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Kageyama had tiny wings. Out of their team, Hinata’s were the biggest. Kei’s were on the bigger side, but Kageyama’s were definitely the smallest. He wasn’t even sure whether Kageyama had wings, at least not until nationals. He usually avoided bathing with the team, and if he had to he’d simply roll his shirt up and wash what he could. It was gross.
Their first night at nationals, Kei caught the other first year without a shirt on. He was angled away from the doorway. Kei’s eyes almost bulged out of his head.
On Kageyama’s back sat two tiny, deformed wings. They were no bigger than a hand, even as stretched as they were, and even from where he was standing a few metres away Kei could see how damaged they were. A few downy black feathers had fallen at Kageyama’s feet, mottled from sweat and blood. He’d seen wings in bad shape before, but never as bad as this. Kageyama’s wings looked about ready to fall off.
The feathers on his own wings stood up, and the primal part of his brain screamed.
Protect him.
“King?” he said, breaking the silence. Kageyama jolted, spinning around on the stool. Another feather found itself at his feet.
“T-Tsukishima.”
Kei stepped closer to him, watching as Kageyama tensed up. As harsh as his exterior was, he was still surprised by the way Kageyama saw him. As if he’d take the opportunity to ruin him.
“Turn around. I want to see just how bad they are.”
Kageyama did as he was told, turning around so that Kei could get a closer look. He squatted down. Peering over his glasses, he could see the damage more clearly. It was obvious that Kageyama had been flattening his wings for years; the feathers were squashed and his down was underdeveloped. He couldn’t imagine how much it hurt.
Kei pulled some wing products from his bag, one being a home-made conditioner. You weren’t really meant to share it with anyone but a mate, but he didn’t really have time to go buy some. Besides, they’d been courting for a month already.
“You really fucked these up, huh?” Kei asked, fingers ghosting the curves of the other’s wings.
“I was never taught… how to care for them, I mean,” Kageyama mumbled, fiddling with the necklace Kei had given him. It was only small; a thin chain with a tiny crown and moon, but it was Kei’s first courting gift to him.
“Can I care for them, then?”
Kageyama gulped, a shiver running down his spine. “I guess.”
After shifting to a private room within the bathroom, Kei got to work caring for Kageyama’s wings. First he combed them through. Once he got rid of all of the old feathers, Kageyama’s wings begun to look a little healthier, though they were still very bare.
With Kageyama’s permission, Kei ran his fingers through the feathers on the inner part of his wings. It was a very sensitive spot reserved only for mates or family members. Kageyama groaned at the touch, and Kei wondered how long it had been since Kageyama was cared for like this.
Basics done, Kei moved on to the conditioner. The smell was barely-there, but both of them picked it up as soon as he opened the bottle. It smelt like
Kei
, and Kageyama’s wings stretched out in anticipation. He wanted this. Kei worked the conditioner through Kageyama’s feathers, unable to hide his smile. Kageyama had let him preen his wings. Kageyama had let his wings smell like him. Kageyama had basically agreed to be Kei’s mate.
“Does this mean we’re mates now?” he asked Kei, pulling one of the latter’s hoodies over his head.
“If you want. I mean, I haven’t really finished courting you.”
Kageyama’s fingers found their way to his necklace, and then to Kei’s cheek. “You’ve already proven yourself.” A pause. “Can I touch yours?”
“Of course.”
Kageyama reached around to Kei’s back, hands immediately pressing against warm, pristine wings. Kei stretched them out and allowed Kageyama to feel the downy feathers that were usually pressed against his back.
“Oh…” Kageyama mumbled, fingers curling into the softness. Kei took a step back. He was getting flustered, and that wasn’t a good look on him.
“When we get back to the dorm you can touch them more, alright?”
Kageyama’s eyes lit up.