They were shocked.
After Hinata left the gymnasium, everything got a little darker. No one spoke, surprise overtaking thought. Until the surprise wore off and a new emotion set in.
They were disappointed.
"You should leave Kageyama. Cool off a bit," Daichi whispered, his words still able to read Kageyama from across the gym.
Kageyama slowly nods. He slowly grabs his stuff and slowly makes his way to the door. Everything slow, too slow.
"And don't come back until you realize what you've done and how you need to fix it," Daichi whispered again.
Kageyama could feel the stares of his team weigh down on his back as he slowly nodded.
~~~~
As Kageyama makes his way home he doesn't feel the sunshine on his skin. He doesn't see the cars that drive past him. He doesn't hear the quiet rustling of wind.
He sees, hears, feels only pain.
He hears Hinata's gasp when he hit the floor over and over again. He sees the tears form in Hinata's terrified and confused eyes. He feels unimaginable pain when he remembers Hinata's back as he ran away only leaving tears behind him.
When he enters his house he stops. And slides down to the ground in the entryway, having no energy to walk to his bedroom.
Having no energy to do anything but sit.
Kageyama stared at his open hands in front of him. His hands that could have easily brought Hinata closer. But instead pushed him away. He closed his hands into fists and hit them against his head. All the while muttering.
"What have I done?"
Thunk.
"What have I done?"
Thunk.
Kageyama's hands kept on his head. Kageyama hoped that maybe if he hit himself hard enough, he'd forget today ever happened.
"What have I done?"
Thunk.
Kageyama felt the sobs erupt from him. Tears lightly falling from his eyelashes.
"Have I done?"
Thunk.
"I done?"
Thunk.
"Done, done, donedonedone?"
Thunk, thunk, thunkthunkthunk.
Kageyama's head was pounding. A headache roaring behind his ears, making it so hard to think. His closed fists turned to open handed palms that pressed hard at his forehead.
"Do."
"What should I do?" Kageyama whispered as his his headache grew stronger.
Because he thought and thought about what he should do. But nothing, absolutely nothing came to mind.
Until something did.
Kageyama raced out of his house. His feet pounded on the sidewalk like his brain pounded against his skull.
~~~~
"This was dumb. So dumb. Very dumb. I could still leave," Kageyama whispered over and over again as he got closer to his destination.
Kids looked up at the tall, very moody figure as he walked towards the gym that just got out of practice. Kageyama was very much regretting his actions.
But he knew he had to do this. No matter what awful price he had to pay. He needed help.
Kageyama nervously put his hands in his pockets once he saw his soon to be confidant. He braced himself for endless teasing from the man who had already helped him once.
"As I was saying, dear little cousin of mine-" Oikawa began to say.
"Hey!! Isn't that your friend, cous??" The little boy next to Oikawa said, rudely interrupting Oikawa.
Kageyama shuffled uneasily as Oikawa's gaze landed on him. He lightly bowed as a greeting.
"So it is!!! Hi Tobio~~~~" Oikawa gleefully said, quickly walking over to Kageyama.
"Hello, Oikawa," Kageyama softly responded.
"So~ What does our King need toda..." Oikawa began but quickly trailed off as he got closer to Kageyama.
He was very excited to tease his underclass man's need for help yet again, but this time he could tell Kageyama could do without the teasing.
He had dark rings under his eyes and Oikawa could tell he was doing everything in his power so he didn't fall asleep right there on the spot. His eyes her red, puffy, and wet, as if he had been crying and he wasn't done yet. He was in no mood for jokes and games.
"Hey, buddy?" Oikawa said to his cousin.
"Yeah?"
"Could you walk home without me today?" Oikawa said, lightly ruffling his cousin's hair.
"Sure! Also, don't touch me." The child said before lightly slapping Oikawa's hand away.
"Ah! Ruuuuuude," Oikawa playfully whined.
Oikawa waves off his relative until he was out of sight. He then turned to Kageyama. He put an arm around Kageyama's shoulders, leading him away from the gymnasium.
"Let's go somewhere a little less crowded so we can talk. Okay?"
All Kageyama could do was nod and lean on his understanding... Friend?
~~~~
Oikawa leads Kageyama to a playground nearby that was nearly deserted. Only two kids were around, playing catch in the golden evening. Oikawa and Kageyama sit on the swings in silence, Oikawa trying to find the right words to start the conversation.
"So. What happened?"
"...Where do I start?" Kageyama lightly laughs.
"Wherever you'd like," Oikawa responds.
And Kageyama tells him everything. From the day he spent with Oikawa and Iwaizumi to now. And Oikawa listens, never once interrupting to say something, just listens.
Kageyama starts breaking down when he retells the evening when Hinata whispered "I've moved on". Tears make their way to the collar of Kageyama's shirt. And when he talks about that day, when he talks about Hinata crying on the floor in front of him, his voice breaks and he needs several minutes to recompose himself before he could continue telling his story. His tears kept flowing, and his hands kept rubbing at his eyes.
Oikawa just waited, quietly and respectfully until Kageyama could speak again. And Oikawa kept listening until it was his turn to speak.
"I-I... Think that's all o-of it..." Kageyama whispered once his story was finished.
And Oikawa nodded, showing Kageyama that he was still listening. But he didn't speak right away. He sat and thought. He waited for the right words to come, and they did.
"I think... the solution is simple."
~~~~
"Well I should go. I need to see if my cousin made it home okay," Oikawa said when their talk was over.
He didn't get a response, only silence as Kageyama stared at the ground in deep contemplation. His leg bounced up and down as nerves ran through his body. Oikawa lightly put a hand on Kageyama's shoulder. Kageyama looked up to see a reassuring smile.
"Hey, just know, whatever happens, whatever you choose, I know you'll be fine. I'm on your side no matter what, okay?" Oikawa says, patting Kageyama's shoulder.
Kageyama nods, his leg resting on the earth.
Oikawa smiled and turned to leave.
"Well I'll see you around Kageyama."
"Oikawa!"
"Yes?" Oikawa says as he turned around.
Kageyama had gotten up from the swing and bowed towards Oikawa.
"Thank you very much!"
"You're very welcome. Now make sure you get home safely," Oikawa said waving.
In the time it takes for Oikawa to leave Kageyama's sight, Kageyama decides Oikawa isn't as bad as he thought.
And in the time it takes for Kageyama to get home, Kageyama has decided what's most important to him.
~~~~
Hello. I'm sorry for this late update. 😔😔
But don't worry. The next updates won't take so long! And they're happy chapters!