Tsukishima's hand was aching. It was not really painful, just...sore. Sore enough that the dull throb of it gradually pulled him out of a pretty sound sleep. His injured hand, which had been resting gently on his girlfriend's curvy hip when he'd gone to sleep, was now awkwardly dangling in front of his own stomach, kind of half mashed into the mattress. He moved it to lie on his own side, hoping that would stop it from hurting and let him go back to sleep.
It didn't. Throbbing was definitely the best word for it. He could feel it keeping the same rhythm as his pulse. He sighed, rolling over on to his back and cradling his right hand in his left.
He let his eyes open, staring up at the ceiling. He must have really been tired, since he had barely moved in his sleep, it seemed. Usually, when Nakano wasn't with him, he was a fairly light sleeper, and he often moved around a lot during the night. Of course, she'd been with him when he went to sleep, and maybe that had been enough to convince his body to keep still. Then again, it also might simply have been sheer exhaustion. He wished the girl was still in bed with him, entirely certain that if she were with him, his hand would not currently be feeling so damn annoying.
He tried to take stock of how he was feeling. He felt like his emotions were a little tangled up inside him, which surprised him a bit. We won, Tsukki thought, we actually won against Shiratorizawa. Aren't I supposed to be feeling elated? I guess I do, at least in part. Of course, this win only leads us to tougher opponents in the Nationals, but we've got a couple months before we need to worry about them. The boy snorted, accompanied by a wry chuckle. You know, idiot, you'd probably be feeling a whole lot better about everything if (1) Nakano were here and (2) your stupid hand wasn't quite so achy. Both of these issues can be solved, if you just go ahead and get your ass out of bed.
Despite the stern talking to he'd just given himself, Tsukishima continued to lie there, somehow hoping someone (Nakano) would come and take care of him.
He sighed. That wasn't going to happen, and if he wanted his stupid hand to stop throbbing, he was going to have to do something about it himself. He decided to begin by looking for his glasses, which he couldn't quite recall removing the night before. He glanced over at the night table beside his bed to see them, a glass of water, two of the pills the infirmary had given him to help with the pain and the swelling, and a stretchy bandage to help him ice his hand. Nakano must have set it all up before she left, Kei thought, a smile creeping across his face. He slipped his glasses on allowing him to read the clock more clearly - it was just a bit after ten o'clock in the morning.
Well, I don't think it was even as late nine o'clock when I fell asleep last night, he thought to himself, so I've gotten at least thirteen hours of sleep. I should feel great. He grimaced, grabbing the pills and the water. Hopefully, these will help. A shower would help too. And icing this dopey thing as well.
Now that he was more properly awake, he realized the next thing he'd better do was use the bathroom. As he struggled to deal with something as simple as removing his sweatpants and underwear, he began to realize how frustrating it was going to be to do pretty much anything over the next couple of weeks until his fingers healed. Finally finished, he walked back into his room to see Akiteru place a bag of ice and a towel on his night table.
"Hey, good morning!" his brother called cheerfully. "I thought I heard you up and moving, and figured you were going to want that as soon as possible." Akiteru's smile was bright, but tempered with a bit of sympathy.
"Thanks," Kei replied, settling back down on his bed.
"Want me to help you wrap it? I see Nakano left you a bandage so you can use your left hand while you ice the right."
"Actually, yes please, that would be great," Kei said, noting the surprise that quickly flickered across Akiteru's face. He grimaced. "I'm going to take your help while I can get it, Akiteru. Don't look so surprised."
Akiteru chuckled. "It always has to be the dominant hand you injure, right? Sucks big time."
"Of course you're going to injure your dominant hand, you use it more," Kei scoffed as Akiteru began wrapping the ice around his right hand, "What I need now is to figure out how to become ambidextrous."
Akiteru laughed as he finished his work, using the bandage Nakano had left to hold everything in place. "If you figure out how to do that, little bro, you'll be set for life. People will pay good money to learn that technique." He patted Kei's shoulder as the younger boy settled himself more comfortably on his bed. "You want me to cook something for you?"
"Not right now, I need a shower first. I'll get something in a little while, I guess."
"Okay. Holler if you need help with anything."
Kei grunted in assent as Akiteru left and closed the bedroom door again. He grabbed his phone with his left hand and awkwardly began looking over the many messages he'd gotten overnight. Nakano had set it up to charge for him, making him smile yet again. He saw the discussion on the Gym 3 Squad chat, and Bokuto's desire to try getting past his improved blocks. Bring it on, Boku-bro, was the first thought to roll through his mind. Wait, what? Oh gods, I am becoming a volleyball idiot! He shook his head, chuckling at himself. But dammit, I want to see if I can do even more, even better than I did yesterday. I want to keep moving forward.
After paging through everything that had happened on the Gym 3 Squad and Crow VB group chats, he spotted a text from Nakano.
Roses
Hey love. Call me when you get this.
Tsukishima felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Was something wrong? Why did she need him to call? He quickly checked the time signature - she'd sent the message at eight o'clock in the morning. Crap, he thought, poking at the call button with his left pointer finger, why didn't she call? The phone would have woken me. Dammit, come on! It took him two more tries with his off hand before he was able to get the thing to place the call.
"Well good morning, gorgeous! How are you feeling today?" Nakano's voice sounded quite chipper, and Kei instantly relaxed a little.
"I'm fine, Roses, is everything okay with you?"
"Of course, love. Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well, you asked me to call..."
Her bright laughter made his worries fade even further. "Because I'm sure you had more than enough trouble getting a phone call placed, silly boy, and that only took one button. Texting is gonna be a little tough for you for a while."
He smirked, and though she couldn't see that, he knew she'd hear it in his voice. "So you were just thinking about what was best for me, hmmm?"
"Of course, love. I always do."
His smirk washed over into a proper smile, and he felt a pleasant warmth cascade through his chest. "I miss you," he blurted out, caught up in how much love he was feeling for the girl.
"Well, I might be able to help you with that, but I know your hand might be..."
"Whatever it is you have in mind, the answer is yes, if it means I get to be with you."
He could almost hear her blush through the phone. "Kei..." she said softly.
