Chapter Text
That day, he remembers the sounds of children's laughter as they enjoyed themselves during the heatwave that hit the kingdom of Karasuno. The village people were out enjoying their day as they greet one another, buying trinkets and goods at the markets. He remembered the times where the village people loved the summer. Those sunny days was everybody's favorite weather.
Well...Everybody except a certain boy, of course. Tsukishima Kei remembers the times where he wasn't very fond of the heat, even now he still doesn’t like it as much.
He honestly hated the blinding sun's rays making him irritated by the already unnecessary heat. That is why he sat directly under the shade of the tropical tree as he read an old book he found interesting, blocking off the sound of the outside noise and let his mind wonder.
Well his mind didn’t wonder that far as it didn’t take long for his enjoyment in solitude to be interrupted.
"Tsukki!" Tsukishima sighs dejectedly. He remembers this rare species that he often label this individual, who would even dare to approach him and disrupt his alone time. A young boy with very noticeable hair that look like the sun flames; very unruly, very vibrant.
He shuts his book and sends the boy who was running closer to Tsukishima and gave him a glare.
Hazel eyes met brown eyes that held childish mischief wherever he goes. He remembers his bubbly personality that made everyone around him smile but would also irritate the blonde to no end... Hinata Shouyou being his name. Hinata stopped in front of him and shows him a rubber ball that he held in his small hands."Come play with me!" He chirped.
"No thanks." He replied back, picking himself off the floor.
"Huh? Why?" Hinata smile instantly fell as he puffed his cheeks, he held the ball in his hand and placed the other on his hip.
Tsukishima stares down at him before he tilts his head a bit and smirks. "Because you must be this tall," He hovers his hand to his forehead as a height measurement, "To talk to me."
Tsukishima only time of fun in this bland village is teasing and insulting the heck out of the little shrimp and the other kids who deserved it. He often enjoyed the reactions he often gets from the pipsqueaks and shrimps in his village. Scrambling to make a decent comeback makes his day a little better. Only a little.
Especially someone like Hinata who would often squawk and his face would scrunched up in anger.
"So mean!" The shorty glares and points him,"yama isn't that tall either so why does he get to play with you!" He shouts.
"What are you? a baby? That's because Yamaguchi knows common sense when to comes to giving people space," He rolled his eyes,"I doubt you know about it."
Hinata deflates a bit but he quickly shook it off, he puffed out his chest and brings his ball to the blonde’s face. "Play with me.” He demanded.
Tsukishima getting more irritated push the ball way from his face. "I said no, shorty." If taking a simple no wasn’t going to cut it then intimidation should. Tsukishima hovers over him making Hinata jump away from him.
Being tall for an 11 year old did had some perks.
"J-just so you know I’m not scared of you or anything!” Hinata stuttered.“Damn it jerkshima! Just you wait! I'm going to be taller than you and surpass you!" He declares.
Tsukishima chuckles darkly and turns his back at him,"Go ahead, shrimp." He dragged on the nickname. Hinata bombarded him with insults of his own in which Tsukishima ignored.
He snatches the ball from Hinata’s hands."From what I’ve seen you can't even hit the ball right," He holds the ball over his head, letting hinata struggle to get it back. "If you can't even grab it from this height then what's the whole point of me playing with a shorty like you," he places the ball on the branch of the tree that he used as a shade.
He picks up the book he left on the ground. "Come back to me once you grow a few inches, airhead." and that he continued walking leaving behind a kid that was struggling to get the ball.
There was no point on being friends with a kid whose head is filled with hot air to have an actual conversation with. The shrimp always pestered him the most out of the other village kids.
He didn't care about him nor did he want to care. Tsukishima had other important things to do. He looks down to see the book he got his hands that he found interesting.
A picture book about the Karasuno Royals.
After the death of Tsukishima’s father the family struggled financially to maintain themselves. Their father being the breadwinner of the family was their only source of income. Their mother only known to be a housewife picked up off jobs here and there but was the pay wasn’t enough to feed her two children.
Once Tsukishima's older brother decided to become one of the Sultan's guard that was when their family had struck luck.
When the first pay day came Tsukishima’s mother almost fainted at the sight of a bag full gold that was brought home. That day was the first time they had a real meal in years.
Tsukishima remembers his dream to become the King’s guard to save enough money to buy his family a palace as big as the Sultan so they can live a good life... Such a simple dream that the young boy looked forward to.
"Hey, hey, hey tsukki, hey!" He sucked in his teeth, already dreading, looks up to see a familiar face that he knew, unfortunately, well.
“Bokuto, Kuroo nice to see you again." He replies back nonchalantly.
The one who called him, Bokuto smiles at him with his round, golden-colored eyes. The other boy next to him, Kuroo, gives him the ever sly smile.
Tsukishima doesn’t know much about them besides them living outside of Karasuno in the Kingdom of Nekoma and Fukurodani. Their parents seems to be traveler merchants from what Tsukishima figured.
Both Kuroo and Bokuto gasped dramatically."That's the most heartfelt greeting you said to us yet, Tsukishima," Kuroo pretends to wipe away a tear,"You finally opening up to us?" Tsukishima scoffed,"You wish."
