Author's Note: I don't own KageHina or any of the rest of the couples *cough* I mean characters.
Okay so this took a really long while. Originally I wanted to make it through the vote so this chapter was going to be pivotal for the ending of this story and how my next story about their college life was going to start. I had a lot of thinking to do about how I wanted the International Council to vote. Half of me wanted them outed to the whole of Japan/the world, and the other half of me wanted it to be kept quiet. I know a few of you felt the same. But I didn't make it that far. I've started writing the next chapter so it shouldn't be as long a wait since I got most of the thinking done already.
Also SPOILER ALERT! This chapter contains a few things from the cannon story.
Oh and a special shout out to Mekabella21 for reviewing every chapter. That was awesome. Thanks!
Kageyama yawned as he came awake. A shiver quickly made its way down his spine as he shuddered against the cold. It was freezing in the room. Even burrowed into the multiple thick wool blankets they had piled on the bed over the last week and Hinata snuggled in his arms, Kageyama could still feel the icy bite of winter. They had definitely forgotten to turn on the heater in the corner of the room again. Kageyama groaned internally, he hated the cold. It was really going to suck getting up to turn the heater on. But he was in no hurry to get up. This was the last day he'd get to spend with Hinata before the training camps. It was going to be a whole week apart with miles between them and no possible chance to meet. The week hadn't even started yet and it felt like it was going to be forever long. It wasn't going to be like before when they had been fighting. They had still seen each other every day and they were still trying to figure things out. Now, being together all the time was natural, like breathing air. The week was going to be pure torture for his alpha side. But that didn't stop him from looking forward to the trip either. Both he and Hinata understood that this training camp was an important step for him as a player and for their team for nationals. It would be non-stop volleyball for five days with the nation's best youth players and coaches.
This week was also going to be important to Hinata. Hinata had made up his mind to crash the Miyagi training camp. Tsukishima wouldn't be happy and would probably mouth off a lot about it, but when it came down to it Kageyama knew that Tsukishima would keep an eye on Hinata if the coaches let him stay. The guy may be a total ass, okay… not maybe, he was definitely a total ass, but Kageyama had seen enough of Tsukishima's alpha tendencies towards Yamaguchi to know that he would protect what he considered his. With no other teammates around the alpha in him would claim responsibility of his omega teammate, just as Kageyama's did with Yamaguchi and Nishinoya when the others weren't around. But that didn't stop Kageyama from worrying. He pulled Hinata closer to him abruptly as a strong waive of possessiveness washed through him. He really needed to learn how to deal with this emotion better.
Hinata grunted coming awake from the abrupt movement of his mate. It took a few moments before Hinata opened his eyes and took stock of their position. They were wrapped around each other quite snugly. Even half asleep Hinata could feel the possessiveness coursing through his mate unrestrained. He didn't know what had brought Kageyama to such a point with his emotions but he really didn't care. At times, he secretly enjoyed Kageyama's jealousy and possessiveness. With no desire to change their positions, Hinata simply closed his eyes and snuggled against Kageyama's chest to enjoy his mate's warmth and provide a bit of comfort for whatever brought on this severe bout of possessiveness.
"What time is it?" Hinata asked sleepily after a yawn.
"Don't know." Kageyama answered without moving. "Too cold to find out." Hinata chuckled. So it was cold enough that Kageyama didn't want to peek his head out of the blankets.
"You're such a baby sometimes." Hinata remarked with a smile spread wide on his face.
"Shut up, dumbass." Kageyama returned quickly. "If you're so grown up go turn on the heater." Kageyama taunted, hoping that Hinata would take up the task just to prove a point. But Hinata didn't move much to Kageyama's surprise (and delight).
"But I don't wanna get up yet." Hinata stated as he tighten his hold around Kageyama to illustrate his reason for wanting to laze around in bed a bit longer. "I'm comfortable where I am." Kageyama couldn't help the small smile that made its way to his face. He wasn't going to argue with that, he was quite comfortable himself. They stayed entangled under the blankets for a while only deciding to move once Mrs. Hinata had shuffled into the room.
"Breakfast is ready" she told them as she turned on the heater. She smiled at the heap of blankets on the bed. They really wouldn't need so many if they just remembered to turn the heater on. She stood there for a moment but there was still no movement. "Come on, up and adam boys."
Mrs. Hinata didn't say anything else and left the boys to linger under the pile of blankets as the room warmed up. Over the last couple of months Tobio had been staying with them almost non-stop while things with his parents were still working out. The two of them had been over to Tobio's house for dinner once or twice to get things rolling but she could tell the boys were both wary of just how sincere Mrs. Kageyama's acceptance was.