"So, tell me the plan, Roses."
"Actually, it was my dad's idea. He really wants to meet you. How would you feel about coming over this afternoon and staying to have dinner with us tonight? Amalie is gonna stay through dinner too, and she was hoping to get to see you as well." A variety of emotions swept through Kei - excitement, fear, nervousness and a little disappointment at the fact that she didn't mention the idea of staying overnight. What am I thinking, he chided himself, it's Sunday, and that means school tomorrow. Neither of our parents would agree to that one.
Not hearing a reply, Nakano continued on. "We all know your hand is probably feeling pretty lousy, so please don't feel like you have to say yes. We can get together some other evening. It's not like Ama-nee hasn't ever gotten to meet you or anything."
"What time?"
The girl was silent for a beat. "Kei, you don't have to..."
"Please, Roses. Nothing could be better for me than to be with you. I've taken the pills, I'm icing my hand now. What time should I come over?"
Nakano chuckled. "How about three o'clock? That will give you the chance to both ice the hand again and take more medicine if you need it. And don't worry about getting all dressed up or anything. Dad says you should be as comfortable as you can be, given your injuries."
"I'll see you at 3pm sharp, Roses."
"Can't wait, lover boy," the girl said, her own smirk very obvious.
Kei laughed as they hung up from the call, and he began undoing the icepack from his hand. Enough time to shower, have a little snack, take care of Kyo and make sure the homework is finished up, he thought to himself, and then I'll finally get to meet Nakano's dad. Looks like this going to be one hell of day after all.
🏐🏐🏐
Three hours later, Kei stood in front of his mirror, half dressed and thoroughly frustrated. If this is what it's going to be like for the next three weeks, he groused to himself, I'd sooner cut my injured fingers off.
The shower itself had felt wonderful, but he'd been unable to completely protect the wrapping on his hand, and it was now becoming a sloppy mess. He'd dropped all of his shower products at least twice during the process, and had nearly fallen in the shower trying to pick up the soap. He'd tried to cheer himself up by making some karaage to snack on, and nearly burned himself trying to fry the chicken pieces left-handed. Fortunately, Akiteru had stepped in and saved him from disaster at the last second. He'd managed to feed Kyo, and that seemed to go okay, though honestly he'd probably tipped a little too much food into the water thanks to the fact that apparently his left hand was pretty much not good at anything. His attempt at doing homework was laughable, as he was completely unable to write. His hand had stiffened overnight, and his pointer finger was actually hurting worse than his pinky, making holding a writing implement well nigh impossible. He'd called Nakano, asking the girl if he could please come over a hour early so she could help him complete his homework. She'd sympathized and told him to come over whenever he was ready. He'd nearly run out the door that very moment, but then decided that sweatpants and a tee shirt might be a little too casual for meeting Ogawa-san for the first time.
So now he was standing in front of his mirror, his jeans on, but the button and zipper open, since he just couldn't seem to do anything with his left hand. Likewise, his soft, burnt orange button down shirt (his mom always said the color complemented his eyes, and he wanted to see if Nakano agreed) was also hanging open, not a single button bending to his will.
He gave out with a noise that sounded like a cross between a growl and sigh. Well, I can't show up at Nakano's house like this, he thought wryly, so I guess I'm going to need some help. He sighed again and walked out of his room and across the hall to knock on Akiteru's door.
His brother let him in, a smile on his face. "Going over to Nakano's?"
"Not like this," Kei replied rolling his eyes.
Akiteru chuckled, immediately moving to button up his younger brother's shirt. "This will be your first time meeting her dad, right?" Kei nodded. "Nervous?"
"Well, duh," Kei gave Akiteru a look that told him exactly how much of an idiot he thought his brother was, "Wouldn't you be, if you actually had a girlfriend with parents to meet, of course."
Akiteru finished buttoning the shirt, leaning back to give his brother a smirk. "People who need help getting dressed probably shouldn't be so sassy."
Kei tucked his shirt into his jeans, further destroying the wrapping on his right hand. He moved to try to button his pants, but Akiteru pushed his hands away, doing the task himself. "Any chance I can convince you to stay here for the next three weeks? I really don't want to ask Mom to help me get dressed every day - she'll baby the living heck out of me," Kei said.
Akiteru laughed. "Sorry little bro, being an office worker isn't all that exciting, but it's better than being your personal manservant." He stepped back from his brother. "There, you're good."
"Thanks," Kei said, "Are you sure you won't reconsider? I pay well." The younger blonde smirked at his older brother.
Akiteru smirked back. "Why don't you see if Nakano wants the job?"
Kei's eyes widened at the suggestion, but then narrowed as if giving the idea serious consideration. That would be perfect, he thought, she could stay with me and help with all the stuff that... He shook his head clearing it of the delightful but impossible notion, a wry look coming across his face. "Oh yeah, that'll work. 'Good evening, so nice to meet you Ogawa-san, would you mind if your daughter moved in with me for a couple of weeks to help me shower and get dressed every day?' That would be a great conversation starter over dinner."
Akiteru arched a brow. "You need help in the shower too, do you? Or is that just if Nakano comes over?"
Kei turned quickly away, hoping his brother didn't catch the heat rising to his cheeks. "Ugh, I'm going. You leaving tonight?"
"Yeah, back to Sendai for me. I'll see you on Friday, though. Tell Nakano I said hi, okay?"
"Sure. Thanks, Akiteru. See ya."
Kei grabbed his schoolbag and his favorite black jacket and started out for Nakano's. He was grateful that the medication seemed to be helping - he'd taken another dose before walking out the door just in case. He knew he probably should have iced it too, but more than anything, he wanted to be with his pretty girl. Even if it did mean also meeting her dad. He was quite sure Nakano was going to want to rewrap his hand anyway, and she'd probably insist on icing it as well. He was honestly looking forward to a little tender loving care from the girl after all the aggravation he'd suffered earlier.
Within minutes he was ringing the bell of the Ogawa residence, and he could feel butterflies in his stomach. Would her dad answer the door? Or would it be...
Nakano smiled at him, tossing her arms around him at once.
"Hi, Roses," he whispered, breathing deeply of her flowery scent. The nerves began to calm at once.
