Ugh.
All this way.
All this way for that orange parrot or crow or whatever to come back to Tokyo. Guaranteed, a cute parrot no less.
But still.
Kuroo had sand in his shoe and sun in his eyes and it was too hot down south, why on earth had the parrot picked this place?
Sunny’s. Kenma had said. Well there it was.
Kuroo still couldn’t believe that he himself, the Fat Cat, the big boss of The Cats, had to submit to The Wolves to stay alive all
because of that good-for-nothing –
Well. That prick was dead now anyway.
He needed to take this stupid blazer off. It would reveal the gun in his sling but Kuroo was starting to not care. Kenma had said the parrot wouldn’t shoot, the past was still raw for him, to use sentiment as a weapon. Something about Hinata being an emotional wreck.
What was it? Eleven A.M.? The door to the hut was open as Kuroo ducked his head and entered.
This time a glass didn’t smash but Shoyo Hinata froze, broom in hand, sweeping the floor in front of the bar.
Tanned. Brown eyes. Orange hair. Yellow shirt and denim shorts and a very, very pretty face.
In that moment, Kuroo suddenly remembered – those tiny hands smoothing their way across his shirt, that flirtatious sultry look, those hands that pulled at his belt, and those soft lips that started at his abdomen and had trailed down, down, down…
Shit.
It was good too.
But he did not come here for a blowjob. He came here because he was on a job.
Not to mention… The person who hired him would quite literally kill him if he tried anything.
‘Hey Small Fry, nice place you got here.’
The parrot’s expression didn’t change. But he wasn’t pulling out a gun which Kuroo took as a good sign.
‘Can I get a drink?’
His expression did change then – to one of annoyance.
‘Leave,’ Hinata said.
‘Come on, don’t be like that,’ Kuroo pulled up a nearby small stool and plopped himself down at a bamboo table. ‘I travelled all the way from Tokyo. Could I at least get a strawberry daiquiri before I go? This is a bar, isn’t it? I’ll pay you and everything.’
Kuroo rummaged in his inner pocket and noticed Hinata stiffen –
Shit.
He must’ve caught sight of the gun.
‘I’m not here to cause trouble, shorty pants,’ Kuroo peeled some notes from his wallet and plonked them on the table. ‘You can keep the change. It looks like you need it.’
Hinata was looking more irked by the minute.
‘Kenma wasn’t welcome here and neither are you! What part of “leave” do you not understand?!’
‘I can’t go without having talked to you first. Trying to convince you. I was sent by someone, someone you’re very familiar with -’
Kuroo noticed the ginger grip the broom tighter.
‘And well he’s… he’s very keen on having you back. Can I smoke in here?’
‘No.’
‘You see The Eagles have disbanded, ever since you, ya know -’
‘Killed their leader?’ Hinata raised his eyebrows, his voice as cold and hard as stone.
‘Yeah. Since that. They’ve kinda… dispersed now. Shirabu took the remaining ones and moved North… Hokkaido. Semi and Yamagata have completely left, apparently trade in electronics now. Straight. Clean. Not our stuff -’
‘You can tell whoever’s hired you – that I’m not interested in going back to that life.’
‘Hey could I at least get some water?’
‘No.’
‘Why are you so resistant? If I was you I’d be dying to come back. You were the best. No doubt about it. Everyone liked you. They still do. The public liked you, the police liked you, all the clans liked you – well, except The Eagles. The Crows love you. Don’t you wanna get back to your family?’
Kuroo saw it then – Hinata’s expression soften, his eyes sad. He dropped his gaze to the floor. So Kenma was right of course: sentiment was a weapon.
‘Not if it puts them at risk,’ Hinata mumbled, ‘Not if I risk people getting hurt,’ his expression hardened and he brought his eyes back up to meet Kuroo’s, ‘There’s no point in me going back and I don’t want to go back.’
‘So that’s it? The empire you built – you’re just gonna let it fall?’
‘HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU SAY THAT TO ME WHEN YOU WERE THE ONE TRYING TO BRING ME DOWN?! It’s your fault everyone I loved was attacked that night!’
Kuroo jumped out the way just in time –
THWACK!
The head of the broom came crashing down, its neck hitting the bamboo table and money –
But Hinata attacked again –
Kuroo caught the broom –
But Hinata released it and went in with his fist instead –
‘Hu-ngh -!’ Kuroo was winded, he staggered, one hand grabbed hold of a nearby table for support, the other clutched his stomach as he was bent double from the impact, in shock.
And for dessert, as Kuroo was trying to stand up straight, Hinata gave a good strong kick – right between his legs.
K.O.
Kuroo groped the bamboo table for support with one hand, choking breaths, wincing in pain, as his other hand held his groin.
Since when was the fucking parrot that strong? What was he lifting barrels of alcohol?! It was said on the grapevine that the crow was good with a knife – but a punch?!
‘We never – intended – to – kill – any – crows,’ Kuroo wheezed.
