Work Text:
I
Being an editor for a weekly manga meant that Keiji was often pulling odd hours, and really didn't have a fixed sleep schedule. As such, he clung to every precious second of sleep he could get like a lifeline. So, as you can imagine, he was not exactly pleased when he was yanked from slumber by the shrill shriek of the fire alarm.
Keiji grumbled as he sat up, the thin veil of sleep completely shattered by the offending noise. A glance at the clock revealed it was seven at night. An odd time to be asleep, but Keiji’s sleep schedule had long ago been shot.
Forsaking the warmth of the bed, Keiji made his way out into the kitchen, figuring that it would be the most likely source of whatever triggered the alarm. When he did so he was greeted by the sight of his husband frantically racing about the kitchen, opening windows and such as a smoking pan sat unattended on the stove.
Keiji walked over to the pan, taking it to the sink and dousing it to get rid of the smoke. Koutarou turned to face him when the alarm finally shut off once the source of the problem had been dealt with.
“Oh hi!” Koutarou said cheerfully, like he hadn't known Keiji was asleep in just the other room. He cleared his throat a tad sheepishly at Keiji’s unimpressed look. “Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.”
Keiji shook his head. “I know. What were you doing?”
Kou seemed to perk up at this. “I was making pancakes!”
“At seven at night?”
Kou looked at him seriously. “Everytime is pancake time.” He said sternly.
Shaking his head Keiji took a seat at the counter, long ago used to the other’s antics. Though he wasn't exactly pleased his precious sleep had been interrupted, that was just the price he had to pay for choosing to marry such an excitable person. This was far from the first time one of his attempts to cook had ended up in flames.
“Why did pancakes set the fire alarm off?”
“WELL I put them in the pan, and that was all fine and stuff, but then i found these really cool cat memes on my phone while i was waiting for it to cook, so i wanted to show them to Kuroo, but the signal was bad in the kitchen so i went to another room and i lost track of time and then the fire alarm turned on and now were here.” Kou took a huge breath after finishing his story. He never broke up his stories into acceptable sentences. “And now I have to make more.”
Keiji yawned, but the drowsiness from earlier was unfortunately completely gone. He wouldn't be falling back asleep for several more hours. “Make me some too?”
“You got it Keiji!”
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II
“A giant asteroid is stealing all the macaroni!” Yaku’s voice ran through the Disneyland gift shop. “If you don't do something all the Pokemon will dance hula!”
Kageyama gasped. “I WILL SAVE THEM!” He stuck the sailor moon pose, loudly proclaiming “BY THE POWER OF MILK!” In a flash of light Kageyama was no longer wearing black trench coat, but instead was wearing a lime green trench coat. “Remember kids, only you can prevent salt and pepper marriages!”
Keiji silently handed Kageyama a packet of milk as the trio exited the gift shop. The asteroid was hurtling toward them, and it looked strangely like a volleyball. It was getting frighteningly close and all of the fish flopping on the sidewalk looked very distressed about that fact. Kageyama tossed the milk in the air, before setting the ball perfectly, directly towards the asteroid with surprising force.
The milk collided with the giant rock, and burst apart harmlessly, the blue milk evaporating in the air. “Oh no.” Yaku muttered. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”
The asteroid continued it’s descent, until Keiji would only have a few seconds until he was crushed. He squeezed his eye’s shut and braced for impact, as the fish screeched and flopped. A second passed, then two, then three and-
CRASH!
Keiji gasped for breath as something collided with his face, knocking his glasses clean off. He blinked as the world came into focus, his mind recentering after being yanked from it’s dream. The gym where MSBY held its practise greeted his sights. Most of the team was standing off near the nets while Keiji sat in a chair to the side. He must have fallen asleep while waiting for practise to end. Slowly, he reached for his glasses and noticed a volleyball sitting right next to them, that definitely wasn't there before.
“Akaashi! ARE YOU OKAY DID I BREAK YOU?” Keiji glanced up as Hinata invited himself into his personal space, patting his face as if to make sure he was okay. “Ohmygod i didn't mean for that spike to go haywire imsosorry-”
“Relax Hinata-kun.” Keiji assured him, putting his glasses back on. “I’m fine.”
“I told you we should have woken him up.” Sakusa stood off to the side looking unimpressed. “Look what’s happened Atsumu.”
Atsumu looked offended. “You're blaming me for this?”
“Calm down!” Koutarou told the bickering pair. “Everyone’s fine! Right? Your fine?” He asked turning to Keiji.
Keiji nodded.
“We can’t gloss over the fact that I'm getting bullied over here!” Atsumu insisted, pointing an accusing finger at Sakusa.
