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Bokuto's eyes flicker over the landscape, rocking back and forth on his bare heels. He wasn't one who was typically inclined to wear shoes,causing the soles of his feet to be dirty but that was never a problem for him.
His wings are heavy, much too big for his current little 12-year-old body and drag against the grass that covered the cliff. Round amber eyes stare down at the forest below, watching every little movement, even the trees rustling in the cool Autumn wind. He wasn't supposed to go anywhere. He'd be in trouble if he stayed out for too long or ventured too far from their territory. But everything was so...interesting.
A light force comes down on his head, making him gasp and turn on his feet in a split second to meet the bored, narrow eyes of Akaashi. "Wh- hey!" He shrieked, pouting as he rubbed the top of his head. "What was that for? I didn't even do anything this time!" He whined. The dark-haired male sighs, putting his hands on his hips as his dark wings extend out at his sides. Almost jet black, speckled with white and an almost golden-color yellow. Pretty.
"I know you're thinking about it," his friend said calmly, his voice calm and quiet, though still retaining the slightly amusing high pitch characteristic of a boy his age. Even so, Koutarou knew he was being serious.
"Maybe I am! What is it to you?" He pouts.
Keiji frowns, staring at him quietly for a moment before looking out over the edge of the cliff, sighing. "If an Avian is caught in divine territory you'll get hurt. The kingdom doesn't like us and I don't want you to get taken away," his friend explains, his expression calm but a hint of worry in his voice.
"It'll be fine," Bokuto tries to reassure him, raising his wings, showing off the off-white wings with many black feathers mixed in and flecked with gold. "I'm super strong and I can fly away before they could ever catch me! Besides…" He crouched down, lowering himself until he could place his hand on the soft grass, his gaze once again fixed on the woods below. "I've never even seen a cat spirit before. Have you? How dangerous could they be if we've never even seen them before?"
"Kou-"
"You know what?" The avian boy jumps to his feet, turning to his friend with a large grin. "Íf I find one then you're not allowed to tell anyone that I went out there, okay? Okay??"
Keiji glares at him for several seconds, but eventually just sighs, nodding. Bokuto's will is something that even he can't stop. He's none but defeated. "Okay...Okay fine, go ahead. If you find one I won't tell. But you have to bring me proof. Deal?"
"Deal!" Koutarou smiled, turning back on his feet and taking a running start. Every time his feet leave the ground it feels free. Amazing. He flaps his wings, feeling the tug of the wind in his feathers, holding him high in the air with nothing below him. It never changes.
The woods are like a blur several many feet below him as he scanned the area. Hinata claimed he'd met a cat spirit once but hadn't seen him in a long time. He begged the young crow to give him more details but to no avail. Instead he'd just have to find one for himself. Prove to the other owls that he's not a little baby anymore. Smart and stuff.
Bokuto finds himself flying low over the trees as he spots one of the ancient cat spirit shrines where people from the villages would go and leave offerings in hopes of receiving wealth and luck in exchange.
That's when a reflection of light catches his eye. That's also the moment where he feels his wing catch on the thin branches of the trees below. When you have wings it doesn't take much more than that to put yourself in danger. Panic fills his chest, leaving him to wrap his wings tightly around himself, knowing that trying to fly with an injured wing would only heighten the stakes. It doesn't matter much when he's crashing into shallow water.
All is still and quiet aside from the rustling leaves and his heavy, uneven breathing as he unfurls his wings, rolling onto his back. He doesn't care that he's getting soaking wet. He's more concerned about how the hell he's going to get home like this.
That's when he hears it.
A high-pitched jingeling of a bell.
Bokuto sits up quickly with a soft gasp, snapping his head around but is unable to find the source of the sound in the surrounding trees. That is until a petite cat strolls by. It's a calico with sharp yellow eyes that seem to be judging him. Rude. It sniffs his wing, but when he reaches out to touch it, the creature withdraws and takes off into the underbrush. Only a minute later does another one appear, sleek and dark. Still looks like it's judging him but less harshly than the first. Still, rude. It wanders behind him out of sight, blocked from his view by his large wings.
"What the-" Koutarou turns his head to the other side as light pawsteps become heavier and finds himself just inches from a boy's face.
The first thing he notices is his shit-eating grin that makes him pout. Other than that he has tan skin and a mess of jet black hair. He's dressed in a red and white Yukata, the fabric seeming to reach just above his scraped knees. He's not wearing shoes either. He's crouched on his hands and knees, staring at Bokuto intently, with curiosity in his brown eyes.
Pretty.
