Chapter Text
Kageyama Tobio had officially decided this sucked. He was tangled up under about fifty blankets to the point he could barley move, and he was still freezing. Nothing he did would stop the relentless shivering going on.
It wasn’t even the normal, stupid type of cold either. It was the kind of cold that stayed wrapped under his skin no matter how much heat he tried to trap around himself. His teeth kept knocking together to the point it was starting to hurt and every three fucking seconds another shiver would tear through him making the futon beneath him shift.
It was humiliating.
And to make matters even worse he was stuck in a dorm room with all his teammates that didn’t exactly like him right now. He could admit it himself, he was a jackass. His day had already been fucked and Hinata being the bright ball of energy he normally is was Kageyamas last straw.
Of course that had ended up with his king persona getting brought out which was just lovely. Truly. Then Daichi stepped in, Suga following after him. Afterwards the team started to distance themself from him.
It wasn’t cruel exactly, it wasn’t like the team was ignoring him outright and talking shit straight to his face - like his old team used to do - just people had started to tone themselves down near him. Even Tsukishima looked like he didn’t want to talk to him. Which was enough for Kageyama to realise he truly was just a piece of shit through and through.
He hadn’t meant what he said at the time. Sure, something about him was fucked, he knew that but he thought he had it under control. He thought he was doing better than middle school, but of course not, why would he ever be blessed with something decent in his god forsaken life?
Now here he was, halfway through the joint training camp with Nekoma. Kageyama was almost certain everyone already knew something was going on, Because why wouldn’t they?
Kenma had realised not even 20 minutes in. Of course he had. I mean the guy barely looked up from his gaming console but somehow he still apparently knew everything. Kenma was good at keeping his facial expressions the same. Kuroo on the other hand…
Kageyama was pretty sure Hinata blabbed about it to Lev and Inouka, because they’d both started to look at him like a feral dog that might bite someone at any given moment.
At least they weren’t sharing dorms with Nekoma.
But to be completely honest being stuck with his teammates alone wasn’t much better right now.
It was the middle of the night and to be honest under all of Kageyamas definitions he might of been dying. He had been feeling off the whole day before, but was he one to admit that? No, thank you very much. So he made it through the day without any hitches. If he just forgot about some of the looks of somewhat worry coming from Suga and Daichi a few times throughout the day.
Lights off arrived and he took the opportunity to pass out gracefully on his bed. Only to get awoken 3 hours later having to run to the bathroom and throw up.
That was fun.
It wasn’t even like he hadn’t tried to fall asleep after, because he did. Every time he had gotten even close to falling off into his blissful dreams, he got pulled right back out of it by either the nausea or the chills.
So, that’s how he managed to still be awake half way through the night.
Should he go wake someone up? Maybe.
Was his pride definitely too big for that? Also maybe.
Sure, if he did go wake someone up, they would help. No one on the team were complete jackasses as to ignore someone if they were sick. Even if they were still mad at him. Tsukishima excluded.
If he were to go wake someone up, Suga would be on the top of his list. On second thought, the way he had scolded him after the fight was harsh. Kageyama couldn’t be sure he would appreciate getting woken up in the middle of the night for someone like him.
The coaches were another option.
Just the small fact that Kageyama was eighty percent sure he’d collapse in the middle of the hallway if he tried to make it to their rooms. To be completely honest, dying face first on the floor at training camp sounded mortifying. So yeah, maybe not a good option.
He could just go back to sleep; wake up in the morning and pretend he was fine. He could hide he was sick, easy peasy.
——
In fact it was not easy peasy.
Kageyama had awoken to the sound of movement around him and immediately realised something was off.
His body felt impossibly fucking heavy.
He tried to get up from where he was laying and dizziness crashed into him so hard his vision started to black out at the edges. Deciding passing out didn’t actually sound like a fun thing, he dropped his head back down into the pillow trying to breath through the stupid nausea.
And shit his morning run.
He was already supposed to be up.
For some reason he would never know, his body automatically woke up before everyone else’s, without needing an alarm. Normally he liked to take advantage of that and go for a run. Nothing like a good bit of exercise to wake you up in the morning.
But instead, the room was filled with sleepy voices and people rustling through bags. Meaning people were already up and getting ready.
Great.
Really just great.
If he was being completely honest with himself, it sounded like the last thing he ever wanted to do.
At least at some point during the night the insufferable coldness had left him alone. Except now he was absolutely roasting. He might offwell been shoved in an oven with the heat that burned under his skin. Sweat had dampened his neck making him feel like a massive, sticky blob and stuck his skin to the covers.
The fog in his head hadn’t left him. More like it had gotten worse. His thoughts felt slow and stretchy and whenever he thought he could hold on to one properly it would drift from his grasps.
Someone across the room muttered about breakfast being in twenty minutes and Kageyamas stomach lurched violently at the thought of food.
Nope.
Absolutely fucking not, thank you very much.
Now there were very few ways this day could go.
Number one. He got up pretended everything was fine, go to practise and pray he wouldn’t pass out on the court.
