Archive of Our Own

The forest’s shade gives some relief from the swelter; but even beneath the canopy, the stickiness of summer clings to anything alive or otherwise with ruthless determination.

Sweat beads, trailing down Hinata’s nape into the thin fabric of his collar. The sun should be setting soon, but an evening breeze cuts through the humidity only for a fleeting swell. It tickles at his cheeks, muddling the scents around him before fading back into nothing. 

Twigs snapping and the squish of dirt under his feet fall faint on his ears. What comes louder, what fills the space between each breath and hum, is a tune that slips from his mouth.

“Root, root, peony root~”

A branch pushed out of the way swings back into place after he ducks below it and hops over a rotting log. 

“What kind of flower am I looking for~” 

Hunching forward, Hinata’s eyes flick across the ground in a seemingly futile battle against the day’s time and his own growling stomach.

“A red one, red one, on the forest floor~”

Even after a long day of training and work- even after he lamented about not having eaten yet-  here he is. Traipsing around for something that may not even grow nearby.

It was all because he’d agreed to help. Yachi didn’t like going out into the woods. Especially not so close to dusk. And it was hard to say no when she got those big eyes, all round and watery like she thought just asking was a burden. He couldn’t have her getting hurt. Or being scared. This was fine.

Despite his growling stomach, he’s fine.

Yachi hadn’t made any sense at first-

“Remember, you’re looking for carmine petals and a nine-lobed leaf.”

C-Carmine? Lobb- no, Lobed?

The confusion must’ve been evident across his face. There’d been hardly enough time for him to pull in a breath before Shimizu had extended a book in front of him.

“Red flower, like this.” She explained, pointing at the page so Hinata could do his best to burn the small sketch into his brain. “See, there are nine leaves to a single stem. We need the root.”

Hinata isn’t sure how long he’s been wandering around, circling the village, but he’ll have to head back shortly. His pace quickens, head swinging back and forth as he scans. 

It’s mid-step that something colorful sticks in the corner of his vision and has him turning in the dirt. Back behind a bush, peaking through the leaves is-

Well, he’s not sure exactly what it is.

Creeping slowly, he tips his chin forward and watches for a moment. It doesn’t look red , but it’s close. He still doesn’t know what carmine really looks like… but maybe this would work. Maybe they could use it for a different remedy. At least it’s something. This way, he won’t have to wander back empty handed.

Hinata crouches down in front of the bush, pushing the branches aside for a better look. Paws- His hand jerks away and the branches twack into place. With his jolt, he falls into the dirt and scoots backwards. 

That’s definitely not a flower. 

Definitely an animal- one that probably wouldn’t care for him to be poking around near it- one that probably had teeth. Teeth that would be more than happy to bite and snack on him if he let it.

Shocked-static, he waits. Holds air tightly in his lungs. Doesn’t let even a single twig break under his weight.

But the bush doesn’t move. Nothing growls or hisses or jumps out at him.

The only thing reaching his ears is the gentle, carrying-on of the forest. Evening bird calls and the rustle of leaves overhead. Not a single sound close to dangerous.

Up on his knees, Hinata moves closer and pushes at the leaves once more.

The first thing he catches sight of is that color again- a warm scarlet muddled by the growing shadows around them. Then- white, curling and melting down the limp frame. The paws he’d seen lay with their dusty black toes utterly lifeless. There isn’t a bit of movement from the curl of its tail all the way to its pointed nose settled in the dirt.

He’s never seen a fox so close up. Only from afar, skittering among the trees, evading the chance of being anything more than a background whisper of his thoughts.

But right in front of him- strewn out like a righteous offering- the stillness doesn’t feel right.

Is it sleeping? No- his gaze trails back down and that’s when he notices the shiny-wet red standing out bright against the strands of fur.

No, it’s hurt .

Reaching slowly through the bush, his fingers make contact with the fur along its back. It’s still warm and there’s give to the muscle. Not dead, at least. He leans in a bit more to watch quick breaths. Shallow. Barely lifting its side.

He can’t leave it here- maybe he should- but he can’t. Nothing deserves to slip away like this. Not if he can save it. Well- not him… but Shimizu can- hopefully. If she doesn’t dismiss him immediately and refuse. Despite that being the more likely outcome, he pulls the fox into his arms and lifts it from the ground. 

The first step back is a cautious one. Eyes down, movement stiff, Hinata shifts it in his grasp but sees only the subtle twitch of a leg. After a quick glance around, he sets off toward home. His strides through the trees are hurried and he tucks the animal closer to his chest as soon as he breaks into the village.

Somehow, he makes it back without a glance.

Nudging the door open with his foot and the push of a shoulder, Hinata steps into the light of the house. Yachi is huddled over the table, pencil perched in her hand as though she’d been scribbling away. She gains a smile, standing up and pushing the paper toward the center of the table. 

“Oh- Hinata, did you find-?”

“No, no, I’m sorry, Yachi-san.” Even with the small reach of his tucked arms, he pulls the door to. “I was looking- promise I was- but then I...”

He turns and shrugs a bit as the right words fail to come out. Her gaze drops down his front, eyes going wide before a loud shriek makes him flinch.

“Oh no-!”  She stumbles back, arms waving. “Hinata, no. No, no, no!”

“Shh!” Hinata stepping forward only causes Yachi to shrink more into the corner but her lips pinch. “Calm down, you’re gonna scare it!”

“It’s-” She leans forward just a bit but ultimately scrunches her face and tosses her head about. “What are you doing? It doesn’t look good- why would you-”

“Exactly- That’s why I brought it here.” Looking down, the fox’s body is still slumped over his arms- at least it’s not going rigid- at least it’s not lashing out- “Aren’t you supposed to heal things?”

“People! I’ve agreed to take care of people! I- you shouldn’t have- it’s-”

“What shouldn’t you have done?” Shimizu’s calm voice cuts through the room just as curtains part over the back doorway.

Hinata pivots to show her, fingers pushing into the soft fur a bit more once narrow eyes land on his armful. “Sh-Shimizu- I was out, looking for the plant you guys wanted me to. But then I found this in a bush and it looked real hurt so I- I couldn’t just leave it there.”

“You could have,” Yachi cuts in. “It’s not your place to interrupt nature and it could get you sick-” She rushes back toward the table, wringing her hands in front of her. “It could be diseased!”

“Plants, people, creatures; things die every day-”

“See! ” Yachi pipes louder, only for Shimizu to continue beneath her squeal.

“-But they shouldn’t if they don’t have to. Perhaps it’s not this one’s time yet.”

It’s the first bit of hope Hinata’s felt since he stepped through the door. He’s near beaming as Shimizu steps closer. 

A whine starts up from Yachi as Shimizu hunches down toward his arms and reaches out.

“It’s fine, Hitoka-chan. An illness wouldn’t cause bleeding like this.” Her fingers slide through the fur on the fox’s side, gently parsing the strands apart. “It’s more likely a bite.” She straightens up, blood-stained hand dangling palm-up in the air. Yachi jolts into a hustle, rummaging for a cloth that is promptly dunked in the bucket beneath the table. “Quite a few at that. You can set it on the table.”

Yachi scoots her notes to the side as Hinata lets the fox slide from his arms just as weak and pliant as it had felt being lifted from the ground.

“Is it okay?” 

Taking the damp rag in her hands, Shimizu wipes the blood from her fingers first before setting to dabbing at the fur. “Hard to say at the moment. I’ll do my best but I’m afraid I can’t make any promises. You should-” A loud grumble chose that moment to squirm and leap from Hinata’s stomach. “You should go home. Get some dinner.”

Still, he hesitates. Looking down, there’s blood across his front and smeared down his sleeves. Natsu will surely pester him about it. It’s not like it’s completely unbelievable that he would do something like this but- she’ll probably react like Yachi. Maybe he can stuff his clothes away in his room before anyone sees. Or drape a blanket over him as soon as he walks in the door- as if it isn’t already getting too hot for comfort. He didn’t really think past getting it here. It just didn’t make sense to leave it there to die... Maybe he can just-

“Hinata-”

He jumps at Shimizu’s voice, arms going flat to his sides. “Yes!”

“You can come back tomorrow.”

“Ah- right, yeah.”

Yachi’s finally left her place cowering in the corner to come up beside him and shoo him toward the door. “We’ll do our best.”  

Born to a quiet village lying snug in a river valley, Hinata has come to learn the only sort of excitement comes on the tail end of those that visit. Boats float in and out and on their way down the currents. Some stop for trade or respite. Others are just bits of scenery that bob through water and eventually disappear past the curve of the banks.

The people here, kind and content, spend their lives without a hope of ever seeing over the tops of the mountain peaks. It’s something Hinata can’t understand. Not wanting to see more, find more, be more- what’s the point then? He thinks they’re all too complacent, but then again- he knows they think he’s just as crazy. After all, he’s the one that waltzes around with a sword on his hip most of the time. A sword that he only half knows how to use out of sheer tenacity and just enough stupidity to learn a few tricks but not hurt himself.

Or, not hurt himself that badly. 

He’s crazy because he’s no one. And no one can’t be any more than no one without some sort of divine intervention.

It’s not that he even wants to be someone- he just wants more than this. He wants to be something grand. He wants to be a warrior worth feeling safe behind.

Which is just a child’s dream that he’s taken too far.

His mother tells him it’s something he was born wanting. He doesn’t really think that’s possible, but he knows it’s something he’s wanted since he could remember.

But living here, being born without a right to the path of a swordsman or a master to take him in- it’s a dream that merely sits and sings like a bird with clipped wings.

It’s not like he’s needed, anyway. Times are peaceful now. There’s not much use for a clumsy, barely an adult, too-enthusiastic, ill-trained wannabe in this village let alone the rest of the country.

So he’s been told.

But it hasn’t stopped him yet. 

He does what he can. Learns what he can. Helps who he can. One day it will make a difference. It has to.

Just after the break of morning- when the wind is still cool no matter how insufferable the day becomes once the sun is high- when everything is only beginning to stir and bustle and shake off the dew to spread out into the light- when the air smells crisp and bright ready for whatever may come- this is the time where it all seems most alive.

It’s also the time Hinata enjoys running. Stripped down to the thinnest of fabrics and bare feet smacking against the forest floor, it’s chasing the last whispers of dawn that he’s at home. There’s a freedom to this kind of quiet. The feeling is quite possibly only bested by the weight of a katana nestled in his grip. But the silence there is different- contained in the hyper-focus of his mind. But it resonates here through calm mornings. It sets his mind right for the rest of the day.

Hinata had held a nervous energy under his skin all night. Sleep went poorly. He felt itchy, nagging, like he was forgetting something and it was pulling him to go find it. He thought running would help. It did, for a moment. But after reaching the top of the hill, it comes again- stuck to his back- calling him down to the village.

He tries to ignore it, sits himself in the grass instead, exists in the calm until something snags in the corner of his eye.

Head tipped back, it rolls until he’s staring down the small cluster of red and green tucked against the base of a tree.

Red flower.

He’s on his knees in a moment, shuffling toward it.

Seven- eight- nine- nine leaves?

Maybe he counted right. Maybe not. It’s good enough.

With a firm grip around the base of one of the stems, he twists and pulls with one hand while the other digs into the dirt. Slowly, it emerges from the earth. The roots dangle and tickle at his wrist as he stands.

Only a moment is spared to look down at the curl of petals and leaves before he’s on his feet and taking off down the trail once more.

Bursting through the door, Hinata holds the flower up. “Yachi-san!”

“Oh!” She squeaks back at him, papers falling from her hands and spilling into the floor. “Ah, g-good morning, Hinata.”

“Sorry.” It’s quick. An afterthought. His fist shakes, dirt flying off the roots. “I found it! Right? What you wanted me to find.”

“You-” She squints before her eyes go wide and she hurries to step over the papers. “Yes! Yes, that’s it. Thank you.”

Taking it from him, she steps toward the desk and pulls an empty jar off the shelf. “This probably would’ve been helpful yesterday, but I’m glad you found it now anyways.”

“What’re you gonna use it for?”

“Just here and there. It’s a pretty versatile remedy.” She slips the plant into the jar and slides it back up high. “It can relieve pain- which might’ve been good for the poor little guy.”

“Right… right! Mm, where is it?” Hinata turns, peering around the room to find a small box set up in the corner with a blanket draping out onto the stone.  With a new found sense of quiet, he creeps toward the box. “Is it okay?”

“Should be.” Yachi answers as he looms over the curled up circle of fur.  “Shimizu-senpai stayed up late taking care of the bites. And they’ve healed surprisingly well considering it’s only been a night. She thinks it just needs rest and a little wound care.”

 “It’s okay here by itself?” He turns back but quickly joins her once he sees she’s bent down to pick up the papers scattered across the floor. “You guys don’t stay here overnight, right?”

“No, but it should be okay.” She offers a soft, thank you , when he hands over the collected papers. “And it wouldn’t be good to move it too much. Back and forth, you know- it shouldn’t be bothered. Plus, that risks a trader catching sight and trying to buy it off us for-”

“Yeah, I get it.” Fur. He hates the thought. “Just- what if something happens.”

“If you’re this concerned,” announces Shimizu as she emerges from the back room. “Feel free to care for it in your own home.”

“Well, wait- but I-” Hinata laughs but it brushes right past her.

“Be content with our efforts or take it upon yourself to do better. Those are the only options.”

“I’m not exactly capable of-”

“It’s stable. All there is to do is let it rest and ensure the wounds don’t become infected.” 

“I mean- I don’t know if I-”

“Take this with you.” Shimizu has moved toward the box where it’s sleeping and picks up the small jar beside it. It’s being pushed into his palm before he has the chance to decline. “It’ll keep the bites clean.”

“Think of it as a new pet!” Yachi tries her best to smile but it goes wobbly fast. “One that… probably bites...”

Leaning over the box again, Hinata watches the subtle shift of its breathing, the limp way it lays inside the wood. He breathes in deep and nods. “Alright… I guess I can take over. I found it- it should be my responsibility, right?”

“I would advise keeping it near the door.” Shimizu has gone back to writing something down, not even sparing him a supportive glance. Jar tucked in his pocket, Hinata picks the box up carefully and tries not to jostle the weight too much. “A fast escape once it wakes is better than it lunging at you.”

“I think I can take a small animal-”

“It wouldn’t kill you from a bite alone, but Hitoka-chan was correct in her thinking last night. We don’t know if it has any diseases. Just be mindful.”

“Right.” He nods before looking down into the box. It’s heavy- he’ll have to hurry home. “Mindful.”

It seems every time Hinata comes into his room over the next few days, the fox is unconscious in its little ball. When Hinata sleeps, when he wakes, when he sits and tends to the bites, it’s just- there. A fight with another animal surely wouldn’t take that much out of it? And Shimizu said the wounds hadn’t been that bad. But he’d only seen it moving around the room once when he woke up in the middle of the night. There had been a slight limp to the way it bounced through the dark; but when Hinata mentioned it to Yachi she thought it was most likely just bruised and aching.

He hopes that’s true. 

