Kageyama stepped out of the car and into the back room of the Nationals stadium. He made it all the way down the breezeway, almost to his room's door, before Takito caught him.
She was wearing a white blouse with a sharp blazer and a black skirt, and black heels. Her hair was down, actually brushed and gently curled. She looked quite professional with light makeup and a stern gaze. Takito also had a badge with her name that proclaimed she was an official modifier and assistant for Kageyama.
"Hey! Tobio! What's up?" She planted her hands on her hips, grinning at him. Her wings ruffled in the slight wind of the open hallway.
Apparently, she wasn't professional.
He whipped around. "I wanted to see my competition room!"
"Well, it's not ready yet," Takito warned. "So there might be… surprises inside. You can still go in, though."
Each competitor would get their own small room before the competition to practice in private, stretch, or just relax. Kageyama's was room 2-K, located in the Junior Class section. There was a special area for Karasuno, too. Mei's room was next door.
Kageyama pushed the sliding door open to reveal a small room just a bit bigger than his bedroom at home, with a sink, a couch, and a mat for stretching. There was also a table with some papers and his braces. His costume hung near the window that looked out into the forest behind the stadium.
"You said it wasn't ready, Takito!" He ran over to pick up his costume, flaring his wings out happily at the sight of the black fabric.
Takito stepped inside after him, gazing around. "I just wanted to check it out without you ruining the room first."
"Ruin it?" Kageyama looked up from dumping equipment out of a box. It scattered all over the floor and knocked over his water bottle. "What do you mean?"
Takito sighed. She helped him put the equipment on the shelves. "You know exactly what I mean."
Kageyama sank down onto the couch. He picked up the papers. They were his competition papers, with the program, this year's special brochure, and other legal stuff that looked official.
"You have to fill this one out, Takito." He passed her the assistant's form.
Takito skimmed through the legal text. "Give me a pen." She took one from Kageyama in her left hand.
"Now, can I write with my left hand?" She tried to write her name as neatly as possible, testing first with a scrap of paper.
It didn't turn out very well. "Nope. I can't."
"I can write it for you," Kageyama offered. "But you still have to sign it."
Takito pulled a rubber stamp out of her pocket. "No, I have to stamp it. This is my modifier stamp. It's pretty important. It's like my identity, and if I lose it, you can't compete. So don't annoy me, or I'll throw this away."
Kageyama nodded, taking the pen from her. Takito shook out her wings, stood up, and walked over to the window. She gazed out it wistfully.
"I'm nervous," She muttered, running her fingers along her cast.
Kageyama curled his wings around him. "Same here."
"Well," Takito walked over to him, heels making sharp clicks on the wooden floor. "We can be nervous together. Also, I can't walk in heels. They hurt my feet." She slid them off and tossed them to the side of the room in disgust.
"But what do you have to be nervous about?" Kageyama asked, turning around.
Takito twitched her wings irritably. "The press."
"What? Please explain..." Kageyama sighed, wings drooping at the thought of this competition on National Television.
"Often, prodigies like you have fans that are completely confident in your abilities to fly. So if you screw up, or get disqualified..."
"...They blame you." Kageyama finished, realizing suddenly that Takito really had a lot to be nervous about. Maybe more than him.
"Yeah. See what I mean? If I get blamed, my reputation could be ruined. Forever." Takito swallowed hard. She didn't like that risk.
"Well," Kageyama shrugged. "Your reputation is pretty good right now."
Takito ruffled her wings, taking a seat next to Kageyama. "This is the first year I'm an assistant. I'll need to come into the arena with you."
"You know, you're the youngest assistant in this competition. The youngest assistant, ever!" Kageyama pointed out.
"Oh no," Takito groaned. "I hate being the youngest!"
"Well, my birthday is in December, so I'm usually the youngest. I'm the youngest doing Dives, that's for sure."
"What do assistants do, anyway? And why isn't coach Shen your assistant? He was yours last year." Takito said, pulling at the hem of her skirt.
"Read the official manual for assistants," Kageyama answered. "And coaches can't be assistants. They're registered as coaches."
"But he was your assistant last year," Takito replied.
Kageyama's wings perked up angrily. "I had a different coach, remember?"
"Oh," Takito whispered softly. She knew that Kageyama didn't like to hear about his old coach. And the abuse he went through was a taboo topic for him, too. She glanced at him, seeing if his emotions would show through. The only thing Takito could see was anger flashing in his dark eyes.
Takito reached across the table for the manual and flipped through it.
"You're allowed to have two assistants?" She asked, curious.
Kageyama nodded. "Yeah. One is usually a technician and the other is moral support or coaching. You're both."
"It's not moral support if I'm a nervous train wreck." Takito ran her hands through her black hair, letting the curls fall into her face.