From what she could tell the acceptance was hesitant but true. Mrs. Kageyama had even offered to help with food costs to ease the burden of having an extra mouth to feed. Of course Mrs. Hinata had refused the assistance immediately but in return had the woman promise that if the situation were ever reversed she'd make sure the boys were spoiled rotten with good food.
Mrs. Hinata went back to the kitchen and placed 2 large stacks of waffles on a couple of plates for the boys and topped them with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel, and fresh strawberries. She knew it was a little much and she normally didn't allow desert type foods for breakfast but she wasn't going to see Tobio for an entire week after he went off to Tokyo for that special training camp. She'd become a little attached to the boy after all. And Shouyo was planning to spend all his time at a different training camp in the prefecture. She had a feeling he'd be gone before she woke up and back long after she'd gone to bed. This was her way of wishing them well.
By the time the boys finally made it out of their bedroom Mrs. Hinata already had the kitchen cleaned up and put back in order. She had just finished putting the last dish away when she heard her son's cry of "Sweet" in response to her choice of breakfast for the day. She walked back into the dining room to see both of the boys stuffing the food in their mouths. She smiled when Shouyo mumbled a thanks between bites.
"Since Tobio is leaving tomorrow I figured it wouldn't hurt to do something special." Mrs. Hinata replied. Kageyama glanced up at her and nodded in thanks with a mouth full. "You leave tomorrow morning right?" She asked. Kageyama nodded again while he worked on finishing the huge bite he'd taken. "When are you heading back to your parents today?"
Kageyama swallowed. "In the afternoon. I'd stay longer but I need time to pack." He stated.
"So you'll be here for lunch?" She inquired only to get a nod in return. "Good. How's pork curry sound for lunch?" She asked. Mrs. Hinata almost chuckled when visibly saw the change as Tobio's eyes lit up in anticipation and he nodded vigorously in response. She knew it was his favorite food. Shouyo smiled as he watched his mate's response. She could only guess at how much joy he had felt through their bond at that announcement.
It wasn't long after lunch that the two of them went to the bus stop. "Are you sure?" Kageyama asked Hinata again as they stood in front of the bus stop. They both wore winter coats and gloves practically standing on top of each other to stay warm.
Hinata had his small black gym bag with him stuffed with everything he would need to stay the night. About half way through the day he had decided to stay over at Kageyama's. "Yeah, I'm sure." Hinata responded with certainty. "I really want to stay with you tonight. Besides, your mom's been real nice lately." Kageyama glanced at him warily trying to gage how sincere but he couldn't feel any doubt, so he nodded in response and turned to watch for the bus.
Hinata sighed inwardly. He really just wanted to get things fixed between them all. It had been much better as of late, Mrs. Kageyama being extra cautious of everything she did and said, but they hadn't spent the night at Kageyama's parent's house since the fight had started. It was time to put this whole mess behind them. That and he didn't like the idea of spending a night away from each other when they didn't have to. Hinata chuckled to himself. Who'd have thought there would come a day when he dreaded being separated from Kageyama. Life really was weird sometimes. If someone had told him 6 months ago that he and Kageyama were destined to be mates and that he'd actually be happy about it, he would've laughed at them and thought they were crazy.
"What are you chuckling about dumbass?" Kageyama asked feeling Hinata's amusement through their bond. Hinata just shook his head.
"Nothing." Kageyama stared at Hinata for a moment longer then let it go. Whatever it was he'd find out later if he wanted to so it didn't really matter. They spent the rest of the wait in silence but it wasn't uncomfortable or awkward at all. They were content to be next to each other, ready for the next week to happen.
The rest of the evening was spent pretty normally. Hinata helped Kageyama pack a week's worth of clothes, they practiced a few receives outside, had a good dinner with Kageyama's parents, and then went to bed. In bed they talked for a while about the upcoming week and their expectations for the training camp. They both agreed that it would not be good to have each other's voices popping into their heads in the middle of practice unexpectedly so they decided that there would be no communication that way unless it was an emergency. And with the news of fate mates still flying around it would good if they used the phone like normal people. It didn't take long for the two of them to drift off to sleep, both dreaming of the challenges they would face over the next week.
It came as quite a shock to Mrs. Kageyama that they boys parted the way they did. Tobio had raised his fist, some sign between the two, and Shouyo had answered back with his own raised fist and a nod and that was it. Her son boarded the train and was gone. She had half expected a sappy goodbye with Shouyo being reluctant to see her son leave and at least a hug or a kiss. But the boys parted without any of that. It gave her some comfort to see that things hadn't changed too drastically between them in the months that they had been staying at the Hinata household. To her, they had seemed supper touchy feely last night so she had been a little worried. But she didn't say anything. She was working on being open and accepting of their relationship.
