Chapter Text
Now for Kageyama, everyday is different.
Fending for your life was never boring, but it isn't exciting or thrilling either. It keeps him on his feet, having to face several problems everyday. But at least he wasn't alone. He had Nova, Roxie and Rocky with him. Roxie and Rocky were both German Shepherd dogs that were two years old while Nova was a Border Collie dog that was around three months old. All of them were abandoned, just like he was.
And that was why he lived by the famous quote, 'Never trust anyone but yourself, they'll always stab you in the back.' And they always did, except for his dogs anyways. They were the only ones he could trust.
That's why that when he woke up that morning and Nova was gone, to say that he was worried was an understatement. He was terrified. They normally all slept on a bench or under a tree. And Kageyama was able to sleep over anything. So if his dog was taken, he wouldn't know anything. The first thing he did was tell Roxie and Rocky to look for her. Their sense of smell was excellent and if anyone was going to find her, it would be them.
After watching the two dogs run off, Kageyama decided it would be best if he tried to look for Nova as well. With all three of them, they could cover more ground. And if she heard him whistle, she would definitely start running towards him or bark at least. So he put all his blankets in the huge rucksack he always dragged around and swung it over his back, resisting the urge to groan at how heavy it was.
"Nova? Nova? Where are you girl?" He called out, whistling as he waited to hear some sort of a response. Kageyama huffed at the silence he received. Looking around, he noticed that the streets were pretty empty. That meant that he couldn't really ask anyone if they've seen Nova. Running his fingers through his messy, tangled hair, he continued to call for her, trying to ignore the pit of anxiety in his stomach.
Kageyama didn't know why he was so clumsy but all of a sudden he bumped into a wall. Rubbing his head, he was about to curse the wall for being in his way until he heard a familiar deep voice that sent shivers down his spine.
"Look what we have here!" A tall, really tall man with eyes that resembled an erupting volcano smirked mischievously. His hair was shaved, a large scar stretched across the side of his face. It was old though. It only made him look more dangerous. But Kageyama knew him, and his looks weren't just for decorations. His muscular body was enough to scare someone away. Kageyama noticed the cigarette in the man's hand as he inhaled it smoked and exhaled right in his face.
"Sorry..Haru-"
Kageyama scrunched up his nose, taking a step back only to bump into another one of the man's friends.
"Tobio! Did you miss us? I surely did~" Kageyama recognized the husky, flirtatious voice from anywhere. He was probably drunk again, judging by the arm that was wrapped around his waist. When he was sober, he despised Kageyama and tried to beat him up any chance he got. But while drunk, those emotions where replaced with a love that could only be deemed as obsession. He hated it.
"Get the hell off me, Tsuyou.." He spat bitterly, slapping off his hand. "If you don't mind, I'm looking for my dog. So leave me alone."
He wasn't surprised when Haru grabbed him by the wrist. He winced as his nails dug into his skin and the man bent down to his height, a menacing smile on his face.
"You better watch your mouth, Tobio."
The kid gulped, not being able to dodge the kick that was sent to his back. He doubled over, coughing as he was punched again in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of him as he clutched his stomach and gasped for air. The rough hands on Tsuyou grabbed his chin, lust in his eyes as he grinned at the kid in his hand.
"Don't worry, Tobio~ We'll spare your pretty face!"
Kageyama wanted to gag.
He opted for biting the man's finger instead. A weak smirk crawled onto Kageyama's face at the shriek from the other man as his finger started to slightly bleed. He knew that he could probably bite it off, but that would be too much even for him.
"Oh you little shi-"
Kageyama yelped as he was harshly pulled by the hair. He winced, the sharp pain in his head not subsiding at all. The boy paled at the sight of Tsuyou coming towards him.
Oh crap.
--
"We'll see you later, Tobio~!" Tsuyou grinned, waving at him as the two older men left. Kageyama wheezed out, clutching his stomach as the pain from being kneeled in the stomach several times was too much for him to move from his coiled up position. Blinking away the tears, his vision cleared up just enough for him to see the shoes of the men.
He curled in himself, waiting for the pain to cease. It took a while, but he got back on his feet and limped through the streets. Rocky and Roxie hadn't returned, much probably meant they were still looking for Nova. Sitting down with his back against a random building, he couldn't really care less what type of building it was, he attempted to calm down his thoughts. It started to get rather busy on the road. Just his luck. How come when he was getting kicked and thrown around, the streets looked practically abandoned while when he wanted some peace and quiet, that;s when everyone wanted to get up and walk the streets like there's no tomorrow.
But he had to admit, he liked watching people. He would make predictions about where they're going or how they're thinking. It made him feel less bored. And at the moment he was really bored. And worried. And hungry.
Speaking of hungry, his stomach groaned. He hadn't eaten for about a week. He was able to get water though. Some people where generous enough to lend him some water. Others poured it all over him and laughed in his face, mocking him for being homeless. Let's not talk about that anymore.
Suddenly, a blur of orange hair got his attention and he looked to see a kid with bright orange hair that almost looked unnatural. He was eating a meat-bun. A mean-bun! And Kageyama couldn't help but gaze at the food with so much hunger and desperation that it was even embarrassing.
For some reason, the kid started walking towards him. He snarled, hoping that the kid would be scared and walked away, but a sense of determination was plastered on to his face and Kageyama could briefly remember that look himself around the age when life was good.
