the wolf and the lamb » kageyama x reader

23. Covert Concessions

I'm still alive.

Kageyama's hands tremble as he gapes at the words scribbled on the wrinkled parchment. He loosens his grip on the paper and lets it float down to rest atop the desk.

"What does that mean?" His voice breaks and his vision spins as he takes a step back, hunching over and holding his head in his hands to stare down at the ground. "Is 'I' (First Name)...?" The king can barely bring himself to contemplate it as he crumples into a nearby chair. "Is this a prank? Oh, dear god, I hope not."

「♚」

You peer down the hallway, dimly lit with wavering candles and watched over by snoozing guards. The sky is dark, and twinkling stars are concealed by nebulous clouds looming overhead. Stealing into the kitchen, you palm some choice morsels and a few canteens of water, and place them in your bag.

After double-checking to make sure that you have enough food and water, you slip back out into the damp corridor and enter your room. Clutching your necklace, you tuck it under the handkerchief hanging around your neck; you grab a writing utensil, your journal, and some paper and shove them into the bag. You're about to leave the room, but something stops you at the door and makes you turn around to look over the room again. Even if your time at Aoba Jousai wasn't the best, you still have some ties to your room, and it pains you to leave. The window is open, blowing the gossamer drapes this way and that; the moon shines in faintly, the only light in the gloomy room.

You allow yourself a wan smile before sucking in a breath, tearing yourself away from the empty room, and closing the door gently behind you.

Tiptoeing down the hall, you make your way down to Oikawa's room. You turn the handle, not bothering to knock, and pad softly across the floor to stand by his bedside.

Prodding his cheek, you watch the king flinch and groan, turning away from you and hugging a pillow to his chest. You refuse to give up - you move to the other side of the bed, crawl on top of it, and flip Oikawa.

"Psst! Oikawa! Wake up!"

The brunet stirs but doesn't respond.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures," you mutter, reaching over and sitting on the king's stomach. His eyes fly open and he stares up at you, a shadowy silhouette barely illuminated by the weak moonlight coming in from the curtained windows.

"Holy shit," he murmurs. "Are you here to kill me?"

You hold back a snicker. "No, unfortunately not. I'm here to deliver a message to you."

"(First Name)? Is that you? What the hell are you doing?"

You deftly get off his chest and jump down to the floor. "Shhh, not so loud. The guards are sleeping."

"Sorry," he says in hushed tones before registering what you just said. "Wait, the guards are asleep? Oh, I'll deal with them later. What the hell are you doing? What's with that bag and that bandana around your neck?"

"I'm leaving Aoba Jousai. I thought I'd give you a heads-up, since, you know, I'm supposed to marry you or something."

"You're going to disappear, just like that? In the middle of the night?"

"Yeah."

He deadpans. "What are you, an angsty teenager?"

"I didn't know you were this sassy," you murmur, shaking your head. "Is it because I woke you from your precious beauty sleep in the middle of the night?"