You open your eyes and blink a few times as Daichi's hazy figure comes into focus. It's pitch black in your room, but you can make out his usual position of lying completely flat on his back with the blanket covering the bottom portion of his face. How he could comfortably breathe that way is still beyond you. His arm is wrapped around your waist, snuggling you into his side. You slowly prop yourself up on your elbow, holding the blanket up to your chest to keep you warm when you realize you're not wearing any clothes even though Daichi's wearing his pajama bottoms. You squint at the clock on the nightstand.
2:47 AM
You rub your right eye with the palm of your hand and look back down at Daichi's peacefully sleeping image, a soft smile automatically finding its way to your lips. After your fun with him last night, he had turned on a Black Jackals' volleyball game recorded from earlier in the week that the two of you hadn't had a chance to watch. Normally you would have stayed up, but your day had been an exhausting one after the mess at work and the ticket incident with Daichi, that before you knew it, you were already asleep. Suddenly, your stomach let out a small growl as you realized why you had woken up in the first place. Not only had you been too tired to watch the game with Daichi, but you had also decided dinner just wasn't a priority over your sleep. You vaguely remember Daichi having gone downstairs to finish the stew you had started and bringing a bowl to you, but you had refused to get up. You glanced back onto the nightstand, and sure enough, two empty bowls laid next to the clock. If anything, you had simply saved Daichi a trip to go get seconds as he'd always had a decent appetite. Next to the bowls laid two remote controls. You rolled your eyes as you realized he had been too lazy, yet again, to replace the batteries in the remote that belonged in your room, and had therefore grabbed the remote from the living room to use for the TV up here. This is why you're always misplacing things.
With another growl from your stomach, you quietly slipped out of the warm covers and away from Daichi's body heat. You searched for your phone on the nightstand by your side of the bed but couldn't find it. After figuring it was still downstairs, you began to blindly search in the dark around your bed for any clothes from last night you could quickly put on, hoping Daichi hadn't all of a sudden turned a new leaf and started listening to your constant nagging about not leaving clothes on the ground. Sure enough, you stumbled onto a thin t-shirt, probably Daichi's undershirt, and what felt like his boxers. You pulled both things on, but a chill had you reaching for one of his TMPD sweatshirts that hung on the hooks behind your bedroom door. Intent on returning it to its proper place, you grabbed the living room's remote and stuffed it into the sweatshirt's pocket, making space in your hands to carry down the empty bowls and cup from Daichi's dinner.
You closed the bedroom door behind you before tip toeing down the stairs and into the kitchen. After placing the bowls in the sink, you turned the lights on, surprised with yourself for not having run into anything while you maneuvered your way through the dark. You went to the fridge and took out the stew then grabbed a bowl to place it in. You froze, holding your breath to hear better when you thought a door opened and felt a chilly air current but deemed it as the air conditioner turning on and jostling one of the doors with the pressure change. Daichi slept like a rock, nothing short of a siren could wake him. After placing the bowl of stew in the microwave to warm up, you turned to grab a loaf of bread and cut two slices before popping them in the toaster. Waiting for both things to finish warming up, you sat down on one of the stools at the counter. Your eyes went to a shelf in the corner where you had displayed numerous pictures. Daichi had leaned the picture of you and your parents from your graduation onto a framed picture of four people posed with their arms around each other's shoulders. You smiled as your focus came onto the two people in the middle—you and Daichi on the first day you had met.
--
A little more than 3.5 years ago...
"Yes, Dad. I know what you're saying, but they might give me first chair. This is what I've been working towards, you've gotta trust me. Mhmm. Yes, I know," you continued to nod your head even though your father couldn't see you as you balanced your cellphone between your ear and shoulder, using your hands to open the door to your apartment. Soon as the door swung open, a blast of music filled your ears along with cringe worthy singing that made you wish you could tear your ears off. It was so loud, even your father stopped talking.
"Umm..is that—"
"Yes, Dad, it is. Let me call you later so I can see what mess he's created this time, love you," you say before hanging the phone up and sliding it into your pocket. You let out a sigh as you walk towards the kitchen where the unpleasant singing is coming from. You pass a notepad on the dining table. With a glance, you read what's on it, leading you to pick it up and take it with you.
"Dirty babeeeeeee. You see these shackles, Baby I'm your slaveeeeeeee. I'll let you whip me if I misbehaveeeee."
