Chapter Text
Sugawara looked delighted at the sight of the Tsukishimas arrival.
"Sorry about today, there was a little accident along the way." A man with dirty blonde hair said as he glared at his squirming daughter. He was holding one child on each hand, a girl and a boy. The girl was pouting, and her eyes were overflowing with tears.
"But daaaaaad I don't want to go to school today..." The small girl whined as she tugged on her father's arm.
"Haruki, I thought we talked about this." Tsukishima Akiteru said in a strict tone. The girl 'Haruki' wined again, this time more louder. Her eyes swelled up with crocodile tears as shook her head, ponytail whipping along in frustration. The little boy on the other hand, was just snickering and throwing prickly words at Haruki. He has short hair that spikes at the end. A baby fringe hung over his right eye, he was supporting a slanted smile that looks like he's up to no good.
Tsukishima observed the Tsukishimas. He wasn't shocked or anything, Tsukishima was a common last name is Japan. There's even a place in Japan named Tsukishima. Not shockingly, the family of three all have blonde hair. Akiteru's hair colour is honey-brown, while Haruki's is more of a beige butterscotch. The boy was the one with the lightest hair, he has a head of warm champaign coloured locks. Long eyelashes, fair skin to polite manners, everything about this family is perfect!
"Then I'll be letting them off in your care, Sugawara-sensei. Gotta rush!" Akiteru bowed again and bid farewell to his children and kissed each one to them on the cheek as he ran towards his car.
"Gross" The boy wiped his cheek with his sleeve.
"You think everything Dad does is 'gross' Kibo." Haruki crossed her arms and rolled her hazel eyes.
"Let's go inside kids!" Sugawara gave Daichi a peck on the lips and gave Kuroo a sympathetic smile as he ushered the brother and sister inside the school.
Daichi smiled and held his hand out, "So, I'll see you around?" To which the surgeon just smiled and politely agreed. "Yeah. See you around!"
When Daichi walked away, Kuroo still stood rooted on the spot. He has his hand on his temple. Firstly, he still felt that Daichi wasn't talking to him. Secondly! Secondly, secondly...what was it again? He felt he was supposed to remember something important. That guy just now...Tsukishima Akiteru! That's his name, looks kinda like a gazelle that just bumped into a pride of hungry lions when they locked eyes Or maybe did he just imagine it? He shrugged and decided it wasn't really important.
"Maybe it was the hair..." He pondered as looked at his watch. 8:15?! Shit, he's going to be late.
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Kuroo arrived 8:40 at the hospital because of damn roadblocks. Not just one or two, but fifeteen! Yes he took count! He was so pissed off that he started to complain to his best friend in an imaginary scenario he made up in his head. It was like someone is setting him up for this ridiculous course, everywhere he turns, there will be a roadblock waiting for him! Kuroo shook his head as he speed walked to his way to his office.
His office keys chinked in his hands as he fiddled with them to find the right key to unlock his door. He slided open the door and to a sight he was kinda not expecting but expecting.
"Bokuto, how many times did I tell you not to sneak inside here?" Kuroo said to his best friend as he closed the door behind him.
"For the 46th time this year?"
"You keep count?!"
"So-orry, Kuwu--roo! B-but this is the onhly pleace-e I fee-eel safff...from yo-ou know!!" Bokuto's hiding under Kuroo's desk. "Him," The bedhead didn't even need to bend down and he can see Bokuto's feet peeking out.
"Yakkun says he means no harm. You should trust him ya know? Yakkun's a professional in this field." Said Kuroo as he kicked Bokuto out from under his desk and started to organize his paperwork. Bokuto, who's teeth was still clacking from chilliness, sat on the white couch placed in front the desk.
"It-s s-sho c-coold and the ha-air condition-ing just opened!" Bokuto stuttered out. "H-help bro. I c-can feel h-him! He's n-next to me! Actually, I-I don't know...s-somewhere c-close!" The Pro-Volleyball player blew hot air into his palms as his eyes scanned the room cautiously. "Pl-lease d-don' ki-ll m-meh whoev-erver yo-uu are..."