"Come on in," she said. Kei followed her, quickly changing his shoes and asking for pardon at the intrusion. He caught the girl looking at his right hand, her face dismayed. "Kei, what did you do?"
He managed a sheepish grin. "I tried to shower. And get dressed. It's going to be a long three weeks at this rate, Naka-chan," he complained as she led him into the kitchen. "Can you rewrap it for me?"
"Kei-chan!" Emiko-san left off from cooking and came over to give the boy a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Hail the conquering hero! Tonight, we eat tonkatsu in your honor!" Kei's face flushed a pretty pink in response to the woman's praise.
"Mom, we've talked about this. No kissing my boyfriend!" Nakano teased.
"Is my wife kissing boys again? You'd think after all these years I'd have been able to cure her of that," came a voice from the entryway of the kitchen. The tall blonde man standing there could only be Nakano's father. He stood only about an inch taller than Kei, and yet, he seemed to dominate the room, even gently slouching in a doorway.
Kei turned and bowed to Ogawa Tanjiro. "Hajimemashite, Ogawa-san," the boy intoned, just the tiniest touch of nerves coming through as a quiver in his voice. "It's a genuine pleasure to meet you, sir. Thank you for having me."
Tanjiro chuckled. "He makes a good impression, Naka-chan. The polite, slightly nervous boyfriend, come to ask the father of his beloved for permission to date his lovely daughter." Kei's stomach dropped at that. Was it possible he'd be denied such permission, after all this time? Should he have prepared a speech? The boy's mind raced frantically, searching for words to say, when Emiko laughed aloud.
"Tanjiro, stop that. Teasing Kei-chan like you didn't spend all afternoon yesterday cheering him on and yelling about how that amazing blonde volleyball player was your daughter's boyfriend..." Emiko began, making Nakano laugh, Kei blush, and Tanjiro click his tongue.
"Wife, you embarrass me. How am I supposed to instill the proper fear of me into the boy now?"
"Oh, Kei-chan, ignore him. He's a total softie. In fact, I expect in twenty minutes he'll have you in the den, demanding a play by play of yesterday's game," Emiko said as she returned to her cooking.
"Oh no, not in twenty minutes. Two hours, maybe. First, I've got to dress and ice his hand, and then I need to help him write out his homework. You can have him after that, Dad." Nakano said as her father pouted at her.
"Kei, do you have any sisters?" Tanjiro asked.
Kei relaxed as the man smiled at him and called him by his first name. "No, sir, just one older brother."
The man chuckled. "Lucky devil. I am surrounded by strong women here, young man, so I'm counting on you to help me put them all back in their place."
Nakano arched a brow and fixed her boyfriend with a look as Emiko did the same to her husband. Kei chuckled. "Sorry sir, but I've learned it's best with Nakano to just sit back and enjoy the ride."
Tanjiro turned his full attention to the boy, arching his brow and fixing the boy with a knowing look. Kei suddenly realized that what he'd just said could indeed be taken in a context entirely different from the one in which he meant it. Sweat began to bead on his brow. "No! That's not...I didn't mean...I..." he stammered out as Tanjiro's green eyes seemed to impale him.
Nakano pounced on her father, punching his shoulder and kissing his cheek. "Dad, stop that. You promised me you wouldn't torment him."
Suddenly the man was all smiles again, squeezing his daughter tight. "Little Warrior, you know that a wing spiker like me can't resist such a perfect set up. Sorry, young man, but you really did make it too easy. Now, Nakano's right, your schoolwork comes first. But I will want that play by play when you're done. Go on, you two. Come find me when you're finished."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," Kei bowed softly as Nakano led him away to her room.
Kei drew a deep, shuddering breath as Nakano smirked at him after having closed her door. "Wow, Roses, your dad is...intimidating."
The girl wrapped her arms around him, kissing him gently. "Stop being so nervous and just relax and be yourself, Kei. Dad is already impressed with you. I'm sure spending time with him today, you'll only impress him more." She drew back, taking his right hand in both of hers. "Now, let me look at this mess you've made."
She unwrapped his hand entirely, frowning at the state of his two injured fingers. The pinky was bruising impressively, and the pointer finger was not much better. What disturbed her most was that he was unable to completely stretch out his pointer finger.
"When's the last time you took medicine?" she asked.
"Right before I came over."
"Okay," she said, cradling his hand in a bag of ice. The two sat on her bed, Nakano gently holding his hand. He rested his head on top of hers, and the couple sat that way for a few minutes, silently enjoying each other's presence. Finally, Nakano spoke. "We're going to ice this down, and then I'm going to adjust your pointer finger again. Looks like it's still bent a bit, and that's why it's bothering you so much. The adjustment will hurt, but it will start to feel better once we're done. I'll buddy tape both fingers separately this time, so hopefully you'll have a little better movement for your right hand."
"Please," he said, "I've been so frustrated today. Apparently, my left hand is completely useless."
"Oh?" She brought his left hand up to her face, he cupped it instinctively, rubbing his thumb against the plush softness of her cheek. "Seems very talented to me."
Their eyes were locked on each other, as Kei slid his hand down under her chin, drawing her face closer to his. Their lips were a breath from touching...
...and Nakano suddenly adjusted his unhappy pointer finger, making the boy cry out. "Sorry, love," she said as he glared at her, "but I figured that would be a little easier if you were distracted."
He gave a wry chuckle, she wasn't wrong. And already, his finger felt better. "Alright, now, let me tape you up again," Nakano said.
"Sounds kinky, mistress," Kei whispered. Nakano laughed, buddy taping his pointer finger to his middle one and the pinky to his ring finger. Several minutes later, the boy held up his hand, giving the girl a classic Vulcan salute. "I had no idea you were such a fan of Star Trek, Roses. Looks like this is about all my right hand is gonna be good for, at least for a while."
She grinned. "You should find it a little easier to do a few things. Buttons for example. I'm assuming Akiteru had to help you into that outfit."
"Yeah. I was pretty much useless today."
