Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

“Dad. I’m already six years old. I’ll be okay.”

“What if I still walked with you? I don’t want you to get into any trouble on the way there.”

“Daaad! I wanna go with the other kids!”

Tsukishima sighs. It’s incredible he has raised someone just as stubborn as him. He takes one last look at Aiko’s outfit — a pink striped shirt and a baby blue skirt, the closest to matching he’ll ever get her to dress — and hands her her backpack.

“Fine. I just don’t want you to get hurt,” he says as his little girl pulls on the light pink randoseru and smiles up at him.

“If you bought me a phone, I could call you if I got hurt!” she grins up at him with her one missing front tooth, and Tsukishima chuckles with a roll of his eyes. He places two hands on her small shoulders and directs her to the genkan to put on her shoes.

“Nice try. You’ll get a phone when you can prove to me that you are responsible enough.”

“So if I walk to school well then I can get a phone?”

“...I’ll think about it. Now put on your shoes.”

With a giggle, Aiko pulls on her black shoes and only slightly struggles with her balance. Once done, Tsukishima’s sure she’s just about out the door, but he is soon proven wrong when the blonde girl rushes back to him and hugs him tightly. She only reaches his hips, but he applauds her for the effort. 

He hugs her back.

“Have a good day, Aiko.”

“You too, dad!”

The door opens and it closes, and soon Tsukishima is all alone in their apartment. He still has some time before leaving for work, so he goes back to the living room and glances at the picture on the window sill. A single framed picture rests upon it; he was never the sentimental kind of guy but he’d hate for his daughter to feel like she isn’t a gift he wants to show off.

A picture of Tsukishima with a small smile, a three-year-old Aiko with blonde pigtails and… her.

Not a day goes by where he doesn’t miss Aiko’s mom. He would never trade Aiko for anything, but this whole parent thing was much easier with someone helping out.

But Tsukishima can’t change the past. He can’t make people drive responsibly — or sober — but he can stare at this picture and chuckle at how the child looks so much more like him instead of her. She really was one of a kind.

Tsukishima huffs, opens his laptops to check the prices for the current trending smartphones, closes his laptop in shock and leaves the apartment to go to his first day of work.

Tsukishima sure hopes that Aiko’s first day went better than his own. Sure, he’s worked in a museum before, but at least back then his coworkers and customers were bearable. At least they weren’t a bunch of smug, arrogant, high-and-mighty dickheads who all act like they know how to do his job better than him just because he’s new. Tsukishima grumbles his way home and promises to clean up his vocabulary by the time he arrives at the elementary school to pick Aiko up from the after-school care.

She’s already waiting by the gates by the time Tsukishima makes it there. She’s standing there, alone, but she smiles when she sees her dad approach.

“Dad!” Aiko yells and rushes forward to hug him. Tsukishima catches her in his arms and spins her around as she giggles. “I was waiting for you!”

“Sorry, sorry, my train ran a bit late. How’d your day go?” Tsukishima asks as he sets her down, pets her head softly and begins walking towards their home in her pace.

“I didn’t really get to talk to others as much as I wanted to, but… Mr. Akaashi was nice!”

“Mr. Akaashi, huh? Is that your homeroom teacher?”

“Yup! He showed us pictures of his cat, oh, dad, can we get a cat?” Aiko asks. “Please, please, pleaseee?”

Tsukishima shakes his head in amusement. “You know our apartment doesn’t allow cats. Plus, I don’t think we have the money to take care of a pet right now.”

“But dad, Mr. Akaashi’s cat was so cute! It was black and it had green eyes!”

“Enough about that,” Tsukishima chuckles, though he has an inkling this won’t be the last of Aiko’s pleading. The girl has loved cats since she could really understand what cats even were. “Was there anything special at school?”

Aiko stops in her tracks. Tsukishima looks back at her as she slips her backpack off her shoulders and starts digging through it right in the middle of the sidewalk. “Right! Mr. Akaashi gave us this paper about like… school things.”

“Oh? Let me see.” Tsukishima is handed the paper slip by Aiko. “An open day two weeks from now? That’s pretty soon.”

“You’ll come, right?”

“...I’ll see if I can work on Saturday and switch my shift around, but I should be able to do that.”

“Yay!”

Tsukishima folds the handout and slips it into his pocket before grabbing Aiko’s hand and walking down the road with her.

Aiko’s on the couch watching Pokémon reruns while Tsukishima rolls back his shoulders after a long day. He’s supposed to be a good dad and cook a homemade meal for his little girl, but today his energy was so drained that he could barely order the ramen they just finished eating. Tomorrow he’ll cook something. For sure.

“Aiko, you want some ice cream?” Tsukishima asks from the kitchen. “I bought some for your big first day of school.”

“Ooh, yeah! Yum!” comes the response and soon the steps of a small child are heard coming closer. Tsukishima grabs two spoons and walks the blonde girl back to the couch so they can watch the show together while enjoying a treat.

“But dad.”

“Hm?” Tsukishima asks as he cracks open the ice cream container and offers it to Aiko.

“How was your day?”

The man chuckles. He can’t say it was shitty. That he spent his lunch break listening to his coworkers argue over the men they were seeing. That even though he loved seeing all the exhibitions, it felt like he was the one being shown off to any willing passerby. That for the past few months he’s been wondering why he wasn’t the one that died in an accident because Aiko would be happier with her and it’s not like Tsukishima has any other reason to keep going other than his daughter.

So Tsukishima lies.

“It was just like back in Miyagi.”

Aiko grins with her missing tooth. “Good! I miss my friends but… It’ll be better here, right?”

Tsukishima smiles even though he knows it’s crap and pats her on the head. “Right. I promise.”

School’s been going on for thirteen days and the open day is due tomorrow when Aiko comes out of the after-school care with bandaids on her knees. Tsukishima’s eyes widen and he stops the girl who’s just trying to walk past him.

“What happened?”

“I fell,” comes the short response.

“How?”

“I tried to jump from the swings.”

Tsukishima nods slowly as the beating of his heart calms down. “Alright. Just be more careful from now on. Did it hurt?” he asks.

Aiko nods back and looks down as they begin walking. “I started crying, but Mr. Akaashi cleaned the blood and put on the bandaids,” she explains and reaches for Tsukishima’s hand. He takes hers.

“This Mr. Akaashi is really great, huh? You’ve mentioned him every day.”

There’s a small moment of silence, but then something in Aiko’s uncomfortable mood shifts, and she finally looks up at him. A small smile plays on her lips. “He is. He’s really fun. He taught me how to draw a cat!”

“Oh, really? You need to show me, then,” Tsukishima says.

“Yeah, at home!” Aiko grins finally. Seems the fall from the swings didn’t ruin her entire day. “Oh, if we got a cat, I could learn to draw it! I could be an artist when I grow up!”

“You can do that without owning a cat.”

“It won’t be the same!”

Tsukishima laughs the comment off before looking down at Aiko. “So… who do you like more? Me or Mr. Akaashi?” he asks, which he instantly knows is a mistake as kids don’t understand things like who feeds and takes care of them. They just understand who’s more fun, and sadly, Tsukishima is not from the coolest end of the dad spectrum.

“Hmm… You let me eat ice cream, so you.”

“That’s all it takes?”

“Ice cream is the best!” Aiko announces. “Mom always said vanilla is boring, but it’s not! It’s the best flavour!”

“Agreed, Aiko. Agreed.”

Despite dressing nicely each day for work, Tsukishima feels uncomfortable in his dress shirt and slacks as he walks to the elementary school with Aiko. He normally wouldn’t really care what kind of impression he gives the other parents or the faculty, but he does not want Aiko to suffer because people think she has a lousy father. He even added a pin from his work to his chest to show that he’s a professional.

As they walk with the other children and their parents, Tsukishima notes that no one says as much as “hi” to Aiko. Maybe it’s to be expected as she’s new in town and wasn’t in the same preschool as the others, but Tsukishima thought kids made friends easily. Instead every child just walks past them along with their parents.