Meanwhile Tsukishima had his hands in his hips as he and the ghost exchange eye contact. Black hair. Slanted eyes. Pretty face. Yup, he's the one. He trusts himself to recognize that face anywhere, it's one of a kind! He's the one who's been looking at Sei sleep yesterday night.
"Hello." The ghost said akwardly. His eyes widened as soon as he same Tsukishima waltz into the room along with Kuroo. He sure wasn't expecting celestial company.
"Uh, hi." Tsukishima waved back stiffly. This ghost is wearing a dark blue sweater and black jeans along with a pair of fluffy bunny slippers. He looks young, probably no younger than 24 years old. This doesn't look like an outfit you'll put outside your own home. Tsukishima's eyes softened sadly as a thought struck him.
"Suicide?" The Angel asked.
The ghost bit his lip as he curled his palms into a knuckle, his gaze immediately went to the ground and hung his head silently. Tsukishima cringed internally, he shouldn't have asked. Being in Italy for a long time made him forget that it's a touchy subject for the ghosts in Japan.
As Tsukishima was about to apologize, someone banged on the door furiously. The door shook as the person outside screamed. "Kuroo Tetsurou! Unlock this door right now!!" The banging continued even faster than before. The voice of the shouter was hoarse and gruff, as if he haven't been drinking water for days.
"Uh, depends. Are you going to hit me with a board first?" Kuroo asked, his voice getting higher and higher with each word.
"Of course I am!" The person shouted back.
Kuroo groaned as he opened the door. It revealed to be a stumpy old man. Tsukishima was shocked to see that this old person, probably not older than the age of 60 was the cause of all that noise. He certainly looks like the kind of old man that gives candy to the neighborhood kids.The first thing he did was hit Kuroo in the arm with the clipboard he had. Fortunately for Kuroo, he was tall enough so he could steer clear of being hit in the head.
"Do have some business here or something..? Nekomata-sensei." Nekomata is the head doctor of the hospital he's working for. He's known him since his university days. Nekomata was also the one who recruited Kuroo to join the hospital.
Nekomata threw the clipboard into his face. He caught it on reflex. Thank God that all those years of volleyball didn't went to waste.
"Your suspension is almost done Tetsurou. Time for you to get back into OR." Nekomata said whilst glaring it's Kuroo. The bedhead surgeon just sunk in his glare. "Can I...get another year if suspension?" He asked meekly.
"Are you kidding? Our hospital don't need a surgeon who doesn't do his job properly! Funds are already as short as they are. I know you already got the majority of your memory back so don't you dare to escape this situation. You've been out of the game long enough." Nekomata snarled. Only then, he notices another person in the room with them, a rising volleyball star in fact. Recognizing the head of grey and white hair, his face got even redder. "Hey! Didn't I tell you not to break in again?! Out!"
"B-but ther-re's a...a---!" Bokuto explained himself.
"Out!!!"
🐾❤️🌙
Nekomata took fast angry steps towards his office. He doesn't know why the bedhead didn't want to operate? He used to love this field, getting in and out of the OR everytime a patient comes in. He thrives under stressful and tight situations, like a withering flower getting water for the first time. He's the best surgeon their hospital has gotten in years! Well...used to be. Nekomata sighed and rubbed his temple when he heard a soft knock on the door. "Come in.''
The door creaked to reveal a man with dyed blonde hair and dark purple bags under his eyes.
"Kenma!" Nekomata smiled at the sight of his beloved student. "How's Tetsurou's therapy going? I assume he can return soon."
"Um... about that." Kenma took out a board with bunch of crumpled paper clipped to it. "I'm actually here to talk about that." The therapist sat down in the couch opposite of Nekomata's desk. "You see, Nekomata-sensei. Kuroo haven't actually fully recovered yet."
Nekomata's eyes widened and his eyebrows ticked in frustration. But it then all melted into an understanding nod. "I can see that. Why? Are his symptoms still that bad?"