She kissed him again. "Shut up, idiot. You're not useless, you're injured. I know it's gonna suck, but it will be over in a couple of weeks, and I'll help you as much as I can until then. Now come on, let me be your private secretary. Shall I take dictation, sir?" She simpered the last sentence, holding up a pen.
"Aren't you supposed to be half-naked and sitting on my desk? Or better still, my lap?" he queried, leering at her.
"Nice try, lover boy. Now, let's get your homework written up, love." The teens settled down next to one another on the bed, Kei grabbing his schoolbag and thanking his lucky stars that he had such an amazing girlfriend.
🏐🏐🏐
It was around four o'clock when Kei and Nakano finally emerged from the girl's bedroom. Kei's hand was feeling a bit better, and his homework was written up and ready to be turned in. As the couple wandered into the kitchen, Tanjiro and Emiko exchanged a look. Both teen's lips were pink and perhaps just a bit swollen, and the older couple knew exactly what had caused that condition. They smiled at one another, remembering the start of their own courtship, many years ago.
"So, homework all finished up?" Tanjiro asked.
"Yes, sir, thanks to Nakano. I hope you won't mind, but I might need her help fairly frequently over the coming weeks, until my hand heals. My brother usually lives in Sendai during the week, and I don't want to bother my mom with such a thing after she comes home from work," Kei said, realizing that Akiteru did have a point - he really was going to need some help, at least with writing.
"Kei-chan, don't be silly. Of course Naka-chan will be there to help you. Or you can come over here, any time. Now, dinner won't be ready for almost another hour. Why don't you three go do something together?" Emiko said with a smile.
"Wanna hit the court?" Tanjiro asked.
"Dad, no way. Kei is not touching a volleyball with his hand the way it is." Kei started at Nakano's statement. He hadn't really thought about it before, but he supposed practice was going to be largely out of the question. Not long ago, having such a perfect excuse to get of hard training would have been welcome, but now, it only irritated the boy further. Only two months until Nationals, and I'm going spend three weeks doing nothing, he groused to himself. How much will I fall behind in that time? We're going to be up against opponents that have beaten Shiratorizawa in the past. We need to get stronger - I need to get stronger. How am I supposed to do that if I can't practice? He looked over at his blonde girlfriend, his coach, who was engaged in an animated discussion with her father. A small smile took over his face. She won't let me fall but so far behind, he realized. She'll come up with ways for me to do what I can without subjecting my hand to any stress, or at least, as little stress as possible. After all, if I don't let these fingers heal up properly, I won't be able to play at all, and she'd be the first one to remind me of that. We'll have to talk about it later on. But she's right, after the amount of pain I've dealt with today, trying to do anything on the court would be a bad idea.
He let himself tune back in to the conversation, which seemed to center around Nakano potentially babying her megane boyfriend, with the entire thing clearly being a cheap excuse for the father and daughter to spar with one another. Kei chuckled, jumping in during a lull.
"Actually, I'd be honored to see you play, Ogawa-san. Nakano tells me your high school team went to Nationals twice. Since we're going to be headed there soon, I'd love to hear about your experiences on the Orange Court, sir," Kei said, bowing slightly.
Tanjiro arched a brow again, looking at Nakano. "Oh, he's good, Little Warrior. Did you coach him, or did he decide to butter me up with that all on his own?"
Kei winced a little as he blushed, having been caught out. He did actually want to hear about Ogawa-san's volleyball experiences, but he'd also figured that asking him about his glory days would be a good way to score a few points. Nakano did not miss the look, or the color, that slid across her boyfriend's face. "He came up with that on his own, Dad. The only coaching I gave him was to be himself. Looks like he's taking that advice to heart." Kei caught the girl's gaze, mouthing 'traitor' at her. She giggled.
"Well, Nakano, will you set for me? It's been quite a while," Tanjiro gave a genuine smile to his daughter.
"Sure, Dad," the girl replied, moving over to the entryway and grabbing Kei's jacket, bringing it to the boy. "You should put this on, you'll probably get cold, just watching us."
Kei grabbed the jacket, and Nakano's hand, giving the latter a fond squeeze. "Thanks, Naka-chan." The teenagers followed the girl's father out to the backyard.
Kei settled himself on a bench near the volleyball court, watching the father and daughter as they stretched to warm up. The trio chatted a bit, Tanjiro asking Kei about his schoolwork, his interests, and of course, volleyball. Nakano stayed largely quiet, doing setter's exercises and rubbing her hands together against the chill outdoors.
"Ready, Dad?" the girl called once she felt properly limbered up.
Tanjiro grimaced. "As I'll ever be, I suppose. Young man, you are not allowed to judge me based on how well I spike. It's been almost a year, so go easy on me Naka-chan."
Nakano chuckled, grabbing a ball and handing it to Kei. "Wanna throw them for me? Or will that hurt too much? Can you throw left-handed?"
Kei scoffed. "Based on how the early part of the day went, I doubt it. But I think I can open-hand throw even with my right and not put any strain on my fingers." The girl fixed him with a look. "If I feel even the slightest twinge, I'll stop, Naka-chan. I promise."
Tanjiro took up position on the left, with Nakano awaiting Kei's throw on the right side of the court. The boy lobbed the ball gently above his girlfriend's head, and she gave her dad a nice high toss, comfortably placed from the net. The man moved fluidly, as if he did this kind of thing all the time, connecting well and putting a nice straight down on the opposite side of the net.
"Ugh," Tanjiro groused, "that was weak."
Kei was about to protest that assessment when Nakano snorted. "You're not kidding, Dad. I gave you a smooth toss, and that was all you could do with it? Embarrassing."
Kei swallowed his laughter at first, keeping quiet and just watching the two work and tease the daylights out of each other. Soon however, he found himself pulled into their rhythm, trading jibes and teasing both his girlfriend and eventually, even her father, just a little bit. He found himself on the receiving end of not a few digs himself, most of which noted how convenient it was that he was injured and couldn't actually demonstrate just how easily he would have blocked that spike, or how much harder he would have put that toss away. Nakano's sets got more and more sharp, as did her father's spikes. Finally, the man sliced a wicked cross-court shot that even Kuroo would have been hard pressed to stop.
