Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Asahi, I think I can see the future.”

Koushi was lying on his bed and tracing the strange shaped stains on the ceiling of their dorm room. He was still getting used to the empty room, the lofted bed across from his, made characteristically nice and neat, but it still felt wrong. Asahi’s absence was like a missing tooth, and Koushi kept tracing the outlines of it.

“Okay, sure, Suga,” Asahi was laughing a little on the other end of the phone. Koushi tried to imagine where his friend was at, all he came up with was a stock image of people laughing and throwing coins into some sort of fountain. Asahi had sent him limited photos of Rome so he didn’t have much to work with.

“I’m serious. Last week I found 5,000 yen, in a gutter on the sidewalk between the art building and the lecture hall. I dreamt it the night before and then it happened.”

“Suga, you didn’t keep it did you?”

“Sure I kept it, there was nobody anywhere nearby. Finders keepers.”

“That’s bad luck though.”

“Good luck for me. I dreamt that I’d find it and then I did.”

“That’s just coincidence, Suga.”

“No it’s not. I thought it might be at first but then last night I dreamt that my awful earth science class was cancelled because of a power outage, and then you know what happened this morning?”

“A coincidence,” Asahi said.

“It’s not a coincidence,” Koushi growled back.

“Suga, people can’t see the future, that’s not a real thing.”

“It is a real thing. Haven’t you ever heard of psychics?”

“Are you going to buy a crystal ball and start telling fortunes?”

“Asahi, I’m serious,” Koushi argued back, sitting up in his bed and picking at a hole in his sock. Asahi continued to laugh.

“Okay, so you can see the future now, just randomly? You know I’ve know you your whole life, Suga.”

“Remember when I told you how Lev spiked that ball directly into my face at intermural volleyball a month ago?”

“That did it? Like a radioactive spider bite?”

“I’m just saying the dreams started after that,” Koushi said to no verbal answer from Asahi. “Stop laughing at me. I wish you were here so I could make you take me seriously.” Koushi could still hear Asahi chuckling on the other end, wishing he could grab him by the shoulders and give him a good shake.

Then Koushi could hear someone’s voice in the background and the muffled sound of Asahi covering the mic of his phone, his voice talking to someone else and Koushi felt again the sharp painful ache of loneliness. He and Asahi had grown up together, and this was the furthest apart they’d ever been. It’d only been two weeks but Koushi already wished he wasn’t living alone anymore.

“Sorry, Suga, I’ve gotta go,” Asahi finally returned to him.

“Got a hot date with X?” Suga asked back.

“Shut up.”

“You said you were going to go with him to that art museum, did you actually follow through this time?”

“I was going to and then it was so nice out I went down to the beach with some of the other guys instead.”

“Lame excuse.”

“There’s this one crazy guy who tried to talk us into hiring a boat to go deep sea fishing.”

“Yeah?”

“He’s louder than you and twice as bossy.”

“Sounds like an attractive dude? Hotter than X?”

“Suga.”

“Come on you know you signed up for study abroad because you’d get to spend time with him. You as good as told me that.”

“You make me sound so embarrassing.”

“You are embarrassing, you’ve just got to accept it. And then ask X to go to the art museum.”

“Suga, I’ve really gotta go.”

“Is he there right now?”

“Suga, seriously.”

“He is, isn’t he?” Koushi couldn’t help but snicker a little, Asahi gave a long suffering sigh on the other end.

Out in the hall Mr. Fixit was at it again, perched up on top of a ladder replacing one of the fluorescent lightbulbs that lit the hall, big ring of keys hanging off his belt loop. He had on a pair of glasses to better see what he was doing. Koushi shuffled around the ladder, meeting the man’s eyes for a moment. The man gave him a small smile, and Koushi returned it. He knew the guy lived on the same hall as him, probably working for the school to make some extra money, he’d come to his room one day to unstick his window but he hadn’t been wearing the glasses then. He had deep brown eyes and cut like a man who could chop wood, a lumberjack perhaps. He was always wearing plaid shirts. Every time Koushi saw him, he was immediately hungry for flapjacks. Very suspicious. Koushi glanced back over his shoulder one more time at the man before he got to the stairwell door, but he had turned back to his task with concentration, eyebrows crinkled, edge of his tongue poking out of his mouth as he removed the burnt out light.

