A soft press of lips against his own wakes Hajime up from his restless sleep. The room that they've hidden in is lit only by the light of the moon that comes through the cracks in the boards that cover the window. In the dim light, he can just make out the silhouette of Tooru kneeling beside him. With a sigh, he pulls the other teen onto his lap and makes him straighten his legs.
"You're going to make your knee worse if you keep pushing it," He scolds, keeping his voice down so as not to wake any of the others. Tooru huffs and lets his back settle against Hajime's chest.
"I'm fine Mom," Tooru scoffs, crossing his arms. Hajime contemplates biting his ear in retaliation but he's sure that Tooru would cause a scene and wake the others up from their well-deserved sleep.
"It's not my turn to watch," Hajime reminds him instead, he'd taken the first shift and he would take the last as well but it's still well into the night.
"Well... see I was hoping that you'd maybe do me a favor," Tooru turns sideways so he can see Hajime's face and bats his eyelashes trying to look cute.
"I was sleeping Shittykawa, do you know how much sleep I've actually gotten since we got separated?" Even when he'd gotten a bit of time to rest it hadn't been easy. His dreams had been plagued by all the horrible things that could have been happening to the rest of their teammates. Tooru at least has the brains to look somewhat guilty, Hajime is sure that he hasn't really slept either.
"Can you take the rest of my watch? There's less than an hour left now and then you can go right back to sleep," His fingers twist in the fabric of Hajime's jacket nervously.
"What do you plan to do while I watch?" Hajime asks suspiciously
"Well, I thought that maybe... I could," He's trying to stall long enough to come up with a lie, but Hajime knows him too well. "Go for a walk or something."
"I'll wake Hanamaki early and we can go together," Hajime is not letting him out of his sight again.
"I'll be quick, okay? You won't even notice I'm gone," Tooru starts to get up so Hajime wraps his arms around his waist to keep him from escaping. Tooru might be better than him at most things but Hajime has always been physically stronger at least. He keeps his hold on Tooru as he stands up. He tries to wiggle free, but Hajime just lifts him over his shoulder easily. He nudges his foot into Hanamaki's ribs until he wakes up. Hanamaki rolls his eyes when he sees them standing there and pushes himself up into a sitting position.
"Really?" He asks, moving the Matsukawa's arm from where it's slung over him.
"Apparently Trashykawa really wants to go for a walk right now," Hajime jostles Tooru on his shoulder and ignores his grumbling.
"Yeah fine, go you pricks," Hanamaki waves them off and Hajime moves to the door, grabbing a pack and both their guns on the way out the door. Tooru seems to have resigned himself and just hangs limply as Hajime carries him down the stairway.
"Iwa-chan," he sighs. Hajime sets him down at the bottom of the stairs and holds a finger to Tooru's lips as he listens for signs of anything suspicious. He pulls it away again just in time to avoid getting bitten.
"I'm not going to argue with you about this King. Whatever you're planning, I'm going with you," He keeps a grip on Tooru's shirt to make sure he can't get away. "So tell me what it is."
"We can't both go. Someone needs to lead them if..." Tooru stops.
"You come first," Hajime whispers.
"I can't come first H- Knight, they're just kids."
"We're all just kids, I'm not losing you again Tooru. Tell me what you're doing or we're going back inside and I'll tie you up with Mad dog."
"Look I... When I talked to headquarters earlier and told them that we'd need an extraction soon... They asked about the status of the mission."
"Fuck the mission we'll die out here if we stay."
"That's why I'm going to handle it... at least part of it. I can take out the general and at least say we completed half of what we came for."
"We are going together, you and me just like it's always been. Then those bastards on the board will..." Hajime takes a deep breath to calm himself. "We'll get it done and then go home. Me and you and all the others." He doesn't think about Watari's worsening fever or Kyotani's violent fits.
"Hajime," He can hear the exhaustion in Tooru's voice. They need to go home. Hajime pulls Tooru into his arms and hugs him tightly.
"I know," he presses his lips against sandy curls. "I know." They don't have time for this but there are too many emotions swirling around inside them. Threatening to break out. They need to be strong now though, they need to have something to show the board of directors so they can get what's left of their team back home.
"I want to go home Iwa-chan," Tooru's voice is just a whisper but he presses his mouth against Hajime's ear. "I want to go to visit mama Iwa, I want to go to school and play sports and do homework."