You turned the corner and watched in disbelief as the tall man with unruly spiky black hair danced unrhythmically around the kitchen wearing nothing but an apron and boxers. The apron was the familiar green with the word "stud" stamped on it and a picture of a muffin underneath it. You continued to watch as he worked on whatever his next, most likely inedible, creation was, wishing you hadn't come home so early because no doubt, he would make you try it. He noticed your presence and without skipping a beat he placed the bowl in his hands down on the counter and reached over to you and grabbed your hand before pulling you towards him as he sang both, the main and the chorus parts that came up next in the song. Curse his long limbs.
"Come here girl—go ahead be gone with it. Come to the back—go ahead be gone with it. VIP—go ahead be gone with it. Drinks on me—go ahead be gone with it."
Without being phased, you pulled your hand out of his grasp and instead went around him to see what he was mixing in the bowl.
"You're making cookies, Kuroo. Why?" you ask as you turned around to find the tall moron had his back to you as he sang into a wooden spoon and wildly thrusted his hips with the music.
You went to the source of the music—his phone, and turned it off which quickly caught his attention.
"Oy oy, what didjya do that for?" he scowled at you.
"Why are you making cookies?" you ignore him and question instead.
"I made them for you," he gleamed back with a tilt of his head, eyes closed and a giant grin.
"What do you want?"
"I'm offended. I don't resort to such cheap tactics when I want something," he huffed, crossing his arms.
"Kuroo, who are you fooling?" you retort, rolling your eyes as you grab a spoon and stick it into the cookie dough, scooping out a portion that seems to have extra chocolate chips and plopping it into your mouth.
"Stop doing things that clearly keep showing you lack docosahexaenoic acid. Are you trying to get salmonella?"
"Me!? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Why are you dressed that way? You look ridiculously, ridiculous, you dumb nerd."
"I'm always so kind to you, and this is how you treat me."
"Yea, yea. Back to the point, what do you want? Depending on what it is, these cookies might not cut it."
"I told you, nothing. I'm just being nice."
"Oh yea, what's this then?" you ask, holding up the notepad you had grabbed earlier and showing it to him.
"A notepad....are you being overworked or something?" he asks with a tilt of his head as if you were asking the dumbest question possible.
"With my name as bullet point number three after get milk and drop off dry cleaning?"
"It's my to-do list."
"Exactly. What favor are you trying to make me do?"
"None, it's literally just my to-do list. You're on it," he grins suggestively at you to which you deadpan back.
Kuroo lets out a sigh before admitting defeat.
"Fine, you got me. I was wondering if you could maybe show an old volleyball friend around for me tomorrow. He's moving to Tokyo from the Miyagi prefecture. He's been here a few times so he's not completely new. His apartment isn't ready yet so I offered him to stay here with us for a few days, but then I had something come up with work. I'll be free later in the evening but didn't want to leave him on his own on his very first day here."
"Nope."
"Aw come on! You didn't even think about it. I'm already making you cookies! What else do you want?" he questions right before a devious smile crosses his face. "I could pay you with my body," he stupidly grins and wiggles his eyebrows as he leans in and cages you against the counter with both of his arms on either side.
"Shut up. Why are you so annoying?" you frown as you take the side of your hand and dig it hard into his stomach.
"Owh," he groans as he doubles over. "Just trying to bring some humor into life. You should try it some time, you boring, old fart."
"Stop looking so constipated before I send a picture of you dressed like this to Alisa, and maybe she'll finally dump your rooster looking self," you smirk as you duck around him and open the fridge to pull out a bottle of water. "How you ended up with her, and what she sees in you still confuses me."
"You don't have to say things like that. I still have feelings you know. Matter of fact, I was Facetiming her, and that's why I even look like this," he winks at you before going back to his cookie batter.
"Ew, spare me the video call phone sex details, please," you groan.
"I could teach you a thing or two about it if you want," he says nonchalantly with his back now facing you, but you know he's got his hyena grin plastered over his face. You choose not to humor him with a response, sending the kitchen into a pleasant silence. A few moments pass where Kuroo laid out balls of cookie dough in a pan, and you searched around the kitchen for some food before settling on cereal and milk.
"Alright, I'll do it," you let out between bites. At that, Kuroo grinned and turned to you.
"Under what conditions?" he knowingly smirked.
"First, get Kenma to tell Hinata to tell Atsumu to reserve us a table at Onigiri Miya tomorrow because I've been craving it. Since this location is still so new, they're always packed. Make sure it's a table where I can see Osamu from because I wouldn't mind some eye candy. Second, you do the dishes for a month—no two! Two months."
