Friday morning brought two things - a cold rain, and a physical therapy appointment for Nakano. As she looked out into her backyard, she was very grateful she didn't have to go for a run this morning, even though it did mean subjecting herself to the whims of her therapists. The day looked gray and miserable. She sighed, wondering what she could do to regain her enthusiasm for the weekend. At the moment, all she felt like doing was crawling back into bed and begging someone to bring her some hot tea. Actually, what she really wanted was for that someone to be Kei, and for him to crawl into the bed with her. She smiled to herself, thinking that would be just perfect on a rainy day like this one. The smile fled her, and she sighed again, knowing that simply wasn't going to happen. Physical therapy, then school, then practice. That was what was going to happen. A third sigh threatened to escape from her - she swallowed it, squaring her shoulders and turning to head to her closet to get ready.
And that was when she noticed the long-stemmed pink rose in a water pick on her desk. The sixteenth rose. Her mood lifted instantly as she inhaled the gentle fragrance, eyes scanning over the attached note. She had stopped wondering at the appearance of the flowers in places they shouldn't be (after all, this one had not been on her desk when she'd gone to bed, and she hadn't left her room since then), clearly her megane boyfriend had recruited a large number of minions (including her parents), or he was actually a wizard. She chuckled to herself as the words on the paper attached to the flower registered on her.
'How quickly can you pack a bag, Roses? We're leaving after practice and we'll be gone for two nights, returning for practice on Sunday. Don't worry, your parents already know. Comfortable casual clothes will be fine most of the time, but be sure to pack your brand new blue dress for Saturday night, and anything else you think you might want with it. I'll see you at school, Roses. Happy birthday.'
Suddenly, the dreary day was filled with promise. Nakano smiled as she began to hurry to get ready, knowing that she now had a few extra tasks to complete this morning before she left for PT and then school. A full weekend away, she mused, gathering what she would need in her favorite overnight bag, I wonder where he's taking me. Someplace pretty fancy it seems, at least on Saturday, she thought, gently folding the pretty blue dress okaa-san had given her and placing it in her bag. And wherever we're going, I'll bet we're going to have the opportunity to sleep in the same bed, and probably be alone together for an extended period of time. She thought about what might well happen during the evenings they spent alone together, and considered the idea of packing some extra clothes, just in case. The very thought made a warm tingling roll through her, and an equally warm blush rise to her cheeks. She giggled, thinking that somehow it was more embarrassing to have to bring extra clothes along than to simply pack condoms, even though using condoms implied a far greater intimacy than she and Kei were ready for. Embarrassing or not, the girl decided to bring along the spare clothes that she felt she might want, just in case their evenings turned more passionate. I actually kind of hope they do, she admitted to herself, I kind of feel like I want to take things further with Kei. We've played around with a variety of different kinks, but we've basically continued to keep our own physical boundaries the same. I wonder if he feels the same way I do, that maybe we might be ready to push those boundaries a little further. After all, we are both sixteen now.
She found herself unable to contain her laughter. As if sixteen were some kind of magical age where you gain a plus one to intimacy. But the idea still lingered with the girl as she showered and prepared herself for her therapy appointment. I don't know what we're doing this weekend or where we will be, she thought, but sometime in the not too distant future, I really do think I want to bring up the idea of pushing things a little further. I want our intimacy, both physical and emotional, to keep growing. I love him so much, and I want to show him that. I want him to know he has my complete trust, as well as my love and respect. She let her mind wander, thinking about where they might be going this weekend, and why he might want her to be dressed up on Saturday.
Packed and ready for therapy, school, practice and a weekend getaway, Nakano slung her bags over her shoulder and headed out into the kitchen, carrying what she presumed would be her final rose to the vase still standing on the counter. Many of the flowers were now wide open, and soon they would begin to wilt, but for the moment, the scent of the sixteen pink roses filled the kitchen, and the sight of them was quite stunning. She added the last flower to the group and took a picture of the bouquet with her phone, just as her dad came into the kitchen, carrying a mug of tea with him.
"Sixteen beautiful roses for my sweet sixteen year old girl," her dad said, smiling, "from her handsome young man. Got any idea where he's taking you this weekend?"
"Not a clue," she replied, tucking her phone away and opening up the fridge, pulling out the food she'd prepared yesterday, knowing she'd need both breakfast and lunch. She grabbed a strawberry yogurt too, wanting something in her stomach before facing the therapy session. "I can't wait to see what he has in store for me. Thanks, Dad, for letting me go on this trip with him."
"You're gonna have a great time Little Warrior," her dad said, kissing her cheek. "You okay if I come along today? Been a long time since I saw what you're up to in PT."
"Of course, Dad, you're welcome to stay if you want, but you don't have to," Nakano said, trying not to letting her nervousness at having someone see her therapy session show on her face. I've gotten too used to no one ever seeing what I go through there, she thought, and I know Kei really wants to come see a session. I guess Mom being so afraid of them kinda got me thinking no one should ever be subjected to seeing what I have to do to make my legs whole again. For the second time that morning, Nakano squared her shoulders, looking at her dad with a broad smile that held only a hint of nerves. "But I'd really like you to stay, Dad. If you're willing."
Atta girl, Tanjiro thought, be brave, my Little Warrior. Don't be ashamed to let someone see your struggles, your efforts to become stronger. Especially not those of us who love you so much. He reached out to his younger daughter, ruffling her hair. "I'd love to, Naka-chan. Ready to go?"
Father and daughter headed out into the gray day, bringing their own sunshine along with them.
🏐🏐🏐
Hours later, Nakano walked into the girl's club room, shaking off the rain. The day had continued to be dark and gloomy, but the girl herself seemed to offset that. She felt almost giddy with excitement. Her dad had stayed for her entire physical therapy session, cheering her on and marveling at how far she'd come. It had boosted her confidence in a way that nothing else could, to have someone she loved so much encouraging her so intensively. PT sessions were always rough, she knew they needed to be, to make sure she was improving the way she wanted to. April would be rolling around again soon, and if she wanted to be playing for Karasuno's girls' volleyball team by then, she needed to be done with the braces. She'd pushed extra hard with her dad there watching, and though she was feeling the effects of that now, she couldn't help but be proud of herself. And of course, there was also the anticipation of whatever it was Kei had in store for them this weekend. The tall blonde had noticed her mood immediately, questioning her about it at lunch and smiling his small smile as she told him and Yams how things had gone that morning.