Kageyama glanced at the clock. It was only seven in the morning, but competitors were supposed to arrive early for attendance and preparation for the opening ceremony. They were supposed to arrive at eight, but Kageyama was too nervous to lie awake any longer.
Takito was here so she could make sure her father was okay setting up the rest of the tuning booth on his own, but that resolved quickly so she had wandered around to get her nerves off.
"I don't need moral support," Kageyama reassured.
Takito stood up, turning to face him. "Well, we'll just support each other. I'm going to be up on that platform with you, you know." She threw the book down onto the table.
Kageyama could see the pain in her eyes.
I've placed way too much on her. And not just today.
Kageyama remembered all the times he would come into the tech shop to have his braces tuned and he would complain about all the things that had to happen to him that day. Takito would listen patiently, nodding politely. She waited until he would shut up, but nothing would make him be quiet until he was finished, or Takito noticed what he was trying to hide with his words.
Once, when Kageyama was a first year at Karasuno and Takito was still in junior high, he had pointed out that Takito was really good at sensing emotions. She laughed and said it was because she knew what others were thinking.
But maybe she did have secret powers because one day she pulled him away from his coach and asked if he was okay. It was a random question, but somehow it seemed like Takito had seen right through his lies and really knew what his coach was doing to him.
And every time Takito asked about a bruise or cut, or some other injury, she asked like she already knew.
You can hide your scars, Takito would say. But you can't hide the pain in your eyes.
She was the first to know about how abusive his first coach was, and she was the one who had gone to his parents to demand a new coach. A year younger than him, but probably years wiser. And Takito swore that she would come to Karasuno to make sure he wasn't being hurt, even though she could have gotten into a better school.
"Is Shou-chan coming?" Takito asked, pulling Kageyama back to the present.
Kageyama jumped off the couch and shook out his wings. "Hinata should be coming soon. I told him to come a little early so I could show him around."
There was a knock at the door. "That's probably him."
"I'll get it!" Takito bounded over to the door but he shoved her out of the way and Takito stumbled aside.
"No, I'll get it." Kageyama pulled the door open, suddenly conscious of his wrinkled practice clothes. Hinata stood in the doorway, holding a gift bag and looking meek and small in the large hallway.
"Oh, hey Hinata. Come on in?"
"Am I allowed to?" Hinata asked, unsure. He was in awe of being in the competitor's area of the stadium.
Takito nodded, sliding into Hinata's line of vision. "Of course you are! What's in the bag?"
"Flowers!" Hinata grinned, stepping inside. He glanced around the room in awe. "Do you guys get this room all to yourselves?"
Takito shook her head. "It's not my room. It's Kageyama's. I usually have to stay in the assistant's office. It's terrible. But I've been able to sneak around." She shrugged.
"You can put the flowers in this vase." Kageyama held up a glass he found on the table, filled with water.
Takito snorted. "That's a water glass, idiot."
"You're an idiot." Kageyama retorted.
"At least I can tell the difference between a water glass and a flower vase!"
Hinata stepped in between them, fluttering his wings in excitement. "You don't need a flower vase. It's just one flower, for Kageyama."
Did he get me a flower?
Hinata set the bag down on the table and pulled out a breakfast sandwich, then a yellow rose, orange at the edges of the petals.
"Here you go." Hinata handed the rose to Kageyama, who took it gently.
Takito crossed her arms. "Yellow roses symbolize friendship, and that orange at the tip expresses... development in a friendship. Is there something I don't know?" She raised an eyebrow.
"You don't ask questions you don't know the answer to." Hinata pointed out.
Takito grinned. "Exactly. When did this happen?"
"Do you need to know?" Kageyama muttered, embarrassed.
She snapped her fingers, making Hinata choke on his breakfast sandwich. "I don't ask questions I don't know the answer to."
"See?" Hinata managed after recovering from choking. "She's annoying!"
"Well, congratulations on your marriage!" Takito laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
Kageyama flared his wings wide. "As my assistant, you're supposed to be nice!"
"Assistant?" Hinata asked.
Takito ignored the question and handed the manual to Hinata, who flipped through it excitedly. The brochures from earlier fell out and Takito picked them up.
"Well, well, well, look who made the front page." She held up the brochure to show the boys one of the best competitors.
Kageyama frowned. "Ushijima Wakatoshi."
"Woah, Ushijima?" Hinata gasped. "He's really good."
Hinata began to list facts and statistics about Ushijima.
"He's six feet and two inches, his birthday is August 13th, he's left-handed, has a wingspan of 10 feet and 2.67 inches, swan's wings, and has been training since he was really young."
Takito nodded, impressed. "But he doesn't do Dives."
"Well." Kageyama exhaled loudly.