"Alright, that's enough for this old man," Tanjiro said, though he was only slightly winded. "Hey Naka-chan, would you run inside and grab us some waters? We forgot to bring any out with us."
Nakano grinned. "Sure Dad, be right back." The blue-eyed girl made her way back into the house at a jog.
"She's a hell of a setter, isn't she?" Tanjiro asked the middle blocker.
"She's amazing, sir. I've seen her pull off sets that seemed impossible. Karasuno is lucky to have her." I'm lucky to have her, Kei thought.
"Will the girls' team take her, do you think?"
"They'd be crazy not to, sir. Once she's out of those braces, I can't imagine she'd not make the girls' team. We'll miss her though. She's been a wonderful coach."
"Has she really? I wondered if she'd get too frustrated at not being able to play herself."
Kei pondered that. "I think she does feel that sometimes, sir, but I also think she's very good at motivating people to do their best. And she genuinely cares about us too. She always gives so much of herself, it's hard not to follow suit." Kei thought back to the story she'd told the Gym 3 Squad, when he'd first learned her father had been a volleyball player too. "Sir? Did Nakano really set for you for the first time when she was only six years old?"
Tanjiro laughed. "Ah, she told you that story, did she?" Kei nodded. "Well, it's true. She learned the fundamentals of being a setter in about a week. It was...amazing."
"She said her set to you wasn't really very good."
"That's her modesty talking. Of course, it wasn't anything like her sets are today, but the fact that a six year old child, having practiced setting for about a week, was able to send a toss to an adult that could be functionally hit - well, young man, I don't think I have to tell you just how extraordinary that is."
Kei simply nodded in reply as Nakano came trotting out into the yard, tossing a water bottle to her father and handing one to Kei. After taking a few minutes to rehydrate, Tanjiro and Kei convinced Nakano to allow her blonde boyfriend to participate in a little passing, as long as he promised not to do any overhand passes. Kei swore he would use only his arms, and the three passed the volleyball back and forth, continuing to chat about school and their experiences at volleyball camp. Before long, Amalie opened the door to the backyard.
"Come on, you volleyball idiots! Mom says dinner is ready," Nakano's older sister shouted.
Kei grimaced at the choice of words, but felt Nakano's hand rub his back gently. He smiled at the girl as she slid her hand down along his left arm, lacing their hands together as they walked in to dinner with her family.
🏐🏐🏐
Dinner was a lively and boisterous affair, as well as delicious. Tanjiro finally demanded, and got, his play-by-play discussion of the final they'd won yesterday, with Nakano adding colorful commentary and filling in the parts Kei had missed while he was in the infirmary. Even Amalie and Emiko seemed to enjoy the conversation, despite not really understanding a whole lot about volleyball. Emiko had watched the game with her husband, but seemed to enjoy getting the player and coach perspectives on the event. She praised Kei-chan and Tobio-chan loudly, and definitely seemed to have a soft spot for Koshi-chan and Daichi-chan as well.
Amalie, having not seen any of the game at all, was soon caught up in their descriptions, demanding that they go over one detail or another again. As the rallies being described got longer and filled with more dramatic saves, Amalie began to really be excited. "Is it actually like this all the time?" she asked, amazed at Nakano's description of one particularly long rally during the fifth set. "If I had known volleyball could be this exciting, I'd have watched the game. Do you have any pictures?"
Nakano chuckled, pulling out her phone. "Not from the game, but I do have some pics of the boys. And I've been trying to tell you for years how exciting a good volleyball game can be, Ama." She held out her phone towards her sister, showing her a picture of the three third-year team members. "The guy with the short dark hair is Daichi, our captain. The silver-haired one is Suga, he's a setter. And the third one is our ace, Asahi."
"Woah," Amalie said, grabbing the phone from her sister's hand. "So you're telling me all this crazy cool jumping around is being done by hot guys? When is this Nationals thing you're going to? I might have to come watch in person."
Kei couldn't help it, he laughed quietly as Nakano huffed out a breath and started arguing with her sister. Ogawa-san caught his eye and raised a brow, making the boy think of the favor the man had asked of him in the video message from his birthday. He'd noticed that Amalie's forthrightness was also honestly come by, as Ogawa Tanjiro could be equally so, though unlike his older daughter, he seemed to know when to stop. He pondered how his senpais would react to Amalie. He didn't think Asahi, or Bokuto-san for that matter, would be able to handle the girl's directness. She'd reduce them both to a blushing mess inside of a few minutes. Daichi would be able to deal with it, he thought, but I don't know how much he'd enjoy it. Kuroo or Suga-san would probably be the best choice, since both of them would happily give as good they would get from the older girl. Akiteru is out, Kei reasoned, because if that relationship worked out, I don't think I could deal with it. I am not having a double wedding with my brother.
Nakano was desperately trying to get her phone back from Amalie, who was busily scrolling through her camera roll. "Wait a second...explain this photo! Who is the delicious slice of beefcake you appear to be riding on in this picture?"
Kei's head whipped around and he deftly plucked the phone from Amalie's hand, quickly looking at the photo. It was a selfie Nakano had taken while at training camp, when Bokuto had given her a piggyback ride to Gym #3. Kei chuckled. "That's Bokuto-san, captain of Fukurodani and one of the top five aces in Japan. And one of my closest friends."
"And it doesn't bother you that your girlfriend is riding on the back of your close friend?" Amalie said, looking surprised as Kei gave Nakano her phone back, the setter clicking her tongue at them.
"No, of course not. I asked him to carry her, because she'd overdone it and exhausted her legs. Bokuto is yet another of Nakano's self-declared big brothers. If you'd like to meet him, I'm sure he'll be at the National tournament as well, Amalie," Kei said, a teasing lilt in his voice. Nakano just rolled her eyes at him.
"I might take you up on that," Amalie said, smiling, "but what's this about Nakano having big brothers? What do you mean?"