Sawamura Daichi finally exhaled the breath he’d been holding when he heard the fire door on the stairwell clang shut. He’d been petrified that the man, who’d just made eye contact with him, would witness him do something stupid like drop this lightbulb or fall off the ladder. Because knowing Daichi’s luck that was exactly how they would get to know each other, he’d fall off the ladder and the cute guy would call 911 as he was bleeding out on the floor. Classic. He wiped the sweat that had broken out on his face off with the back of one of his gloved hands, carefully descending the ladder to get the new lightbulb. All he could seem to do was make a fool of himself in front of Sugawara Koushi. And he was also equally certain that Sugawara did not know his name. He remembered one night at the beginning of the fall semester when Sugawara had reported the window in his room being stuck and Daichi had been the one sent out to fix it. Sugawara had been there when he’d arrived in a thin white t-shirt and the too short pajama pants printed with a pattern of hot sauce bottles and the words “HOT STUFF”. He had the prettiest eyes Daichi had ever seen and when Sugawara had opened the door he suddenly discovered he could not even speak.

“Can I help you?” Sugawara had asked, cocking his head at Daichi, and then seeming to take in the tool bag he was carrying, the big heavy set of keys on his belt. “You’re here to fix the window?”

“Y-yes!” Daichi finally choked out as Sugawara let him in and showed him which of the two windows he couldn’t get open, pushing on it to demonstrate how stuck it was. Daichi set down his tool bag and gave it a push of his own, not that he doubted Sugawara’s strength. He was wiry like an athlete, arms long and lean, the white t-shirt stretched over his shoulders. I’ve been away from the court for too long if I’m panicking over seeing another guy’s arms. Daichi scolded himself as Sugawara plopped down on the edge of his bed to watch. Daichi felt heat on his neck, starting to sweat.

“You live on this hall don’t you?” Sugawara said as he prodded at the window trying to figure out where it was stuck. He glanced over his shoulder to find Sugawara’s eyes on him.

“Uh yeah,” he said.

“I’m really bad with faces,” Sugawara told him, “When I meet a whole bunch of new people all at once I can’t remember names for the life of me.”

“Sawamura Daichi,” Daichi provided. Sugawara tapped his forehead giving Daichi a smile.

“Alright saving that away right now. Are you a transfer student? I don’t think I’ve seen you around much.”

“No uh,” Daichi’s screwdriver was stuck where he’d prodded it into a gap, he gave it a couple of strong yanks before it came loose.

“Probably in the library the whole time then,” Sugawara filled into the silence. “I’m more of an outside studier. Asahi can’t stand it, bugs eat him up but I love being out in the sunshine.”

“Mm,” Daichi agreed trying to force the window again with the screwdriver.

“Say Sawamura, some of the other guys were talking about going out tonight, you want to join us?”

The screwdriver slipped from where Daichi was trying to pry the window loose and he slipped forward banging his head on the glass.

“Fuck,” he yelped.

“Shit are you okay?” Sugawara had jumped up.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Daichi waved him off, face feeling hot.

“Are you sure? You hit your head pretty good there, your forehead is red,” Sugawara was reaching a hand to touch him. Daichi fumbled back.

“I’m okay, really, Sugawara-san.”

“I could go get you some ice.”

“No, no, I’m good, I swear.”

“Alright, alright,” Sugawara sat back down folding his legs back underneath him. Way to go, Daichi, very smooth. Daichi rubbed the spot on his forehead, it did hurt, he almost wished for a moment he’d taken Sugawara up on the offer for ice. “How about tonight then?” Sugawara cut back into his thoughts.