"Did you know?" Hinata flipped through the rest of the booklet. "He's on Japan's National team for international competitions!"
Takito's jaw dropped. "Wow, this Wakatoshi guy really has it going for him."
Kageyama looked at the brochure advertising the swan-winged competitor. "He does go to Shiratorizawa. that's a powerhouse school, and they're usually top of the prefecture. I wanted to go to Shiratorizawa, but I failed the entrance exam."
Hinata pointed to a fact box on the front. "He came second last year due to an injury."
"I'd be dead if I had an injury," Kageyama commented.
Hinata opened up the brochure to the page with Kageyama on it. "Hey look, it's you!"
Takito peered at the picture of Kageyama. "Two page spread, not too bad. Hey, my name is on there."
"See page 17 for a blueprint of Tobio Kageyama's braces..." Hinata read.
"Well, let's see," Kageyama muttered. flipping back to page seventeen.
Another two-page spread proudly displayed Kageyama's modified braces and a brief history of Takito's career in modifying.
"Oh, I'm flattered," Takito sighed happily. "They even spelled my name right."
Hinata turned back to Kageyama's page, looking at his statistics. "I have to memorize these." He flapped his wings excitedly.
"It's seven-thirty," Takito announced, putting her shoes back on. "I should go check on Yamaguchi and Mei, then see my father. I'll leave you guys to do your things."
She slipped out the door, winking at Kageyama on the way out.
Kageyama glared at her and turned to Hinata. "Are you excited about the Nationals?"
"Of course, I am." Hinata nodded. "This is my first year seeing the competitions in person."
He picked up the programs for the Nationals. "It's only Juniors and U20's today."
Kageyama nodded. "There are so many events they have to do it in three days, and then the awards and closing ceremony."
"Wow... Can I keep these?" Hinata held up the stack of papers.
Kageyama sorted through them and put aside the competitor's forms. "You can keep the merchandise, not my forms. I still to fill them out, and I think Takito took her mod forms."
Hinata peeked at the forms. "Wow, these look fancy."
There was another knock at the door, and Kageyama shouted, "Come in!"
It was Mei-Lee, fanning herself and looking slightly flustered in a fancy red dress, not her costume. Her wings fluttered nervously as she stepped inside.
"Oh, Kageyama, I think I'm going to faint." She sat on the couch, breathing hard.
Hinata moved so Mei could lie down. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine..." Mei sighed, flopping onto the couch. "Not really."
"What's the dress for?" Kageyama asked.
Mei-Lee ran her fingers down the silk of the red dress. "You'll see in a minute."
Hinata handed Mei the glass of water. "Do you need water?"
She sat up and took the glass. "Yes, thanks." Mei downed it in one gulp, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"So, what happened?"
"They asked me... The Nationals officials asked me... if I could sing the anthem at the opening ceremony!" Mei started fanning herself again.
"Wow. What about the official singer? I thought they would do it!" Kageyama asked.
Mei sighed. "Their official singer is sick. They asked me. Because I can sing..." The sarcasm in her voice cut deep.
"But you can sing!" Hinata protested.
It was true that Mei-Lee excelled at singing. Her mother put her in voice lessons as a young child and she continued studying classical music. She could play three instruments, including her own voice.
"Not enough to sing on national TV, with all of Japan watching, and then compete!" Mei-Lee screeched, sounding just a bit hysteric.
Kageyama had no idea how to deal with hysteric girls. Usually, he would inch away slowly then run home to restore his sanity. But he couldn't really do that.
"Do you want me to get Takito for you...?" Hinata offered.
Mei-Lee turned to Hinata. "Yes, please, and thank you!" She collapsed on the couch again, laughing hysterically.
Hinata ran out the door to find Takito.
"They picked me..." She gasped in between fits of laughter. "They picked me... They picked... me! Why me...?"
Kageyama sat stiffly on the couch, trying to ignore Mei-Lee. The door slid open and Takito ran in.
"Oh my god, what the hell is going on?" Takito looked at Kageyama, then Mei-Lee, then Hinata, and finally, at Yamaguchi, who stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do.
Takito beckoned Yamaguchi inside and told him to sit down. He inched his way inside and knelt beside his sister, wings rippling with worry.
"Are you okay?" Takito asked Mei.
"You don't... ask questions... you don't know the answer to..." Mei-Lee managed.
Takito groaned. "I know that! You're not okay!"
"No... I'm really not... really not okay..." Mei-Lee sat up.
"Hold still," Takito ordered, shooing Yamaguchi out of the way and telling everyone to move.
Mei-Lee blinked. "Okay...?"
Takito raised her hand and slapped Mei-Lee in the face. Hard.
"Snap out of it!" She shrieked, wings snapping open angrily.
