Chapter Text
Kageyama
Kageyama was nervous. A fortnight from now, he’d have his coronation. He paced around his room, frowning. The Junior King of Asgard, he was already being called. It wasn't meant as a compliment. He couldn't help but wonder why his brother wasn't crown prince. Oikawa was loved by all, even those who were supposedly Kageyama’s friends. Hmpf. Bodyguards, more like. Hanamaki, Matsukawa, Kindaichi, and Kunimi were the ones who came up with his nickname in the first place, and they always took Oikawa's side in arguments between the two brothers. Still, Kageyama loved his brother, and he looked up to his way with words and people and even his magic. He sighed wistfully, wishing he was more like his adopted brother.
Not that Kageyama was supposed to know that Oikawa was adopted, of course. He didn't even know it himself. But Kageyama had overheard an argument between their parents about telling Oikawa his true heritage, although he hadn't really understood the problem at the time. Plenty of children were orphaned due to Asgard’s wars, so really the Allfather should be commended that he took one in. Even though Kageyama knew he wasn't the smartest and the Allfather probably knew best, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for essentially taking away his brother's birthright, and he hated that Oikawa resented him for it. Realising his thoughts were running in circles, Kageyama decided to give up on pacing his room and headed off to the training yard to see if this time there was someone willing to spar with him.
– –
Oikawa
Kageyama wasn't ready to be king, Oikawa knew it. The second born son as crown prince of Asgard? Kageyama as crown prince of Asgard? Oikawa was well loved, he was charismatic, he was the eldest, he had magic, he knew so much about the Nine Realms (especially Midgard)… Kageyama was awkward and stiff and all he had was that stupid hammer that should have been Oikawa's. So why was Kageyama the heir?
“Wow, Oikawa, bitter much?” Mattsun asked, eyebrow raised, when Oikawa complained to him. Beside him, Makki laughed. They were sitting in the gardens, Oikawa’s favourite spot, a small stone table and bench underneath a willow tree. His friends called it Oikawa's complaint podium.
“Makki! Don't encourage him, he’s being mean to me!” Oikawa decidedly did not whine, because Oikawa would never whine. Makki just laughed all the harder.
“If you're so convinced Kageyama shouldn't be King, you could just sabotage the coronation to make him look incompetent,” Yahaba suggested.
Oikawa sighed. Even Makki stopped laughing, as they realised Oikawa was serious.
“I’m just worried. I love my brother, really I do, but he's just no good as king. He’d be a tyrant, simply because he doesn't know how not to be. But I can't just sabotage him, people will just assume I’m just bitter, or jealous. I’m not! I just genuinely believe I would be a better king.” A beat of silence followed Oikawa's proclamation. Then Yahaba muttered, “You could still sabotage the coronation. Just do it subtly.”
“Dude no, we’d get in so much shit for this,” Makki complained.
Suddenly Oikawa grinned, his eyes gleaming. Standing up, he chirped, “Only if we get caught~”
Practicing alone on the training yard, Kageyama sneezed and felt a shiver run down his back, not really knowing why.