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“Alright then, I’ll leave her in your care.” Kiyoko gently nudges her 3 year old daughter through the door of Hinata and Atsumu’s shared apartment, handing a small, baby blue backpack to Hinata.
“In there are some of her favorite snacks, her favorite picture book, and her blanket,” Kiyoko addresses the backpack with a nod. “She usually naps from 1 to 3; I’ll come get her by 6 tonight.”
“Gotcha,” Hinata notes, quickly taking the backpack and placing it on the nearest chair by the dining table. Atsumu, appearing from behind the bedroom door, walks over and absentmindedly checks the contents of the bag, eyes still droopy with sleep.
“Thanks again for your help, Hinata,” Kiyoko smiles warmly, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry for asking this on such a short notice...and on your day off as well. You must be tired from yesterday’s match.”
“No worries, Kiyoko-san,” Hinata grins sunnily, squatting down so he’s at eye level with Chikako.
“Chikako-chan, we’re gonna have tons of fun together today, okay?” Hinata gives her a friendly smile, staring earnestly into her eyes.
Chikako assesses Hinata for a few seconds before nodding shyly. Hinata offers his hand, which Chikako takes without hesitation.
Atsumu, standing groggily behind Hinata, stares at their interaction, feeling something akin to awe in his heart. Of course Hinata would be a pro at kids. And just this particular fact is making Atsumu’s insides squirm at 10 o’clock in the morning.
Shoyo-kun’s so good with kids. That’s so sexy of him.
Atsumu tears his eyes away from the precious sight (with much difficulty) and tries his best to muster his most energetic, reassuring smile at Kiyoko. “You can count on us, Kiyoko-san.”
“Thank you,” Kiyoko returns the smile politely, albeit a little icily. Atsumu feels a shiver run down his spine. It’s been almost a decade already but the famous Karasuno manager is still able to intimidate people almost a foot taller than her. People, namely, Atsumu.
Chikako tightly clutches Hinata’s pinky finger, her round face squished against his dark grey track pants. She stares up at Atsumu with a curious glint in her eyes, taking in the black shirt and sweats and the messy blonde bedhead on top of his head.
Putting up a finger, Chikako points at Atsumu’s hair and says in a gravely serious voice: “Bird nest.”
Atsumu blinks, sleep-deprived brain too surprised to conjure up a response. On the side Hinata bursts into fits of laughter, and Atsumu sees Kiyoko shushing her daughter in the corner of his eye (but he swears he saw an amused grin flash by on her face).
Kiyoko clears her throat. “Well, I best get going,” she bends down and kisses Chikako on the cheek. “Be a good girl.”
“Kiyoko-san! I’ll walk you to the entrance!” Hinata grabs the door and lets Kiyoko walk out first. “Atsumu-san, keep Chikako-chan entertained, please!”
“Wha—”
Hinata slams the door behind him cheerily and rushes over to Kiyoko’s side. As the two of them descend the stairs, Kiyoko fills him in on Tanaka and his ridiculous surprise date, in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of Tanaka’s first ever marriage proposal, all the way back in high school.
Hinata chuckles, remembering the story with fondness. Definitely sounds like something Tanaka-senpai would prepare a surprise for.
“See you later tonight, Kiyoko-san! Have fun!” Hinata waves at Kiyoko as she walks down the road and disappears around the corner.
It takes Hinata a few minutes to return to his apartment—and when he walks in, he finds himself in the midst of some serious bullying on his boyfriend’s part. Chikako, sitting on Atsumu’s shoulders, is playing with Atsumu’s ears, twinkling laughter echoing around their sunlit apartment. Atsumu, with a tormented look on his face, winces when Chikako straight up knees him in the corner of his left eye.
“Chikako-chan, please spare me—”
“Chumu-chan! Silly Chumu-chan!” Chikako laughs in delight, small hands moving from Atsumu’s ears to grabbing tufts of his blonde hair.
And Hinata’s heart practically melts at the sight.