To be normal, Hajime wants that too. But they can never have that now, they're too broken. Destroyed by this life they were thrown into when they were too young to know better, too young to understand that they'd been better off on the streets. Hajime has a scar on his arm, from the fence that he'd fallen from. He can't help but blame himself when he sees it. If he hadn't taken so long in the store that day maybe they would have found a way to stay together anyway.
"Me too Tooru," He whispers back. Then it's time to go. They move through the city silently. They know how to do this, it's all familiar. Sneak into the base unnoticed, kill the general. Get out before the alarm is sounded and leave no trace behind. They're there in what feels like an instant, faces blank as Hajime's knife slides across skin and blood spills onto white sheets. It only takes a few seconds and then the general is gone.
They're turning to leave when they spot something unexpected. A child. Sitting in the corner of the room with his knees pulled up to his chest. He's thin and his clothes don't fit him properly, his feet covered in dirt. His black hair is matted in places and his blue eyes devoid of any life. Hajime and Tooru exchange a look and then Tooru moves towards the boy slowly, bending the crouch in front of him.
"My name is Tooru," he says in English, but the boy shows no signs of recognizing the words so Tooru repeats it again in mandarin. There's still no response.
"What's your name?" Hajime asks in Japanese. There's a flicker of something in the boy's eyes then as they dart between Tooru and Hajime.
"Tobio," he whispers. Tooru holds out his hand and smiles gently at the boy. Hajime knows what he's going to do, knows how many rules it will break. But the boy won't be safe here when the General is found and he's seen too much of them anyway.
"Do you want to come with us Tobio-chan? We're going to Japan soon," Tooru offers. The boy's eyes widen and he reaches out cautiously to take Tooru's hand. Hajime can see the pain on Tooru's face as he tries to stand straight again. His knee pain is probably getting worse.
"I'm going to pick you up okay Tobio?" Hajime takes Tooru's arm and supports his weight for a moment. The kid looks really unsure but after a moment he nods his head slowly. Hajime makes sure to he as gentle as he can as he lifts the boy into his arms. Tobio trembles in fear but he wraps his arms around Hajime's neck and hides his face. Hajime meets Tooru's eyes. It's not going to be easy to get the board to allow Tobio onto the plane back to Japan, they'll want something in return. He knows though that Tooru won't go back on his word so they'll have to think of some way to get him allowed or find their own way back to Japan. The kid was probably abducted at some point. He probably has a family out there looking for him. But he saw Tooru and Hajime kill that general. He'll see the faces of the rest of the castle team. They will have to convince the board that the boy's knowledge isn't a threat. That he'll forget them soon enough once he's home with a loving family.
It takes a lot longer to get back to their hideout than it took to leave it. They're both exhausted from their missed sleep and Tooru limps more and more with each step. They're a little more than halfway there when his knee gives out entirely and he's sent sprawling to the ground. Hajime wants to put Tobio down to help him back up, but the ground is covered in debris and the boy still has no shoes. He's also clinging so tightly that Hajime isn't sure he'd even consent to be put down. He kneels down next to Tooru instead and offers his body for support as he pulls himself up slowly. Once he's steady on his good leg Hajime stands back up and slips his free arm under Tooru's shoulder taking the brunt of his weight. They hobble the rest of the way back to hideout like that. Hajime can feel his own legs shaking by the time they reach the church. He thinks about the long flights of stairs and wonders if he could get away with just sleeping at the bottom. Someone else could carry Tooru up.
His sleeping plan doesn't matter though, the team is waiting for them just inside the building, their faces grim. Hajime looks each of them over, trying to spot what's wrong. Kyotani's hands are still bound but he sits on the ground with his back resting against Yahaba's legs, his eyes focused on the ground. He's not fighting. Hajime's heart clenches in his chest when he realizes what's missing, Tooru must see it too because he's pushing away from Hajime and running up the stairs before anyone can stop him. Watari is missing. Hajime wants to follow Tooru but Tobio is still clinging tightly to him, face pressed against his shirt.
"Tobio, this is Matssun," Matsukawa looks devastated and Hajime knows that he'll do better with a distraction. Matsukawa's eyes fall on the boy in his arms and widen. Tobio turns his head just enough to peek out. "He's a big kid like me and Tooru, but he's also a medic. He's going to take a look at you and make sure that you don't have any injuries." Tobio's arms loosen just a bit but he takes it as an okay and hands the kid over before running up the stairs after Tooru.
