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“No, that’s not right…”
Miya Atsumu pressed his ear closer to the door, straining to hear the muffled frustration on the other side.
“Maybe if I…”
There was a fizzle, followed by a loud pop and a scream and Atsumu opened the door just in time to see the bookcase come down as the room was filled with a sickly yellow smoke that tasted of rotten eggs. Covering his mouth with his robe, Atsumu raced to the window and threw it open, wafting the disgusting fumes out of the room. He coughed, his eyes stinging as the room began to clear, allowing him to scrutinise the mess made by the boy with orange hair sitting on the floor, rubbing his head.
Before Atsumu even had the chance to speak, the boy, Hinata Shouyo, was on his feet. A look of horror painted on his childlike face as he sputtered out apologies and hastily started to gather the books and alchemic equipment that had been strewn across the floor.
“I-I’m sorry! I’m so so sorry!” Hinata squeaked, unable to meet Atsumu’s eye as he fumbled around with his arms filled with more than he could carry.
“Yer not meant ta be practising,” said Atsumu and Hinata stopped as if frozen in time. He finally met Atsumu’s eyes and Atsumu could see the tears welling, his lips trembling.
“Please don’t tell Washijo-sama! If he finds out, he’ll kick me out for sure!” Hinata besought, his frustration and fear causing his voice to waver.
Atsumu blinked and then heaved out a sigh, his shoulders deflating.
Hinata had come to their castle and begged for Washijo-sama to take him on as an apprentice. He had potential, but the old wizard was a bitter man who only took on the most gifted of students. However, instead of giving up and going home, Hinata had sat outside the castle in the wind and the rain, refusing to move until he was acknowledged. It became a battle of wills, and in the end the old man was too tired to argue and agreed that Hinata could stay on as their chore boy, but nothing else.
Atsumu wasn’t sure what Hinata’s motivations were, but at the end of the day, it hardly mattered what drove the boy to such extremes. In the end, it would be shitty of him to cause this boy to lose out on his dream. He didn’t know Hinata too well but had seen him around the castle, working tirelessly to appease Washijo-sama.
“Fine,” he conceded, rolling up his sleeves. “Get the broom to mop up the glass, I’ll fix the bookshelf.”
Hinata’s mood shifted instantaneously, and he beamed up at Atsumu with the intensity of the sun, nodding his head and dashing off to do as he was told. Atsumu blew out another breath and turned to the destroyed bookshelf. With a wave of his hands, he drew in the energy that surrounded him, condensing it into his palm and releasing it forward.
The splintered bookshelf began to creak and slowly the pieces began to float and slot into place as Atsumu directed with a gesture. The edges of each piece began to glow and meld together as if no damage had been done and Atsumu lowered his hands as the bookshelf settled to the floor, good as new.
“Wow,” Atsumu heard from behind him, and he turned to see Hinata standing in the doorway with a broom and dustpan, his mouth agape in awe.
“How did you do that? That was amazing!” Hinata bounded up to him, his face inches from Atsumu's, and Atsumu reeled back at the boy’s closeness. His heart began to palpitate, and the tips of his ears turned pink by the proximity between them.
Hinata smelled… warm. Like grass in a meadow on a hot summer’s day.
“It’s just a simple restoration spell, it’s not that impressive,” Atsumu dismissed, moving to start picking up books from the floor to calm the beating of his heart.
He could feel Hinata’s dazzling gaze on him as he worked, and he did his best to ignore him, confused by the feelings this boy ignited in him. Soon Hinata retreated to start sweeping up the floor and they worked together in silence, synchronising until the place was completely cleared.
“Thanks for helping me,” Hinata said as Atsumu picked up a toppled-over chair and the room looked as if nobody had touched it. In fact, Atsumu would argue it looked better than it did before.
“No problem,” responded Atsumu, dusting down his robe. “What were yah doin’ in here anyway?”
Hinata shifted from foot to foot, averting his gaze to the floor. “I-I overheard Washijo-sama complaining about an alchemic formula he was working on. I thought if I could do it, he would finally take me on as an apprentice,” he explained.
Humming in response, Atsumu leaned on the table. “Yah wanna be his apprentice that badly?” he wondered.
“More than anything!” Hinata’s eyes blazed with a want that burned through Atsumu, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.
This was the first proper interaction he had with Hinata, and he couldn’t help but feel like this boy really did embody the sun. He swallowed, looking away as if he was about to be blinded. For some reason, he felt compelled to help Hinata in that moment. It was like the warmth Hinata radiated was enveloping him, and he was becoming addicted to the feeling.
“Look,” Atsumu began, ruffling his hand through his bleach-blonde hair. “If yah want to learn magic that badly… I’ll help yah.”
Hinata’s face exploded into joy, sparkles in his eyes that Atsumu swore he could almost hear twinkling.
“Really? You’d do that?!” Hinata gushed and Atsumu coughed into his hand, keeping his vision cast off to the side as if one look at Hinata would blind him forever.
“Sure. I’m one of Washijo-sama’s best apprentices yah know,” he gloated, thumbing his chest to regain control over the situation he found himself in, though it seemed to fail miserably.
Hinata whooped, jumping, and wrapping his arms and legs around Atsumu’s torso, squeezing him with all his might. “You’re the best Tsumu!” he babbled as Atsumu swayed, almost falling over from the added weight.
“Wh-what the heck are yah doing?!” Atsumu demanded, arms raised and face flushing a deep crimson colour. “G-get off of me!”
Hinata, giggling like a child, dropped onto his feet, a grin plastered on his face. It perturbed Atsumu how comfortably Hinata spoke his nickname, and how much he enjoyed hearing him say it even more so.
Stomach squirming, Atsumu shifted and brushed down his robes to compose himself.
“Alright, meet me at the stables after dinner this evenin’,” Atsumu instructed. “I’ll show yah some basic spells yah can practice.”
Nodding fervently, Hinata gazed up at Atsumu in adoration, as if he was hanging off his every word.
“But yah can’t tell anyone okay? Washiijo-sama will have my ass if he finds out about this,” Atsumu warned.
“I won’t,” Hinata promised firmly.
Atsumu nodded.
“Alright, see yah later then,” he confirmed, moving towards the door.
“See you later Tsumu! And thanks again!” Hinata called after him, waving his arms until he was out of sight.
When he was a good distance away from the room, Atsumu leaned against the cold stone wall, breathing out a heavy breath.
What had he gotten himself into?