“I, uh,” Daichi started because even though he wanted to, he had a big test tomorrow that he had to study for. He’d already bombed a group project and couldn’t afford another bad grade. “Thanks for the offer, Sugawara-san but I’ve got an exam to study for tomorrow morning.”

“That sucks,” complained Sugawara, “Next time maybe?”

“For sure,” Daichi agreed. He’d stopped messing with the window leaning back on his heels to face Sugawara.

“You can just call me Suga,” Sugawara told him. Warmth filled Daichi’s chest.

“Okay, next time for sure, Suga,” he said and turned back to the window because he was sure his face was red. Why the fuck did he have to be so awkward? The silence between them stretched out and Daichi fumbled with the window wishing he could think of something interesting to say to Suga. I hate being stuck in the library too. You didn’t see me around last semester because I was always on the volleyball court. I fucked up my knee and now I can’t ever play again and it makes me feel like my whole life is over. Nope, he couldn’t say that. Not allowed.  Finally, it seemed Suga got bored of watching him and trotted out to get something to drink from the vending machine. Daichi had fixed the window and was just on his way out when Suga returned, surprising each other at the door. Suga gave him a bright grin and offered him one of the two green teas he was carrying. Daichi’s heart did an unsettling flip flop.

“Thanks for fixing the window,” Sugawara said letting Daichi out of the room. Their shoulders brushed, Daichi was sweating again.

“You too,” Daichi answered and flinched, Sugawara laughing, a sweet joyful sound that made Daichi’s heart melt.

“See ya ‘round, Sawamura,” Sugawara said.

That had been in the first month of school, over a semester ago now. Daichi had only run into Suga a few times since. There’d never been a second invitation to drinks. He was sure Suga had already forgotten his name, the window incident. And even if he hadn’t forgotten, there was no cheery comradery between them, Suga’s smiles at him were blandly friendly, he only got to hear the pealing laugh when Suga was leaning in the door frame of other guys’ doors, when Tendou was telling inappropriate stories in the bathroom in the morning, Yaku hatching wild plots on their way to class. Daichi felt invisible. Suga had so many friends, he was almost never in his own room. Coming or going, always on the move. If he’d had the guts to approach him, he wasn’t even sure how he’d go about tracking him down at any given point in time. Winter break came and went, physical therapy was going well, Daichi was adjusting, this semester would be better. He’d picked up a second job in addition to working dorm maintenance that almost helped make up for the loss of his scholarship. The cold made his knee ache, but there was nothing to be done for that.

“I had another dream,” Koushi told Michimiya Yui the next morning. He hadn’t texted it to Asahi yet because he knew his friend would make fun of him. It felt too sacred and fresh right now to stand up to Asahi’s scrutiny.

“Where’s the money going to be at this time?” Michimiya asked, leaning forward over her half eaten breakfast, brown eyes wide and eager.

“No money this time, more auspicious than that,” Koushi told her a smile pulling on his face, he could barely contain it. “I dreamt about somebody.”

“Somebody?”

“Somebody’s thighs, in the park, wearing red shorts, and trainers with navy stripes and then I fell in love,” Koushi said the feeling swelling through his chest again. He sighed happily. He wasn’t sure how exactly he knew he was in love with this man (or maybe muscular legged woman?) but he knew it. And it was one of the dreams. The dreams with weight and substance, the ones that came true.

“You fell in love with somebody’s thighs?” Michimiya frowned.

“I mean not just his thighs, I’m sure with all of him, as a person, that’s just all I saw in the dream,” Koushi said taking a bite of his omelet and washing it down with the bad cafeteria coffee. He grimaced and coughed a little. “It gets worse every day.”

“It’s not that bad, you’re just picky,” Michimiya said taking a sip of hers. “What else do you know about him?”

“That’s it, that’s all I saw. In the park. Red shorts, trainers with navy stripes, thighs for days.” Michimiya giggled a little.

“Next time will you dream me a love of my life?”