He finds Tooru kneeling in the center of the room, next to the sheet spread out. There's nothing they can do now. Hajime knew that the clock was ticking, he knew that Watari was getting worse by the second. He reaches out and grips Tooru's shoulder tightly.
"We have to go," He says, his voice rough. Tooru nods his head but he makes no move to stand. Hajime doesn't rush him, he gives him a few more minutes and then leans down and lifts Tooru into his arms. Tooru grips his shirt tightly but says nothing. Hajime carries him back downstairs.
"Hajime, we have a problem," Matsukawa says when they rejoin the others. Tobio is standing on his own now, his hands gripping onto Matsukawa's pant leg.
"What now?" He asks, unable to keep his frustration out of his voice. The boy presses closer to Matsukawa nervously.
"Tobio, can you show Hajime and Tooru the owie you showed us?" Hanamaki asks, kneeling down next to him. Tobio still looks hesitant but he shuffles out and lifts up his shirt to show an angry red 'A' branded onto his hip. Hajime curses under his breath. The boy has been claimed by The Academy, a group that claims to be an intelligence agency but has their fingers in all sorts of other illegal activities as well. Apparently, they've added human trafficking to their repertoire.
"Can it be removed?" He asks.
"I'm not sure how..." Matsukawa admits. "I don't think I'd want to either..." They all look at the boy, he can't be more than five or six. Anyway, they could think of removing the brand would be too painful. Hajime wonders briefly how old he was when it was put on him.
"Right... okay, bandage it up like a wound," Hajime instructs. He kneels down, being careful not to lose his grip on Tooru as he does so. "Tobio we need you to do something really important, okay?"
Tobio looks scared, his hands tremble where he still grips his shirt but he still nods his head. There's fear in his eyes but it's better than the lifeless look he'd had when they first found them. Hajime wonders how much he's been through already in his short life.
"You have to keep that mark covered okay? As much as you can. You don't show it to anyone ever. If people ask what you're hiding you say it's a scar. Don't tell anyone," Matsukawa kneels down and tapes a piece of gauze over the mark. Hajime knows it won't be enough. The Academy will not let go of someone they think belongs to them. If they get word that he's been returned to his family they'll come for him again.
"The satellite phone got a call while you guys were gone," Kindaichi says, interrupting Hajime's train of thought. "It was Specs, he said that they're sending the extraction for us but... we'll be late if we don't head out."
"Okay, okay... we'll go," Hajime sighs. "Someone will need to carry Tobio, there's too much out there that can cut his feet. Kunimi you take him." Kunimi and Tobio both look unsure about the idea but Kunimi obliges anyway, lifting Tobio up like he's never seen a child before.
"Let me walk Iwa-chan," Tooru says quietly. Hajime ignores him.
"Kyotani," he keeps his voice stern, making sure that Kyotani looks up to meet his eyes before continuing. "You're going to walk to the extraction. I know you've been through some shit the last few weeks but I need you to keep it together for a bit longer. Do you understand me?" Kyotani bares his teeth but he doesn't argue. So Hajime takes that as an agreement. It doesn't take long for the rest of them to pick up their belongings again. Hajime takes one more look around the ruined church and then they're on their way to the extraction point, outside of the city limits.
Hajime ignores the exhaustion in his body, ignores the pain in his arms as he holds Tooru up. He knows that Tooru would insist on walking though if Hajime tried to hand him off to someone else. Tooru always pushes himself too far. His leg is clearly in bad shape so Hajime knows he has to keep carrying him. Has to hide his own pain, his emotions. It won't be much longer. He can stay strong until they're back in Japan.
He nearly breaks when he sees Coach rushing towards them from the helicopter where it waits. He has to drop to his knees and press his face to Tooru's hair to keep the tears from falling. Coach looks the same as he did when they left, with bleached blonde hair and silver earrings. It reminds Hajime how short of a time they've been gone. How they left Japan barely a month ago.
"Get the others loaded first," Tooru says when Coach tries to help them back up. He looks unsure but Hajime nods so he goes to the others. Hajime watches as Kunimi and Kindaichi climb into the helicopter with the kid, Yahaba helps Kyotani in next since his hands are still tied. Hanamaki gives Matsukawa's arm a squeeze before he climbs in. Matsukawa takes a few deep breaths and blinks hard a few times before he gets into the helicopter himself. Coach comes back to kneel in front of Hajime and Tooru once he's sure they're all secure.