“You deserve it.” The raven replied.
“How do I deserve it?”
“Your set was GARBAGE.”
“Noooo!” Hinata wailed. “Why are you fighting DON'T FIGHT EACH OTHER!”
Keiji could only watch dumbly as the entirety of the MSBY Black Jackals turned from a well oiled volleyball team into a bunch of bickering children. Someone even began to chant ‘Fight fight fight!’ and Keiji had a feeling it was Kou.
“I could DESTROY you in Will Tennis.” Atsumu warned. Sakusa flung a volleyball at him. The bystanders erupted into cheers of “OOOOOOOOOH” just like elementary schoolers would do when someone was called the principal's office. Keiji couldn’t even hear himself sigh over the commotion. There would be no more sleep for him.
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III
“And so I was thinking, if we tweaked the character’s backstory just a tad then we could explain why they hate the zombie’s without a prologue-” Udai went on, and Keiji had to make a conscious effort to pay attention to what he was saying and not doze of where he sat.
When Udai-san had burst into Keiji’s office during his break time nap, Keiji had to restrain himself from bursting a blood vessel. But he was Akaashi Keiji, and Akaashi Keiji did not lose his cool when mangaka’s way behind their deadlines came to him with ideas.
That didn't mean he wasn’t silently suffering though. He liked Udai-san, he really did. He just seemed to get the motivation to get work done at the most inconvenient times for Keiji.
“Udai-san.” Keiji interrupted the older man’s ramblings, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. “I fail to see why making this character a dentist will explain their hate for the zombies with no context.”
“Well think about it Akaashi! Zombie’s don't have aesthetically pleasing teeth.” Udai explained like it was the simplest thing in the world. “Of course that would piss a dentist off.”
Keiji blinked, his sleep hazed mind struggling to figure out if Udi was being serious or merely pulling his leg. “What? But that- no. No. That doesn't make sense.”
Udai-san was silent for a long moment, simply watching him. “You're giving me that look.” He said finally. “The idea isn't that bad, is it?”
“Yes Udai-san, I’m afraid the idea’s that bad.”
“Does this mean i still need to make the prologue draft?”
“Yes, yes it does.” Keiji said patiently. In some ways, his mangaka reminded him of his husband, so he was used to dealing with these kinds of situations. “I need it by Thursday for revisions.”
“Alright.” Udai-san got up to leave his office, but before he reached the door he abruptly turned around as if remembering something. “Oh! Before I forget, I wanted to scrap the ending and replace it with something new! The draft is on your desk. This new ending will tie with the theme waaaay better!” And with that, he shut the door behind him and was gone.
Keiji turned to the vacant corner of his desk, which was not occupied with a stack of paper, marked up with typing and drawings alike, all ready for him to read through. Keiji picked up his pen taking a moment to blink the remaining sleep from his eyes. His nap would have to wait, he supposed.
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IV
When Keiji awoke this time it was to something slobbering all over his face. His eyes snapped open, instinctively jerking away from whatever it was. He looked down and was greeted by the sight of the puppy he and Kou had adopted last year, Google, making herself comfy in his lap.
“Hey Keiji?” Keiji glanced up to be greeted by his husband, standing away at the end of the couch. “I need your help.”
“What is it?” Keiji questioned groggily. He was getting really fed up with being constantly woken up whenever he tried to sleep.
Kou glanced over his shoulder sheepishly. “Well. You see.. There’s a spider. And I need you to deal with it.”
“...Right.” Keiji muttered, gathering Google in his arms and getting up. “Lead the way then.”
Kou nodded before spinning on his heel and leading him over to the hallway where he pointed to a spider sitting on the far wall. Keiji noticed how he kept a good six feet between himself and the offending bug. When he first found out about Kou’s fear of spiders, he was surprised. When he first met the excitable ace he had never imagined that he would be scared of a bug.
What’s more, Koutarou didn't want to kill the spiders just for having the audacity to exist. So whenever a spider found its way into their house, Keiji always ended up having to release the spider outside. It normally didn't bother him, but it did when it cut into his sleep.
Keiji put Google down, and then walked straight over to the wall, capturing the bug in his hands in one swift motion. “Okay.” He said, turning back to Kou. “Go open a window.”
Keiji followed along as his husband pried the living room window open and then tossed the spider out onto the grass below. “Alright.” He dusted his hands off, and then unceremoniously plopped back down on the couch, Google following to worm her way into his arms.
“Thanks Keiji!” Kou chirped happily, giving him a quick peck, before heading back off to do whatever it was he was up too before a spider came along.
