Haikyuu! is easily my number one series of all time. It's too perfect. Volleynerds, the sports, their team, the characters are all just. It's perfection.

I decided I wanted to write some Kageyama and Hinata that would be heartbreaking (for such a lively series, I know), and here's the ride.

Uhh I guess you don't really need to know Loveless to be able to read this? But you kind of need to understand the basic rules of it so I'll try and summarize it- sweet and short. You get Hinata's notes on it first thing.

One thing you should know though is the cat-ear thing they have in the series- I copy-pasted this from Wikipedia. -The most immediately noticeable aspect of the story is that many characters are kemonomimi — cat-like features (in this case, ears and tails) are universal from birth, so there are as many catboys, including the protagonist, as there are catgirls. People in the Loveless universe lose their animal features when they lose their virginity. Those who no longer have animal features are differentiated by society as "adults".

When The Crown Falls

Part one

By Ko-Sensei

Notes- Hinata Shoyou.

Topic: Sentouki. "A Fighter Unit."

1) the fighting units are always in two-person pairs; one is the "fighter," the other is the "sacrifice."

2) the fighter obviously does the fighting. the sacrifice takes the damage in a battle, and a team loses if their sacrifice dies or is unable to go on. how scary...

3) a sacrifice can't fight. a fighter can engage in battle alone but it's pointless to do so/no one does since the fighter's power is reduced by more than half I think..probably. should be right. that's stupid!

4) a fighter and a sacrifice are predetermined at birth. you can't decide and it's up to fate. you only know who the other one is after you meet them. kinda like soulmates. eehh, what if I don't like my other pair...

5) the fighter and sacrifice share a "team" name that appears somewhere on their bodies. it's their team name, their identity, and who they are. hopefully, I'll have a pretty name!

6) if you're not bonded to each other and don't have the same name, you can't fight with another person. so you're stuck with your only one. kinda sucks.

7) battles are done with spells that the fighter speaks out-loud. there are offensive and defensive ones, as well as varied types

8) ...mouu, I want meat buns. I'm tired of claaass.

"You're so small. Tiny, and scrawny," A boy suddenly calls out, poking Hinata hard on the chest. "Are you sure you're supposed to be with us? I think you should get rechecked, you know...just to make sure you're not actually a sacrifice.."

"Hahaha." There's another one that laughs, towering over Hinata as well. "Might actually better that he's a fighter. If he were a sacrifice, he'd probably fall over and die right away...though I feel bad for whoever will be stuck with him!"

This isn't an unusual occurence. Out of all the other fighters there are in training at this school, he does stand out for being really small, and not commanding enough power. He doesn't get bullied or anything of the sort; people tend to like him well enough, but every once and a while, he does get made fun of and maybe pushed around a bit by other smug, confident fighters.

He's not ridiculously weak, but people like pointing him out because of his size and disposition, he supposes.

"Pfft. True. I already feel bad for whoever's stuck with him man."

A few people around them are starting to turn around to look at the commotion. Not too many people, maybe four or five, just to check out what the lively conversation is about, and Hinata doesn't feel nervous being watched by them, but he's starting to get a little worried that since the teacher's been out for a while, some of these kids might decide it may be fun to gang up together and cast spells on him for entertainment, as it wouldn't be the first time.

"Poor thing. He can't even perform all the basics, after all these years. Maybe it's better that his sacrifice doesn't find him."

It's somewhat true. Among all the other students that are in the room right now (the teachers had stepped out), maybe he's one of the shortest, smallest kids, and maybe he is kind of weak and unskilled. Clumsy.

(He doesn't like fighting other people.)

But he's not completely useless, hmmph, and power doesn't always have everything to do with winning. Making an indignant expression, he opens his mouth to say so-

"Oiii." Fixing the two other boys with a very dark, dark expression that makes the room turn ten degrees colder, Nishinoya Yuu suddenly steps up and stands in front of Hinata aggressively, crossing his arms over his chest while mustering up his full height (which isn't much, but it still makes the other two boys flinch away). "You got a problem?"

-But he doesn't need to, it turns out, because Nishinoya comes and rescue him like usual.

Muttering to themselves lowly, the two boys then freeze up, obviously thinking it's not worth bothering Hinata any more if they're going to be dragged into anything and leave, because Nishinoya is kind of scary when he's being intense, and despite his rather easily-excited and energetic behavior.. when he gets serious, he has been known for causing serious damage and wrecking school property.

Even sending people to the infirmary, which says a lot, because it takes a LOT of damage and power to do things like that.

