glare quickly finding him across the circle of avians.
He can't help the way his smile gets bigger. Ribbing the short cat has always been a staple in their relationship, an indirect contributor to them ending up levelers. Heh, he will never regret pushing that little bit extra the day they became levelers instead of backing off like he'd considered.
"Keep talking, you moron." He dares, the slight twitch of his tail just like it had been that day. Hinata looks up at Kageyama uncertainly.
"We haven't played Volley in five years. And my new wings don't always react the same as my old ones. Can we really go up against Iwaizumi's team?" He says with a half-pout, and Kageyama turns a dull cobalt gaze on him.
"Probably not. But we've already agreed. And stomaching one more loss to my father for the chance to escape unhindered— I have no intention of swallowing it without a fight, so get ready."
"All right! I've always wondered what it'd be like to play regular volley with you guys." Bokuto says and Noya glances up at him with a flat expression.
"Probably less fun than you are thinking— you are playing with Kageyama. You won't catch any breaks if you are screwing up." He says and Asahi grins a little sheepishly.
"He can be pretty tough sometimes. But he's trying to motivate you." He says.
"You mean he can be worse than normal?" Tsukishima asks with a cynical smirk. Kageyama scowls with annoyance, but Hinata's face lights up.
"You haven't seen Kageyama serious in a match, Blondy. He doesn't usually get that into it in Ground Volley because it's always casual play, but he goes all 'Fwah!' and hyper focused and tunnel vision— the whole bit when he goes up against the Grand King or Iwa's team. He gets scary zoned and it's so cool and it's awesome when we win!"
The redhead's sudden enthusiasm makes Lev think that even if he'd realized they'd be playing aerial Volley, the small spiker would have still agreed to play even if only to see Kageyama get into it.
"So the psychosis is a family thing." The ibis drawls.
"No, it's a sentry thing, so can it, Beanpole." Noya mutters.
"Eh, how do you want us lined up Kageyama?" Asahi asks, pointedly steering the conversation away from the aggravated path it had been headed down. The avian heir looks around at them with assessment.
"Lev's probably right, Yaku could play libero position if Noya starts slowing down. You okay with that?" He asks and the russet cat nods, and Lev's eyes crease with excitement at the anticipation in his leveler's smirk.
"Okay, keep tabs in the meantime and tell us where we are slacking. Bokuto, are you okay to fill Tanaka's spot and hit strong side?"
"Bring it on!"
"Great. You can line up across from Asahi." He says before looking to the short crow. "They don't really have a libero position in regular volley, but… I think we should try it, because nothing gets past Noya. What do you think?" The small crow's eyes crackle with a fire to match Hinata and Bokuto.
"Give me a couple cracks to get the feel of it and I'm game." He says and Kageyama nods.
"Akaashi, are you okay hitting off side? We can both hit—"
"Tobio! You wouldn't happen to have a spare setter, would you?" Kageyama blinks, a rigid tension slipping into his jaw before turning to look over his shoulder with surprise.
"Setter?" He asks.
"Sir, if you'd just—"
"We are going to need one. Yahaba is out on a scout mission with Kiyotani and Iwa's shite for tosses." Tooru cuts off the sentry leader's aggravated interjection.
"If you'd just play, we wouldn't have a problem." He grumbles, but the Grand King waves him off.
"Nonsense, Iwa. How am I supposed to be a spectator if I'm in the game? Besides, I haven't played in five years. I would be useless anyway." He says with a remarkably well fabricated but false grin. Lev has the acute impression that he's definitely scheming something behind that friendly exterior and resists the urge to twitch his tail restlessly.
"Eh… we haven't played in five years either." Asahi murmurs. Surprise flits across the rookery leader's face.
"No?"
"Nope, we play ground Volley." Lev supplies and the Grand King's gaze settles on him with guarded appraisal. Yaku scoffs at him and the lanky cat is sure he's made a remark his leveler thinks he shouldn't have.
"Ground Volley?" He asks, his head tilting, and Lev grins, Mori's hard look of disapproval not deterring him in the least.
"We can show you a bit after your match—there's a net over there." He says pointing to the other court.