Everyone gasped, shocked Takito dared to hit a second year, let alone a Nationals Competitor.
"Takito-" Yamaguchi grabbed her hand.
"Oi, do you want me to slap you, too? Shut up!" Takito growled, shaking free of Yamaguchi's grip.
Mei sat on the couch in shock. Takito nodded like everything was working out perfectly fine.
"Alright..." Takito raised her hand again and snapped her fingers in front of Mei's face.
Mei-Lee shook her head. "My face hurts."
"That's because-" Hinata began before being silenced with a death glare from Takito.
"Do you feel okay?" Takito asked
Mei-Lee smiled. "You never ask questions you don't know the answer to."
"Okay, you're fine."
"I'm sorry-" Mei-Lee began, trying to apologize for her fit of hysteria.
Takito shrugged. "You're fine. Anyways, you don't have my problems."
"What are your problems?" Mei-Lee asked, back to normal.
Takito sighed. "Eh, nothing much. Just the opening speech for the Nationals."
Everyone gasped again.
"Let me guess, the spokesperson was sick." Mei-Lee laughed, but normally this time. Yamaguchi sighed with relief in the fact that his sister wasn't insane. His wings drooped comfortably.
Takito shook her head, curled hair bouncing back and forth. "No, I'm the spokesperson. I don't know why. I think it's for the publicity, having their youngest assistant speak at the ceremonies."
"Well, I guess you'll be up onstage with me, Takito." Mei grinned.
Takito nodded, satisfied everyone knew their places. "Okay, you should head back to your room and get ready for the ceremony. I need to go to the assistant's meeting, and Kageyama, you need to get ready for the ceremony, too. There is a Karasuno meeting with the team at eight-fifteen, so be ready." She got up from the couch and marched out the door.
Yamaguchi helped his sister up from the couch, shot an apologetic glance at Hinata and Kageyama, waved goodbye, and left.
"Well, that was quite something." Kageyama let out a long breath.
Hinata nodded. "I hope Mei's okay."
"She got slapped by Takito."
"I was expecting that," Hinata muttered.
Kageyama frowned. "She hit a competitor."
"Yeah, I hope none of them report it. Takito could get fined for an ethical violation," Hinata muttered, beginning to understand the severity of what could happen.
Kageyama shrugged. "I don't think any of us would, though. She fixed Mei-Lee."
"That's true."
They sat there in awkward silence. Kageyama cleared his throat, standing up to look out the window.
"It's a nice day outside." He muttered. "Cold and clear."
Hinata joined him by the window. "Yeah, it is."
Kageyama nodded. "This reminds me what I train for."
"Don't you have a bunch of surprises for the judges this year?"
"Yes," He turned to face Hinata, who looked up at him with curiosity. "Lots of surprises."
"Like what?" Hinata turned his head to one side.
Kageyama fluttered his wings. "Like this."
He closed his eyes, bent down, and quickly kissed Hinata.
Hinata blinked in surprise. "What was that?"
"What do you think it was?"
"A... kiss...?" Hinata said slowly, blushing furiously.
Kageyama nodded, also blushing.
Now I've really done it, He thought. I'm prepared to die.
"Do it again," Hinata whispered. "I missed it."
"Are you sure?"
Hinata nodded, wings flapping with anticipation. "Yeah, do it again!" He reached up and put his hands on Kageyama's shoulders, standing on tiptoe to reach Kageyama.
For a second, Kageyama's brain failed to work. He could see the error message right now.
has stopped working. Please try again later.
has crashed. Please try again later.
But Hinata's presence seemed to reboot both of those so he leaned down slowly, eyes closed. He could feel Hinata's breath on his face, warm.
Kageyama took a mental deep breath and told himself to just do it already.
But Hinata beat him to it, throwing his arms around Kageyama's neck and causing Kageyama to clutch Hinata's waist suddenly.
"We need to try that again..." Hinata muttered, blushing.
Kageyama nodded in agreement; he could say nothing more.
"Are you going to do it? Or am I?" Kageyama asked.
"I'll do it!" Hinata proclaimed boldly.
Kageyama closed his eyes again waited. Until he heard Hinata jumping up and down.
"You're too tall..." Hinata muttered.
Kageyama leaned down for what felt like the hundredth time. His heart pounded harder than even when he was competing.
The world seemed to hold its breath as they met, hesitantly at first, but that vanished and they both relaxed a little.
Hinata broke away, blushing a bright shade of pink. Kageyama smiled down at him and Hinata grinned back.
"That was a nice surprise," Hinata whispered.
Kageyama nodded. "I knew you would like it."
"I didn't like it..." Hinata said.
Kageyama gasped and all the doubt, the fear, he had felt before came rushing back at him, until Hinata opened his mouth to speak again.
"I loved it."