Tsukishima tells himself Aiko’s new friends live in a different area and thus don’t take the same route to school as her.

They get to the school swiftly. Tsukishima waits for Aiko to change her shoes before they make their way to the classroom. They’re early, though not the earliest as some children are already in their seats, chatting away as their parents stand quietly in the back of the class.

“I’ll be at the back,” Tsukishima tells Aiko, who waves him goodbye before taking her seat at the front while the blond man goes to the back of the class. He takes his place next to a pair of black-haired adults: a short woman and a man with a big stomach. They glance at Tsukishima and he awkwardly nods at them.

“You’re the blonde girl’s dad?” asks the man.

“Mhm,” Tsukishima confirms.

“Ah, I see. It’s not every day you see such hair colours. That’s our Kaito right there.” 

Tsukishima turns towards the class just in time to see the referred kid crumple up a sheet of paper and throw it so it hits the back of Aiko’s head. Laughter erupts in the class. Tsukishima freezes.

“Kaito! Don’t do that!” the mother demands, but the black-haired boy only looks back briefly while laughing with his friends. The mom then turns to Tsukishima and bows. “I’m so sorry for our son and his behavior.”

“No, it’s… As long as it doesn’t happen again,” Tsukishima says firmly. He looks at Aiko who has bowed her head down.

“I’ll make sure of it,” the dad confirms.

The class soon fills up with the rest of the children and their parents, most of them either moms or both mothers and fathers. Tsukishima doesn’t spot a single dad by himself, and he can’t help but feel out of place in the group.

It takes about a minute after the doors close behind the last family for the teacher to arrive. Ah, the famous Mr. Akaashi. Probably some middle-aged man who could never find a wife and start a family so he bought a cat instead and opted for teaching kids to replace the ones he could never have.

Tsukishima smiles to himself at his overactive imagination as the door opens and the teacher comes in. The blond’s smile falls the moment he catches those dark blue eyes and defined brows as if the man was constantly deep in thought. The man is clad in a suit that matches the colour of his eyes, and his raven hair is disheveled yet still professional.

He must be about the same age as the blond and he’s handsome as hell, nothing like Tsukishima imagined. Life really doesn’t play fair.

The kids stand up as Mr. Akaashi takes his place behind the desk in the front. “Good morning, class,” he greets, and the children respond in unison. A smile grows on his face while the kids sit back down. Tsukishima can’t stop looking at the man. “As you can all see, we have very special guests with us today. Your parents will be observing your learning this morning, and you will have the afternoon off so I can get to know your families better.”

Children laugh and cheer at the mention of a shortened school day, but Tsukishima barely pays attention. He’s too busy watching Mr. Akaashi chuckle at the class’s reaction and observing the way the corners of his lips tug up and his nose crinkles. His features are magnetic. Tsukishima looks away before he can be pulled in.

“So, today we’ll start with some mathematics. Please take out your textboo—”

“Ow!”

Another crumpled up piece of paper falls to the ground next to Aiko. The boy called Kaito laughs with his friends. Tsukishima furrows his brows and takes a step forward, but the teacher is faster.

“Yamazaki, you’re not going to start this again. Please leave your belongings here and exit the classroom,” he says strictly.

“But I’ll get left behind in math—”

“You should’ve thought about that before throwing that paper. Please exit the classroom.”

Kaito scoffs and grumbles as he gets out of his seat and leaves the room but not before slamming the door shut behind him. Tsukishima glances to the side and the boy’s parents look mortified. They better keep it up for when Tsukishima confronts that little punk after class.

“Tsukishima, are you okay?”

Tsukishima looks up to see Mr. Akaashi addressing Aiko. He can’t see his little girl’s face, but she nods slowly. Akaashi nods back with a small smile of empathy and returns to teaching.

“Class, thank you for listening today. Now I’ll ask you to leave for after-school care or other arrangements made beforehand so I can speak to your parents.”

The kids begin gathering their things, and Tsukishima promptly makes his way from the back of the class to the front to speak to Aiko. She’s silently stuffing her books into her backpack.

“Aiko, are you okay? Has this kind of thing been going on for long?” he asks. Aiko looks up at him with a small smile. The look in her eyes is… desperate.

“It’s okay. I’ll make friends soon, dad. I promise.”

Tsukishima swallows. His heart damn near breaks when Aiko slips out of her seat, grabs her bag and quietly exits the classroom without another word. Why hadn’t she told him she was being hassled? Has it gotten more serious than just paper-throwing?

“You’re Aiko Tsukishima’s dad, I presume?” comes a voice from beside Tsukishima. He looks up to see the handsome teacher standing next to him with a somewhat troubled expression. “You look just like her.”

“...Yeah, that’s me. Tsukishima Kei.”

“I’m Akaashi Keiji, Aiko’s teacher. I wanted to discuss something with you… Is Mrs. Tsukishima going to join us, by any chance?”

Tsukishima shakes his head. “It’s just me and Aiko. There’s no Mrs.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed,” Mr. Akaashi says and shakes his head. He looks at the other expecting adults before turning back to Tsukishima. “Do you mind sticking around after we’re done to talk?”

Tsukishima has an inkling of what this will be about. He nods.

“That’s fine.”

“Okay, good.” Akaashi turns to the rest of the adults and clears his throat. “Please, take a seat, everyone. I’ll be discussing some basic things like the curriculum, class events, holidays and the eventual parent-teacher meetings.”

Tsukishima turns his back to the man to take a seat at the small desk that belongs to Aiko. The parents follow his lead, and once all is done, Mr. Akaashi begins speaking. Although he is handsome and a clear speaker, Tsukishima is more preoccupied with thoughts about Aiko than he is with the man’s words.

“So, Mr. Tsukishima,” Mr. Akaashi says once the classroom has cleared out and it’s just the two of them. Tsukishima’s still seated with his paper forms for the parent-teacher meeting, school curriculum and school events, but Akaashi stands in front of him. “I assume you saw the unfortunate paper-throwing at the beginning of the class.”

“I did.”

“That… hasn’t sadly been all,” Akaashi states and Tsukishima’s heart sinks. “There’s been some name-calling and yesterday there was an incident on the swings during recess.”

Tsukishima crosses his hands and breathes in deeply. “...What happened?”

“I wasn’t there to see, but I heard some testimonies that a group of girls had pushed Aiko off the swings, leading to her getting hurt.”

Calming down sure is difficult when the world is full of brats like that. Tsukishima digs his fingers into his knuckles and asks: “And what are you going to do about that?” because he’s afraid if he takes matters into his own hands, someone and their parents are going to wind up dead.

“I want you to know that I take bullying very seriously,” Akaashi swears, looking Tsukishima straight in the eyes so that he nearly believes him. “I’ve asked the kids to leave the class whenever they do something, I’ve taught them that bullying is wrong and reprehensible, and I’m going to have a stern talk with their parents, who are waiting outside. If this doesn’t work, we might have to move Aiko to a different class.”

Tsukishima nods. It’s not fair that she’d have to get punished for being a victim, but he supposes it’s easier than moving all the bullies to different classes.

“For now, I think it’s important that you talk to Aiko about this and tell her she has done nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Akaashi nods back, and for a moment it’s silent. Storm clouds flood Tsukishima’s mind. Why didn’t she tell him about this? Why would she lie and say she just fell? Did she not want to worry him? But he’s her dad, he should know about these things—

“...Do you work for the nature museum?”

Tsukishima looks up. Mr. Akaashi nods towards the green pin with the museum name resting on his chest.

“Oh, yeah. Yes, I just started a couple weeks ago,” Tsukishima replies. “I used to work in another museum back in Miyagi, but…”

“You’re new in town?” Akaashi asks with his brows raised. Once Tsukishima has nodded, he continues: “That must be difficult, especially with you being a single parent and everything.”

“It has its… challenges. Like not knowing anyone, for example. I felt like all the other parents and my coworkers were already acquainted.”

