red light blues | haikyū! captains

an irreplaceable home

"Here we are."

As Kuroo helped lug around the only bag you owned, you gazed upon the entrance with a tiled roof serving as a canopy. There were two guards, each donned with a sleek red haoris, stationed by the gates, addressing their commander with a bow that Kuroo returned with a curt nod.

The Shinsengumi compound, as far as your limited knowledge of the world went, also doubled as a detaining facility for suspects put under surveillance. Despite Kuroo's countless reassurances that you were not being treated as such, the image the commander had carved for himself in your head didn't make him a very credible source. You shifted uneasily, shrinking in on yourself when you felt the guards' eyes on you.

"Oh? So that's the famous Taiyou-sama," marvelled the gargantuan samurai with snowy white hair. His green eyes beheld a feline-like curiosity, and you couldn't bite down the feeling that you'd seen him somewhere before...

"Lev, that's rude." In contrast, his sandy-haired companion seemed to be reproachful, smacking the other guard despite the significant difference in their heights. "She already looks jittered as is. We don't need you agitating her even further."

Lev pouted. "Yaku-san, I wasn't trying to be rude..."

"Well you were," sighed Kuroo, who seemed to lack the usual snark you'd gotten used to hearing from him. If anything, he sounded amused, even. "Anyway, Taiyou-sama's going to be staying with us until we apprehend the culprit or the shogun lifts his orders. Whichever comes first."

Yaku nodded solemnly, fingers tightening around the hilt of the katana on his waist. "Very well. Ah, welcome back, by the way."

"You're being awfully nice to me today," Kuroo snorted.

"I'm doing this for her, you insufferable—" At the last moment, Yaku reeled himself back in, breathing through his nose before stepping aside. "Welcome to the Shinsengumi Compound, Taiyou-sama. We have some experience with looking after important figures in the Bakufu, so rest assured, we will do the same for you."

Lev chuckled beside him, patting Yaku on the shoulder. "Yaku-san, you weren't even this nice to those guys. Remember the time you almost got sentenced to death by—oof!"

"Lev, I swear if you don't pipe down, I'm going to stick my sword up your—"

"You'd paint such a vivid image in Taiyou-sama's mind?!"

In the midst of their banter, you felt Kuroo tug on your arm with a single hand. You stared up at him, his gaze transfixed on his two subordinates with a look of fondness glossing over his eyes. This was...certainly an odd sight to behold. There was no trace of the cold hostility he'd brandished you and Sawamura with back at Karasuno. You also couldn't help but notice the way the warmth of his hand permeated through the fabric of your yukata.

Ever-so subtly, a crease tightened on your brow.

"Let's go," Kuroo murmured, snapping you out of your shameless staring before leading you inside.

In the foyer, a couple more samurai milled around, going about their business for the evening. The indistinct sound of mellow chatter filled your ears, easing the tension that you hadn't even known found its way into your posture. It wasn't like you had any concrete expectations for what the Shinsengumi would be like. But upon seeing a little Daruma-san game in session with some of the younger members, you couldn't help but think, are they really policemen?

"Make no mistake, I'm not as forbearing with these idiots as you might assume." The commander spoke like he'd read your thoughts through the smile that wormed its way to your face. "Training finishes at sundown, and they're free to make do with their time however they wish. If they managed to survive the day's regimens, that is."