As Kageyama trudged home alone, his mind reeled like a clock uncontrollably working backwards, a huge weight around his neck. What the fuck happened during the earthquake? 

Kageyama scanned his memory for what Hinata had said… but – he hardly said anything. Now that Kageyama tried to remember he realised –

No wait.

He’d said something about spending the weekend with Benjiro. Had he? Or had he –

Kageyama’s stomach churned.

Spent the weekend with Oikawa???

No. No way. It was impossible. Why would they? They’d probably bumped  into each other around the time of the earthquake but something,  something, must’ve happened, to have led Hinata to ask Oikawa to teach  him how to serve and for that bastard to agree –

It’s a ploy. It has to be. He’s probably teaching Hinata how to  serve badly to sabotage Karasuno… But… that’s not it because his serves  have become insane in such a short space of time… So he is teaching  Hinata properly but why? To get Hinata to trust him? To manipulate his  playing style and make him worse in the long run? Is he trying to turn  Hinata against me? To try and make Hinata leave Karasuno to go to Aoba Johsai? No. He would have to cycle even further to get there –

Kageyama walked, his mind a hotpot of theories, each one wilder than the one before.

And then.

Suddenly.

It came to him.

Cold light illuminated a darkened room –

As sure and certain as every sunrise he felt it –

It’s… me.

It’s because of me.

Oikawa is teaching Hinata… to spite me …

A vine, as thick and coarse as a tree, seemed to expand rapidly,  ripping through Kageyama’s body, growing from his stomach, shooting out  of his mouth and wrapping its treacherous tentacles around Kageyama’s throat. So full-bodied, so full-bloodied was Kageyama’s envy in that  moment he would’ve killed something if it was in front of him.

This has nothing to do with Hinata… Oikawa is purely doing this… to antagonise me even more…

And more than that…

All those theories he’d come up with, as wild and wacky and weird as  they were, every single one of them… was possible. Kageyama would not  put it past Oikawa, to utilise every shred of manipulation that he could  in this situation. To affect Hinata’s playing style, to sabotage  Karasuno… to take him to Aoba Johsai… to turn Hinata against me –

Kageyama felt an arrow lodge itself into his chest.

To lose Hinata…

Kageyama stopped. His head was light and he felt nauseous. He took a  deep breath in. And then out. Kageyama gripped his fists so tight he  felt his blood struggle against his fingertips.

There had to be a way.

He had to find a way.

To stop this.

Wednesday. Neither Kageyama or Hinata spoke to each other during  practice. The team noticed. Karasuno figured they’d fought. Then again,  they were always fighting. Every strong serve Hinata did was like a  slash to Kageyama’s neck. Despite both of them being off with their quick attacks the coach cut them some slack; they obviously needed to  work whatever it was out, as usual. And then as usual everything would  be fine.

After practice when Hinata was walking with Tanaka and Nishinoya to get his bike, Kageyama caught up.

‘Oi.’

Tanaka and Nishinoya, scampered, leaving the two goofballs to resolve their feud. Hinata looked at Kageyama expectantly.

‘I’ll teach you how to serve.’

Hinata felt his blood begin to simmer.

‘I asked you to before and you called me an idiot and said I should  focus on my spiking before I start serving. “Don’t run before you can crawl”, something like that,’ Hinata fumed.

‘Yeah well that was a while ago and you’re better at spikes now!’ Kageyama raised his voice.

‘I’d rather learn from someone stronger.’

Kageyama’s eyes grew wide; Hinata’s words had punched all the air out of his stomach. So cutting was the comment that Kageyama’s mind drew a  blank. Not a single comeback came to mind. And the biggest problem was, what the spiker had said was true.

‘He may be a better setter than me but… I’ll still defeat him. And so will you. You don’t need Oikawa.’

A sad smile crossed Hinata’s face. ‘How do you know what I need?’

He hadn’t said it harshly. Maybe that was why it crushed Kageyama even more. Hinata turned and proceeded to walk away.

Despair pricked Kageyama’s skin like needles.

‘I – I don’t! So what do you need? Tell me!’

