Crows Like Shiny Things (Hinakage)

Night's Rest

In a calm silence, birds and humans alike laid on the community platform, peacefully watching branches and leaves shift in the breeze. It was a relaxing summer night, and after all that drama and excitement with the elders, they all felt spent.

Bokuto had made arrangements for a peace offering towards his own village: a small bag of fruits and fish, a gift to the eldest of his nest.
Right now he was unusually quiet, but his eyes weren't on his surroundings, but on someone else right next to him.

Kiyoko, exhausted from her day, had fallen asleep in the group of birds, curled up on the planks, and Bokuto had his soft grey feathers draped over her as a comfortable blanket.
He couldn't help but smile a little. Bokuto's best friend used to do the same thing to him when they were young, and he would find himself snuggled up in those feathers at the very next morning. A little unfortunate, since Kiyoko had to return to her village at some point, preferrably this night, but flying with someone that can fall asleep on pure wood right now was not a good idea and he knew that.

Hinata chuckled a little, his own right wing securely placed around Kageyama's shoulders.
"She was so shy when I first met her. Good to see she's warming up to people?"
"Shy?" Bokuto whispered back, "She broke into a storage room to free me and flew with me all the way here, she isn't shy."
Hinata couldn't help but grin at that, slowly laying down on the wood next to Kageyama.
"So you wanna stay here? We don't have guest nests, but you could-"
A stern look from Kageyama shut Hinata right back up. No, they were not going to sleep in Kageyama's nest, and if he had to fight tooth and nail for that. It was enough Hinata slept with him, he didn't need another one of those bird brains next to him.

"T'is fine..." Bokuto yawned, shifting a little to make himself comfortable, "I could sleep on a rock if I wanted to... But I need to bring Kiyoko home until tomorrow morning, else her flock will notice she's gone."
"It'll look even more suspicious if she returns out of the forest in her pajamas." Kageyama sarcasticly added, "Couldn't you have let her dress?"
"What do you mean, she looks fine."
"Bokuto-san..." Kageyama sighed, a little exasperated, "Humans wear a little... softer, and lighter clothing for our sleep. There are also some who prefer to sleep without any clothes. So we will always look different at night than during the day."

Nishinoya seemed a little surprised. So that's why her clothes were so thin.
"So... it's really unusual for you guys to leave your nest in those clothes, am I following you there?"
"Yes."
"And... if she returns from the forest for all humans to see in those clothes, they will probably banish her."
"Yes."
Nishinoya sighed. Loud.
"Why are humans so complicated. Just-... be normal for once."

He dodged a smack from Kageyama.

***

Kiyoko opened her eyes, only to pause for a moment. Well that wasn't her bed. The surface was somewhat uncomfortable, and yet she felt pretty well cushioned. A moment for her braincells to pull into overdrive, and she registered the feathers in front of her.
Well if that wasn't a surprise.

Sitting up, the girl looked around. Right. She was in the village. With the sun just barely peeking through the tree crowns, Kiyoko could feel the calm wash through her. Nobody was awake yet.
She reached out, gently shaking Bokuto's shoulder.
"Bokuto-san, we should get home."
Bokuto stirred a little, his wing shifting off of Kiyoko to cover his own face.

"J-jus a bit more.... Akaaaashiiii...."

"Bokuto-san please, I can't get home without you."
Finally, the bird sat up with a loud and annoyed whine.
"Okay okay I'm up I'm up... Ah. Yeah. Gotta fly you home."
Kiyoko felt a little bad for not saying goodbye, seeing as the others were still asleep, but she figured she would see Kageyama, Hinata and Nishinoya soon enough. With her hugging Bokuto tight and leaning onto his back, the pair flew off, glistening in the morning sun.

***

"Shouyou?"
"Mhm?"
"What if I were to tell you that... I want to go back?"

Hinata almost dropped the peach he was currently in the process of inhaling, mouth agape.
"I... I like it here... and your parents have been nothing but kind to me... but... I want to go back. I..."
Kageyama trailed off, fiddling a little with his hands. Hinata stared at him, almost hurt, and yet he knew he couldn't fault Kageyama for this.
"Tobio is this really your decision. Is that really what you want? Are you sure? How do you even know they will take you back?"
"I-I... They won't. But... Seeing me alive... and hearing me out... the others might realize that the bird folk isn't half bad. And... defy the elders. Think about it."

Kageyama paused, shifting a little before looking with a serious expression at Hinata.
"Right know, nobody but the volleyball club knows that I'm here, and alive. Nobody. None of the adults. If they see me, know that I survived with your help, they will hear me out. I... I will make them hear me out."
Kageyama was clenching a fist at this point, pulling a little on his shirt in the process.
"I'm sick of it Shouyou. Sick of hiding. I... want to go out and live my dreams. And... And I cannot do this living my lifetime in a forest village catching fish, harvesting fruits and stocking up for the upcoming winter. Don't you wanna go out? See the world? See what's beyond the forest?"

Kageyama slowly reached out, taking Hinata's hands into his. He had a sparkle in his eyes that Hinata hadn't seen in a while.
"Think about it Shouyou.You could collect shells at the ocean, the real sea, not just a small lake. Real large shells. We could play beach volleyball in the sand. We could go to nationals together. We could go forever without a care in the world."
Hinata wasn't all too sure about this all. Kageyama was weirdly enthusiastic about it, and when he thought about it, he didn't exactly want to spend his live foraging and hunting for his flock like generations before him. But... there were his family. And he was not going to leave his family behind.

"Tobio I'd love to but... I... I can't. My family, my flock is here. I would miss them too much."
"Then lets not. Lets take them along. Everyone. We're gonna convince the elders that birdfolk is not a bad omen. Together."
Hinata couldn't help but laugh. That sounded so weirdly unlike Kageyama's usual self.
"You're so sappy."
"Shut it boke. Are you in or not?"
"I'd love to."

Hinata leaned in, brushing his lips over Kageyama's who turned a soft pink at this unexpected gesture.
"I'd always love to, Tobio. Let's go today."