Chapter 5: "Love is merely a madness; and the reason why they are not so punish'd and cured is that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers are in love too."

A/N

Ha! I'm on time this time! Take that, procrastination.

So things started getting heated in this chapter and I've discovered how hard it is to not fall into smut. I might have to change the rating later (though I would make it so that you could just skip over it of course). Anyway, I hope you enjoy and I'd love some feedback!

Oh, and this title's quote's from 'As You Like It'!

Enjoy~

The moment Hinata and Kageyama step foot in the camp they were tackled over by a frantic Yachi who wailed their names loudly, startling the two as they toppled on the ground in a tangle of limbs and grunts of pain that quickly morphed into giggles and chuckling – and sobs from Yachi.

"Where'd you go?" Yachi sobbed into Hinata's shoulder. Before he could answer, he saw Shimizu approach them with a gentle smile on her face.

"We thought you guys got hurt or something." explained Shimizu as she crouched next to the three entangled teens. She pat the sobbing Yachi's hair with a fond look before turning back to the other two. "Are you guys alright?" the stern concern in her face and her tone were on par with Suga's, and the two boys sheepishly avoided eye contact.

"We're fine. We just got lost while following you guys." Hinata replied, leaving out the reason for why they got lost.

"As long as you're okay." Shimizu sighed before smiling at them. "The others are eating lunch by the fire, let's go let them all know you're okay." She murmured and Hinata and Kageyama nodded in unison. However, Yachi clung to them harder, even as her sobs subsided into minor hiccups. The fond look returned to Shimizu's eyes as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Right, Yachi?"

Yachi opened one eye and peeked at Shimizu. She nodded slowly and her grip on the two bigger boys relaxed. Hinata gentled pulled her arms away before standing and brushing the dirt off his pants. Kageyama followed suit while Hinata helped Yachi up and then the small group headed towards the loud cheering and chattering of the fire.

When they finally came in view of the blazing fire and the crowd gathered around it, an inexplicable warmth spread in Hinata's chest. The sight of his friends – his family – all gathered around the fire smiling and laughing felt so much like home that it sometimes left Hinata speechless. Of course Hinata wasn't floored like this every time he saw his family gathered around a fire, otherwise he might begin to doubt his mental stability, but this warm feeling of coming home came with a rather startling realization.

Nishinoya sat between Tanaka and Asahi and was telling a rather detailed story of an ancient ninja clan that saved the whole country from an evil clan with crazy hand gestures and dramatic voices that ensnared his two listeners. Asahi hung on to every word with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation on his face while Tanaka had a goofy grin of excitement as his story came to a climax. Opposite of them Daichi and Suga sat intimately close and whispered something for only their ears, earning warm looks and smiles from one another. To their right sat Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita, talking about how much work the rebuilding of the cabins was. Next to Tanaka sat Saeko and Michimiya, who were laughing hysterically over something Saeko said about Tanaka (who heard nothing in his intense focus on Nishinoya's story). Kenma sat next to the laughing girls and watched them with distaste that gave hint to the gravity of what was said about Tanaka.

There they all sat, ignorant of the four at the entrance of the clearing. Hinata watched with a small smile and his chest clenching almost painfully as he realized just how badly he wanted Kageyama to be a part of this small scene, indefinitely. He wanted so desperately for the rude, grumpy, and incomprehensible Kageyama to be a part of this small tight knit group of people he called family that it hurt.

The twinkling lights of the stars danced before Hinata's eyes as he gazed at them quietly. He was laying on the grass near his cabin with his arms behind his head as he watched them, thoughts twirling around his head endlessly. He wasn't one to generally ponder things for long, but he still couldn't help but wonder what was going on back home. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were both back at the capital, keeping an eye on things, and this was just one of his many worries. Seeing as they were the same age as Hinata, they wouldn't be considered threats either, but he still worried. Not to mention it's always possible the King would come after them – actually, that was quite likely. Hinata sighed as his eye lids began to feel heavy. He watched the mist from his breath dissipate into the frigid air with a sense of anxiety knotting in his stomach.

"Sleepy?" A quiet voice called from above him, blocking out the stars with their head. Squinting, Hinata's eyes adjusted to the sudden change and Kenma came into view.

"A little." Hinata murmured, his mouth dry from going without speaking for so long. He cleared his throat before patting the ground next to him. "Care to watch the stars with me?" Hinata grinned up at Kenma who simply lowered himself next to him slowly.