“I understand, hm…” The man thinks for a moment before a lightbulb nearly appears over his head. “Oh, I actually have a friend with a child around Aiko’s age. I could arrange a play date if you’re comfortable with that?” Akaashi suggests with a smile. “I believe she’s around a year older, and you’d meet new people as well.”

“You’d do that?” Tsukishima asks suspiciously.

“Well, since Aiko has had some troubles making friends, it would be a great opportunity. I could come with, of course, if you’d want me to.”

Tsukishima ponders for a moment. He’d do anything for Aiko to have a good time, maybe even make a new friend. And spending time with Mr. Akaashi isn’t the most horrendous idea ever.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

He just has to hope Akaashi’s friend is bearable as well.

Tsukishima and Aiko arrive home and take off their shoes. He looks as Aiko runs off to her room. The rummaging of her coloured pencil box can be heard from the hallway.

“Aiko, could you come back here?” Tsukishima asks, and the noise stops. Soon Aiko appears with a smile.

“I was going to draw a cat.”

“You can draw that later. Now, we need to talk,” Tsukishima says and leads his daughter to the couch. They sit down and Tsukishima crosses his hands once again. “...Why didn’t you tell me you’re being bullied?”

Aiko’s smile falters. It’s a good thing six-year-olds aren’t masters of deception just yet.

“I’m not mad, but I do want to know.”

“...You promised,” Aiko whispers.

“What?”

“You promised that it’d be better here, and I didn’t want to make you sad,” she admits, looking down. “I didn’t want you to hate me for not making friends.”

Tsukishima sighs. His heart feels like a sheet of paper crumpling from the sides. “I would never be mad at you for that. And I could never hate you, no matter what you do,” he explains clearly, but Aiko still starts crying.

“B— But you wanted me to make friends and I didn’t.”

Tsukishima pulls Aiko into a tight hug. Her face presses against his chest and she sobs. For a change Tsukishima does not mind if snot gets on his clothes.

“It’s not your fault. Kids can be awful, and it’s their loss if they don’t want to be friends with you.”

“But I want to be friends with them!”

Akaashi’s number in Tsukishima’s phone comes to mind. He takes hold of Aiko’s shoulders and pushes her away to look into her eyes.

“What if I knew someone who would love to be your friend?” he asks.

“...Who?”

“Mr. Akaashi has a friend who has a daughter in a different school. She’s seven, and we’re going to arrange you two a play date if you want to.”

Aiko’s puffy eyes start to sparkle. “Really? Do you mean it?”

“I mean it,” Tsukishima smiles a bit. “Do you want to meet her?”

“Yes! Yes, I do! Do you think she plays with dolls? Or does she like drawing? What’s her favourite colour?”

The blond man chuckles and pets Aiko’s head. “You can ask her all that next week when you meet her,” he says before his daughter hugs him again. 

He’s glad every time he can make her smile.

“Dad?”

“Hm?”

Aiko’s grip on his hand tightens. “...What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Why wouldn’t she like you?” Tsukishima asks.

“...Because I’m stupid. And ugly. And I have no mom, and I have this ugly blonde hair.”

The man stops in his tracks just a few feet away from the playground and looks down at his beautiful daughter. “Who said that to you? Because that’s not true.”

“No one needs to tell me those things for me to notice them,” Aiko grumbles.

“Aiko… You’re none of those things. And you do have a mom. She’s just not here anymore,” Tsukishima says. “It’s stupid to think about others’ opinions. They don’t matter. All that matters is that you feel good about yourself.” He’s not sure he believes in his words himself, but it’s the best thing he can say right now.

Aiko inhales. Exhales. Nods, slowly. “Okay. I hope she’ll like me, though.”

“She will.”

The two enter the playground that’s full of kids after a long day of school. On one of the benches on the other side, Tsukishima spots Akaashi along with his friend. He’s a rather muscular guy with what appears to be spiked up grayish, whitish, blackish hair. Tsukishima’s more focused on Akaashi in casual clothes, though: a dark crewneck sweater and jeans.

“Dad. Is that her?” Aiko whispers, still holding her dad’s hand. Tsukishima’s eyes focus on the small girl standing next to the bench, wearing a jean jacket, yellow top and black leggings. Most noticeable about her is her hair that goes down to her shoulders, white and gray as well.

Akaashi waves at the two as they approach, and his friend’s face brightens up at the sight of them.

“I think it is.”

The two reach the bench, and Akaashi and the other man stand up, smiles on their faces. 

“Tsukishima. Aiko. I’m so glad you could make it. This is my friend, Bokuto Koutarou.”

Tsukishima bows, but Bokuto quickly pats him on the shoulder and laughs: “There’s no need for that, we’re all friends here. This is Kaede.” He brings out the girl that had started to hide behind his legs. “Kaede, say hi.”

“...Hi.”

To Tsukishima’s surprise — though it should be no surprise given she’s always been active — Aiko takes the lead. She bows at the girl before grinning with her missing tooth that has slowly started growing back. “Hi, I’m Aiko! It’s nice to meet you! Do you like cats?”

“Oh, um… I do. Dogs are fun too,” Kaede responds quietly.

“They are!” Aiko agrees and grabs the girl’s hand. “Do you want to go play?”

Bokuto’s daughter finally smiles and nods. “Yeah. Let’s go,” she says, and just like that, the two girls run off to play on the playground.

“Stay where we can see you!” Bokuto hollers after the two, but he does not seem at all tense. He’s again leaning back on the bench and chuckling. “Ah, little kids. So cute but so reckless.”

“Yeah,” Tsukishima agrees, still standing up. Akaashi quickly notices this and scoots next to Bokuto so the blond can sit down on the edge. “Thanks.”

“Sooo, Tsukishima? Tsuki. Tsukki,” Bokuto ponders as if munching on Tsukishima’s name and considering the taste. “Tsukki, what do you do?”

Although his eye twitches at the nickname, he responds with: “I’m a museum tour guide.”

“Ooh, cool. Does that pay well?”

“Bokuto,” Akaashi warns.

“What? I’m sure Tsukki here appreciates real talk instead of chit-chatting about the weather!” Bokuto says before leaning over Akaashi to get all up in Tsukishima’s face. “So. How big is your salary?”

“It’s enough,” Tsukishima comments dryly. “...What do you do for a living?”

“I play volleyball. You might’ve seen me on TV, no biggie.”

“I don’t really like sports.”

Bokuto’s jaw drops as if Tsukishima had just told him the Earth is flat and the only way to die is to fall off the edge. “But you’re so skinny! What’s your secret then, man?”

“A healthy diet? Going on runs? I don’t know,” Tsukishima shrugs and unconsciously crosses his arms to cover more of his body.

“And you’re sure you don’t play sports? You could be a basketball player with your height!”

“I have more important things to do like, you know, raising a child.”

“Hah, more important? ‘Kaashi, this guy is hilarious! Where’d you find him?” Bokuto laughs yet continues before Akaashi can even respond: “Nevermind that, have you invited him to the Friday thing yet?”

Tsukishima tilts his head and looks at Akaashi, who quickly grows uncomfortable.

“It would’ve been rather unprofessional of me to invite a complete stranger to a bar, especially since I teach his child,” he comments quietly, but Bokuto swiftly and strongly shakes his head.

“Nonsense! Real men love going to bars, and you’re a real man, right, Tsukki?”

The thought of going to a cramped bar with someone like Bokuto is a rather unpleasant one. But Akaashi will be there. And Akaashi seems nice. And it’s been a long while since Tsukishima last had a night off. It’s been over a year. 

There’s just one big problem.

“I don’t have a babysitter, and I can’t leave Aiko alone, so…”

“I understand—” Akaashi starts only to be interrupted by the loudmouth in the area.

“My wife can look after her!” Bokuto says. “She’s great with kids, always takes care of Kaede when I’m at practice!”

Tsukishima holds back the disbelief at the fact that Bokuto has a wife.

“So, what d'ya say? Would you rather go out for a drink with guys or stay at home watching TV?”

The blond looks over at the playground where the two girls are climbing on the monkey bars together while giggling. 

