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Things were going well. He knew exactly where he was and, even if he didn’t, Suga had given him his cellphone which sat snugly in his pocket. He hadn’t gotten lost the previous three outings and, while reluctant, Daichi had allowed him to go alone. The jackets he’d been given were washed, pressed, and hung, symbols of both his embarrassment and his volleyball obsessed heart. It wasn’t as if he’d set out to start his own collection.
Bokuto might just give him one if he asked and he could probably barter one off Kenma with a new video game. This was not to be known by anyone since Hinata would get fileted alive if Kageyama found out.
Hinata checked his position, pleased it hadn’t deviated when he spotted Kenma’s two-toned hair weaving expertly through the crowd.
“Kenma!”
Only a momentary hesitation in the boy’s steps told Hinata he’d heard him. Not one to let that stop him, he ran over not nearly as successful in his crowd maneuvering as the other. With a few inexperienced tucks and weaves, Hinata grabbed the hood of Kenma’s jacket almost toppling the boy over.
Kenma made a surprised grunt, forcing his attention away from his game to keep them both upright. The do-do-do trill of game over came softly through the game’s speakers and Kenma glanced down at it with no expression.
“Sorry.”
It was a long ten seconds before Kenma answered. “It’s fine.” He closed the game without turning it off and Hinata feared he’d done something to ruin their friendship forever. “Did you want something?”
“To say hi.”
“Oh.”
Kenma’s tone was normal but Hinata still heard the accusation. Hinata clasped his hands together and placed them on his forehead, bowing.
“I’ll make it up to you however you want.”
Another stretched of silence as Kenma contemplated his offer. People around them whispered and chuckled.
“You played Battle Glenns before?”
Hinata peaked upwards. “Once with you?”
“Hm. Follow me.”
They ended in a quiet side hallway. A window and two chairs brightened the end. Kenma took one, Hinata the other. Not sure what was going on, Hinata sat on the edge, rocking a little.
“Phone?” Hinata pulled it from his pocket. “Go to this website and log in.”
He flashed his phone and Hinata followed the instructions. Large robots filled the screen and Hinata was overwhelmed for a few seconds until they disappeared and a log in screen took their place.
“Just use guest.”
Hinata found the appropriate button, clicked it, and was soon bombarded with different robot types, slowly spinning in an array before him.
“TR-3510.”
Hinata scrolled through the options until he found the one Kenma had said. It was a bulky low to the ground thing, painted in unappealing shades of brown and grey.
“Best cannon. Bad maneuverability. Shoot when I tell you.”
Several things Hinata couldn’t follow happened on screen, before it went black. Hinata panicked, afraid it was broken, but slowly color returned, and it was the TR-3510 and another robot Hinata didn’t know against empty space. The other was a well-built thing. Sleek and shiny. Bold red and blues painted the sides, a large sword strapped to its back.
“Button on the right is shoot. One on the left is reload. Do nothing until I tell you.”
There was a seriousness in Kenma’s expression that Hinata didn’t think he’d seen before, and he nodded quickly. Music started and aliens began to appear before them. Hinata watched fascinated as Kenma deftly moved his character through the incoming tide, wiping them all out with ease. The next two rounds were the same; Kenma dominated and Hinata watched.
Towards the middle of the fourth round Kenma said, “Now.”
It took a second for Hinata to connect. His thumb jerked into motion nearly missing the button in haste. The gun on the robot’s back flared, sending out a shell, the shockwave whipping out half the on-screen enemies.
“Woah.”
“Reload.”
The round ended shortly after that and for the next three, Kenma asked Hinata to fire when the screen was filled with enemies. A satisfied smirk pulled Kenma’s lips as Hinata’s latest shot annihilated the enemies on screen resulting in a large, colorful, WIN to flash on screen. The battery symbol appeared once, before Hinata was left with a dead phone.
“Ah. Phones dead.”
“Charger?”
“Didn’t think I’d need one.”
Kenma pulled a cord from his pocket. “This work?”
Hinata took it, comparing it to his phone. “No.”
Kenma shrugged and put it back in his pocket. Music still came quietly from Kenma’s phone. There was silence for a while as Hinata decided what to do next. The game. Jumping to his feet, Hinata ran down the hall to the junction, but pulled up short when he didn’t recognise anything. He looked frantically both ways. Somethings were vaguely familiar. After a check on the map though, Hinata didn’t know anything that could guide him.
“Kenma!”
Kenma jerked as Hinata barreled towards him. Hinata grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Kenma, do you know how to get back to the main lobby?”
Struggling out of his grip, Kenma retreated behind the chair. “Yeah, why?”