“If I could, I would,” Koushi promised her with a grin. “Do you think he’ll be there today? Maybe I should skip my earth science class and wait in the park.”

“You’re going to fail out if you skip any more of that class,” Michimiya scolded him.

“But it’s so borrring,” Koushi groaned.

“And a required science credit,” Michimiya said, then glancing up, her eyebrows raised. “Hey there’s Yaku-san. Yaku-san!” she called waving across the cafeteria. Koushi turned to see his other friend, carrying a tray, donut in his mouth, eyes crinkling cheerfully at them as he came to join their table. And right behind him the gangly Russian exchange student, Lev.

“What’s up, my dudes?” Lev asked setting down his tray and beaming at Michimiya and Koushi.

“Suga had another dream,” Michimiya declared. Yaku pulled the donut from his mouth, swallowing the bite.

“Where’s the money at this time, Weatherman?”

“I don’t just have dreams about money,” Koushi rolled his eyes.

“Well then what this time? Any good luck in the forecast for me?” Yaku asked taking another bite of the donut.

“He falls in love,” Michimiya spoiled it before Koushi could say a word. Yaku almost spat out the donut, laughing.

“For real? Suga falls in love? I’ll believe it when I see it. Are you sure this wasn’t just a regular dream?”

“No, not just a regular dream,” Koushi said grumpily taking another bite of his omelet. It was already starting to get cold.

“Sounds nice to me,” Lev cut in, “Is it someone we know?”

“Not unless you know someone with red running shorts, white trainers with navy stripes and shredded thighs,” Koushi answered him. Yaku was laughing again. “Does that ring a bell to anybody?”

“That’s all you know?” Lev asked. Koushi nodded. Tears were running down Yaku’s face and Koushi punched him in the shoulder.

“Shut up already, Morisuke.”

“Suga in love, that’s rich!” Yaku continued to laugh slapping his hand on the table.

Koushi regretted telling any of them about it. Nobody could understand the gravity of it. What if he missed the stranger in the park? Asahi would’ve at least taken him seriously, if he’d been here in person so Koushi could shake some sense into him. After dumping his tray, he headed to the coffee shop to grab something that was actually drinkable before earth science. They were just changing shifts and he had to wait a minute while a familiar dark haired man with warm brown eyes traded out with a tall skinny man wearing glasses and looking disgruntled. Suga had pulled up a text to Asahi, it was much earlier in Rome than it was here, Asahi would still be asleep for a few more hours.

“Sorry to interrupt you, but are you here to get a drink or hold up the line?” the blonde guy asked. Koushi looked up immediately. There was no one in line behind him, the look on the tall guy’s face was like he’d smelled something rotten. Koushi felt a flash of anger. He smothered it under a sweet smile.

“I’ll take a caramel macchiato, if you’d be so kind,” he answered the man.

“It’d be my pleasure,” the man replied with his stinky expression. Koushi leaned against the counter to compose his text-planation of his dream to Asahi. When the grumpy kid had finally finished making his drink, Suga had already set out his money in exact change. The man handed him the drink with a menacing smile.

“Come again,” he said without cheer.

“See you tomorrow,” Koushi answered him picking up his drink. He was already late for class he realized as he jogged across campus. Maybe it would make more sense to just skip at this point. Though Michimiya was right, he really didn’t want to have to take it again because he’d failed out the first time. He sped up a little, small splashes of coffee leaking out of the top of the lid and splattering onto Koushi’s hand. Finally out of breath he was at the lecture hall door, pausing to try and slow his breathing, peering in through the glass. The professor was already speaking, slide projected up on the wall, his back to the door, now was Koushi’s chance. Carefully he opened the door and slipped in, intending to creep up the steps and sit in the back.

“Ah! Sugawara-san, nice of you to join us,” the voice stopped him and Koushi turned to find the whole class staring him down, heat filling his face. Shit. “Why don’t you sit up front, we’ve got plenty of open seats up here,” the prof continued giving him what could only be a sadistic smile. “I’m going to need some help explaining some of these concepts, so I hope you did your reading.”