Emiko and Tanjiro also seemed to be paying close attention, and Nakano's face was turning a delightful shade of crimson. "Well," Kei began, glancing sideways at his girl, "Nakano is just a naturally sweet and kind person." Nakano looked up at him, mouth slightly agape, and the red on her cheeks intensifying. Kei gave her a soft little smile, and took her hand. "She cares a lot about other people, and they respond to that. I'm sure you've already figured out that the other eleven players on our team all treat her like their little sister, especially Kageyama. But she's also garnered some other 'big brothers' from other teams, like Bokuto. Emiko-san, you've met him and Kuroo, he's another one who considers Nakano to be like a little sister to him. Plus I'm sure Akaashi, Lev and Kenma would all say the same thing." Nakano was now looking firmly down into her lap, the tips of her ears flushed as bright as Kei had ever seen them. He kissed the back of her hand lightly. "It makes me grateful that from among all of these admirers, she chose me."
Nakano looked as though she might just explode at any moment, and she gave Kei's hand a squeeze. The boy could feel the flush on his own cheeks at having made such a pronouncement in front of his girlfriend's family. I can't believe I just said that, he thought, but it's true. He looked up to see Emiko-san looking at him fondly. Turning to face Nakano's dad, he was amazed to see a thoughtful sort of look on the gentleman's face. I hope I didn't go too far there, Kei worried. He offered a tentative smile to the man, whose face morphed into something like a grin. Well, that seems promising, Kei thought, relaxing just a bit. At least he's not glowering at me.
Amalie, meanwhile, seemed far less concerned about Kei's depth of feeling for her sister than she was to hear that the 'delicious slice of beefcake' she'd seen in the photo had met her mother. "Mom!" she cried, rounding on the woman, "you had that gorgeous guy over to the house and didn't tell me? What the heck? And YOU..." the girl yelled, jabbing a finger at her sister, "You...you give me all this grief about dating so many boys in high school...at least I dated them one at a time! And here you are, forming a volleyball boy harem and not even sharing with your sister!"
Emiko gasped and dropped her head into her hands. Tanjiro cracked up completely. Nakano trumped everyone's reaction, however, as she tossed her hair and clicked her tongue. "Not my fault if you don't have what it takes, Ama," she quipped, a superior smirk gracing the younger girl's face, although she was still blushing as heavily as ever.
At that, Kei couldn't hold it in any longer, he lost it too, laughing aloud along with Nakano's father. Soon the entire table was laughing and talking and teasing one another at once. Kei participated happily, falling into the easy pattern of their banter as if he were already a part of the family.
There was enough strawberry shortcake left from Nakano's latest baking endeavor for everyone to have a small slice as she finished the tale of the Shiratorizawa game. Nakano positively gushed over Kei's role in bringing the team to victory, telling her family how the boy was declared the MVP of the game, to which Tanjiro heartily agreed and Kei turned almost as red as Nakano had earlier. Both Emiko and Amalie expressed dismay that he hadn't worn his medallion to the celebration, which only made Kei blush harder. As all three ladies began to zero in on the blonde middle blocker, their teasing keeping his face as bright as a cherry blossom, until Tanjiro finally stood up from the table.
"Alright, ladies, I think you've had your fun. It's time for us men to relax a bit. Little Warrior, when you're ready, if you please," the man intoned, bringing the teasing to a halt. He gestured to his daughter's boyfriend, and Kei got to his feet.
"Yes, Father," Nakano replied formally, bending her body forward despite the fact that she was still seated. So formal, Kei thought, what is happening? He gave the girl a last glance before turning to follow her father, and she winked at him. I guess whatever it is, it won't be so bad.
He followed Tanjiro upstairs and into the man's study. The room was oddly familiar, seeming very much like the study at his own home, with its dark leather, overstuffed furniture and the walls full of books. The desk in the room was even eerily similar, though Tanjiro's showed evidence that he'd recently been using it. He chuckled, looking around the room and feeling somehow comforted, like maybe his dad was here with him, guiding him through the encounter that was to come.
"What's so funny?" Tanjiro asked, merriment lacing his voice as he gestured at a chair, inviting Kei to sit.
"I was just struck by how similar this room is to the study in my own home, sir," Kei replied, taking the offered seat.
"Ah, so your dad has a study too, hmm?"
"Well, it was his study, sir. He passed away just before my fifth birthday. My mother has kept the room the same since then, and his shrine is there."
"I'm sorry, Kei, I didn't know," Ogawa-san gave the boy a sympathetic look. "It must have been hard, growing up without your father."
Kei considered that. "I don't really have very clear memories of him, sir. It was likely harder on my brother - he was eleven when Dad died."
"Mmmm. I bet it was tough on him, especially since he suddenly had to become something of a father figure to you, as well."
Kei eyes softened, thinking of how hard his brother had tried to live up to the responsibilities thrown on him by their dad's passing. "Yes sir, it was difficult. But I think he did pretty well, all things considered." And Nakano helped me to see that, he thought.
"I'm looking forward to meeting your mother," the man continued. "Emiko tells me she's a lovely woman. And apparently a good influence on my wife," he said with a chuckle, "I must thank her for encouraging Emiko to get out and have a little fun. It's difficult, as I'm sure your mother knows, to raise children alone, keep a household going. Emiko devotes herself to those things in my absence, sometimes to the detriment of her own mental health. When she told me she spent a delightful evening at your home, and drank enough red wine to end up singing karaoke, well, I must say, I was very grateful to your mother." Kei's face twitched a little as he tried not to laugh at the memory of a very drunk Emiko-san wobbling home on his arm. Tanjiro caught that motion, smiling at the boy.
The door to the study opened, and Nakano entered, carrying a tray. Kei's eyes widened as he saw what she carried, the tokkuri frosty and two ochoko set up. Kei's mind immediately went into overdrive. He wants me to drink with him, probably so he can loosen my tongue, get me to talk about my relationship with Nakano, he thought, or maybe just to see what I say once I'm drunk. In vino veritas, as Kuroo said. He watched as Nakano placed the tray on the table between the two men, and proceeded to pour for both of them. I don't see a bottle, just the tokkuri, but that's not a guarantee that he won't produce one at some point. The tokkuri holds enough for four cups, so two for each of us. That won't even be enough to get me properly buzzed, if that's really all we're going to have. I'm going to follow Kuroo's advice and sip slowly, and keep a tight rein on my tongue. Nakano finished pouring and smiled at her father.