He supposes it couldn’t hurt for Aiko to have more time with Kaede. She seems to be having a lot of fun. And Tsukishima could use some fun, too, even if he usually hates bars.

“We’re going with two other friends,” Akaashi says. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but they’re nice people.”

“Nice? Remember when Kuroo made Kenma drink so much he threw up all over the bartender? That was an awesome nigh—” Bokuto meets Akaashi and Tsukishima’s deadpan gazes. “I mean, yeah. They’re super nice. Super chill.”

Tsukishima nods. “Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

“Yippee!”

Akaashi smiles discreetly and says: “It’ll be nice to get to know you better,” and the blond pretends as if he doesn’t grow warm at his words.

“Tsukishima, this is Kuroo Tetsurou and Kozume Kenma. Kuroo and Kenma, this is Tsukishima Kei,” Akaashi says upon arrival. Bokuto’s already in the booth with the long-haired man with the man bun and the other man with a rather peculiar hairstyle and a rather cocky grin, but Akaashi waited for Tsukishima outside.

“Oh, so this is the famous Tsukishima?” the appointed Kuroo asks. “Akaashi couldn’t shut up about you all week.”

“Ignore him,” Akaashi grits and slips into the booth on Bokuto’s side. Tsukishima would feel awkward sitting with the men he does not yet know so he sits with Akaashi and Bokuto.

“Don’t ignore me,” Kuroo corrects. “I am a wise man. In fact, I’m so wise that I’m gonna waste my hard-earned cash by buying us a round of drinks,” he grins and slips out of the booth.

“He’s not wise, don’t listen to him. He’s the stupidest man I’ve ever met,” Kenma says after Kuroo is gone. Strands of brown hair frame his cat-like face. Aiko would probably like this guy.

Tsukishima nods slowly, trying to think of something to say back. He settles on: “So… Do you two have kids of your own?”

“In this economy?” Kenma snorts before noticing that Tsukishima isn’t laughing, so he shakes his head instead. “I don’t want any, neither does Tetsu. Not that we could in any case.”

Tsukishima blinks. He supposes it’s too early to ask about the reason why they can’t. It’s none of his business if they’re infertile or if their partners are.

But Kenma seems to catch onto Tsukishima’s confusion as he rather casually says: “We’re in a registered relationship. Have been dating since high school.”

“Oh.”

“Do you have a problem with that?” asks someone from the side. Kuroo has come back, carrying a tray of five beers. He grins, though this time it’s more sinister.

“No, do what you want,” Tsukishima says as honestly, he does not care. People can be straight, gay, bi… It makes no difference to him as long as they’re not annoying. And Bokuto is already on thin ice.

It’s not as if Aiko’s parental figures were together, either. Tsukishima has no right to speak of “conventional” relationships.

Kuroo nods and slides back into the booth. “Good, because I was starting to like you. Any friend of Akaashi’s is a friend of ours.”

Akaashi leans close to Tsukishima. He smells like something fresh and Tsukishima shivers. He takes a sip of his beer to cover this.

“Ever since they started dating, they’ve become a ‘we’,” Akaashi whispers, and Kuroo rolls his eyes.

“I heard that.”

“But Tsukki, what about your other half?” Bokuto chimes in with a question. “Wife? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Partner? Who’s Aiko’s other parent and where are they if not looking after her?”

The blond chews the inside of his cheek. He could say it’s none of their business, but he’s trying to make friends here.

“She… passed away a bit over a year ago,” Tsukishima admits.

“Shit.”

“Sorry, man.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“I’ll go get some fresh air,” Tsukishima excuses himself and gets up from the booth.

He exits the bar and leans against the wall outside, rubbing his face. People are scattered around, going into nearby establishments or smoking in the streets. It’s already getting dark both outside and inside Tsukishima’s mind, but at least he gets to breathe in the fresh, cold air.

The pain doesn’t really get easier, sometimes he just briefly forgets about it like he keeps forgetting mathematical formulas from high school but every now and then when he’s lying awake at night, they pop right back into his mind.

She would have handled the bullying better. She would’ve already bought Aiko a cat. And a smartphone.

But soon the door to the bar opens and Akaashi comes out. He looks apologetic as he walks up to the blond.

“Sometimes things go over Bokuto’s head, I’m sorry. He didn’t mean any harm,” Akaashi says as he fiddles with his hands. “And… I’m sorry for your loss. It must be difficult, losing a partner.”

“No, she—” Tsukishima sighs. This will take some explaining. “She wasn’t my partner. We were best friends. Co-parents, if you will.”

“Oh?”

“...I went to a bar with my friends after I turned twenty and I ended up getting so drunk I woke up next to a stranger. That was her, she got pregnant, we weren’t interested in dating but I wanted to take responsibility, so. Co-parenting while remaining friends happened,” he explains. 

Akaashi nods after a moment of taking it all in. “That was very mature of you to do. I imagine any other guy would’ve taken off,” he says.

“Yeah… It still hurts a lot, though. Not having her around,” Tsukishima admits sheepishly as if he should be embarrassed for not being Super Dad and for not loving fatherhood all the time. “We tried staying in Miyagi for a while after, but… It just wasn’t the same.”

“I can imagine. If any of my friends passed away… I wouldn’t know what to do.” A hand is placed on Tsukishima’s shoulder, squeezing with comfort. The blond can feel the warmth of Akaashi’s hand even through the fabric of his shirt.

“Thanks. Helps to know I’m not insane for mourning her,” he grunts.

“Yeah. It must be tough, raising Aiko all by yourself. If you ever need any help—”

“You’re doing enough teaching her and making sure she isn’t bullied anymore,” Tsukishima responds. “Plus, after a long day of taking care of children, do you really want to go home to more of them?”

“Maybe if I found the right person,” Akaashi shrugs, “Who I wouldn’t mind raising a child with.”

Their eyes linger on each other for a moment. Those dark blue eyes with the city lights reflected off them. Tsukishima feels strangely light. He’s drunk without drinking anything, and Akaashi’s smile is addicting.

Then he breaks the eye contact by blinking.

“Anyway, do you get this close to all your students’ parents? Do you invite all of them out for drinks?” he asks.

Akaashi chuckles as his lips form into a smirk. “Only the cute ones,” he says with a knowing look. Tsukishima experiences a software shutdown as Akaashi turns to walk to and open the bar door. He looks back at the blond and says: “We should head back inside.”

“Uh, yeah,” Tsukishima quickly agrees and hurries after him despite burning up from the inside out.

Inside the bar it’s warm and suffocating, much unlike outside. Tsukishima slides into the booth after Akaashi as the others cease talking.

“Tsukki, I’m sorry for prying,” Bokuto apologizes as he leans over to look at the man, “I didn’t mean to, and— Wow, why are you red?”

“So much for prying,” Tsukishima mumbles and tries to hide by taking a sip of his drink.

“No, he’s right. You’re like totally blushing,” Kenma notes.

“It’s just kinda hot here,” he excuses. “But, Bokuto, you’re forgiven. It’s not a big deal.”

“It kinda is,” Kuroo says, “I mean, losing your partner… I’d die if Kenma died.”

“Enough about depressing things!” Bokuto insists. He’s already done with his beer. “Let’s talk about how I only have a few good years left before I have to retire!”

“And that’s not depressing?” Akaashi asks with a laugh.

“...Yeah, you’re right. Nevermind, then.”

The men continue chatting about whatever, whether it be their kids or jobs or hobbies. Tsukishima doesn’t say too much, but he has an okay time. His brain starts buzzing just a bit from the alcohol, and he starts loosening up a bit.

But he’s a responsible father who’s drawing close to thirty, so he cuts the night short.

“I should pick up Aiko and get home.”

“Nooooo, Tsukki, don’t go,” Kuroo pleads. The nickname stuck. “Just one more drink.”

“What a pussy,” Kenma chuckles.

“Some of us have kids we have to take care of,” Tsukishima sighs and gets up from the booth. Akaashi and Bokuto follow him.