The buttons on Chikako’s yellow knit cardigan glimmer each time she moves underneath the rays of sunlight that filter through the blinds, the sleeves of Atsumu’s crumpled MSBY t-shirt swaying a little as he places both hands on Chikako’s legs to secure her on his shoulder. He chuckles when Chikako struggles against his gentle but firm grip, tiny hands bonking him continuously on the head. Sinking down on the dark blue couch to steady himself so that he doesn’t topple over, Atsumu carefully keeps Chikako safe and balanced on top of him, laughter lines dotting the corners of his eyes.
He looks like one of those young, hot dads you’d see in YouTube commercials and Hinata feels like he’s been given a whole visual feast, or maybe it's more like an indecent punch straight to his lower stomach. Hinata stills as his thoughts go off track; he squeezes his eyes shut, breathing out. He is, of course, sensible enough to stop himself before his mind enters 18+ territory.
A questionable, caveman-esque grunt (probably Atsumu) snaps Hinata out of his self-reflection, and he snorts a little when his prediction is right. Hinata walks towards the couch, plopping down next to Atsumu attempting to hold down the ball of energy on his shoulders.
“Hinata nii-chan!” Chikako calls out excitedly, and Hinata can’t help but laugh at the way Atsumu winces at the squeals emitting from above him.
“Aww! Looks like you made a new friend, Chikako-chan!” Hinata reaches up and gently pinches Chikako’s fluffy cheeks, earning a giggle from the tiny human.
“I can’t believe ya left me for dead,” Atsumu mumbles gloomily, still tackling with the continuous bonks on his head.
“But she loves you, though!” Hinata smiles in an attempt to assuage Atsumu’s feelings of betrayal, feeling just a tad bit apologetic. “What happened, anyway? I was gone for like, five minutes...”
Atsumu wrinkles his nose when Chikako stuffs two fingers up his nostrils. He tries, to the best of his abilities, to explain as normally as he can with his nose all clogged up.
“One second she was standin’ there, glarin’ at me, and all of a sudden she jumped up and demanded ta sit on my head,” Atsumu reports nasally. “And because she heard ya callin’ me Tsumu, now she won’t shut up about it—”
“Me ‘n Chumu-chan are best friends!” Chikako declares, voice proud, using her fists to ruffle up Atsumu’s hair again for extra emphasis.
“Wow Chumu-chan, looks like you made yourself a new bestie!” Hinata half-jokingly coos with affection, placing a hand on Atsumu’s face and stroking it gently.
In an instant, the tortured expression on Atsumu’s face relaxes under the familiar touch. He sighs a little before turning his face ever so slightly, smiling softly as he plants a kiss on Hinata’s palm. “Oh well, I guess havin’ a new bestie here with us ain’t so bad.”
And in the midst of Chikako’s peals of laughter and the noises of Atsumu struggling, Hinata can’t agree more.
“Chikako-chan! Time for lunch!”
Chikako glances up from her spot in the living room, a look of pure excitement washing over her face at the word ‘lunch’. Over the past two hours she had been sprawled on the floor next to Atsumu, the two of them drawing portraits of Hinata with crayons, fiercely competing over whose Hinata nii-chan looks the most similar to the real deal.
Hinata chose Chikako, obviously. Atsumu feels betrayed.
Rushing over to the kitchen, towing a very sad Atsumu behind her, Chikako makes several attempts to jump onto a chair, failing miserably. It isn’t until Atsumu picks her up with a huff and sets her down that she quiets down, smiling brightly. Hinata catches her smile and beams back, a light blush settling on his cheeks.
Atsumu can’t handle this. Having two suns in one room? More like, death for Atsumu.
“Chikako-chan, have you ever tried egg salad sandwiches?” Hinata bends down and meets Chikako at eye level yet again, speaking directly to her in a gentle, encouraging voice.
To distract himself from the two suns, Atsumu wordlessly makes his way to the fridge and grabs the container filled with hard boiled eggs they’d made last night. He takes out the mayonnaise and the butter while Hinata continues to talk softly to Chikako in the background.
“Egg salad...?” Chikako tilts her head, repeating the words ‘egg salad’ curiously.
“Do you want to make them together?” Hinata asks, his voice warm. “And after that, we can eat the tamago boro your mom brought for dessert! How does that sound?”
