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“You know, if you told us that you would be bringing up two very successful high school players to carry on your success as team captain and libero, I would have kinda laughed in your face.” Oikawa grabs the tin of biscuits from the kitchen counter, earning a side glare with his comment.
Suga raises a brow to match Daichi’s glare. “Well, gee, thanks.”
“I meant that in a not mean way!” He protests, earning a smack upside the head from Iwaizumi, who’s helping Daichi cut the vegetables for dinner. “I mean, would anyone have ever predicted any of us becoming parents? Look at all of us. We were just teens like, twenty years ago.”
Suga gives it a very brief thought as he slices the meat into measured, equal cubes for the stew. “You know, you’re not wrong Tooru.” Suga places the kitchen knife down, then sighing. “Everytime I watch the kids I think whether I made any mistakes with the way we taught them growing up.”
At this, there’s loud screeching from outside the kitchen. “Haru-chan! How was I supposed to get that hit!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be the best libero in the prefecture?”
Another voice not belonging to Akemi joined in the argument. “Not when you give such a hard to receive hit!”
Daichi snorts at all of that as he moves to stir the garlic and onions frying in the pot. “And you wonder where she got all that sass from,” he looks at Suga, obviously referring to their dearest girl, and then at Iwaizumi, referring to Rin, Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s baby girl. “They’re such handfuls.”
Iwaizumi clicked his tongue, slicing the last vegetable before tossing all of it in to fry. “But you know you wouldn’t change the past if it meant watching them grow.”
To that, Oikawa seemed to fall silent. “I do wish I had been around more for Rin.”
All of them sigh at that, knowing that this conversation will only go downhill if none of them stepped in now. Iwaizumi dropped his knife into the sink so fast, then moving over to circle his arms around Oikawa’s hips. “Don’t say that. You didn’t know you were going to be thrown into parenthood when you went to Argentina. It’s been years since. And you’re here now, right? That’s all that matters, that you’re here right now.”
“As much as I hate both of you for being sappy in my kitchen, I’d add in to say you both are doing an amazing job with Rin.” Daichi chipped in as the lovebirds take a moment, foreheads pushed against each other to breathe. “Now please, before I kick your butts, please get the hell out of my kitchen.”
Suga laughs at this, ushering the rest of them outside. “Before we anger the chef. He even said please. He never does that with me!” he teases while leaning in to give Daichi a peck on the cheek (well, he was wearing a kiss the chef apron, so all the more he would) before heading outside to the living space.
As the three adults took their spaces on the couch, and their house cat Ninja jumping into Suga’s lap, the living room filling with nothing but the sounds of the kids outside bumping the ball high for the kill. With Oikawa now retired from the Argentinian league and Iwaizumi only working during very important games, as well as Daichi and Suga fulfilling their full time jobs as fire fighters and teachers, that meant that whatever free time they had was filled with being a father to them.
And truly, nobody deserves this more than the three children out there, so bright and perfect for them that Suga can never find it in him how he managed to get so lucky with this life. A family, a house, and children. Count him cheesy, but even if things get tiring sometimes, Suga would do it all over again.
“Toss!” Haruki bumped the ball high, and down came the hit from Rin, the opposite hitter grinning as it came down perfectly. The beauty of training versatile players (save for Akemi, but even then she knew the basics of a libero toss) meant that whenever they played small games like these, Suga would always get to hear them play in many ways and combinations that aren’t just limited to the spiker and setter.
Oikawa had his hand on Iwaizumi’s hip, leaning just gently onto his shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts, Koushi?”
Suga’s smile only brightens. “About the kids.” He flips Oikawa off when he blows a raspberry with his tongue, “No but, I’m genuinely being serious. I don’t know what I would be doing without Dai or the kids.”
Iwaizumi’s head bobs very briefly. “Second the notion. I still remember the days where I carried Rin in my baby carrier while coaching the national team. One hell of an experience.”