“Nah, you’re drunk. Let Aiko crash at ours, she’s probably in bed already. You’re welcome to stay the night too,” Bokuto says.

“...I really shouldn’t. She’s already caused more work for your wife—”

“Pssh, whatever! She’s amazing, so just help her make breakfast and you’ll be fine!”

Tsukishima considers his options. He really doesn’t want to traumatize his daughter by having her see him intoxicated, even if only by a bit. And sleeping alone in the apartment would be rather lonely, so…

“Fine. Let’s go.”

“Can I share a cab? My place is on the way,” Akaashi says, and Tsukishima nods before Bokuto even has the chance to.

The three place down some bills for the drinks and get going, waving goodbye to Kuroo and Kenma. Bokuto waves down the first cab to slow down and pick them up, and they all shove themselves into the backseat. Akaashi first gives his own address to the driver.

Akaashi’s pushed up against Tsukishima. Shoulder to shoulder. He can still smell him.

Bokuto’s humming some tune when Tsukishima gathers up his courage to ask: “So, you live alone?”

“Not exactly,” Akaashi responds. “I do have my cat, Momo.”

“Right. Aiko told me. She hasn’t stopped bugging me about a cat ever since. She really wants one, but… We can’t really afford one right now,” Tsukishima mumbles. Words flow freer with some alcohol in his veins.

Akaashi chuckles and leans back against the seat as much as he can. Then his eyes widen and he shoots back up.

“Hey. I have a cat. You could come visit if Aiko really wants to.”

“...We wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Not at all, not at all! It’d be nice to have some visitors.”

Tsukishima tries to think, but Bokuto’s humming is getting louder. He looks to the side and the man is tilting his head back and forth to the tune of his own voice.

“Well,” Tsukishima starts, “I guess we could. If it’s really okay.”

“Absolutely!”

Smiles are exchanged, and maybe it’s the alcohol speeding things up, but soon they arrive at the man’s apartment building and those smiles are cut off.

Akaashi pays for the trip and gets out of the car.

“We’ll discuss the date via messages, alright?”

“Yeah. Have a good night, Akaashi,” Tsukishima says and waves back at the man before he closes the car door, and then he’s turning around and walking inside the building.

And then there’s a hand on Tsukishima’s shoulder.

“Man, I’m so happy we met you,” Bokuto mutters with a grin. “It was awkward at times, hanging out with Akaashi with the rest of us in relationships, but then you came along! You two single guys, just conquering the world! Ah, so great.”

“Guys?” the cab driver asks from the front. “The address?”

Tsukishima stays silent as Bokuto says the address of his home before continuing blabbering on.

Tsukishima wakes up on a futon in a room he does not recognize. All of last night’s emotions have already washed over him and he is ready to begin anew. Not even a hangover is cursing him on this day, no, it’s a great day.

He climbs out of bed and folds the futon into the cabinet he remembers it came from before leaving the room to help make that breakfast he promised to help with.

Bokuto’s wife is a kind woman with dark brown hair, and she must be a saint to put up with someone like Bokuto every single day. Not that Bokuto is that awful, but… Tsukishima sure is happy he got a break from the man by sleeping in his own room.

“How can I help?” he asks the woman in the kitchen. To think he doesn’t even know her name and he’s already helping her cook.

“Oh, there’s no need for that. I quite like preparing everything myself.”

“Are you sure? I could—”

“Dad!” comes a yell, and soon two little girls are running around in the kitchen. Aiko runs up to Tsukishima and hugs his legs. “You’re here!”

“Ah, yeah. Good morning.”

“You smell.”

“Yeah, must be the—” He is not about to teach his daughter about the most disastrous thing of all, alcohol, at the ripe age of six. “I spilled something on myself last night.”

“Last night was awesome!” Bokuto yelps as he comes into the kitchen in sweatpants, slippers and a T-shirt with some English logo on it. “That game of shogi we played after getting here, oh man, I’m still on the edge of my seat.”

“It was cool,” Tsukishima confirms. “But we don’t want to overstay our welcome. We’ll get going after breakfast.”

“But daaaad, I still wanna play with Kaede!”

“We can arrange another play date with her, if that’s okay with her parents.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Bokuto’s wife confirms, smiling kindly. “I haven’t seen Kaede this active in months. Your daughter is a good influence.”

Tsukishima pets Aiko’s head and smiles. “She really is.”

The texting started with the arrangements for the visit to Akaashi’s apartment. It somehow continued even after that. A whirlpool of messages, a new one waiting for Tsukishima each morning and each night as he counted down the days to see Akaashi again — and to see his cat and make Aiko happy, of course.

It was just a good morning text at first, then a good night one. Then it was “How was work?” and then it was just for fun. Akaashi would text him, asking how Aiko is doing and occasionally announcing if bullying happened that day and how he disciplined the culprits. He would text him with pictures of his cats or food or what he was watching on TV. Tsukishima would be drier, but he sent the occasional picture of his cooking — which wasn’t anything to brag about — and a rare picture he took at the museum.

And then the day was here. The cat visit.

“I can’t believe I’ll get to pet the cat! Mr. Akaashi is awesome!” Aiko squeals in the staircase to Akaashi’s apartment. “I have the best teacher ever!”

“Calm down or I’ll get jealous,” Tsukishima chuckles as they reach the right floor. 

Aiko storms down the hallway and her mostly long hair flies behind her. A small chunk has been cut off from the back of her head thanks to a girl at school who got three weeks’ detention for it. Tsukishima’s fingers itch and brows furrow at the thought that there’s nothing he can do to protect her at school.

“This one says Akaashi!” Aiko calls from the last door in the hallway, and Tsukishima smiles a bit just because he feels proud. She keeps smiling despite the hell she might be going through.

Much of it must be thanks to Kaede. They’ve become practically inseparable despite being in different schools, and if taking her to the park or Bokuto’s house three times a week is what keeps Tsukishima’s little girl happy, he’ll gladly get on that damn bus.

He reaches the door and rings the doorbell. Aiko is basically shaking with excitement as they wait for Akaashi to open the door.

When he does, there’s a black cat with green eyes in his arms.

“Momo!” Aiko shrieks. “She’s even cuter in person!”

“Haha, come on in. I got us juice since I know Tsukishima doesn’t drink coffee,” Akaashi says with a smile and steps out of the way so the two can enter and take off their shoes.

“And how would you know that?” the blond man asks.

Akaashi tilts his head. “I guessed. You don’t seem like the type.”

“Yeah, because coffee is disgusting.”

“I’ve had three cups today.”

Tsukishima shakes his head: “My point still stands.”

“Mr. Akaashi, can I pet the cat?” Aiko asks as she hops up and down. Akaashi smiles and sets down the cat. It starts circling Aiko’s legs and the girl looks like she could faint just from excitement. She kneels and starts gently petting Momo.

“I want one just like her!” the girl announces. “When I grow up, I’m going to have like… five cats.”

“Do you want to give her treats?” Akaashi asks.

“Oh, please! Can I?”

“Of course.”

Tsukishima follows Akaashi to the cabinet in the kitchen, but he ends up stopping sooner than Tsukishima expected and he bumps into him. Akaashi turns around and they’re close. Very close. Akaashi still smells fresh but also like a cat. Tsukishima takes a sudden step back and swears that if he turns red, he’s going to leave and never come back.

He can’t leave despite turning red, but thankfully Akaashi just opens the cabinet and takes out a bag of cat treats.

“I’ve never seen a kid be so excited about a cat,” he muses.

“Aiko is a special girl,” Tsukishima notes as they look back at her giving the cat scratches. “She appreciates the little things in life. It’s too bad I’m not like that.”

“Don’t worry.” A hand settles on the blond’s shoulder and his entire body runs both hot and cold at the same time. “You’re special in your own way.”

“...Thanks.”

“I’m serious. Not everyone can keep up their passion to work the job you do. Some days even I get tired of teaching, yet you’ve never complained about your job.”