Hinata stopped and closed his eyes. He could hear the desperation in the setter’s voice; in his mind’s eye he could see the wild, angry look on Kageyama’s face, that scowl he knew so well. A month ago he would’ve  loved to have heard these words from the setter. Hinata couldn’t  remember when but at some point he’d started to consider Kageyama as one  of the closest people to him… Despite their bickering he felt at ease  with Kageyama, not to mention the setter was the reason Hinata could  play volleyball as well as he could right now. On the deepest level, of  his deepest love for volleyball, Kageyama understood that. But… Kageyama  was always insulting him, never showed any positive feeling toward him  and any concern was masked in a shroud of verbal abuse. The King was  disrespectful and conceited and unyielding. Kageyama never regarded anything Hinata said above his own royal verdict.

Until now.

And even now, Hinata thought, he’s only like this because it’s Oikawa-san.

Hinata turned to those blueberry eyes.

‘What I need, is to get stronger.’

‘And you honestly think Oikawa is going to help you do that without a hidden agenda? Without trying to manipulate you?’

‘I do,’ Hinata replied, with ferocity in his eyes.

‘WAKE UP YOU MORON!! Don’t you get it? He’s only doing this – because of me!’

‘This has nothing to do with you!’

‘He’s trying to use you to get at me! You know this! You know he  refused to teach me how to serve but now he’s teaching you! He’s going  to – to turn you against me -!’

‘You’re doing a pretty good job of that on your own,’ Hinata muttered under his breath.

‘What was that?!’

‘Oikawa isn’t trying to manipulate me, Kageyama -’

‘I’ll tell the team.’

Kageyama had known it. He’d known it from the moment he’d realised: this arrangement had to be a secret. Of course it had to be. There was  no way Karasuno would approve of this match up and as soon as Daichi and  the rest knew it would be shut down. Kageyama had known this. It was his trump card, his big red button, if all else failed. But –

Hinata’s face darkened like nothing Kageyama had seen before: half-angel half-demon stared back at him unblinking, with eyes like slits surrounded by brazen red fire –

‘You think that will stop me?’ Hinata spoke as softly as grass in a minefield. ‘I’ll do whatever it takes to get stronger.’

‘Y-you can get stronger. You will – just – don’t put yourself at risk with Oikawa!’

‘Put myself at risk? Or maybe… you’re scared I’ll be better than you?’

‘What?! No, you dumbass, this isn’t about -’

‘That I’ll surpass you and be stronger than you… because you’re  jealous that Oikawa didn’t teach you but he’s willing to teach me?’

Fuck.

What had happened? Kageyama gaped at the imp Hinata, his mouth open  like a fish out of water, feeling like the sword he’d been holding to  attack had now turned and was pointing at him.

‘Is Oikawa the one trying to manipulate me – or are you?’

Kageyama clenched his jaw, his mind scrambling for a defence he couldn’t find.

That sad smile returned to Hinata’s face. He turned from the setter and slowly walked over to his bike. The moments felt delayed, prolonged, as if Hinata was giving Kageyama a chance to retaliate, a platform for Kageyama to continue his case. But no words came. Without a backwards  glance, Hinata cycled away, leaving behind a devastated Kageyama,  surrounded by the aftermath of a war he’d begun, certain of victory but  only to be left in rubble and ruin.

Thursday. Coach called both of them aside. After having a go at them  and deciding to temporarily separate them during practice, Hinata worked  with Sugawara and Kageyama with everyone else.

Hinata had braced himself: he was prepared, if Kageyama dared to say  anything to the team, Hinata was ready to fight with all his might. But. Kageyama was quieter than usual, he avoided Hinata’s gaze and he looked  down… dejected… and despite their heated argument from last night,  Hinata hated seeing Kageyama this way…

Suga gave both of them a few words of encouragement and couldn’t understand why they both were so deflated. But after practice, Hinata went over to the setter.

‘Hey. Kageyama. Come and set for me.’

Everyone else left. They did a few drills, matching up miles better  than they had done all week. After two hours on top of usual practice,  Hinata lay sprawled on the floor, panting. Kageyama too was sat on the  floor, legs stretched out in front of him.