He swallows nervously as he tries to force the thought from his brain. "U-Um-"
"Huh." The boy interrupts him entirely, finally moving back to give him space to breathe. He has a red ribbon around his neck with two small bells attached to it that he hadn't noticed before. For a second he's afraid he's about to get yelled at or murdered, or something, but then…
But then the boy flashes his sharp canines in a grin so bright it's practically blinding and Bokuto feels his heart melt and race in his chest.
"You smell," the boy laughs, the catlike ears settled where human ones should be twitch, a sign to his amusement.
Koutarou's face turns bright red as he breathes in sharply as he takes every single consonant and vowel into offense. "I do not!"
"Do too!" The male sticks out his tongue, straightening his legs and rising up, arching his back as he sticks out his tongue tauntingly.
"Do not!" Bokuto snaps back. They fall into a brief but comfortable quiet before the tan boy asks "Did you really fall from the sky?"
"Uh-huh."
"Shouldn't Avians be good at flying?"
"Y-Yeah, well I am good at flying, I just got distracted!" The young owl defends himself, fluffing up his feathers as an instinctual defense to appear bigger, however at the moment he was a slightly chubby 12-year-old. Not the most threatening. The catboy just laughs and stands up, grabbing Bokuto by the collar of his shirt and pulling him to his feet. He has a couple inches of height on him unfortunately, which doesn't help with the fact that he's already feeling embarrassed by this stranger.
"Who are you anyways?" Koutarou asked, trying to take the lead and get ahead of the other male in conversation. In hopes it would restore his trashed sense of pride.
"Kuroo Tetsurou!" The catboy answers proudly, puffing out his chest. "And you?"
"Bokuto Koutarou!" Koutarou folds his arms over his chest, still trying and failing to appear more big and intimidating than his 'opponent'.
"Well then Mr. Bokuto, I have a proposition for you!"
"P-propa...propo...si...what?"
"Whatever, nevermind that! I'll heal your wing so you can fly home in exchange for food!"
"W-Where am I supposed to get-" he stops himself before he can raise his voice, clearing his throat. "Well I don't have any food so-" he reaches into the void-like depths of his shorts pocket and pulls out a charm. A loop of string holds it together on the twine that made up the necklace 'chain'. At the top was some sort of precious jewel and attached beneath it was a strong feather. It was his, hung upside down and white with a black fade at the top and yellow flecks of color. "Is this okay? I-I don't know how much it's worth but um…"
He stares quietly as Kuroo appears trapped in awe, reaching out slowly to take the necklace from him, seemingly amazed by the charm. His eyes glow a soft red, matching the blush rising to his tan cheeks. He smiles, clutching the jewel in his palm. Did he really like it that much?
"What is it exactly?" He questions, holding it up to the dimming light of the evening.
"I uh... don't really know? But everyone in the Avian tribes has one and hafta make one so I did! All I know is that it's supposed to mean something special," Bokuto explains with a nervous grin.
Kuroo nods, although still appearing just as confused as he was amazed, tying it around his wrist.
Finally he approaches quickly, his touch gentle along Bokuto's right wing as he heals it. Although the bloody spot in his feathers remains, it felt as if it had never been cut at all.
"Um...thanks...Kuroo," Bokuto murmurs shyly, receiving a cheerful giggle in response.
"Amazing, aren't I? There aren't many chances to make friends out here cus everyone thinks cat spirits will murder them!"
"Will they?"
"Maybe!"
There's a stunned pause before they both burst into laughter.
"You should go before it gets too dark," Tetsurou says with a smile so big it probably hurts. It hurts Bokuto to have to leave after seeing it.
"We're both nocturnal, Kuroo," The Avian replies sharply in an attempt to appear smarter than he probably was.
"No we're not. Cats and Cat spirits are Crepuscular."
"I...I don't know what that means," Bokuto muttered softly, feeling the heat creep up his neck in embarrassment once again. This time, however, Kuroo just rolled his eyes and lightly shoved his shoulders playfully. "Okay well whatever, just go!"
"If you find one I won't tell. But you have to bring me proof. Deal?"
Right as he turns to take off, Keiji's voice rings in his ears. His breath trembles as he slowly turns to look behind him at his unsuspecting new friend who was crouched near the grass with his back mostly facing him, picking up shiny rocks. He didn't want to get in trouble.
Kuroo's ears twitch when he hears his fast footsteps splashing through the water, but his reaction time is just a bit too slow as Koutarou grasps the red ribbon and tears it from his neck.
"H-Hey, give that back!" Kuroo cries, scrambling to his feet, but failing at his attempts to grasp at Bokuto's wings to pull him back. "I need that!" He stumbles over his own feet as he races behind him through the ankle-deep water. He's fast of course, but not fast enough to catch the winged boy before he leaves the ground.
Tetsurou falls to the ground, clearly in distress. "Give it back, please! You don't have to take it, I'll give you whatever blessings you want from me, just- just-" he's out of breath from shouting and crying all at once. Bokuto is already in the air when he fully collapses into tears, curling up to himself despite the water.