He wasn’t exactly expecting to be the caretaker of anything at twenty-four. Let alone a wild animal. It belongs back in the forest. But maybe just a few more days… 

He’s only following Shimizu’s advice when he crouches over the pillow and gently slides his fingers through the fur on its leg. The bite marks are far less noticeable, but they still part the strands in a crooked way that makes it clear something happened. With the help of the salve they’d given him, the bleeding stopped days ago. No sign of infection. 

His fingers push higher, slipping along the soft ridge of its back when suddenly the muscle jolts underneath. There isn’t enough time to pull his hand away completely when up comes snapping jaws. The fox only manages to graze the side of his wrist but the prick of teeth is enough to have Hinata falling on ass and hugging his hand to his chest.

“Ouch! ” He scoots back, glaring at the floor between them. It hadn’t even hurt. Just a reflex and something to shout. “I’m just trying to see if you’re still hurt!” Hinata shifts his attention to his hand. It’s not even bleeding- just a small indent where a tooth had scraped against his skin. “It’s not nice to bite people. Especially people that leave you food and let you sleep in their house.”

Hinata looks up then but the anger and shock leaves him the moment he locks gazes with brilliant yellow. Even the night he’d seen it shuffling around, he hadn’t caught sight of it’s eyes. Now, he’s staring straight into their glow. Bronze muddled gold, deep and expansive. Open wide, slit pupils have rounded with a consuming bore into him. Rolled onto its feet, the fox stays crouched on its pillow while its tail swings wide behind it.

This posture- it feels defensive. There’s a quiet clicking that starts up in its throat that seems more like a warning than a threat. 

Hinata relaxes despite the apprehension radiating from the other end of the room. “You’re feeling better?” He asks- like any sort of response will come back to him. He tries for a smile- like this animal is going to know it means he’s not going to hurt it.

Its tail has stilled, at least. The clicking has died down but there’s no break from the intense stare.

Hinata moves slowly onto his knees. Seeing no sign that it’s going to lash out, he gets to his feet.

“I have to go out for a bit, but I’ll be home tonight, okay?” He steps lightly to gather his things. “I guess if you’re gone by then…” He laughs a little nervously as he picks up his sword and fastens it around his waist. “I’m glad you’re okay. And hopefully you’ll stay away from any traps.” He turns around- those eyes are still on him- ears back and fur raised. “Keep away from here, you hear me? Even if you miss my snacks. Take care and I’ll do the same.”

He steps backwards toward the door, sliding it open and leaving a gap once he’s passed through.

Hinata had assumed it would take the first chance to run off once he was out of sight. And yet, when he makes his way back home that evening; he finds the fox no longer tucked into the corner of his room but instead all spread out on his porch, basking in the last bit of sun. 

“You really stuck around, huh?”

He approaches slowly, the bite from this morning still clear in his mind. Blindly rifling through his bag, he pulls a string-tied parcel out. He steps closer and the shift of twigs and leaves beneath his feet make the fox’s ears perk up. It’s awake. Alert. 

“I have something for you.” He begins to untie the string just as its eyes open to peek up at him. “Well, it was for me. But I’ll share if you want. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to eat bread but-” 

Inside the wrap sits a chunk of bread Yachi had given him for lunch. He’d saved the rest for a snack- or apparently- a treat.

Breaking off a piece, he holds his hand out and sneaks forward. When the fox lifts its head, he stops. But there’s no growl or show of teeth, so he takes another step and bends forward. Hand just over the edge of the porch, Hinata keeps it there and waits. There’s a shift of eyes to it first, then the upturn of a snout. Head bobbing to sniff at the air, it’s slow to move but eventually the fox gets to its feet and moves close. Even once it’s hovering over Hinata’s hand, there’s still hesitation before it opens its mouth and takes the bite from his palm.

“Good?” Hinata asks as he wipes his hand across his chest.

Gold eyes stare back at him but if he had to swear on it, there’s something there just beyond the surface- some sort of recognizable delight.

“I’ll bring you more next time.” Hauling himself up onto the porch, Hinata steps around it and toward the open door. “Staying out here?” He’s already lost its interest. Looking over his shoulder, he doesn’t even get the turn of an ear. “Well, come inside whenever you want.”

Hinata isn’t all that surprised when it doesn’t. Or when he peeks out before bed and finds that it’s no longer anywhere to be seen. Or when he doesn’t see a trace of it the next day. Or the next. He knew its presence was fleeting. It stayed long enough to heal and store up energy and off it went. Maybe its absence shouldn’t have left much of an impact on Hinata. He hadn’t been taking care of it for long, but company of any sort had always comforted him.

Still, in the days that followed, things fell back into normalcy. It was just long enough to almost forget he’d helped it in the first place- until a thud wakes him to the dark of his room with a startle. He’s close to shutting his eyes back but then comes a scratching on the doorframe. Sitting up, Hinata stares with bleary eyes as the scraping continues. Blanket tossed aside, he crawls across the floor toward the door.

“Hello?” He tries, leaning closer to it. “What do you want?” 

The scratching only picks up. Another knock against the wood. A quiet round of gekkering that Hinata recognizes with an odd pang of excitement and fondness.

“Oh-” He grips the door and pushes it open to reveal the fox sitting just beyond the screen. “You actually came back.”

It slips through the open space, grazing his knee and makes a line straight toward its pillow. Hinata hadn’t taken the time to wash it yet. Or lay it outside to let the wind pick the fur off of it. Maybe a part of him had still been holding out for it to return. Maybe it was all just  happenstance.

Hinata shuts the door back and crawls after it. “Don’t you have somewhere you should be?” Laying beneath his blanket once more, he props himself up on one elbow and watches the fox circle before settling down. “That’s a no? You’re just hanging around here then?”

Head on its front paws, it stares back at him with the soft glow of its eyes cutting through the dark.   

“Where’d you come from anyway? Don’t you wanna go home? For like- good this time?” He reaches out, arm hovering just above the floor. His fingers stretch but they’re far enough that he can’t brush along it’s chin. “If you stick around too long, people are going to think I’m weird. Talking to an animal like it understands. Sure does look like you do sometimes.”

With that, the fox cranes its head forward to sniff at his hand and give a few licks to the tips of his fingers.

“I guess it’s alright if you stay here.” Drawing his arm back, Hinata tucks it under the blanket. “Just try to come back before sunset, okay? I’m not leaving the door open for you all night.”

When those gleaming eyes are tucked away into the curl of its body and the flop of a tail, Hinata shuts his own and drifts off once more. 

Hinata’s days usually begin with the break of light through the window and the loud call of birds just beyond the walls of his house.

They do not, however, usually begin with being startled by a complete stranger laying right next to him.

As soon as his eyes open, he begins to blink- pulls in a sharp breath- rubs at his eyes- blinks again.

Confusion comes first. Then shock. Muscle-freezing shock.

Dreams often leave him a bit delirious in the morning but this isn’t fantasy induced delirium. This is real and he hasn’t a single clue what to do with what’s in front of him.

In the space where the fox had been day after day is a- person ?

Arms, legs, a head of blond hair that Hinata has definitely never seen before.

It feels like a dream that turns horribly real far too fast. Hinata’s gaze darts around between them. His sword- his sword- his- right-

It’s sitting in its sheath behind the sleeping man on his floor.

Someone who must’ve just wandered in here and passed out. Maybe the ryokan was too expensive. Still… his house is a ways off from the inn. There were plenty of places to stop before this one. Why his house? Why his room? Who would possibly-

The man shifts, scrunching his nose before letting out a startling sneeze.

Hinata kicks at his blanket, scrambling to sit and then back up until he’s pressed against the wall. His back hits the wood and his knees come to his chest 

On the edge of the infringing silence, the man’s eyes open. Dark lashes part around hazy gold that begins to clear once he looks up.

“H-Hello?!” Hinata peeps, pressing himself more into the wall.

At first, Hinata’s only stared at but slowly, the man seems to realize something. He sits up, shoulders rolling and legs stretching out before crossing.

“Oh-” The man says calmly, bringing his hands up to look down at them as they turn over and his fingers wiggle. “Guess I’m back.” 

“Back? Where did you come from? Who are you?”

“Wait-” It comes out muffled as he yawns, mouth opening wide and showing off the shine of his fangs. “Y’mean ya don’t recognize me, Shouyou-kun? I’m almost hurt-”

“How do you know my name?”

“That’s what yer ma calls ya, isn’t it?”

“How do you know my mom!”

The man flinches, and the large, furry ears on his head- he has ears on his head?!- turn back and low against his head. “Yer not usually this loud in the morning.”

“Oh!” How odd- “You-” His hands go up, hovering over his own head and patting at the air where similar ears would be if he had any. His eyes fall when something else slumps across the floor. More pale fur, long and puffy and tapering down to a black tip. A- tail? “And!” He pokes the space between them before snatching his hand back to his chest. “Wah-!”

“It’s not polite to point and stare, y’know.”

Hinata flounders for a second, tongue shifting around without a single word making it out. He follows it with a deep breath and a furious shake of his head. “What’s going on?”

“You saved my life.” Hinata swears his eyes nearly bug out of his head. He what now ? His expression twists again as the man- man?- pulls his tail into his lap and starts brushing over the fur. “An’ I stuck around ‘cause that’s not somethin’ I can just scamper off and forget about it.”

“I- what?”

“Jeez - It’s been a while since I’ve talked like this with a human, but I really don’t remember the last few bein’ this dense.”

“You...” Hinata leans forward, just trying to catch a single thought and follow through with it. “You think I’m dumb?”

“That’s what ya picked up on?” The man looks just as confused as he is. As if it’s totally normal for him to have come in here. “Yeah, maybe I do, then. Look, just take a moment to think about it. I don’t mind waitin’. But take into account what I’ve said and where I was layin’- and y’know-” He points up, a twitch of the ears, down, a swipe of the tail- and-

“You’re the- woah !” All at once, the startling details slam together. His eyes probably can’t go any wider. His hands are moving, pointing still, waving about, clapping together. “How? When? Are you okay? I’m just really- This is-”

With a sour expression, the man’s batting at the air. “Stop fussin’ already. Yeah, congrats, ya figured out the obvious.”

“Having a wild animal turn into a- a- person… is not obvious!”

“Who ya callin’ wild?”

“I found you in the woods! That’s pretty wild. And besides, you never answered when I asked who you are-”

“Atsumu. There. Now back to ya callin’ me wild . First of all- it’s fuckin’ rude. And ya only found me out there ‘cause I was nearly somethin’s dinner.” Sitting back against the wall, Atsumu looks away with a huff. “Call the shits that tried to kill me wild. I’m perfectly-” 

“What was it?” Hinata interjects, “That hurt you. Did you see it?” Hinata’s eyes fall to see if the bites were still there, but with the change from animal to… well, not human- but whatever Atsumu is- apparently came clothes too. Black robes, pooling in the floor around him. Red fabric criss-crossing and wrapped tight around his wrists as he went back to smoothing down the fur of his tail. Hinata couldn’t even see a single bit of his leg beneath the folded shine of gold accents. “What bit you?”

“‘Course I saw it- them - I was just mindin’ my damn business and then I hear someone behind me so I tried to give ‘em the slip. Didn’t realize they had dogs but lucky for me those nasty mutts didn’t know what to do once they caught me.” At that, Atsumu starts shifting the robes to part them around his thigh. “Just roughed me up a bit till I blacked out and-”

Hinata has dropped his gaze to look over the red divots left behind by the punctures. They’ve healed well, all things considered. Just a little bruising and the start of a few scars to be left behind. What’s worse is the way he can’t stop his eyes from catching on the muscle shifting beneath the still healing marks. He shouldn’t be looking at all. Definitely shouldn’t be looking so high up on a strong thigh with such an irrefutable amount of interest.

With a sudden rush of heat to his cheeks, Hinata considers that he’s touched this thigh before. Rubbed medicine along it. All at once- Worse- He realizes this man- animal or not- has eaten from his hand. Sniffed at his face while he slept. Even let Hinata pet between his ears and scratch at his chin on rare instances.

And now he’s staring at a very human looking body. Ogling- if he really thought about it.

But it’s just about the wounds.

It’s just about being concerned.

It’s just-

“Well!” Atsumu announces loud enough to have Hinata’s eyes snapping up. Hinata feels himself start to run hot as he refuses to let his eyes drop again. He’s all but gracious when the robes flutter back over Atsumu’s leg in the bottom of his vision. “That’s about all I remember till I woke up here in some box.”

“R-right.” Hinata starts before clumsily getting to his feet. “Well I, uhm, I have to run to the market and pick up some things for my mom. I- do you-”

“I can’t go out like this-”

“Of course not.” He starts shuffling about, forcing a laugh. “Well, I’ll- I’ll find you something. A hat? But, oh, your tail too- why don’t you-”

“For someone gettin’ so offended when I implied yer not the brightest; ya sure are babbling like an idiot.”

“I’m surprised!” Hinata squeaks as he slides the door open and steps into his sandals just outside the door. “You just stay here and I’ll be back this afternoon. Okay?”

“Hey! I got shit I need to say to ya!”

“Later!” He shouts as he slams the door shut and hops off the porch without a single glance back.

Hinata always knew the path to becoming something great was going to lead him to strange- most likely dangerous- places; but no part of that had ever included a man with ears and a tail and a sharp grin that could probably bite him right in two.

And sure, he’d heard of spirits taking to a human form, but they were just stories to prove a point, offer a warning, guide and teach. That’s all they’d ever been. Stories.

In the first bleary moments after leaving that day, he tried to convince himself it was all just a dream. He’d trip on something, fall over, and fling himself upright in bed only to realize he’d been asleep the whole time.

When he didn’t, he told himself it was just some exhaustion-induced mirage. He’d slept fine, that he could remember. But what other explanation was there? If not a dream, it was a hallucination.

He didn’t say a word to anyone. How could he? They wouldn’t believe him or they’d barge in his home to see for themselves. Neither felt especially right so he stayed quiet.

But sure enough, when he opens the door to his room, there sits the man with a book open in his lap.

In fact- every time he returns home over the next few days, Atsumu’s there. Rummaging through his things. Lounging outside. Munching on something he’d snuck out of the kitchen. No explanation. No reason. Just there. Consistent and seemingly content.

Hinata’s come to question him quite a bit. Some things he refuses to answer, others derail them into a long conversation sometimes stretching far into the dark of the night.

He still has no idea where Atsumu came from or why he’s sticking around but bit by bit Hinata picks up pieces of who he is. What he is. Just how much he’s seen and done.

He notes the small parts of their interactions like which foods seem to draw Atsumu close to his side or looming over his back like a fanged-shadow ready to chomp through everything in its sight. Hinata knows he prefers reading stories over poems. And he doesn’t care for the smell of honeysuckle on the days when Hinata’s traipsed through the forest in search of it by Yachi’s request. And the afternoon sun is his favorite.

Warm but not hot.

Filtered through the trees and scattering across the ground.

The perfect blanket to glimmer through strands of gold and black.

Hinata feels almost bad for disturbing him as he slides his broom across the porch. Duties stop for no one. Not even an age-old spirit with a hot temper and a strict nap schedule.

“Ask me something, Sho-kun,” Atsumu announces from beneath the arm slung over his eyes. On his back, knees up with one crossed over the other, he’s taking up much of the space Hinata is trying to sweep off. “I’m bored and since ya woke me up, yer the one that’s gotta entertain me.”