"Are you two okay?" He asks, his worried eyes scanning them both over.
"King's knee is bad, he can't walk anymore."
"I'm fine. I can walk to the helicopter," Tooru argues and tries to get up but Hajime holds onto him.
"He's not walking," Hajime doesn't know what he'll do once he doesn't have Tooru in his arms.
"I'll take him Hajime," Coach's voice is stern but kind. Hajime knows that he'll take care of them. He's always looked out for them since they were young kids. He was barely an adult then, like an older brother to them all. Hajime knows he'll protect them. It doesn't make it any easier as Coach takes Tooru from him. He stays kneeling in that spot, feeling the heat of the sand through the fabric of his pants. It reminds him too much of the heat from Watari's fever. Hajime takes a ragged breath and pushes himself to his feet as Coach returns to him.
"Are they okay?" Hajime asks.
"They're going to be alright... the others?" Coach is clearly hesitant to ask. Hajime shakes his head, struggling to take normal breaths. "It's over now Hajime. You guys should have never been sent out here... I'm sorry I couldn't get you sooner." Coach pulls him into a tight hug and the last of Hajime's strength leaves him. He clings to him tightly as a sob rips its way out of his throat. They're safe now, they're going home. Hajime doesn't know if he'll ever feel normal again. He cries until he feels raw inside and out. He barely notices as Coach brings him onto the helicopter. Someone else buckles him into his seat but he doesn't have any energy left to open his eyes and see. A small hand slips into his as the helicopter takes off, Hajime gives the kid's hand a gentle squeeze. Tooru leans into his other side, head resting on his shoulder.
Everyone sleeps on the helicopter. Hajime barely notices anything when Coach wakes them up sometime later to transfer to the plane that will take them back to Japan. Normally Hajime would keep an eye on them all as they moved between the two, making sure everyone got on before he did himself. He's too tired though, he barely makes it to a seat without falling. He wonders briefly if someone carried the barefoot kid before he's falling asleep again.
When he wakes up again he is screaming, the dream already forgotten but his fear still strong. He's laying on a bed in a dark room, he thrashes against the hands that pin him down to the bed. Someone is speaking but they sound so far away. The bed beneath him shifts under the weight of another body.
"Iwa-chan!" Tooru yells, giving him a shake. Just like that the fog in Hajime's mind leaves. He takes a few shaking breaths and reaches up to put his hands on Tooru's arms.
"Tooru."
"That's right. Hang on," Tooru leans forward and a light clicks on. Hajime looks around, he recognizes the room. All the rooms in the medical wing look exactly alike. They're home, back at the headquarters.
"We're home," he breathes. Tooru nods and moves from his kneeling position to sit on the side of the bed.
"Yeah... I don't know when we got here, I just woke up in the other bed," Tooru waves at the other side of the room where a second bed has been set up.
"The others?" Hajime forces himself to sit up and tries to take stock of things. His whole body hurts, sore from days of bad sleep and constant movement. He's dressed in their train sweats but Tooru has on a hospital gown, one leg wrapped in bandages from shin to thigh.
"I'm not sure... I heard you yell so I jumped up," Tooru shrugs. Hajime reaches out and slips his hand into Tooru's, he needs to touch him, to make sure that they're both really alive.
"I'm sorry I woke you," he knows he doesn't need to apologize but he's not sure what else to say. It's not the first nightmare he's had, it won't be the last. Tooru waves him off then shoves Hajime over so there's room for them to lay together. Hajime ignores his protecting muscles to wrap his arm around Tooru's shoulders and pull him against his chest. They lay there silently for a while, probably both afraid of the horrors that wait for them in their dreams.
"The doctors will want to check the kid for injuries... The board might decide not to let him go home," Tooru whispers. Hajime runs his fingers through Tooru's hair, knocking some sand loose. He wonders if they'll ever get all the sand out.
"If he listens to what I said and objects to the exam then they won't find it."
"He's just a kid, he might not understand what it means."
"We were his age once," they had a home then, Hajime's mom took care of them.
"We chose to run away and live on the streets at his age."
"They would have separated us if we hadn't," It's a weak excuse and they're both old enough now to know that. They could have found ways to see each other again. Picked the same schools. Maybe they could have even been placed together as brothers. But they'd just been children. They hadn't thought about the consequences of their choices back then.
"I won't let them keep him," Tooru says, his fingers clenching tightly in the fabric of Hajime's sweater. "If he has a family out there then he deserves to be with them."
