I hope you had a nice Christmas! Because I certainly had!

Chapter Four

It was a cold winter morning as Shouyou strode towards the graveyard. Fresh snow crisped under the soles of his leather boots. Behind him was Natsu, softly humming her favorite song to herself. Today was exactly thirteen years ago it happened and he hadn't dared to face his problems ever since. He tried a couple of years before, together with Kageyama, but it hadn't exactly turned out well…

"Natsu?" Shouyou stopped in his pace and turned around to see his younger sister. The road was deserted, slippery and completely covered in snow.

The girl hummed in acknowledgement and scooted over to her brother. She had been a newborn when the accident happened, now she was already a beautiful thirteen-and-a-half year old. She took after her brother in volleyball and was about to become the most fabulous setter Karasuno had ever heard of.

"What way now?"

Natsu glanced around, "What way… what way…?" she chanted, "Oh! There is the gate already! We're almost there." she exclaimed.

Shouyou nodded and followed his sister on foot. He was a bit anxious about today, it had been so many years and this was the very first time he actually got this far. That time with Kageyama had been no success and they returned home halfway there.

Today would be different. He was only with his sister (mother had stayed home) and the setting was more peaceful. It was similar to that day, but the sun shin and he wasn't alone this time.
"You nervous?" Natsu asked.

"A bit." he sighed, "I don't think dad will appreciate it that I came thirteen years later."
Natsu smiled and offered her hand, he gladly took it and the moment he did, a warm feeling spread through his fingers. She had never met their father, he died without knowing her. When she was little, she'd sometimes ask about him but Shouyou never answered. Natsu stopped asking after a while and she never really attempted to do it again. Something he was grateful of.

"I'm sure dad will be happy to finally see you again." she said reassuring, "Besides, mom and I went for you those years you couldn't. We showed him pictures and such."

They walked further, through the gate. Silently the walked between the graves. Offerings were placed everywhere, on each single grave. Sometimes a bottle of sake or some incense and sometimes flowers. They had brought a bottle of sake, their father's favorite and some flowers their mother told them to give. Of course they'd light some incense and-

"We're there." Natsu's voice broke the silence and shattered it into a thousand pieces. Shouyou looked up and stared at the grave in the front of them. It was perfectly maintained. The sun shattered across the marbled gravestone with engravings of their fathers name: Hinata Hikaru

The name was somewhat ironic, Shouyou suddenly noticed and he mentally slapped himself for thinking that.
"Hi dad!" Natsu chirped and she bend down as she placed the green bottle next to the stone, "It has been a while, hasn't it? Mom's doing great. She couldn't come today 'cause she was visiting auntie, but she'll come another time."
Shouyou said nothing.
"We brought you sake… incense of course and these flowers-" she looked up at her brother only to see him shaking up to the bone, "-mom told us to get these." she glanced at her brother again, "And if you're wondering who this man next to me is, he'll come and tell you himself." Natsu jumped up and pulled Shouyou down on his knees so he could face the grave normally.

"H-hullo d-dad..." he stuttered. Oh god, what was he supposed to say? He hadn't showed his face in years so what could he even say? This was ridiculous, "It has b-been a while, h-hasn't it?"

Natsy giggled, "He's Shouyou, remember?" she said, "He was the one on those pictures I showed you. He sure has grown a lot, hasn't he?"

In his head, Shouyou could hear his father say "He sure has!" and then laughter he'd never hear in his life ever again.

"Y-yeah so..." he took a deep breath, "I'm here to apologize I haven't been here in thirteen years. I just couldn't do it, but I tried so many t-times." tears started to sting behind his eyes, "I ser...seriously did and t-today I felt l-like I could finally fa-face you again."

A tear was now slipping past his eyes, down to his cheeks.

"I'm glad I'm f-finally sitting h-here… and I w-wanted to show you something-" he bend down and grabbed something out of his backpack, "-here." he smoothed the sheet of paper and showed it to the grave. The sheet was a bit crumbled, but there was clearly a logo of the Olympic Games on top of it, "I'm going to the Olympics this year." Shouyou smiled, "And you'll have to be watching!"

Suddenly, something sank against him- Natsu- and he felt her softly sobbing against his shoulder. Finally that last part was finished. Her brother could finally have his peace again, not being haunted by those awful memories nobody was supposed to have. Finally.

Shouyou completely recovered from his depression in the years after he told his friends and teammates. He graduated from Karasuno(although that wasn't the easiest thing to get done) and got a scholarship to one of the better universities in Tokyo as a sport major. There, he was invited in the national team together with his best friend Kageyama Tobio(Maybe boyfriend, Natsu couldn't guess because the two were close naturally) and many more of his old acquaintances.

End, for real this time

So that was the very last chapter! Sorry for the KageHina shippers, I didn't imply it too much because this isn't a love story but a story about Shouyou. I did imply it a little at the end though, and Natsu's guess is right btw.

Anyway, I wish you all the best for the new year and I'll see you in my next stories!

(For the ones that follow my Roses are Black, I'm going to update that one before the end of the year!)