"Seriously? The Onigiri Miya thing I get, but the dishes? You're acting like hanging out with one of my volleyball bros is a punishment even though you're making me use a volleyball connection to get you into a restaurant."
"No, technically I'm using the connection to Kenma, who's just as much my childhood friend as he is yours, so I don't actually need you for it. I'm just making you do the grunt work. And I had plans for tomorrow which I'm having to alter now for you. It's Saturday, and my first actual day off in weeks!"
"What plans?" he questioned in a low, mocking voice.
"Confidential plans. I'm a servant of the law and have to maintain such things in secret," you frankly state before gulping down the milk in your bowl.
"Sure, sure. Aren't you the one who's always coming home and venting about your cases? You've been going on and on about that famous sumo wrestler, Hakuho Sho, was it? Doesn't sound like you're very confidential to me."
"I only vent about the public details that any person who reads the news would know! Not my fault you're in some volleyball cult with your volleyball brethren and lack all knowledge outside of the sport," you glare, putting the word 'brethren' in air quotes. "And clearly you don't even pay attention because there's no case about some sumo wrestler! Stop making things up."
"Fine, it wasn't him, but the name was similar to his. Either way, your plans for tomorrow are nothing more than lying in bed and watching TV, so come through for me, will ya? I'll take care of dishes for the next two months," Kuroo said with a tightlipped smile, raising his hands up as if he had been defeated.
You smirked.
"Would have done it anyways but since you're being so generous and offering, who am I to object?" you taunt, leaving your dirty bowl in the sink and pinching Kuroo's cheek before walking out of the kitchen.
"I miss living alone," Kuroo murmured under his breath as he went back to the cookies.
"I heard that! Living with you wasn't my first choice either, cock hair! Blame your girl, Alisa."
"How about...and just wait..this might be a brilliant idea....how about you stop doing everything pro bono so you can finally afford a place on your own without Alisa forcing me to be your roommate!" Kuroo yelled out from the kitchen, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Shut ahhhppp!"
--
The next day, you had to be at the train station bright and early, earning Kuroo a few names in your head that weren't too kind. Your eyes were still tired as you sat on a bench with your head leaning against the wall. You yawned before glancing back at the board that had a countdown of all the arrival times for incoming trains. The train from Sendai still had fifteen minutes left. Maybe resting your eyes would do you some good you thought as you closed your eyelids and drifted off to sleep. Before you knew it, you were being yanked awake as the purse you had hung over your shoulder was pulled so violently from you that you ended up on your knees staring with wide eyes trying to figure out what had happened. As the scene around you came together, you realized two things. First, your hands and knees were burning from having landed so roughly on the concrete. The palms of your hands which you had instinctively used to catch yourself were skinned up and even though you couldn't see your knees, you knew they were probably in even worse shape if the stinging had any indication of it. Second, your purse had just been snatched from you, and you were watching the perpetrator run away in what felt like slow motion. You staggered to your feet, but before you could even take a step, a dark, blurry figure dashed by after the thief. Once you had collected yourself, you took off at a sprint behind them, clumsily making your way through the crowded platform. You had been a part of the soccer club when you were in high school, so running has always been natural for you, but with your knees in so much pain, you were straggling behind. Luckily for you, the guy who had chased after the purse snatcher was faster and had caught up with him fairly quickly. When you turned the corner, you were greeted with the sight of a man wearing an ensemble of all black, complete with short black hair, holding gently but firmly onto a rather disheveled and straggly looking teenager with mismatched clothing.
"Go ahead, apologize," the man in all black said as he pulled your purse away from the kid and gently pushed him in your direction.
"S-s-sorry, m-ma'am," he stammered.
"It's...okay," you said through some heavy breathing. "Why'd you do it?" you questioned as you looked at him. "You really pulled a number on my knees," you glared before glancing down and looking at your knees for the first time since you fell, causing you to involuntarily wince. You were wearing shorts as it was a rather hot day and having no protective clothing over the flesh, both of your knees seemed to have been deeply skinned. You stared in awe as blood ran down both of your shins, some had even dripped onto your shoes. Looking at the damage made the stinging worse tenfold.
"Oh wow, are you okay?" the guy in black asked, his eyes focusing on your bloody knees when he noticed them.