"Naka-chan, it's spiking drills today," Yamaguchi had said, concern coloring his tone, "are you sure you'll be okay if you worked your legs so hard this morning? That's a lot of jumping around."
Nakano had smiled brightly at her 'BFF' as she teasingly called him - best freckled friend - and chuckled a little. "But that's the whole point, Tadashi. I've got to build my stamina, so that someday, I can do all of this without the braces on at all. I don't wear them at therapy, but I will this afternoon for practice. And if I get too exhausted, Tsukki will just have to carry me ...from here, to wherever we might be going," she'd said, shoulder checking the handsome boy next to her as he gave her a soft mock-glare.
"We'll just see about that, Roses," he'd replied, not missing the fact that she'd subtly tried to get him to tip his hand about where they were going that night. He'd not said anything at the time, but Nakano could see by the look on his face that he'd really wanted to ask her if she might be willing to let him come to a therapy session sometime soon. Maybe I should invite him, she considered as she started to change out of her school uniform. Part of me wants to, but I wonder if he really will want to see me at my worst. Not every session goes as well as today's did.
Nakano shook herself from her thoughts as the door opened and Yachi came into the room. "Hi, Ya-chan! Excited for the weekend?" the girl asked her tiny blonde friend.
"Yeah," came the unenthusiastic reply from the first-year manager, "I guess so."
"Well that certainly doesn't sound like you are! Is everything okay, Yachi?"
Yachi tried to smile at the student coach, but it came off sad, and she knew it. She'd been distracted all day, thinking about something. She'd considered talking about it to Kiyoko, but the older girl wasn't in the room, and Nakano was. Maybe I could ask her about it, Yachi thought, after all, she and Tsukishima are in a relationship right now, so she'd probably know better than anyone. But she's also best friends with Yamaguchi. What if she tells him how I'm feeling right now? Yachi looked into the bright blue eyes of her friend, who was giving her a most sympathetic look. I think if I asked Nakano not to tell him, she'd do that. The little blonde recalled her festival day prayer to be brave like her friend Nakano. Being brave also means trusting people, she told herself, so I'm gonna do this! "Nakano? Can I talk to you about...uh..." Nerves immediately got the better of Yachi as soon as she came to the name of the boy on her mind.
"Yachi, do you need to talk about Yamaguchi? Did something happen between you two that's got you upset?"
"I...uh...no...well, yes...uh...sorta..." Yachi stammered out, frustrated with herself. She stopped, taking a deep breath and looking directly at the strawberry blonde in front of her. "Naka-chan, if I tell you what's on my mind, will you promise not to tell Yamaguchi, please?"
"Ya-chan, as long as it's not something he really should know, I'm happy to agree to that."
"What do you mean?"
Nakano's face colored slightly. "Well, I don't make it a habit of prying into things like this...but...if this is about something involving your, uh, intimate activities with Tadashi, and..."
A strangled noise erupted from Yachi's throat. "No! No no, nothing like that, there haven't been any i-i-intimate activities, I mean, we've held hands and you saw us...k-k-kiss..." Yachi's face was beet red and she looked like she might just faint dead away.
"Sorry, Yachi, but I didn't want to assume! So tell me, what's on your mind?"
Yachi took several deep breaths, trying to regain her equilibrium before proceeding. "Naka-chan, when did you and Tsukki decide to officially become boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"The same day he confessed to me after practice, when he accepted my feelings and shared his with me."
"Wow, that fast?" Yachi looked amazed.
Nakano now looked just as surprised as Yachi. "Well, yeah, I mean...I guess I never really thought about it as being fast. Tsukki and I had been hanging out together for a while, and once we both agreed we wanted more, well, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I agreed. Are you concerned because Yams hasn't asked you to be his girlfriend officially yet?"
"No," the blonde said looking down at her shoes, "I'm afraid he is gonna ask me." Yachi turned away and started changing out of her uniform.
Nakano's heart sank. "Yachi, are you no longer interested in Yamaguchi?"
"No! I mean, yes, I still like him." Nakano breathed a soft sigh of relief, trying not to interrupt her train of thought. "But...well...I don't know if I really feel ready to be his girlfriend yet, even though I've kissed him. We've hung out together a couple of times now, without you and Tsukki, and it's been nice. But...oh, Naka-chan, I'm so confused!" The blonde tossed her sweater down in frustration, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
Nakano moved to the shorter girl, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, it's okay, Ya-chan. Let's see if we can help you get a little more clear about how you're feeling. What do you feel when you're with Yamaguchi?"
"I like him a lot," the girl said at once, "he's sweet and fun and funny and I really like spending time with him. But, sometimes, he'll look at me, and it's like I can see behind his eyes, and he wants...more." Yachi was blushing heavily again, and in a flash, Nakano believed she understood why.
"More how, Yachi? Again, I don't mean to pry, but..."
"After those kisses that night, all we've done is hold hands. B-but, sometimes, I look at him...and I'm pretty sure he's thinking about...doing more than just that."
"And that scares you?"
Yachi nodded mutely, eyes downcast once again.
"Have you talked to Yams about this at all?" Nakano asked gently.
"I can't!" the girl wailed, "Every time I think I should try, I feel terrible, because I'm the one who kissed him first, I'm the one who led him on..." Yachi's tears began to fall from her eyes, dripping down on to the hard floor.
And there it was. Nakano sighed softly. "Yachi, I think you are way overthinking this, and you're also not giving Yams enough credit. Do you think he's some kind of sex-crazed maniac who won't be able to control himself now that he's tasted of your lips?" Yachi couldn't help herself, once again Nakano got her laughing with an over-the-top statement about sex between her and Yamaguchi. "Yams isn't like that, Ya-chan. He'll listen to you and respect what you want, but you have to be willing to tell him what that is. And you need to listen to what he wants too. If you don't communicate with him properly, then you are messing with him, and that's really not fair to him." Nakano patted the girl's shoulder. "Believe me, Yachi, I know about this one. I was the one who kissed Tsukki first, out of the blue, in front of the whole team. I'm sure you've heard the story." Nakano's voice held a wry note, and Yachi nodded, blushing again. Tanaka and Noya had been all too happy to tell that tale. "Well, I rushed in, without thinking, and pushed him. Way too hard. And then I had to accept the consequences of that. I still count myself lucky that he was willing to take a chance with me even after I did something so foolish. I didn't talk to him - I just went off halfcocked and did something way too aggressive. What I'm trying to say is, things would have been a lot easier on me and Tsukki if I'd just talked with him about what I was feeling instead of acting without thinking. So, don't make my mistake, okay? Just talk to Yamaguchi."