"Don't mind them," Nishinoya scoffs, shaking his head, and then amiably goes over to the younger boy. He slings his arm around Hinata's shoulders, grinning widely. "They're stupid. As if anyone knows how awesome they are at fighting until they've made their 'bond'."

"W-Waahh!" Almost taken off balance (since Nishinoya does tend to be a bit rough and too energetic in his notions), Hinata only stares at his senpai with sparkles in his eyes. Not particularly because his friend had shown up for him or anything like that, but there's something about friendship and acting cool that really excites him. "There's no doubt that you're really good though...-S..senpai." He's really lucky to have a friend like Nishinoya, who's the most loyal person he's ever known. Truly.

Which, of course, makes Nishinoya splutter and turn a bright red.

And so, they fall back into a familiar routine.

One which happens everyday; so much that all the other students have gotten used to it, and only ignore the display and roll their eyes.

"C..Call me that again."

Hinata perks up. "Nishinoya-senpai!"

"...Again, Shouyou."

"S..Senpai!"

"One more time.."

"Senpai?"

"Again..!"

In their excitement over each other, though, they hadn't noticed that the teacher had come back into the room, that the other students had sat down already, and that they were the only ones standing right in the middle making a fuss over nothing.

(When they were all supposed to have been studying spell formations during the fifteen-minute break. ...Right.)

(Which no one actually did. But they still ended up getting in trouble for it anyways, every single time.)

The teacher doesn't even have to look at them to figure out what's going on, since this is a daily occurrence. She simply throws two textbooks at both of the idiot's heads, smacking them /hard/ while pointing at them accusingly to sit down.

"NISHINOYA AND HINATA, NOT AGAIN. GET BACK TO YOUR SEATS."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

He doesn't have a name yet.

Hinata wonders what it will be.

It's somewhere in the middle of the evening. While everyone else had gone to eat in the dining hall, Hinata had said he hadn't really felt up to it, so Nishinoya had promptly stolen some food and dragged him outside.

(They had snuck out.)

Then currently, Hinata's laying on his senpai's lap while looking up at the sky. Nishinoya's simply shoveling food into his mouth contently (something about the food today being really good).

"Hey, hey. Senpai..." The orange-haired boy starts slowly, peering over at him curiously, after what's been a comfortable silence. "Do you wonder what kind of sacrifice you'll get ever? Maybe think about it?"

After swallowing down another five bites of food or so, the older jabs a fork down in Hinata's face. "Me? I guess. You can't really help it though. It doesn't really matter to me though. It'd work out. Unless they were a complete stuck-up jerk! Hmm. What about you?"

Laughing quietly at his senpai's antics, Hinata simply chomps down on the fork (causing Nishinoya to splutter and glare at him for stealing food) before sighing.

"I think I'd like someone sweet and kind that I could love for the rest of my days."

.

.

.

Immediately, the brown-haired boy puts down his fork and food, then promptly goes to squish together Hinata's face, making his mouth gape like a fish.

"E-Eehh? What are you doing, swenpai?"

"You're too cute. And too sweet," Nishinoya declares, and only shakes his head. "Too bad you weren't born a sacrifice, because then, I'd totally mark you as mine, and I'd protect you forever."

"Wait, wait," HInata tries to protest (though it's hard with his mouth like that). "Didn't you just say there's no helping it and that it's all fated?"

"Well, I'm just so awesome I'd defy fate. Hehehe!"

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

There's no use in having any romances of any kind here, everyone knows.

Not that it's taboo or anything, but it's pointless. You'll eventually find your one other person at some point, whether by accident or in the naming ceremonies, so such fleeting romances are short-lived and in all meaning of the word; pointless.

Of course, there are some female fighters that get together during the breaks in training sometimes. Squealing, swooning, or talking excitedly, they take sneak peeks at the sacrifices in their school and chit-chat loudly about which one they'd like to have, or which one they have 'crushes' on.

But even they know that it's just a fun notion; it's really, really useless to get feelings for someone when there's no chance you can end up with them.

The teachers have told them only ever other day to only focus on getting better and stronger, and that you'll reach eventual happiness if you do so.

(...Though what if you don't?)

It's not like it's something that really matters, though. Hinata never thinks much about it, the thought never crosses his mind, and he's never bothered about the subject because there's no point. More like, no one has ever interested him, but it seems too much of a hassle and to be some kind of raging thing that everyone's into (but he doesn't understand, maybe it's another language.)

That's why, one day, when Hinata's snuck out (they're not supposed to) to go for a run early in the morning, ditching the school... it's about four in the morning, the sky is still a light gray and blue, the sun hasn't come out yet. The wind blows lightly, and accidentally, he sees-

.