Even a friendly Cat Spirit wasn't strong enough against a 12-year-old Bokuto in his moment of greed. Thinking only for himself.
When he lands back on the cliff, he finds Akaashi sitting cross-legged and braiding blades of grass. When he looks up, he seems surprised to see Bokuto in front of him, out of breath and looking upset. "Hey, woah-" his eyes quickly shifted to the bell and ribbon clenched tightly in his hand. He scrambles to his feet, reaching out and easily taking it from him. His eyes sparkle with amazement. "You actually…" he exhales slowly, looking up again. "Why are you so…"
"He was really nice to me!" Bokuto exclaims. "A-And when I took it he got upset and started crying!" Bokuto cries, round eyes brimming with tears.
"What are you guys yelling about?"
They both jump at the sound of another voice.
"H-Hinata!" Bokuto squeaks.
The redhead is much smaller than them, messy orange hair pulled into a tiny fluffy ponytail at the name of his neck. He was dressed in a black tunic that reached just below his knees, barefoot just like the rest of them. He had small black wings on his back, proportionate to his tiny frame. He fidgeted with his fingers.
"Nothing, What're you doing here anyway?"
"A disturbance in the divine balance," Shouyo recited, probably imitating whatever adult told him that and dragged him here.
"A…" Bokuto starts to repeat, but allows his voice to trail off. He sighs, looking back over to the bell currently in Akaashi's hands. He messed up. Bad.
That night stuck with him, though. It never left his mind, and the guilt never cleared from his heart.
*-*-*-*-*
In the next 10 years, the guilt only claws at his chest further.
About a year after that night, 'myths' rose in the village regarding 'The Cat Spirit Without a Bell'. The myth of an elusive young Cat Spirit who wanders through the woods surrounding its shrine. There are plenty of different speculations of how it lost its ribbon, but nobody has a clue. The few who managed to see it say it often sits in a very shallow body of water with a strange charm tied around his wrist. Perhaps waiting for something.
Perhaps waiting for Bokuto to miraculously fall from the sky again.
But he hadn't seen him since that night. He never dared to go back again.
Right now, however, a librarian was giving him a dirty look following his question regarding books on the cat spirits. He didn't want to leave things like they were for any longer. He'd carried this with him for long enough now.
Or perhaps the red ribbon tied around his wrist was why she was looking at him like that.
"Looking for something specific?"
"UWah!" Bokuto jumps, looking up and over his shoulder to a tall male hovering over his shoulder. "Who the hell are you?"
"Calm down, I'm Tsukishima," the blonde says, pushing his collar to the side to reveal the black wing tattoo on his collarbone. Bokuto's is silver on his shoulder. He's a crow, obvious, which means his wings must be bound to his back beneath his clothes.
"Okay, and?" The owl mutters nervously.
"You looking for information on the Cat spirits, right? Aside from the book, the divine collar on your wrist makes it incredibly obvious."
"Huh? The…" Bokuto raises his wrist. "This?"
"Yes, that," the blonde scoffed. "It's a collar that's gifted to them based on the collar they wore before they became Cat Spirits," Tsukishima explains. His annoyance wasn't even remotely hidden.
"What do you mean, 'before they became Cat spirits'?" Koutarou questioned, turning in his seat to face the tall crow better.
"Cat spirits are born from cats who pass to the afterlife. They live just how other human-like creatures such as the avians do." The blonde says, pushing his glasses up a bit higher on his nose bridge.
"Oh…" Bokuto mumbles, feeling a bit sad upon hearing that. "If one is mad at me...what do I do?" He asks, hoping the desperation doesn't creep into his voice too much.
Tsukishima gives him a weird look. Confusion, curiosity, and perhaps even sympathy all at once
"The closest thing I can think of is the courting rituals but I don't know how that would work for you. Courting rituals primarily consist of gifts. The one being courted will accept the gifts and eventually reject or deny the partner."
Koutarou feels his heart begin to race, jumping to his feet quickly "Awesome, thanks;" he says, turning to leave, but Tsukishima calls to him.
"Hey! Be careful. Because of their connection to it, a cat spirit without its bell will become depressed and potentially malevolent. It could reject you and pose a threat to your life," he warns.
Bokuto takes a deep breath, nodding before continuing on his way out the door.
Kuroo might kill him if he wants to. But that's fine. He'd do what he had to do.
The first week he leaves a basket of food, all of which contain fish or similar stuff.
The second week he left steamed buns.
The third week is when Akaashi catches wind of his actions, lectures him about being careful and that he shouldn't be doing this...and then offers his help.
He didn't know what he'd do without Keiji.
On this week they present fine fabrics. And more food of course.