Chikako’s eyes widen at the mention of her all-time favorite snack and she jumps up in her seat and cheers, face sparkling with glee. “Yeah!”
Hinata beams and ruffles Chikako’s hair fondly. Atsumu feels his heart lurch in his chest again, his eyes drinking in the sight of Hinata treating Chikako so sincerely with such care and love.
Atsumu gets jealous very, very easily; but feeling a teensy bit envious of a tiny 3-year-old human is definitely a first. Atsumu, too, would also very much like to be treated with lots of care and love…
Atsumu shakes his head forcefully. Now is definitely not the time for horny thoughts.
He places the needed ingredients on the table, giving Hinata a small smile. Before Atsumu could turn back for the plates, a warm hand touches his and he freezes in his tracks, feeling an arm snake around his waist. Hinata leans up until his chin is resting on Atsumu’s shoulder, blocking his own face from Chikako’s view.
“Thanks Atsumu-san,” a coy voice caresses his ear and Atsumu shivers, the ghost of a kiss Hinata plants on his neck shooting electricity through his body. “I really love it when you do things for me without having to be told…”
Atsumu could be wrong, but he’s pretty sure Shoyo-kun’s doing it on purpose. And he’s not hating it at all. Not one bit.
//
They spend the next 15 minutes making enough sandwiches to feed about an entire classroom of 3 year olds. Or, more accurately, one 3 year old and two professional volleyball players.
In their tiny kitchen, Atsumu’s frying up the leftover gyoza from last night. Humming a little under his breath, he takes out the reheated dumplings from the skillet and lines them up nicely on a plate. Grabbing the vinegar bottle, Atsumu halts, staring the near empty bottle in his hands. Did they forget to get some last night? Exhaling, he turns to Hinata to address this incredibly serious issue (because what's gyoza without vinegar, anyway?).
“Oi, Shoyo-kun—”
Atsumu falters mid-sentence, stopping in his tracks—and the world subsequently stops around him.
Sitting by the dining table, Hinata’s laughing, his cheeks dusted pink with bits of breadcrumb stuck to his bottom lip. With a hand guiding Chikako’s tiny one, the two are chaotically crushing chopped eggs in a bowl, sending bits of egg flying in the air. Chikako’s brows are furrowed as she attempts with all her might to multitask, struggling to squeeze out the mayonnaise at the same time. Hinata converses with Chikako sweetly, tenderly, all the while wiping away stains from her face with his thumb.
It’s a beautiful sight, to say the least. Hinata looks beautiful, perfectly situated in the middle of their cozy apartment.
They look like a family. Atsumu feels his heart pick up speed at the thought.
It’s the idea that, if anyone were to walk into their apartment right now, the three of them would look like they belonged here. A family. All these moments right here are like pieces of a puzzle, fitting together perfectly—and right here, right now, Atsumu feels so, so incredibly happy.
I think I want this forever.
without warning, Atsumu breaks down in tears.
“Tsumu-san?!” Hinata’s voice seems far away, sounding garbled over his own tears flowing down his cheeks. “Tsumu-san? Why’re you crying?!”
Why is he crying? He doesn’t really know why, either. All he knows that there’s this immense happiness surging through his entire body, but there’s also a great, profound sadness. A sadness that coexists with bliss; a conflicting surge of emotions that threw him off his balance. It’s the understanding that where they are right now, in the bustling heart of Japan, this happiness he feels rushing through his veins, this joy that makes his heart run wild, will only ever be short lived, temporary.
A family.
“Chumu-chan…?” Chikako’s concerned voice floats through his fuzzy brain, and somewhere in front of him a chair squeaks, followed by a heaviness that drops onto the floor.
“Ah, sorry, Chikako-chan…” Atsumu croaks out, very un-charismatically. He slides down against the kitchen counter, going weak in the knees. “Sorry, Shoyo-kun…Dunno why I’m like this, gimme a moment…”
“Chumu-chan, don’t be sad…”
Atsumu freezes, feeling a tiny hand pat him gently on the head. He looks up and starts when his eyes are met with a pair of clear, dark browns, Chikako’s nervous face filled with genuine concern. Atsumu sniffles and opens his arms, and Chikako practically runs into the embrace, arms wrapping around Atsumu’s neck with as much strength as her tiny body can muster.
