Level Pair; Day Six 1/3

I can't promise to fix all your problems, but I can promise you won't have to face them all alone. ~Anonymous

Shouyou is busy collecting berries with more cheer than he probably should given the circumstances, but he is hungry and he is sure the gods put raspberries on this planet with him in mind specifically. He likes most sweet things and berries are no exception… and of all the different types, raspberries are his favorite.

He had woken earlier than normal this morning, his eyes drifting open to the large black wings that circled them and in the gray of early morning, they appeared to reflect the first rays of light with a deep blue hue. They looked so sleek and awesome and when he'd glanced up he was surprised to find Kageyama hadn't been up yet. It was a first since… well since.

Shouyou had glanced up at him still drowsy himself, and he couldn't help but flash a lazily fond smile. He knew Kageyama had been pulling late nights and early mornings so he could sleep sound, so seeing how he'd finally crashed himself out after what—five days—of deprivation gave him relief on some level. He'd carefully wiggled out of his grasp and thought he'd nearly woken him when he'd rolled to the side, but when he'd just pulled in a deep breath and resumed a rhythmic pattern, Shouyou had sat back to look at him.

He'd seen Kageyama sleep before—they did share a barracks now that they were in formal training as a sentry unit, but Shouyou had never really paused to take in the sight. With his wings wrapped around him like a cocoon to conserve any last tendrils of warmth, one arm had curled up under his head in lieu of a pillow. His wispy black hair stuck up in tufts but what Shouyou had to marvel at was his expression.

Kageyama's waking expressions consisted, in order of most used: frowns, glares, scowls, and a rare and decidedly unsettling grin that could still be somehow argued as a grimace. He didn't have a serene one. The expression on Kageyama's face while he slept would only appear when Kageyama wasn't conscious. There was no tension in the taller boy's face. His brows weren't pulled down and scrunched under a glower. There were no creases around his eyes because he'd narrowed them with annoyance. Instead of his lips being pursed with disdain, they were parted slightly and slack. Seeing such a look of mellow calm, Shouyou didn't have the heart to disturb him.

So he'd determined that since Kageyama had been doing most of the foraging for the past few days, he'd return the favor while the black haired boy caught up on some extremely needed sleep. He'd been careful to venture always within earshot of the river so he'd be able to find his way back just fine and he didn't intend to be gone long either; he was sure Kageyama would probably go mental on him if he woke and Shouyou wasn't around. He had spotted the raspberries and couldn't resist; his shirt is nearly full in front of him and he can't wait to bring them back to Kageyama.

He withdraws from the berry canes and steps back. Straightening up, he gingerly stretches as tall as he can, noting that his back must finally be doing a little better since he doesn't get a stab of pain with the motion. Kageyama had been religiously checking it every night before they sleep and he'd said just yesterday that the wound had pretty much closed over. It's still very much there and sore and achy and he still jumps when Kageyama prods it here and there during his inspections, but on the whole it seems to be healing well and fast.

Now if only my mind will heal, too.

He thinks morosely and his almond eyes drift open to stare out at the sky through a break in the trees. And he goes still.

His eyes are sharp and he knows it— the sharpest in their unit and possibly all of the Karasuno sentry ranks— but he still doubts his vision. He blinks just to make sure it's not in his head. And when the figure that glides through the air in the distance remains, he sucks in a gasp. His limbs shake and he doesn't have wings anymore… but he has his voice.

The impulse hits him and he doesn't even pause. He takes two steps, berries forgotten on his shirt on the ground, and screeches. It is perhaps the loudest and furthest he's ever tried to project his voice. He's determined to get it to that black shape. He's desperate to get it there.

He waits a few seconds to see if there's any change in its path and his gut twists when it doesn't. He opens his mouth and lets fly another ear-splitting cry, intently focused on that small silhouette in the distance. But a moment later, he jumps when he hears heavy wingbeats coming in fast.

A dark shape comes hurtling through the trees and for an instant, he's terrified. But then Kageyama explodes over the berry brambles and plummets toward him, his clothes disheveled and cobalt eyes wild.