Number two. Admit he was sick and that he shouldn’t play.
That just sounded horrifying.
Or number three. Ignore the thought of the upcoming day and stay in his blissfulness of half-awake mind.
Honestly number three was sounding the most promising at the moment.
The setter didn’t even manage to properly think over the decisions before he felt a hand poking at his shoulder and someone muttering above him. Rude. He didn’t want to get up why were people pestering him?
Instead of answering the mysterious person above him, he curled more into his futon hiding his face in it.
The mystery person poked at his side, this time making Kageyama flinch hard. Which he immediately regretted when his head started to pound harder.
God fucking dammit, couldn’t he just be left alone?
“What?!”
His voice came out all scratchy and rough. If he was in a better state of mind Kageyama's face would have immediately flooded with embarrassment.
Noya was crouched beside his futon, dressed and ready for the day like he always was. “We need to go for breakfast dude get up”
Breakfast sounded like a fucking nightmare. Honestly the worst thing he could think of doing. The food at camp was shit and the way his stomach was already rolling, the food would not be staying down that’s for sure.
So instead of gracing Noya with an answer like a normal person would, Kageyama decided to roll onto his back, pull his covers over his head and block out the world. If he pretended enough maybe they’d leave him the fuck alone.
“Oi!” Noya said, poking at him again. Literally what was it with him and his need for poking at things? “Your gonna be late get up”
So blocking out the world apparently did not mean the world leaving him alone. A discovery he would have loved to make another day.
“M’not gonna be late” Kageyama grumbled into his blankets, “leave me alone.” Even if he was going, if he didn’t get up now he would be late. But details.
“Yes you are.”
“No I'm not.”
“Yes you are.”
God he was too sick for this.
And then with zero warning what so fucking ever Noya yanked the blankets away from him.
Light stabbed directly into Kageyamas skull and holy fuck since when where lights always so bright and painful. He hissed slightly and threw an arm over his face to shield it from the ridiculous amount of light in the room.
“Oh shit.” Noya blurted out.
There was a brief pause of silence.
Then cautiously. “dude…are you sick?”
Kageyama could actually catch a hint of concern coming from him and wasn’t that just lovely.
Because apparently he looked just so utterly terrible the Nishinoya Yu, the literal human embodiment of reckless confidence and not giving two fucks, sounded genuinely concerned. So yes he actually must just look like a pile of shit from that tone coming from him.
“‘M fine.” Kageyama muttered, “give me my blanket back.” He attempted to argue. *attempted* because Noya instead had just looked at him like he had grown another three heads.
“Uh no you look like death.”
Rude.
Before Kageyama could even attempt to dispute that fact Noya twisted around “suga-san!”
Oh hell no. The one person Kageyama physically could not lie to.
Kageyama immediately grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his face like that would somehow save him from what was to come.
Suga proceeded to trot his merry way over probably with that infuriating calm motherly face he always had on. That was just a guess as Kageyama was still hiding under the sanctuary of his pillow.
“What’s wrong?” Suga asked.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Kageyama prayed to the gods that Suga would just disappear, go away.
Noya, the traitor he was, replied immediately. “He’s sick.” But yet he continued to poke at Kageyama's side again. Kageyama moved himself away from that said hand again.
“I’m not.”
“Are too.”
“Are not.”
“Are too.”
Jesus christ Kageyama must of done something to upset fucking someone in the heavens above. He couldn’t catch a break.
“Sick how?” Suga inquired as he too crouched down beside the futon. If Kageyama could see the look on his face, maybe he could try to figure out a way to wriggle himself out of this situation. However he was still under his safe and oh so soft pillow. If Suga couldn’t see his face, maybe he couldn’t figure out he was sick.
That made sense.
Probably.
Then maybe in 5 minutes he wouldn’t look sick and he could go to practise and be fine.
Noya then went on to blabber about how apparently he looked sweaty, feverish and pale. Did he fuck it was all lies and slander. At this point Noya was just trying to get him in trouble.
Kageyama heard Suga sigh slightly before he reached over to move the pillow from Kageyama's face. Presumably to see if he actually was sick. And that wasn’t happening.
Suga had some terrifying sixth sense when it came to sickness or injuries. Kageyama would honestly believe if someone told him he was some prophet reader or whatever other bullshit. He noticed everything. Twisted ankles. Fevers. Headaches. One time Hinata had tried to hide a sprained wrist and that lasted all of ten minutes before Suga marched him straight to the nurses office.
“Kageyama.” Suga said patiently, “stop being stubborn, let me see your face.” He then proceeded to keep tugging on his pillow. The only thing keeping him safe from being exposed as a weak and useless sick person.
“How about you leave me alone.”
“How about you listen to your senpais for once”
Kageyama instead just groaned and rolled over so his back faced both of them instead. Some distant part of him knew that wasn’t going to make Suga go away. That this was just childish.
Unfortunately that part was currently drowning in fever.
“Tobio.” Suga threatened.
First name and everything.