“Don’t cry, Chumu-chan...don’t be sad…”
Next to him Hinata kneels down, running a hand through Atsumu’s hair in a soothing pattern. He looks a bit alarmed, confusion evident in his eyes, but he says nothing. No one says anything as Atsumu’s choked breathing ceases to a stop, the room turning silent apart from the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall.
Atsumu takes a deep breath and looks up at Chikako, who looks as though she’s about to burst into tears herself. And Atsumu can’t have that. Not on his watch.
“S-sorry guys,” Atsumu forces out a grin, wiping any tears left welled up in his eyes as he stands up a little wobbly, taking Chikako by the hand. “C’mon, Chikako-chan. Let’s continue where ya started off, yeah?”
Chikako’s face brightens at the sight of Atsumu’s smile and nods energetically at Atsumu’s question. He carries her back to her seat and proceeds to help with the rest of their lunch. The atmosphere softens, voices and quiet laughter slowly filling up the apartment once more; as they make their sandwiches, Atsumu plays around with the ingredients, making exaggerated movements as he squeezes the mayonnaise, earning delighted laughs from Chikako.
All the while, Atsumu feels a comforting hand rubbing circles in his back, calming him, grounding him.
And Atsumu is instantly feeling better. Because this hand on the small of his back is a reminder of the existence of Hinata Shoyo.
Shoyo-kun, his anchor.
The day passes by without any other hassles.
They’d spent the rest of their time watching Ghibli films with Chikako, who’d become entirely obsessed with Ponyo and Kiki by the time Kiyoko had arrived to pick her up. Before saying her goodbyes, Chikako declared that one day she will be like Ponyo and Kiki when she grows up, a determined glint in her eyes. Atsumu and Hinata smiled and cheered her on, although neither of them knew which character she was referring to.
But then Chikako’s gone, and they’re finally alone. Hinata gently offers to clean up the living room, ignoring Atsumu’s protests. They bicker back and forth for god knows how long and in the end, unable to win against a firm Hinata who has stubbornly made up his mind, Atsumu heads off to the shower first.
The air hangs rather heavily in the air, as though something unaddressed is left sitting silently in the middle of their home.
Atsumu’s on the bed already by the time Hinata enters the bedroom all freshened up from his bath, wearing Atsumu’s shirt as his pajamas for the night. One look at the expression on Hinata’s face, and Atsumu knows just exactly what Hinata needs right now.
“'Tsumu-san…”
Atsumu smiles a little and pats the empty spot on Hinata’s side of the bed, beckoning him over. Hinata doesn’t need to be told a second time; he dives straight into the sheets and eagerly snuggles up to him, earning him a small laugh from Atsumu. Placing a hand behind his pillow and the other wrapped securely around Hinata’s waist, Atsumu sighs contentedly.
“Hey...y’know, yer a total pro with kids,” Atsumu remarks, relaxing against Hinata’s weight.
Hinata hums modestly. “I’ve been thinking the same thing about you all day today.”
“I know, I saw the way ya looked at me,” Atsumu chuckles, planting a kiss on Hinata’s forehead. “I was pretty good at handling Chikako-chan, huh.”
Hinata nods in agreement, placing his head against Atsumu’s chest. Atsumu stares down at Hinata, the heaviness in his heart momentarily forgotten as he feels a sudden brush of heat in his lower stomach at the way his shirt (that’s way too big on Hinata, for the record) drapes over Hinata’s torso.
“But then again, ya also looked at me like I was some kinda food,” Atsumu murmurs against Hinata’s ear. “I thought I was gonna get gobbled up right then ‘n there.”
Atsumu jokingly nibbles on the shell of Hinata’s ear, inciting a breathy gasp from the other, air catching in his throat. “What’ve ya been thinkin’ this entire day, huh? Care to explain yerself, Shoyo-kun?”
“...What do you want me to say? You’re sexy when you play with kids,” Hinata mumbles, leaning in and pressing slow, featherlight kisses on Atsumu’s chest, slowly making his way up to his collarbone, his neck.
