Chapter Text
- So, who’s the artist in the house ? – Tooru was not even trying to be snarky, the house in front of him was simply gorgeous. Pale blue with grey and navy touches, it looked unreal from the tip of the roof all the way down to the garden. He would feel jealous, except for the fact that even if they had something like that, neither he nor Hajime could keep anything more complicated than an orchid alive for more than a week. It was a sad fact they had accepted long time ago. Shifting the box with cupcakes in his arm, he pushed the doorbell and glanced at his husband. The days off had definitely paid off and in some amazing twist of fate the huge case they’d been handed over had ended up in the two departments in the back of the station. Hajime had mentioned a few times how much he pitied the poor souls in the offices who had to spend hours upon hours under piles of paper. Apparently, he considered it a terrible fate.
Tooru had another problem. Not a big one, but it bothered him a little. He’d never met Semi’s partner and wasn’t sure how the man would act. And while he was confident enough in himself there was always the nagging worry when meeting strangers who were important. He’d met Semi a few times when stopping by the station and he’d liked what he’d seen and Hajime spoke of him only with respect. And, of recently, with humour though Tooru wasn’t exactly sure why.
His thoughts were cut short when the door opened and a tall man smiled slightly at them. Tooru hoped the shock wasn’t too obvious on his face as he recognized, pretty easily, the cashier at the fancy café he’d started to love. A little more casual in a soft sweater and dark jeans, but it was definitely the same person. Huh. The world was small, indeed.
- What a small world, isn’t it ? – How, the…? – Come in, Eita is just finishing the table.
Toeing his shoes off, Tooru handed over his coat and waited until their host went somewhere to hand them.
- Hajime ! – His low hiss didn’t appear to surprise his husband. – He…
- He is the guy from the café ? Yeah.
- No, that’s not it. He knew what I was thinking ! – And the scariest thing was Hajime didn’t appear surprised. Rubbing his face, he just sighed.
- He does that. Try not to let it get to you. I’m not sure if it’s on purpose or something but the last thing I want is to offend.
- Not possible. – This time Hajime jumped. They both did. And the only reason Tooru didn’t shriek was because Éclair had trained him well not to react too hard to surprises. Hajime’s blond colleague was smiling lightly, leaning against the door. Seriously, what was with these two sneaking around like thieves ? – Taichi thinks it’s funny, no matter how many times everyone tells him the opposite.
- So he really can read minds ? – In response he got an actual snort.
- Close enough. He just understands people well. The fact that he stares at them with this weird blank face while doing it definitely does help, too.
- Must be interesting living with him, then ? – Tooru had regained some of his confidence and their host seemed in a good mood so teasing him a little appeared to be safe enough. And Hajime had been adamant that Semi was a relatively positive person. That proved to be true when the other man laughed, dipping his head a little. He really did have purple in his platinum blond hair. Huh. Not that Tooru wasn’t fussy with his hair, but for a man of such a serious profession to look that way ? His interest was piqued.
- I made peace with it long before we started living together. Running after someone who seemed to predict every move was a bit complicated. And, - Without even turning around, he reached back and up, carding his fingers through his partner’s darker hair since Kawanishi had chosen that exact moment to return. – it was definitely a long and difficult lesson in using one’s imagination. Trust me, it wasn’t easy.
- I thought you didn’t want to talk about that. Ever.
- I don’t. That’s as far as I’d go. Otherwise, I’d start getting nightmarish flashbacks. – Semi shuddered.
It was cute how much they reminded him of…him and Hajime, actually. True, they’d been together since children but the couple in front of them was flirting like they were still courting and dancing around each other.
- Well, if you’re done sharing your tragic backstory, we have guests to feed.
The food was delightful. Obviously, Taichi’s skills weren’t limited to desserts, though they were as good as always. But the company was been just as pleasant. Tooru learnt Taichi had started with the cooking much later than most people but still managed to get that good, and Eita was the opposite, deciding to become an auditor at the tender age of fourteen. That days off for both of them were a rare treat as the café was currently understaffed and the huge case they’d gotten had ruined everyone’s plans ( a collective snort had been the reaction to that ). Tooru, on the other hand, talked about the teams and how excited the children could be as opposed to their parents, and how coaching often felt more rewarding than being on the national team.
Eita smiled at that, poking at his partner who just rolled his eyes in response.
- We watched that live, you know. It was amazing.
- You like volleyball ? – Taichi smiled.
- Eita used to be a setter. A really good one, I’m sad I never got to play with him when he was in his prime.