"Hinata!" He yells as he crashes beside him, his wings splayed aggressively as he grabs his shoulders. "What's wrong? Is someone here?"

Shouyou stares at him.

"What? No, there's—"

"What's the matter, are you hurt?" He cuts him off and glances around them suspiciously.

"No, I'm fine, but Kageyama—"

"I heard you just now. What happened?" He asks and Shouyou frowns before shoving his hands away.

"Listen!" He barks up at the taller boy and Kageyama focuses on him solidly in surprise.

"I'm fine." He says emphatically before pointing to the tree gap. "Look! Do you see him?" He asks, his excitement getting the better of him.

Kageyama blinks before hesitantly looking where Shouyou points and the redhead comes up beside him to line up his direction of sight with his arm.

"See it?" He asks again. Kageyama is breathing hard but when he catches a hitch in his lungs, Shouyou knows he's spotted it. "That," Shouyou says with smug confidence, "is a sentry."

Kageyama blinks before turning to look at him.

"We are getting close! I tried to get his attention, but I don't think I was loud enough. He didn't—"

"You really are an idiot." Kageyama growls at him and he pulls up short.

Kageyama has one of his glares from hell that he only pulls out for when someone seriously fucks up. Getting a stint in the race pits doesn't even warrant this intensity. Kageyama is downright pissed.

"What? Why?" He asks defensively and takes a step back. Kageyama closes the distance, his wings spread imposingly and his burning gaze only growing hotter.

"Because every creature within a league of here heard you. Anything that didn't know our location does now, and you failed to alert your target. In case you forgot, we aren't exactly prepared for hostile visitors." He snaps and Shouyou pales, his stomach doing a flip. He hadn't even considered that. He shrinks back from him and his gaze finds his feet.

"S...Sorry… What do we do?" He asks in a small voice.

"We move." Kageyama says bluntly and stalks by him obviously expecting him to follow. His wings snap open and closed once and Shouyou knows he's still really angry. Shouyou is reaching for his shirt with a frown at the berries and feeling foolish for even wanting to go get food this morning when his hand pauses.

"Hey Kageyama, you just flew all the way here, didn't you?" He asks tentatively.

"You sure as hell weren't at camp." Comes the sharp reply.

Shouyou glances at him, doing his best to ignore how his accusatory tone stings.

"Then… your wing must be feeling a bit better. You can catch the sentry." He says and Kageyama's wings rustle in agitation.

"No way."

"Why not? You got here in no time. I'm sure you can catch a scouting crow."

"I'm not leaving you here alone." He barks and Shouyou flinches just a bit.

He knows Kageyama won't budge and it's really getting under his skin. His stomach turns on him and he frowns. Even though it won't make a difference, he can't help lashing out a little.

"You're the one who needs to be back more than me! I'm grounded, Kageyama! I'm useless now… but you are supposed to lead the murder someday. You have to make it back home."

He feels his eyes sting and he hears Kageyama's steps get closer again and he wonders if the taller boy's going hit him or something. Shouyou doesn't want to look up and see how much angrier he's made him. Kageyama's hand circles his arm and pulls him forward a step.

"I will. But so will you." Kageyama's voice is stiff and Shouyou refuses to meet his gaze. "And you aren't useless. If you ever say something so stupid again, I swear, I'll ground myself, because I'd be just as foolish for believing in someone like that and therefore unfit to lead the damn murder anyway."

Shouyou's gaze leaps to Kageyama's in shock, his mouth dropping open. There's a long moment where Kageyama just stares at him, his brow still pulled down in a massive scowl but it doesn't look scalding like before.

"Close your mouth, dumbass. You're a bird, not a fish. Grab your fruit and let's get going. We have serious ground to cover."

Shouyou blinks at him uncomprehendingly before a small, sheepish smile tugs at his mouth. Secretly gratified that Kageyama even noticed his efforts to pitch in, he nods and reaches for the shirt and raspberries once more.