Koushi had not.

He was sweating now, creeping toward the open first three rows where no one had dared to sit. He tried to sneak into the one furthest back but the prof beckoned him forward. There were bastards in the class snickering behind him.

“Okay, so here’s what you’ve got to do,” Koushi said, sitting up on the embankment in the park where he had the best view of the layout, eyes peeled for what he hoped would be familiar thighs. Why had his dream been so non-specific? Why hadn’t he seen the guy’s face? Then he wouldn’t have to feel like a creep checking out everyone’s legs. “You’ve got to take him to the art museum with you. He’s in some of your courses right? So he’s got to like art, there’s no way he’ll say no.”

“I don’t know, Suga,” Asahi’s voice wobbled.

“Asahi, any man with eyes and a heart would be glad to go with you to an art museum. You’re literally the nicest person I know, and handsome as fuck,” Koushi lectured him. “Stop being so humble.”

“Suga,” Asahi’s voice creaked.

“You’ve had conversations with him right? You’re sorta friends right? So just casually be like- hey let’s go to the museum on Saturday, my treat. You could even call it studying and pretend it’s only kinda a date.”

“Suga I wish you were here,” Asahi said quieter. Koushi’s heart hurt for a minute and he dropped his eyes to the dead grass.

“I miss you too, Asahi,” he answered, “It’s not the same without you here.”

“You’d love Rome, there’s so much good food.”

“Don’t tell me that,” Koushi groaned, “I’m so hungry right now.”

“Didn’t you just get out of your evening class? Why aren’t you at the cafeteria?”

“Because,” Koushi answered without explanation. He’d  meant to send Asahi a description of the dream but between the coffee shop jerk and being late to class what he’d ended up sending Asahi was a melancholy ‘wish you were here, I miss my best friend’ kind of text.

“Suga, go eat, right now,” Asahi told him sternly. Koushi was about to complain but knew that would mean having to explain why he was camped out in the park looking at everyone’s legs. And then he was picturing Yaku laughing at him again.

To say Koushi was unlucky in love would be an understatement. His relationship history was a short list of sitcom style humiliation and tragedy and stupidity. After his last partner had dumped him to become an astronaut, Koushi had sworn off love in front of his friends after maybe one too many beers. He remembered the pitying look Asahi had worn for weeks after that. He steeled himself and agreed to Asahi he would, in fact, go eat right now. Ending the call, Suga remained on the embankment watching the people passing by idly, shivering in the early March chill. He wasn’t even looking at legs anymore, just feeling cold and alone. And hungry.

Koushi woke to a series of texts from Asahi at 4am about his crush taking Italian lessons that he could not get out of and several sad emojis followed by a second story about going down to the coast with a couple of other guys from the exchange program. It went on about deep sea fishing, about diving into the ocean and the beach and the sun and this guy with a streak of blonde in his hair who was completely fearless, gelato and late night pizza.

From Asahi:

I think I’m finally making friends :)

Koushi considered this huddled underneath the blankets on his bed, happy for Asahi, wishing again he’d put the thought into saving up money to go with him. Back in the spring there’d be other things on his mind, other pressing concerns, his partner had not yet decided to be an astronaut yet, and it’d been rocky between them for a while, he’d been thinking about getting a part time job here in Tokyo instead of going back home to Miyagi over the summer. Ultimately that had fallen through, the partner declaring they’d rather be launched into space than stay with Koushi, and then Koushi slinking back to Miyagi like the failure he probably was. Asahi had gotten a couple of different gigs, saved enough money by living off of cup of noodles and now he was in Rome and Koushi was stuck here, all alone. He sighed and slowly tapped out his cheerful response to Asahi’s day out with his new friends.

Chapter Text

“Asahi out there living our dreams,” Michimiya sighed. “You think he has a shot?”