For a moment, the broom stops. Glancing over his shoulder, Hinata watches Atsumu’s foot sway through the air.

“Well,” He turns back and starts his sweeping again. “Mm, I guess… What’s it like being immortal?”

“That’s the thing ya choose?” A gruff sort of sound leaves Atsumu like a laugh. “I’m far from immortal. Remember how ya found me, dontcha?” 

“But you don’t age, right?”

“I’m not sure if it’s so much don’t as it just ain’t somethin’ we concern ourselves with.”

“You were young once then?”

“Callin’ me old, huh?”

“No!” Hinata spins around, grip wringing the handle of the broom with a squeak. “I- I just meant-”

“If I looked like a kid?” Atsumu’s arm lifts and his eyes shine from beneath the sleeve of his robe. “Yeah, long time ago.”

“How long?”

With a lofty sigh, Atsumu heaves himself up to sit cross-legged. “Didn’t I just make the point a tellin’ ya we don’t really keep track? Look- some time ago, I looked younger. And some time in the future, I’ll probably look old- that’s about all I got for ya. I never really paid attention to history so I can’t know when that’s gonna happen. I’d rather just be what I am now and know that’s what matters.”

“Doesn’t it get lonely living like this?”

Maybe the question was a bit abrupt.

Or too deep.

Not that their conversations had never gone a bit personal. Or that meeting someone so un -human had made Hinata start questioning a lot of things about his own life. The very existence of things outside of it. The tiniest impact any of them have on the greater scale-

But there’s a flash of something startled in Atsumu’s expression before he sneers, scratching at the base of an ear.

“You think I’m just wanderin’ around by myself for hundreds of years?”

Hinata shrugs, taking another swipe across the wood and pushing a stray leaf off the edge. “I guess I don’t know what I meant, really. Just seems like living that long-”

“You got yer kind, I got mine.”

“There’s a lot of them? Your kind?”

“I’m not gonna say a lot but ya don’t write all this shit and paint a buncha pictures outta pure imagination. Don’t give yerself that much credit.”

“Where are they?” It’s quiet after that. Just a click of the tongue. Hinata resumes his idle sweeping but lets his gaze flit up every now and then. “You’ve still never told me where you came from.”

“That’s cause I really shouldn’t be talkin’ about this at all.”

“Why not?” Atsumu’s expression sours further. There comes to be a dip to his ears that pulls them back as he tucks his chin down. “You,” Hinata begins calmly, stepping a bit closer while the broom drags against the wood in rhythmic lines, “think I’d do something to put your family in danger?”

“No.” His voice has dropped, shoulders hunching. “I don’t. But ya never know and there’s just been too many close calls and Kita-san says-”

“Kita-san?”

“Shit! ”

The hiss is loud. It makes Hinata flinch hard enough that the broom falls from his hands just as Atsumu’s palm lands with a smack against his forehead.

“There I go runnin’ my goddamn mouth again-”

“Okay, okay.” Crouching down, Hinata’s hands hover between them. “Calm down Atsumu-san. I won’t ask anything else-”

“You don’t gotta keep callin me that, y’know.” He glances over at the tip of Hinata’s head before sliding his gaze away again. “Atsumu-san. I’m no san. ”

“Sorry! Is there something else- you should’ve said something when I-” Hinata laughs to cover anything else and waves a hand about. “I’ve never really considered how to address a spirit-”

“I will accept Atsumu-sama and no less. That’s respectful.”

Hinata snickers and it gets him a glare in an instant. “Respectful for a divine being that maybe isn’t so-”

“ What? ” Atsumu seethes, straightening up to look down at him. “Say it ya no good, ungrateful, smelly scrub. I’ll have you know-”

“Alright! I’m sorry-” Hinata sputters through another laugh. “Please calm down oh great Atsumu-sama.”

Cheeks flushed, nostrils flared, tail bristled and flicking behind him- Atsumu looks about ready to start yelling- but all at once he deflates. His shoulders sag, sigh leaving his puffed chest with a quiet, “Nevermind. I don’t wanna hear that from you.”

“Huh? Why not? You’re the one that asked for it.”  

“First of all, ” Atsumu snaps, tone shifting right back into its shrill whine. The change is surprisingly relieving. “I don’t ask for things. And second of all, ‘cause I fuckin’ said so. Don’t you have chores yer mommy told ya to finish? I wanna get back to my nap.”

“Right, of course.” Getting to his feet, Hinata brushes at the back of his legs before going back to the broom. There’s a smile pulling at his mouth as he picks it up and starts his way back around the house. “I’ll leave the honorable being to rest.”

It’s a humid, stormy evening when the two find themselves alone in the house. Hinata’s mother and sister had left early in the morning for the next village over. Someone had mentioned to his mother they had caught word of a merchant selling fabrics from the southern coast and that alone had been enough to entice them into going. Hinata knew at the first sight of thick, grey clouds and the smell of rain on the wind that they wouldn’t be able to make it back before nightfall.

It always makes him a bit uneasy when they stay out like this but Atsumu had seemed all too excited to not be confined to the backyard and the walls of Hinata’s room.

Rain is smattering against the roof, the wind whistles against the house when thunder isn’t roaring over it. The soft glow of candlelight is just enough for Hinata to see while cutting slices of peach away from the core. Atsumu’s up on the counter beside him, socked-feet sliding back and forth against the wood. He’s staring in the intent way he always does when it concerns food. Brows up, pupils round, pinching his tongue between sharp fangs in anticipation. 

Passing a slice to Atsumu, Hinata then takes a bite of his own.

Atsumu eats fruit like it’s the only thing he’s tasted in a year, shoving the meat into his mouth and smearing its juice along his face. It’s as amusing as it is odd but it never fails to make Hinata want to laugh. 

“I’ve been thinking.” Hinata starts, stifling his chuckle. “You have like… powers and stuff?”

Swiping his sleeve across his mouth, Atsumu shrugs. “ Eh , and stuff, I guess”

“Then- when you were being chased, why couldn’t you just… like- I dunno- poof away?”

“Poof? ” Atsumu lowers his hands to his lap and pulls a baffled look. “How could I when I had fuckin’ blood thirsty dogs bitin’ at my ankles? We’re real close to me callin’ ya dumb again so watch out.”

“I don’t know.” Hinata frowns down at the fruit, juice sliding over his fingers and breaking into the air with its sweet smell. “Seems like there should have been something-”

“I can’t just turn into this and prance outta the bushes for any of yer kind t’see.” Atsumu chomps through the slice and talks around his harsh chewing. “An’ s’not exactly an easy switch. Takes a good bit a’ my energy. S’fine if I’m in good shape but gettin’ hurt like that makes it kinda tough. Either way, we’re just like anythin’ else. I can get hurt, tired-”

“Hungry.” 

Atsumu’s foot lashes out at the interjection. It knocks into Hinata’s side and kicks a laugh straight from his gut.

“Ya got somethin’ to say about that?” Atsumu tries to land another hit but his ankle is caught by Hinata’s sticky fingers and pushed away. “Yer the one always bringin’ me shit t’eat.”

“Yeah, but you always look so happy when I do so how could I not-” With a chuckle, Hinata glances up, handing over the next slice but his voice sticks on his tongue when he sees the slight roundness to Atsumu’s eyes. It dawns on him fast and with hot embarrassment that his words were probably too casual. Too fond. Overstepping some sort of line between them. They weren’t even friends. They were just- well-

“Er, when you got chased-” Hinata rushes to say, chin tucking down as soon as Atsumu pulls the slice from his fingers. “-you were just wandering around hoping you wouldn’t get caught? Why come here and put yourself in that sort of danger?”

“I get fuckin’ bored. What’s the problem with wanderin’ around? As stupid as yer people are, you can be pretty entertainin’ to watch fumble about.”

“Well yeah but, do you always do it… in the other form.”

“What else am I supposed to do? Gettin’ chased and skinned is nothin’ compared to how people would treat me if I was traipsin’ by like this, yeah?” A rumbly sort of growl gets Hinata to lift his eyes and watch the glare pass over Atsumu’s face. “I can only imagine I’d get locked up and carted around like some sorta freaky pet.”

“You stuck around here until you changed back. I could’ve done that- you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t mean to.” Hand out, Atsumu’s fingers curl in the air until Hinata cuts off a chunk of the peach and hands it over. “I was just as shocked as you were when I woke up.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Well, I wasn’t expectin’ it.” Bite swallowed, Atsumu licks and stripe across his palm, his lips, his teeth and the simple gesture seems to be all it takes for the weird little stinging to rise back into Hinata’s cheeks. “But I’d seen enough of ya to know I didn’t hafta worry aboutcha lockin’ me up. Even if ya tried, I could win in a fight.”

Thankfully, that’s enough to throw Hinata straight into a defiant rebuttal.

“No you couldn’t.” Knife up, he points it straight at Atsumu’s face and jabs at the air. “I’m training to be a warrior just so you’re aware. And I’m getting good.”

“A warrior, huh?” Atsumu bats at the air, shooing away the blade and curling his mouth down. “That’s why yer always carryin’ around that sword-”

“Yeah. A real samurai.”

“That so? You got a master or somethin’ I don’t know about?”

Hunching his shoulders, Hinata ducks down and starts picking at the pit of the peach. “Well...”

“So I could definitely take ya. I’ve had a bit more practice than you.”

“A bit-”

“I ain’t got a master or nothin’, but a couple hundred years of messin’ around at least. Wasn’t even a thing when I first picked up a sword, I can tell ya that- Why do y’wanna be one anyway? Isn’t that somethin’ yer people have to be born into?”

“Says who?”

“I dunno.” Atsumu kicks his foot out again, tapping it into Hinata’s side until he lifts his chin. “People, yeah?”

“People can say whatever they want. Doesn’t matter to me. It’s about the principal and if someone tries to tell me otherwise, I’ll just play dumb till I make it. People don’t try to stop you if they think you’re dumb ‘cause they’d rather watch you mess up and laugh. But then I’ll show ‘em- bam!” The blunt end of the knife hits the counter with a smack beside Atsumu’s thigh, making him flinch against the cabinets. “I’ll be the best they’ve ever seen.”

With a startled swish of his tail, Atsumu slumps back down. “Is actin’ dumb really all that safe when yer life’s the thing yer riskin’?”

“It’s worked out so far.” He shrugs and cuts off another slice. “It got you to trust me apparently which is...”

“Which is what ?”

“It’s not like I’ve never heard stories about- what you are.” His mouth pinches to one side, knife cutting through the soft skin and down to his finger with ease. “They didn’t exactly show things being done out of kindness.”

“You think I’m bad?” 

“I think there’s things you want and then there’s everything else. Maybe not you specifically but-” Popping the chunk in his mouth, he chews around sour-sweet flesh with another passive shrug. “It’s not like I’m trying to insult you. I’ve always kinda had a one track mind when it comes to what I want, so if that’s bad- then I guess I’m bad too.” He looks up then. Atsumu’s glaring at him but it holds a petulant tilt that is far less menacing than it is- don’t- not that- don’t think adorable- it’s not- he’s not-

“Or-!” Hinata blurts almost suddenly from the weird twist of his thoughts. “It means that you really do just want something from me.”

“I don’t want shit from ya.” There’s a small bite to his words but he still reaches out to take the bit of peach from Hinata’s fingers when he holds it between them. “I’d be dead or caged up if it hadn’t been for you. M’just repaying a debt, got that?” His teeth gnash around the fruit, little pieces flying out as he talks through chewing. It’s not cute. It’s not. Stop it. “Live as long as I do and you’ll come to find out debts are worse than enemies- so I try not to have mine outstandin’ for very long.”

Hinata can’t help but tuck his gaze back down. “What about enemies, then?” He’ll convince himself it’s so he doesn’t cut his finger and not because his eyes definitely were trying to get stuck on the little bit of food clinging to Atsumu’s chin. “You got a lot of those?”

“A’course. Not necessarily all a’ them are mine alone, but I gotta stick with my friends, y’know? Afterall, you said it yerself- there’s gotta be a reason for my kind’s ugly reputation.”

 “I never said ugly.” Cutting his eyes up a little, he looks beneath the curl of his fringe and smiles. “But I did kind of assume you’d be more clever-”

“Oi- ” Atsumu grouses low, and leans over to tower above him with some nasty look. “That’s comin’ from the one that I’ve seen almost impale himself on his own sword plenty of times.”

“I’m in training . How long did you say you’ve had to learn how to be all sly and whatever you think you are? Hundreds of years?”

“Training or not; you’re clumsy and delusional if you think you’re gonna get any better like that.”

Atsumu spouts it off quickly, but it creeps deep into Hinata’s chest. It’s a sobering truth that he tries his best to ignore. He knows it’s probably foolish. Especially when he’s basically teaching himself but- it’s what he wants and- his hand clenches around the little bit of fruit left. The juice squishes and runs down his wrist as his lips purse.

“Sho-”

Quiet, tentative and pitying.

Hinata throws on a smile as he tilts his head back.

“It’s fine.” He tosses the knife to the counter and goes to drop the mangled bit of peach in the pail of scraps by the door. Back to Atsumu, he stares at the collection of fish bones and browning peels at his feet while wiping the sticky mess on his hand against his robes. “You’re not the first one to think my dream is stupid.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“What else am I gonna do though? It’s what I want. I’m meant to do it... I think.”

Around them, the storm continues with a dark rumble. Rain pattering against the walls keeps the room from being completely silent, but Atsumu takes a moment to pause before humming through his idea.

“What if I helped ya?”

Hinata turns on his heels, eyes wide at even just the hint of a prospect. “Helped me?”

“With yer training.” Hopping down from the counter, Atsumu licks at his fingers before his arms cross over his chest. “I help ya learn how to actually wield that thing y’excuse for a sword. That way, ya get somethin’ from me and it’ll absolve my debt. I’ll be free t’go without consequence or regret.”

“You’re serious?” 

“Do I not seem fuckin’ serious?”

“You don’t… ever really seem all that serious-”

Atsumu storms closer, curving over him with a shout, “Well I am! So take it or leave it, shorty.”

“I’ll take it!” Hinata pipes back, putting a hand up but keeping it hovering in the air between their chests. “Anything at all- I’d be happy to learn, I promise.”

Rocking back on his heels, Atsumu sighs like he’s already regretting the offer. “Ya don’t gotta promise nothin’. Just no slackin’ off and don’t end up stabbin’ me.”

“I- er...”

A finger jabbing into Hinata’s shoulder has him wincing and pushing at Atsumu’s hand.

“Do not stab me or I’ll kill ya and burn this whole fuckin’ village to the ground.”

“Okay, okay I pr-” That hand rears back again and Hinata rushes through his words while ducking beneath his arm. “I won’t stab you! On purpose-”

Atsumu smacks at the back of his head but Hinata’s laugh rings louder than any clap of thunder.

Hinata hasn’t always been a light sleeper, but it seems ever since Atsumu started hanging around- fox or otherwise- he can’t seem to sleep through sounds like he used to.

Sometimes, just the rustling of fabric is enough to make his eyes peek open.

Other times- take tonight- the slide of the door wakes him fully to darkness and just a sliver of moonlight through the window.

Hinata pushes himself up onto his elbows. Squinting first through his fatigue, he quickly comes to focus on Atsumu’s tall frame already half-way out the door.

