can't be yours - kagehina

chapter eight

Hinata fumbled with his phone as he rode home, tears in his eyes. His hand shook as he raised it to his ear. "Come on. Answer," he muttered. The hand he held his phone in shook as he trembled. 

"Hello? Shoyo? You're not at practice," Kageyama's voice said from the other line. "Where are you? Is everything alright? Are you feeling well?" Kageyama rambled on with questions about ailments Hinata might've had.

"Tobio," Hinata said, interrupting Kageyama. "I... I'm sorry. I'm not... going to practice tonight." He inhaled, trying to steady his breathing. "I'll have my mom pick you up after practice ends, okay?"

"Shoyo. Are you okay?" Kageyama's voice was full of worry. "Are you... Are you crying?"

Hinata laughed. "Um... yeah. I'm fine, though, I just had a rough day. I'll be fine later. I promise."

"Shoyo, why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were leaving? I would've gone with you."

"I know that. I didn't want you to see me like this."

A loud sigh from the other end of the line. "Shoyo, something's clearly still bothering you. Please, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Tobio. I'm fine. I just called to let you know that my mom would be picking you up, okay?"

A few seconds of silence on the other line. "Yamaguchi just walked into the gym. He looks sad. Do you have anything to do with that?"

"I-I mean, probably, but not for whatever reason you're probably thinking."

"So... no fight, right?"

"Right." Hinata exhaled. "I'm sorry. I'll be fine. Talk to you later."

"No, Shoyo, please—" Hinata hung up, wiped his face off with his sleeve, and rode into the driveway. He chained his bike up and walked inside.

"Shoyo? Why are you home so soon, sweetheart?" Ms. Hinata asked, looking over at her son because of the commotion he'd caused while walking into the house. Her eyebrows furrowed. "And where is Tobio?"

"He's at practice."

"Why aren't you?"

Hinata bit his bottom lip, his eyes filling with tears. 

***

Kageyama stressfully paced around a spot in the gym, chewing at his thumb.

"Kageyama, what are you doing?" Tsukishima asked, walking up to Kageyama.

"Oh, nothing, I'm fine, don't worry about me," he said, a bit frazzled.

"Yeah, I don't believe that." He grabbed Kageyama by the arm. "Stop."

Kageyama stopped pacing. "What?"

"What are you so freaked out about?"

"I-I don't know. It's just—um, Shoyo's gone."

"I know. Nobody knows where he is. I think we're all a bit worried, but the best thing we can do is be calm."

"He's not here. He left school."

"Obviously. Have you talked to him? Is he okay?"

"I don't know. He called me and he was sobbing, but he said he was okay and not to worry about him."

Tsukishima raised his eyebrows. "So he did call you?"

"Yes, just to tell me that he was going home and that his mom would pick me up after practice was over. He didn't say why."