‘That’s not what I was told,’ Hinata glared at the out-of-breath Kuroo with not an ounce of guilt.
‘By – who?’
‘Ushiwaka.’
Hinata saw the confusion on Kuroo’s face. Kuroo gasped for air, steadying himself.
‘He said he was going to overthrow us,’ Hinata explained.
Kuroo shook his head, inhaling through his nose. ‘He – lied. To us. We joined them – just to get back – our businesses – but The Eagles – had other intentions.’
‘Who tipped you off the Big Bad Wolf’s location?’
Kuroo took some deep, steadying breaths. He puffed and wheezed. Hinata waited. A minute later or so later – the pain was starting to diminish. Kuroo pushed himself off the table, and stood up straight even though his stomach ached and his dick and balls still throbbed. And not in a good way.
Kuroo coughed. ‘An envelope. Without fingerprints. Was dropped through the letterbox at Higasaki’s, the fish restaurant, the one you almost took. It had statistics of your success and a location for the head wolf.’
‘Show me.’
Kuroo stared. Hinata’s face was deadlier than a knife.
‘Now,’ Hinata said.
Kuroo straightened up, still heaving, dick aching, and took out his phone. He made a call to someone, another cat by the sounds of it, and got them send over the scans. He then handed his phone to Hinata.
The first image pierced Hinata’s heart. A map. A map with a pinpoint location in Toda. It was enough to make Hinata purse his lips and fight back tears. Next – a list as Kenma had said – of their businesses, names all typed out. But then –
Bank statements. Bank statements showing month after month of profit and increase.
And –
Hinata heard his blood boom in his ears –
A printed screenshot of an Excel sheet. An Excel Sheet Hinata knew very, very well.
Hinata’s heart morphed into cold, hard stone. Thoughts rushed at him like a pack of wolves for blood.
Kuroo could feel that the crow was thinking something and Kuroo thought he knew exactly what that was –
‘Someone had it in for you. That’s for sure. This much detail about your specific earnings? Is there anyone else you shat on other than The Cats? Any other businesses you took that you shouldn’t have? Any other clans you pissed off?’
Hinata stared at the screenshot.
‘Send this to me.’
Kuroo shared the files with Hinata’s phone. Hinata stared again at that Excel sheet, mind churning. What was the crow thinking? But now, while the bird was pensive, was a good time –
‘We meant – no harm,’ Kuroo straightened up, inhaling. ‘That’s the truth. We just wanted our businesses back. The Cats don’t oppose your return although… try and stay out of our turf this time, would ya? The Crows, Cats and Wolves have good relations at the moment. Another reason why you should come back.’
Hinata locked his phone and then locked eyes with Kuroo. Kuroo half-grinned. And in that smile, Hinata found, that wanting, that look he would get from guys, that he knew oh too well…
‘That’s Tokyo, isn’t it?’ Kuroo nodded to the artwork past Hinata, on the wall.
Hinata turned. It was a picture he looked at every evening. It was a painting by a street artist of Tokyo at night.
Hinata stared at the picture…
And went back…
He went to the Tokyo nights, the roaring city with blinding lights, the noise and smells and smoke and bustle, how he’d hated and loved that city. The city that had abandoned him and the city that had adopted him. That fateful day, when he’d seen those three elder crows smartly dressed – Asahi, Suga and Daichi – down the backstreets of Shinjuku, and Hinata could smell money off of them even a mile away. He had begged, as if his life had depended on it, because his life had depended on it, in the sassiest, most confident and outrageous way a beggar ever could beg, almost demanding they give him money and was it something in his personality? His looks? His ‘magic charm’ – as they later coined him for – that made them see something in him?
He knew of The Crows. Of course he did. They ran Nakano, Shinjuku and Shibuya. Everyone knew that. But he’d never met a crow before let alone three at once. And never would he have imagined that not long after that, he would be the one running The Crows.
He wasn’t stupid. After he was fed and washed and dressed in the finest suit that money could buy, he could see the way the eleven of them practically melted at the sight of him. And when he’d been given his first businesses, his first stock to take charge of, the public had been enchanted by him, surprised at his politeness and seeming care, his good-nature and looks and the deals had gone smoothly. And when they hadn’t gone smoothly, and Hinata had turned to threat or wielded a knife, this too shocked the merchants into submission, made them realise he wasn’t just a pretty face, he’d come from the streets, he was one of them. And more importantly, he was a crow now. And either way, The Crows took from the people what they wanted. For something in exchange of course. For protection. You could come to The Crows for help if you needed to. Not all clans were like that.
Hinata had a knack. A knack for talking to people. He was likable. And the more deals he made, the more business owners he met, the more daughters and mothers and aunts that fawned over him – the more men and women that fancied him – the more he had swanned his way through new territory, to new heights, achieving what even the elders couldn’t.
The more confident Hinata had become.
‘Where do you see yourself going?’ Daichi had asked him.
‘What are your long term goals?’