‘I’m… sorry.’

Hinata had to be hearing things. He lifted his head up. The setter  didn’t meet his gaze but was staring at a spot on the floor. Hinata  brought himself up and lent back on his arms, palms flat on the ground.

‘I just… I don’t trust him. Neither should you. And I’m -’ Kageyama swallowed. ‘Worried. About you. That’s all.’

Kageyama forced himself to look up and meet his spiker’s eyes.  Hinata’s face, as pure and lovely as ever, was free from vanity, pride  or smugness just like Kageyama knew it’d be. Hinata stared back at Kageyama, attentive. The little crow seemed to be calculating something.

‘Do you trust me?’ Hinata asked.

‘Huh?’ Kageyama raised his eyebrows. The question completely threw him off.

‘You said you don’t trust Oikawa-san. But do you trust me? Do you think I’ll betray you?’

‘That’s beside the point! Of course I don’t think you’ll betray me. Not intentionally anyway but if that snake -’

‘Then, Kageyama, you have nothing to worry about. Because how do you  think I’ll betray you? I’m not telling him about you or Karasuno, in  fact we barely talk about those things. So. It’s OK.’

Everything Hinata said Kageyama knew made logical sense but it was just too simple. It was like putting hand cream on someone who had been poisoned. It was not enough to shake off the sense of unease and dread  that had settled in Kageyama since he recognised that knee brace. But why? There was no other way that Hinata could betray him. So why did he still feel so awful? Not only that but no matter how hard Kageyama tried  he couldn’t stave off the niggling, creeping, twisting monster inside of him –

‘What do you talk about, then?’

‘Huh?’

‘When you’re practising… what sort of things do you talk about?’

Hinata blinked. ‘Other stuff.’

‘Like what?’

‘I dunno. Like family or volleyball. You know. Stuff.’

Like family?

‘Kageyama.’ Hinata stood up, resolve on his cute face. ‘I don’t want  you worrying about me or Oikawa-san anymore. Lets just play volleyball  and play it as best as we can together! Trust me. Don’t waste any more  energy thinking about Oikawa-san,’ especially when I, Hinata thought, already think about him way too much as it is.

Oikawa-san. Kageyama’s nails scratched the floor.

If only, Kageyama also got up, if only there was an ‘off’ switch for emotions.

Hinata noticed the sadness in Kageyama’s eyes. It bit at him like a piranha that had latched onto his belly and wouldn’t let go. He wasn’t  expecting the setter to smile but after Hinata’s encouragement the  taller crow looked even more glum.

‘One more round?’ Hinata put forward.

‘Sure.’

Forget about Oikawa.

Such was the brain, the harder you tried not to think about something, the more you thought about it.

Kageyama tossed and turned in bed that night staring at Oikawa’s and  Hinata’s relationship like he would a Rubik’s cube. Was it just the serving? He didn’t doubt Hinata’s intentions for one moment. Of course  the scrub wanted to get stronger he was three years behind. He felt the bile rise in his throat at the thought of them practising together. 

Oikawa. 

Everything Kageyama wasn’t. 

That snake was a sycophant and  people pleaser with a silver tongue. He could charm anyone, talk to  anyone, read anyone while remaining entirely unreadable if he wanted to be. He was socially and emotionally intelligent, sensitive to people and  situations. It was also fucking annoying that he was easy on the eye. And the worst thing? The upperclassman was completely and utterly  self-aware of all of this and could use it all to his advantage.

Kageyama squirmed. He could see it now: Oikawa praising Hinata,  smiling at him, patting his head, standing behind him and lifting his  arms up to demonstrate… Or what if –

In the dark, Kageyama’s eyes snapped open. That niggling monster inside of him was getting bigger and bigger.

What if there’s more?

No facts. No proof. Just pure gut instinct. Kageyama bit down on his tongue so hard he could taste blood.

‘Sorry Hinata,’ he said to the night.

But I’m doing this for you.