It was then when Tsukishima notice a group of men walking passed them with large boxes being carried by men, Tsukishima gives Kuroo a quick look. "What's going on over there?" he asked.
Bokuto walks over to the blond,"Just some errands!" he replied back with a smile,"All dad said that he had a meeting with the king and told me bring my best bud to tag along." Bokuto wrapped his arm around Kuroo's shoulder.
Kuroo frowned and nudged him away,"That...and Akaashi didn't wanted to come so I've became his second choice apparently." He said jokily.
The three walked around a bit as they talked about their travels and the things they've seen and trinkets they brought from other places they’ve traveled to. Tsukishima wasn’t going to pretend that listing to their stories sounded interesting then the everyday stuff that happens in his village. Having them here kinda makes it worthwhile, but Tsukishima kept that to himself.
It wasn’t until someone tugs on his sleeves that made Tsukishima realized that he dozed off.
He looks over at Bokuto who isn't staring at him but something up ahead. He follows what is staring at to see Hinata playing with the ball by himself.
Tsukishima felt impressed to see that he got the ball back.
Hinata looks too focused on the ball as he keeps trying to bring the ball over to the laundry line but fails miserably. Bokuto points to the kid,"Who is that?" he asked in mild interest.
Tsukishima, confused, just brushed it off. "Just an annoying pest."
"Does he got a name?" It was Kuroo who asked him.
"Why do you need to know?" He liked the way he was asked that question.
“Why? We just want to be friends!” Bokuto laughs, he wraps his arm around the tall blonde. Tsukishima raises one of his eyebrow at him. “Friends, huh? Don’t really sound like you want to be friends.“ he walks away from Bokuto’s grip.
”You worried about your friend?” Kuroo motion his head to Hinata.
Already annoyed again he begin to walk away from them. Tsukishima didn't notice the way Kuroo and Bokuto shared a mischievous look.
Bokuto catches up to him and suddenly slaps Tsukishima on his back,"Don’t be like that!" Bokuto smiles, “I didn’t know you had a thing for him.”
Taken back by the comment he swiftly turns back to the two,” Hah? Of course not. Why didn’t you think it was that?”
“Then tell us his name.” Bokuto whines. Tsukishima, wanting them to both to stop drop the subject already, rolls his eyes. He had a feeling that he didn’t want to give them his name. He didn’t understand why they wanted that useless info from him in the first place, but then again he didn’t care about him in the slightest...he didn’t...he shouldn’t.
“It’s Hinata.”
Bokuto and Kuroo smiles at the answer.”Well I think it’s time for us to leave now, We meet again later Tsukki!"Kuroo smirks and walks ahead of Bokuto. Tsukishima raised his hand,"Please," he offers them a fake smile, "Don't ever come back."
"So rude!" Bokuto scowled and sticks his tongue out at him. The energetic boy finally leaves Tsukishima side and follows Kuroo.
He waits until they are both out of his sight then heads back home once he realized he was still under the raging sun.
Tsukishima’s remembers that little memory of his childhood.
Now 21 year old Tsukishima, 10 years has passed since that day.
Tsukishima became the new guard for the recent crowned Sultan, King Tobio. Who he quickly realized that he is a total pain in the ass.
The stubborn King was like a child to Tsukishima, He didn't need to ruffle his feathers up just to see his reaction, his subordinates mistakes makes up his sourpuss attitude.
The King before him was much more refine that this sad excuse of this childish display.
It felt odd, his explosive personality did reminisce him of the past. He had almost forgot about the little pipsqueak.
It's been 10 years since he had last seen of the 11 year old boy. Last thing he remembers was that his mother told him that the boy went missing one day. The village was is chaos to find him, nobody knew where he went. His mother in historical trying to find her little lost boy.
A decade has past since his disappearance, the unruly orange haired boy that always liked to bother Tsukishima was gone and he was never to come back.
His family had decided to give up on searching for him years ago and declared him dead.
When they held his funeral that Tsukishima attended with his family. He caught something at the corner of his eyes, he turned to see a small girl holding onto her mother's tunic.
Bright orange hair.
He later realized that the small girl was the little sister that Hinata would always boasted about to become the best big brother and how he was going to protect her.
"A pity...that child is going to grow up not knowing her brother..." Tsukishima heard his mother next to him mumbles sadly.
After the funeral, everyone had left back home, surprisingly even for him, Tsukishima stayed behind. He stared at at the makeshift tombstone below him, his chest felt heavy and his palms were beginning to feel clammy for some reason.
He kneels down and places a flower on the ground where it embrace a empty casket,"Sorry...rest well, Hinata." he then places the rubber ball that the boy once loved.
He gets up and turns away from the tombstone and continues on walking...
"Tsukishima!" He jolts from his deep thoughts, he looks over to his side to see a black haired man and deep scowl glaring daggers at him.
"Yes, my sultan." He responds robotically, a phrase he used regularly which he has grown tired of.
"Get your brother and the other guards..I want you all ready by high noon." He drapes the silk cloak he was holding over his shoulders."We are going over to Aoba Johsai for a meeting."
Tsukishima bowed slightly,"Yes my sultan."
ah, what a pain.