Suga snorts at that image - young, spikey haired Iwaizumi, a patterned toddler sling around his shoulders, and carrying a sleeping, dirty blonde child in his arms while watching the team play and make notes about his players’ form. “One hell of a career you’ve had. Full time father and athletic trainer. Hope you were paid enough.”
Iwaizumi leans over and tips Oikawa’s chin down. “As long as Tooru cleaned up the dirty plates and vomit stained laundry when he came back at times.” He grins, “And also in kisses, but that’s not excusing him from father duties.”
“As if I would ever escape those.” Oikawa rolls his eyes, but leans in to peck Iwaizumi on the lips. Suga still thinks that the both of them went through a hell lot and back to be where they are now, but thinking about all the years of working things out and being there even if they were miles apart from each other, things eventually did work out for them. “And now I get to be the househusband. What a change of events, huh?”
Suga chucks a pillow at him for that last statement.
Things tone down for a bit before dinner, which was filled with the teens screaming at each other outside, kids being asked to shower before dinner, and Daichi calling them all for their dinner. At the table Daichi has set out the star of the show, the meat stew he had been working on, and some other small additions including handmade rice balls and some egg rolls. Along that came some nicely cut garlic bread baguettes for dipping.
“Compliments to the chef, this looks amazing.” Suga walked around the edge of the table to circle his arms around Daichi’s hip, kissing his cheek. “Let’s eat, everyone!”
Soft cheers filled the room as they dug into the food on the table - it’s a simple affair, filled with good people. Suga sits beside Daichi at the table, watching the rest of the others: Akemi and Rin are busy giggling and teasing each other for something, Haruki is focused on the egg rolls, while Oikawa and Iwaizumi are savouring the taste.
This life - filled with the realization that somehow, the way he had been so unsure at one point about his future post high school, that all washed away. He’d remembered how it felt to leave behind Miyagi for the city, the quiet life of the suburbs faraway as he soared to chase his dream. But he knew even if he left all that behind, it would only be temporary.
Because, as Daichi squeezes his leg with a gentle smile while chewing through a piece of baguette, he will always come back to one of the only places he’s ever known. Home.
It’d taken a while for them to afford this small, quaint place with a garden, big enough for the kids to play and to grow herbs and spices. They’d dreamt for countless nights, in their rooms back at their parents’ places, what their house would be like. Daichi had spoken of laminated floorings for their bedrooms, non-slip tiles for their kitchen, fitted with marble tiles if they could find someone who’d give it to them cheaper.
Suga had told Daichi he wanted a space in their bedroom just for cuddling, for them both to relax, and a space in their living room to entertain their guests.
So when they had made enough money to afford this place and get the necessary furnishings, everything just fell in place. What they hadn’t expected, however, was that Iwaizumi would be their neighbour, just a couple of streets down, and for them to have adopted their own baby girl too.
“Iwaizumi, do you still remember how we found out about being neighbours?” Suga asks, the slightly toothy grin showing while he leans a little into Daichi’s arm, sitting back to enjoy the company.
“Of course.” Iwaizumi fits half a bread roll into his mouth without hesitation.
Oikawa’s eyes go wide. “Wait, I don’t think I’ve heard this story, Iwa-chan!” He raises a brow, “Elaborate?”
Iwaizumi obliges after he hands Rin a tissue to wipe her mouth from the giggling mess she and Akemi are creating of themselves with the bread and stew, fondly rolling his eyes. The girls must be discussing something stupid again, Suga knows - it’s probably some gossip among the clubs.
“I think I was going to the market that day to get groceries. We’d run out of milk, I think, and I needed a supply of snacks to carry on my baggage for Tokyo, so I dropped by the market. And guess who I see there, at the neighbourhood store?” Iwaizumi grins up at Daichi.
Daichi raises his arms in surrender. “I was there merely to get chillies for this guy.”
“The rest is history.” Iwaizumi laughs, taking a bite out of his rice ball.
When the kids finished their dinner and decided to disappear to the rooms for video games, that left the adults in the living room, a beer each on the table in front of them. Oikawa had his head on Iwaizumi’s chest, cuddled up and warm. “Hajime, did you ever think this would be our life? Adopting and being back here after all these years?”