“He definitely has a shot. You’d have to be an idiot to turn him down. Sure, he’s quiet but Asahi is the best,” Koushi said taking an angry sip of his coffee. Classes finished for the day they were camped out in what was now Koushi’s “spot”. The small rise in the park, with the view. They were people watching, except just for one specific people. “That dumbass he’s chasing after doesn’t deserve him. I had a class with him last semester and sure, he’s hot, but I don’t see whatever it is Asahi sees in him.”

“But does he have the guts to?”

Koushi frowned turning to look at Michimiya to voice a conviction that if Asahi really wanted to he’d have the guts, but then his eyes caught on a new shape behind her, all words dying in his mouth, head empty.

Because there he was, just the way Koushi had seen him, stretching his tan legs, powerful thighs, brace on one knee, phone strapped around his bicep, ear buds in his ears smiling softly to himself, long dark eyelashes. Michimiya’s question was forgotten, the coffee in Koushi’s hand tipping and spilling hot liquid onto his leg. With a yelp he leapt up.

“Suga?” Michimiya was blinking at him. Koushi returned to the present, looking first to Michimiya’s confused look then to the hot liquid that had soaked his pant leg and then whipping around to where the man had been and was now gone. “Suga?”

“That was him!” Koushi choked at Michimiya.

“Him? Where?” Michimiya looked around. “Where is he?”

“He was just here!” Koushi looked around and then spotted the man’s retreating form. “There!” Michimiya squinted.

“How do you know?”

“I just know.”

“What are you waiting for, Suga, he’s getting away,” Michimiya said punching Suga’s calf and he sprang into motion after the man.

Koushi hadn’t run so fast since he’d been chased by a pack of dogs in high school at his after-school job, the one he’d lasted at for all of two hours. The mystery man was jogging and Koushi had nearly caught up with him in his all-out sprint when it hit him that he had no idea what he was supposed to say to this guy. And then as that thought hit him, he hit the man, tripping into him.

“Fuck!” Koushi coughed, with a responding cuss from the man, who was pulling out his earbuds, turning to face Koushi and fuck, he was so much more handsome up close. Koushi couldn’t think of a single word to say. He did look kind of familiar too, not necessarily in premonition dream sort of way. And then it hit Koushi like a ton of bricks. Except…!

“Are you okay?” the man asked him, eyebrows pulling down in concern. Putting a hand on Koushi’s shoulder. His touch was electric.

“You’re that washed up volleyball player,” was the first thing that came into Koushi’s head and then directly out of his mouth.

“And you have no filter,” the man answered back with a bemused smile, eyebrows still scrunched down, he took his hand off Koushi’s shoulder and Koushi wished he’d put it back.

“Sorry, that came out wrong,” Koushi said.

“You think?” the man was putting the earbuds back in, turning around to continue his run.

“Wait,” Koushi grabbed the man’s shoulder and he turned back around, looking a little disgruntled now. “You dropped this,” he said pulling out the flyer Michimiya had given him earlier for the pet therapy event. The man took the paper from Koushi with a confused expression and then to Koushi’s surprise he tucked it in his pocket.

“Thanks,” he said and took off.

Shit! I should’ve written my phone number on there! Koushi slapped a palm to his forehead, he thought the guy would have for sure protested that it was not his or at least opened it to see what it was. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. And to chase after him a second time for sure was not cool at all. Koushi watched him go, down the park path, around the corner and out of view.

“…and then he was gone. Just like that. I don’t even know his name,” Koushi sighed into the fresh steaming cup of coffee. They’d gone back to the coffee shop in the campus center to rehash the event. Michimiya was shaking her head at him.

“Maybe you can catch him in the park again? Maybe he goes running all the time.”

“I’m telling you I’ve been in that park every day for the last two weeks and I’d never seen him until now.”

“But you said he’s that volleyball player right, the one everyone was talking about until he got hurt? That’s easy, there was the article in the school paper that’s how you knew that right? Then we’ll just look him up and see what his name is,” Michimiya said pulling out her phone and pulling up the school’s website. She was silently looking for a long time and Koushi sipped the coffee, feeling dumb again. Even if they found out his name, what was he supposed to do then? Find out what building he was living in? Go knock on his door?

