Level Pair; Reunion 1/1
Walking with friends in the dark is better than walking alone in the light. ~Helen Keller
It's perhaps a week later when Kageyama is setting for Shouyou and Kuroo, while Bokuto and Akaashi block from the other side. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are helping Yachi and Kiyoko prepare lunch— because feeding eleven people actually is a task— and Lev and Kenma are crashed out in the sand under the shade of a beach palm.
Shouyou knows Kageyama is going stir crazy even if he doesn't say anything. He's gotten more quiet, his gaze straying more frequently to the ocean with a look that goes deeper than his typical scowls. Shouyou knows the feeling.
They should be migrating about now… and he's well aware that none of the avians intend to do so, Kageyama most of all. Yamaguchi had been the one to rather absentmindedly bring it up. Shouyou had felt awful in that awkward silence that had followed, because he'd felt like such a burden. Kageyama had been swift on his recovery though. He'd formally announced in a tone that was nothing but final that 'He didn't care what the others did; he would be staying with Hinata and the cats.'
There had been no more talk of migrations much after that and Shouyou was left to conclude that the others had come to a mutual agreement to stay as well. And it had somehow made him feel more guilty… as if they were all staying because of him. They were all planning to weather the chill and fast of winter on his behalf. He'd been dispirited for close to a week before Tsukishima of all people had cornered him out of a bath one night.
"You're making everyone restless, you know." He'd said with a scoff. Shouyou had deflated almost instantly.
"Sorry." He'd murmured only to jump when Tsukishima's palm had smacked the wall beside his head, the ibis leaning into his personal space.
"Don't be sorry. Fix it." He'd growled into his face before backing off a bit. "It's not just because of you, moron. It's probably more that we all just want to stay together."
Shouyou had looked up at him wide eyed as the blond had crossed his arms, somehow grudgingly awed that the other avian knew exactly why he was bummed out.
"It's because of your asinine crow champion and his decree that he was staying to chaperone you that it even became a point of contention. None of us ever intended to split in the first place."
After Shouyou had gotten over his shock, he'd wanted to sullenly point out that it had actually been Yamaguchi who'd brought it up to begin with, but he'd bitten his tongue on that.
"Ano... how? Do I fix it, I mean." He'd mumbled and Tsukishima had reached forward and in the most unusual gesture of fondness, flicked him on the forehead.
"Stop worrying. You never have, so don't start now. You have Yachi all jumpy and Kiyoko is fretting over her, Bokuto has been off his game and depressed which makes Akaashi salty, and for being a freaking cat, Kuroo damn well barked at Lev last night after Kenma shrugged off an invitation to nap with one of his apathetic introverted frowns. Your personality is insultingly bright and everyone rallies around you. Take that away and everything dissolves into a dynamic mess— and I'm not a good maid." He'd grumbled darkly.
Shouyou had stared at him for a few long seconds as the image manifested in his head before a snort had escaped him.
"You, a maid?"
And when the ibis had rolled his eyes with a scoff, everything had somehow been alright.
But it hadn't made it any easier to watch as Kageyama sunk into his melancholy brooding more and more, or the way he'd take anxious flights up and down the open stretches of sand. He'd always loved migrations, Shouyou knew. The redhead himself hadn't enjoyed them as much, but that was probably because, unlike Kageyama who got off on the sheer challenge the trips presented, Shouyou found just flying for hours on end until you were ready to drop from exhaustion boring. Frankly, he half expected to wind up a casualty himself every year because of his inability to keep himself focused and attentive.
But Kageyama's silent twitchiness and pensive sulking sets him on edge and he's done his damnedest to always try to distract him. Usually, that means Ground Volley like they are doing now. Even so, Kageyama's focus is here on the ball and on him, but it's still not quite as intense as normal.
Yachi walks outside for a brief moment to fill a skin with water and apart from a momentary acknowledgement at her appearance, no one notices. But the reaction is instantaneous when she promptly shrieks a couple minutes later.