"Thanks, Naka-chan," he said. She turned, giving Kei a sweet smile, and then left, closing the door behind her. "This is the last of the bottle of sake your friends gave Emiko when they came to visit," Tanjiro said. "I wanted to save a little to share with you." He took his cup, and raised it to the boy. "To your victory yesterday. Kanpai!"
"Kanpai," Kei murmured, taking his cup and indulging in a very small sip. The sake was just as delicious as he remembered, and he savored the sweet taste rolling gently across his tongue. Tanjiro watched him carefully over the rim of his ochoko, noting the controlled way the boy drank. He's being very cautious, not wanting to down the sake in front of me, not sure where this is going yet. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and clearly he thinks things through, Tanjiro thought. Well, I expected nothing less from Naka-chan.
Tanjiro continued offering toasts, to which Kei responded each time by gently sipping at his drink. They toasted several times on their first cup of sake, Tanjiro deliberately draining his cup after offering a toast to his wife, and Kei followed suit, not wanting to seem rude. Tanjiro smiled at him and Kei took the hint, reaching over to refill the man's ochoko.
"This really is an excellent sweet sake," Tanjiro began, filling Kei's cup with the last of the beverage, "and your senpai has taught you well, both in terms of quality and of how to enjoy it. You're obviously a smart young man, and not one given to impulsiveness." He smiled at the blonde boy, trying hard to put him at ease. "I promise you, Kei, my intention here was not to get you drunk, or anywhere close to it. Will you share the last of the sake with me, in a final toast?"
Kei lifted his cup. "Of course, sir." Kei felt a little embarrassed, having been so worried about the man's motives. He's given me no indication that he disapproves of me, in fact, everything today has shown just the opposite, he mused. I should have known better.
Tanjiro looked directly into the boy's eyes. "To you and my daughter. May you have a long and happy relationship."
Kei started, quickly recovering and draining his cup along with the man across from him. "Thank you, sir," he said after finishing the drink.
"Surprised you, did I?"
Kei nodded, his cheeks heating a bit. Embarrassment, he wondered, or the alcohol? Or maybe both. "A little, sir."
"Well, I hope it's no surprise to you that I approve of you, young man. It's clear to me you make my daughter very happy. And my wife already thinks the world of you, you know." The man paused, fiddling with his sake cup before placing it gently back on the tray. "But I must say, when you spoke before of how grateful you are that Nakano chose you...well...I couldn't help but see the similarities between the two of us."
Kei placed his own ochoko carefully back on the tray, turning the man's statement over in his mind. He suddenly recalled the story Kimura-san had shared with him and Nakano over dinner about how he and his navy buddies had competed for Emiko-san's affections. The young man nodded. "Indeed, sir. I understand what you mean."
"I figured Kimura would tell you the story." Tanjiro paused again, that same thoughtful expression from earlier coming over his face. "Kei, if I may ask you, how did Kimura seem to you, when he told you about all that?"
Kei thought back to that night. "He was certainly enjoying the nostalgia of it all, I think. He seemed happy to share stories and reminisce with us." He looked Tanjiro full in the face, wondering what this was all about.
"He didn't seem...sad? Or upset? Or...disappointed, in any way?"
"No sir, I don't think so. I mean, I don't know the man as well as you do, but from what I could tell, he was pleased to tell us about you and his other friends." Kei's curiosity was near to overwhelming him, but he reminded himself again to think before speaking.
Tanjiro gave him a small smile. "Kimura Sotaro is probably my best friend in the whole world. And yet, I've hardly seen him in all the years since I married Emiko. You see, he and I were the most serious about trying to win Emiko's heart. Our other two friends were interested in her, but when she chose me, they moved on, finding other girls and eventually getting married themselves..."
"...but Kimura-san never did," Kei finished, beginning to put the pieces together.
"We'd all agreed to abide by Emiko's decision. But if she hadn't chosen me, I'm not sure I would have been able to let her go the way Sotaro did. I am, in some ways, a very jealous man. The thought of Emiko..." He trailed off, and Kei understood just what the man must be feeling. Tanjiro took a deep breath, and a sad smile came across his face. "Well, as you can imagine, I've found it very hard to be around Sotaro ever since then. I'm pleased to see you don't seem to have the same issue."
"May I be entirely honest with you, sir?"
"I hope you always will be."
"And, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"Do you feel uncomfortable around Kimura-san because you worry that he will try to take Emiko-san from you, or because you feel like you took Emiko-san from him, leaving him alone?"
It was Tanjiro's turn to start, eyes widening a touch at the young man's forthright question. Just like my Little Warrior, he thought, she is always so good at striking right at the very heart of a matter with no hesitation. He chuckled. "Well, I suppose if I am being totally honest with myself, a little of both. But mostly the latter. I don't think either Sotaro or Emiko would betray my trust in that way."
"Well sir, then allow me to say that I understand exactly how you feel. You see, sir, I get jealous too. I know at least two of my friends gave serious consideration to trying to date Nakano before she and I started going out. But I'm working hard on learning to trust, to not be afraid. Nakano is teaching me so much about that, and I trust in her, and I want to learn more. You see, sir, I want to be the best man I can be, because she deserves nothing less." Kei looked down at his hands in his lap for a moment, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "I'm not perfect, by any means. And sometimes, probably far too often, I still get jealous. But I'm working on it. And for what it's worth, sir, I think you should talk to Kimura-san. It was obvious to me that he cares for you and Emiko-san very much. Good friends are very valuable, sir. I'm beginning to understand just how important they can be in your life. Don't let a good friendship slip away just because you were afraid to talk out your feelings." Kei's face was warm, and he knew it wasn't only from the sake. Dad, I can't help but think this is your influence, he thought, making me speak like this to the father of my girlfriend. Mom always says you were a very honest and forthright man. Everything I just said was true, and really how I feel. I hope he can accept that.