"I'll help too. Coach has him for now, we just have to hope that he'll protect him from the board." They have to hope that Coach will protect them from the board as well. They barely completed any of the tasks of their mission, they lost four, no five, of their members. They'll be in trouble for sure.
Neither of them goes back to sleep, they lay together on the bed. Sometimes sharing short words but mostly silent as the night seems to stretch on forever. They are still awake when the fake windows start to shift from night to day and a nurse comes to the room with Specs on her heels.
"Oikawa-kun! Iwaizumi-kun!" Specs cries out, his voice caught somewhere between relief and scolding. Hajime detangles himself from Tooru and forces himself to sit up. Tooru mumbles a complaint into the pillow his head has fallen onto but doesn't move.
"Do we need to give a report?" Hajime asks, swinging his legs off the bed. He needs to get up and try to stretch out some of the stiffness, he hopes he has time for at least a quick shower before he needs to go make the report.
"No no!" Specs says quickly, hurrying over to put his hands on Hajime's shoulders and keeping him on the bed. "Don't get up, you should rest more. Don't worry about the report, okay? You guys just focus on getting better."
"Is that... Is the board really okay with waiting?" Hajime doubts that the board has never really cared much for any of them beyond how well they perform in the field. It's completely out of character for them to be lenient, especially after a mission has gone so terribly wrong. Specs has a pretty smug look on his face as he adjusts his glasses.
"Actually, there's been some management changes while you guys were away. The board members have all passed on their positions. Kei-" He clears his throat for a moment. "Coach will talk to you about it more later on."
"So, the board is gone?" Tooru props himself up on his elbows, his curls sticking up wildly. Hajime wonders briefly how he managed to mess it up so much when they hadn't even been sleeping but then he realizes that he'd been playing with Tooru's hair almost the whole time they'd been lying there. He has to keep the smile off his face so Tooru doesn't realize what's happened.
"There's still a board but with new members. You kids should have never been sent into that situation and a lot of us around here felt that it was wrong. There's going to be a lot of changes, the biggest though is that you kids will no longer be going into the field."
"What?" Hajime stands up, a sudden burst of energy surging through him.
"I know that this isn't going to be easy. You're all teenagers now, so you will of course have a say in what's going to happen to you all moving forward. I know that the others look to you two for direction so I wanted to give you a heads up before we meet with everyone later," Specs directs Hajime back onto the bed and he latches his hand onto Tooru's just for something to do.
"We're not... there are no more missions?" Tooru sits up properly and rests his head on Hajime's shoulder.
"No more missions," Specs confirms. Hajime and Tooru sit quietly for a moment taking in the words. No more missions, a choice of what happens to them next. Their teammates will have questions, they won't know what to do. None of them will know what to do.
"So if we aren't working for Fukurodani... Then what will happen to us?" Hajime asks. None of them are normal. They wouldn't know what to do without trying to survive or doing the work they've been trained for. Where would they live?
"Fukurodani will take care of all of you still. You'll be provided for whatever you choose to do from now on." It's all a lot to take in and Hajime has so many questions to ask but he's not even sure where to begin.
"What about the kid?" Tooru asks. "Tobio, the boy we brought back with us." Hajime had almost forgotten about him.
"Oh, don't worry about Tobio-chan. He's in the room down the hall. We have been able to identify him, so the board is trying to find the best way to proceed with him."
"Does he have a family?" Hajime asks.
"Oh well," Specs rubs the back of his neck and sighs. "He has a grandfather in Miyagi, but his parents and his sister have been missing for three years, same as Tobio-chan." Hajime can't help but frown at that. With the academy's involvement, there's really no way to tell what had happened to his family. It was likely that his parents were probably dead, and his sister was probably sold like he was.
"Was the kid... injured at all?" Hajime asks, testing the water. Do they know about the brand on him?
"He wouldn't let anyone examine him after he got here so all we've got is the brief examination Matsukawa gave him. I think it's pretty common for him to not trust adults. He's been asking for you Tooru, but we wanted to let you all rest as much as you need first."
"I want to see him," Tooru starts to get up, clearly still having no regard for his injury. Hajime has to wrap his arms around his waist to keep him from getting up.
