Broken Like Me

Chapter Ten: Dreams and Reality

Kageyama dreamt of volleyball that night. He was in an unfamiliar court reaching out for a ball that was within his grasp, only for it to disappear into a haze of smoke as soon as he touched it. The dream was a tortuous repetition of his desperate struggle to reach the ball. He watched it disappear, over and over again. He spent what felt like hours chasing the ball across the unknown court to no avail, before his dream morphed into something else.

He was now in the midst of a heated game against a high school rival, surrounded by his former teammates. Yet somehow, Hinata was his team's middle blocker. He gave Kageyama a thumbs up as the second set began, and ran energetically to his position.

Dream Kageyama ran onto the court, he prepared himself to set an oncoming ball. His nimble fingers knowledgeably received the ball. As he made his quick calculation of where to send the ball, he heard Hinata in the distance calling out to send the ball his way.

Tobio hesitated with fear for a second, his teammates betrayal still vivid in his memory, this angered Hinata, "Bakayama, why do you have to overthink everything?! We are friends, toss it to me, I am here, I will catch it no matter what!" Without another thought Kageyama set the ball towards Hinata's running figure.

He watched in awe as Hinata leapt impossibly high, he was seemingly flying in the air, his long eyelashes fluttering shut, his mouth set into a small satisfied smile. His hair was a halo of flying tangled curls, his legs bent backward and his arm in position ready to strike Kageyama's ball. Kageyama's heart beat impossibly fast at the sight above him, Hinata's hair caught the ceiling lights as he reached his highest point in his jump. His hair burst into a flame of electrified red strands, enhanced by the contrast with the black of his uniform. Kageyama had set his fastest toss, the toss they mockingly called the "King's Toss" due it's impossible speed.

As Kageyama watched, he knew that Hinata was the spark he had long awaited, he was there to maintain --no enhance the balls fiery path--, never letting the ball's flame extinguish. Kageyama had been waiting for him, a middle blocker that could match his fire, since he began playing volleyball all those years ago.

Time seemed to slow, seconds extending into minutes as Hinata's palm hit the ball with a resounding thunk, his small arms were charged with such incredible force. Kageyama was breathless as he realized that Hinata had completely surrendered himself to Kageyama's fast pass, his body stretched midair not weighted down with distrust or doubt in Kageyama. The resounding thud of the ball exploding across the court forced time to tick again.

The whole court remained blanketed with silence, all eyes focused on the ball buried in the opposite side of the court. However, Kageyama only had eyes for Hinata's falling figure, he landed effortlessly, his invisible wings fluttering to a close as his sneakers gracefully touched the floor. He turned to Kageyama, his smile so large it left no room for open eyes, his orange freckles stretched across his face in constellations of joy. Hinata's eyes met his, he reached out for him as he called out,"We did it Kageyama! We did it Bakayama.....

Kageyama,

Hey Kageyama..

wake up...Kageyamaaaa come on...

Kageyama opened his eyes in confusion, lost somewhere in between unconsciousness and reality. He made out a hazy figure standing above him, he blinked groggily, "Hinata?" He recognized the lithe silhouette of the smaller boy, lingering by his bed.

"Yes, Bakayama, who else would it be!" Hinata's voice radiated distress. Kageyama forced his eyes to stay open, stifling a yawn. Hinata was barely illuminated by the dim light coming in from an outside street lamp. Yet, Kageyama could tell that something was very wrong, Hinata was frowning and anxious, jumping from one foot to another, such a contrast from the Hinata Kageyama had just left behind in his dream.