“I’ve been putting on a brave face,” Tsukishima admits. “Truth is, I hate it there.”

“Really?”

“My coworkers are a bunch of ass— Um. They’re stupid. Lame. Annoying. And the customers aren’t much better. I swear people are twice as rude in Tokyo than they were in Miyagi,” Tsukishima explains.

Akaashi tilts his head and frowns. “Maybe. Or maybe… you’re starting your midlife crisis.”

“I am not that old.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Tsukishima chuckles in annoyance and pushes Akaashi’s chest. He’s warm and covered in cat fur and it’s as if he gets more handsome by the day.

“Dad! Mr. Akaashi! The treats!” comes Aiko’s yell right as Tsukishima has once again gotten lost in Akaashi’s eyes. He quickly grabs the bag from Akaashi and goes to give it to the girl.

He kneels on the ground next to the cat and the girl and Akaashi soon joins them. Tsukishima feels electric sparks just from being near him and he does not know why.

“Say, Aiko,” Akaashi starts, “What do you think about your dad’s job?”

Tsukishima glares at the man while Aiko feeds a treat to Momo, deep in thought.

“I like how I get a free pass to see the dinosaurs,” she says.

“Children get in for free,” Akaashi points out.

“Well. As long as dad’s happy, I’m happy!” Aiko shrugs and pets the cat’s head so it brushes up against her hand. “Like if I got a cat, I’d be soooo happy and then dad would have to be happy too!”

“That’s a smart comparison,” the raven-haired man smiles. Tsukishima rolls his eyes.

“I’m going to talk to Akaashi. Aiko, play with the cat.” The blond gets up and pulls Akaashi to the living room with him.

“I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries, I’m sorry,” Akaashi apologizes before Tsukishima can even say anything. “I just don’t think working a job you hate is ideal.”

“No, it’s… You’re right. It’s not, but… What can I do? I can’t just quit with no other support, and I don’t know what else I could do.”

Akaashi ponders for a second. “That’s true, but you could start looking for something else. Something you can do with your major, or then a different gig at a different museum,” he suggests.

“...I suppose.”

“Just don’t let yourself get burnt out, okay? I’d hate to see that.”

Their eyes meet and Akaashi smiles at him. Tsukishima can’t help but smile back.

“...So, when are we seeing Kuroo and Kenma again?”

“What, no Bokuto?”

“I see him almost daily at the play dates,” Tsukishima sighs. “It’s tough work, but anything for Aiko.”

“You see him that much?” Akaashi asks. Then he smirks. “Ah, I’m almost jealous,” he says, and Tsukishima heats up once more. He slowly turns around and walks back to Aiko, grabbing the glasses of juice from the counter on his way.

“Dad, your face is all red!”

Tsukishima starts receiving daily pictures of Momo to show Aiko. He uses it as an excuse to talk to Akaashi even more. Making friends has always been tough for him — he had to get someone pregnant in order to befriend them — but for some reason, this relationship is different. He doesn’t have to force himself. It’s nice. Akaashi is nice.

Today he is with them at the park. They’re on a picnic with Bokuto, his wife whose name Tsukishima now knows: Yui, Kaede and Aiko. They have a picnic basket Yui prepared, onigiri from Akaashi’s favourite shop and juice Kaede chose. Tsukishima sure loves being a freeloader, but at least that’s one less meal he has to cook.

“You’re going to love this band I found, Akaashi,” Tsukishima says in the midst of eating a slice of strawberry shortcake even though he feels like a teenage boy trying to impress his crush. “It’s just your style.”

“Oh, send it to me.”

“I’m so happy you two get along so well,” Yui smiles which sparks the two men to look up from Tsukishima’s phone that they were hunched over together. “I was starting to get worried for Akaashi.”

“You were?” the man himself asks.

“You were devoting all your time to your work, I was scared you’d never find a wife. But now you’re getting more social and meeting new people. Maybe soon you’ll find that special someone!”

Akaashi quickly glances at Tsukishima before chuckling awkwardly. “Yes, maybe.”

“It’s not all about romance, you know,” Bokuto notes while munching on a piece of onigiri. “Sometimes bromance can be just as meaningful, if not more.”

“What’s a bromance?” Kaede asks.

“I think it’s like friendship,” Aiko replies, deep in thought. “Kind of like us.”

“Ew, I don’t want to be a bro!”

“Haha, you’re totally a bro!”

“No, I’m not!”

The girls get up from the picnic blanket to accuse each other of being a bro. They start giggling before thanking Yui for the food and running off to the playground.

“Don’t go too far!” Bokuto yells after them.

“I’m really glad Kaede and Aiko have become such good friends too,” Yui notes.

“Yeah. It’s great,” Tsukishima agrees. “She’s had some trouble fitting in at school, so. This is good.”

“Kids tend to pick on people they’re jealous of,” Akaashi notes. He was previously on his phone, perhaps saving the song Tsukishima sent, but now he puts it down. “Maybe they’re jealous that she has such a cool dad.”

“Yeah, right. They’re probably just cruel little jerks who like picking on the new girl.”

The raven-haired man frowns. “Could be, but I prefer my theory. But it’s a good thing she has a friend here. I hope we’ve made you feel welcome in the city.”

“Yeah, have we?” Bokuto asks.

Tsukishima sighs. “I… suppose you have. I do feel like I have people to rely on, which is strange.”

Akaashi leans against him and dramatically rests his head on Tsukishima’s shoulder. The blond goes rigid and possibly loses the chances of ever moving again for good.

“Tsukishima Kei showing emotion… What has the world come to?”

The man chuckles and playfully pushes Akaashi off him. “Come on. Act like an adult.”

“I have to go to work tomorrow at eight in the morning to act like an adult all day. Give me this moment, Tsukishima,” he pleads. “Let me rest my head upon you and show my affection.”

“...Fine.”

Akaashi smiles that charming smile of his and rests his head back down. Bokuto and Yui share a look, but Tsukishima decides not to decipher it. He decides to enjoy this moment, this gentle weight on his shoulder instead.

Tsukishima is surprised to receive a call from Akaashi the next day, during work and school hours. He’s about to ignore it as he’s busy, but then Aiko comes to mind and Tsukishima excuses his tour group to take the call. He hides behind a pillar and answers.

“Is something wrong?” he asks.

Akaashi’s voice is shaken, almost frightened. “Yes, um, I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t serious. It’s Aiko,” he says.

“Tell me,” Tsukishima demands quietly. Shock is creeping up on him prematurely.

“...There was an accident. I think the bullies saw that she was more cheerful today because of the picnic yesterday and… She was pushed off the slide during recess. She hit her head.”

“...What?”

“I’m going with her to the hospital, and I think you should come if you only can.”

Tsukishima swallows. His throat is dry. Too dry. “I’ll be there right away,” he whispers. 

He doesn’t remember ending the call. He just remembers rushing out of that shithole of a museum without saying anything to his equally shitty coworkers.

“She has a concussion.”

Tsukishima stands at the door of the hospital room, drenched in sweat from running from the bus stop. He’s catching his breath; the same breath that keeps leaving him. His heart is being ripped apart even if Aiko is sitting upright. But dried tears are on her cheeks and there’s a big white bandaid on her forehead, and Tsukishima cannot forgive this.

He doesn’t know who did it. He can’t punish them. He can only punish the one sitting in front of him. The one who was in charge of the kids.

“I thought you took bullying seriously,” he spits, and Akaashi’s eyes widen on the chair next to the hospital bed Aiko sits on.

“I do, I—”

“Then how could you let this happen? You’re supposed to look after the kids. You’re supposed to protect them!” Tsukishima’s volume is rising with each sentence he scoffs out.

Akaashi stands up. “I know you’re upset, as you should be, but please don’t take it out on me. I’m going to talk to the headmaster about the kids who did this and they’re going to be suspended—”

“You should’ve talked to them when she was pushed off the swings! What kind of a teacher lets bullying just continue when it leads to someone getting hurt!” the blond yells. “She could’ve gotten permanent damage! She could’ve cracked her skull and died!”