"You need a wheelchair before you go anywhere," Hajime scolds. Tooru looks annoyed but he doesn't protest as Spec's scurries out of the room to go find one for him. They both have to stifle their laughter as the older man nearly trips on his way out of the room. It's hard to believe that the scrawny-looking man used to be a rather well-rounded agent. There had been rumors that he'd specialized in poisons but since Fukurodani brought in the first batch of children he's been more of a parent than an agent.
"He was gonna call Coach Keishin," Tooru snickers.
"Hanamaki owes me twenty bucks, they're totally banging," Hajime gets up from the bed and goes to the bathroom. There are two amenity kits placed in there and he grabs a comb from one before going back to the bed. "Come here let me fix your hair."
"My hair?" Tooru reaches up and runs his fingers through his own hair then glares at Hajime. "Keep your dumb hands out of my hair you jerk."
"You weren't complaining earlier," Hajime says as Tooru snatches the comb from him. He slides to the edge of the bed and holds his arms out to Hajime.
"Shut up and bring me to the bathroom. I need to do damage control," Tooru orders. Hajime huffs a laugh as he lifts Tooru up and brings him to the bathroom. He sets him on the counter and watches as he digs through the amenity bags with disdain. "We're going back to our dorm tonight, I need to take a shower and they're not going to provide us with any of the right products."
"I'll get your shower bag from the dorm. You know they're not going to let you out of here until they're sure your leg is healed."
"That's going to take an eternity," He whines. Hajime rolls his eyes and leans against the doorframe, watching as Tooru attempts to get his hair back in order.
"What are you thinking?" Hajime asks him. Tooru doesn't need him to give more details. There's only one thing on both their minds.
"I don't know. We said that we wanted normal lives, didn't we?"
"Yeah but... I'm not even really sure what that means. Do we go to school and do homework and stuff?"
"We could join a sports team," Tooru says playfully, he turns his head from side to side to examine it and seems to be satisfied. He holds out his arms to Hajime again.
"You're too competitive, you'd probably murder any rivals you came across," Hajime steps up and leans his hands on the counter on either side of Tooru instead of lifting him back up. Tooru smiles wickedly and drapes his arms around Hajime's neck.
"Would you help me hide the body?"
"You're terrible," He says with a shake of his head.
"Do you hate me?" Tooru's voice is oddly vulnerable as he meets Hajime's gaze.
"Nah, you're stuck with me as much as I'm stuck with you," Hajime grabs onto Tooru's thighs and lifts him up, making Tooru yelp as he scrambles for proper hold on Hajime's shoulders. He laughs as he heads back out into the room and deposits Tooru into the wheelchair that Spec's has brought in.
They check on Tobio first, the boy seems eager to see them but he's more withdrawn now. He keeps his distance from all of them as they chat. He asks a couple of times when he's going to be able to see his family and neither of them is sure what to tell him. The kid has surely been through a lot in the time he spent as a captive and to tell him that there's only his grandfather remaining would probably just crush what's left of his spirit. He already seems to get sullener each time his question goes unanswered.
The rest of their teammates are their next stop. They check in on Matsukawa and Hanamaki to make sure they're resting in their room. They've all been burnt by the harsh sun but like Hajime, the two of them managed to escape with just minor injuries and dehydration. Kunimi and Kindaichi are in the next room over. Kindaichi's shoulder had been dislocated at some point during the mission and while he had gotten it back into place it was still causing him some pain and apparently Kunimi had been walking around with an injured ankle. He's pretty out of it on painkillers so they aren't able to find out the extent of it. Hajime's surprised that he'd never complained at all. Never mentioned the pain he was in. He regrets making him carry Tobio in the end then. If he'd known he would have asked one of the others to do it.
Kyotani isn't able to have visitors. He'd managed to make it onto the plane without another freak out but the second they touched down in Japan he snapped again. Attacking everyone who tried to get close to him. Yahaba had managed to get through though, he'd gotten Kyotani onto the stretcher that had been brought and restrained him until they were able to sedate him. He's been restrained in a room ever since. Refusing to let anyone treat his injuries or bring him food. Yahaba has been trying to help but with three broken ribs he's been mostly confined to his bed.
None of the others have been told about the choices they'll need to make soon. There's time before it needs to be decided and it's better to let them focus on recovering first. Hajime is still feeling restless even after they've met with everyone, he wants to move, wants to do something to keep his thoughts from running wild. He suspects that Tooru can tell that he's struggling. When they're on their way back to the room he spots Kuroo walking down a hall and calls out to him. Hajime doesn't really pay attention while they chat until he hears Kuroo saying that he'll go find all the others for them. Tooru orders Hajime to take him to the dining hall and since it beats sitting around their room he obeys.