“Fuck, Suga,” Michimiya finally exhaled, “He is hot.”

“You found him.”

“Sawamura Daichi,” she sighed and turned her phone to show Koushi. It was an action shot from one of the games, the man in question about to receive the ball, face a serious look of concentration.

“Sawamura? Why does that sound familiar?” Suga frowned.

“They were all set for qualifiers last year when he blew out his knee,” Michimiya said pulling her phone back and scrolling down through the article. “The reporter is kind about it but it sounds like they failed out in the first round even though they were expected to be a contender. Probably because he was out of the game.”

“Ehhh, that sucks,” groaned Koushi. Michimiya handed over her phone again and Koushi scrolled through the article, pausing again on the picture, the focus on Sawamura’s face, and he remembered for a moment him smiling to himself as he was stretching. “He’s a junior just like us,” Koushi realized then.

“I actually think I’ve seen him around campus. He probably lives in your dorm, Suga.”

“No way, he’s probably in one of those dorms with all the athletes?”

“That would’ve been last year,” Michimiya argued. “This article is from last spring.”

“Sawamura, Sawamura,” Koushi could almost taste it on the tip of his tongue why that name was familiar. He was running late to earth science again, the prof was going to make him sit up front. If he’d been less distracted with this new mystery to solve he might’ve talked himself into skipping today. He stopped at the door, watching the class through the tiny window. He couldn’t hear what the lecture was about and barely see the slide projection. With a heavy sigh he opened the door.

“Well, well look who it is,” the prof greeted him. Koushi didn’t even try to sneak to the back, heading right for the front.

“I’ve got a seat right up front for you Sugawara-san, right next to Sawamura-san,” he said.

Sawamura-san? Koushi froze, eyes finding him immediately, glasses perched on his nose, hair messy like he’d just rolled out of bed, in a dark red flannel today, peak lumberjack. Mr. Fixit?? Koushi couldn’t move.

“Come on, come on, Sugawara,” the prof growled and Koushi forced his legs to move. Dropping down next to Sawamura with one seat between them. He couldn’t see his thighs underneath the dark jeans but Koushi knew it was him. Was it the glasses? Was he so obsessed with the dream image that he hadn’t even recognized Mr. Fixit? Not Mr. Fixit. Sawamura. Koushi let out a shaky exhale. Sawamura wasn’t looking at him when he dared a glance out of the corner of his eyes at him. His eyelids were drooping, head propped up on his hand, trying to stay awake. Fuck, he’s cute.

Koushi pulled the lid off his coffee and breathed in the smell. Sawamura’s head was tipping forward. Koushi prodded him in the shoulder, Sawamura’s head whipping up, looking to Koushi. Koushi offered him a small smile and the coffee.

“Coffee?” Koushi whispered. Sawamura hesitated, brow furrowing and then eyes getting wide. There was no doubt now that he was the runner from the park, warm brown eyes giving Koushi goosebumps.

“Sugawara?”

“Gentleman, you have something to share with the class?” Professor Nakamura was glaring at them. The two shook their heads solemnly.  When he’d turned back around Daichi reached across the empty seat between them to take the coffee. He took a sip and grimaced.

“Too sweet,” he said smacking his lips, pushing it back toward Koushi.

“Your loss,” Koushi retorted in a whisper, his face felt warm and his heart was doing funny things. Had Sawamura been in this class the whole time and he’d never realized it? Was he right at this moment looking at Koushi out of the corner of his eye? Was Koushi very stupid to never have put all these pieces together? That the washed up volleyball player was the same person as Mr. Fixit? Clearly Sawamura remembered him. Fuck, I’m in over my head.

“Sugawara would you stand up and explain that to the class?”

Koushi leapt to his feet, eyes flying over the slide projected on the wall, trying to remember anything about the science of the earth. All the eyes of the class boring into his back. Beside him he saw Sawamura giving him a smile. Fuck.