They made eye contact, and the soft honey-brown eyes of the boy caused Kageyama to get a sense of comfort from how warm and kind were.
The ginger's nose scrunched up, probably at how he smelt. He couldn't blame him to be honest.
"Hey uh, you look hungry." He stuffed the rest of his meat-bun in his mouth before grabbing something in his bag.
"What's it to you?" Kageyama glared before turning his attention to the thing he was trying to get out of the bag. The ginger pulled out a mean-bun, and held it in front of him.
"Here."
The black-haired teen eyed it with suspicious.
"Did you poison it or something?"
"I don't even know you, why would I poison it!?" He yelled out with an expression that almost made Kageyama snicker. To probably prove himself, the kid teared a part of the meat-bun and ate it himself. "See! It's fine!"
Kageyama still felt unsure about the whole thing. But when the ginger was about to leave, his starvation acted and he gripped his hand.
"Wait!"
The ginger allowed him to hold it, and Kageyama hesitantly took a small bite. After waiting a few seconds, he couldn't care less about if it was poisoned or not. His mouth practically watered before stuffing the food in his mouth. The other kid chuckled, but Kageyama couldn't stop himself from sending him a glare.
After a few seconds of eating, the ginger piped up, putting out his hand.
"I'm Hinata! Hinata Shouyou!"
He noticed the wound on his cheek. It looked fresh, dried blood around it. It definitely hadn't been cleaned yet.
"Kageyama Tobio. Also, what the hell is wrong with your face?"
"Oh I- Well I just uhm..fell! Yeah, I fell on the uh- table and hit my cheek..?" Hinata stiffened.
While Kageyama didn't know Hinata, he knew one thing for sure.
He was a terrible liar.
The familiar sound of barking averted his interest. His eyes widened at the sight of three dogs rushing towards them. He expected Hinata to get all scared and start shrieking. That's what the last person did. Though, that hadn't happened for at least three years. People didn't really approach him.
Relief washed over him at the sight of Nova as it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The girl ran into his arms, barking and wagging his tail as Kageyama ruffled up her fur and scratched behind her ear. Looking to meet the eyes of Hinata, he noticed how the kid was staring at the two German Shepherds. He reached his hand out, and Kageyama was almost certain that one of them would bite the teen. But to his shock, Rocky rubbed his snoot into Hinata's hand after sniffing it and the kid started to giggle while rubbing it's fur. After seeing this, Nova jumped into Hinata's hand, and his laughs were enough to make Kageyama smile. Well, almost smile, is what he would say.
Roxie still looked uncertain. He wasn't surprised. It always took her a while before trusting someone.
"What are their names?"
"The German-Shepherd that your petting is Rocky, he's a boy. The other one is Roxie, she's a girl. And the last one is Nova. She's the youngest."
'Why am I even telling him this. Well, I mean he did give me food so I guess it's fine.' He reminded himself.
"They're so cute! I've always wanted a dog." Hinata smiled brightly, hugging the two dogs in his embrace, which they seemed very happy to receive.
"Normally Rocky will growl at anyone that gets close. Nova gets along with people though."
The ginger nodded, ruffling them up a bit more before turning to the black-haired teen.
"Why are you here, on the streets I mean."
Kageyama froze, and Hinata seemed to notice that and immediately apologized.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just, I don't really-"
"You're fine." he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck at the slight embarrassment of his situation, "I'm homeless. And I've been homeless since I was eight.. That's how I met these three."
Hinata's eyes widened and Roxie seemed to notice Kageyama's discomfort, snuggling against his shoulder. The teen smiled sadly and rubbed her ears.
"I'm sorry.." Kageyama barely heard his voice. His expression looked sad in a way, more angry though. It was weird for someone who radiated the energy of the sun.
"Don't be. It's not your fault." His eyes briefly scanned Hinata's body before looking into his eyes again, "Now that I've told you this tell me the real reason behind the cut on your cheek. I wouldn't mind hearing about the bruises and scars on your legs too."
Hinata paled, looking away with a look of fear and shame in his eyes before he sighed.
"My dad was drunk again." He chuckled, rubbing his nape nervously, "He got mad cuz I wouldn't make him breakfast since there was nothing in the house. He threw a bottle at my face and thankfully it didn't hit my eye. All the other bruises and wounds are from when he lost his cool and hit me. It's fine though, I'm used to it."
Kageyama's expression darkened.
"You shouldn't be used to that you know, idiot. That isn't something to be chuckling about."
"Oh come on! My stuff isn't half as bad as what you're going through. At least I have food and a house to sleep in. Most times at least."
"How is getting hit and injured by their dad any better! How stupid can you get!"
"You're the stupid one!"
The two scowled at each other before turning away. Nova cocked her head in confusion, which made Hinata chuckle.
"So uhm. My dad is leaving tomorrow for like a week or two. You can come to my house and uh- clean up. You also look like you haven't eaten in days so-"
"I ate just now."
"That's not what I meant!" Hinata scoffed before looking at the ground, "You don't have to. It was just an offering."
They sat in silence for a few seconds as Hinata's words registered properly. To actually have a proper shower and eat a real meal is something that he was more than desperate for. So, well knowing the risks that came with his actions, he nodded.
"Thanks. I'll come."
He still didn't trust anyone. Except for his dog. And maybe Hinata too.