It doesn't take long for the rest of the original kids to meet them there. They've all been pulled from their missions and now they're just waiting for what comes next. Hajime sits in a chair next to Tooru's wheelchair and listens absently as they all discuss their choices.
"What about you Iwa?" Atsumu leans forward in his chair his head tilts slightly.
"What about me?" Hajime tries to catch up with the conversation but realizes that he's been more out of it than he'd thought.
"Me and Samu are going to go to middle school. Kitsune's grandma lives in the Hyogo prefecture and he said that we could go live with her. We get to go to the same middle school that Kitsune went to," Atsumu leans back again, tipping his chair up on the back legs. Hajime barely has time to open his mouth and warn him before Osamu's foot comes up and hits one of the legs, sending him toppling to the floor. Kuroo laughs so violently that he nearly falls out of his own chair and Bokuto has to grab his shirt to save him. Osamu looks away with a bored look on his face.
"Are you okay?" The voice makes them all jump, and they turn quickly to see The Voice standing behind Bokuto's chair. His face as void of emotion as it's always. The Voice has always freaked Hajime out a bit. There's just something about him that doesn't seem right. As far as any of them can tell The Voice has always lived at headquarters. He isn't an agent like the rest of them though, he carried messages to them from the board from time to time and was often in charge of bringing them their schedules and assignments. His face always remained impassive and soft. He moved silently and often seemed to jump pop up in places where he hadn't been before. Bokuto's the only one who isn't phased by him, he spins around in his chair and flashes a wide grin at the mysterious boy.
"Agashi!" he cheers, The voice does not have a name like the rest of them. He's always just been The Voice, but during their, training Bokuto had declared that to be too boring and had decided that he should be named after an owl, like Bokuto was. The Voice had chosen the name Akaashi, not that Bokuto could ever seem to pronounce it correctly.
"What are you going to do now?" Hajime asks, glad to have the attention off himself. He doesn't want to voice his own opinion on this, he'll go where Tooru goes. It was his choice to run away after his mother's death, it was his choices that led to them getting recruited by Fukurodani. He would let Tooru make the decision now. The Voice meets his gaze with steely grey eyes and Hajime regrets speaking, The Voice is the youngest of them all but there's just such a strong sense of wrongness about him.
"I will continue the same as I always have," He replies. Bokuto puffs his lips out in a pout and leans on the back of his chair.
"Akaaaashi don't you wanna go to school? We could go to school together! And we can play games!" Bokuto's chair wobbles and The Voice places a hand on it to keep it steady.
"I will be remaining here, to continue my training," He says, there's a glint of something in his eyes as he speaks. Something like fondness maybe as he regards the energetic boy in front of him. Bokuto has always seemed to be the only one not affected by The Voice's strangeness.
"You haven't been given the choice," Tooru says. Hajime realizes that it's probably true. The Voice has never been one of them. He was born to Fukurodani for a purpose none of them are aware of, Hajime doubts that even The Voice knows fully what he's really there for. But he won't be allowed to leave as easily as the rest of them. He's not as easily replaceable as they are.
"There is no choice for me to make," The Voice confirms.
"Then I'm staying too," Bokuto declares loudly. They all look a bit surprised at that, Bokuto was always talking about what it would be like to go to school or play outside like a normal kid. He spoke fondly of his childhood when he brought it up.
"You don't need to stay on my account Bokuto-san," The Voice says, but it's clearly already a lost cause. Once Bokuto puts his mind to it there's no stopping him.
"I um... I think I want to leave," Kuroo admits, pulling one foot up onto his chair so he can fiddle with the lace of his boot. "I'd be starting as a high school first year so... well it could be fun you know? I want to make friends and stuff."
"Hmm so that's three going and one staying," Tooru says thoughtfully, he stretches out his good leg and looks in Hajime's direction. Hajime meets his gaze for a moment and he can see as Tooru understands what he wants.
"What about Makki and Matssun?" Osamu asks, scooting his chair slightly away from his twin brother in order to avoid any retaliation.
"They're resting still," Hajime shrugs. "We'll tell them later when we tell the rest of the team. Odds are they'll just copy whatever me and Tooru decide on anyway."
"I think we should go," Tooru says quietly. Everyone turns to him in surprise.
"You do?"