"But I already did!" Yachi wailed, "I kissed him, twice, without thinking! Even though I'm not sure I was really ready for it. And then, when we talked, I felt so bad...so embarrassed...I just kinda agreed to whatever he was saying without really telling him how I felt."
"Then tell him about it now. Tell him all the things you're telling me. Talk with him, help him understand. But Yachi, before you do, make sure you know what you really want. Because if what you want isn't Yamaguchi, please be kind to him and let him go."
Yachi's eyes went wide and she stared at Nakano. Could that be it, she thought, do I feel like this because I don't really want to be with Yamaguchi? But, kissing him felt right, at the time, in a way kissing Kuroo didn't. Yachi's face flushed again, remembering the dramatic kiss she'd given the captain of Nekoma. Ugh, what's really going on with me? Am I just embarrassed because I did things when tipsy I'd never dream of doing sober? Or is it that I'm just not ready for anything remotely like a relationship right now? Yachi could feel the emotions playing across her face, laid open for Nakano to see. She's right about one thing for sure, Yachi admonished herself, Yamaguchi deserves to be treated with kindness. He's a sweet person, and I've got no right to lead him on if I don't even know where I'm going. I need to think about what it is I want, and try to be clear about that. A look of determination settled on Yachi's face. "You're right, Nakano, it isn't fair to Yamaguchi for me to be acting this way. I'll try to be more honest, both with him and with myself. Thanks for letting me spill all of this on you."
Nakano gave the girl a warm hug. "Anytime, Yachi. And if you need to talk things out further, I'm always here."
The two girls finished changing and made their way down to the gym to begin their practice. Nakano watched as her two friends greeted one another, the little blonde smiling at the freckled boy and waving hello. She took her boyfriend's offered hand and settled into warm-ups with him, hoping that her friends would be able to find their way through the relationship maze with as much success as she and Tsukki had.
🏐🏐🏐
Tsukishima sighed and let his eyes close, his head tipping back to rest against the wall of the gym. Spiking drills were always exhausting to him, and he didn't really understand why. It wasn't like he was jumping around any more than he did when doing a blocking drill, but for some reason, jumping around and spiking always made him feel more worn out. They'd just finished up the day's drills, and were taking fifteen minutes to recover a little before practice continued. Nakano was working with Kageyama, the two setters deep in consultation with one another. The Shrimp was hovering around near them, almost twitching at the fact that there were two setters on the court and neither one was giving him any tosses. The megane blonde had rolled his eyes at that, stunned that the little ginger could still be so damn energetic. Although honestly, it shouldn't surprise me anymore, after watching his performance in the playoffs, Tsukki thought. God knows we needed every ounce of that energy against Shiratorizawa. A small smile crept onto his face as he recalled the feeling of blocking Ushiwaka. Nationals are coming, he mused, and I want the chance to stop more guys like that. Stop them cold.
"What are you smiling at, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked as he sat down next to his best friend, offering him a water bottle.
Tsukki gratefully accepted the bottle, taking a long drink. "Nothing really, Tadashi. Just thinking to myself." He looked at his best friend, seeing a curious look in the lines of the boy's face. "You, however, definitely have something on your mind. What's up?"
Tadashi chuckled, then sighed. "I guess I have had something on my mind lately."
Tsukishima just stared him, waiting for him to continue. The brunette looked across the gym at Yachi, who was busily handing out water to their teammates. So this is about Yachi, Kei thought, not surprising. I can't tell if he's happy or worried about something. Come on, Tadashi, we don't have all day.
"When did you and Nakano become officially boyfriend and girlfriend, Tsukki?"
About thirty seconds after I almost felt up her boobs in the storage room, Kei thought, smothering a chuckle. "The same day that I confessed to her. Why? Are you thinking of asking Yachi to be your girlfriend finally?"
Tadashi remained quiet for a long moment. "Did you kiss each other a lot, right away? Or did you just hold hands and stuff at first?"
Tsukki sighed. "Tadashi, you and the entire team were there when she kissed me, and that was well before we became official." Yamaguchi just continued to look at him. "Fine," Tsukki muttered, leaning in towards his best friend. "Look, please don't talk about this, but my 'confession' that day turned into a total make out session. I didn't plan it that way, but there you go. So, there's your answer. Now, what's this all about."
Tadashi grinned. "Figures you two would go from zero to sixty right off the bat," he said, "but Yachi and I...well...we're not like that."
The blonde arched a delicate eyebrow, noting his friend's hands beginning to clench. "But you'd like to be, eh, Tadashi?" he asked, the softest suggestion of a leer in his voice.
Yamaguchi looked up, directly into his friend's face. "Tsukki, I really loved her kisses that night in Tokyo, and I'd really, really like her to kiss me again. I want Yachi to be my girlfriend, and yeah, I want to do more than just hold her hand."
Tsukki quietly marveled at the intensity of Yamaguchi's statement. The usual quaver in his voice was nowhere to be found, and his face was almost beaming, he seemed so enraptured by the idea of making the little blonde manager his girl. "Okay, great. So why are you telling me this and not Yachi?"
The excitement in Yamaguchi's face suddenly collapsed in worry and frustration. "Because every time I try to bring up the idea of maybe giving her a kiss, or maybe wanting to talk about the two of us, she gets crazy nervous and changes the subject, or suddenly has to be somewhere else, or blushes so hard I'm worried she'll pass out! It's bugging me, Tsukki, and...it's making me worry. What if...what if maybe now that she's kissed me, she doesn't want to be with me anymore?"
"Have you two really talked out what happened at that little gathering?"
Tadashi sighed again. "I thought we had, but now I'm not so sure."
"Look, Tadashi, I think you already know the answer to the question you haven't asked me. You're going to have to talk to Yachi about this, and you're going to have to make it clear what you want. The real question is, how far apart are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it sounds like the two of you are in different places when it comes your relationship. You're clearly ready to move forward, but it seems like something is holding Yachi back. So now, you need to figure out where you each are, how wide that gap is, and decide if you're willing to work on bridging it."
Yamaguchi suddenly looked a little frightened. "Do you think that maybe she really isn't interested anymore?"