“Hey-” Hinata calls, making the other stop mid-step and look back. Gold seems to shine in the doorway, round with a luring sort of gleam as they flick up to Hinata’s face. Hinata can’t seem to look away or stop himself. “Did- you know your eyes glow in the dark?”

Atsumu’s weight shifts a bit further into the room as his head tips. “Huh?”

“Nothing.” Hinata shakes his head. Stupid. Dumb. Weird. “Nevermind- You’re going somewhere?”

“Can’t sleep. Thought I’d stretch my legs a bit.” Just like the crescent moon cutting through the black sky, Atsumu’s grin curls along his face. “What? Ya worried I won’t be here when ya wake up?” His teeth seem to glisten, sharp fangs poking holes in the night as he coos. “Don’t worry, Sho-kun. I haven’t repaid ya yet, have I?”

Hinata lets his head tip, tired gaze growing more skeptical. “Since when are foxes known to keep their promises?”

“Always.” Atsumu starts before dropping his voice low, “If it benefits us as well. But a promise and a debt are very different. You enter promises willingly, yeah?”

As if to suggest this arrangement was anything but a willing one.

It makes Hinata slump down to his pillow once more. That doesn’t sit well with him. He had his assumptions, but hearing Atsumu say it like that. Like it’s the only reason he’s still here-

Even though Hinata knows it’s the only reason he’s still here-

He doesn’t like it.

“You call it a debt-” Pursing his lips to keep from frowning at the ceiling, Hinata stops from looking back at Atsumu. “But if you don’t pay back whatever you think you owe me, I won’t hold anything against you.” He pauses but not even the creak of wood beneath Atsumu’s feet meets him. “So you can go ahead and leave for good… if you want.”

The space between those words and Atsumu’s reply is filled with nothing but the chirp of bugs outside and the calmest draft through the open door.

“It doesn’t work like that.” Atsumu eventually says. He doesn’t sound upset by that fact. If anything, there’s an amused sort of lilt to his tone.

“Why not?”

“It just doesn’t. I’ll see you in the morning, Shouyou.” Hinata hears him step fully out onto the porch, speaking softly as the door slides back into place. “I promise.”

It doesn’t take Hinata long to learn that Atsumu’s idea of training is mainly barking orders at him and complaining about how bad he is at- well- everything, apparently. But despite the harsh words and irritated, downward slant to his ears, not once has Atsumu actually sparred with him. No weapon. Not even with his hands. He just sits up in some tree or sprawled across a warm rock and spits insults until one of their stomachs starts growling too loud to ignore.

It takes days and days before Atsumu comes any closer and actually shows Hinata what he means. Hinata isn’t sure what sets him off, but it’s late one afternoon when Atsumu seems particularly critical that he finally puts in more teaching than just commands.

“Yer stance is off,” Atsumu barks suddenly from his perch on the log. “And yer grip is so rigid.” He’s pissed- for whatever reason. He hasn’t stopped spouting off criticism since they started. It’s worse than usual. Like he’d slept wrong and the whole day had been thrown into a disgruntled mess because of it. 

“And yer arms are too stiff!”

Hinata is trying to be patient and collected as he follows the advice. Trying to do just what Atsumu says, but it seems like no matter what he’s still wrong.

“Try spreading yer feet- no, not like that. Wider! Keep one in fronta the other. No, no- you’ll lose yer balance like that. And when ya lose yer balance what happens?” 

You get stabbed .

“Ya get stabbed, idiot!”

Well, he missed the added insult, but it was close enough. Hinata shifts his weight again, spreading his legs and readjusting the hold on his sword pointed high in front of him.

“Now yer hands- move that one up higher. No, the other one. The other one-” He scoots one up a bit further on the wrapped hilt but Atsumu only groans. “Jeez- Ya only have two hands, Sho. How’s it that hard to listen t’me? Up more. C’mon, not like that- No- Gods- ”

A long, aggravated sound leaves Atsumu’s throat before Hinata hears feet hit the ground. Atsumu’s stomping up behind him, muttering under his breath the whole way.

“Like this,” He says, draping himself over Hinata’s back and taking him by the wrists. It’s times like these Hinata is reminded just how much taller Atsumu is. With Atsumu nearly knocking his head with a shoulder, Hinata’s hands are twisted, fingers pried loose and repositioned along the worn grip of the sword. “And like I tried sayin’- yer stance-” Tucking a foot around Hinata’s ankle, Atsumu makes them both step forward a little. “Wanna be able to roll from yer heels to yer toes so don’t stay all rigid. Ya hafta to feel unmovable but light, got it? Sturdy but agile.”

“That’s not-” 

“Oi .” Atsumu’s hold tightens even as he moves his feet away. “If ya can’t even stand right you should just give up.”

“I don’t give up.”

“I know- ya stubborn little shit - so pay attention to what I’m sayin’.” Atsumu lifts their arms together and angles the sword a bit differently. “Yer not followin’ through all the way. What’s the point of havin’ somethin’ as sharp as this when ya don’t swing it properly?”

When Atsumu moves the sword back down, it pushes them into a hunch. Back to chest, the overwhelming weight and warmth is making it increasingly difficult for Hinata to focus on whatever Atsumu is explaining directly into his ear. He’s still going, muttering disgruntled suggestions and shifting their arms but the only thing Hinata can pay attention to is the light brush of the words over his cheek and the press of arms against his own and the glaring fact that these things probably shouldn’t be as distracting as they are.

He probably looks shocked, but he tries not to let his eyes get too wide as he nods like he can hear anything at all.

It’s fine.

It’s just confusion and inexperience making him nervous.

Not even a moment later, Atsumu steps away and to the side. He stares, hands tucked into the folds of his robes like he’s expecting something. Like he’d given some sort of instruction that had flitted right past Hinata’s ear without registering even a little bit.

“Can you- er,” Letting his arms drop, Hinata throws on a meek smile. “What’d you say?”

Without another word, Atsumu sighs through a grunt and turns on his heels.

Oh well-

At least they had tomorrow. And the next one. And the one after that.

For days, his training only includes running through a handful of stances until his form isn’t so horrible that it makes Atsumu audibly groan. Only once he stops consistently embarrassing himself with the first swipe of his sword do the insults start to dwindle. They’re still there, but they become more like curt suggestions.

Then they move on to how to strike- where to strike- how hard- how to move with it- how to defend and deflect and predict each of the opponents moves. He really shouldn’t be surprised at all the things Atsumu knew considering how long he’d apparently been around. While Atsumu never really goes into why he learned all this, protecting himself, his friends, his family- it seems to be one of the more important values.

Still, over snack breaks or just before falling asleep in Hinata’s room, Atsumu gives little pieces away. How him and his kind all took to learning at least one type of combat. He claims he chose sword fighting first and his brother decided to copy him but that he’s definitely the better of the two of them. He speaks of knives and arrows and hand-to-hand combat but how the rest of them just never sat right with him. He feels at home with the long, imposing blade. The weight in his hands, the way he can center himself in the quiet between lifting his sword and cutting right through the air. 

It’s something Hinata can relate to.

He always sees bits of his own passion shine through whenever he listens to Atsumu speak. The conviction in his tone. The assuredness behind his choices- Hinata had felt it all deep in himself for years. But to finally meet someone that shares the same drive for what he loves-

He can’t help but exist in awe.

That’s all it is, he decides one afternoon while watching Atsumu tear into a steamed bun with childish glee.

He’s in awe of Atsumu. All the warmth beneath Hinata’s skin and the flutter of his nerves whenever he watches Atsumu get so fully engrossed in something he was saying to the point where he’s nearly shouting- it’s just wonder. A fond understanding.

And yet... 

There’s something to the way Atsumu praises him when he’s done especially good. The way his grin grows and he tosses his head back in a laugh when Hinata says something odd or sarcastic. It all feels a little more intense than just respect and admiration, but he brushes it all under the same pretense for the sake of his own peace of mind.

And yet…

The moment Atsumu finally offers to join in, Hinata can’t help but jump at the chance with all the ambition and fervor he can muster.

He’d just laid a few well-placed blows to the dummy they crafted out of sticks and rice bags when Atsumu gives him a few claps.

“Congrats, you can take down someone who’s already dead.” Atsumu’s drawl is dry and it comes off unimpressed but amused. He slinks off the porch then, moving toward Hinata with an upward lift of his chin. “But do ya really think yer ready to challenge me?”

It’d been awhile since Hinata had moved so fast. He scrambles inside and rifles through his room until finding his old sword shoved in the corner of his closet. Upon bringing it back outside and handing it over, Atsumu immediately starts up with his usual griping the second it’s placed in his hands.

He’s holding it like it reeks, far away from his body and with his face turned the opposite direction. “Yer givin’ me this shitty thing?” 

Walking backwards, Hinata brings his own sword back out of its scabbard. “It was my first one- and it’s not shitty. It’s just well loved.”

“It’s damn near close to rusting.” Swinging it up, Atsumu runs his fingers down the blade and pulls a sickened expression. “If this thing breaks and ya end up cuttin’ me, I’m gonna beat the shit outta ya.”

“It’ll work, but we can switch if you’re so concerned-” 

“No.” Atsumu interjects with a swipe at the air and another critical look passed over the length of the metal. “I’ll be fine. I could defeat ya with nothin’ but a tree branch if I had to.” He gains the slightest curve back to the corners of his mouth as he points the sword right at Hinata and spreads his feet. “Just remember what I taught ‘cha Sho-kun.”

They move slowly at first. Hinata’s steps are arguably tentative, but it’s been a while since he’s fought someone who actually knew how to wield a weapon like this. And given that so far none of Atsumu’s talk has been just an ego projecting big and loud- Hinata can only hold a bit of doubt close to his chest as he draws closer.

“Yer too stiff.” Atsumu says calmly, one arm hooked behind him while the other moves the tip of the sword in taunting, little circles. “I’m gonna knock ya right off yer feet.”

“You have to get close in order to do that.” Hinata retorts but even his voice is a little shaky. He rolls his shoulders, gives a little shake to his head just to fling the nerves off before narrowing in on the light side-step of Atsumu’s frame.

“I was betting ya try that first, but if yer insisting-” Atsumu’s stride is long and more like a bounce over the dirt. He closes the distance between them faster than a blink and Hinata barely finds the time to bring his sword up in defense before he’s being shoved back a step.

The first clash of metal ripples all the way through Hinata’s arms. He has to squeeze harder and shift his feet into the dirt with a sharp twist of his heels just so he isn’t immediately knocked down.

Hinata uses a shove forward to propel his jump backwards. He breathes in deep and slow, hopping in place to throw off the shock. Stepping to the side, they begin to move in a circle, swords out to each other- sharp, dialed in focus being mirrored by a smirk and the wild thrash of a tail.

He can’t let himself freeze up. He has to be light on his feet. Somehow quicker and smarter than the fabled sly fox. It’s impossible. But he senses this energy rushing through him like nothing before. Invigorating and fresh- he’s never quite felt so empowered.

Hinata is the one to rush forward next. He brings his sword up, right back down in an angled slash that’s deflected easily by a loud clank and a sweeping arch of Atsumu’s arms.

Atsumu is a long way from the first person Hinata’s ever scrapped with, but there’s a weight to Atsumu’s presence that is unrivaled. There’s strength behind the way he strikes, probably far more than he’s using right now. Hinata wants to snap at him, tell him not to go easy on him- but not going easy and dying at the hands of a charismatic, bastardly spirit are looking more like one and the same with each part and clang of their blades.

Hinata can’t see much past his own movements and the blur of racing thoughts, but every chance he gets to peek at Atsumu’s face- he’s grinning like this is the most fun he’s had in ages. Hinata swears he hears something close to a laugh when he stumbles back a few steps only for Atsumu to be right in front of him a breath later.

Atsumu is an overwhelming presence no matter where is or what he’s doing- even just lounging around half-asleep he still commands attention with the shine of his fun and the glint of ravenous eyes. But like this, his aura is even more demanding. It’s terrifying but undeniably fascinating.  

Hinata finds that part of him wants this to last for days… weeks… however long it possibly could. There’s an uncertain twinge that comes with the realization. He tries to shove it down, focus on what’s happening in front of him- but knowing that this summer has already left him happier than he’s been in years has him hesitating. It’s an easy opening that any opponent would take advantage of in a heartbeat.

And Atsumu does. He’s charging back into him before Hinata can so much as breathe. He attempts to go on the defensive, but the hold he has on the base of his sword is weak. His knees are bent and brittle as their swords clash once more. It only takes a single push against him to make his grip fumble, his feet skid, his entire frame shift.

He knows it’s over in an instant..

Hinata curls his fingers to try and save it but his sword is already slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground. It was a mistake to look after it. With his eyes down, he misses Atsumu’s next move until there’s a swiping foot meeting his ankle. Soon enough, Hinata is following his weapon and slamming into the dirt.

The ground is hard. Unforgiving. As solid and merciless as his defeat. The air is knocked out of him the second his back hits the earth. Everything swings until it’s shut out behind the black of his scrunched lids. His ears are ringing a little, adrenaline pushing his heartbeat right up against his breastbone.

“Well, well,” Atsumu’s voice trickles in and Hinata’s eyes open to it like it’s calling him out of a dream.

Hinata notices the dull gleam of the aged metal first. Atsumu has the sword a hair away from jabbing him in the throat. It should feel like a threat. Hinata should have some semblance of fear bubbling away inside, but he’s abruptly and brutally aware of an entirely different feeling there. One he can’t quite place but knows it’s hot and growing. Stifling. Crawling. Making his nape itch and his cheeks tingle. His eyes scan up the blade and it only gets worse.

He lands on Atsumu’s face with a rough swallow for the grin staring back at him is as intense as it is free. Atsumu’s eyes are open with black pit pupils ready to tear Hinata to shreds. His teeth are bared, fangs sharp, tongue darting out to swipe at his lip before he speaks in that low, taunting coo.

“That’s that, isn’t Sho? Not bad-” He pulls the sword away fast, whipping it up in the air before tossing it aside and sliding his hands to his hips. When Atsumu’s head tips, his grin turns mockingly sweet. “For a human, that is.”

Even without the blade pointed at his throat, Hinata is stuck to the ground. His breathing has stilled but his heart continues ramming away in his chest. Something’s off- he’ll blame the excitement of a good spar. That’s why he can’t breathe. And why his face is hot. And why he’s starting to feel almost nauseous at the mere sight of that brilliant smile.

He won’t consider any other possibility.

Shouldn’t.

Can’t.

Doesn't have the chance to before Atsumu’s extending a hand out to help him up. But Hinata can’t seem to make his eyes go to it. He can’t get his arm to reach. He’s stuck on the ground like he really has been stabbed and left to bleed out.

When he doesn’t move more than sucking a breath in, Atsumu’s smile falls a little. His mouth is forming around a question but then suddenly- everything shifts that much more. Hinata is having trouble knowing what expression is splashed across his own face- hopes to every god that he’s not flushed from the heat- but he thinks he can see surprise on Atsumu’s. Surprise, and something else. Something- startled?

Atsumu’s eyes are growing wider, ears turning back flat against his head, lips parting but nothing falls out. His hand curls empty in the air before he pulls it back to his side and steps away like the ground is crumbling beneath them. His head turns to stare anywhere but right in front of him.

