Insomnia (A TsukiKage FF) ✔

2 - Late... again

Two days later, and once again there was no sign of Kageyama. The absence was noticeable to everyone; they had gotten used to the presence of the new first years and felt incomplete without one of their team members. But, once again, at twenty past the hour, the gym door slid open and in walked the setter. His appearance was normal: gym clothes and slightly messy hair; yet there was one big difference.

The usual blue eyes, that gleamed from intuition and youth, were dull and tired. The bright blue delphiniums replaced by pale periwinkles, still pretty to look at but lacking the same warmth and vibrancy they held at the excitement of playing volleyball. It was a small yet alarming difference.

Daichi knew it was his role to reprimand Kageyama for being late again, but he couldn't find it in him to get mad at the setter who looked so... so... so damn tired.

"Sorry I'm late. Again." Kageyama added with a sigh as he took out his earphones.

"No worries. I'm glad you're here." Daichi assured.

"You are?" Kageyama asked with a tone that showed he was half paying attention but was surprised by the comment.

"Of course."

Kageyama raised a brow- and his eyes gleamed for a moment the deep ocean blue they usually were- before heading to the corner and stretching. The team looked over to the first year with concern, quietly conversing between themselves.

"He looks really tired." Yamaguchi noticed.

"Do you think he's slept?" questioned Noya as he peered over Hinata's shoulder at Kageyama.

"Tsuki, go and ask him what's wrong." Daichi instructed.

"What? Why me?" Tsuki asked, thinking he would be the last person Daichi would ask.

"Because you're probably the smartest person here and can get to the bottom of what's going on with Kageyama." explained the captain.

"Fine."

Yamaguchi wished him good luck as the team all continued to practise in small groups; Kageyama seemed to have not noticed the small meeting they had held a few meters away from him. He was incredibly spatially aware and so this was another alarming factor. Tsuki continued with his serving with Yamaguchi, not going over right away in order to not make his actions suspicious to Kageyama. However, Tsuki came to the conclusion that the setter was too distracted to even notice if it was.

At last- after too many purposeful looks from the team- he put his volleyball back in the cart before walking over to the first year. Kageyama was lying on his back and setting the ball into the air above him, making each set reach the same height in the air. It was quite impressive to watch. As Tsuki approached he saw the concentration on Kageyama's face but once again there was something missing.

"Hey King."

Kageyama caught the ball, his eyes moving over to where Tsuki had sat down, leaning against the wall next to him.

"Hi?" Kageyama replied questioningly.

Usually he would get angry at the nickname or insult him, causing an argument to ensue that the third years would have to break up.

"What's up?"

"Uh... the sky?"

Kageyama seemed quite proud of that one, knowing it was something the middle blocker would have said if asked the same question. He smiled ever so slightly- that was the most he ever seemed to do- and Tsuki guessed that he was self-conscious about his smile. Tsuki was also impressed, although he would rather die than admit it out loud, at the setter's response.

"Ha ha." he deadpanned. "But seriously. You look tired."

"No shit." Kageyama muttered before sending the volleyball into the air once more.

He reluctantly let out a small yawn as he practised the repetitive action and Tsuki noticed.

"Have you not been sleeping or something?" he pressed, knowing the team would not give up until he had some sort of information to offer them.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Then don't ask."

"..."

Kageyama expected the middle blocker to up and leave, probably getting over his momentary relapse of giving a crap about someone else for a change and returning to practise. But he cautiously glanced over when Tsuki stayed where he was, watching the team practise with a blank expression.

"Set for me." Tsuki announced before standing up.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Or are you deaf as well as an idiot?"

Kageyama huffed before standing up and pulling off his jacket; this action made Tsuki smirk slightly.

The team watched as the pair walked onto the court, Kageyama standing near the net and Tsuki on the back line. They started bickering again, Tsuki saying things to aggravate the setter and Kageyama insulting Tsuki's spikes. On a daily basis this would be incredibly annoying yet now it was a welcome sight as Kageyama had not been this emotive in days.

There was no practise match this day and so everyone was more relaxed and less tired than normal. Well, 11/12 of them were. They noticed how often Kageyama stifled a yawn or shook his head to stay awake whilst they got changed into their uniforms, but none of them brought it up as they didn't want to get the first year worked up in the state he was in. They just silently hoped that whatever was going on would end soon and their number 9 would be back to normal.