.

Another person, standing outside in the fields, practicing.

Which initially confuses him, because for one, they aren't supposed to use spells outside a battle, how is he doing it, and two, he doesn't understand why his chest suddenly begins to tighten, or his heart rate skips a beat.

It's really confusing. He's never felt this way before, and the very world seems to change color; it flickers in and out of focus, and though it's kind of scary with how he doesn't understand what's going on but exhilarating because he feels refreshed and excited at this new feeling, so much energy builds up in his body. A tingling feeling from the top of his head down to the tip of his toes, and though he wants to suddenly run and run (away? towards?) and do something, he's- unable to move.

He's frozen in place.

It's such a backwards thing, really, to be feeling so much at one time but be unable to move. His feet seem glued to the ground, and his arms stiff, but he finds that he doesn't really mind, because even if he could, Hinata doubts he would want to move.

(Did the other person cast a spell on him, maybe?)

They're standing rather far away. Hinata can't even see the other person's face clearly, at this long distance and in this bad break-of-dawn-light that's up right now, but when he closes his eyes, he can hear their voice, and the next thing he's doing is thinking it's the sweetest sound he's ever heard in his life.

Squinting in the distance, he can vaguely make out some features.

Intense blue eyes. A sharp jawline. Jet-black hair, with messy bangs that fall into their eyes. Seems tall, poised. Confident. Elegant, even.

Beautiful.

Hinata's left staring from behind the wall in awe, blushing furiously.

If you asked him ten minutes before what his favorite sound in the world was-it probably would have been a lot of things. Maybe the sound of a piano lullaby. A bird's song that starts early morning. Nishinoya's laughter.

But now his mind has narrowed to one thing, and it's-

-That person's voice.

He's left with nothing but an irregular heartbeat, widened eyes, and a sweet taste in his mouth.

It's really quite mind-reeling, to be able to feel all these things at once, and it's not like Hinata has the emotional range of a teaspoon or anything, but it's kind of exciting and right now, he feels stuck to the ground yet fiercely free all at the same time, and he's not sure how to take this.

So he doesn't. He only stares and stares, gawking, face completely red, with his heart racing in his chest.

When he calms down a little, though, the first thing he wants to know is who is that person. They should be a student at this school, obviously, but there's hardly any that would sneak out of curfew at such an early time like this, and it doesn't look like any troublemaker that's famous/he's seen before.

With the words the other person is reciting, (and Hinata recognizes them to be offensive attacks), Hinata assumes that they're also a fighter like him, but it's weird, because... he's never seen this person before.

Hinata's pretty sure that he would have at least noticed him, if anything else.

Practicing words, the other person continues speaking spells. (Hinata can feel the air vibrate with hidden power.)

But the sky begins to rise up, and Hinata jolts, realizing that he's been standing here and staring at the person for (...? A minute? Ten minutes? ..Half an hour? Three hours?) a really long time.

Though it feels like time hasn't passed at all.

Blue eyes. Dark hair. A resonant voice.

.

.

.

It's too late. It's only been a short while, yet he can't go back, this kind of damage is unrepairable, he...he's...

He's fallen.

They're not supposed to. It's useless to even think of liking someone here, because you'll find your other one anyways.

(But if they're fated...is maybe this person..?)

If this other person is truly a fighter, then he's screwed, because there's no way it'd end in anything but heartbreak if he wanted these warm feelings in his chest to linger.

However..he holds on to an impossible hope that this other person is not, and that they'll meet again, and that maybe, just this once, the one thing he's ever wanted in his life might have a chance of becoming his-

I'd protect you forever.

He doesn't even know the person's name. He's not even sure what their face looks like, to be honest, or what their personality is, but all he knows is that the sound of their voice and their smile (that he can faintly make out) is all it takes for his chest to tighten.

And the power vibrating in the air is calling out to him, and he wants to answer, answer, and answer- he wants to answer with his own, he wants to answer with the same refined grace and strength, and he wants to answer by joining them together.

(It's almost painful.)

The sun starts to rise, and Hinata Shouyou, who has to fight really hard to not look behind him every three steps is left with nothing that day but a useless heart that does nothing but race whenever he thinks of their one-sided encounter, useless hands that tremble constantly, useless face that stays red, and a useless determination to find out who this person is.

Who are you?

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

He's been told often that he's an idiot, and normally, he doesn't pay it much attention but.

Hinata had been too caught-up in these new emotions that he hadn't noticed..

He hadn't noticed until later that he realizes this person doesn't even know he exists.