‘I want to be a crow for now,’ Hinata had responded. ‘I’m enjoying this. I like it.’
And how Daichi had smiled, like he knew a secret.
The money. The lifestyle. The girls. The guys. The drink, the drugs, the cars, the clubs. They had their shine. For a while. But more than those vices: the acceptance into a family. Someone always covering his back. Nights no longer alone. Being trained to use a gun. Leveling up on the wielding of a knife.
The thrill of a deal. The power of persuasion. The fraught tension. The feeding of his ego every time he won another person over…
And yet…
How quickly the shimmer had waned. How repetitive it had become. Even the nights out, the drinking, the debauchery… Hinata never admitted it at the time but some moments he had still felt the void. Wasn’t that why he’d walked into death’s clutches as bold as brass seven months ago? He had wanted something, anything, different to happen.
And as a result, his heart was stolen…
‘No,’ Hinata met Kuroo’s eyes from across the room. ‘I’m staying right here.’
Well then. There was nothing more Kuroo could do.
‘Suit yourself.’
Kuroo stood up then stopped. He surveyed the pretty bird for a moment.
‘You know you were really good,’ Kuroo said. ‘With your mouth.’
Suddenly – a mischevious glint in Hinata’s eye, a break in his defensive explosive persona, a flicker of who he used to be.
Hinata unsuccessfully fought back a smile. ‘Really?’
Fuck.
He really was beautiful.
No wonder the Big Bad Wolf wanted him back.
‘So good, in fact, that I would pay to feel it again.’
Hinata did not look offended but suddenly he seemed bored. ‘I’m not a whore, Kuroo.’
‘Aren’t you? From what I heard, you got around.’
‘Yes. I did. But I did that for fun.’ And before I’d met someone I really, really liked, Hinata thought.
‘So then??’
‘I’m not sucking your dick Kuroo when I want you to get the fuck out of my hut!’
‘How about I’ll happily leave the hut if you get me off.’
‘How about I blow your brains out with my gun and call The Wolves to help me clean it up?’
That silenced him.
‘OK. I’ll go. But just so you know, the two times you did, were incredible.’
Hinata smirked. ‘I know. That’s what everyone told me.’
Kuroo stared intensely at Hinata’s face, that orange-haired beauty, trying to suss if maybe he could be swayed. And Hinata, ever perceptive –
‘Ask me once and I’ll let it slide. Ask me twice… then it’s an insult. Then I may have to come back. Just to tell the head wolf how insulted I was.’
Hinata couldn’t believe it – did a flicker of fear cross Kuroo’s eyes? Was that how powerful… he’d become?
‘I didn’t say anything, Small Fry, I’m not sure what you’re talking about,’ but Kuroo was definitely averting his gaze now. ‘Keep the water and the strawberry daiquiri -’ Kuroo scooped up the bills on the table.
‘Actually I’ll keep that,’ Hinata said, his voice with an edge. ‘For the time you took.’
Kuroo paused and then left the money on the bamboo table.
‘I still don’t get,’ Hinata said sharply, ‘that after everything that happened, The Cats trying to claim back territory and going against us, why you’re here trying to bring me back when you probably wanted me gone in the first place?’
‘Hey, little man, “gone” is too strong a word. I… enjoyed very much my encounters with you. But let’s just say… that someone might actually kill us if we hadn’t found you and at least tried to bring you back.’
‘I’m actually surprised he’s been that merciful.’
‘Me too.’ Still trying to hold onto some form of his pride or swag, Kuroo pulled up his shirt collar. ‘I’ll be going now.’ Kuroo made to duck out of the hut but turned again. ‘Oh and Daichi said to say, “If you’re a crow for now”…’
Then you’re a crow for life.
Kuroo might as well have shot a bullet through Hinata’s heart with those words. Hinata didn’t visibly react, he made sure his face was passive as he stared at the rooster-haired mafia preparing to exit but inside he felt a deep, resonating piercing pain.
‘Oh and one last thing. From the one who hired me. He said if you ever come back, you might be working for him and not The Crows. Or that he’ll buy out The Crows. And something about… choice being an illusion?’
Hinata suddenly scowled, his whole being bubbling with anger and a million other emotions that he had tried to bury for the past three months. And it was so typical, so like the leader of The Wolves to be so blase, so casual and flirty in his communication to Hinata, as if something horrific hadn’t just happened, as the wolf hadn’t just escaped death, as if everything was fine and dandy. And even though Hinata’s heart yearned like a sailor for the sea, inside he was angry: angry that they were all trying to win him back, angry that a part of him wanted to go back, angry that the Big Bad Wolf was being so flippant but more than anything else –
Hinata was angry at himself.
Because deep down, he knew, that all of this, was his fault.
But like a tiny crack in a high-pressured pipe, water burst forth –
Hinata opened his mouth to retort back but what Kuroo said next wiped his mind clean –
‘He’s out of hospital now, by the way but has a bit of trouble walking. And he said he misses you. A lot.’