Kenma flipped the papers and held out a particular page. He pointed out for Nekomata to see. "His current symptoms include extreme hand shaking, mild depression, mild memory loss and claustrophobia in the operation room. Though his depression might get worse in the winter." Kenma explained.
"Seasonal depression?" Nekomata asked with his eyebrows furrowed.
"No, it's more like winter only."
"Why?"
"Don't you remember Nekomata-sensei?" Kenma's eyes softened.
"Winter is when everything changed."
❤️👼
Sugawara sighed as he wiped the swear off his forehead. Finally, finally, he separated the main two trouble makers of the class.
"Sensei!! Kibo is making his stinky face again." Sei pointed at the kid who's standing facing the wall quietly. Well, at least that's what it looks like. Sugawara gave the two one last look as he sat down and continued to grade the children's work.
Seeing that Suga has his back to them from his peripheral vision, Kibo immediately turned around and stuck his tougue out and continued to make gestures obnoxiously.
"Crybabyyyyyy!" Kibo mouthed.
"Senseiiii----" Sei tugged Sugawara's sleeve. "Look at him!"
"Kids!" Sugawara said in a commanding tone. The both halted Immediately. Kibo sunk back into his time-out corner while Sei whined and moped around the room, still not happy that his favorite toy got stolen by Kibo.
After he had done grading, Sugawara went to the corner of the room where Kibo, the small blond stood facing the wall and kneeled down next to him.
"Did you know what you did wrong, Kibo?" Sugawara asked as he turned their bodies so that now they're standing in front of each other.
"Because I stole Sei's toy by force." The boy said in a deadpan voice as he rolled his eyes.
Sugawara sighed. He swears to God that this is this boy isn't a copy and paste of his mo---
"And what should you do when you do something bad?" Asked Sugawara in the most patient tone he could muster.
"...apologize." Kibo squeaked out.
"What should you do before you want to take something from someone who's using that thing?"
The boy groaned. "ASK."
"Do you know what you should do now?" Sugawara asked in a stern tone.
Kibo remained silent as he stared at the ground. The blond laced his fingers out of habit, "... apologize to Sei..." He trailed off, voice getting smaller and smaller with each word.
The grey haired man brighten up at the boy's comment. "Great! Shall we?" He then bought Kibo and Sei to the play area where the fight first erupted.
Sei's eyes was still red from crying while Kibo just got his arms folded, casting Sei a belittling look. Kibo was annoyed that he has to apologize to this...this kid! That just enjoys acting weak and playing the victim. He knows it in his gut that he cries just so that he can get sympathy of others and make him look like the villian. He clicked his tougue, "What are you waiting for? Apologize!"
Tears pooled around the rim of Sei's eyes again, making them swollen and puffy. It doesn't look like you've just been punched in the face fifteen times by a brick. Sei's eyes must has gotten a kiss from the beautiful greek goddess, Aphrodite herself, red with the perfect amount of blush on his cheeks. Sugawara watched all this play out, he couldn't help but get hooked up of a painful memory. He knows someone that cries like Aphrodite--- how does he know you ask? It's because this person is the most beautiful crier he has ever seen in his life. The tears that drip down from his eyes are exquisite gemstones, ever so pretty yet it can't be seen too often. The last time this person came to him, he was crying too. Those tears could be mistaken for jewelry if he didn't see those tears drip down from his tear ducts. And he met the person who made his friend cry this morning too.
He pulled himself from his memories. "Kibo, ask nicely!" Sugawara scolded.
Sei sniffed and hiccuped as he raised a small hand up, "I--I wiwl goo furstt Sugwa-swensei." He rubbed his eyes, "It... gwas my fauklt, I sho-shouldn't have thrown-n the dinosaur at Kibo. I am shorry four hurting you." Sei bowed sincerely.
