Crows Like Shiny Things (Hinakage)

Return of Hinata

Kageyama could enjoy life passing by as it usually did- this time without an unruly mess of feathers near of him. Each day he would start his route to school, and at the end of it he'd take the exact same stroll back.

No sign of Hinata.

Not that he was bothered... Why would he? Kageyama knew Hinata was most likely still resting and healing from his injuries. He wasn't bothered... not at all. Not at all.
He was a nuisance anyway. Always costing him his precious time on his way back and forth. His precious, precious... 10 minutes? Twice a week?

Kageyama shook his head, gripping his bag tighter, pushing the thought out of his brain. No, that guy was a nuisance. Whatever he was.
He was almost pitying Asahi for his own situation, he could still see him crawl into the gym all pale and panicky, rambling about the creature no one but him was able to see.
How was he going to tell him that it was all real and no part of his own imagination?

His inner voice whined at him to go and search for Hinata, and yet he didn't. Why should he, even.
Kageyama sighed and shook his head once again, brushing his black hair a little back. It wasn't that he missed Hinata... he certainly didn't. But it was just something different without his assaults.

Step by step, Kageyama began to slow down. He was baiting Hinata by now, wasn't he? Ah, how pathetic. His only scource of comfort was gone, even though it had freaked him out until shortly ago.
"Boke..."
And suddenly, his body froze into the ground like a statue. There it was.

The sound of a massive pair of wings, approaching from midair.

Kageyama felt something akin to giddyness inside his bones, yet something was off.
Those wings didn't slow down.
Didn't prepare to land as usual.
Wide eyed, Kageyama turned around, only to be knocked square onto his back by a surprise assault from no one else than the orange haired half bird.

"Kageyama!!"
"Ouch!!"
As soon as Kageyama came to himself, he was already enveloped by black blankets. Well fuck, that much about going to early gym practice.
"Hinata-boke, what the heck!!"
"Kageyama, I'm back! I'm good! I'm all heal again!"
To emphasize his point, Hinata flapped his wings twice, sending a gust of sand into Kageyama's face. Now it was his turn to freak out.

"OI BOKE WILL YOU STOP!"
He struggled, managed to turn the tides and push Hinata at his shoulder onto the ground. The half bird let out a whine, fighting back to gain the upper hand again-
Which ended in both of them rolling around on the ground under massive wing-flapping and arguying.

Finally, Kageyama sat on Hinata's stomach, pinning him down. The boy struggled- then relaxed. Kageyama let out a breath of relief, finally.
"What is up with you?!"
Hinata was blushing to his ears as he lifted his fist up towards Kageyama, opening his fingers to show him an admittedly pretty shell.
Raising an eyebrow, the setter favored letting go of Hinata to take it- promptly losing his guard, with Hinata flipping the tides and quickly pinning Kageyama down again.
"Ha! That's 6-8 for me now, Bakageyama!"
"Hey that's unfair! You distracted me!"

With the sun illuminating Hinata's red and oh so happy face, Kageyama finally relaxed and settled down. Well, there was nothing he could do for now. Instead, he held the shell into the sun and examine it closely.
"...where did you get that?"
"Dad had a few of them. They are his greatest treasure. He said he got them from the ocean... I've never been there, but I've heard it's a pretty view."
Another one of those sunshine-alike smiles, and Kageyama averted his face. For some reason, he felt almost a little shy. Embarassed.

No wonder, this creature was straddling him.

He chose mild violence as an escape.

"So you stole them."
"What?! No I did not!"
"Did you ask? If they are so important to him, you shouldn't have taken them."
Hinata lowered his head and that said it all. Kageyama sighed, holding the shell out to Hinata again.
"Take it back, boke. Stealing is wrong."
Reluctantly, Hinata removed the shell from Kageyama's hands and stuffed it back into his pocket. The disappointment was obvious, and Kageyama felt himself sadden at the view.
"...I didn't say I don't like it."
Immediately, Hinata brightened up again. With a huge smile, he hugged Kageyama close to his chest, then jumped off of him.

"So you like it?! The shell?! The shells?! They are pretty, right?! Right?! I'll get you some! I'll get you more!"
"O-oi Hinata-!"
"I'll get you more! Promise! I'll be back!"
Contently ignoring Kageyama, Hinata just rose straight into the air, quickly disappearing out of sight, leaving a stunned highschooler behind. Kageyama almost dreaded what he had caused now, and yet the warm feeling never disappeared from his belly.

Face red, he sighed and turned to head towards his school. He couldn't calm down, his heart was hammering inside his chest, and the raised eyebrows from his team mates weren't helping the cause either.
It didn't last long and as always late, Asahi stormed into the gym, pale as a sheet of paper, shaking like a leaf. Daichi had stopped asking. So did Sugawara.

It was just imagination, right?

And yet, the shiny pebbles on Kageyama's shelf had told an entirely different story.

"...what does it look like?"
"What do you mean?"
Water bottle up to his lips, Asahi paused before taking a sip. Kageyama raised an eyebrow at him, and he knew exactly what he was talking about. Instantly, his colour vanished from his face.
"I don't know, to... to be honest. I-I've never actually stayed long enough to look. It's... something huge. Bigger than I could imagine."
Kageyama nodded along, clearly already knowing what that was and yet favoring to stay quiet.

Awkwardly shrugging, he faced away, taking a sip of his own bottle to try and think his next words through.
"Have you ever tried... looking?"
"N-not really."
Kageyama wanted to say more, explain to him what that thing was, and yet nothing left his mouth. He was unsure. Maybe he shouldn't.
No, he shouldn't.
But unbeknownst to him, Asahi was already contemplating his words.

Try... looking.