"That would be… interesting." He says before turning back to Feathers.
"I know you probably won't consider it, but what about Nishinoya? I know he was doing some setting before he left… think we could borrow him?"
Lev's gaze swings back toward the short crow only to see a black frown on his face as he looks up at Kageyama ready to argue. But the avian heir is already rebuffing the Grand King's request.
"No. We need Noya for a new lineup we want to try."
"That's awfully selfish of you. Guess you're just out of luck Iwa." The Grand Kings says with a light laugh and the sentry leader rolls his eyes.
"I can toss." Akaashi's quiet voice slips between them and every eye swings in his direction. Lev's head tilts in curiosity as Bokuto's golden orbs dilate with slight alarm.
"Akaashi, you don't—"
"It'll be fine Bokuto. You just have to pick up the slack when everyone else starts dragging. I'm not as great at spiking anyway." He says before meeting Kageyama's intense cobalt gaze.
"Of course, only if you are okay with it." He defers quietly.
"You're sure?" The avian heir asks cautiously and the smaller owl nods. A muscle beside one of Feathers' eyes twitches when he looks at Iwaizumi.
"Akaashi's willing to toss… are you willing to play with an owl?" The sentry leader's eyes have widened and he looks at his superior for input.
"Why not? He knows the game?" Tooru asks and Akaashi steps forward.
"I've been playing ground for five years, so I'll probably be rusty, but give me a few minutes to try getting back into it."
"Akaashi, do you have to play on the other side of the net?" Bokuto complains and the smaller owl turns an exasperated look at him.
"It's one match. You will be fine for a half hour, you streaked pigeon. Kageyama's the better setter anyway. And don't you dare hold back, because I won't. I'm going to make this guy send every spike straight at you." He says, jerking a thumb at Iwaizumi, and Bokuto's jaw clicks shut.
"Shots fired." Noya murmurs with a smirk and Lev grins.
"Well, I'm glad that's settled, then! Shall we?" The Grand King says with a welcoming hand and a smile that might be more curiously amused than fake, Lev's not sure.
Akaashi nods once more to Kageyama's team before following the rookery leader and Iwa back to their side to warm up a bit, his leveler's golden eyes soulfully following him with a solid sullen pout. Kageyama stares after them a few moments before taking a deep breath and turning back to his team.
"Right. Yamaguchi, I was going to have you sub in for Hinata when he starts slowing down, but—"
"I won't slow down, jerk!"
"Keep telling yourself that." Kageyama remarks dryly without looking away from the freckled crow. "Are you comfortable hitting off-side?"
"Sounds good! What about Tsukki?"
"He's a middle, he'll line up across from Shouyou." Lev almost chuckles at the abrupt direction.
Still no love lost there. They do amazing at putting aside their crap on the court, but they just don't get along well.
As soon as the lineup is figured out they take to the air and Lev watches them all start going through the motions, Mori just off his elbow.
"It's ironic when they finally come full circle and play their first aerial match together since leaving the rookery that it's against the Grand King's team—the very same from the last time they played." His leveler murmurs, and Lev settles in the grass with a bright-eyed nod and a smile.
It's taken over five years to get back to this point, but as he watches the avians he's come to trust, rely on, and love, he can't help but think all the struggle, pain, and emotional instability were worth the effort. Noya's eyes are bright, the small crow reading the hits that Asahi sends at him, his body automatically pitch-diving to save them with a wild grin. The large bearded crow looks like he's sincerely enjoying himself, his movements and swings fluid with no noticeable weakening yet in the wing that had been crushed in the earthquake.
Bokuto's first couple hits are wild, but the streaked owl's brow furrows in concentration while Kageyama simultaneously makes adjustments. Within a few more tosses, the large owl lets out a whoop as he connects cleanly, the ball thwacking off the broadside of his wing. Tsukishima's face has narrowed with intense focus as he both works on timing for hitting and blocking, his umber eyes calculating and critical. Yamaguchi's face creases with an easy smile when one of his serves lifts high in a perfect float, the ball jittering back and forth as it strikes through the air, it's entire track completely different from Kageyama's bullet fast drop serves.
