Reclaim (Haikyuu Kingdoms!AU)

Feelings

Kageyama silently glided over to Suga and Daichi, who were weaving in and out during their sparring match. Both were panting and had smiles on their face. Suga brought his hand up to wipe the sweat from his brow, and Daichi took this opportunity to lunge at him. 

Suga blocks the attack with a smirk. "You really think I'll show signs of weakness during a battle?" he asked, throwing his fiancee off him. 

"Of course not," Daichi replied with a smile. Kageyama clapped his hands, a pleased expression on his face. 

"You two work well together," he complimented, head held high. Suga and Daichi exchanged looks before relaxing their stances.

"Thanks! We practice together a lot," Suga said with a smile, patting Daichi on the back. 

Kageyama smiled at the two, wishing that he had someone who would practice with him all the time. Fighting was always painfully lonely. 

"Daichi. I want to see your skill." He pointed his sword at the taller male, who froze up. Kageyama noticed this and said, "loosen up. It's better for you."

He blushed at Kageyama's comment, and lowered his shoulders. He took a deep breath and blinked, only to open them and see Kageyama standing right in front of him. 

"Don't take your eyes off of your opponent," Kageyama explained with a cold stare. 

"H-How..." Daichi stuttered, his body starting to shake. "Are you even human?"

"I can assure you that I am human," he replied while dropping his sword an inch. "If I was not, I would still be on my throne."

"I was watching and... and your speed!" Suga exclaimed.

"You together couldn't take me on in a million years," Kageyama stated. Daichi glared at him with a challenging smirk crawling onto his face. 

"I'd like to test that theory. Suga! Eighth form!" 

Suga rushed to the back of Kageyama and the two started to circle him like sharks waiting to snatch their prey. The former king stood completely still, analyzing their moves. 

Daichi was the first to step forward. He brought his sword up and slashed down, trying to symmetrically cut Kageyama in half. Kageyama brought the sword up to block his attack and glanced behind him. 

He's stronger than I thought, Kageyama thought as he struggled to keep Daichi from slicing him clean in half. 

Suga ran forward, using his momentum to carry him as he sprinted towards Kageyama with a sharp cry. Kageyama diverted Daichi's blade to the stone ground and took a step to the left, watching the silver haired man head straight towards his spouse. Just as Daichi was about to get impaled, he swept his blade up and knocked Suga's sword out of his hand. 

Kageyama clapped slowly with a look of displeasure. "You both have never practiced your moves on a real human. That's not going to be enough to join the royal knights."

The couple's faces were red with humiliation and defeat. "So what do you want us to do?" Daichi asked between his gritted teeth. 

"Practice. Practice until you drop dead," he said as he turned his back. "That's all I can say." 

Suga and Daichi exchanged looks as Kageyama strode away. "We'll get him," Suga said with a determined glare. His spouse nodded in agreement. 

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Hinata asked, bounding up to Kageyama. 

"I'm giving them a goal. Isn't it obvious?" he replied, not bothering to look down.

"So who're you going to criticize next?" Hinata teased with a malicious grin. Kageyama unsheathed his sword an inch. 

"Do you want to get decapitated?" he threatened. The smaller boy froze up at his terrifying face. 

"I just want to say something before you go on!" he squeaked out. Kageyama put the sword back into his holster as he stopped.  

"What is it?"

"Asahi is kinda sensitive. Be careful," Hinata warned. 

"I'm giving everyone the same treatment. Don't tell me what to do," he said, pushing Hinata out of the way to head towards Noya and Asahi. 

"Fine! But I'm warning you, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work!" he hollered. Kageyama blocked out his squeaky nonsense as he approached the duo. 

"What are you doing?" Noya was rolling around on the cracked stone ground, his white shirt a dirty mess and parts of his pants were somehow stuck in the crevices of the floor. 

"Rolling Thunder! My new move!" he explained, jumping up and dusting himself off. Asahi sighed.

"Noya, you've been doing this move over and over! Do you even get tired?"

Noya chuckled, a large, toothy grin spreading across his face. "Not until the day ends!"

"Asahi. With that sword, you must pack a heavy blow. Come at me." He drew his sword once again and pointed it at the tall man's throat. He panicked and clumsily took his weapon out. 

"I-I'm sorry if I'm not good!" he said, knees buckling like a newborn fawn. Kageyama glared, his black bangs covering his eyes. 

"Do not be negative. Stand up straight like a man!" He rushed in and ripped his shirt horizontally. Asahi brought down his sword, but Kageyama easily sidestepped and brought his blade to the back of Asahi's neck. 

"Okay! I yield!"

"Asahi. You will die on the battlefield with your skill." Noya seemed to take offense to this statement because he stormed over to the two and grabbed the sword with his bare hand, taking it off of the nape of Asahi's neck. 

"Don't say that. He hasn't touched his potential yet," he defended. Kageyama took a step back as Noya helped Asahi straighten up. 

"Worry about yourself, not someone else. It makes no sense to care for someone else if you are in danger."

Noya shot a threatening glare towards Kageyama, who flinched. "You work solo. You don't know how it feels to work as a group."

By now, all of Karasuno has surrounded the two as Noya kept speaking. "I bet you never worked with a partner in the palace, because all you would do is criticize them! Your cold demeanor will get you no where in this group!"

Daichi put his hand up, silencing Noya as he approached Kageyama. "My king, it seems that you have lived a life of solitude. For that, it must have been lonely. But right now, I will revoke Karasuno's promise to help you regain the throne."

Kageyama felt his heart drop. He reached for his sword, wondering if he should harm the leader. He took a deep breath and kept a deadpan look on his face. "I understand. Kindness is hard so show, since many people hate me."

"You're not hated, you're just... misunderstood," Suga chimed in. "Sure, you're a little rough around the edges, but you're quite helpful."

Daichi nodded. "Yes, you are insightful and you helped us a lot today. However, we will not help you until you make a real friend."

Kageyama pursed his lips. A friend? How absurd! He doesn't need friends, all he needs is himself and a strong will. But the Karasuno group seems to have good connections, and he couldn't give that up. He clenched his fists as sweat accumulated on his forehead. Maybe they were right, and acquiring a friend would not only be beneficial to him emotionally, but it will also help him reclaim the throne. 

"Fine." He turned towards the orange haired boy and bowed his head. "Hinata. Please become my friend."