“I-” Atsumu starts, brow furrowing. “I should go find somethin’ to snack on, sound good?”

Hinata blinks, pushes himself up a bit more, and finally manages to speak. “Wah- You’re what-?”

“I said I’m goin’ to find a snack. In the woods- y’know- there’s those fruit trees down the hill, ain’t there?” He’s already walking right past Hinata toward the tree line. Hinata twists with him, barely getting up to sit. Atsumu’s got one hand waving behind him and the other ruffling his hair. “I’ll find yer ma somethin’ too. You can say ya bought it or- I don’t know- I’ll just be back!”  

Atsumu finds him later that evening with an armful of ume and demands Hinata start cutting them up as repayment for all his hard work. They spend the rest of daylight quietly chatting and  snacking on the fruit without a whisper or hint of what could have possibly happened between them only a few hours prior.

It’s become no secret to him that Atsumu’s stomach is a bottomless pit. 

Hinata sees Atsumu at his happiest when he’s got a cheekful of something good tasting and maybe Hinata’s coming to understand why the elders always like handing him treats when he helps them. Feeding someone brings a specific sort of warmth that only comes from caring and nurturing for those you care about.

It’s the friendly thing to do. Atsumu can’t wander around the village and find these things for himself so it’s only polite for Hinata to bring them to him.

On his way back home this evening, he’d spent just long enough in the ryokan for Asahi to give in and hand off a small parcel of onigiri. He usually forked some over if Hinata stuck around babbling. Probably helped that he could rave about them then, get some of the visitors to buy their own. He was being helpful . And what else is he supposed to do? They’re good and his mom always starts cooking so late - and now-

Well, now he has another mouth to feed.

Not to mention Hinata hasn’t had Atsumu try these yet. And the thought of how Atsumu’s going to light up when he sees them- how he’s probably going to get that sparkle behind golden eyes- it always does something really funny to Hinata’s throat. All tight and thick like he’s swallowed a rock. He really doesn’t know what to make of it. Maybe he should ask Yachi if it’s a curse or something-

“Y’said yer friend made these?” 

They’re sitting out on the porch, facing the woods that swarm the land behind Hinata’s house. The sun’s behind the trees now, nowhere to be seen but laying over everything with a warm glow.

“Mm,” Hinata hums through his chewing.  

“Not bad.”

“Not bad ?” He swallows, leaning forward into his disbelief. “You’ve had better?” 

“‘Course I have. You know how mucha these I’ve tried? Lots.” After the next bite, Atsumu lifts it up in front of him, eyes narrow and nose scrunched. “It’s a little flat don’t y’think? Needs somethin’. More to the texture maybe. Or another ingredient. I dunno, I’m talkin’ outta my ass really.”

Atsumu does this a lot- rattles his thoughts out without checking where they’re going first. Usually, Hinata joins him. Their conversations tend to be convoluted and garrulous. But sometimes- when it’s really least expected- Hinata can’t find a single word. He still doesn’t know why it happens. He just loses track of everything and then- like he’s snapping back into himself- he knows he’s staring. But even when he knows that doesn’t mean he can stop.

“I mean,” Atsumu continues, not paying a single thought to the silence beside him. “This is good and everythin’ but-” The ears tucked in his hair flick as he speaks, shifting subtly with his tumblind words. “Well, my brother makes ‘em best.” Suddenly, they tuck back and squish down against his head. They’re fascinating in their own right and Hinata wonders idly just how much Atsumu can hear. Does he notice how still the evening’s become? How Hinata has stopped chewing, moving, nearly breathing-

“Guess I got high standards now but-” It’s as if something dawns on Atsumu. He twists himself harshly in Hinata’s direction, rice flying from his lips. “But don’t go tellin’ him I said that!” His finger jabs at the air right before he’s ripping another bite out of the onigiri. His tail thrashes behind him while his chomping gnashes at the soft rice.

Hinata should laugh at how ridiculous this pout is but the mere realization that it is a pout- how often he’s come to see this boyish expression- the way he can see it in the somber tilt of Atsumu’s ears and the agitated lift of every bit of fur- it only makes Hinata stare back at him. He’s finding himself staring a lot lately and it isn’t good. Something deep in the pit of his stomach tells him it’s really, really , not good.

“It’s prolly not even dumb Samu’s cooking anyway. He uses the rice Kita-san grows, after all. Which is better than any yer kind could ever farm-” Just as fast as Atsumu had fallen into some distant melancholy, he’s perking back up. Hinata still has no idea who anyone he’s talking about is, but he watches how Atsumu’s entire frame shifts into his lax lounging once more at the mention of them.  

Atsumu takes a bite, chewing with his gaze cast away and the smallest curl of his lip as he gives another twitch of his ears. “You can’t mess up anything with Kita-san’s rice; so I’m sure that’s why Samu’s are just-”

Hinata doesn’t even realize he’d been reaching out until his fingers make contact with the fur of Atsumu’s ear. He trails the base of it, gentle as quiet, reverent, “ Soft- ” leaves his mouth.

Hinata had been so distracted- so engrossed- in all that is before him that he’s apparently lost his mind.

And in the wake of his thoughtless misstep, they both freeze. 

The evening breeze starts to burn.

His vision shakes and he kind of feels sick.

For a moment, Hinata’s fingers stay pressed against the strands, tickled and warmed. But when his eyes fall and meet Atsumu’s stunned expression gawking back at him, his fingers curl into his palm.

“I’m-” Uttered shakily like a hiccup. Hinata drops his face lower in something he can play off as remorse instead of burning embarrassment. He snatches his hand away, onigiri falling from the other and tumbling off the porch into the dirt.

“I’m sorry!” He has no idea what he’s done. What he’s doing. He shrinks down first, shoots up second. His sandals hit the ground and the shock from landing pulls him toward the trees. It’s his turn to flee this time. For whatever reason they’re both coming to realize. “I- uh- I should really-”

Hinata turns- a mistake . Atsumu is still just watching him with wide, gripping eyes and a mouth parted around a bite half-chewed. He’s startled- maybe offended. Hinata’s coming to hate that look but he just can’t seem to stop messing things up.

Hinata turns, looking around for anything to direct their attention to. “Oh, it’s almost sunset, huh?” That’s the sad excuse he settles on, throwing a grin across his face and scratching at his neck. “Jeez, look at the time! I should finish up training before it gets dark- so I’ll- I’ll see ya!”

He doesn’t try to spare Atsumu another look before his heels twist and he’s hurrying off around the house. It doesn’t feel good to leave like this. It feels cowardly. But that was just so stupid and if he’s that stupid, maybe he’s a coward too. Head down, eyes trained on every step, he refuses to let himself go back and make things worse. He’s no good with his words and that was definitely overstepping some sort of personal boundary.

He’ll let time take care of it. He’ll come home in a few hours and go straight to bed, and in the morning, they can act like nothing happened. He’ll just pretend that he doesn’t remember how velvety the thin fur felt under his touch. And he’ll pretend that he doesn’t maybe, sort of, kinda, want to touch it again. He’ll make himself forget about those parts because he has to. Because nothing good can come from remembering any of it. 

Because he can’t possibly want something he was never supposed to have in the first place.

They don’t talk about it.

Hinata keeps his hands to himself. The urge is still there but he does his best to squash it before it reaches his fingertips.

He knows Atsumu’s putting space between them. He’s back to standing far away while Hinata trains. He doesn't guide his movement or offer to spar. He stays at a distance and commands Hinata more like a teacher and less like a peer.

Hinata’s errands are run alone. Atsumu wanders into the woods early in the morning and doesn’t come back until it’s time for bed.

They don’t talk at night much anymore. With darkness comes silence. No more whispering until one of them falls asleep. No more waking up with a tail batting at his face. Atsumu keeps his back turned and his blankets tucked neatly around himself.

It feels weird.

It feels spoiled. 

Hinata wakes with a stretch and yawn, grunting through the last of it before sitting up. The light through the window is still dim. It’s not long after sunrise, but he’s already been given direction from his mother and the older woman who lives next door to go out in search of fish to cure.

It’s a slight surprise to see Atsumu still there and not out on his day-long adventure, but his face is lax and his hands are curled loosely against the pillow.

Hinata allows himself only a short moment to watch the soft lines of Atsumu’s face and the way his hair curls above long lashes before he pushes those thoughts aside and clears the sleep from his throat.

“I have to go fishing today.” Watching the subtle twitch of Atsumu’s ear, Hinata knows he’s awake. “Wanna join me?”

He gets no response. The thought that Atsumu might be playing dead makes his face twist up.

“Yo- Tsumu.” Leaning over, Hinata gets a hand on Atsumu’s shoulder to maybe pull- maybe push- but Atsumu jerks under his touch before he has the chance to do either.

Bringing his hand swiftly away, Hinata sits and waits in the quiet until Atsumu shifts onto his back.

“Sorry.” Atsumu’s scratching at his head but keeps his eyes up at the ceiling. “Ya startled me.”

“You comin’ with me?”

“M’tired.” His eyes slip closed again as he waves Hinata off. “Next time.”

“You sure?” Getting to his feet, Hinata kicks the blanket back over his mattress. “Feeling okay?”

“Fine.” Atsumu rolls over once more and tugs the quilt up to his nose. “Just tired.”

With a shrug, Hinata steps toward his closet to pull out a short, lightweight robe. He slips it over his shoulders and tightens it around his waist with a quick tie before grabbing his sword and fixing it to his waist.

“Last chance,” He says, moving toward the door and sliding it open. Atsumu doesn’t shift or speak. “I’ll make sure to bring something good back just for you, ‘kay?”

No shift of an ear or flick of a tail- just silence and the morning song of birds and cicadas greeting him out the door.

“Okay.” Hinata says again as he steps outside and slides the door shut behind him.

Hinata returns late in the afternoon with a full bag smacking against his back as he strides up through the village. He hands over half of the fish to his neighbor who sends him home with a kiss to the cheek and a wrapped up loaf of sweet bread. He makes sure to hide that in his robe when he steps inside his house and drops the rest of the fish on the table. At least he can keep his word and offer the treat to Atsumu.

But his bedroom is empty when he pushes inside. His blankets are still scattered on the floor but Atsumu’s are neatly folded below his pillow. Shifting the parcel from one hand to the other, he makes his way toward the porch and slides the door open.

“Atsumu~” Hinata coos as he sticks his head out. “I told you I’d get something good-” But there’s no one there either. 

No sprawled out limbs across the wood. No tail drifting through the breeze or eyes sliding open to greet him with a wink.

Hinata backs into his room, brows coming together with tense confusion as he looks around. Atsumu must’ve gone out again.

Shrugging off the uncertainty, Hinata cracks open the wrap and pulls a chunk of bread to his mouth.

It’s all fine.

Until it starts to be anything but.

Night falls and there’s still no sign of Atsumu. Day breaks and the brightness burns at Hinata’s eyes. He turns his head along the pillow but there isn’t a single sign Atsumu has returned at all. 

It should be okay. It shouldn’t matter. But something curls unpleasantly in his stomach and he can’t help but frown at the empty space beside him. It’s peculiar. Unsettling enough that it sours Hinata’s thoughts toward the worst case. That Atsumu got bored of him- worse. That he’d gotten himself caught again- wose. That he was hurt-

The thought makes him sick.

He wants to go out looking for him. Just to make sure he isn’t lying in the forest again or trapped in some cruel cage at the local market- but before he has the chance, another summer storm takes over. It’s the worst one they’ve seen so far this year and it keeps Hinata sequestered inside the walls of his home or trapped at Shimizu’s mercy. He sits, reading off recipes to his mother while she cooks or helps rearrange shelves that Yachi has long since kept organized.

Anything to keep himself busy. Anything to keep him from worrying about the creeping thoughts of something bad having happened.

Eventually, he’s exhausted all possible outlets and resorts to cleaning. Hinata isn’t necessarily a tidy person, but the way his room still sits like it’s waiting for someone has been driving him a little mad. So, he cleans. Sweeps the floor, scrubs the porch down in between the bits of rain, straightens up the whole house top to bottom before focusing on his own room. It’s seen better days. There’s stacks of books and clothes that need washing. Papers tossed about where he’s practiced his writing only to get frustrated and shove it all aside. He hasn’t put his bed away in days. Hasn’t touched the spot where Atsumu had laid beside him- Where some nights when he couldn’t sleep, he would watch the subtle rise and fall of Atsumu’s chest and wonder why a spirit would need to sleep or breathe at all.

The memory sends a twinge through his side and Hinata scowls at the laid out mattress before giving it a kick. He goes for the pillow next, ready to throw it across the room but it falls loosely from his hands once he sees the folded up paper beneath it.

Hinata definitely didn’t put that there.

And Atsumu wouldn’t have had any reason to unless this was-

Dropping to his knees, Hinata grabs the paper and unfolds it with shaky fingers.

Simple, staring right back at him;

sorry for breaking my promise

The hastily written words mock him, dripping down the small, ripped off corner of a paper with a severe indifference. 

That’s it. No reason. No goodbye. Just a scribbled down apology hidden away like some sort of ashamed secret.

Hinata crumples the note in his fist before immediately smoothing it out over his thigh and scanning over it again.

Atsumu’s gone.

He actually left.

He’s not hurt... 

And Hinata had told him he could go all along but-

But…

How could he leave like that?

Without saying anything. Pretending everything was fine and then running away. Giving up on Hinata and all that they’d promised to accomplish.

Maybe it was just another person proving he wasn’t cut out to be anything more than a farmhand. It would’ve just been too much time and effort to teach him any more. Enough of the debt was paid and off Atsumu went to wherever he came from.

Hinata hadn’t wanted Atsumu to owe him anything, so really- this is him getting what he asked for. Things are going to go back to normal. 

Like nothing ever happened.

Like they’d never met in the first place.

That night, he cleans his room until it’s spotless. 

In the morning, he tries not to look to the side and expect to see anyone else there.

He eats, saves nothing to share with noone, and tosses the scraps into the grass for the birds.

Even after the storm clears, things barely get any better. The solitude creeps in and Hinata can’t seem to find the energy to go out into the woods, let alone train. It’s worse now that he knows Atsumu’s left him. He was that much of a joke. That bad of a student. His sword sits in the corner of his room and he ignores it. There’s clean up to do around the village, help needed fixing up the watered-down crops, plenty to take care of before he wastes more of his time with some stupid dream.

His mother, his sister, Yachi- they all ask him what’s wrong. He doesn’t want to think he’s been acting any differently, but apparently something is clear in the way he’s just existing through the passing days. He tries to brush it off at first. He barely knew Atsumu. It’d only been just over a month since he first found him as nothing more than a wounded animal among the leaves. That isn’t enough time to form any sort of connection. It was just abrupt is all. He’s surprised and it too would fade with the pang in his chest that came each time he wandered into his empty room.

They wear him down eventually. It takes a handful of comments that he’s been acting strange- that he hasn’t been carrying his sword around- that he seems tired- and spacey- and distant- to get him out behind his house with his blade in hand. He knows forcing himself into the headspace to practice isn’t the best way to go about things, but it’s better than everyone worrying about him. They have more important things to be doing than fretting over how he is. Especially when he can’t tell anyone what happened. Or why he may be a little down. Or that he’s just lost a friend and he’s trying to figure out how to get back into a routine that doesn’t involve fanged-grins and blithe conversation.