Tsukki sighed. "That's a possibility, Tadashi. I hope that isn't the case, but I'm not going to pretend that it isn't a thing. Because it is. But you won't really know until you talk to each other. It might be that she's just feeling overwhelmed, and needs more time to get used to the idea. I'll be honest with you here, when you guys kissed that night, Nakano was amazed. She figured you guys were months away from kissing each other at that point."
"Maybe I should talk to Nakano about how Yachi is..."
"Yamaguchi, talk to Nakano if you want to know how Nakano is feeling. If you really want to know what Yachi is feeling, then talk to Yachi."
At that moment, Daichi called for the team to reassemble and get ready for some practice matches. Tsukki patted his best friend's shoulder as he stood, heading over to join the group. Yamaguchi lingered a moment, lost in thought. Tsukki's right, I need to talk to Yachi. But I think I need to understand my own feelings first. If I'm going to ask her to be clear about her feelings to me, then I need to be able to be equally clear. He sighed again, getting himself up and jogging over to join his teammates.
🏐🏐🏐
Kei gently shifted his legs to try make himself a little more comfortable. The seats on the Tokyo shinkansen weren't bad, but weren't exactly designed for someone rapidly approaching 6'3" tall - especially when he also had a rather tall young lady snuggled up to him, sound asleep. He'd encouraged Nakano to try to get a little rest on the train ride, and despite her protests that she would be fine, as soon as Kei had gotten her to cuddle up against him, she'd gone out like a light. He'd seen how exhausted she was after practice, and knew the girl would need the chance to recharge a little bit if she was going to survive what was likely awaiting them in Tokyo.
Actually, Kei was no longer exactly sure what would be waiting for them. When he'd texted Kuroo on Tuesday to see if it was alright if he and Nakano came for two nights instead of just one, his bro had responded enthusiastically, telling him that they were most welcome, and that he'd be hosting a party for Nekoma and Fukurodani to celebrate the two teams making it to the National tournament. The couple would be arriving late, and the party would be in full swing by then, so be ready to get a little crazy, Kuroo had advised.
Twenty plus volleyball idiots all in one house, plus probably some managers and significant others, Tsukki thought. Yeah, a little crazy seems like a vast understatement. Although, despite his proclivity for naughtiness, Kuroo is usually pretty good about keeping things under control, so maybe it won't be too bad.
A smile worked its way on to Tsukki's lips. He hated to admit it, but he was excited to get to see Kuroo and Bokuto again. If he was entirely honest with himself, he liked being a part of the Three Bro-sketeers. It felt good, having a couple of guys he knew he could depend on, no matter what was happening. And it was all thanks to the lovely girl currently sleeping soundly against his side. He gently kissed the top of Nakano's head, wanting to love on her but not wake her up. It was going to be a great weekend.
When his phone went off with a notification, Tsukki momentarily considered ignoring it. Getting his phone out without waking his girlfriend was going to be no easy task. However, it was quite likely Kuroo with some kind of update. He decided to take his time, moving slowly, retrieving the device while eliciting only a small sigh from the girl who nuzzled herself deeper into his chest. Well that was totally worth it, Tsukki thought, smiling down at the sleeping setter.
Bokuto
Hey Tsukki, text me when you get to Tokyo. Getting a little crazy here already - Kuroo is having a rough night. Gonna need both of you to help me and Akaashi out when you arrive. Travel safe!
Kei felt a small shiver run down his spine. Bokuto sounded almost responsible in that text, and a little concerned, and that made Tsukki concerned. He considered trying to ask what was going on, but knowing the Boku-bro, the chance that his next few texts would simply be garbled messes that would make Tsukki even more nervous was pretty high. Kei decided that whatever was happening would keep until they got there, and with Akaashi there to help it couldn't be all that bad. His only real concern was for Kuroo. He hoped whatever was making his bro's night 'rough' as Bokuto put it, wasn't anything too serious.
The blonde set the thought aside, sending a simple acknowledgement to his senpai and letting his mind wander back to what he'd overheard in the club room after the day's practice was over. He'd noticed Nakano was working with Kageyama again, and while he'd been kind of curious about what was going on, the couple had a sort of unspoken agreement to try hard not to spend all of their alone time talking about volleyball. It wasn't always easy, and sometimes they broke their own rule, but generally only when it was something that one of them really felt like they needed to discuss. Kei hadn't really gotten to that point yet, and so he hadn't specifically asked the girl what she was working on with her best friend.
But based on what he'd heard Kinoshita and Narita saying, it seemed like Nakano was trying to learn to do the new set that Kageyama had perfected for Hinata. He wondered why the girl suddenly wanted to learn a new setting technique. Was she thinking ahead to next year already, when she would likely be moving on to the girls' team? Kei didn't like thinking about that too much - it always brought up a painful mix of emotions. He was excited and anxious to see the girl play with a team of her own, to watch her dominate the court like he knew she could. However, that would mean they'd be spending a lot less time together, as she would be at her own practices instead of sharing in his. The two were together more often than not, as things stood right now. How would their relationship change when they had to start spending more time apart? Kei suppressed a shudder, and tried to put the question out of his mind. He didn't want to think about things like that right now. All he wanted to do was spend a wonderful weekend with his beautiful girlfriend and his best bros.
He shifted again, letting himself slip down a little in the seat, relaxing his body, and pushing away the thought that the only other reason for Nakano to be learning how to do the falling set was so that she could try doing the minus tempo quick attack with Hinata.
🏐🏐🏐
"So are we spending the whole weekend with the Bro-sketeers?" Nakano asked.
The couple was in a taxi, zipping through Tokyo on their way to Kuroo's house. Kei had refused to tell her anything at all about their destination, but as soon as he'd given the address to the cabbie, the girl had laughed out loud, and he knew she knew exactly where they were going.
"Yes, in fact, we are. I should warn you though, Roses, we're walking into a celebration already in progress," he told her as he texted Bokuto they were about 15 minutes away.
"Oh? What are we celebrating?"
"Nekoma and Fukurodani both clinched their spots in the Nationals, so Kuroo is hosting both teams at his place right now."
"Oh...wow...that's a lot of volleyball boys."
Kei looked up at the girl, shifting his focus entirely to her. Contrary to what he expected to see, Nakano looked a little worried. He'd been about to tease her about not getting too excited about having all those volleyball boys around, but the taunt died on his lips, replaced with "Are you worried about something, Roses?"
"Well, just, that many guys all crammed into one house, all wanting to let loose and celebrate...this could be more party than even Kuroo can control."