Mrs. Kageyama had made an effort to try and get to know Shouyo as best she could and she was a little surprised. There was much more to the boy than she originally thought. It's true he was a bit of an airhead when it came to studies or school but he was sociable and had a positive way of looking at things. In many respects Shouyo was the opposite of her son, as demonstrated by the many fights they got into, but they were very suited to each other. If she were completely honest with herself, if they had mated much later in life she probably wouldn't have had any objections towards Shouyo at all.
It was hard but she had decided to try seeing things the way Mrs, Hinata did and look at Shouyo as a second son. It was still a bit awkward but given time she thought that maybe they could come to understand one another. But mostly since she didn't know what the future would bring for the boys she tried to stay positive. At least she knew her son would never be alone. She was completely certain that Shouyo would do everything he could to make her son's dreams come true, after all, he wanted the same thing.
She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the first knock on the door but a second much louder knock brought her out of her thoughts. Mrs. Kageyama frowned when she heard a knock at the door. It was almost 11 in the evening, who in the world would be knocking at her door? She finished drying off the dish she had just cleaned, wiped her hands dry, and then went to the door. She couldn't imagine who it would be at this time of night. When she swung the door open she was shocked to see Shouyo standing there in front of her.
"Shouyo!? What are you doing here, did something happen?" She asked with concern ushering the boy inside as best she could. She knew that the boy didn't like being here, who could blame him. They were still working out all the kinks from the previous disaster. She was just grateful he was giving her a second chance at making things work between them. But even so Shouyo had never come over without her son, even before the fight.
Hinata frowned as he was pulled inside. He hadn't expected her to do that so quickly. "Nothing's wrong." He said as he tried to pull back a bit. "I just forgot my gloves at home. Your house is on the way and I thought maybe I could borrow a pair of Kageyama's until tomorrow." Hinata explained as she paused from pulling him inside the house. "I promise I'll return them on my way home," he added quickly when she stopped.
"Wait, are you riding home by yourself at this time of night?" She asked completely shocked at the news. First of he was only 16 and second he was an omega. It wasn't safe for him to go home by himself at this time of night. And to top it all off it was freezing outside. She could see how red Shouyo's hands were.
"Well, yeah. I've always rode my bike to and from wherever I needed to go. Dad works really early in the morning so he goes to bed really early and it doesn't seem fair for mom to wake Natsu up or keep her up to give me a ride to and from." Hinata started to explain but she cut him off.
"And your mother is okay with you coming home this late by yourself?" Mrs. Kageyama was shocked. Hinata frowned, a little annoyed at Mrs. Kageyama's tone towards his mother.
"Practice ended later than it was supposed to. I called around 8 to tell her I'd be home later than I was supposed to be. She offered to give me a ride after she put Natsu to bed but I told her not to and that I'd catch the bus if I needed to." Hinata explained as Mrs. Kageyama began to move again to continue bringing him inside. Hinata blushed a bit sheepishly in guilt. "She probably would have made me wait for her if she knew I was going to be this late."Mrs. Kageyama game him that motherly look that said he should have known better and taken the ride his mother had offered him.
By this point was apparent to Hinata that she wasn't going to let him go he gave up and slipped his white tennis shoes off along with his black winter coat. "Go sit down in the kitchen," Mrs. Kageyama instructed in a tone of authority, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I'll make you some hot chocolate. Let's get your hands warmed up. They're as cold as ice." She stated as she set his gray duffle bag down by the couch.
There was an awkward silence between the two of them as Mrs. Kageyama shuffled around the kitchen to make the hot coco. Hinata sighed inwardly. Things were always awkward between them but even more so when Kageyama wasn't around. After a few moments a steaming cup of hot coco was set in front of him. Hinata took a sip and smiled in comfort as heat from the cup warmed his cold hands. He'd been so happy with the coco that he was surprised when two rice balls soon followed after. Hinata smiled in appreciation.
"Thanks Mrs. Kageyama." Hinata said followed by a quick "Itadakimasu" and dug right in. The first bite was absolute heaven. The rice ball almost melted in his mouth. He had been starving. Mrs. Kageyama sat down at the table across from him with her own cup of hot chocolate. It was much less awkward now that he had food. When he'd scarfed down both rice balls he complimented Mrs. Kageyama's cooking.
When Hinata made to get up from the table Mrs. Kageyama spoke before he could head for the door. "How about you stay here tonight?" She invited. Hinata looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected that, he had really just wanted to borrow a pair of gloves to go home.
"But… Kageyama's not here." He replied, his mind stuck on the fact that she had invited him to stay.
"I know Tobio isn't here, but that doesn't mean you can't stay." Mrs. Kageyama replied immediately. She would rather have the boy here, warm and safe, then trying to go back home freezing cold. She supposed she could just take him home but his bike would have to stay and he wouldn't be able to get to practice tomorrow morning.