Kibo raised a questioning eyebrow on him, a bit taken aback from the direct apology but apologized nonetheless. "I am sorry for forcefully taking your toys when you're playing with it. I should have asked first." He said coolly, it didn't even sounded like an apology. But Suga knew better, he could tell that the faint blush on Kibo's cheeks meant that he actually meant the apology.
Just as the two boys are getting queasy from all the apologizing, the lunch lady came in and called all the children for lunch. Sugawara sighed in relief. Fantastic! A deserving break from looking after these monsters! He went to his office to get his coffee and got back to the lunch room to where all the kids are having lunch.
"Can you stop getting food all over my side of the table?!"
"Senseiiii----" A familiar whine rung.
Sugawara just shook his head and rubbed his temples, as long as these two are in the same room, they never do ever give him a break.
"Boys! What did I say about the consequences of fighting!"
🐈🖤🌙
"Uhm..." Tsukishima cleared his throat. "Can you stop following us?" Tsukishima asked as he sat on Kuroo's office couch. Kuroo was filing some paperwork out and Bokuto was gone, probably gone training.
"Oh." The ghost said as if it finally dawned on him that following a person everywhere is creepy.
"What's your name? We didn't introduce ourselves just now."
The ghost raised one of his pretty shaved eyebrows. "Uh. Huh."
Tsukishima clicked his tougue in annoyance. "Are you going to introduce yourself or not?" The ghost watched him ramble in silence. "You know what? I don't care. You're going to be taken away anyways."
The ghost's previously blank expression turned into a panicked one when he heard Tsukishima say 'taken away'.
"Akaashi Keiji."
"Tsukishima Kei."
They both sat in akward silence again. "Where will I be taken? Up there?" The beautiful ghost pointed upwards towards the ceiling.
Tsukishima gave him a bored expression. "I don't know? I'm not the one who judges whenever you go to hell or just reincarnate."
"Would people be reincarnated into an animal?"
Tsukishima shrugged. "I don't know."
"Oh."
The room went quiet again. Only the sounds of the scribbling of Kuroo's pen can be heard. Until the ghost started to ask questions again, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how exactly did you end up as an Angel?"
"I woke up, face plastered on a book, in a Library. And just started working. Everyone was doing the same thing too. So it felt compulsory to do what I do." Tsukishima was always bothered by this too. But he couldn't find anything because the higher ups would execute him if he did. It was supposed to be 'sacred'. "Enough of me, why are you creeping up on someone's kid last night huh?"
"He reminds me of a late friend." Akaashi smiled at him wistfully. However his expression pulls something inside Tsukishima, a feeling of nostalgia. Where did that even came from? It's making his stomach churn and his heartstrings burn. Akaashi continued to give him this beautiful smile. Why was he feeling happy when reminiscing a dead friend?
"So if your friend is dead, and you're dead. Then where is he?" At first Tsukishima was annoyed at the small talk, now he's hungry to know more. Akaashi smells of a mix fresh mint and new rain. Talking to him was a soothing and pleasant experience.
The black haired beauty shook his head. "He died before me. I never knew where he went."
"Sorry to hear that..." He apologized, he's sure stepping on lots of landmines today.
"It's okay. It's not his fault that the fates decided to take him away."
Well this is akward. Tsukishima wriggled his feet excessively. "So, are you the Mr.Ghost that Sei talks about all the time?"
Akaashi's eyes lit up again. "Does be mention me a lot? I know pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san is trying consistently to get rid of me through the help of a shaman."
"He sure talks about you a lot. Have you been around him for that long?"
"Since his birth, yes."
Ok. Tsukishima was definitely having a talk with Iwaizumi about this. It's creepy enough he stalks a kid because of his dead friend.
Someone knocked on Kuroo's door bristly in an urgent matter. "Kuroo-sensei. A Level III Trauma patient with a stab wound in the abdomen just came in. Please head to Trauma Bay immediately. Trauma Team 1 needs you at your place."
Kuroo's pen dropped to the ground as he looked at the nurse with a dumbfounded expression. "But...I'm not on call? Nekomata-sensei said I was on suspension." Kuroo said nervously. "Didn't you ask him first? Where is he?"