The blonde middle blocker arched a brow, but his reply was once again interrupted, this time by a response from Bokuto.
Bokuto
Good we need you both here things are outta control bro.
"Hmmm," Kei hummed, "I'm afraid you might be right, Roses. Check it out." The boy showed her his phone, the last two texts from Bokuto visible. "I wonder what's happening."
"I guess we'll find out soon enough," she said, "I just hope Kuroo's alright. What do you think Bokuto means by 'a rough night?'"
Her boyfriend merely shrugged as their taxi sped on through the city streets. Both teens lapsed into silence, as if knowing they needed to soak up as much calm as they possibly could before facing whatever was ahead of them at Kuroo's house.
As they walked up towards the Kuroo residence, the difference between this evening and their previous arrival was already apparent. Unlike the homey, welcoming feel Kuroo's place had exuded before, this time, even before the front door opened, both blondes felt the raucous party vibe coming from within. Laughter was audible, as was music. Kei sighed. "I didn't think it would be this bad," he commented.
"Courage, love. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. A crazy, over the top party might be kinda fun. And besides, it sounds like the bros need us, so let's be there for them, okay?"
Kei grinned. He'd happily do that for both Bokuto and Kuroo, and then tease the hell out of both of them for it tomorrow. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He moved to ring the doorbell, but Nakano simply grabbed hold of the doorknob and opened the front door, revealing the chaos within.
With the muffling provided by the door gone, the volume of the party was overwhelming. Music blared from the back of the house, and laughter and chattering voices could be heard from almost every quarter. The lights were dim, and the pair could see the place was crowded with people, but it was tough to immediately identify anyone. Even from the entryway, the smell of beer and sweat was obvious. The party had clearly been in full swing for quite some time. Both blondes wondered exactly how they were going to find Kuroo in all this mess, slowly making their way forward into the kitchen.
Suddenly, a large hand fell on Kei's shoulder, making the boy jump. Both he and Nakano sighed in relief when they turned to see Bokuto standing next to them.
"Wooooo, Tsukki-dude, man am I glad to see you!" The captain of Fukurodani had a beer in his hand, but seemed surprisingly sober, given the level of party happening all around him. "Look, I need to fill you guys in, can you..."
"PRETTY SETTER!" came a loud, slurred voice. Nakano looked up in the direction of it, and her eyes widened.
Kuroo came lurching toward her, the usually graceful man stumbling over his own feet. One of his hands fell heavily onto Nakano's shoulder and he leaned into her, supporting himself as well as lowering his face to be level with hers. The other hand was holding a bottle of beer. "'M so glad...so glad you're...here now. Need you. Need m' sister tonight, 'k? Been waitin' all nigh' and now you're here and 'm so so glad..." Kuroo continued letting words pour out of himself as if he was incapable of stopping them, which Nakano thought might actually be the case. His eyes were blown wide and thoroughly unfocused - he was blinking at her as if trying to force her face to come into focus.
Tsukishima stared at his friend in shock. "Kuroo," he said, "you're..."
"TOTALLY SHITFACED! I KNOW!" Kuroo bellowed, turning his attention to Tsukki and laughing raucously. He let go of Nakano and grabbed hold of Kei's shoulder, leaning on him just as firmly. "But there 's a good reason, Tsukki-bro, m' bro, m' dude. Bokubro'll tell ya. Bro, need t' borrow Naka-chan t'night. M'kay? Yua 's not here, can't reach her, so need Naka-chan 'stead, 'right? 'S okay, right?"
Tsukishima's face darkened. "Kuroo, what are you..."
Kuroo's face morphed into a shocked sort of look, the drunken boy's eyes somehow lighting up. "Nooooo, nononono, not like tha' Tsukki...please... 'm not that kinda guy!" Kuroo leaned his face in closer to Kei's, trying to whisper and utterly failing, "Plus, I don' think I could get it up even if I wanted to, in my state, ya know?" Kuroo's inebriated laugh was constantly at hyena levels. "I jus'... I need ta talk to my sis, and need her t' protect me from th' groupies, ya know? Please, Tsukki? Don' wanna take Naka-chan from ya. Promise, jus' need my sis, m'kay?"
Bokuto patted Tsukki's other shoulder, the one Kuroo was not currently using to prop himself up. "Tsukki-bro, let Naka-chan take care of him, okay? Now that she's here, he'll stop drinking, 'cause he'll want to talk to her. He's been asking for her all night, ever since he couldn't get through to Yua."
Nakano smiled over at the three boys, focusing in on her boyfriend. "Kei, it's alright. I got this. It looks to me like Boku-bro needs your help getting this party under control."
Akaashi came rushing in at that moment, dragging another boy behind him. "Sarukui-san, I'm sorry, but it's time for you to go home," the setter said firmly, heading for the front door.
"Akaashi, I'm fine, Kuroo's way more drunk than I am!" Sarukui protested, giggling and gesturing back at his host, who laughed at him.
"Yes, Sarukui-san, but for one thing, Kuroo lives here, and for another thing, he wasn't trying to swing from the chandelier in the dining room, despite being more drunk than you are. Come on, there's an Uber on the way to take you home." The two boys disappeared out the door.
"'Kaashi and I really need your help, man," Bokuto said.
Kei snorted. "Yeah, I can see that. Will you be alright, Naka-chan?"
Nakano gently removed Kuroo's hand from Kei's shoulder, moving him to lean on her instead. "I think I can handle Kuroo-san," the girl said with a smile.
"Tets'chan," Kuroo slurred, pulling the girl into a crushing hug, "'S Tets'chan t'night, Pretty Setter, m'kay? Call me Tets'chan all the time."
"Alright, Tetsu-chan," the girl said, "Now first, I think..."
"FIRST," Kuroo shouted, grabbing Nakano's hand and starting to drag her away, "you need a beer, 'cause you're too drunk and 'm too sober to talk it all out yet! C'mon Naka-chan, le's go!"
Nakano chuckled as Kuroo dragged her off in the direction of the man cave. Tsukishima watched them go, caught between a mix of worry and amusement. "Are you sure they're going to be alright?" he asked Bokuto.
"Yeah," Bokuto said, giving Tsukki a broad smile, "now that he's got a sister to talk to, he'll be fine. He's wasted, but he knows he is, and he knows what he needs right now. He'll hang out with Naka-chan until he sobers up some, and then he'll talk it all out with her."
"Talk what all out?"