“Realistically? No.” Iwaizumi runs a hand down Oikawa’s arm, looking over at Suga and Daichi. “I was worried you’d forget about me with all your time being spent in Argentina.”
Suga snorts, looking up from his nails that he had been filing meticulously.. “As if he could ever forget his first love and his best friend who could never get irritated.”
All of them fall into comfortable fits of laughter, the sounds of video games filling the quiet atmosphere shared by the two couples. It’s then that Suga thinks about how nice it would be to have this all the time, and they could, now that Oikawa has moved back fully to being in Japan and at home for Rin. Family trips and so many camping trips, the possibilities were endless. Maybe it’s time for them to start planning, but that’s on the back burner for now.
“When’s the next prefecture game?”
“Three weeks from now. The boys will be playing first, since Karasuno isn’t seeded to win.” Daichi says with a shrug as Oikawa tilts his head.
Oikawa looks up, horrified at that. “Who the hell is the seed to win in our block then?”
“Apparently, still Shiratorizawa.” Suga purses his lips at Oikawa’s horrified expression, “Their team is apparently stronger than ever before. Maybe not as strong as when Ushijima was there, but strong enough.”
“God, I’d love to crush them to a pulp.” Oikawa wiggles his fingers in irritation, and all of them collectively sigh. Of course Oikawa still held a grudge against Ushijima, even after a decade of high school rivalry and having very recently beat the Japanese National Team at the finals for the international volleyball games, where Argentina and Japan once again met across the net, and there had been a spectacular showdown between both teams, a narrow win for Argentina.
“And who’s seeded to win in the girls’ block?”
“Hopefully? Either Aoba Johsai or Karasuno.”
Oikawa rejoices under his breath. “Finally, some good food.”
If you told Suga that they’d be here, ten over years later, laying on the couch with their partners and talking about their days so comfortably as family friends and neighbours, Suga would have laughed. But he knows he wouldn’t change any of this tranquility - the soft 84-bit music of the space invaders game the kids have been recently addicted to, the soft humming from Oikawa when Iwaizumi kisses his forehead, and the gentle squeezes of Daichi’s hand around his own. Soft light bounces off the pastel yellow walls as they make small talk about the children.
Suga’s lips curl gently at the mention of growing. “I can’t believe they’re all fifteen now.”
To this, everyone nods. “Rin is forever going to be that dirty blonde baby I met all those years ago in her own fathers’ arms, barely a year old when I signed the adoption papers.” Oikawa sighs in memory, and all of them give the same wistful sighs. Rin had only been close to a year old at the time that she was brought to Japan, officially becoming a citizen here post adoption. While the girl knew of her adoption, having made it so clear from the beginning, Rin has never seemed to ask Oikawa and Iwaizumi about it.
The same could be said for Akemi and Haruki - both of them knew about their adoption years ago, but never questioned much about their parents. Well, that’s a lie - “my dad decided he didn’t want me, so he left me and my mom behind! He’s a piece of shit dad!”
Suga mentally rolls his eyes at the memory of Akemi saying that. And while Haruki chose not to think about it, he had enough nightmares to remind him of his own parents.
“Soon they’ll leave us behind.” Daichi gives a somber smile, taking a long sip of his own beer.
Iwaizumi picked up his own beer too, lifting his arm to the air. “Well, here’s a toast to all the moments in the future. To more with our kids and hopefully zero regrets when they’re finally old enough to leave us behind.”
Suga and Oikawa lift their own beers too, to match their partners. Soft clinks of glass fill the air as they sip their beers.
The night stretches on as drinks are shared and the soft chatter of the adults range from topics about the kids to the future. Laughter is shared as they exchange stories, and before long, it’s time to leave. Iwaizumi has a game the following week and has to leave in the afternoon, so he needs all the rest he can get now.