Once he finally pulls his sword free and tosses the scabbard to the ground, the weight feels odd in his hands. Like it’s dragging him down. Like it wants to pull him deep into the earth never to come out again. He tries to lift it, but the tip won’t rise nearly as high as it usually does.

Deep breath in, eyes settled on the trees, he attempts remembering everything he was taught. Everything Atsumu told him. 

Feet wide but planted firmly.

Atsumu with his fiery gaze and impulsive wit.

Weight settled in his heels. Then his toes. Then up to his shoulders and out through his blade.

Atsumu with his taunts and jokes and sharp-tongue.

Head clear, chest out, hands steady.

Atsumu with his confidence. His unconditional affability. His trust. His courage- why then?

Hinata’s posture sags again, his knees twitching where they’re locked.

Why would Atsumu have gone back on all those things? What could Hinata have done to make him change so fast? To make him leave. To make him run away.

All Hinata had wanted was to know him and learn from him and see him smile-

His grip falters and with it his sword drops to the ground with a thud into the dirt. Hands open, he’s stuck in that stance while staring wide-eyed but vacant into the forest.

He isn’t remorseful for disappointing a teacher. He isn’t lamenting his lost chance of learning and growing as a swordsman.

Hinata knows then, he’s been missing his friend. And his smile . And his laugh. Someone to share his passion with. Who challenged him. The one who made him happy even in the darkest storm. His friend who he-

Wide eyes fall to trembling hands. His pitiful reflection in the glint of his sword stares back with cruel realization.

Blame it on charisma or wonder or some divine joke- he’s just another poor human that unknowingly fell for a yokai’s ethereal charm.

He’s far too aware of his heartbeat in this moment, thrumming away like it’s known all along. Perhaps it had been trying to warn him. That weird twist to his stomach he’d been feeling for weeks- he should’ve known. The ache in the back of his throat he’d felt ever since Atsumu left- what else could it have been?

Hinata has to find him. His friend who he’s come to love.

Atsumu needs to know.

It was… He didn’t imagine things- right?

There was something there.

Something he’d never felt before. Something so captivating it’d left him in this sullen state once he no longer had it.

He wants it back. Everything. Wants more than the little taste he got.

Hinata has no idea where to look but it can’t be far… Atsumu knew the woods well. He’d been here before. He’s nearby.

He has to be nearby.

It still takes another day for any sort of plan to form in his head. He spends hours running through bits and pieces of the weeks before- trying to figure out why he hadn’t seen things while they were happening. How much did he brush off? How much did he do and say without ever noticing the meaning behind it?

These feelings are so new to him. There’s no way to sort them out. They’re just sitting bundled up in his gut and rolling around every time he tries to move and work the nerves out. High-strung, tired, fretful, drained, he cards through the fragments of what he remembers Atsumu telling him for any clue as to where he could have come from. There’s barely anything there. So he sits and thinks until his eyes are burning and his head hurts.

Sleep has been fitful ever since Atsumu left.

Waking seems like a joke when his eyes open to no one .

It’s a wonder he didn’t realize how he felt the moment he came home to no one .

How was he to ever be okay again now that he’s known the feeling of having someone ?

With a clear mind, Hinata seeks out his last resort.

His village’s library is hardly enough to fall under the name. Just a small building, a few rooms filled with shelves and stacks of books, and a man that knows the contents of nearly every piece of paper that passes through the door.

Stepping inside, the smell of parchment and dust always makes Hinata’s nose twitch.

“Suga-san!” He calls into the empty room only for a clamor to echo back at him through the building.

When nothing else follows, Hinata moves further in and ducks low to scan over the nearest shelf.

Eventually, a voice floats through the doorway at the back of the room.“You shouldn’t startle me like that.”

“Sorry.” Hinata offers with quick but offhand sincerity. “I just needed your help with something.” Browsing the shelves, the books are near useless to his skimming eyes. A couple of maps, cooking instructions, medicinal records. “Maybe...”

Footsteps start down the aisle until Hinata can feel Suga’s presence standing just behind him.

“Something for Yacchan again?”

“No, no- not this time.” Hinata stands fully and turns to meet the curious tilt of Suga’s head. “Do you have any books about spirits?”

Just like every time before, the moment Hinata mentions something he’s looking for Suga’s eyes get a special sort of glimmer and his mouth pulls into a grin.

“Of course I do.” Suga’s turning on his heels and leading him up the aisle in an instant. “What sort of establishment would I be running if I didn't?”

“You say that every time.”

“And I always have what you need, don’t I?” Suga looks back at him as they turn and head down the other side of the shelves. “Any one in particular you’re interested in? That’s a pretty broad topic, but-”

“Foxes.” Hinata knows his tone is more curt than usual but Suga simply nods along. “And maybe some local maps if you have them.”

“An odd combo. Looking for something?”

“Sorta.”

Suga starts pulling books down, passing them to Hinata so he can cradle them in his arms. “Well, as far as spirits and maps go- I don’t think I have any that mark the nearby shrines if that’s what you need. I don’t think anyone’s really taken the time to lay them out yet-”

“That’s okay. Any map will do.” 

“Alright, take these over to a table and I’ll see what else I can find for you.” 

The stack Hinata ends up with on the table is far taller than he was prepared for. There’s at least a dozen books and enough rolled up pieces of paper to last him a week’s worth of reading. Maybe more.

After dumping them all in front of him, Suga had wandered over to his desk and took post scribbling away. He’d told Hinata once he’d loved to write from a young age. He was lucky that his father had come from the capital and was generous enough to teach him how.

Hinata still isn’t very good at writing himself. He can read better than most, but that’s entirely thanks to finding Suga years ago and begging until he helped him.

If Hinata knew anything about being a warrior worth respecting, it was that he couldn’t focus solely on fighting. He needed to understand all facets of their world and reading was one of the first steps he took towards that.

It’s still slow going. He comes back to the table and the stack of books and Suga’s curious gazes whenever he has time. Sunup to sundown and then all over again, he’s sneaks time to press his nose into a book and look for anything that may lead him to finding Atsumu.

He reads through every tale and lore that surrounds his kind. Poems, personal accounts, limericks, anthologies about every god and spirit- every claim and prayer- every scribbled down note- he thumbs through them until his eyes ache.  

It’s all things he’s heard before. Nothing stands out. He switches to the maps then, tracing over the borders and shapes laid out on the page with his fingers.

He starts broad but then narrows in more and more with each one. Eventually, he’s flipping between paintings of his home. The forests, the river, every bit of pasture and highland that surrounds them.

Hinata has always known of the farms surrounding most of his village. It’s how they survive. He’s gone out to help the farmers his whole life and he’s certain he knows what’s out there. But when he turns to the next map, part of the picture has been blocked out by the squiggly lines of a swamp. It hasn’t been like this on any of the others.

There’s a description scrawled beneath it but it’s sloppy and stained and he can’t make out the words.

A swamp doesn’t make sense when he knows the land is used for crops.

“Suga-san...” Hinata begins quietly, flipping the pages back and forth. “The area beyond the southern hills is- farming fields. Isn’t it?”

There’s a pause before Sufa stops writing. “Yeah, I think so. Why?”

“The map shows it as being a swamp.” He runs his fingers over the ink and squints. “How can you farm in a swamp? Wouldn’t the ground be too loose and wet?”

“I mean, I guess so...” Suga lets out a hum, “But I suppose- it would make sense if it’s land for rice paddies. They’re pretty marshy-”

Hinata’s eyes widen. Rice. “That’s it!” He spouts before pushing away from the table and stumbling to a stand.

Suga looks up from his desk, the page of his book hanging between his fingers as he asks, “Hinata?”

“I’m good. I-” Hinata answers, already hurrying toward the door. “I just- I have to go- Sorry about the mess!”

“Hey! ” Suga barks, but he’s already moving too fast. “I think I deserve something!”

Door open, Hinata’s halfway out it as he shouts back at him. “Thank you for the help, Suga-senpai!”

Breaking outside, his feet pound against the dirt as he heads home.

Of course it’s the rice fields.

How many times had Hinata listened to stories of Inari during farming season? Wished good fortune from the god onto his village and their crops? Read stories to Natsu of a beautiful woman with her flowing white hair, armfuls of grains, and foxes trailing at her feet?

Of course it’s the rice fields.

Foxes had always been the messenger. The benevolence and mischievousness behind the giving goddess.

How had he not realized it sooner?

Night is settling quickly, but Hinata can’t seem to find it in himself to wait another day. Not when he’s found this tiny bit of hope. Futile or not, he has to try.

He barges into his house, rattling off some excuse to his mother that Shimizu has asked him to go buy some herbs from the neighboring village. That yes , he has to go now because someone’s health is depending on it. That no, he can’t pick up anything for her on the way because he won’t be able to carry it all back.

After a bit of convincing, she lets him leave with an uncertain farewell, a tight hug, and an extra parcel of food shoved in his hands.

It’ll take no more than a day or two to get to the edge of the fields, but the packed bag secured on his back feels heavy as he heads out and into the warm glow of the setting sun. 

Maybe he’ll sleep eventually. Maybe he’ll be running off hope and frenzy until he makes it there.

He walks through the night, stopping the next afternoon only for a light nap in the warm summer grass before trudging on once more. He’s nearly out of food by the time he makes it to the edge of the farms he knows. If he doesn’t find someone soon, he’ll have to try and catch something to eat just to get back home. He continues on with another small rest tucked away behind a farmer’s house but leaves before day breaks and they have the chance to notice he’s there. Following the dirt path all the way through the hills, Hinata goes until he’s met with nothing but marshy grass and a silent breeze.

Not a single soul in sight.

The road’s a dead end.

His stomach twists and grows heavy.

There’s nothing.

Nothing but a paddy field that seems to stretch beyond the horizon.

He refuses to believe there’s nothing.

This can’t possibly be right.

His feet leave the road, scuffing through the grass that turns muddier with each step.

Coming all this way… There must be something. Anything.

Maybe it’s desperation that pulls him further into the field. Maybe it’s something divine, but he’s trudging through the paddies, deeper and deeper before he knows what the plan from here is. The reeds are slowly growing denser and taller, soon above his knees- his shoulders- over his head- higher than he ever knew rice to grow.

If he’s not careful, there’s a good chance he’s going to get lost in here. A glance above his shoulder shows nothing but shadows and broken sunlight through the leaves. Like it’s swarmed behind him, swallowed him up.

He should turn around. He knows he should leave. But his feet won’t seem to stop moving forward. He isn’t sure how far he's gone, but with another push, the stems part and a small clearing opens in front of him. 

It’s not very large, just big enough that the sun can reach the ground and create a humid sort of bubble in the marshy field. Hinata stops in the middle, turning this way and that only to find each direction looks exactly the same. He doesn’t want to believe this was all a mistake but his chances of finding anyone at all seem to be dwindling away. He should just turn back and return home like none of this had ever happened in the first place- but the thought brings that deep ache back to the pit of his chest. Forgetting and brushing it all away- he can’t imagine it. Doesn’t want to imagine it. He wants more of it. Greedily. Selfishly so.

He picks a direction, hopes it’s the right one, and takes a step forward. But the stalks somewhere behind him snap suddenly. Water splashes next and Hinata’s turning on his heels with all the hope in the world that a familiar face would be bounding toward him.

Eyes wide, Hinata takes in the quick moving form. He kind of looks like Atsumu but- then there’s a blade lifted, ready to plunge itself right through him.

Suddenly, all that training seems to be the best thing he could have ever done. He rolls onto his toes, stepping to the side just as this man barrels past him.

“Hey!” Hinata shouts, hand already on the grip of his sword. “I’m not-”

He’s cut off by another swipe of the long blade in the space left above him as he ducks. Hinata may be fast, but the way this man moves is something like a shadow. Pooling and flowing through the air, almost untethered by the confines of gravity.

Stumbling back a bit, Hinata has his sword unsheathed and pointed in front of him before he gets a stomach full of metal. 

A strike comes down through the air, but he’s got his own raised in time. Metal clangs as the blades hit. Feet wide and study, hands gripping the life out of the hilt, he holds the hit. Hinata can feel his arms shaking trying to push the other away but now that they’re stuck in this standoff- Hinata can finally take in what’s happening.

He was right in the few glances he’s gotten- This guy definitely looks like Atsumu. He has the same animallike ears poking out of his hair but they’re a dark, dusty sort of grey. Hinata shoots his gaze down to watch the irritated, bellicose twitch of a puffy tail behind his legs. A spirit too then- and if he’s anything like Atsumu, then Hinata probably isn’t going to make it out of this one.

The weight being pushed into their swords gets harder, trying to break through and Hinata throws his eyes up. He tries to shove back, digging his toes deeper into the soft ground.

“I’m just here to find someone!” He shouts, heavy breath pouring into his lungs.

With a twitch of his brows, the spirit lets out a miffed sort of sound. “What? ” He pushes harder into the catch of their swords but Hinata’s stance is stronger than that.

“Do you know where Atsumu is?” Hinata tries, quieter now but gruff around his bared teeth.

At first, the confusion on the other’s face only worsens. His eyes are darting over Hinata’s face, but when a deep breath gets pulled through his nose, the harsh scrunch to his expression eases out. Slowly, the sword pressed against Hinata’s lessens its force and then falls away completely. 

Hinata relaxes a bit into the soggy soil, fingers unsticking from their tight hold and blade drooping down.

Already turning away, the man slides his sword into the sheath before waving Hinata after him. “Follow me.” His voice lifts loud as he begins to walk, “You can chill, Suna.”

Suna?

There’s a rustle and a distant slosh of water behind them. Hinata’s hands move his sword up on instinct as he spins around.

“Easy there, lil’ guy.” The spirit warns as a figure ducks through the stalks on the edge of the clearing. “I’m a bit more forgivin’ of yer kind, but Rin’ll put an arrow through yer heart before ya even hear it comin’.”

Looking over his shoulder, but keeping his blade in front of him, Hinata watches the spirit drift farther away. “Why didn’t he if he’s been here the whole time?”

“Told him I wanted to have a little fun.” He calls back then hunches over and drops his voice a little. “But it sounds like the fun’s over. Now c’mon or we’re leavin’ ya.”

“Better hurry,” Suna’s up beside him without so much as a whisper of notice. It’s startling, the way he looms over Hinata, fixing his bow against his back. “It’d be a shame if you got lost in here. Even worse if you didn’t make it back out.”

With a slight check to Hinata’s shoulder, Suna passes him but throws a look at him as he goes. Thin eyes, an unamused brow lifted over one of them, the swish of a deep brown tail.

“Osamu, what gives? I thought you were going to kill him.”

Hinata turns with him, hesitantly walking after them while slipping his sword away at his hip. At the edge of the small clearing- presumably where he’d emerged in the first place- the reeds are being parted for them.

“Turns out I can’t.”

Suna passes in first, ducking a bit but moving into the shadows of the field with a grumble.

“He didn’t look that strong.”