The setter himself has slipped into an intense attentiveness, his eyes tracking everyone with practiced efficiency, and Lev finally realizes what the redhead means when he says the avian heir 'zones'. His focus is totally on the ball and the court at all times, his tunnel vision forcing all of his attention to the matter at hand. And yet… even now, consumed by the motions of an aerial Volley warmup, Lev can tell that he's still hyper conscious of his leveler. When Hinata finally connects for the first time, a small smile that whispers of pride, love, and elation tips his mouth.
And Shouyou, at the center of them all, lets out a shout that has Bokuto clapping him on the shoulder, Noya returning a rallying cry as he bowls him over in a hug, both Asahi and Yamguchi grinning, and even the ibis pauses to watch his small celebration at returning to the aerial game. Lev gins widely.
Hinata is finally playing ground Volley with the rest of them again when his wings are too tired to keep going with drills. They all knew he'd been probably more frustrated over that than anything else after his wings had first emerged. With his back muscles so weak that just balancing and walking was a task, Volley had been off the table entirely at first.
But this is somehow a little different than him getting back into Ground Volley.
Somehow, Hinata returning to the aerial game is much more profound—a significantly greater moral and personal achievement not just for the redhead, but them all. They've all seen him struggle and fail, seen him in pain and frustrated. They've seen him despondent and hopeful, overwhelmed and motivated, progress and regress. They all knew where this mountain of a setback began, they've all watched him walk this path, and they all know how far he's come. To see him reach a goal he's never voiced, but always wished for… Lev feels gratified to have seen his journey, been there to support him along the way.
Kageyama recalls their focus, but his mouth still quirks with that happy little upturn, his expression softer than Lev assumes it would be. The avian heir's quiet reminder does the trick and their concentration redoubles so that by the time they are lining up at the net, everyone's minds are focused with excited anticipation.
"Ne, Kageyama… think we're still invincible?" Hinata asks and a predatory grin splits the avian heir's face.
"Only one way to find out. Don't drop your arm when you swing, got it, idiot?" Hinata's eyes are bright when they fix on his leveler with joyful challenge.
"Don't slack your tosses, moron." He returns and the blue-eyed crow scoffs.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" He mutters before he glances at the ibis.
"Tsukishima." The blond cuts a bored look at Feathers' address.
"Don't pull your punches. I know what you're capable of." The ibis blinks before a condescending smirk curls his mouth.
"Shouldn't be that hard; they all remind me of you."
"Then you shouldn't have a problem getting fired up." Kageyama's maniacal grin matches the blond's and they line up. Lev smirks.
Those two might not see eye to eye, but still… that relationship has come leagues from where it started. Mori's right. With collaboration comes understanding even if they clash in every aspect.
And then the match starts, Bokuto tossing one last look of betrayal at his leveler across the net as Hinata serves. Lev's own better half is on his feet in a mere two rallies, the short cat barely able to restrain himself to watching quietly on the sidelines instead of pacing anxiously. The lanky cat is sure he'd be an excellent candidate for a coach someday, and privately chuckles at the thought of the small cat battling for respect from a team who would likely all have outgrown him.
"May I sit?"
Lev blinks and looks up to find the Grand King beside him with that genial smile from earlier and suppresses the urge to get warily to his feet.
"Sure… though I think you would be more comfortable around your own." He says with a shrug and a small smirk instead. The rookery leader's head tilts, that easy expression never wavering.
"What makes you say that?" Lev's grin becomes genuine.
"Because I'm uncomfortable. Kageyama wasn't kidding. There's something about you that makes my hair stand on end, and I can't decide if it's the fake smile that almost makes me relax or the air of threat that radiates from you just behind it. It's like you are prepared to off me at any point, and you'll do it with a laugh. It's quite disturbing." Lev says, and the Grand King's mouth quirks with a hint of true amusement as he eases down beside him.
"That's a given; you're a cat." He says lightly and Lev turns his attention back to the match where Kageyama just highlighted Bokuto for a dynamite hit. As he listens to the streaked owl gloat to a disinterested Akaashi, his mouth twitches.
