A/N: I'm sorry - this chapter is super rushed but I just wanted to update since it's been ages since the last one. I really want to try and finish my current stories so that I can work on some new ones but I barely have time to write anymore. Hopefully during Christmas break I'll get the last few chapters written, but we'll see >.<

You saw the curtain flinch as you walked up the driveway to Hinata's house, the brown material still caught in motion as the person behind it quickly withdrew. You glimpsed a smudge of dark eyes before it hung still and empty, like a blank portrait.

He was waiting for you in the kitchen when his mother led you through, before leaving, wordlessly, to let you settle the situation between yourselves. You wondered if Hinata had confided in her at all about your argument, but it was unlikely. Sometimes I feel like I barely even know him anymore. That's what she had said to you. And you had reassured her that he was still her son, he was still Shouyou, but some days you found it difficult to believe that yourself.

He was staring down at the ground, at his two socked feet planted firmly on the carpet, unmoving, silent.

"Are we going to talk about this?"

Hinata sniffed. "Talk about what?"

"Whatever's going on with you, why you're being so cold to your friends," you said bluntly, talking quickly so that he couldn't interrupt. "I know you're still grieving. I know it's hard, after everything you've been through, but we need to stick together during times like these, not push each other away."

Hinata's curled his fists by his sides, his feet spreading to keep him braced against the floor. "I'm not pushing them away on purpose. I'm just trying to protect you! I can't lose you like I did Natsu! I can't."

His voice was so thick and choked up with emotion that you felt yourself forming tears, but you quickly blinked them away without Hinata seeing. "You're not going to lose me," you said softly, spreading your hands in an act of sincerity. "I told you, I'm not going anywhere. None of us are. We're all here for you, just as we've always been."

"They're trying to take you away from me."

You took a shaky breath through your nose and released it through clenched teeth, trying to keep yourself composed, patient. "That's not true, Hinata. We're all grieving, we're all struggling to understand why all of this has happened, and the worst thing we can do right now is drive a wedge between everyone. It's times like these when we need each other the most."

Hinata's eyes glazed suddenly, flashed with a strange metallic glint like a bronze coin shining as it sunk to the bottom of a fountain, and then he started crying. You'd seen Hinata cry before, in mourning, in grief, but not like this. There was a rawness to the action, as if he was exposing some concealed vulnerability that nobody had seen in him before. You'd seen him upset, but this went beyond that, this was broken, completely and utterly torn to pieces, scrambling around in the dark for even a scrap of feeling amongst all the emptiness.

"Oh, Hinata," you whimpered, pulling the boy into your arms. He crumpled into them, his legs giving way so that you were forced to hold his weight as well as yours. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, I just want to help you, I just want to get to the bottom of whatever this is and make it go away."

"I just don't want you to go, [F/N]," he whispered, his breath hot against your neck, making your skin flush and tingle. "I don't want you to go like Natsu did. I can't lose you when I love you too much."

A small mumble of surprise passed between your lips like a whistled breath, but you quickly assured yourself that he didn't mean it like that. "O-of course, Hinata, I love you too. You're my best friend-"

"No, no, not just like that. I... I just, I feel like I need to protect you, keep you safe," he said, drawing away from slightly so that his voice reached you better. He'd stopped crying now. "I care about you, just as much as I cared about Natsu. All I know is that I need to keep you safe."

You struggled for words amidst your surprise as the implications of his words dawned on you. Not just like that... "Hinata, look, you're in a fragile state. Emotion is overruling everything right now and I think you need some time to breathe, to think things over, make peace with-"

"I've done all that! I've spent every night since she left me trying to breathe but I feel like I'm just suffocating all the time. I can't think straight because my head's all dark and cloudy. I've had time, I don't need anymore. All I need right now is for you to stay with me, [F/N], for you not to leave me, for you to tell me that you love me back!"

You pulled away suddenly, almost like a reflex, jumping away from danger. "Hinata you don't love me, not like that," you said solemnly, your lips tightening up against the words. "That's your grief talking. You're searching for someone else to love, to fill your heart in place of your sister and I understand that, but I'm not that someone Hinata. I love you, god you know I do, but as nothing more than a friend."