Great so he ultimately was just screwed wasn’t he.
“I said m’fine just go away.” Kageyama said thickly as he smushed the pillow more into his face. Ignorance is bliss as they say.
“Your literally shivering, Im not an idiot”
And shit he was. Just that made no sense whatsoever. It felt like fire was burning itself into his skin. quite literally creeping through every vein in his body. Why the hell was he shivering?
“I’m not.” Kageyama instead decided to reply. Even if Suga did have functioning eyes, maybe he could convince him he was hallucinating. That Kageyama was perfectly fine and he just needed a few minutes before he could bring himself to get ready and go to practise.
“Why are you lying?” Noya cut in immediately. of course double team up why not.
“You're the only one lying here.”
“What-“ Noya sounded genuinely offended.“How am i lying?”
“Cause.”
“Cause what?”
“Just cause.” Kageyama shoved his face more into the pillow
The pounding in his head has gotten fucking worse. Every minuscule sound in the room felt like it was echoing directly in his skull. Bouncing around so much he actually thought he might lose his mind.
Five minutes of silence sounded lovely. That's all. Five minutes where no one talked to him, nobody poked at him, nobody looked at him.
Just silence.
Unfortunately, silence isn’t one of Karasuno's strongest strengths apparently.
He heard Suga shift closer to the futon.
“If you're sick, that's fine.” Suga said gently. Almost like he was trying to coerce a child out of hiding. “No need to hide it.”
Except he did. Because admitting he was sick was admitting that he was a full blown idiot.
It meant he would have to admit he dragged himself through an entire day of practice feeling awful and didn’t tell anyone. It meant he would become a problem everyone else had to deal with.
And after the way he’d been acting around them lately?
Yeah the last thing Kageyama wanted was more attention to himself.
“I’m not sick.”
“Okay dude.” Noya sounded exhausted, “this back and forth is just getting pathetic now.”
Kageyama groaned. Arguing with them was taking way too much effort. Breathing was taking too much effort.
Everything just felt heavy like his exhausted body had caved in. His limbs. His head. Even his stupid eyelids.
He heard movement and before he could react the pillow was plucked clean away by Suga. Fucking great he was a goner.
“Oh Kageyama.” something in Sugas voice changed slightly. It wasn’t amusement or annoyance anymore. It sounded like a concern. “You look awful.”
His eyebrows pinched slightly as he got a proper look at him, for some reason that made Kageyama's stomach twist worse than whatever the nausea was still doing.
Seriously he didn’t want to be looked at like that. He didn’t want concern or pity or just anything of the fucking sorts.
“That's what I said.” Noya huffed triumphantly like he had won a competition. Though his voice had dropped lower now.
It might have been because half of the room was looking over now. It also might just be that Kageyama looked that bad. He didn’t care what it was, Kageyama was just glad he wasn’t shouting directly next to him anymore.
“Whatevever.” Kageyama muttered.
His throat hurt. His head hurt. Everything fucking hurt.
Not as much as his ego did though.
Since the secret was apparently out there wasn’t actually a point of fighting about it anymore. Sleep sounded better anyway.
Maybe if he managed to sleep long enough he could wake up and be cured. That’s normally how shit like that worked out right. So he curled more into his side and shut his eyes.
“Ah ah ah.” A finger flicked at his side. “Don’t”
“Don’t what?”
“Don't go back to sleep.”
Kageyama cracked one eye open to see Suga pointing at him. “You need to go see Ukai and Takeda.”
“Noooo.”
The words came out more as a miserable groan than an actual answer but Suga could get the point Kageyama was sure.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Kageyama buried his face halfway into his arms.
Getting up sounded horrible. For one thing he was decently sure if he did get up right now he’d end up straight back on the floor. And for another it would require him to move. Moving did not sound fun.
“Kageyama up.” Sugas voice had now taken on the tone where he wasn’t asking anymore rather insisting instead.
In response Kageyama just decided to throw an arm over his face dramatically and close his eyes again begging for the bliss of sleep.
If any god was listening right now this seemed like it would be a great time to pop down and hold some sort of divine intervention.
Maybe a miracle.
Maybe he is suddenly being recovered.
Maybe everyone else in the room forgot he existed for the day.
Honestly, any three of them sounded good enough for Kageyama.
Instead he heard Suga let out a long sigh. The futon shifted as he stood and walked his way directly over to Daichi. Great. As if one terrifying third year wasn’t enough.
Kageyama could also feel eyes on him from around the room. Sure it wasn’t everyone but it was enough.
“Uh here man.”
Something soft landed on top of him. His blanket Noya had finally given back. Thank fuck. Would have been useful ten minutes ago when he was trying to hide from Suga but whatever.
Kageyama immediately dragged it up over his head until the world around him was efficiently cut off.
Dark.
Quiet.
Safe.
If people wanted to judge him for going so low as to hide under a pathetic blanket then so be it.
He was sick.
He was embarrassed.
And right now hiding sounded a hella a lot easier than dealing with any of it.