to avenge the sun (haikyuu)

anticipation

The anticipation is a heavy and lingering taste on Hinata's tongue.

He was waiting for the devil to strike and for his luck to finally run out. By the end of the fourth week of practice, Hinata was on edge. His teeth were clenched, posture tensed, as he was smothered by anticipation.

Fujiwara was an expert tease.

The distance he kept between himself and Hinata was one that articulated a silent taunt, and one that constantly reminded Hinata that this transparent barrier can be crossed at any time. Before practice, Hinata would see glimpses of him at the mass hall, mingling with the other athletes. But it was his watchful eyes on Hinata that forced him to walk on a thread that was threatening to break.

The watchful eyes and shoulders that brush his became more intense during practice itself.  The sly sneer, the eager fingers that desired to hurt him; Hinata knew he was dangerous. But he couldn't do anything about it. It was a ticking time bomb just aimed for him and no one else.

But that didn't stop his friends from fussing over him. Atsumu and Kageyama would be around him constantly that Hinata had forgotten how life was before having an entire other being tied to his hip. He didn't mind their concern, but it was difficult to pretend that everything was okay with them being walking reminders of the situation.

When Fujiwara finally caught him off-guard, it was somehow both expected and unexpected.

Hinata was having trouble sleeping on the night after their seventh week of practice. He felt his agitation crawling on his very skin, poking him awake. He just reached the mass hall that was quiet with little life at the dead hours of the night.

"Can't sleep?" Fujiwara's voice appeared from nowhere, making Hinata recoil with recognition.

No thanks to you.

He turned around to face Fujiwara dead-on with a gaze that was defiant and one that he hoped emitted little to no fear. Hinata stiffly nodded— his tired eyes were scanning to find any way out of this conversation.

"I see you can't sleep either," Hinata's tone sharp and brief. He absentmindedly wondered if the tension could cut the windows that encased the hall, allowing the cold wind to seep and mercilessly bask them in unforgiving ice.

"Was hoping to catch you," Fujiwara shrugged casually as if it wasn't the most terrifying and devastating thing Hinata could hear.

Hinata felt his heart pick up the pace but his tone remained uninterested when he replied, "I'm not surprised."

He paused. It took him a few seconds to form a sentence where he was able to speak without stuttering. No fear.

"And you've finally caught up with me, what do you want from me now?"

"You know, it's funny. I don't really know what I want. I just know you're in the picture though, looking pretty," Fujiwara gave him a supposed award-winning smile. Hinata only felt cold shivers.

"You should talk to a therapist about it, didn't know you could have a mid-life crisis so young," Hinata said too sweetly. His hands curling into a fist, ready for a fight.

Fujiwara snorted at his snide comment, amused, "maybe I should one day. Wouldn't that be a sight? The press would love to hear a story on the Fujiwara heir being mentally questionable, wouldn't they?"

"I, personally, would just love to see the day when you're nowhere near me. And the day when you actually kept your promises," more venom was being injected into Hinata's voice by the minute. "And now wouldn't that be a sight."

Fujiwara pleasantly smiled, "I really did miss you. I never forgot about you during my years abroad."

Hinata stepped back in disgust, his face scrunched. "I'm not going to entertain you any longer, goodbye Fujiwara."

He turned around to move back, Fujiwara suddenly grabbed his arm to hold him still.

"Hina-"

Hinata flinched and instinctively gave him a hard slap. The harsh sound resounding through the hall.

"Get off me," Hinata spat. Fujiwara blinked back in surprise as he watched Hinata rush up the stairs and towards his apartment. His hand was raised to his face, where his cheeks still stung from the slap.

When Hinata reached the apartment, he quickly locked it and put his back towards the door, looking into the dimly lit living room. He had left the kitchen lights on after giving up on cooking himself his own meal when he realized that they didn't have enough ingredients.

His throat felt choked up, he wanted to cry. He was scared of his own sharp words. Hinata wondered if he had offended Fujiwara in some way. What would he now do to him? Would he make his life even more of a living nightmare?

But no, he deserved it. He deserved more than that.

He just-

needed a shoulder to cry on and for someone to tell him everything will be alright.

Hinata softly knocked on his door. Once. Twice. By his fifth knock, Kageyama opened his door. His hair was pointing in all directions and his eyes were half-open.

"'nata? Whadsgoin'on? You 'kay?" He mumbled in question.

"I..." Hinata's eyes flickered everywhere and couldn't really settle on Kageyama's worried gaze, "just needed a hug. Is that okay?"

Kageyama didn't ask anything else. He just pulled Hinata into his dark room and enveloped him into a tight warm hug. Hinata started to softly sob into his broad shoulders.

In this secure cocoon in the early hours of the morning, Hinata was determined about one thing:

He wasn't about to be defeated by the stalking devil. After all those years spent building himself up again,

he was stronger than that.

Fujiwara will not be the death of him.