“I have to get to the game, and I can’t find the way myself. Daichi will kill me if I’m late again.”
Kenma shrugged, his eyes still glued to the screen. New sounds had begun already.
“Do you know how to get back?”
Kenma shrugged again. “Kuro always finds me.”
“Kenma. What are you doing here?” Kuroo appeared behind Kenma, who leaned his head back to see. “Hinata too?” He smirked. “Our turn is it?”
Hinata frowned. What did that mean?
“Aren’t we lucky Kenma. Bokuto owes me.”
“What’s that mean?” Hinata asked.
“Nothing you need worry about. Let’s get you back.”
Hinata would worry about that much later when he wasn’t panicked about missing the game. “Come on, come on.” Hinata chanted hopping from foot to foot.
“Chill, little crow. You have an hour,” Kuro said.
“Daichi said I have to be back at least an hour before the game starts or I’m never allowed out along again.”
Kuro laughed. Laughed. Like it wasn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to Hinata. “Stop laughing!” Hinata demanded, to which Kuro only laughed harder. “Forget your help I’ll find the way myself.”
“Wait, wait,” Kuro said, still laughing. He grabbed the back of Hinata’s shirt pulling him to a stop before he could storm off. “We’ll get you there don’t worry.”
“You say that but you’re not the one who has to deal with Daichi.” Hinata slumped sulkily into the chair again.
“No, but maybe I can put in a good word for you.”
“What’s in it for you?” Hinata asked suspiciously.
“Learning I see. Hmm, two things. I get to see Bokuto’s face when I’m the one to bring you back and I get to see everyone in Karasuno react when they see you.”
“See me?”
Kuro nodded seriously. “Yes. I’ve heard you’ve been collecting quite a few interesting things and I want to make sure I add ours.”
Hinata narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Wait, do you mean …”
“Yes,” Kuro said, pulling out a jacket from his gym bag. “Been carrying it around with me for a while just in case.”
“No! I’m not even lost.”
“And yet you need Kenma’s help to get back, right?”
“Well – that’s – maybe. But that’s only so I get their faster.” Hinata tried, but even he didn’t really believe himself. Kuro’s raised eyebrow said he didn’t believe it either.
Eventually, Hinata slumped. “Do I have to put it on?”
“Yes,” Kuro said instantly.
“What do you think Kenma?” Hinata asked a little desperately.
Not even looking up from his game Kenma shrugged. “Don’t really care.”
Kuro smiled triumphantly, and Hinata sagged farther into the cushion before letting out a resigned sigh and reaching for the jacket. It was big, as all the others had been though Kuro was slimmer than Oikawa and Ushijima. Hinata wondered if he’d grabbed a larger size on purpose. Putting that thought out of his head was far easier than thinking about it so Hinata did.
At least he wasn’t being carried.
“Alright then,” Kuro said cheerfully, pulling Kenma up from the chair by the elbow. It didn’t seem to interfere with his game at all. “Off we go to find the little crows nest.”
Hinata groaned.
The trip itself wasn’t bad and went much faster than if Hinata tried on his own, much to his aggravation. Smugness radiated from Kuro as they stepped into the correct gym and saw the Karasuno team doing their warm-up.
“Here we are, little crow,” he said louder than he needed to because he was a jerk who couldn’t let Hinata suffer in peace. Everyone in the gym turned to them. Which just happened to be Bokuto’s team.
“Hey, hey, hey. What’s going on Hinata? Made it back in time!” Then he saw what Hinata was wearing. “How could you Hinata. I was supposed to be next!”
“What does that even mean!” Hinata cried, fully over with the whole thing.
“There’s a bet, ya see, about who would bring you back next and I bet 10 dollars that it would be me. How could you!” Bokuto said.
“How was I supposed to know! No one ever tells me anything. Besides I don’t think your supposed to tell the person you’re betting on about the bet. But that’s besides the point. You bet on me!”
Kuro laughed behind him.
Hinata just about tore off the jacket out of spite but that would be rude, and his mother always taught him to be polite. “Thank you for taking me back,” he said because that was the right thing to do. “I hope I never see any of you again.” Because how dare they.
Kuro only laughed harder, and Bokuto started pouting loudly.
As fast as he could, Hinata ran to his team and huddled in close between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Tsukishima smirked at him, but it was better than out there where Bokuto was still yelling at Kuro, the smirking bastard, while Kenma didn’t seem to care at all. Some friend he was.
Daichi just sighed his soul out of his body and continued talking ignoring everything outside the circle. Kageyama glared at him from across the circle, but for once Hinata was in full agreement with him. He was never leaving alone again no matter what.