"You know that girl he's been dating?" Tsukki nodded. "They broke up earlier today."
"Crap," Tsukishima said, "that sucks - on the day before his birthday, no less. But, what happened? I mean, it must have been a hell of a breakup, for him to have gotten this trashed over it. They'd only known each other for what, a month?"
"Dunno the details, he won't talk to me about it yet," Bokuto said, grabbing a beer from a nearby cooler and offering it to Tsukki. The blonde looked at it for a moment, then shrugged and decided at this point, he kind of needed one. He accepted it, noting that the brand was one of the better ones available in Japan, he expected no less, given that he was at Kuroo's. He sipped on it as Bokuto continued. "When I got here to help set up for the party, he told me he couldn't get hold of Yua, and asked me to keep in touch with you about when you'd be here. As soon as the boys started arriving, he asked me and Akaashi to keep the party going and take care of everybody, and then started drinking."
"Who's Yua?"
"His older sister. She's always helped him through his breakups...but now she's moved away. She's studying in Osaka, and he couldn't even get her on the phone. So he's kind of a mess at the moment."
Tsukishima nodded. I guess he and his older sister are pretty close, the blonde thought, and now he's going through his first breakup without her around to help him talk it out. Whatever else Kuroo is, he's a guy with feelings that run pretty deep. No wonder he wants Nakano with him tonight - she's his substitute sister. He felt the tension in his chest ease a little bit, knowing that even while that drunk, Kuroo wasn't about to put a move on someone he saw as his own sibling.
Akaashi came back in, sighing as he grabbed a beer and took a long pull from it. "How's it goin', 'Kaashi?" Bokuto asked.
Akaashi gave his captain a dour look. "Bokuto-san, how is it that I'm the one who's had to deal with all the people who've gotten a little too out of hand tonight? You could try being a little more firm, at least with our own team members."
Bokuto suddenly fiddled with his fingers, looking a little meek and shy. "Sorry, 'Kaashi, but I don't like being the bad guy, stopping people from having fun. You're so much better at that than I am!"
Akaashi and Tsukishima both rolled their eyes, then looked at each other and chuckled. Bokuto grinned at the pair. "Fukurodani is lucky to have you, Akaashi-san," Tsukki said.
Bokuto slapped him hard on the back, making the blonde grimace. "You're so right about that, Tsukki-dude!"
Suddenly from another room, a loud male voice was heard. "Oh, dude, look out! I think Komi's gonna totally hurl!" Akaashi's eyes widened and he took off in the direction of the sound, looking for his senpai.
"I really am lucky to have him as my vice," Bokuto said, smiling after his setter. Tsukishima looked at his owl-haired senpai, impressed at the level of responsibility coming from Bokuto. But I guess it's not that surprising after all, he thought, Kuroo really needs him right now, and I know Bokuto would do anything for his bro. "Alright, Tsukki-bro, I need you to keep an eye on the groupies for me, okay?" Bokuto said, leading the blonde towards the family room which appeared to be the source of the music.
"The what now?"
"Groupies. Anahori opened his big mouth and told a couple of them about this party tonight, and like, a whole herd of them showed up. He's a first year, though, so I forgive him. Anyway, with Kuroo-bro being as sloshed as he is, we need to make sure he doesn't wind up with one of them by accident, you know?"
"No, I don't know. What do you mean by groupies?"
"That's what Kuroo calls them. Girls that wanna try to get with a captain, if you know what I mean." Bokuto wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Except, me and Kuroo, well...that's not really what we're after. But right now, Kuroo's super drunk..."
"...and on the rebound. Yeah, I can see why you might be worried. But, if we want to put a stop to all this, why don't we just shut off the music and put all the beer away? I bet people would start clearing out right quick." Tsukishima looked around the family room, which was packed with both girls and guys vaguely sort of dancing with one another. A few couples were making out more than dancing, and in the corner were four girls surveying the room with almost predatory looks. Tsukki noticed Bokuto was barely peeking in, clearly trying not to be seen.
Bokuto snorted. "You're such a buzzkill, Tsukki, my man! Kuroo wanted this to be a good time for both teams. So, it's our job to keep the party going, but also keep things safe. Just like Kuroo-bro would if he weren't drunk off his ass at the moment."
"If I'm such a buzzkill, then maybe I'll just go upstairs and stay in the bedroom until this settles down to a level of 'party' I can actually enjoy. Gotta put these bags upstairs anyway." Tsukishima made to turn away, but Bokuto stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Come ooooonnnnn, Tsuuuukkiiiii," the captain of Fukurodani whined, "Be a good bro and help me out, okay? I know you can scare off any girl who isn't Naka-chan with just a look, so you're the best choice for making sure those groupies don't mess with our Kuroo-bro. And if anyone gets out of line, just call me and I'll come deal with them okay? And I'll take your bags upstairs for you. And I'll get you beers when you want them, but Kuroo-bro would tell you to fill each empty with water and drink a whole bottle of water between beers so you're not hungover tomorrow, so don't forget to do that. But please, help me out, man! Please?" Bokuto's eyes went wide and pleading, and Tsukishima had to stifle a chuckle.
"Fine. Just make sure you give Akaashi some help after you take my bags upstairs," the blonde said, handing his bags over to his senpai. "And don't call me a buzzkill."
"Aw, Tsukki, you're the best! Now, you can see those four girls in the corner, they're groupies. And that one, by the long coffee table with Teshiro, the Nekoma first year setter, she's a groupie too."
"Should I try to break her away from him?"
"Nah, that's up to Teshiro. If he's okay with it, I'm not gonna stop him. Heck, a couple of my guys went home with groupies earlier. But Kuroo - in his condition, he might think that's what he wants, but he'll hate himself tomorrow if he actually did anything with one of those girls. So we're gonna keep him safe, right bro?"
"Right," Tsukishima looked around the room, noting a few other girls, all of whom were pretty clearly already attached to someone for the evening. "Any of these other girls a problem?"
"Nope, all the rest are steadies with the guys they're with," Bokuto chuckled, "Looks like most of them will be heading out on their own soon, I'd guess." Tsukishima snorted. Suddenly one of the girls from the corner caught Bokuto's eye. "Crap! I've been spotted! I'm out. Good luck, Tsukki!" Bokuto swiftly disappeared, causing the young lady in the corner to pout and stamp her foot.