Tanjiro was silent a moment after the boy finished his heartfelt yet impromptu speech. His gaze was trained on the young man across from him. Could I have been so honest, so open, with the father of a girl I was interested in at the tender age of sixteen, he wondered. Like Nakano, he's had to grow up a little quicker than most kids his age, and it shows. Not only does he acknowledge that he's not perfect, that he still needs to grow, but he even gave me some very sound advice. He suddenly reached across the table and clapped the blonde middle blocker on the shoulder. "Thank you, young man. Nakano has chosen very well. And you're right, it's time I talked to Sotaro."
Kei bowed his head. "Thank you, sir. I hope that wasn't too forward of me."
"Not at all. I prefer you to speak your mind honestly to me, rather than simply telling me what you think I want to hear. Especially as I would like to ask you some rather personal questions, Kei." Tanjiro's green eyes were now locked on Tsukishima's golden ones, though the look on the older man's face was kind and relaxed. Kei swallowed a bit nervously, trying to steel himself for what he guessed might be coming next. He nodded, feeling about as ready as he was going to get.
"It is not my intention to pry too deeply into the details of my daughter's relationships," Tanjiro began, "but as I was not here when the two of you began dating, I'm afraid I am going to ask some rather direct questions of you, Kei. I am, of course, aware that you and Nakano have shared a bed on more than one occasion. Have you two been intimate yet?"
Kei was expecting the question, and found he wasn't as jarred by it as he thought he might be. He wondered if the little bit of alcohol in his system was just enough to keep him from feeling the nerves he anticipated might accompany this part of the discussion. He took a deep breath as his face heated up. "If you're asking if we've ever made love, sir, the answer is no. We've made out, of course, and..."
Tanjiro smiled and held up a hand. Young man, he thought, you get full marks for saying 'made love' and not 'had sex.' I hope that any physical intimacy the two of you have always involves love. "You don't need to say any more, Kei. I truly do not need the details. So, knowing that you have not done so yet, tell me, Kei. Is it something you want? Have the two of you discussed it?"
Kei once again took a moment to gather his thoughts. This isn't just a 'you'd better not get my daughter pregnant' talk, he realized, I think he's more interested in intentions at this point. He's using these blunt questions as a way of seeing how I really feel about Nakano and our relationship. "Well sir, it would be dishonest of me to say that I don't want to be intimate with Nakano in that way someday. And yes, we've discussed it. We're high school first years, and there's no reason for us to rush into physical intimacy. We've decided we'd rather take it slow, learning about each other along the way, exploring that side of our relationship gradually. We both agree that there's a lot of ground to cover between making out and making love, and between dating and marriage. We've got plenty of time to explore it all."
He's a very thoughtful boy, Tanjiro mused, and he's quite aware that he's got two cups of sake in him. He's deliberately making himself think before speaking - a good quality. And the way he said those words just now - they really have talked this out. That wasn't something he just came up with on the spot. The man repositioned himself on the sofa, relaxing into the conversation. "Marriage? So have you both been thinking along those lines?"
Kei felt his blush rise, and glanced down, a small smile coming over his face, remembering the times he and Nakano had talked about getting married someday. "Well sir, I'd say 'thinking' might be a little too strong a word. 'Daydreaming' might be more appropriate. We have talked about it a little, though. But that future is still a long ways away."
Tanjiro chuckled. "Not so long as you might think, young man, and every year passes just a little bit quicker." He smiled at the boy indulgently. "You won't really understand that statement until you're older. But trust me on that one."
"Yes, sir," Kei said, smiling back at the man.
"Kei, do you love Nakano?"
Suddenly, the young man sat up straighter, locking eyes with the man across the table from him. And for this answer there was no pause, no hesitation. "Yes, sir, I do. I love her very much."
"And what does that mean to you, that you love her?"
Kei took his time with this one, trying hard to decide exactly how to phrase it. "I've never wanted to understand someone so much before. I've never wanted so badly for someone to understand me. I want to share with her, everything, all that we are. Everything that makes each of us up. I feel as though I've known her forever, sir. When she isn't there, I feel...like something is wrong with the world. I'm not sure what else to call it, sir, this feeling she gives me. It must be love."
"And have you told her all this? Have you told her you love her?"
"Oh yes, sir, as often as I can. She's been through a lot, sir, and..." Kei hesitated, knowing that he knew things about the man's daughter that she had not shared with her family. "Sir, I..."
Tanjiro could see the conflict on the boy's face. "If she's told you things in confidence, you don't have to tell me. It's enough for me to know that you tell her how loved she is. She deserves to know that." He swallowed a chuckle as he watched Kei visibly relax. "Nakano is a very strong and brave young woman, to have gone through everything she has and still be the wonderful, caring person she is. But she's also fragile too, for the same reasons. She's always taken everything on herself, placed the burden for whatever she might have to deal with squarely on her own shoulders, even when it isn't truly hers. That can be a great flaw, as well as demonstrating her great strength. I need you to be aware of that fragility and treat her accordingly. Do you understand what I am saying, Kei?"
The look that came over Kei's face showed his incredible determination. "Yes, sir, I believe I do. There's a lot of hurt inside her. I want to heal it, sir. All of it. I don't intend to stop until she's free from the pain she's buried so deep inside her."
Tanjiro sat forward. "One more question on this subject, Kei. Why? Why Nakano? Surely a tall, handsome young man such as yourself, a talented athlete...well, I'm sure you don't lack for admirers. I've no doubt you could have almost any girl you want at your side. Why a girl dealing with such crippling injuries, with so much baggage to carry?"
Kei's body tensed at the man's words. He struggled to stop his hands from balling into fists, wincing as his right hand tried to contract on its own. Tanjiro did not miss these telltale signs, and worked hard to control his desire to smile at the young man. Once again, the boy drew in a deep breath, calming himself and collecting his thoughts. When at last he spoke, his voice was controlled, but very firm. "Sir, I'm sorry, but you've asked the wrong question. It's not why would I want to be with Nakano - I can't imagine wanting to be with any other girl, ever. The real question is why on Earth would she choose me when there are so many others who would jump at the chance to be her boyfriend. I'm not sure I can answer that question. I carry my own baggage too, and she's helping me deal with it, just like I want to help her deal with hers. I love her, sir, more than I ever thought I could love someone. She is simply the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I will never leave her side. I will stay with her for as long she will have me, and I can only hope and pray that will be forever."