My Precious Cargo ⚔ Volume 1 (An AtsuKage ff) ✔

XVIII

Just before they entered the kitchen they dropped each other's hands and tried to ignore the knowing looks sent their way. Well, many were sent Atsumu's way and he just rolled his eyes and sat down by Tobio, gently nudging his knee causing Tobio to nudge him back, his head bowed to hide his smile.

"Thankyou for the meal."

"Aye."

Osamu had cooked some fish he had caught that morning. It was strong but fresh and tasty, and with the busy day's work it vanished in minutes. Kita made sure Tobio had enough food, continually topping up his plate until Tobio was almost begging for him to stop.

"Really Kita, I'm satisfied. Thankyou."

"Okay, if you say so. Have you been sleeping better? You can't hide behind your eyeliner since it's all washed off."

"I, well, it's fine. Like I said, I'm used to it."

"Why do you struggle sleeping?" asked Aran. "Yer don't have to answer I'm just curious."

"I mentioned night terrors before, right?" asked the Prince, looking at Atsumu who nodded his head, also interested in finding out why Tobio had trouble sleeping.

"Well, another reason I get them comes from the fact that when I was back home, if you can even call it that, I would be terrified to sleep... My father would sometimes come in uninvited and take me by surprise, expecting me to be awake and ready to fight. Other times I'd be training so long it would go right through to the next day and then I couldn't sleep the following night. And, well, that's the general gist of it I guess."

"He sounds like an asshole." Suna stated once he swallowed his food.

"He really was."

"What are your night terrors about?" Osamu asked. 

"Never one thing specifically. Honestly I've never stopped to think about it. Often it's my father, sometimes things to do with my mother. Other times it's simply horrific events where the people I care about are killed and I can't do anything about it. But from time to time I have this one dream... about a burning town, everything covered in blood and ash, almost like a ghost town. It's as if I've been there before, but I don't know where I'm imagining."

"Tobio," began Atsumu as he shared looks with the crew, "what does the place look like? And who attacked it?"

"It's often hazy so I never remember much after I wake up. But there are mountains way off in the distance, and there are retreating figures too."

"How many?"

"I'd say around a hundred? Why?"

"No reason. It's just odd to have dreams about a place yer haven't been."

"Isn't it? But I guess I'm used to it by now. The pain, fear, fatigue, and so on."

"Have you seen anyone about them?" asked Kita with concern all over his face. "The nightmares."

"My father wouldn't allow it. Nobody was allowed in and I wasn't allowed out."

"I could kill the bastard." Osamu said as he ate angrily.

"That's what I said."

"It's fine. I just tell myself they will go away eventually. But I understand the long-term effects of trauma."

Kageyama truly seemed nonchalant about it all. After having been struggling with sleeping for so many years he had grown used to it; one time he managed to stay awake for five days before he passed out during swordsmanship with his father. That was a real nightmare.