ice queen • haikyuu

068 | family

"Mommyyyy," Hiroto's jubilant voice echoed throughout the air, twin pairs of footsteps thundering to the entryway. Her lips quirked upwards, spotting Haruto and Hiroto racing up to her and Koji. "We missed you both!"

"And we missed Megumi!" Haruto pressed his cheek against Mizuki's swollen stomach, hoping to hear any movement or sound from the fetus inside of her. Their younger sibling. Their little sister. Hiroto squished close to him, copying his action and waiting eagerly for the same thing.

Mizuki laughed, patting their heads gently.

"Where are your dads?" she asked.

"Pop's in the kitchen" — Kuroo, "Papa's in the garden with Yuuki" — Bokuto, "Dad's sitting at the breakfast table" — Akaashi, "and Daddy's playing another game" — Kenma.

Sounds about right, she thought, slipping off her shoes.

"Oh! We'll help you, Koji!" The eldest twin plopped onto the floor to help remove the strap from the boy's shoes whilst the other twin grabbed his jacket, handing it to Mizuki.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said, hanging it on the rack they had installed by the door, hooking it on and letting it dry before she'd put it in the laundry basket. Mizuki did the same with hers, shrugging it off and hanging it up.

"No problem, Mama!"

"Ohoho?" came the familiar voice of their bed-headed father. "Did you hear that? Mama's home!"

Another of footsteps headed their way.

"Mama!"

Yuuki burst through the entryway, arms extended. Of course, like always, he tripped over his feet, and had it not been for Tetsuro's quick reactions, he would've fallen face-first onto the floor. "Woah there! Be careful, Yuuki."

"Gomen, Pops!" Yuuki wiggled out of his arms and bounced over to Mizuki, welcoming her with a huge hug. "I missed you," he mumbled, laying his chin on her baby bump and staring up at her with dark brown eyes inherited from Kuroo's side of the family.

"We were only gone for a few hours," she soothed, her heart swelling with love and affection.

"Still." His bottom lip jutted out. "Take me with you next time."

Mizuki laughed. "I will."

"Why don't I get the same reaction?" Kuroo questioned his kids, his arms crossed over his chest, hips tilted to the side and a soft smile threatening to lift the corners of his lips.

Yuuki didn't answer. Instead, he buried himself into his mother's side.

Mama's boys, she thought, shooting Tetsuro a smug look.

Mizuki prided herself over being their favourite. All four boys would welcome Mizuki eagerly, ecstatic to see her even if they saw her an hour beforehand. They'd sneak into their parents' bed to sleep with her, not because they were scared, but because they liked her comforting, maternal presence. They'd come to her whenever they had a problem or whenever they had something exciting to share. Of course, that's not to say they didn't love their fathers. They did. A lot. Just not as much as they loved the person who carried them for nine months and birthed them.

"Mama's the best!" Koji proclaimed, a gleeful grin on his face.

Kuroo scowled. "Why, you little munchkin." He strode forward, reaching for the boy and lifting him off the ground as easily as one could lift a feather. He brought him to his face, fingers moving expertly and tickling the child. Koji bellowed with laughter, squirming in his arms. "You're cheeky, you know that?"