Rin looks pouty when told they were gonna be leaving, but Oikawa only ruffles her hair ever so slightly. “We live nearby, just less than a couple of blocks. You could slip out and sneak over and I wouldn’t even know.”
Suga is about to reply that he doesn’t mind that when he notices Rin and Akemi linking pinkies secretly, and takes a short breath. Whether that holds any special meaning or not, Suga will unpack that later, but for now, he chooses to ruffle Akemi’s hair too. “Just come over if you need it, we always have a spare futon for you. But please, tell your dads first.”
Rin nods, scratching the back of her nape. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Everyone says their goodbyes - even Haruki, who’s the quietest of the lot, waves goodbye to Rin, and promises to bring his copy of the space invaders game they’d been so invested in to their house next time. Daichi had made sure they left with leftovers too, since there had been so much food left.
Suga ushers the kid to the bathrooms to get ready for bed. Dressed in soft pajamas and blown dry hair, the kids are comfortable in bed by midnight. A little later than Suga would have liked to keep them up, but since they had guests over, it was to be expected. Suga planted a gentle kiss to Haruki’s forehead first, brushing his thumb over the spot. “Come find me if you need me, alright?”
Haruki gives a small nod, eyes already heavy with sleep. “Yeah, okay. Love you, dad.”
With all the conversation about growing up and their kids eventually leaving them behind, Suga’s heart swelled ten sizes when Haruki had so innocently said that.
“Love you too, bud.” He returns with a grin, closing the door behind him after leaving his nightlight on, the glow in the dark stars on his ceiling glowing. He goes to the other room, painted pastel purple, and sits beside Akemi.
“Ready for bed, sweet pea?” He brushes at her hair, tucking the blanket up to her chest as she snuggles in with her stuffed bear. “Sleep tight, love.”
Akemi flashes a tiny grin, already half drifting to dreamland too. “Night, dad.”
Suga hums as he closes the door behind him. With the kids now in bed, that just left him and Daichi awake. He headed to their bedroom to get ready for bed, washing his face with delicate facial soap and rubbing gentle lotion to his hands. As he brushed his teeth, a pair of muscular arms wrapped around him, chin on shoulder. Suga’s hand moved to join the other, smiling at him through the mirror. “Food was wonderful tonight, sugar.”
Daichi plants a kiss to his neck, making him squirm slightly at the ticklish sensation of Daichi’s beard. “Thought the rice balls could’ve used a bit more filling.”
“I thought it was perfect.”
“You always think it is.”
“Damn right.”
Both of them fall into fits of laughter as Suga rinses his mouth of toothpaste, then exchanging places so Daichi could wash up too as Suga presses his cheek to Daichi’s broad back. Both of them stay this way for a bit before Daichi turns around and tugs his hand, leading them both to their bed.
The lovebirds are wrapped up in each other again in no time despite the brief separation to get into bed, every inch of their skin touching in some way. Suga had his arms around Daichi’s hip, and Daichi’s hand rubbing the small of Suga’s back.
“Are you scared?”
“Of what?”
“When our kids eventually leave us behind?”
Suga purses his lips, thinking about it. “Of course I am. But it can’t be avoided.”
“I know. I just wonder...if in the future, they’ll still want us when we’re wrinkly and old, unable to run after them like the way we do now, or teach them how to receive again.”
Suga laughs under his breath, a hand to Daichi’s cheek, warm and delicate, featherlight on pure canvas. “Well, then they’ll have to learn to slow down for us. Just like how we’ll begin to be slower than we’re used to with age, they’ll have to learn to take one step less and wait.”
And Daichi doesn’t seem to have anything to respond to that other than a gentle hum, bringing Suga in to his embrace. “Guess I am just a worried dad after all.”
“All feelings about being a father are valid.” Suga reassures, rubbing his bicep again before closing his eyes. “No more overthinking. Get some sleep, Dai. You have a long shift tomorrow at the station.”
Both of them are asleep not long after, the weight of the world and the worries drained away, just the two lovers bundled in each other, knowing nothing but each others’ warm love.