Tsukishima sighed, taking another pull from his half-empty beer and wandering his way into the room. Apart from a little heavy PDA, nothing too serious appeared to be happening in here. Well, that, and lousy music choices. His eyes scanned the area, looking for the source of the sound. He finally spotted it - a laptop tucked off in the corner - and made his way over to it. He noticed that the girl who'd spotted Bokuto had now decided to watch him, her lavender eyes following his movements carefully as the four girls in the corner talked to one another. He decided to ignore the girl unless she did something more overt. Tsukki trained his attention on the music queueing program, going in and changing up the playlist to remove some of the airheaded pop and replace it with some things worth listening to.
After about ten minutes, he'd finished both his beer and his doctoring of the playlist. Turning away from the laptop to go fill his beer bottle with water (suppressing the grin that threatened to rise to his lips as he recalled the Boku-bro doing his best to fill in for Kuroo), he found himself looking at the lavender-eyed girl who'd been watching him earlier. Her long pink hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she was playing with the end of it, in a way that Tsukki assumed was supposed to be alluring. He found it rather irritating.
"So, you gonna be the deejay for the night?" the girl asked him, suddenly popping the end of her hair in her mouth and sucking on it. Tsukishima suppressed a gag.
"Nope, just trying to make the list a little more varied. Excuse me," he said, his tone flat, as he tried to move past the girl. Unfortunately, she chose to follow.
"I don't think you play for Nekoma or Fukurodani," she said conversationally, "I've never seen you at any of their games. So who are you?"
He stopped, fixing her with an unamused stare. "A friend of Kuroo and Bokuto's," he said simply.
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Oh really? Are they coming back to hang out with you soon?"
"I doubt it," he replied, watching the girl's face fall into a pout again. "Excuse me," he said again, and this time she let him go, stalking her way back over to her friends.
Tsukki sighed as he went back to the kitchen to fill his bottle with water. With all of his close friends scattered doing other things, he was going to have to watch himself carefully. He basically had nothing else to do but drink and listen to music, and if he wasn't paying attention, he knew he could easily wind up as wasted as Kuroo. He headed back to the family room, taking up position in a far corner of the room, away from the groupies, and settled himself with his back to the wall to do some people watching. Now that the music choices were better, this might not be so bad. He wondered where Nakano and Kuroo had ended up. His vantage point allowed him to see all of the entrances and exits from the room, so if Kuroo did wind up in here, Tsukki would be sure to spot him.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Akaashi
Can you please help me in the living room? Yamamoto is a lecherous drunk, and Bokuto is dealing with Yukie.
Tsukishima chuckled at the fact that, even when dealing with the drunk and disorderly, Akaashi's texts were calm and composed. As he downed as much water as he could, picturing the scene in his head and stifling a laugh, he headed over to help Akaashi and see how accurate his imagination was. So much for being the quiet observer.
🏐🏐🏐
Nakano chuckled at the still rather inebriated man sitting slightly unsteadily on the barstool next to her. Kuroo was currently telling her all about Nekoma's final match of their qualifiers in great detail. The other Nekoma boys in the man cave - Kenma, Lev, Yaku, and Inuoka - would occasionally try to interject and help their drunk captain explain what happened, but Kuroo just waved them off and kept on chattering. Washio from Fukurodani was with them too, and just laughed from time to time as Kuroo ignored his team in favor of muddled word vomit.
Getting the boy downstairs had been quite the adventure. Kuroo had weaved his way through the largely empty space between the kitchen and the door to the man cave, and then turned to the girl, placing a finger dramatically over his lips and making a stupidly loud and exaggerated 'shhhh' sound. The gesture had been so classic 'I'm completely swacked but I'm still going to attempt to pretend I'm not' that Nakano had been unable to prevent herself from laughing at the boy. He grinned at her. "Not lettin' mos' people down here t'night, Naka-chan. But I live here, so I got a key." He produced a key from his pocket and flourished it before the girl's face. Kuroo then attempted to put the key in the lock, and was completely unable to do so, unbalancing himself and stumbling sideways in the attempt.
Nakano had gently taken the key from him, unlocking the door. "Let me, Tetsu-chan."
Kuroo had wrapped himself around the girl's shoulders. "I love you, Naka-chan. You're jus' like my real sis. Take such good care 'f me."
"I'm gonna do my best, Tetsu-chan. Now come on, we're going to go carefully down these stairs, alright? One step at a time. Here - let me help support you. Go ahead and lean on me." She had wrapped a firm arm around the boy's waist, and used her other one to support both of them on the hand rail. Kuroo had bent all of his admittedly limited ability to concentrate on slowly moving his feet from step to step, one at a time. At length, the pair had made it to the bottom, earning a round of applause from the boys lounging in the space.
"How're you s' good at tha'?" Kuroo had asked, trying again to focus on the girl's face.
"You're only a little shorter than Tsukki, Kur...I mean, Tetsu-chan," the girl corrected herself as he'd pouted at her. "So I'm used to this."
"Does my bro get drunk a lot? Tha's not good..."
"No, no. But..." The girl stretched up to whisper in the captain's ear. "Don't tell him I told you, but Tsukki is a closet snugglebunny. I've gotten a very cuddly Kei up and down a few flights of stairs like that."
Kuroo's face had morphed into something that looked almost chibi, his eyes going wide and his lips trembling. "Awwww...tha's...tha'ss... awww..." Nakano was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Suddenly, Kuroo shook his head, making himself stagger, and then had loudly declared it was time for him to regale her with the story of Nekoma's glorious win into the Nationals.
"First, Tetsu-chan, give me your beer," Nakano had said, holding out her hand for it. "I think you've had more than enough for tonight."
Kuroo had chuckled, handing her the bottle. "Taste it," he urged. The girl did so, discovering the bottle to be full of water. "'M drunk, Naka-chan, not stupid. I'll stick to water th' res' of the nigh' - I promise." He placed a hand over his heart to indicate his sincerity. "You need a beer, though!" He'd rooted around in the chiller, pulling one out for the girl.
Fortunately, Kenma and Lev had made use of the mini kitchen in the area to prepare snacks, which were arrayed on the bar. Nakano had pressed her sloshed friend to eat as much as she could get him to, while he had gotten her to finish two beers with a bottle of water in between. And now, about an hour into their evening, Nakano could tell she was already a little tipsy, as she found herself unable to quit giggling at Kuroo's volleyball tale. Gotta slow down, she thought to herself, still giggling, or I'll be as jacked up as Kuroo before long.