“Nah, coulda if I wanted to but- weren’t ya listenin’?” Urging Hinata in with a wave, void eyes fall on him. The weight of Osamu’s stare makes Hinata falter in his next step into the tall stalks. “He’s lookin’ for Tsumu.”

Suna turns, mouth drawing up with a bit of a disbelieving sneer. “That idiot- Kita’s going to be pissed, you know.”

Kita- Kita-San- That one he’s heard of-

“I know.” Osamu passes by them with quick strides to walk in front and shove the stalks aside as they go.

“So you guys know him?” Staying in their shadow, Hinata keeps his steps wary and a hand on the grip of his sword. “Atsumu mentioned-”

“He’s my brother.”

“Oh!” It’s loud and they both jump to look back at him. “You make the onigiri-”

“Oh good,” Suna grouses, “They know each other intimately .”

“Wah-” While the implication isn’t that clear, something about the glances he’s getting and the mocking sort of lilt makes Hinata hunch down. “No- I mean- it wasn’t-” Averting his eyes, he scratches through his hair. “we didn’t- ah, I wouldn’t say-“

A stifled gekker from Suna cuts him off before Osamu’s shoving the other in with a hand to his shoulder.

“It ain’t funny, Rin. This shit’s serious-” Osmau’s face is flat but solemn when it turns back to Hinata.“It’s best y’keep the fact thatcha know information like that to yerself.”

“Why?”

“It just is.” When he turns away again, his steps are a little quicker. “C’mon now, ya can’t get in unless y’stay close to us.”

“In?”

Suna takes to Osamu’s side again, hands clasped behind his back and quiver bouncing with each step. “Do you think we’re just hanging out in the open? Maybe they really are all as dumb as we’d thought.” He nudges Osamu with an elbow, ducking closer to his side. “Did he say anything to you about-”

Shrugging him off, Osamu trudges forward. “It’s not like I listen to everything Tsumu rambles about. He never shuts up, I just block most of it out- But I think I woulda remembered him saying something about-” He stops but then just groans and skips over whatever he was about to say. “I think I woulda remembered. He always has to get up to somethin’ when he leaves like that. And he came back all weird this time I just didn’t-” He makes another odd grumble noise in the back of his throat before crossing his arms and kicking through the mud on the next step.

“Yeah, well we’ve always known he’s not the brightest. He was bound to fuck up this bad eventually.” Turning to walk backwards and stare down at Hinata as he hid in their shadows, Suna’s expression had grown far more passive than amused. “Why don’t you entertain us with the undoubtedly embarrassing way in which he found you.”

“Ah! I- found him actually. In the forest by my village. He was hurt- I really didn’t know what was going on. He just... looked like a fox to me, but my friends helped me and then I guess he started feeling better and then one day- poof! He turned back into- well… whatever it is you-”

“And?” Suna drawls as he leans forward. 

“And?”

“And there has to be more than that.”

“M’not interested.” Osamu grumbles but Suna waves him off.

“Good thing I wasn’t asking you then.”

Rubbing at his neck, Hinata turns his eyes to peer into the bits and pieces of the field he can see through the reeds. “There’s not a reason like you probably think. I don’t… I don’t mean to bring any of you any trouble.”

“Too late for that. You’ll be lucky if you leave here at all.”

“What? ” His eyes shoot back over but there’s not a bit of a readable expression on Suna’s face.

Osamu sighs, long and exhausted. “Ya didn’t hafta tell him that.”

“The guy deserves to know he essentially knocked on death’s door coming here.”

“You’re-!” Hinata squeaks before shuffling forward closer to them. “You’re going to really kill me?”

“No.” There’s only a second of relief between hearing and knowing that Suna wasn’t finished. “ We’re not. Would’ve done it back there if we were.”

“But someone will?” 

“Might.”

“Probably will.” Osamu tosses in. 

“It’s your own fault, though.” Suna turns around at that, flicking a hand at Hinata over his shoulder. “Hoggish humans always sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”

It weighs Hinata down as he ducks further into their shadows. “I told you- I don’t want anything from you.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Osamu’s muttering back at him- “And clearly you do or you wouldn’t be here at all.”

His voice is solemn and dry; it’s hard to believe he’s related to Atsumu at all. For someone so bright- so raucous- maybe this is his foil. Or maybe it only shows how much of a gaffe this all really is.  

Between the way the sunlight splitting the stalks here and there begins to turn a warm yellow and the ache in Hinata’s knees, the walk seems to stretch on and on.

Osamu and Suna lowered their voices a while back, idly chatting between themselves and only glancing back at Hinata every now and then. It isn’t until they reach a dark, solid wall of stalks that the two stop and step apart from one another.

“Alright,” Osamu announces at nothing at all. But then he lays a hand against one of the plants and they start to bend and curl back to expose a small dirt path surrounded by shade and thick foliage. “Yer goin’ in first.”

Peering close, it looks dark and cramped. Hinata ducks down a bit more before looking up at Osamu. “A-are you sure that’s a good idea.”

“Nah, but neither was comin’ here, so-” Osamu waves his arm again, ushering Hinata through the opening.

Everything’s denser beyond this wall- almost like a fence to keep the shadows in. Or more likely, to keep humans out. Hinata follows the narrow stretch of dirt with his head down. The ground is dryer, studier and less like he’s going to sink into it if he steps wrong. But it’s more crowded now. There’s leaves and stems ticking at his arms as he weaves with only the crunch under his feet and the sound of the other’s steps right behind him.

Slowly, light starts to creep in around them. Everything begins to thin and the sky opens up above them once more. A bright spot ahead calls out like an exit, but he isn’t sure if it’s one he wants to walk through. With Osamu on his heels, he doesn’t have much of a choice, so Hinata continues on until he’s stepping out of the field. 

The air is filled with the warm orange hue of the setting sun, but he still squints as he emerges from the dark. Blinking the haze away, he’s greeted with a grand set of stone steps sprawling up a hill, tall trees flanking either side, and the tall red pillars of shrine gates overhead.

Beneath one of them high on the steps, standing with his feet planted wide is another unfamiliar spirit and yet another unamused expression centered directly at Hinata. Unlike the others, this man has two tails curled behind his legs that stay unmoving even once Hinata is pushed closer by a hand on his shoulder.

Head back, nostrils flared, he stares the three down.

“Aran, look-” Osamu starts up behind him, but he’s stopped by the single lift of Aran’s hand.

“Who’s this?”

“Haven’t bothered to ask, really.”

Suna’s remark comes across with a bit of a sharp-tongued jeer, but it doesn’t land nearly as well as Hinata wishes it would’ve.

“It’s fine.” Osamu’s pushing him again, up the front of the stairs as he sighs. “It’s not, really- but- just- is Atsumu still around?”

“Hasn’t run off yet.”

“Probably should have.”

Before Osamu shoves him right into the puffed chest of this new, foreboding man; Aran turns and starts leading them up the steps. His posture relaxes considerably, but he keeps his head high and a hand resting on the dagger clearly strapped to his hip.

“Just so ya know,” Aran begins, making the three of them straighten up a little. “He was with Kita just before I left.”

“Ya sure?” Getting a nod in return, Osamu groans. “ Great - Then maybe do y’wanna be the one to escort this guy there?”

“Not a chance.”

“Speaking of-” Suna drawls, climbing a few steps in front of them and turning around. He continues backwards, tipping his head as he jumps over each stone. “I think you can handle this one on your own, right Samu?”

“Hey, hey , that’s not fair!” 

“You found him.” Suna hops from the stone, side-stepping toward an off-shooting path. “And he’s looking for your idiot brother.”

“Yer just scared.”

“This is self-preservation.” He’s walking backwards again, offering them all a small, curt wave. “I’m not getting roped into another one of Atsumu’s fuck ups. But find me later- I wanna hear all about it.”

Reaching the top of the steps, the woods open to a small village. The buildings certainly look older than the ones in Hinata’s own, but they’re well kept even without a single person other than the four of them to be seen.

Aran tosses his hand out in a vague point. “I think they were in the back house working on separating the last harvest. Lookin’ good so far so at least Kita should be in a good mood to start with.” 

Angling Hinata’s shoulder to the left, Osamu pushes him forward. “Yeah, well, not for long- c’mon get movin’ that way.”

The two of them leave Aran and Suna at the steps, moving through the space between small buildings and back towards the tall curve of trees. It’s so quiet here. The only sound comes from the wind rustling leaves and faint chimes hanging from the awnings lining the path.

“Can I ask you something?” Hinata asks, turning his head up to Osamu beside him.

“Maybe.”

“Why does it feel like you’re all so afraid of Kita-san? Atsumu talked about him so fondly... Is he really that scary?”

Osamu frowns before his lips thin into a sneer. “He’s got a soft spot for my brother. But leadin’ a human here under any circumstance may be too much to forgive.”

“But he didn’t lead me here. He didn’t tell me anything. It was… an educated guess at best.” Hinata looks down to the dirt, scuffing his sandals through it as they walk. “Atsumu’s not going to get hurt because I came here, right?”

“Prolly not,  but I’ve got no clue what the punishment’s gonna be.” Reaching a small hut just in front of where the forest starts again, Osamu stops and takes a deep breath. “I’ll say it again- ya really shoulda never came here.”

“I had to. I-” Hinata feels as though he can’t say anything about anything here. Not if it’ll make things worse for Atsumu. He shouldn’t have come- he knew that- but there’s no lie in saying he felt like he had to. “He- we-” 

“Yeah, I can take a guess.” Osamu steps forward then, grabbing onto the door handle. “Which only makes it worse.” 

Osamu doesn’t give Hinata another moment before he’s wrenching the door open and stepping in.

“Oi, Tsumu!”

Hurrying in behind him, Hinata peeks around Osamu as he shouts. Inside the room, there’s a loud smack of a bundle of dry rice against the ground and the grain scatters across the floor. Standing fully, Atsumu tosses the handful been threshing onto the pile of cut stalks by his foot. He’s not looking over- instead he’s wiping his sleeve across his brow.

“Y’got a visitor.” Osamu continues, fully stepping aside and exposing Hinata to the room.

“Hah? ” Arm falling back to his side, Atsumu sends a glare over before his eyes land on Hinata and his whole face is wiped clean by a wave of shock. His tail starts swishing back and forth, those eyes finally gaining the sort of glow Hinata had only been seeing in his dreams. “Shouyou- yer-” He tries to step forward but something Hinata can’t see catches the back of his robe and keeps him still.

“Atsumu.” It’s a quiet voice but it’s firm and meets Hinata’s ears with a prickle at the base of his hair.

Atsumu’s flush from working is fading fast, draining out of his face as he turns. Behind him is a shorter man, brown eyes narrowed up at Atsumu. He drops Atsumu’s robe and moves around him.

“Kita, I- It’s not-”

He moves until he’s standing a half-step in front of Atsumu. Hinata’s eyes quickly count four bushy, white tails that fan out a little behind him. It feels almost like a posturing sort of gesture as he gives Hinata a once over. 

From the way they’d all been speaking, Hinata was expecting some ferocious being. Loud and imposing- not so calm or soft-spoken. It’s subtle, but Kita’s presence is definitely a heavy one. There’d always been something charged to the air when Atsumu was around him, but this isn’t some static tickling at his arms. It feels like a weight sitting on his shoulders and holding him into the ground. None of the others have carried this sort of pressure, but it isn’t as inherently terrifying as he had been expecting.

Maybe that’s part of the danger. Unsuspecting fools are always more likely to fall in a trap.

“Just wait-” Atsumu says, reaching out but not touching the man in front of him. “I can explain.”

Kita tilts his head and gives the smallest turn of an ear in Atsumu’s direction. “I wouldn’t advise tryin’ to offer an excuse.”

“I wasn’t...” He looks back over to Hinata, dread evident across his features and the sight forces a horrible feeling into Hinata’s gut. “I-”

“I’m sorry,” Hinata speaks abruptly, bowing his head in some desperate attempt at appearing less of a threat. “But I’m really not here to cause any trouble.”

“Too late-” Comes Osamu’s voice from behind him.

When Hinata looks up, Atsumu’s gaze has shifted to his brother in a glare. It sits there only briefly before flicking back over to Hinata and going round once more.

“Sho-kun, ya really shouldn't be here.”

“Where else am I supposed to be?” Hinata tries to step forward but the air that hits him feels like a force holding him in place. “You-” His throat closes tight suddenly. Seeing Atsumu again. Actually finding him and knowing he’s okay and realizing just how strong these feelings have become. It’s proving to be a larger hurdle to get over than he’d thought. “You said you were going to help me, didn’t you?”

Mouth parted, Atsumu fails to say anything more. With the way his brow knits together, he’s looking for something but the words fail him and they leave an empty space for Kita to fill.

“What have y’gotten yourself into?”

“It’s nothing like that.” Atsumu spouts off quickly, snapping his jaw but then his ears immediately fall flat into his hair. “He helped me while I was gone. He’s a friend.”

“Humans aren’t our friends.” With a heavy sigh, Kita lets his tails fall back behind him and brush along the floor. “What will it take for ya to finally learn that lesson?”

“I think we’ve all got an idea.” The crisp sound of steel leaving lacquered wood is unmistakable to Hinata’s ears. Osamu’s drawn his sword, probably pointing it right at his back. “All you gotta do is say the word, boss.”

“Samu. ” Yeah, the tense clench of Atsumu’s jaw, the curl of his fists at his sides, the steady heave of his chest- there’s definitely a sword pointed at his back. “Don’t go a step closer or I’ll-”

“You’ll what? You’ve already risked all our lives. What else’re ya gonna do? Fight me?”

“If ya try an’ hurt him, I will. Why?” Atsumu throws out a laugh but it doesn’t sound half as rich as the ones Hinata’s heard before. “Ya scared? Always were weaker than me-”

“You fuckin’ wish.”

“Osamu.” It sounds like a chide; but with the sharp glint to Kita’s stare, it must come across to them like a command.

Hinata hears Osamu shift behind him and he braces himself for the searing pain of a blade cutting into him.

“Kita, please-”

Kita turns back to Atsumu, quieting and straightening him up with a single step in his direction.

“This is inexcusable, Atsumu. You’ve threatened the wellbeing of your entire family. What good can come from keepin’ him alive? I don’t know what happened while you were gone, but havin’ him here- knowin’ where we are- it’s absolutely impermissible. I hafta act for the safety of the whole and that means-”

“Just hold on a minute!”

One hand tightly wrapped around the grip of his sword, Hinata tries his best not to sound as terrified as he very well is. They both turn back to watch him and the weight of their eyes does nothing to help the tight knot in his chest.

“I’m still really confused about what all’s going on here, but I didn’t come all this way to get killed. I know I’m not supposed to be here and that this place is probably hidden for a reason and other people may try to- well whatever - I don’t want to hurt you. Any of you.”

“And why are ya here?” 

While Hinata can’t very well give the entire audience the real reason- can’t explain the fact that he’s realized how hopelessly captivated he is by such an inconsiderate asshole - he can give them something.

One hand goes into his robe, digging around for the folded up note he’s pitifully kept with him since he found it under that pillow.

He extends his hand out, paper caught between two fingers.

“What is it?” Kita asks, tipping his nose up to peer down at it.

“An excuse.” It won’t make sense to them; but with the way Atsumu drops his gaze, Hinata knows his point is clear. “I came for a goodbye at least.”