Hinata just looked at her dumbfounded. "Uh…" was all that came out of him. Didn't she hate him? I mean, yeah she had apologized and been way nice the past couple months but that didn't mean she actually liked him or wanted him around right? Wasn't she doing it simply because she loved her son? Why would she invite him to stay when her son wasn't around, it didn't make sense to him. So, like usual he didn't filter his thoughts when they came out of his mouth. "Why would you let me stay when Kageyama's not here? I know you don't much care for me."
Mrs. Kageyama frowned at his response. The boy was honest, almost to a fault at times, and though it could cause fights it made things easier to deal with in the long run. So Mrs. Kageyama answered his honesty with her own. He deserved that much at the very least. "It's not that I don't care for you Shouyo." She paused for a moment and took another sip of coco as she gathered her thoughts so she could say this right. "I like you quite a bit even though I don't know you very well. I know we haven't talked much for the last few months but everything that happened before wasn't because I hated you or didn't like you."
"Then…" Hinata started but didn't get to finish his question.
"He's my son." Mrs. Kageyama said, trying to explain it all. "Mine." She said again, emphasizing the word so he would understand. "I'm sure you would understand if I asked you to imagine if someone else came into your lives and took Tobio away from you, not by force but because he wanted to be with them." Mrs. Kageyama tried to paint a picture for the Shouyo, knowing he would understand something like that better than just words. "It's not exactly the same because he's my son, not my mate, but I think you can understand can't you?"
Hinata stared for a moment as he tried to think about what she was saying. How would he feel if Kageyama decided on his own that someone was more important than him? It was hard to think about. The idea that his mate would do such a thing was hard to swallow and churned his stomach. He knew exactly what feeling she was talking about. It was the same feeling that had him scenting Kageyama's clothes before he had left for Tokyo. In his heart he knew Kageyama would never do such a thing and his brain said the same thing but that didn't stop the worry. And Mrs. Kageyama had felt a semblance of that kind of pain with the worry of a mother on top of it.
Hinata nodded in response to Mrs. Kageyama's words as his eyes focused back on her. "Yes, I understand," was all he could say as he tried to rid himself of the horrible feeling that had come over him at such thoughts.
Mrs. Kageyama smiled at the upset look on Shouyo's face. "It's not as intense was what you're thinking." She said as she saw a look resembling anguish on Shouyo's face. "Tobio is my son but he's your mate, and fate mate at that, so take that feeling and tone it down by about half." She said trying to put him a bit more at ease.
Hinata's face scrunched up. "Even if I cut it in half I still don't like it." He complained. Mrs. Kageyama chuckled at the face he made.
"I didn't like either. And it made me worry, about him and his future even more when I realized that I wasn't going to be the closest person to him anymore." Mrs. Kageyama sighed and got up, grabbing the empty coco cups and taking them to the sink.
"I'm sorry I ever made you feel like that, it sucks." Hinata apologized, but Mrs. Kageyama stopped him as she washed and rinsed out the cups.
"Don't apologize Shouyo. You haven't done a single thing wrong. Besides, you saw how horrible my reaction was." Mrs. Kageyama put the cups in on a towel to dry and turned around. "So, do you think we can start over?" She asked in hope.
Hinata smiled and nodded. "Yeah I think that would be good."
"Then text your mom that you're staying the night and get to bed. You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."
"Yes mam" Hinata answered as he stood up. He grabbed his bag and made his way to Kageyama's room. He tossed his bag next to the bed and quickly texted his mom so she wouldn't worry. When that was done he went straight to Kageyama's closet and searched through the few clothes his mate had stuffed into it on the floor to get them out of the way while they had been packing. There was a sweater Kageyama had worn the other day that he wanted. He didn't need the sweater, but after that talk with Mrs. Kageyama and thoughts about Kageyama with someone else while he was away in Tokyo… he wanted it. It only took a moment to find the large dark grey sweater and as soon as he found it he stripped down to his boxers and pulled it on over his head. The thick sweater was big on him coming almost down to his knees and the sleeves going past his hands. It still annoyed him that Kageyama was so much taller than he was, but Hinata smiled, it still smelled like Kageyama.
As tired as ever he trudged over to the bed and plopped face first into it. Today had taken a lot out of him. He'd begged his way into the training camp as a ball boy and then had proceeded to chase after every single ball that went astray. It was a lot more work than he thought it would be. He hadn't quite figured out how to turn it into a learning experience but he was sure he'd find a way.
Hinata inhaled deep as he curled around a pillow. Kageyama's scent was still strong on the sheets. Hinata smiled as he closed his eyes. He knew Kageyama was his, always would be his, and it gave him comfort. As he fell asleep he wondered how long it would take Kageyama to notice that he'd scented everything that had been packed for Tokyo.