Akaashi balls his hands into fists. He swallows twice in a row. He opens his mouth but no words come out except for: “...I’m sorry. I tried to do my best.”

“Well clearly your best is worth nothing! This whole act of yours— this act of responsibility and caring — it’s all bullshit, isn’t it? Do you even care about her? About any of your students?” Tsukishima demands. Akaashi’s eyes are wet and Aiko has started crying again.

“Dad, stop!” she pleads.

“No, Aiko, lie down and rest,” Tsukishima orders. “You need to rest.”

“Mr. Akaashi has helped me all the time!” Aiko sobs. “He— He said I could spend recess in the classroom but I didn’t want to! It’s all my fault, dad, I’m sorry!”

Tsukishima exhales, and along with the air, his frustrations seem to slip out of his body too. His face softens and he walks over to Aiko, hugging her gently.

“No, no, it’s not. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just tried to play,” he whispers and softly brushes his fingers through her blonde hair. “It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.”

Aiko sobs against him, her small arms wrapped around his torso. “Don’t be mad at Mr. Akaashi… Please. He’s your friend.”

“Aiko, you have to understand that it’s his responsibility to keep you safe—”

“But I was the one who tried to play with those girls! I was the one who climbed on the slide when they told me to! Be mad at me, dad!”

“I’m not mad at you,” Tsukishima promises. He looks up to the room only to see that Akaashi is already gone. Not a trace of him left. “Let’s— Let’s get you home. I’ll talk to Akaashi later.”

They wait for a doctor to come discharge her, and together they take a taxi home. Tsukishima won’t let her into the crowd of the bus.

“You know what would make me feel better?” Aiko asks from where she’s resting on the couch, where she’s been resting for the past couple of days, recovering and watching cartoons. Tsukishima wouldn’t let her go back to school even if she wasn’t hurt. He called work and said there’s a family emergency so he could stay home with her. 

“What?”

“A cat,” Aiko smiles shyly.

Tsukishima sighs. Perhaps it’s the shock of it all: the worry, the fear, but he responds with: “...Let’s think about it once you actually feel better.”

“But dad, I don’t want any cat.”

Tsukishima crosses his arms. “...What do you mean?”

“...I want Momo.”

A sigh. “Momo is already Akaashi’s, you know that. We can’t steal his cat, no matter how upset I am with him,” he tries to explain, but Aiko shakes her head so quickly she has to stop in pain.

“You could be roommates. I would see Momo every single day!”

“This isn’t a TV show. Things don’t work out like that.”

“They could if you actually talked to Mr. Akaashi,” Aiko reasons, but Tsukishima quickly shakes his head. The girl isn’t done, though. “The parent-teacher meeting is tomorrow. I remember it.”

“It is…? Damn,” Tsukishima sighs. “I hate to burst your bubble, but I can’t leave you alone here. I have to cancel the meeting.”

“But dad!”

“No ‘but’s.”

“But daaaad! You can call Kaede’s mom to watch over me, can’t you! And I could see Kaede again!”

Burying his head in his hands, the blond man inquires: “Why do you want me to talk to Akaashi that badly? It can’t be just because of the cat, so tell me.”

“Because after mom died, he’s the first person who has made you smile who isn’t me.”

Tsukishima looks up. “...That’s not true,” he claims. He knows this is false. “Or… I don’t think it is.” He knows Akaashi means much more to him than he should in such a short amount of time. “Fine. Maybe.”

“So will you call her mom?” Aiko asks.

“...Okay. But only if she doesn’t have any other plans.”

“Yay!”

“Don’t keep your hopes up, she probably has to work,” Tsukishima warns.

Tsukishima finds himself in a dress shirt and slacks, waiting outside Aiko’s classroom for class to end. His mind is racing, his heart is racing, his breath is racing and he never signed up for any of these races.

Finally the bell rings and small kids flood out of the classroom. Tsukishima pulls on his fingers, twists them up and down as he enters the room that’s empty except for one person.

Akaashi. Handsome as ever, sad as ever.

“...Hey,” Tsukishima starts, closing the door behind him.

Akaashi looks at him from the blackboard he was erasing. “...Hi. I’m surprised you came.”

“This was agreed upon, no? I am actually very punctual,” the blond says quietly and slips into Aiko’s seat. There appears to be something scribbled on her desk, something that’s been erased but the remains of the black colour can be seen. He can’t make out what the letters spell, though.

“I’m glad you made it,” Akaashi says and pulls up a chair on the other side of the desk. “Normally I’d discuss how Aiko is doing at school and what she’s succeeding at and struggling with, but now I’m going to be very brief so you don’t have to spend too much time with me.”

“Akaashi—”

“No, it’s okay.” He clears his throat and says: “I’m going to fill a form for Aiko to switch schools. There’s an open spot in the same school Kaede goes to, south of here, so she’ll have a friend there.”

“...Okay,” Tsukishima says quietly.

“This is something I should’ve done a long time ago,” Akaashi states slowly, “I should’ve made the bullying stop with something radical. Instead I believed I could stop it with discipline, but it seems kids are more awful than I knew. I’m doing something now, and I hope someday you will forgive me for letting Aiko get hurt.”

Tsukishima stays silent. Akaashi fetches the form and hands it for the blond to sign. Silently, he does. Akaashi collects the form and gets up from his seat once again.

“...You’re free to leave. I’ll take it from here and you’ll get an email about all the arrangements. We don’t have to see each other again.”

He does get up. He does turn around to leave. He does walk towards the door. But he can’t go through with it.

Because along with Aiko, Akaashi is his only reason to smile.

So he turns back around and says: “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I want to see you again, Akaashi.”

The man’s eyes grow wide on the other side of the classroom. “...What?” he asks in disbelief.

Tsukishima marches over to him and grabs his hands tightly, determined. He notes that they’re trembling, but he can’t tell if “they” are Akaashi’s hands or his.

“I have an awful job, an awful apartment, I have my daughter in an awful school… Things have been awful for a long time now. But you… You haven’t been awful. You’ve been one of the only good things in this shitty place. And I don’t want to lose you,” Tsukishima says while looking Akaashi straight in the eyes.

The eyes that soon turn away from him.

“I— I let your daughter get hurt, Tsukishima. We shouldn’t—”

“You’re forgiven.” Akaashi’s head snaps back towards Tsukishima, who continues: “Aiko doesn’t blame you and neither do I. Like you said, kids are awful. And even if you messed up, you’re making up for it. You’re helping her, and I want to continue being friends with you.”

Finally, a small smile appears on the raven-haired man’s face. “...Friends?”

Tsukishima nods. “Best friends. If… that’s fine with you?”

“Yes. It is.”

Tsukishima pulls Akaashi into a tight hug. He doesn’t care if it’s unprofessional or awkward or unlike him — he wants to touch the man. He wants to let him know Tsukishima’s never going to let him go.

And Akaashi… he hugs back.

Aiko jumps up from the couch and asks: “I’ll be going to the same school as Kaede!?”

“Hey, be careful, your head’s still tender,” Tsukishima warns and guides Aiko to lie back down. “And yes. You’ll be going to the same school from now on.”

“Yay! Though…” The girl’s face grows sad. Tsukishima raises an eyebrow. “I will miss Mr. Akaashi. He was a good teacher.”

“Lucky for you, he will be seen again. Not as your teacher, but as my friend. Your friend. We made up, and he’ll be joining us for the next play date whenever you feel up to it.”

“I feel up to it!” Aiko swears.

“Yeah, nice try. Lie back down.”

With a sigh, the girl falls back against the sofa. Tsukishima chuckles and shakes his head as he stands up.

“So… yeah, I got promoted.”

“What!?”

“Tsukishima, that’s amazing!”

The blond chuckles and raises his glass of beer. “Here’s to being the one commanding my stupid coworkers from now on,” he grins, and four glasses are raised in return.

“To stupid coworkers!”

They drink, and they drink some more, and they chat about anything and everything.