"Then between you and me, I've lived with Feathers for five years and in that time, I've seen his life saved more times by a cat than a bird."
"Is that a subtle brag?" Lev can almost hear the cocked eyebrow in his tone and his own rise as he looks back at the rookery leader.
"Brag?" He asks with a laugh. "No, I've never saved his life, but Mori has… and Kuroo has twice— although, it's probably a good thing he's not here. He'd probably kill you on sight."
"And you wonder why I'm uneasy with my son living with cats." He says with a tight smirk. Lev shakes his head slightly, his green eyes dancing with mirth.
"Kuroo's avian reservations are almost entirely restricted to you and your sentries. You did take out over half his clan, after all. But Kageyama isn't you. Kuroo's nearly died saving your son's skin more than once; Feathers is easy to figure out and Kuroo identifies with the things he desires most."
"Does he?" The Grand King asks absently before looking at him with heavy focus.
"Would you know what's up with his wings?" He asks and Lev's brow furrows as he tries to keep up with the rookery leader's abrupt topic change.
He frowns a little because it feels like he's just been asked something he's pretty sure Mori wouldn't want him casually discussing with this guy… but the creases at the edges of the Grand King's eyes—he recognizes them. This man…is hurting.
"Eh? Wings?" He asks curiously.
"The ends… why are they white? I knew him since he was moments old before they ever grew in and they've never come in white." The Grand King clarifies and Lev's confusion clears.
Yeah, definitely something Mori probably won't like him talking about, and to the man beside him no less.
Eh… oh well. I'll grovel later. I know one or two good tricks to mollify him.
"Ah, that. Mori's the leveler expert, but since he's mine, I pick up some things, too. The white tipping means that his leveler was injured enough that the only thing that saved him was the activation of that bond. Basically, Hinata would have died if Kageyama wasn't there—which means they both would have." He says.
"So that bond saved their lives? The stories are true?" The Grand King asks with narrowed eyes.
"Not on its own, it can't. The leveler bond actually has very little power unless the pair are together. But you don't have to be together—or even know your leveler—for it to take you out if your other half dies."
"Sounds more like a curse than a blessing. How do you know who your leveler is?"
Lev frowns slightly, his eyes drifting to Mori as he calls out to Asahi to start his approach quicker after one of his hits is blocked. The small russet cat was the only exception he knew of to the rule; no one really knew who the avians' levelers were until they found out via the breaking or binding side effects. Somehow, the small feline just knew, but the rest of them… everyone's guess was a good one until they had a confirmation.
"You don't." He says, his thoughts drifting. Mori had such a keen eye and such a powerful sense of perception that he'd had Lev figured out while the grey cat himself had been clueless.
"I was born the youngest of three by only a half hour— triplets. By the end of my first day of life, I was one of twins. My sister and I, Mom used to tell us she didn't think we'd make it either because we were so small. But we did. Alisa and I survived infancy, got bigger, lived. We were inseparable as kids, always did everything together. We started walking, talking, hunting together— everything. She was my best friend.
"But like, five centuries ago, we were cornered by some hawks while we were out playing by the creek. She died that day… and do you know what her brother did? He fled. He left her there and ran, only to return after dark to a cold, stiff body. I don't know what they all did to her, but I know she was missing one of her ears and she'd been drowned. They'd tied her up and tossed her in the river.
"And instead of even going for help, I ran and hid. Mom didn't tell me about how we'd beaten the odds as kids anymore after that." He says, the recollection suffocating him.
"Your reaction as a child was normal. An adult would probably act differently." The Grand King's oddly reassuring remark surprises the grey cat as it pulls him back to the present, even if the note of puzzled annoyance that still bleeds into it does not. He smiles slightly with a short nod.
"I'm sure you're right; you seem smart like Mori… but it didn't matter how old I was, it didn't change how much knowing I abandoned her hurt. I still think about her all the time, still wish she was here, too. I've been stuck in that memory for centuries. But five years ago, I glimpsed a future for the first time since that awful day when I ran into Hinata and Feathers. I met that future a year later.