Everyone jars. Shouyou tenses mid-jump and Kageyama's shoulders hunch. Kuroo stumbles and both owls on the other side of the net flinch. Lev and Kenma bolt upright, sleep scattering in an instant. As one, everyone turns towards the bunting as she zips back toward them with terror on her face. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi come flying out followed closely by Kiyoko as Yachi lands in the sand by the net, her little body gasping.
"S… Sentries!" She manages and points behind her to the east as the other female wraps her in an anxious embrace.
Everyone goes rigid.
It has been over six months since they left and Hinata feels his gut twist, because his first thought is that the Grand King has finally caught up with them and he is going to lose Kageyama. They will come and take Kageyama back by force… or Kageyama might even leave with them of his own free will. Hinata wants to believe the only reason he'd do that is to keep them all safe from any confrontation, but he can't help the anxious dread at the nagging thought that Kageyama might actually want to go back… that he regrets having ever left. A quick glance toward the other boy reveals a face set into a focused scowl as he follows Yachi's pointing finger. His expression isn't much different from normal so that's a good thing, right?
Everyone rises collectively as one as they pick out the dark shapes in the distance. Yachi is right, they are definitely crows… and that many at once, it's a good bet they are part of a sentry unit. Everyone draws together and Shouyou moves to Kageyama's side, a hand finding his tensing wing and clasping around a few flight feathers without his conscious permission.
"We have them beat in numbers if it comes down to a fight." Bokuto murmurs and for a moment Shouyou wonders if Kageyama is surprised.
Who'd have ever thought an owl would declare his will to fight on behalf of a crow? It demonstrates just how well the two have integrated into their lives.
"If you can get them on the ground, we can do a lot more." Kuroo concurs and Shouyou mentally withholds a wry grin.
Cats too.
Still, he takes mental stock of their physical arsenal out of habit born of centuries in the Grand King's military. They have seven functioning avians: The owls, Tsukishimia, Yamaguchi, Kiyoko, Yachi and of course, Kageyama. Kageyama might be reserved, but he is potentially lethal if he needs to be. He knows the owls can be dangerous just because of their power and capability in their games and their very nature as owls will be a deterrent in itself. Tsukishima has a cold look on his face that promises death so it's probably safe to bet that he could be a solid obstacle, too. Yamaguchi is more diminutive and perhaps not as keen on confrontation, but his wing is long healed and he's displayed moments of unusual spine before. Lev and Kuroo are both powerful in their own right and the black cat has always had a dangerous homicidal potential to him. Shouyou might be grounded, but he still has all his combat training so he's probably able to rally like the cats if he has to. Really, their weakest points might be Kenma— but Hinata has never seen him fight so he could be way off— and the girls… though he has a hunch Kiyoko might be a lot more impressive in a pinch than anyone would take her for.
His mental tabulation is interrupted when one of the figures on the horizon catches his focus and he strains his eyes. He sucks in a breath and latches onto Kageyama's shirt drawing his immediate attention. His eyes hone in on the sentries, an odd light building in them, all of his limbs nearly buzzing.
"Shouyou?" Kageyama asks and he pushes aside the distraction of the way his name rolls off his tongue.
"How many do you see, Kageyama?" He asks softly. Kageyama blinks and looks back at the approaching group.
"Five crows." He says after a moment. Shouyou shakes his head.
"Four." He rebuttals.
"Eh?" Kageyama frowns, clearly wondering if Shouyou is messing with him.
"One isn't a crow." Shouyou says before a blinding smile erupts on his face and he takes off full tilt down the beach.
"Oi, Hinata!" Kageyama barks, taking off after him, but he's definitely gotten faster. "Stop, dumbass!"
But Shouyou pays no attention and keeps barreling down the beach. He can hear more than one set of wings behind him and knows Kageyama is following— and probably everyone else. He can hear the black haired crow closing in on him, but Shouyou's excitement overflows and he leaps in the air, his arms waving wildly.
"Noya!" He yells and Kageyama falters behind him.