Hinata's face straightened out suddenly, as if he was composing himself, shaking away all those other emotions that had been eating him away only moments ago. You would have believed that facade, that mask he'd donned, but his eyes gave him away. They always gave him away, they were the one thing he couldn't control, the doorway into what was really going on behind that masquerade of composure.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. Maybe we shouldn't do this now," you said quickly. "I just... I'm not sure you're ready yet, for things to be back to normal. Please, just, take some time, do something you enjoy-"

"I enjoy spending time with you."

"I know, Hinata, I know. But maybe a bit of distance from me will do you good, just for a little while. I promise I'll be right here when you need me, I'm not going anywhere permanently, okay?"

His lip wobbled. "But I need you now."

You quickly took a step back as he moved forward, his head tilted as if on an axis, hands dangling loosely by his sides, like a puppet.

"I should go. Please think over what I said. Nobody's your enemy here."

Without another word, you turned, shuddered out a breath, and walked out of the front door feeling no more confident that you'd gotten through to Hinata than before.

It hurt, leaving on such a sour note, but the best remedy for both of you right now was space, room to breathe, time to think, to reflect, to sort out your emotions. Otherwise one of you might do something you would regret.

***

The metal chains grated as slivers of wind scraped through the rungs, lifting the swing a few inches at an angle before dropping suddenly beneath the weight of a body.

Daichi folded his knees beneath the seat and pushed himself off from the ground, skittering bits of mud as his trainers launched forwards. You slumped on the adjacent swing, pressing your face to the cold metal links and letting it numb the skin on your cheeks.

"Do you think you got through to him at all?" Daichi asked as you saw Asahi and Nishinoya walking towards you from a distance, too caught in their own conversation to notice how far you'd gotten. Ever since Sugawara's death, the giant ace had been spending a lot more time with the short libero, and you were just glad Asahi wasn't alone during these times, at least he'd found comfort elsewhere too. You only wished Hinata's comfort in you wasn't so... obsessive. You couldn't think of a better word. He was obsessive and paranoid and, quite frankly, starting to scare you with his strange words and antics.

"Honestly, not really. I'm starting to wonder if he's beyond reasoning at this point. He won't listen, he's been more stubborn than I've ever seen him. He keeps insisting that I stay with him. I want to help him but at this point in time, I'm not sure that I am what he needs."

Daichi rested his fingers against his chin, the swing moving absently in the wind as he kept his feet planted on the ground. "It's strange, seeing him act like this. It's not the Hinata we know."

"It's like Natsu took a huge part of the old Hinata when she... when she died," you said, the final words coming out as a choked whisper. It was still sensitive, talking about the tragedy of one so young. "But I couldn't help thinking - and please hear me out, let me finish before you jump to any conclusions - but right before Koushi's own death, Hinata, he... he had an argument with him, and the argument itself wasn't bad or anything, but he had this look in his eye. It's difficult to describe, but it was so... cold, so hostile, I was scared he was going to hurt Koushi right then and there. Instead he just stormed away." You let the words linger between you for a moment, matted by the wind, as Daichi read between them.

His face remained as stony as ever. "You think-"

"I don't think anything," you interrupted, digging your hands further around the metal chains. "I'm not implying anything, it was just a thought, maybe there's a link, but Hinata could never do something like that himself. He just couldn't." Your voice started wobbling mid-sentence, and you had to regulate your breathing as your heart started to speed up in your chest. 

"I'm going to talk to him."

You reached out and took Daichi's hand, squeezing his fingers. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea," you reasoned, chewing your lip, already regretting telling Daichi your thoughts. You felt like you'd just inflamed the situation, and Daichi's emotions, even more. It was just a stupid observation, it didn't mean anything. Hinata could never be capable of something like that.

"I'm going to talk to him," he repeated, giving your own hand a squeeze before letting go.

You sighed, glancing away from him. "Fine, but please don't upset him," you said, before adding quietly, "And don't do anything rash. You might not know how he'll react."