Keiji, for his part, snuggled into the couch, Google happily nestled in his arms. All was quiet for a long moment. Then, just as Keiji was about to drift off, a terrified shriek sounded from down the hall.
“KEIJI! THERE’S MORE OF THEM! THERE’S TWO- NO THREE- FOUR OF THEM! KEIJI! THERE'S A FAMILY!!”
Keiji groaned as Google leapt out of his arm’s to race down the hall and see what the commotion was about. He hauled himself up from the couch once more, cursing whatever deity thought it would be funny to let him run a pest disposal operation on far too little sleep.
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V
“Hey Keiji-chan?”
“Go to sleep Tooru!”
“No this is important!”
Keiji figured there was no use in trying to cling to the last threads of sleep anymore. Oikawa clearly wasn't going to drop whatever he was on about until he got an answer. “What do you want, Oikawa-kun?” He asked, turning around in his sleeping bag to face Oikawa.
“Don't indulge him Keiji.” Sugawara hissed from where his own sleeping bag was next to Oikawa’s. Keiji glanced around the room. It was the Pretty Setter Squad’s monthly sleepover and it seemed everyone was asleep except for Oikawa, Suga, and himself. Great. Of all the people Oikawa could have chosen to bother, why did it have to be him?
“So tell me Keiji! Who do you think knows more digits of pi, Iwa-chan, Kou-kun or Dead-chi?”
“The death thing only happened oNCE and Tanaka already apologized for it!” Suga spat. After so many years of hearing Dead-chi jokes, Suga had grown quite tired of them. That didn't stop everyone from making them.
“Why do you want to know something like that?” Keiji questioned, careful to keep his voice down so as to not disturb everyone else. He may not be able to sleep but that doesn't mean they can't.
“Well i mean someone has to know more digits of pi than the others, and i'm just curious as to who. It’s a point of pride you know! But my money’s on Iwa-chan!”
Keiji sighed, settling back into his pillow. “Go to sleep Oikawa-kun. It doesn't matter who knows more digits of pi.”
“But it matters to ME!”
“Shuddup Oikawa, he doesn't want to talk to you.”
“Refreshing-kun! So mean! I thought we were friends!”
“And as your friend i'm telling you to leave Keiji alone he doesn't deserve to put up with you.”
Keiji covered his ears with his pillow desperately trying to block out his friend's banter. He hoped that they would quiet down soon, but knowing them it was unlikely. It was hard to find more than five minutes silence at these sleepovers. With the like’s of Oikawa and Suga, and even sometimes Kageyama joining in, their gatherings were not known to be the calmest things around. It seemed insomnia would once again one up Keiji.
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+1
Keiji was awoken this time by someone gently shaking his shoulder.
“Hey Keiji.” A soft voice whispered, right next to his ear. “Get up.”
Slowly, Keiji opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of his husband sitting up in the bed, staring at him with golden eyes that almost seemed to glow in the dark.
“Whats up?” Keiji whispered, slowly sitting up himself. “Something wrong?”
Koutarou shook his head smiling softly. “It’s 12:01. It’s tomorrow. You know what day it is?”
For a moment, Keiji could not, in fact, remember what day it was. He experienced a split second of ohshitiforgotsomethingimportant panic before his brain started working again and he remembered all at once.
“It’s our anniversary.” Keiji replied. His voice broke the silence of the night.
Kou nodded his affirmation. “I couldn't wait. Wanted to give this to you now.” Keiji watched silently as Koutarou handed him something that was sitting under the blanket, hiding unnoticed in the darkness of the night. Keiji reached over to the nightstand, flicking on the lamp shade and dimming the light before inspecting what he was given.
It was a black and white school binder. Not just any binder though. In the corner, Keiji could see the faded print in his handwriting. Akaashi Keiji. This was the binder Keiji used to organize his highschool school work, that he had stored away once he graduated, and never really had cause to touch again.
Curious, Keiji lifted the front cover. Inside the binder, the rings had been ripped out, leaving the binder a blank spread of plastic, much like a stand. And glued on the inside covers were photos from all the important parts of Kou and Keiji’s life together. They're first date, graduation, they're wedding, buying a house, bringing Google home. It was all there, laid out like a scrapbook that could be stood up and displayed.
“Oh my god…” Keiji breathed out, overwhelmed with nostalgia and affection.
“Do you like it?” Kou asked nervously, watching his face closely for a reaction.
Keiji beamed at him, tackling him in as forceful a hug as he could muster, considering they were both sitting on the bed. “I love it. Thank you.”
And they sat like that, wrapped in each other’s arms simply enjoying the company. Keiji didn't like to be woken up, but if it was for something like this, maybe it wasn't so bad.