Atsumu’s breath hitches but he swallows it down thickly, willing the lust bubbling inside him to subside. “Wait, Shoyo-kun, I—”
“Hmmm?” Hinata replies casually but his actions are anything but, his arms reaching around Atsumu’s upper body; his fingertips dance along his back, trailing down his spine.
“We were about ta have a serious conversation here,” Atsumu laughs through his nose, body quivering at the slightest touch.
“Who says we can’t do this while having a serious conversation?” Hinata asks challengingly, continuing to draw circles on Atsumu’s skin. “Plus, you started it.”
Atsumu exhales, admitting defeat as Hinata mouths soft kisses on his jaw. “Fine. I was tryin’ ta be all romantic here…About ta say that I wanna start a family with ya, and all that…”
Hinata stops mid-movement and moves back, staring up at Atsumu, eyes wide. “Wait...are you being serious?”
“Seeing ya with Chikako-chan today...I dunno, something just kinda exploded inside me,” Atsumu admits, voice hushed. “I figured immediately that...that was what I wanted, y’know? A family. Ta see ya play with kids. Kids we can call our own.”
“You’re not joking?” Hinata sits up and stares down at Atsumu, searching his eyes for any sign of a punchline; of a hidden camera suddenly revealing itself in the corner of the room; of any chances Atsumu might jump up and yell out, ‘Sike!”—
But of course, nothing of the sort happens.
“‘Course I’m not joking,” Atsumu says firmly, leaving zero room for doubt. “Y’know yer the most precious person in my life, Shoyo-kun. What I’d give to be able to marry ya right here ‘n now, ‘n adopt a kid or two while we’re at it…”
Hinata sputters at the sudden marriage proposal. How ironic, the way Chikako was left in their care today because of a proposal ten years ago, and now here he is, hearing one directly with his own ears.
“But...you know we can’t...not where we are right now…” Hinata’s voice is smaller now, the hint of sadness almost indiscernible. He lies back down on the bed, the loud pumping in his heart quieting down.
“...Yeah, I think that was part of the reason why I bawled today.” A humorless smile breaks out on Atsumu's face, combing his fingers through Hinata’s hair in a calming pattern. “Knowin’ that if we’re gonna stay in Japan, what I want, what I’m dreamin’ of, won’t come true anytime soon in the foreseeable future.”
Hinata is silent. The room flickers with shadows, yellow night light gleaming from the lamp in the corner, nothing the sound of their breaths and the distant hum of traffic from outside the window filling up the space. Atsumu feels fatigue seeping into his bones as the minutes tick by, eyes struggling to stay open.
“Oh well...I don’t know how just yet, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out,” Hinata’s voice is a gentle lullaby, drowsiness painting his eyelids.
“Hm? What does that mean?”
“Well…” Hinata sounds half asleep already, but the tone of his voice is firm, unyielding. “Look at us. We’re good at our jobs, and we’ve received a ton of offers from several international teams as well…Ah shit, but we’ve renewed our contract recently so that’s out of the question right now…but after that maybe we could move somewhere…anywhere in the world…where we can get married…‘n start a new life…or something…”
Hinata’s head rocks a little, sleepiness filtering in ever so quietly.
“Sounds tempting.” Atsumu sluggishly ponders the possibilities. Brazil. Italy. Canada…
“Anyway, we’ll figure it out somehow…” A smile flits across Hinata’s sleepy face. “We always have. And we always will.”
“Yeah,” Atsumu murmurs, brushing a thumb across Hinata’s cheek. “As long as I have ya, Shoyo-kun, I’ll be fine.”
“Pfft…Corny as always…” Hinata replies with one last giggle before drifting off into a slumber, light snores filling up the dimly lit room.
And as corny as that may seem, it’s the truth. Atsumu's happiness begins and ends with Shoyo. Whatever version of happiness they end up with, everything will be fine as long as Shoyo-kun’s with him. No matter where in the world they end up, for whatever reason, it’ll be fine as long as he has Shoyo by his side.
And Shoyo’s right. They’ll figure it out, somehow. Eventually.