"I don't remember what it was like not to have white ears, didn't even realize they weren't natural when Mori first pointed them out. But they were a dead giveaway that I'd lost someone very close to me. When he asked me about it, all I could think was that if there was one person whose death had irrevocably changed my world, it was hers. Mori's a bit like her— she was taller than he is and less angry all the time… but I could still embarrass her on a whim." He says with a small smile.
"So, the white ears are like the frosted wings." The Grand King says, a bid for clarification that recalls the grey cat's focus.
Lev nods once, his gaze landing on the russet cat as he barks at Kageyama for sending a toss just out of Tsukishima's reach. He almost laughs at the ensuing grudging apology from the avian heir and amused scoff from the ibis, but the very next volley Hinata snaps into place out of nowhere and that devastating quick finally makes its appearance. Lev grins; they are finally finding that rhythm. When he glances over, he's pleased to see the look of surprise on the rookery leader's face.
"Pretty impressive, huh? That new quick is murderous on the ground; I'm surprised they've managed to translate it to the air game so fast." A small smirk slips onto his face, but Tooru's eyes remain on the match in front of them with rapt focus.
"It might have been a fluke." He says and Lev snorts.
"Kageyama doesn't have flukes…he's always on point, and there's no one who matches up with him better than Hinata. Not even Suga and Daichi are that synced, no matter how much better they get along off the court." He says with a laugh before turning back to the game.
"Sugawara and Sawamura? They are alive, still?"
"Of course! So is Tanaka, he was a sentry you'd know, too, I guess. They're just all back home with the others yet."
"Others?" The Grand King asks and Lev irrefutably knows this is somehow a question Mori would forbid him to answer. So he grins widely when he looks at the Grand King.
"Yep, others! This isn't everyone, there's a bunch more. We're supposed to be sending ravens with every town we hit." He says easily and the rookery leader cocks a brow at him but doesn't push the issue. Lev is glad, because he's not that good at keeping critical information under wraps. His smile softens just a bit and his emerald gaze drifts.
"Leveler bonds are a curious thing. Mori says it doesn't matter if its avian, feline, or whatever, the bond can exist between anyone. It can be between lovers, siblings, parent and child, allies, enemies, strangers, friends. A leveler is supposed to bring out the greatest person you can become; it might not be typical, but that person doesn't have to be a significant other. The difference between felines and avians is that we kind of get to 'pick' ours while birds always seem to exist exclusively in pairs. Mori has a theory on that, too, but I think he might be reaching on that one." He says.
"And what does Mori think?" The Grand King prompts with a patronizing smirk and Lev blinks.
"I'm not as good at the leveler stuff and he explains it better, but… he thinks leveler bonds develop in response to circumstance. Basically, the bond coalesces in response to a shared incident or experience. I think he's thinking too hard on this one, though, and the link is established as soon as both exist. But avians have no real way of knowing who theirs are for sure unless they sustain injury, or something like that."
"'Or something like that'?" The rookery leader echoes skeptically and Lev shrugs.
"Like I said, Mori's better with the leveler stuff."
"I'm curious, Cat. If I make you uncomfortable, why are you telling me all this?" Lev's brow furrows and he looks back at the Grand King's searching dark eyes.
"Because you asked?" He answers, unsure why the rookery leader wants to know. The way his face creases into a much too friendly smile lets him know he missed the mark.
"Subtlety and nuance is lost on youth, apparently." He murmurs more to himself than Lev and the lanky cat's head tilts.
"Not that it matters, but I don't think there is anything subtle about you, Grand King." He says, because really, the man is a walking beacon.
The way he talks, dresses, acts, his entire personality really—just the way he carries himself, he stands out as nobility or at the very least, privileged. And that doesn't even cover the rigid posture and movements that betray his military standing. The Grand King looks at him for a moment with a cocked eyebrow and then laughs.
"I suppose so. Why did you suggest a Volley match? Why would you help me?" He says with a grin that's more real than fake.
Ah. So that was the real question.