One, two, three, four… and a pair of metallic wings to join the black. Kageyama should be able to see them by now. Shouyou laughs; he always did have better vision.
"Suga!" He bellows, his small feet flying. He hears Kageyama speak briefly with Bokuto and Kuroo, but he's totally focused on the closing figures that have taken on familiar shapes.
And then Kageyama pulls even with him, his wings propelling him along the sand with ridiculous grace, and for a moment it's just like old times when they'd get into one of their racing contests. Shouyou briefly locks eyes with Kageyama and there is a flash of that old glint of challenge in them and a grin tips his mouth. Shouyou side steps onto the water packed sand, the soggy grains more resistant under his pounding steps and his speed increases a little more. His feet break the half inch waves that circle up the wide expanse of flat shore with rhythmic splashes as he gets an edge, and returns the challenging grin before focusing back on the shapes in the sky.
Everyone can probably see them clearly now, too. All five of them. Shouyou wonders if his heart might burst at the sheer joy he feels, every muscle in him humming with shivering energy.
They made it.
They hit the ground around himself and Kageyama moments later, the sprawling waves and sand splashing out like an explosion. They are tackled into the surf, everyone ending up wet.
"You guys! You're here!" Shouyou screeches, unable to hold back his excitement.
It takes a few moments for all the reassuring touches and embraces to make the rounds and all of them are talking at once even if the only ones he can hear the are Noya and Tanaka.
"Whoa, your hair got long, Shouyou!"
"And you're tan!"
"You're both looking great."
"We weren't sure if we'd find you guys."
"Kageyama got taller again I think."
They all have something to say and Hinata wishes he could hear them all and commit everything to memory. Kageyama might have been adamant that everything would be fine, but there had been no guarantee that everything would turn out okay when they'd fled that launch platform and the rookery so long ago. He hadn't been sure he'd ever see them again and he blinks back the water that's collecting in his eyes.
He can tell he's not the only one struggling to keep his composure; Asahi and the loud twins are all half-weepy and even Daichi and Kageyama seem a little too shiny eyed. Suga has the best of all of them, an easy smile on his face and a look of happy contentment.
This is their unit.
He climbs back to his feet only to pause when he notices nine pairs of eyes watching them dubiously. He waves to the beach crew encouragingly and of the Karasuno unit around them, it's Asahi that seems to notice them all first.
"Um… are those owls?" He asks incredulously and their unit turns to stare at their audience— his and Kageyama's companions of the last several months.
"Yep!" Shouyou confirms with a beaming smile.
"Kageyama...you kind of… smell like a cat." Daichi says with a confused frown. There's a moment where Shouyou wonders how Daichi knows what they smell like before Kageyama smirks.
"Do I?" He asks, and the redhead knows Lev had been sprawled out against them last night.
"That's normal. We do have three of them now." Shouyou chatters happily and turns to lead them back to the waiting group.
Shouyou buoyantly goes through introductions— though he's talked about the unit often enough that really, the beach crew can probably just about figure out who's who without it… but their unit seems a bit overwhelmed. They aren't sure what to think of the cats let alone the owls, and Noya and Tanaka, in what must be a world ending event, are rendered speechless at seeing girls. It's Tsukishima who breaks the meet and greet when he lightly taps Yachi's shoulder.
"Don't we have food going?" He asks blandly and she pales.
"Ah! It's going to burn!" She squeals and Kiyoko takes her arm.
"It will be alright, we'll go back and take care of it."
"We can help!" Yamaguchi volunteers them. The group splits and there's a moment of silence before Suga turns with a serene smile.
"We are glad to find you alive and well. We didn't know what happened to you after you left."
"We didn't know what would happen to us at first either. We ran into Kenma and Kuroo off the bat… and probably wouldn't be here if we hadn't." Kageyama grudgingly admits.
"Damn straight." Kuroo grins.
"How is the rookery? Mom?" Hinata asks brightly and Noya throws an arm over his shoulder.
"She misses you, but she was always sure you were okay. Something about you being with Kageyama so it was fine. Says she can't wait to see you again." The short crow says with a broad smile.