Kuroo giggled back at the girl, chucking her under the chin. "This is why I like drinking with you, Naka-chan," he said, his words less slurred than they were an hour ago, "Your giggles are just too cute."
"He's not wrong," came Inuoka's voice from across the room, making Nakano blush.
"Pretty Setter," Kuroo began, his eyes finding and holding hers. Hmmm, she mused, I wonder if he's ready to talk... Suddenly, Kuroo's serious face split into an adorably muddled grin. "I gotta pee!"
Nakano giggled again, unable to help herself as Kuroo slipped off his bar stool with only a moderate balance check. "I think you're on your own for that one, Tetsu-chan," the girl replied, giving her friend a lecherous look. He returned it, and the pair giggled at one another. She watched as he made his way over to the bathroom, his movements unsteady but more fluid than they'd been when she'd first seen him.
Once Kuroo was gone, Nakano moved to fill her beer bottle with water. "Hey Kenma," she called out to the setter, amidst little giggles, "Who's Yua?"
"That's Kuroo's older sister," the pudding head replied. "She's in Osaka now, going to college. He tried to call her tonight, to talk about his break up, but he couldn't get a hold of her."
"Break up? Oh no, he and that girl from the Play House? Aww, poor Tetsu-chan. When did this happen?" Nakano asked.
"Earlier today. That's why he got so drunk. He was waiting for you to get here, and while he was waiting, he wanted to make sure he didn't think about it."
Nakano resolved to avoid drinking any more beer for a while, as she was feeling a little too buzzed at the moment to deal with something as heavy as a break up. But honestly, Kuroo's still too drunk to talk about it anyway, she reasoned. He can take all the time he wants. Whenever he's ready, I'll be here. She looked over the boys lounging in the comfortable chairs, enjoying chatting and listening to the music echoing from above. Nakano giggled again as she noticed the influence her boyfriend had had over the playlist in the last hour. "So what brought all you guys down here? Not interested in partying the night away?"
"This is as much partying as I want to do," Kenma said softly.
"It was just getting a little too rowdy upstairs for my taste, so I asked Kuroo to let me down here to join Kenma," Yaku said, "and I dragged this beanpole down here before he could get into a chugging contest with Yamamoto." Yaku stabbed a finger at Lev, who rolled his eyes and blushed simultaneously. "I tried to grab that idiot too, but he got away from me." Nakano giggled again, trying to picture the libero dragging both his 'aces' down here by the ears.
Just as Kuroo returned to the bar, the character of the music from upstairs changed. The song was a club favorite, with a driving beat and heavy bass. And the volume had doubled - at least. Kuroo's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Nakano's hand. "C'mon Pretty Setter! I wanna dance!" Kuroo cried as he dragged the giggling girl unsteadily up the stairs.
"Neither one of them is exactly sober, you know," Lev said sagely, watching the two disappear up the stairs.
"Yeah," Inuoka replied, "Kinda makes me want to follow them up there just to see what happens."
The five boys looked at each other. "Nah," they each intoned, settling back to enjoy nursing their own beers and resuming their conversation.
Upstairs, Tsukki downed the remains of his second beer. After helping Akaashi deal with a massively drunk Yamamoto (who was now sleeping it off in a guest bedroom on the second floor), Kei had found himself working with Bokuto and Akaashi to keep things from going from rowdy fun to disaster area. After putting their third person in an Uber (when Akaashi had convinced Kai that messing around with his girlfriend at home was a much better idea than trying to undress her in Kuroo's breakfast nook), Tsukishima had finally asked a question that had been bugging him for a while.
"Why is there so much beer at this party? There's a cooler in literally every room on this floor other than the bathroom. I can't believe Kuroo would have planned things that way." Tsukki knew the captain of Nekoma had a naughty streak, but generally, he tried to keep things on a decently even keel. While he'd decided to go a little off the rails himself, he would not have planned this party to do so.
Bokuto had looked a little abashed. "Yeah...he didn't. But Sarukui is something of a party animal, and he convinced a couple of my guys to help him out with a beer run. They brought like an extra three coolers full. So...yeah."
Tsukki had turned to Akaashi. "So Kuroo never planned for things to get quite this over the top. Then I think we're justified in stopping it."
"My sentiments exactly," Akaashi had agreed.
"Awwww guys, come on, people are having fun!" Bokuto had pouted, looking like he'd somehow failed at his assigned job to keep the party going.
"Bokuto-san," Tsukki had sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, we don't have to stop the party. Let's just confine it to one area, and try to slow down the booze consumption. The family room is where the music is, so let's leave a full cooler in there, but clear the other rooms and get the beers out of them and put away. That will hopefully just take things down a notch or two, but people will still be able to have a good time."
"Not to mention Kuroo's family should not have to deal with their home being wrecked when they come back from their trip," Akaashi said. "I think Tsukishima-kun has a good plan here."
And so they'd spent the better part of the last hour going room by room, clearing people out, sending the more drunken ones home safely, and then filling the kitchen fridge with beer. Now, finally, the only cooler left was the one in the family room. The three boys were in the kitchen, each draining a bottle of beer, though Tsukki wasn't sure if Bokuto's and Akaashi's were beer or water. He did notice that he was feeling a little fuzzy headed himself, he'd not had anything to eat in a while, and all the running around plus the alcohol was beginning to get to him. But hopefully things would be calming down a bit.
And then suddenly, the music exploded.
Someone had obviously decided that with everyone now in one room, it was time for a proper dance party to ensue. A popular club song came thumping out at around double the volume Tsukishima had left the music queueing program set for. Akaashi looked up, his eyes going a little glassy as he headed towards the room with the driving bass. Bokuto and Tsukishima followed him, watching the setter get drawn in to the writhing mass of bodies dancing in the family room, like a moth to a flame. Akaashi was gone, and they wouldn't be getting him back until the dance music stopped. Good thing we finished clearing the house, Tsukki thought. He and Bokuto had slipped into the edge of the room, Bokuto trying to hide himself behind his lanky kohai.
The music was intense. Tsukishima looked at Bokuto and asked him a question, but there was no way his bro could hear him. Tsukki leaned in, speaking right into Bokuto's ear. "Should we stop this?"
Bokuto's eyes lit up as he spotted something across the room. "Nah," he yelled back, "Let the music play, Tsukki. I think our bro wants to dance."
Tsukishima followed Bokuto's gaze to find Kuroo and Nakano dancing their way into the room.