It feels like he's been punched and effect is immediate; he feels moisture gather up in his eyes, and some kind of sad longing in him starts to expand, which he's never felt before and it's almost a mysterious new feeling.

And of course, Nishinoya notices quickly, and takes him aside after their morning training session, demanding to know what's wrong, who hurt you, I'll go make them pay right away.

No no no, Hinata quickly responds, and gives him a sheepish smile (at being cared for, it's really an amazing thing to have a friend like Nishinoya). It's nothing like that.

However, with how demanding his easily-fired-up friend is, Hinata ends up spilling everything in less than half an hour.

About sneaking out for one of his runs (since they won't let him ride his bike after he'd started doing stunts and gotten hurt doing one), about accidentally seeing someone out in the field, about how pure and ethereal it was, their voice, about how he'd only been able to stare at them for a long time, and...

"What? ...Nishinoya-senpai, you're staring at me reaaally weirdly.."

It's even more weird when his friend doesn't flip out (happily) over being called senpai, and continues gawking at him with an jaw-slacking expression.

"...?! Did I say something wrong?"

"... Shouyou, I think you have it really bad."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

It's not really anything to be surprised over, Nishinoya later explains to him (while suppressing laughter), it's just that Hinata had never taken interest in anyone like this before, and it was a shock, because he'd been talking about this person like a lovestruck teenage girl.

"So, who's the lucky girl?" His friend later asks him, clapping his hands together.

Except, Hinata has no answer for him. "...Uhh..I...don'treallyknow."

To which, Nishinoya ends up being exasperated again, and all the little details slowly come out ("What?! It's another guy...and you've never seen him before, but he's a fighter?! Holy shi-..I mean, crap, Shouyou, that's not good."

"I know," Hinata says quietly (after having turned reaaally red with all the teasing his friend had pointed towards him), and smiles a little sadly. "Wish I knew his name at least though."

A glint appears in the senpai's eyes, and Hinata immediately gets a bad feeling about this, but before he knows it, Nishinoya has turned around and left running, apparently up to some plan (that has a grin on his face.)

"Damnit, it's not anyone from here," The libero whispers, prodding Hinata under the table. "Not one of our kind."

"I already told you," Hinata mumbles. "It's not a fighter, because I'd never seen him before, and I know I would have noticed."

"Well, you are known to kind of lose focus and daydream, you know. Really famous for it, in fact."

"Nooo. Well, now what are we going to do?"

"Spy next on the sacrifices. From a distance, of course. Maybe we'll see up some cute chick's skirt while gathering intel, you know-"

"What?!"

You have to be kidding, Nishinoya gasps out, suddenly grabbing Hinata and yanking him out from under their table. Immediately, (though it's risky to move when there are so many other people around them, and they're not supposed to be here) the older one drags Hinata out of there, apparently startled.

What? Hinata says defensively, and feels his cheeks heat up again. That's the one I told you about. I'm sure it is.

This time though, he'd been able to look at that person up much closer. The person had looked kinda scary, though, as unlike that morning, he had been scowling with a really angry-looking face.

You can't. Not that one. Slowing down after they make it out of that area of the school, Nishinoya stops and looks at Hinata seriously.

I know we're not supposed to..but what's with the reaction?

People avoid him. Even I'd avoid him, Nishinoya says, and looks at Hinata square in the eyes. He has a really bad reputation here- he's a sacrifice, all right. But he's famous for refusing to take a fighter, no matter what, because he's selfish and who knows what.

All Hinata can get from that information, though, is that his person isn't paired yet.

He's really violent, ruthless, and isn't a safe person to be around. Especially, he dislikes fighters. Turns out he's some kind of genius, and he can fight well enough on his own. It's supposed to be some twist of fate that he was born a sacrifice. Are you listening to me? He sends at least two people to the hospital every month, and they still haven't kicked him out yet-Oi. Hinata?!

All his dreams of having a sweet, cute sacrifice that he'd be able to live with forever shatter immediately.

(If this person ends up being his.)

His expressions are too obvious to read though, apparently, as Nishinoya makes a face at him and pinches his cheek. /Hard/.

"Are you listening to me?! Hinata, stay away from him."

It's not like it'd work out anyways, he knows, and it's unlikely that they'll be paired together.

So why not live these fleeting feelings out the best that he can.

"...What's his name?"

Not even the cheek-pinching had elicited any reaction from Hinata. And besides, this was a really bad idea.

Nishinoya was absolutely sure that Hinata would end up hurt, but..

.

.

.

"... Kageyama Tobio."