How to fly with clipped wings (English ver.) HAIKYUU!! FAN FICTION

Chapter 13: The Article

Mikaela hadn't even gone back to the gym. She was too mentally and physically exhausted to try and deal with overbearing teammates (she loved them all already, but being asked over and over again if she was alright by not just one team but six teams who were interested in her well-being was just too much). Kageyama steered her towards the place where they were staying for the night and then left to head back to the gym.

She changed from her track pants into red flannel pajama bottoms and traded her black t-shirt for a navy blue tank top with a volleyball on the back. It was a shirt that her dad had gotten her for her birthday last year.

Mikaela was still feeling the last of the effects from the cramps, cursing her mother as she stretched before she slipped into her blankets. This was partially her fault, but blaming her mother never got her anywhere.

She should've spent at least two more months in the hospital.

Not a month and a half.

Mikaela exhaled, leaning further into her stretch and pondering this to herself. At the time, she'd been eager to get out of the hospital- ready to get back to normal. Although she knew that she wouldn't be playing volleyball soon, she just wanted to go to school and hang out with Kageyama and pretend there was nothing wrong with her life.

Her mother, for once, felt the same way. All for her reputation, of course. Couldn't have a child of hers in the hospital, not while Mikaela had school to do and expectations to live up to. People didn't bend easily to persuasion- so, when Mikaela's mother threw more money at them than they knew what to do with, the hospital staff let Mikaela out, with a few strict conditions, of course.

Now, she was beginning to feel the consequences of the two months she missed. It was only getting worse, and although she'd gotten used to moving with her injury, it wasn't easy.

"Ugh," she groaned, slipping under the blankets and letting her head fall against the pillow. This was a lot for one day.

Eh, she'd wait to deal with it tomorrow. Procrastination at its finest.

As soon as she closed her eyes, Mikaela was out like a light.

"Tanaka, I got your magazine," Sugawara called, yawning as he entered the boys' room. Not to his surprise, no one had gone to bed yet. They'd been kicked out of the gym, sure, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be staying up until ungodly hours. "I mean, it came out a week ago, but it's the most recent one. Nishinoya, here's your candy."

Tanaka and Nishinoya were sitting together on one of the mats with Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita. Upon hearing his name, Tanaka's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Suga-senpai! You're the best!"

"Girls!" Nishinoya cheered with his candy bag clutched in one hand, causing Daichi to roll his eyes. The two eager boys started flipping through the magazine.

"I'm going to bed," Tsukishima grumbled, and Sugawara rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for coming with me, Tsukishima," the vice captain said with a grin. The blond huffed, shrugging. Sugawara turned to Kageyama, who was wrestling with Hinata. "Kageyama, is Mikaela alright?"

The younger setter threw Hinata off long enough to say, "yeah, she's fine," before the orange-haired boy launched himself at his partner again, and they went down squabbling.

"How immature are they?" Tsukishima said with a scoff. Yamaguchi laughed. "Do morons never get tired?"

The duo broke apart for a second to yell, "hey!" at their common enemy.

"Break it up," Daichi said with a yawn. "We've got another long day ahead of us tomorrow."

At the idea of doing more volleyball tomorrow, the freak twins finally broke apart, scowling at each other. Asahi sighed, relieved that the fighting had stopped. The scaredy-cat ace nearly flinched when Nishinoya and Tanaka screamed at the same time.