"They're beautiful aren't they?" Hinata's voice was filled with awe as he watched them twinkle. The view was never this good in the capital. Kenma hummed his agreement, but otherwise remained silent. The two of them lay shoulder to shoulder for a long time without a word said, though neither fell asleep either. The silence was rather comforting, but Hinata still found his mind drift back to the capital and worry gnawed at him at all the possibilities for things to go awry.

"You thinking about back home?" Kenma asked, though it sounded more like a statement. Hinata gave him a startled look, but Kenma was still facing the sky and his expression was indecipherable.

"Yeah."

"Me too."

Silence resumed for a few more minutes, the two simply watching the stars.

"Do you think…" Hinata paused as he breathed a trembling breath in. "Do you think they'll come after us?" his voice was barely audible and Kenma paused for a long while, allowing the worry to build in Hinata's chest as he waited. He began fretting with the grass under his hand, pulling out strands of it as he waited for Kenma's answer.

"…I don't know."

Morning came all too quickly, and a groggy Hinata pulled himself out of the oh-so-warm blankets of his bed. Rubbing his eyes with a yawn, he gave a large stretch that popped all his bones in place, eliciting a moan from him. Taking a quick look around of the room, Hinata noticed Kenma and Ennoshita's bed rolls already put away and their blankets folded. Dread filled him as he began to wonder just how much morning was left when he woke up. Quickly pulling on some clothes and tossing his bedroll to the side, Hinata practically sprinted to the patch of clearing he and Kageyama practiced in.

"You're late." The familiar dark blue eyes glared at him as he stepped into the clearing, panting for breath.

"I- I know-" Hinata gasped for breath. "-I'm very very very sorry!" staring up at the larger boy with pleading eyes. Kageyama sighed while closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

"Whatever, let's get to work. We don't have much time left." Falling into position, Kageyama gestured at Hinata to do the same. "Today you're going to work on defense, but this time you're not dodging. First, attack me and I'll show you what you're going to be learning."

"'Kay!" Hinata replied and, after entering the proper position, leapt forward without hesitation. Pushing forward with his right foot, Hinata kept his body low as he aimed a fist at Kageyama's abdomen. He caught Kageyama's eyes widen for a moment before he felt two hands clasp his arm and suddenly he was being pulled over Kageyama's shoulder. With a thud, Hinata hit the grassy floor in the blink of an eye.

"Wooaah! That was amazing!" Hinata beamed at the taller boy who stood above him, casually dusting off his pants.

"Alright, let's go again. Make sure to watch closely what I'm doing, then I'll show you the move step by step."

Hinata jumped up with an "Osu!" and got back into position. He focused entirely on Kageyama's form and, specifically, his hands as he prepared to leap forward again. Lowering his center of gravity, Hinata pivoted his right foot before sprinting forward again, aiming his punch for his shoulder this time, hoping to knock Kageyama off balance. He watched as Kageyama lifted his hands and placed one on his biceps and the other on his forearm before turning and pulling Hinata against his back and then over it, making Hinata land with another dull thud on his back.

Before Hinata could catch his breath, Kageyama held out his hand to pull him up.

"It's a really simple maneuver that should be easy to learn. It's great for pretty well everyone, seeing as it doesn't require much strength. Come here, I'll show you how it works." Hinata stepped forward and offered up his arm with an intense stare.

"First you place your right hand on their bicep, then your left on their forearm," Kageyama placed his hands on Hinata's arm as he said this, the places he touched feeling like they were on fire as Hinata struggled to focus on what he was saying and doing; "then you pivot your feet and turn away from them. This part is crucial, because you're leaving your back open to them so you need to make sure you're fast. Next you pull them against your back," Hinata was pressed against the bigger boys back as the other pulled him to demonstrate the movement and Hinata felt his face heat up at the awkward contact; "and then you use your lower back strength to haul them over your shoulder." He finished his demonstration, stopping before pulling Hinata over his shoulder, and let go of Hinata's arm before turning to face him. "You think you got that?"

"Yeah!" Hinata eagerly fell into position, his earlier embarrassment forgotten momentarily, and waited for Kageyama to come at him. Kageyama faintly smiled with amusement at the excitement of the smaller boy before settling into position as well. Not allowing himself to be distracted by the rare occurrence, Hinata was prepared when Kageyama lunged forward. Mimicking the movements of Kageyama, Hinata grabbed Kageyama's arm and with a heave, pulled him over his shoulder. Kageyama let out a huff of air as he landed on the ground and looked up at Hinata with surprise. Hinata grinned at him and felt satisfaction at his achievement. Kageyama quickly pulled himself off the ground and faced Hinata with something that appeared akin to praise in his eyes.