Every time they return to the shrine, the gifts are gone. This little ritual continues on for about two months until they both run out of new ideas. So Akaashi reminds him of why he's doing this.
"In my defense it made sense to ask that of you back then," Akaashi had said. "Neither of us would've known what would happen. Frankly I should've been the one to tell you to take it back. But then again-" Keiji chuckles softly "What else could I expect from you but for you to think of it first?" He smiles at him slightly, a rare and honorable gesture from the usually stoic young man. "Good luck, Kou."
"It's not your fault, by the way. It's mine. Thanks," he flashes a smile and with that he's off, jumping off the cliff again.
The snow-covered trees are blinding in the dim sunlight. It always fascinated him how they refused to completely die on divine territory. It was only mid-November but it felt like winter already. Today he chose to wear boots. It was plenty helpful as he landed in the snow-covered shallow water, walking slowly towards the shrine. It's surprisingly humble, not fitting for the bold young boy he'd met years ago. He doesnt let details distract him too much, though.
Bokuto fidgets with the ribbon, wondering if he really wants to return it. If Tetsurou hated him then he'd have nothing to remind himself of the friendly young spirit.
A presence disturbs him, causing his feathers to ruffle and stand on edge. Koutarou turns slowly, his already round eyes widening at the sight before him.
Tetsurou, in a kimono made of blue and white fabric that he'd brought. Still no shoes but thick black tights instead. And a worn charm tied around his wrist. He exhales slowly, his breath appearing in a cloud of white in front of his face. "Wow, look who grew up. What, you trying to court me or something with all these damn gifts?" The Catboy says softly, a warm smile on his face despite the cold that surrounds them.
"Kuroo-"
"If you are, then I accept. No conditions this time," he interrupts him. A warmth spreads throughout Bokuto's body, not an unusual feeling but it feels different now that he's with him. Instinctively he wraps his arms around Kuroo's neck, pressing a deep kiss to his soft lips. Kuroo's arms wrap around his waist just a bit below his wings. They both shiver as small flakes of snow fall onto their exposed skin, but the moment is too precious to move just yet.
Tetsurou threads his fingers into the back of Bokuto's hair despite breaking the kiss. "I had a feeling you'd come back...I wasn't sure why though. I thought maybe you'd return but not for me. I guess I was wrong, wasn't I? I don't know why you took it, and...I don't think knowing will change anything so...you could just leave me in the dark, it's okay. Just knowing that you never forgot about me...it's more than enough. Beyond what I would've been asked for from you."
Bokuto chuckles softly, pulling back with a smile. "I was just a stupid kid, I'd just never thought…it would mean anything…then time passed and I kind of think it meant more to me than it did to you. But even then…" he slowly traced his hand down Tetsurou's arm to his wrist, looping his finger under the wire that the charm hung from. "You kept this?"
"Huh?" Kuroo pulls his hand to his chest as if trying to hide the necklace tied around his wrist. "Yeah, of course I did…So what if I did? You kept that." he mutters, his cheeks turning pink as his catlike gaze shifts to the side. He huffs a little, ears lowered as light flakes of snow collected on them.
"You're really cute.."
"Hm?!" Kuroo tenses up, narrow eyes going wide in surprise, catlike ears lifting slightly with curiosity and surprise. "Geez, Bokuto! Bold, are we?" He pouts a little, giving the winged male a slightly playful glare.
"What?" Koutarou feels his face heating up. He hadn't done something wrong, had he? But Kuroo just laughs, wrapping his arms around Bokuto's neck, pulling him into another sweet kiss.
He shivers a bit at the contact, feeling everything inside of him light up like fireworks on a local holiday. Bokuto raises his wings, closing them around them both, holding him close. Kuroo doesn't move much, laying his head against his shoulder and taking a deep, slow breath.
"I love you," he exhales softly.
"Do you?" Bokuto responds, his voice gentle and low as he traces his fingers up Kuroo's back beneath the warmth of his owl-like wings.
Tetsurou laughs softly "Of course I do. I couldn't forget about you for all this time. And now you're here. And nothing's changed. Of fucking course I love you." He smiles against his neck. Koutarou sighs heavily, narrowing his eyes as he stares up at the light cloudy sky, blinking away the snow that fell into his face.
"You wanna know why it's so special to me? That you're here?" Kuroo lifts his head with his chin still on Bokuto's shoulder.
"Hm? Why's that?"
"My birthday. So...thanks. Really. Don't fly away this time okay?"
Bokuto feels tears well up in his eyes, particularly upon remembering what Tsukishima had explained to him earlier. Warm tears fall against his cold, pink-tinted cheeks. "Yeah...I won't, I promise."
"Do you really?"
"I do. For the rest of my life, I promise."