Oikawa left practice on Friday feeling like a superstar. This week,  he’d started using his hands again. All the band aids on his fingers  were gone and puffy sellotaped bandages remained, protecting his palms.  It hurt a lot when he spiked and he sure as hell wasn’t doing any serves  yet, but setting using his fingertips was doable.

As he was approaching the school gates to exit, laughing and joking  with Iwaizumi, Kunimi and Matsukawa, Iwaizumi suddenly stopped, a few  steps ahead and said –

‘Hey. Look who it is.’

Oikawa turned his head towards the school gates and instantly that  superstar feeling drained out of him. He was jovial and warm with his  teammates but suddenly his exterior changed: his eyes flashed  dangerously and his mouth pressed into a hard line. A rigidness gripped  his frame that hid the mountain of bubbling anger inside of him.  Oikawa’s lips pulled back into a sneer.

‘Well if it isn’t that little shit.’

A slight breeze chilled the June air and ruffled the hair of all four  Seijoh member’s as they stared at an enemy beyond the gates.

‘Why do you think he’s here?’ Iwaizumi asked.

‘I don’t know and I don’t care -’ Oikawa continued to walk, in front of everyone else but – no sooner as he spoke those words – the pieces suddenly fell together.

He knows.

Oikawa felt his heart turn into a mass of cold, icy spikes.

‘Actually,’ Oikawa turned to his friends, ‘you go on ahead. I’ll deal with this runt.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Positive. He’s obviously here to see me.’

The four of them reached the gates. Iwaizumi gave a look which said, ‘call me if you have any problems’ as he, Kunimi and Matsukawa walked  away, conspiring in hushed tones what it could be about and cautiously looking over their shoulders.

Oikawa stopped, not too close, to his rival. The dislike in each person’s face was mutual.

‘Well,’ Oikawa breathed, his voice low and loaded with threat. ‘Spit it out.’

Karasuno’s number 9 took two steps forward towards Oikawa. The  younger setter’s face was creased with so much hate it almost split in  two. Black-blue dead eyes stared at the older setter.

‘What else is going on?’ Kageyama asked.

Oikawa knew that denying it would be pointless. He bared his teeth.

‘Why would I ever tell you?’ Oikawa replied with so much venom, so quietly that Kageyama almost missed it.

‘Are you just messing with him? Is that all this is? A game to you?’

‘Why would I mess with Hinata?’

Kageyama stared. Hinata. Not chibi-chan. Not the shrimp. But his actual name.

‘What do you want with him!’ Kageyama yelled, eyes raging and one of his hands balled into a fist.

‘You wanna punch me, is that it?’ that slithery voice and menacing  glare beckoned Kageyama. ‘Because I’ll let you. And we can see what the  redhead makes of it afterwards.’

‘Don’t act like you’re the innocent one in all of this. I know you. You’re selfish. Toxic. Fake. And I’ll make Hinata realise that too.’

‘You really came all the way out here, waited outside my school to insult me and accuse me with nothing to back it up?’ Oikawa’s lip curled  into a sneer. His gaze was more penetrating than a knife. ‘I would  pummel you to the ground right now if it weren’t for my hands. Selfish,  toxic and fake? Why that sounds like a certain first year setter I know  who plays for Karasuno. I saw the way you yelled at chibi-chan during  our practice match. Do you really think it’s OK to talk to anyone let  alone a team mate like that? And if you really actually cared about him  this much wouldn’t it make more sense if you showed that to him instead  of being demanding all the time?’

Kageyama bit down on the tip of his tongue, both of his fists clenched now.

‘Do you want to hit me because you know I’m right?’ Oikawa whispered.

‘Just – leave him alone! Stay away from him!’

Oikawa snorted. And then covered his mouth with his hand. Kageyama  stared in disbelief and fury as Oikawa threw his head back and laughed. And kept laughing. The sound was jarring, mocking.

It took everything within Kageyama, every bit of strength he had, not  to punch Oikawa in the face. He turned on his heel and stormed off, Oikawa’s laughter ringing in his ears.

REALLY? Really? Oikawa chuckled to himself.

It took everything within Oikawa, every bit of strength he had, to not tell the despot king –

But he’s coming to me right now.