"You got it on the first try, nice." Hinata felt his face warm with the approval and he felt his chest clench with happiness. This was the first time Kageyama complimented him, and it felt fantastic. "But if I were going full speed you never would have been able to do it. So wipe that smug look off your face." Kageyama grumbled, his own face curiously red as he fell back into position. Hinata's grin never faltered as he followed suit. "We're going to do this ten more times before I show you the next defensive technique. Let's go." Without waiting for a response, Kageyama dove forward and Hinata prepared for his attack. The fist flying at his face suddenly disappeared, however, as Hinata reached for it and for a panicked split second he wondered where it had gone.

Then with a muttered "Shit", Kageyama plowed into his stomach, knocking both of them over. The breath was knocked out of Hinata as he hit the ground, hard. He groaned as he rubbed his head, hearing a similar noise right next to his ear. That was when he noticed the weight of another body on his own, and he could have sworn his heart stopped beating right then. His ears burned like crazy and he was sure his bright red face was incredibly noticeable. Kageyama pulled away as Hinata's heart kick-started back into action, going full throttle and pounding like mad. The bigger boy pulled himself onto his hands and knees as he tried to regain himself. Hinata noticed the red tinge on the others face as well, as Kageyama looked everywhere but down before finally getting up.

His heart still pounding, Hinata didn't ponder the red state of Kageyama's face as he focused on regaining composure. He pulled himself back into position as Kageyama did the same.

"Sorry, I tripped." Kageyama muttered, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"S'okay."

"Let's go again, that doesn't count." Then he lunged at Hinata, and the two resumed practice.

Forty minutes later and ten maneuvers executed, Hinata collapsed on the ground with an exhausted groan.

"Hey, we're not done yet! We still have an hour before lunch and we have to start the next technique." Kageyama snapped as he dragged an arm across his sweat laden brow. "Get up and get into position."

Hinata grumbled a little bit, but still complied (and with more excitement than he would admit). "What are we going to do now?"

"This one is a little bit more complicated so we're going to do it twenty times so you can get it right. Now come at me and I'll show you how it works."

"'Kay~" Hinata called before attacking Kageyama, his right fist flying at him with all his might. Instead of grabbing this time, Kageyama used his right arm to push it aside and he pivoted left. Surprised by the change, Hinata didn't notice Kageyama slide his foot in front of his shins and suddenly he fell face first on the ground. Before he could even breathe in from the blow, a weight appeared on his lower back and his right arm was twisted behind his back painfully. However, the pain of having his arm twisted the wrong way paled in comparison to the panic he felt at that-which-he-will-not-mention being pressed against his back. His face bloomed red as he froze underneath the larger boy.

"Alright, now I'm going to do it one more time and then explain it like I did last time." Kageyama explained as he finally got off Hinata's back. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Hinata stumbled back to his feet and prepared to take the attack again. Regaining his composure a little, he nodded at Kageyama.

Not a second later, Hinata was lying on the ground with Kageyama's junk not pressed against his back this time – no, it was pressed against his butt of all things. Face warm, Hinata felt his mouth go dry as Kageyama pressed his arm firmly against his back. A knot formed in his stomach as the movement made Kageyama pressed harder against Hinata.

Twenty times? We're doing this twenty times?

Kageyama finally got off of Hinata, and he quickly got to his feet, hyper aware of the state of his face as he turned to face Kageyama once again.

I'm going to die today.

Luckily, the other made no mention of it or even hint that he noticed when he went on to explain the maneuver step by step.

"Okay, get in position now. I'm going to attack you and you're going to have to force me on to the ground. Ready?" Kageyama fell into position, and not a second later Kageyama was flying at him.

Raising his right hand, Hinata managed to redirect Kageyama's punch, but he was too late in sticking out his foot so he only hooked his right foot, causing them both to stumble. Kageyama fell on his side, so when Hinata came crashing down he nearly hit his chest right on Kageyama's shoulder. Luckily, he managed to stick out his arms in time so he hovered mere centimeters above it. Relieved, Hinata looked at Kageyama with a grin. He realized a little late, however, that Kageyama's face lay only an inch from his own.

The first thing he noticed was the flush dusting the others cheeks, and then the slightly parted lips that panted slightly, glistening from sweat or saliva he didn't know. The warmth from his breath puffed on Hinata's skin, sending a shiver down his spine. And then an awkward cough from the other pulled him back to reality and crushing embarrassment crashed over him.

Hinata leapt off over the other with more dexterity he had to offer when actually practicing.

"I'm s-s-s-s-sorry." Hinata stuttered and flushed even harder. He kept his eyes glued to the ground.

Yeah, this was definitely going to kill him.