sunshine

chapter 2

Kageyma didn't sleep well that night.

He lied awake, staring at the ceiling, wishing he could be practicing. Or even just going outside.
Going somewhere.
Anywhere but lying inside his dark, lonely bedroom.

Soon enough, the sky began to light up, and Kageyama sat up straight. He grabbed the Advil from his nightstand and took a couple before getting out of bed.

Kageyama snatched his crutches from the corner of his room and limped to the kitchen. His mother gasped.

"Tobio, you should be resting!" She frowned, shooing him away. "I'll make you breakfast, go back to bed."

"No, It's fine. I'm fine." Kageyama said bluntly.

"You are not fine, mister, you're in crutches for god's sake!"

"I'm fine."

Kageyamas mother clicked her tongue in disapproval, continuing to shoo him to his room.

Kageyama threw his crutches down and sat back on his bed, sulking in defeat. He just wanted to do something. Anything. He'd run an errand in a heartbeat if his mother offered.

His mom came into the room about half an hour later, half an hour that Kageyama spent throwing his volleyball up and catching it, daydreaming about what he would do once his ankle was better.

"Tobio.." His mother sighed, looking at him. She looked annoyed, but there was pity in her eyes.

She set his cereal down on the nightstand, along with a glass of milk. "I'm going to the pharmacy to pick up more of your painkillers, would you like to come with me?"

Kageyama's entire expression shifted, like a golden retriever about to go on a walk. His mother couldn't help but smile.

"I'll take that as a yes?" She asked.

He nodded.

Kageyama sat up, his mom handing him his crutches. He limped out of the room, and then out of the house, over to the driveway. His mother helped him into the car.

"The pharmacy isn't that far away, can't we just w-" The antsy boy started to say before he was cut off by his mom.

"Sh! No more complaining from you!" She scolded. Kageyama was silent for the rest of the car ride.

They arrived at the pharmacy after a few minutes. There weren't many other people there, thankfully. Kageyama couldn't imagine how embarrassing it would be for his volleyball to see him like this.

"YOU!"

Kageyama looked up, startled. There was a boy - about 5'4, a bit scrawny looking, with fair skin and bright orange hair - running at him.

The boy panted and stared up at Kageyama, jabbing a finger at his chest.

Kageyama swatted the boys finger off his chest and stared back down at him.

"Do I know you?" He asked, confused.

"You don't remember?" The smaller boy pouted.

Kageyama thought for a moment.

He looked at the boy again - there was something oddly familiar about him. The boy looked like sunshine personified. And his eyes. They were like honey and amber, so bright, so vibrant-

Oh.

Kageyama remembered now.

"You're that little volleyball kid who told me you'd beat me last year, right?" He asked.

"Little volleyball kid? We're in the same grade!" The sunshine boy crossed his arms.

"Yeah, but you're like half my size. So you're a little volleyball kid to me." Kageyama smirked slightly.

"Don't call me that!"

"Then what should I call you?"

"Shoyo Hinata."

Hinatas eyes shifted to Kageyamas sweatshirt - a grey Karasuno sweatshirt. He gasped softly.

"What?"

"Do you go to Karasuno?" Hinata asked eagerly.

"Yeah, why?" Kageyama tilted his head slightly. 

"I was gonna go there..." He sighed a bit, trailing off. He then looked back up at Kageyama with those bright amber eyes. "Oh! I bet you're on the volleyball team aren't you? How is it?" 

Hinatas eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought of volleyball - he looked so innocent, so beautiful - and Kageyama felt his face go red.

"Um, Kageyama?" Hinata tugged at his arm.

Shit. Had he been staring for too long?

"Sorry, I was just spaced out." Kageyama shook the stupid thoughts from his head. "What was the question?"

"The volleyball team. What is it like?"

"Oh. It's a good team. Better than the one I was on last year." Kageyama tried to avoid eye contact, but his eyes always made their way back to Hinatas.

"You're so lucky." Hinata sighed.

"Why's that?" 

"You can still play volleyball. I'm too sick to even go to school, apparently." 

"Sick?"

Now that he thought of it, Hinata did look a bit sickly. Not too bad - but just a tiny bit paler and thinner than he had looked when they played against each other. He also had noticeable dark circles, probably from lack of sleep.

"Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob. It's why I'm even getting painkillers in the first place, I get these random painful sensations and stuff..." Hinata trailed off again. He sighed. "The symptoms aren't too bad, I could probably go to school if I wanted to, but my mom is overprotective."

"Oh uh - I'm sorry about that." Kageyama said awkwardly. He was not very good at comforting people.

"It's fine. I just wish I could play volleyball."

"Yeah. It is pretty shitty not being able to play." Kageyama thought for a moment. "Uh, do you want to come with me to watch my volleyball team at practice?"

Hinatas eyes sparkled again.

"Really?!" He beamed.

Kageyamas face was even redder than before.

"Uh. Yeah."

"Yes! That would be so cool!" Hinata grinned.

"Tobioooo!" Kageyamas mother called. "I got your painkillers, let's go!"

"Oh- okay! One second!" He shouted back. "Could I have your number?"

Hinata nodded, scribbling his number down on a piece of paper and handing it to him.

"Alright. I'll text you when I get home."

"Okay! Bye, Kageyama!"

"Bye."

Kageyama thought about Hinata the entire car ride home.

Maybe things were looking up.