"Nekomata-sensei is currently performing surgery on a patient with a wrist fracture. And, we did ask him. He says you're ready to go."
Kuroo stilled in his seat. He's not ready, he's not ready at all. But then he remembers his childhood friend, Kenma's lazy speech in their session a few days ago.
"You've gotta take that first brave step to change, Kuro. No one except you can take that step out. You need to stand up first in order to walk right? Here, think about it this way. What if you get fired? Do it for you son."
---for my stardust.
"Okay."
🐈🖤🌙
Kuroo already got his blue scrubs, his blue surgical gown, his latex gloves and rubber theatre boots on in the operating room. The nurses are currently giving him a run down on the patient's condition.
"The patient has penetrating abdominal trauma. Two 10 centimeter stab wounds. One on his liver while the over on the right side of his intestine."
Kuroo nodded and he took in deep breaths, as per to what his childhood best friend slash therapist said to him. The room was dark, the only light source in the room was the surgical light that shone for the dying patient in from of him. The bed was slightly bloody due to the patient's deep wounds.
All of the sudden, he could hear the blood flow clearly in his ears, his heart thumping like crazy in his chest. His breathing became short and eratical as cold swear dripped down from his forehead.
"Something's wrong. Something's wrong. Something's wrong--" Kuroo kept repeating the words. His vision blurred as his range of sight diminished, he looked around frantically, trying to find nearby nurse. But instead, his eyes land on a stray surgical knife that fell on the floor.
"Im sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry----" The bedhead's hands shook like a 9.6 magnitude earthquake.
"Kei."
He felt time stop as a moment of peace washed over.
Who's Kei?
Kuroo then bursted out of the operating room with a bang. Hot tears streamed down his face, he heard the yelling of nurses behind him but he doesn't care. He slipped and fell as he pushed through the crowd of people. He doesn't care that people have him weird and worried looks. His shoes squeaked everytime he clawed his way back up to stand. Even though his legs were jelly, he ran. He has to get to that place.
Unknown to him, two invisible people followed him. One was crying while the other was stoic.
Kuroo ran until he was at his safe place. It was just a staircase at the north wing of the hospital. It was rarely used so he was sure that he's safe from prying eyes. He was still hyperventilating, which was a bad sign. The shortness of breath caused him to choke on the snot that flowed down his throat. Kuroo was sure he's gonna die, all alone in this dumb place. His head was dizzy due to the lack of oxygen he was getting.
Tsukishima kneeled and sat beside Kuroo, who was still brawling his tears out. "Pardon but why are you crying Akaashi-san?" Tsukishima asked. "He's having a panic attack, it's normal amongst humans. You just have to wait for it to pass." Tsukishima put his head on Kuroo's shaking shoulder, his hands rubbing soothing circles behind Kuroo's back.
"That's it..." With Tsukishima's continuous rubbing, Kuroo's chocking died down to small hiccups.
The mid-afternoon sunlight peeked through the trees behind them and shone onto the two through the large windows. Akaashi stood above the staircase looking down at Kuroo and Tsukishima. He just couldn't hold back his tears when he saw the sight.
Kuroo, bedhead still as horrible as ever, has his arms around his knees, head buried in them, sniffing and hiccuping. And Tsukishima, who's emitting a soft, white, heavenly glow, soothing and whispering things he couldn't hear into Kuroo's ears. Akaashi doesn't know if Tsukishima notices, but he has this loving smile plastered on his lips whenever he looks at Kuroo. They just remind him of how much they were, how happy all of them were, when they were all still alive. But now, they're bits of a broken wine glass.
Akaashi smiles longingly, "I'm glad you came back for them." His shoulders sagged as he notices Kuroo's shadow on the ground but not Tsukishima's. He looks behind him and laughs, he doesn't have one too. But, at least "I'm glad that I stuck around long enough to see you one last time..." He made a wrong choice before, he'd regretted everything until today.
Welcome back Tsukishima Kei!