- You played, too ? – So Tooru had been more than right. Not only everyone at the station, but also everyone around them, had been involved with volleyball.
- I was a middle blocker. We still play occasionally, but nothing too serious.
- So, I was thinking… - He glanced at Hajime who knew exactly what he was going to ask. – Would the two of you be willing to come for a few friendly games at the sport centre ? I think it will be good for the kids to watch. And, maybe, try.
They didn’t even look at each other. Taichi nibbled on a piece of carrot while Eita leaned back.
- If we manage to find a time when we are all free, we’d love to do it. – That was some next level telepathy. Obviously, the mind-reading rubbed off, just like gestures and expressions. – And I think…
- We can get Kenjiro as a setter, too. – The table lapsed in silence. Who was Kenjiro and why was Eita blinking is such a way ?
- He used to play ?
Taichi just hummed. After a few more seconds of wordless communicating, where Tooru was sure volumes upon volumes were said and discussed, Eita just smiled. Widely. The man definitely could show a lot of teeth when he put his mind to it. It was kind of impressive. His partner was a little more subtle, leaning back with a serene expression that still managed to look predatory. There was a whole story behind this and Tooru really wanted to dig around and poke at it, curiousity raising its head.
- Well, I think it’s time for us to head back home. – Hajime’s voice almost made him jump in his seat.
It was late, Tooru realised. Really late. True, he had the Tuesday off, but still. Time had passed way too quickly. The company had been pleasant and he hadn’t even noticed the clock.
- Thank you for inviting us. – Eita rose from his chair and led them to the hallway while Taichi disappeared, probably to get their coats.
- Thank you for coming. We haven’t been really social recently, what’s with all the work that piled up.
Tooru laughed.
- I think it’s just what being an adult means. – Eita gave an overdramatic shake of his head and snorted again.
- I hope not. In a few days, maybe a week, it will all calm down, but until then – He scratched his nape. – Until then, it will be tough.
Taichi arrived with their coats and more pleasantries, and they waved while getting in the car. Tooru threw one last glance at the house, seeing Eita smiling lightly while his partner was leaning on his back. They appeared to be talking softly and it was such a cute picture Tooru almost pulled out his phone to save it for the generations. Aw, to be young again.
- Semi is as old as us and his partner is only a year younger.
- Is the mind reading rubbing off on you, too ?
Hajime just smiled while glancing at the rearview mirror.
- Nah, I’ve just known you forever. Can’t hide much from me. I admit it was nice, though.
- It was. – One thing had been bugging him and he just had to ask. – Okay, who, the hell, is…
- Kenjiro ? – Again with the telepathy. But Tooru just nodded. Curiousity was stronger than anything. – It’s Kuroo, you know Kuroo, right ? It’s his new assistant. Not his
consultant, but this new kid who started recently. Straight out of school.
- So why is it such a big deal ? – Hajime chewed his lip, clearly debating what to say.
- I think they are courting him. It’s fun to watch but Semi’s concerned about rumours and what they can do to Shirabu’s reputation. – Wait, Shirabu ? That rung a bell.
- Isn’t that that newbie who managed to piss off Kuroo on his first day ? I met him, remember ? And here I thought teens were the most interesting age group. Apparently, nothing beats office drama.
At home, Éclair gave them a rather condescending look from where she was perched on one of the pillows they’d put for her on high places, this time from the fridge.
- I know it’s late, little fluffball, but we’re here. – Tooru reached up and she stood, backing away from his hand. – Here, kitty, kitty, let me hug you, let me adore you…
And she was so not in the mood, she jumped from the fridge and patted to the bedroom. The betrayal. The audacity. How dared she…Obviously, his feeling showed on his face since Hajime, who’d just left the bathroom, gave him a funny look. And then tried to pull up his pajama pants while still wearing his towel. It was too late for higher brain functions. The tiredness just hit him without a warning and he swayed on his feel towards the warm bathroom, not even stopping to do much more than to spare a look at Hajime’s glorious thighs. Why was he so tired ? Not really important.
What felt like hours later, he put some advanced logistics, mixed with theoretical physics and advanced calculus to slide in bed between Hajime and Éclair, who had stolen his side, without waking them up. Finding the best position, with his chest towards his husband, he moved a little more to settle down. Said husband didn’t even wake up, though he reacted to the pokes and jabs by sliding a warm hand down Tooru’s shoulder, by his fingers and all the way to the small of his back. And then pulled, hard, slotting them perfectly to each other like a puzzle.
A warm and sleepy man on his front. Life didn’t get much better than that.