The Phoenix and the Cat

Chapter 6

Note: I don't own Haikyuu and stuff.

Fukunaga yawns and stretches, shuddering as he curls into himself. His breath fogs in the air as he looks around, his winter knitted cap still on his head with cat ears as he traverses the path on his way to Nekoma's gym for afternoon practice.

He has to admit, he really despises the cold. He prefers naps in nice sun warmed spots. The third years are retiring since the team was knocked out of the last tourney so he needs to attend, a distinctly important meeting that will keep them busy today. He's learned to welcome distractions. They played hard and did really well, fighting with everything they had. He's proud of that, really proud. He still feels a little down about it though and a little extra down since he didn't run into a certain phoenix there like he'd hoped to. It's a little depressing this is what he's become because of a silly little crush. However, he did get to see other friends like Fukurodani and Karasuno among others so it's not a complete loss either way.

He had just been really hoping to see him, figured it was his best shot. Probably more than he should have or cares to admit. Definitely more than he first realized.

Fuku pulls most of his hands into his fuzzy knitted (slightly baggy) sweater that matches his soft pale blue cap and shoves them in his pockets, arriving for the 'discussion' day. They always have them after a match to center their minds.

They sit around and go over the different points they need to work on now that the third years are going to start being out (they're retiring, not dead. Of course, they'll be around still) leaving holes to fill on the court, the 'who' on replacements is a given so that's not bothered with. The third years need to work on their upcoming college exams more seriously so it's going to be up to the about-to-be-third-years from this point on. Kenma's the new captain and Fukunaga gets the vice-captain spot though their ace does both jobs basically, it's kind of funny.

There are no arguments about it, they automatically know their place somehow.

Vice-captain's a nice title, but he's not actually needed for much. It's pretty much just him taking over Yaku's 'mom' role despite Kai being the vice-captain before, keeping people in line and from fighting like Kenma and Tora used to.

He sits butterfly style to one side of Tora, Kenma on the alpha's other side. It's kind of funny, their predecessors covered all three breeds in their own right with the alpha leading and now the three of them are as well. It's a little amusing.

Fukunaga can't focus today no matter how hard he tries, pulling on and playing with the tassels on the hat's braided strings that he didn't take off. His mind is a million miles away and has been even in class, it wasn't even this bad on his birthday in September when all the players kept randomly popping in on him wherever he happened to be before throwing a celebration in the gym.

He's officially about to go into his last year of high school in just a couple short months yet he can't even bring himself to focus in a meeting where he's supposed to be a leader because he's too busy daydreaming about things that'll never happen.

He could kick himself but decides that would look weird and probably distract the younglings so he won't, he thought he'd have gotten over it by now. He blames Valentine's Day that just passed. Instead he chooses to try to think about other entertaining ideas... like Jeff Dunham. His comedy god. He could really use Peanut right now, but he feels more like Walter thus tries to keep quiet in case he talks like him too. They don't need him being snippy. He hates being cranky, especially with his friends, but right now he wishes he was at home in his nest alone.

Sighing silently, he turns his eyes back to his best friend with the intent to pay attention no matter what. He fails, horrendously. No one notices besides Kenma as Fukunaga just nods along without a clue, following the pudding head's lead if he's agreeing or not. It bites him more than once when he's asked for his opinion or a question he didn't hear. There's the option to stay for self-practice afterwards or to go home and he doesn't bother to pretend to entertain the idea, excusing himself among some others to head out much to his friends' shock.