Kita turns after a pause and Atsumu seems to cower under his gaze. He’s got his tail wrapped around the front of a leg and his face tilted away from them all.

“You need to deal with this.”

“I know.” Atsumu breathes back just before his eyes cut over to Hinata with just a hint of the conviction he’s been missing. “Can I just talk to him for a minute?” He looks to Kita, standing up straight and breathing in deep. “Alone?”

Their staring ends with a small bow of the head from Kita then his quiet voice ghosting across Hinata’s ears. “Come outside, Osamu.” 

Osamu’s gaze lingers on his brother a little longer. But then he purses his lips, slipping his sword back into its sheath and following behind Kita.

With them both outside, the room feels lighter but there’s still a charged sort of unease fizzling between them.

Atsumu’s finally free to step closer to him. All the panic has changed into his wide-eyed, curious stare that Hinata usually found amusing to look at. This time, it feels like mockery. He’s probably surprised Hinata ever managed to find him again and that alone lights the bitter fire in Hinata’s chest once more.

“How did you-” Atsumu starts, but Hinata shouts over his words. 

“Who the hell do you think you are!” Throwing the crumpled piece of paper at Atsumu, it swoops pathetically up into the air before drifting down. “A note? You leave me some cryptic note and disappear? Not even just leave- you hid it. It took me days to find it and then-”

“Sho-”

Atsumu tries to get close to him again, but Hinata’s got a hand up to push him back just as soon as Atsumu reaches out.

“No. Seriously, what was that? I thought you got hurt. I thought maybe you got caught. I was worried about you. And- and…” Atsumu’s expression softens into something concerned and it burns away at Hinata like he’s pitying a hopeless child. “Yeah, I get it, okay? It’s embarrassing that I’m upset considering you couldn’t even care to say you wanted to leave.”

Just like that, Atsumu’s face is screwing up again. His hand lifts to try and touch but ultimately curls in the air instead. “No, ya don’t get it, actually. Because I couldn’t-”

“What happened? Things were fine. Things were...” Hinata’s fists curl, knuckles popping and nails digging into his palms. “I thought we-” Atsumu slips his eyes away, chin tucking down to avoid him. “Just- Why? ”

Taking a deep breath in, Atsumu still won’t look up as he speaks, “You said yerself I didn’t owe ya shit-”

Hinata nearly lunges at him for that. Another excuse. Tight-voiced and hiding behind his hair, it feels nothing but disrespectful and patronizing.

“Cut the crap.” Hinata bites at him. He steps closer, scrunches himself under Atsumu’s frame to force their eyes to meet. Atsumu looks sad like this. A ghost just trying to escape. Hinata won’t let him again. “You stayed because you wanted to, so why did you leave like that? Not even a goodbye- I mean, I know I’m just some bump in your grand celestial existence but-”

“ No .” The word falls harshly down on his face. With Atsumu’s lips curled back, Hinata gets a glimpse at bared fangs until he’s stepping away. “Yer not. Just some bump.”

“Well then what-”

“ Goddammit, Sho!” Hearing Atsumu yell in anything other than a playful way is something Hinata didn’t expect to be so startling. Like a zip down to his bones, he’s flinching from the sound. “Do ya not realize yer a really big fuckin’ bump? Yer not some little hill I can just stroll over and keep goin’.” Atsumu tosses his head, scratching quickly between his ears before brushing one of them down over and over as he growls. “In case ya didn’t realize from the whole almost gettin’ yer head cut off part, I don’t exactly have the choice to climb a mountain like this. ‘Course I didn’t wanna leave like that but this is too fuckin’ much and before ya go askin’ what I mean by this - I know ya saw it happenin’ too.”

“We were having a good time.” 

“We were gettin’ too close.”

“I enjoyed having you around. So what if we were close? That’s- I thought- maybe- weren’t you having fun?”

“Ruinin’ yer life ain’t fun.” Atsumu looks up, somber and painfully sincere with the admission. “What would I do after I spend all that time climbin’ and then all the sudden I'm on the other side and it’s all behind me? Just keep going? Forget what I did and saw and felt- This shit can’t work. I’m not… And you’re...” He sighs and his ears fall low once more. “This is why I left. And why I left that stupid note. ‘Cause I couldn’t do this. I didn’t wanna see how ya look right now. Didn’t wanna look atcha when ya got all pitiful and doe-eyed and asked me t’stay.”

“Pitiful- me? ” If it were possible, Hinata’s sure there would be steam coming off him from the anger that starts boiling away at the word. “You don’t get to blame it on how I might have reacted. You were- You were scared .”

“We both were.” He counters, stepping forward with a jabbing point of his finger. “And I was bein’ realistic.”

“You ran away.”

“I left so you could go back to the life yer meant to live.” Atsumu’s hand goes up to push his hair back before flopping down against his side. “Yer kind and mine are separated for a reason and they gotta stay that way. Ya saw how everyone reacted… This ain’t how it’s supposed to be-”

“Says who? People?” Hinata gives a huff large enough to make his whole chest heave. “We’ve been over that, haven’t we? Why does anyone but us get to say how things go?”

“‘Cause this time we don’t got a choice. Just accept that sometimes regret is easier than grief.” Atsumu looks so irritated like this. His tail is swinging wildly behind him now, twitching uncomfortably as he keeps his eyes anywhere but Hinata’s face. “For botha us- it’s just better if we forget about all of it.”

“Can you really do that?” Pursed lips. Silence. The scrunch of a nose and thrash of a tail. “I don’t think I can.” 

“Yer not listenin’ to me.” He shoots Hinata a half-second glare before rolling his eyes away again. “It’s just not as easy as y’want it to be.”

“I am listening. I hear you, but what you think we should do is not what either of us wants, is it? You want me to believe you agree with them?” Atsumu only gives him a sharp tch in response. He was never a good liar on the rare occasions when they bickered or when Hinata started prying too much into his past. Being quiet isn’t any better but apparently it’s easier. “That’s such a lonely life- and since when is anything good supposed to be easy? At least grieving the loss means you had something worth mourning.”

“That’s fine for you to say when yer not the one who loses in the end.”

“Walking away kinda feels like a loss to me.”

“Yeah, well loving someone who’s inevitably going to disappear isn’t exactly a win.”

Hinata feels his throat going tight and he hates it.

“Then tell me you never want to see me again.”

Hates it almost as much as he hates the way the words seem to hit Atsumu like a slap. Brows dipped in, ears flat to his head, Atsumu frowns back at him as if he’s been scolded. 

“Tell me you regret meeting me.” Hinata continues, voice steady but knees beginning to grow weak where he stands. “That you wish it had been someone else that found you. Tell me and I’ll go.” He doesn’t want to hear any of it, but it’s what he needs to be able to abandon this. 

“Shouyou...” Spoken like Atsumu’s trying to coddle him into understanding, but he won’t. Hinata won’t accept this as the end unless he absolutely has to. “You know if I could have it my way that I’d-”

“Then if you can’t, tell me to leave and actually mean it. Don’t say it because you feel like it’s what you’re expected to say. Say it because it’s what you want.” He knows he’s coming across harsh. Probably unfair. He can read all he wants, but the stories in books will never allow him to fully comprehend any of what he’s seen. He doesn’t know them. Or what they’ve been through. Or how selfish he’s being- maybe he is just a greedy human after all. But he’s told Atsumu before and he’ll make it known again and again that he doesn’t give up on the things he wants. “I’ll walk out of here and promise to never come back. And you know they won’t let you see me again if I do, so if you want this to be the last time we speak, just tell me.”

Atsumu looks like he’s on the verge of shouting or breaking into tears. All tense and frustrated, he’s keeping everything trapped behind the wobble of his frown. Saying nothing at all feels worse than telling him to leave somehow. It’s giving some pitiful sense of hope that Hinata can’t bear. He’s not leaving here willingly. Not without burning the bridge.

“Atsumu,” His voice is starting to shake now. He can feel it rattling around his his chest, some desperate plea on the verge of ruin. “You have to-”

Atsumu rushes forward suddenly and Hinata thinks for a moment he’s about to be tackled in a fit of frustration. The rest of his words are cut off by the clench of his jaw and the brace of every muscle for an oncoming brawl. But a second passes and he isn’t being shoved back or decked by a fist- Instead, he’s stuck- trapped beneath Atsumu’s looming shadow and the caress of large hands grabbing his cheeks.

Hinata’s eyes open wide at the feeling of fingers digging into the space beneath his jaw. Mouth parting to spit out a question, he’s greeted with Atsumu’s determined gaze, fiery and intense just before it screws shut. Atsumu tugs him to his toes by the hold on his face, hoisting him up into a bruising kiss.

That sick feeling Hinata’s had for weeks floods back in with a new found force but this time… it’s so overwhelmingly addictive. Like the scalding water of a hot spring that hurts to slip into but once you’re submerged, it stings at your skin with a pleasant burn, loosening and melting over every muscle. He’d only allowed himself to consider what this may feel like in the hazy distance of his dreams. Never a conscious wish. Never more than a fleeting thought that he shoved back down the moment it spawned. He wasn’t supposed to be able to have this. Seeing Atsumu again should have been enough- but now that he knows how it feels to be gripped and held and clung to with someone’s entire body, he doesn’t want it to ever stop.

They part with a gasp, eyes flicking open to sear into each other before Atsumu whispers fast and strained against Hinata’s lips,

“I can’t.” His fingers squish at Hinata’s cheeks, clunking their foreheads together and rubbing back and forth. “ Okay? I can’t say any of that. So don’t. Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Please, don’t.”

Against the vice grip closing in on his chest telling him to push away and run before things get too messy, Hinata squeezes out a laugh. There’s relief flooding in and he can finally suck in a breath. “You’re the one that left, dummy.”

Atsumu lets Hinata fall back on his heels, but he hunches with him. Bending himself over, he won’t let go of Hinata’s face.

It doesn’t seem real. Hinata’s always been able to talk people into things, but this felt impossible.

Oh, but it isn’t. He’s wanted here. It’s not hopeless. It was never hopeless.

“I’m sorry.” Atsumu pushes in for another kiss, pecking them hastily against Hinata’s drawn up lips. “I’m so sorry, Sho.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

“Ya don’t hafta forgive me.”

“It’s a shame I’m dumb too and I already do.”

Finally, he hears Atsumu’s laugh. It’s not the loud one he’s gotten used to. This one is soft and maybe a little tired, but it’s only for Hinata.

“I’m an idiot.” Atsumu breathes along a sigh. He drops Hinata’s face only to wrap his arms around his smaller frame and tug him forward.

“Yeah, I think you kinda are.”

Hinata says it like a joke, a familiar tease, but he’s sure it sounds shaky. They’ve never been like this before. Touching so much. Maybe there were a few times when they got close while training; but one of them would always back away before things felt too intimate. Even then, it was Atsumu guiding his movements. Touching his arms and wrists and sides. Hinata had barely laid a hand on him since he’d changed from a little wounded animal… since he reached out and brushed his fingers over the soft fur of his ear and ultimately sent them spiraling to this point.

He’d wanted to reach out so many times but tried not to think about it. Always held himself back. Too scared to consider what it meant to want such a thing. But now it’s all out in the open. They feel the same. Always have. And he shouldn’t be afraid anymore.

Slowly, Hinata lifts his hands. They hesitate for a second just before making contact and smoothing up Atsumu’s back. Once they’re there, fanned over the ridge of his shoulder blades, his fingers dig into the silky fabric of Atsumu’s robe. It’s a startling realization when he turns his head to rest it against Atsumu’s chest that there’s a beat thrumming away beneath his ear. I shouldn’t be- They’re alive, aren’t they? Atsumu’s kind can die just like him, but a heart seems so corporeal. 

Atsumu’s fingers brush along the back of Hinata’s head as he curls over him. Around him. Tries to envelop him whole it seems. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this.” His hold on Hinata’s hair goes a little tighter before smoothing over the stands once more. “I let myself get carried away when it came to you. I shoulda left the second I felt better. Ya shouldn’t have ever seen me like this.” Atsumu’s deep breath presses against his cheek and they both wind their arms that much more around each other. “I’m not allowed to get close to yer kind… I dunno what happened. I just didn’t wanna go. It was selfish. All of it. Stayin’. Leavin’. Everythin’ in between.”

“I know. I get it. I really do- I knew I shouldn’t have come here but I couldn’t stop thinking about you and I had to know you were okay.” When Hinata leans away just enough to turn his face up, Atsumu drops his hand down to the dip of his back. Atsumu’s expression is soft, tender looking but still cautious as his eyes flick down to watch the grin that spreads over Hinata’s face. “Can’t we be selfish just a little longer?”

The smile Hinata gets in return is much smaller than his own, but Atsumu huffs a laugh through his nose and that seems to lift the last bit of tension from the air. “I don’t think you’ve given me much of a choice.”

“Do you want one?”

“No. I don’t.”

“What about the others? Kita-san and your brother- they seem so-”

“I’ll talk to them. It’s fine.” Atsumu brings his hands back to Hinata’s cheeks, thumbing under his eyes and pushing his curls away as he looks over his face. “Just stay with me.”

“I want to.” Tilting his cheek into a palm, he nuzzles into the warmth of it. Into the comfort of finally being held and coveted like it was something he’s always needed. But there’s an ache still in his chest. It sits with confusion and uncertainty of where they’re supposed to go from here. “I really, really do want to, but I can’t live here. It’s not meant for me, right? And my family needs me-”

“I can come back with you.”

“I can’t ask you to do that. Being holed up in my room isn’t fair.”

“Then tell me that I have to. You saved my life so now I have to stay by your side. If it’s a debt then I-”

“No, no. I already told you I never wanted you to owe me anything. Just promise me you won’t disappear again. Give me your word that you’ll never leave without telling me.” Staring up into brilliant gold, Hinata can’t help but place his hands overtop Atsumu’s to hold them firm against his cheeks. “We’ll figure something out, just come back to me when you go. Every time.”

“I promise. I’ll always come back.”

“And you mean it this time?”

Atsumu’s smile falls just for a moment. His brow gets that concerned little pinch as he bows forward and brings their faces closer. “I never wanted t’go back on my word in the first place. I just didn’t know what to do and I-”

“It’s okay, Tsumu.”

Hinata will stay smiling for the both of them. Soothing his hands down Atsumu’s arms, he holds onto them and tugs just a little to bring them together again. Atsumu relaxes easily back into him, hunching down and breathing out slow before meeting him for a kiss. Then another and another like each one is a gift in and of itself.

Hinata finds enough room to laugh into Atsumu’s mouth, squeezing at his arms and watching the glimmer behind his wide, delighted gaze. “I’ll probably give you hell for it once everything’s calmed down but for now… I’m just happy I found you.”

“I won’t leave ya like that ever again.” Lips pressed against his cheek, Hinata can feel the way they break into a smile again, however small. The words brush along his skin, and they sound as much like the truth as they do adamant hope.“I’ll do everythin’ I can to be at yer side forever.”

“Me too. For as long as I can be.”

It’s a fool’s vow, most likely. 

Imprudent and impassioned.

But it’s one all their own. And it’s a promise he knows in the rising swell of his heart that they’ll keep.