Lev wants to bang his head against a tree, because he was raised in the forest, not a court or even a town. Mori would have been far more skilled at navigating this guy with all of his world knowledge; the tall cat knows very little about decorum and subterfuge. Still, he started this and even if he's not as versed in politics, he can still offer a candid response.
And with wry chagrin, he realizes that this is probably why the Grand King zeroed in on him to begin with. Nearly all the Karasuno unit had all remarked on his uncanny ability to read people and manipulate them, hadn't they? If he was that good at it, he'd probably have picked up that the tall cat was easy to ply for information—skies knew the other avians had all figured that out by this point much to Mori's annoyance. Lev mentally shrugs, resigned to the reality that he will probably be facing an angry leveler once more.
"Because Feathers is one of ours and you are a parent. A child craves affection and approval, and a parent will frequently pay any price to see their kid well. I think what you want probably isn't that different from what he wants." He says. Mori won't be happy with him, he's certain, but that's okay. Family is important—especially when it's ready to make an effort to connect.
"And what do we want, Cat?" The Grand King asks, a brow rising up his forehead curiously. Lev can't decide if the man beside him is just insulting him or is honestly interested in what he thinks—or perhaps both.
Eh, don't really care, he muses and turns to look back at the game only to find his leveler's gaze fixed on him with a well-worn homicidal stare. Ah. He should have noticed that it had gotten quieter the last few moments.
Well, that means time's almost up.
"I think at the moment, you just want the chance for a relationship; he probably shares that, but before that he's always just wanted to keep the people he cares about safe. There has to be some common ground there?" He asks as Yaku starts their way with an irritated stomp, so he continues without any prompt.
"Blood calls to blood by its very nature, but… if you pressure him, you'll set him against you. Use Hinata to force him, you'll make an enemy for life. Threaten that which he will and has killed to protect, and you'll lose him forever. His next step has always been to disappear entirely. If you push him, he will go off grid and overseas, and you can be sure you won't find him again."
"Lev!" His ear flicks sheepishly in Mori's direction. He does sound irritated. But really… sometimes it's almost worth it to get his leveler worked into a frenzy.
"He might be different from the way you remember, but he is still the same person. I think he'd be willing to give you the opportunity to get to know him again, but he's going to need a show of faith before he'll consider it. I guess it comes down to whether you hear him and are able to trust him." He says getting to his feet. The Grad King's eyes watch him sharply as he mimics the motion, the crow having to look up at him as he straightens. The easy smile hasn't wavered from his face, but the tension is back around his eyes.
"Trust him to what?" He asks with a hard edge and Lev smiles.
"To be Tobio Kageyama. To be your son." He says simply as Yaku stomps up to him.
"You freaking grimalkin. You have an attention span worse than that of a five-year-old. You are supposed to be cheering your team on, not making friends with the other side." He growls, latching onto Lev's collar. He has to bend a little as Mori yanks him along behind himself, but he smiles impishly all the same.
"Come on. And don't think I don't know what you are up to, you cheeky twit!" The short cat snaps. Lev glances back toward the Grand King once with a devious glint as if to say 'Watch this'. He snakes his arms around his leveler and lifts him from the ground in a suffocating hug.
"It's alright, Mori, he just had questions about the other short guys."
A moment later, Lev is still grinning madly despite the sharp pain from his ear where his leveler pinches it with one of his blackest scowls since they'd met while spewing colorful threats. His green eyes dance, the talk with the Grand King largely sidelined for later contemplation, because Mori's getting remarkably worked up, and he just knows tonight is going to be one for the records.
A/N: So Lev chapter... I actually never had one planned for him and this one came up for grabs in the last week and I was like... 'why not'; honestly, it was a struggle. It feels like the most meandering thing to me- like i had a goal but no idea how to reach it so I took the clumsiest, longest route to get there. Lev is a character I am comfortable writing from the outside; the moment I try to step into his mind, I feel lost, so I apologize if this one seems really all over the place.
Next chapter is also unfinished as of right now, and I'm flying tomorrow again, so if I post, it will probably be late like today's (sorry for that, it wasn't intentional). I haven't gotten to reviews yet either, so I apologize for that, too. In the meantime, stay awesome and have a wonderful evening guys!