"We only have what two years left til we're eighteen? I enjoyed school when we were kids, and I don't mind learning so much. I think it could be fun, to have at least two years of normalcy," His fingers clench at the bottom of his shirt and Hajime wonders what he's really thinking.
"Okay, two years of high school it is then."
They give it two more days before they gather up the remainder of the castle and give them the news. Like they'd suspected Hanamaki and Matsukawa both want to stick with Tooru and Hajime. Kyotani and Kunimi agree to leave as well. Kyotani isn't given a choice, even three days later he is still hostile towards anyone and everyone that approaches him. He'd managed to escape his bindings in the night and had ended up with a broken wrist because of it. It was a surprise to all of them when Yahaba said that he would stay as well. He'd never been particularly fond of their work. Hajime suspects that Kyotani might have something to do with it. He'd been the one to find Kyotani last night and had managed to sedate him so that his wrist could be treated.
Once everyone has declared their intentions things start moving forward quickly. There are agents stationed all around Japan and since all of them are still minors they'll need to be supervised. The twins are sent to Hyogo to live with Kitsune's grandmother, she'd once been an agent herself but had long since retired. Kitsune would be stationed back in that area as well in order to keep track of them. They would have four years before they could return to Fukurodani, if they made the choice to.
It's decided that Kuroo will be the only one remaining in Tokyo, he's placed with the current head of the cat's team. Though worried about the influx of too many transfer students at once The Castle refuses to be separated. They've been through too much together to even remember how to survive without each other. When the board makes the decision that Tobio is to be sent to live with his grandfather, Tooru declares that the castle will move to Miyagi as well in order to keep an eye on him. They are no longer allowed to go on real missions but the board decides to grant them this. Specs is assigned to care for them. He takes a teaching job in the area and to no one's surprise Coach decides to station himself up there as well. So as to not cause too much suspicion Kunimi and Kindaichi will live with Coach in the house attached to a small store and Hanamaki and Matsukawa will live with Specs. Tooru and Hajime are given their own home near the school but they have to report to either of their guardians on a regular basis.
The first night in their new home is weird. Though they each have their own bedrooms for the first time in their lives Hajime still finds himself slipping into Tooru's bed so they can lay together. The school year has already started by the time they settle in so they have to stagger their arrival at the high school. Hajime goes first and Tooru follows on the day after. Hanamaki gets four extra days and Matsukawa gets six.
It takes only a week for something to go wrong. Hajime sleeps restlessly each night, plagued by nightmares that follow him even when he wakes up. Neither he nor Tooru ever gets a good night's sleep. When Hajime wakes one night with his knife in one hand and Tooru's throat in the other he knows that they have to make a change. He begins to sleep in his own bed each night and though it feels wrong after so many years of being together he knows that it's for the best. He's too jumpy, too easily startled. He knows he shouldn't have easy access to his weapons when he's in those moods but he can't bring himself to sleep without a way to protect himself nearby.
He almost gives in a few times, almost lets himself slip back into Tooru's bed, back into old habits. But he knows that it's better this way. The bags fade away from under Tooru's eyes and he makes friends and admirers easily at school. Hajime was never good at that kind of stuff. He lets himself slip into Tooru's shadow, lets his classmates think of him as sullen and mean.
Hajime pretends not to notice as they touch less and less, pretends not to notice the silence that fills their apartment when they're alone. He pretends that he's fine, that he's sleeping at night. He learns to stifle his screams in his pillow so Tooru doesn't have to bolt into his room to comfort him each night. If anyone else notices the difference they don't mention it either.
All of them are suffering. The crowns tattooed on their ankles have a new meaning, the five jewels at the points become people lost. Teammates left behind in the desert. Shinji, Kaneo, Motomu, Heisuke, and Hirano. Hajime sees their faces in his dreams, sees their deaths. He doesn't realize how much of himself that he's lost, doesn't realize how hard he's worked to push people away. He sees the hurt look in Tooru's eyes every time he calls him 'Oikawa' and still he can't bring himself to change.
There are some days when he lies in his bed unable to sleep that he wonders if things will ever be right again. If Matsukawa's easy smile will come back, if Kunimi's limp will go away, if Kyotani will be released from the hospital, if Tooru will stop feeling pain every time he jumps or runs. He wonders if he'll ever stop feeling broken like he's a piece of glass with a crack just waiting to shatter in a thousand pieces. He wonders if he'll ever be able to sleep through the night. Somehow, he doubts it.