“Okay, so actually. I do think the moon landing was fake,” Kuroo says at one point. Kenma pushes him so hard he nearly falls out of the booth.

“Man, only two years until I’m thirty. Can you guys believe it? Me, thirty?” Bokuto complains. “And then volleyball will be over and I’ll get a beer belly and we’ll still be thirty going to the same bar.”

“What is a bar if not the soil for friendships to flourish?” Akaashi asks as he leans onto Tsukishima’s shoulder. “We may be thirty in a few years, but there are still over fifty years for us to experience new things. It’s not over.”

Kenma chuckles: “I know two people who should try experiencing something new for a change.”

“What do you mean?” Tsukishima asks.

“...Nothing. I’ve got to get going, I have to do a charity stream starting at two AM.”

“Oh, I’ll come with you,” Kuroo says and slides out of the booth. “I love forcing myself to stay up all night at my ripe twenty-eight years of age.”

“Then why are you coming?”

“Because I love you.”

Kenma rolls his eyes but still accepts the peck on the lips Kuroo offers him. And then the two are gone and it’s just Tsukishima, Akaashi and Bokuto on one side of the booth.

“I guess we should get going too, huh?” Akaashi suggests.

“Yeah. Am I crashing at yours, Bokuto?” Tsukishima asks.

“Actually, I have my mom over,” Bokuto says all of a sudden as it’s the first any of them have heard of it. Tsukishima and Akaashi look at him with suspicion, but the man just grins and shrugs: “What? It was a surprise visit. Oh no, I guess Tsukki either has to go home or sleep over at Akaashi’s! Oh no!”

And with that, Bokuto practically runs out of the bar.

“...That was strange,” Akaashi notes.

“...Yeah. But a cab from here to my place will cost a fortune,” Tsukishima sighs.

“So… crash over at my place. We can walk there, it’s not that far.”

He shakes his head: “I don’t want to bother you—”

“Tsukishima. You know you will never, ever be able to bother me. So swallow your pride and come with me.”

“...Fine.”

The walk is refreshing albeit a bit cold. The streets are still full of young people partying and smoking and laughing, yet somehow it feels like they’re the only ones in the city lights.

“So… how’s Aiko doing at the new school?” Akaashi asks as if Tsukishima hadn’t told him all the details over text. It’s fine. Tsukishima never minds talking to Akaashi.

“It took some adjusting, but she’s making a lot of new friends. Everyone loves her blonde hair,” he says. “Summer break will start soon and I hope she’ll get some new people to go on play dates with.”

“What, you’re getting tired of Bokuto already?”

“...Not exactly. But I do want to broaden my friend group. You four aren’t enough for me anymore.”

Akaashi fakes a gasp. “How dare you. I thought we had something special.”

Their eyes meet. Tsukishima smiles because Akaashi is both the city lights and the moonlight in the sky. And he is so beautiful.

“We do. And I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Akaashi smiles back, wraps an arm around Tsukishima’s shoulders and says: “I know. I just wanted to hear you say it.”

Tsukishima feels like a teenage boy getting a futon out in Akaashi’s apartment. Momo is circling his legs and Akaashi’s helping carry the bedding. They set the thing in the middle of the living room only for Tsukishima to decide he’d much rather sleep beside Akaashi.

This has been coming for a long time now. The feelings he was too afraid to analyze. For some reason, right here, this moment, it feels right. Maybe it’s the alcohol.

“Akaashi…”

“Hm? Is the futon not to your liking?”

“It is, I just. I really appreciate you, you know that?” Tsukishima feels his heart physically jump out of his chest with each beat, but he’s not turning back. “As a person, as a friend, as… more.”

Akaashi looks at him in the dark apartment lit up by the moon and city lights. He looks at him long, his eyes wide, before shaking his head and saying: “...You’re drunk.”

“I am not that drunk.”

“But you might still regret your words.”

Tsukishima steps closer. Momo seems to get the cue and disappears into Akaashi’s bedroom.

“Did you regret calling me cute back then?”

“...Not even a bit.”

“Yeah?” Tsukishima places a hand on the back of Akaashi’s neck.

“Yeah.” Akaashi unsurely places his hands on Tsukishima’s shoulders.

“Yeah…?” Tsukishima repeats as he begins leaning in in the dark where he can still clearly make out the colour of Akaashi’s eyes.

“Yeah,” escapes as a whisper from Akaashi’s lips with a chuckle as he tilts his head so their lips can fit just right when Tsukishima finally closes the gap between them.

For a second there is just Akaashi, and Tsukishima is fine with that. He’s fine with the light disappearing and the floor vanishing from underneath him. He’s floating in nothingness, embracing and kissing Akaashi.

This feels like it was due a long time ago. They have times to make up for, but for now: they’ll float.

Except they won’t because about ten minutes of breathless making out later, Tsukishima’s back hits the mattress. Not of the futon but of Akaashi’s bed, and his sweater vest is being pulled off him and Akaashi’s kissing him hard as if he’s truly making up for the times they spent pretending to be just friends.

Their shirts have been removed and Akaashi is reaching down when something starts scratching Tsukishima’s side and he whines out loud.

Akaashi pulls away and they breathe for the first time in what feels like hours, and when they look to the side, they see Momo forcing her way between their two bodies. They both laugh as she lies down on Tsukishima’s stomach.

“She’s telling us it’s time to sleep,” Akaashi says, still out of breath.

Tsukishima’s chest rises and lowers wildly, but he chuckles: “Yeah. I guess it is. I have to be up early to pick up Aiko.”

Akaashi throws himself off him, landing on his back next to Tsukishima. They spend a couple of minutes just staring at the dark ceiling. After those minutes, Tsukishima reaches to grab Akaashi’s hand and interlace their fingers.

“Good night, Tsukishima,” Akaashi says.

“Good night, Akaashi,” Tsukishima says back.

And in the morning, Tsukishima won’t regret anything one bit.

“Aiko, what would you think of me dating someone?” he asks on the first day of summer vacation when Aiko’s sworn to wear sunglasses all summer, even indoors.

But now she pulls the glasses off her face and gasps, asking: “Who? Who? Am I gonna have a new mom?”

“No, no, nothing will replace your mom, but… You might get a new dad.”

Aiko furrows her brows in confusion. “But I already have you!” she insists. “I don’t need another one!”

“And here I thought you liked Mr. Akaashi,” Tsukishima sighs dramatically.

Aiko freezes for a moment.

“You’re dating Mr. Akaashi?”

“Yes.”

Then she starts hopping up and down with her healthy, non-concussed head. “This is great! I love Mr. Akaashi!” she yelps as she bounces. “Does this mean he’ll move in with Momo?!”

“Let’s not go that far just yet,” Tsukishima chuckles and pulls Aiko into a hug to stop her from jumping. “First we have to go on a little vacation together to see if I can stand sleeping in the same space as him.”

“Awh, no fun!”

“Vacations are no fun?”

“I didn’t say that!”

Two new framed pictures appear on Tsukishima’s windowsill. Soon they’ll be moved to the new apartment, but for now, they stand on that windowsill.

One with Tsukishima, Akaashi, Bokuto, Yui, Kuroo and Kenma. They’re all shoved into the small space, hugging their significant others, except Kenma is showing a peace sign behind Bokuto’s head. The background is the bar on that one rare night they could hire a real babysitter. They’re all smiling and not one single smile in that photo is fake.

The second picture is taken on Aiko’s seventh birthday. She’s grinning with her new, chopped shoulder-length hair and new teeth. Her arms are around Tsukishima and Akaashi, pulling them into a hug. Tsukishima is smiling as if he’s annoyed when he’s really not and Akaashi’s wearing his new prescription glasses.

There are some photos missing: Aiko and Kaede hugging at the playground, Kuroo carrying Aiko on his back with both of them wearing a cat ear headband, Tsukishima and Akaashi posing for a picture in the park with the latter kissing the blond’s cheek, Aiko getting in trouble for watching Kenma’s stream on her new phone… There are photos missing, but the moments are not. The moments stay forever.