"The Grand King was on fire after you left though." Tanaka breaks in, tossing an accusing look toward Kageyama. "The whole rookery was on eggshells for weeks and we even underwent interrogations."
"Interrogations? What did he do to you guys?" Shouyou asks uncertainly. Daichi shrugs.
"Asked the same questions for hours on end for several days. Threatened us… but never followed through because none of us knew anything."
"Eh!?"
Shouyou looks up at where Kageyama blinks incredulously at their unit leader.
"How did you pull that off? You guys were the ones that got us out." He asks but Daichi shakes his head.
"That was all Suga. We never even told Noya, Tanaka, and Asahi anything and I only knew that you were leaving that night, not where you were going or how you were going to escape."
"Yeah… I'm still sore about that." Tanaka grumbles. Kageyama stares at them dumbfounded and really, Shouyou's in the same boat. The black-haired crow swings his gaze to the thrush who watches them with an easy smile.
"Are you guys serious?" Kageyama asks, a frown creasing his face. Suga breaks out into a grin.
"The best performances are the ones that are real. They had no knowledge of it, so they had no chance to let even the tiniest detail slip. I doubt any of us would have broken under even the worst torture, but knowing nothing at all is pretty hard to fake. It was obvious they had nothing to offer after only a day of questioning and the Grand King focused mostly on Daichi after that."
"He didn't beat the crap out of you or anything, did he?" Shouyou asks with a frown.
"No, he just asked me day in and day out if there was anything I knew. But… I had nothing beyond you leaving and he never questioned Suga like he did me."
"Then no one spotted you or missed you?" Kageyama asks the thrush.
"Nope." He replies with a grin.
"It was a calculated risk. We knew he'd focus more on me because I'd spoken with you not long before, so I couldn't be allowed any more information than I already had and I had to have an alibi for when you went missing. I left everything in Suga's hands. The plan to have Momma Yu assist was his as well as the choice of meeting point."
"None of us even knew where we were going until few days ago when we left." Asahi mumbles and Shouyou marvels at how the reserved crow almost sounds sullen.
"You mean you and Daichi kept it under wraps from them this whole time?" Shouyou asks with disbelief. Noya scoffs.
"Well… not all of it. Just where he sent you guys. They finally told us everything about a month ago when the Grand King finally called off all searches. He told us about how you and Kageyama—"
Daichi clears his throat, cutting off the smaller crow and Shouyou looks up at him.
"We told them about how you got out and Noya was particularly peeved to find out that he could have asked his own mom at any point." He says with a wry smile. Disregarding the oddity of Daichi's interruption, Shouyou breaks into a grin at the memory.
"Ah! Noya, you wouldn't believe Mom's moves! She is totally badass." He says animatedly. He turns back to Noya and sees Suga right behind him with a smile on his face as well.
"You should have seen Kageyama. He took out four sentries himself, too." The thrush says easily, his hand dropping from Noya's shoulder. Shouyou has the distinct impression that he just missed some unspoken exchange. Kageyama scoffs.
"You are painting it like you were never involved." He grouses and Suga grins.
"I wasn't." The thrush laughs.
"It's good to see you guys. When we left, we didn't know if we'd even find you here." Asahi says in a quiet voice and it seems to sum up the depths of the fears and hopes carried by them all. Shouyou's eyes water once more against his will, but he grins all the same.
"Ah, enough about the rookery. What have you been doing all this time?" Daichi says and Shouyou turns to him with shining eyes.
They've had a hell of a summer.
A/N: Ah. This chapter. Everyone finally together in one place. This one was difficult to get everyone in in a meaningful way. The more people I have, the harder it is to keep track of them and keep them from falling into the background of the rest of the chapter. :(
Fun fact... this one was originally written from Kageyama's POV, but the feel of it was more Hinata to me and I revised and expanded it to fit him instead. Not sure if I made the right choice, but Hinata doesn't have another POV chap from here on out. Hope it still measured up!