"Uhh, yea," you reply, shaking your attention back to the kid in front of you. "Are you hungry?" you asked, taking in his overall appearance and noticing that for how old he looked, he was rather skinny. His eyes grew wide at the question, and he simply nodded. You let out a sigh before reaching for your purse from the guy in black. You dug through it and pulled out a few cards before handing them to him.
"Here's some gift cards that I have for some random restaurants. You can have them for later. Want to join me for breakfast?" The kid remained shocked as he continued to stare at you, but you ignored it. You thanked the man in black for his help before putting an arm around the kid's shoulders to guide him back to the platform you had come running from.
"Wait, is that it?" the guy in black asked from behind you.
"What do you mean? Do you want a gift card too?" you ask rather confused.
"That's not what I mean. Are you just taking him to breakfast and that's it?"
"I'm not going to involve the police if that's what you're asking. No point. They're not necessarily helpful for every situation. What good would arresting a hungry kid do?" you state with an eye roll.
"He doesn't have to be arrested. The police have programs that can help him you know."
"Right..that's why I'm taking him to breakfast. Like I said, the police don't need to be involved. Anyways, thank you for the concern, and I truly appreciate all that you did. I need to get back now," you say with a slight nod of your head before you place your arm around the kid and guide him back towards the platform you came from. You got some basic first aid supplies from a ticket booth and tended to your knees as best you could before going back to where you were sitting. Your eyes found the arrivals board and saw that the train from Sendai had arrived almost fifteen minutes ago. Geez, how long had you been asleep? You quickly pulled out your phone to see a text from an unsaved number asking where he should meet you. You quickly typed out a response and sat down, making small talk with the kid next to you. After a few minutes, the shadow of someone stopping in the corner of your vision grabbed your attention.
"Did you need something?" you ask after you realize it's the guy in all black from earlier.
"Ummm...I'm Kuroo's friend. Are you by chance the person I'm supposed to meet up with?"
"Oh? You're Daichi Sawamura?"
--
Your mind was brought back to the present as the microwave began to beep, signaling that the stew you had put in to warm up had finished. After realizing Daichi had been the friend Kuroo had wanted you to pick up, it hadn't taken long for you two to be on your way, along with the kid whose name was Haru. Daichi had been quick to ask why you had an issue with police officers. You had gone on to explain to him that it was quite the opposite. You respected policers officers but knew that they couldn't be responsible for everything, which is why you used your profession as a lawyer to help create more programs providing general aid through the community division in the office you worked at. You were thinking you could get Haru into one of these programs, which is why you'd asked him to join you for breakfast. At some point during the conversation, Daichi told you he was a transfer from the Miyagi Police Department, causing Haru to become uncomfortably stiff until Daichi had told him to relax.
You checked the stew and realized it was still a bit cool, therefore you added an extra few minutes to reheat it. You turned your back on the microwave as your eyes went back to the picture. It was taken at Onigiri Miya at dinner time. Kuroo had finally caught up after work and was standing on the very left side in the image. Next to him stood Daichi, followed by you. To your right and on the opposite end from Kuroo, stood Haru. He had spent the entire day with you and Daichi, and had reasonably enjoyed himself as the huge smile on his face so easily indicated. It had been a good day, one that you would never forget.
A beep signaling that your food was ready filled the air, tearing your attention back to reality once more. You turned around but stopped in your tracks as your eyes went wide. In front of the microwave stood a person towering over you in all black, donning a white mask that covered his entire face except for two slits that showed his furious, black eyes. Before you could grasp what was happening, his hand roughly slammed over the bottom portion of your face. The movement had been so forceful, you were pretty sure he had busted your lip open, the metallic iron taste filling your mouth. You held your breath when you realized he was holding a damp cloth over your nose. Though it felt in vain, you squirmed against the tall figure, trying to hit anything you could in an attempt to make noise, but the stranger's strong hands kept you under control. Still holding your breath, you attempted to let your body go limp in hopes of your attacker thinking you knocked out and loosening his grip on you, but he didn't fall for it. Instead, he kept what you figured was a drugged cloth over your mouth and nose even after you had stopped fighting against him. Eventually, your body betrayed you, and you gasped for air. You felt a sharp pain in your stomach as you realized the masked man had shoved his knee up, causing you to crumple over. Tears spilled from your eyes as reality hit in. A dangerous stranger was in your kitchen, and you were fighting a losing battle. Everything began to go hazy, and your body began to go limp through no will of your own. Your last thoughts drifted back to Daichi sleeping upstairs as you fell forward and became engulfed in darkness.