By the end of class Koushi was wishing he could just disappear. He stuffed his notebook back into his bag, coffee half drunk and cold now still sitting on the tabletop. Sawamura was zipping his own bag up, still looking at Koushi.

“Okay, I know I’m a mess you can stop looking at me like that now,” he finally exhaled, turning to face Sawamura.

“Not a mess, I was just, the other day…?” he started.

“I didn’t recognize you without your glasses, I wasn’t trying to be rude.”

“No, you’re good, it’s just,” Sawamura was pulling something out of his pocket and spreading it out on the table between them. The flyer for the pet therapy event: Relieve stress! Pet dogs! “What is the meaning of this? I know I didn’t drop it.”

“Oh that,” Koushi winced with a forced laugh, “I just… my friend said… I mean… I thought I saw you drop it? I guess it wasn’t yours.” Sawamura was giving him a tentative lopsided smile.

“You scared me, I thought it was some kind of ransom note or something.”

“Yeah, I’d definitely do something like that, totally weird,” Koushi was laughing but he wished that he could be vaporized on the spot. Sawamura wouldn’t meet his eyes, folding the sheet back up.

“Thanks for trying to return it to me anyway,” he said, “I got a good laugh when I opened it up.”

“That’s definitely what I was going for. Nothing like petting some dogs and cats to cheer a person up. I’ve gotta go, or I’ll be late to my next class too,” Koushi was shouldering his backpack, he could not be in this room so close to Sawamura making a fool of himself for a single second longer.

“Good luck with that.”

“Thanks uh, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Koushi choked out and bolted for the door.

“Yui, I am such an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot, there’s probably a hundred people in that class, people look different with glasses, I’m sure it’s fine,” Michimiya said patting Koushi’s back, they were on their way to the campus center for the pet therapy. Koushi had tried to talk her out of it, the very idea of “pet therapy” made him itch thinking about the conversation he’d had with Sawamura that morning. There was no coming back from that.

“My dream must’ve gotten something wrong,” Koushi continued. “It’s been all downhill from there, I thought it would all be easy once I’d found him. Instead, it’s been a nightmare.”

“A nightmare? So you’ve found your new lover?” Yaku had appeared at their side as they climbed the steps to the entrance.

“I’m not in the mood, Morisuke.”

“Are they nicer than the girl who started confessing to you and then realized you were the wrong person?”

“No,” gasped Michimiya. Koushi buried his face in his hands.

“We were never supposed to speak of that again.”

“Or what about…?” Yaku started still grinning, Koushi slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Stop it while Michimiya still has some respect for me.”

“No, tell me more,” Michimiya insisted pulling open the door to the campus center. There was a line to get to the area where the animals were. They were only letting so many people in at a time.

“Well there was the time where there was that girl Suga asked out, and she didn’t show up and said she forgot and then he rescheduled again and she stood him up again, like he couldn’t take a hint,” Yaku was cackling, walking backwards talking to them as they joined the line, bumping into a taller guy. He turned around with a look of surprise. Koushi’s heart dropping into the soles of his feet. Sawamura.

“Is this a lucky chance or fate?” he asked, eyes on Koushi. Michimiya squawked beside him.

“Probably an accident,” Koushi croaked out. “Did you get a ransom note to meet at this location also?”

“For real, you got one too?” Sawamura was smiling now and Koushi’s chest warmed.

“Oi, Daichi long time no see,” said Yaku with a grin punching Sawamura in the shoulder. Koushi’s heart fell a little as Sawamura looked away to elbow Yaku.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” Michimiya butted in, smiling big at Sawamura, “I’m Michimiya Yui.”

“Sawamura Daichi,” he answered. He was wearing a brownish flannel, different than the red one he’d been wearing in earth science earlier. Yaku launched into a rant about something in their engineering class and Koushi frowned.

“Did you plan to meet him here?” Michimiya whispered as the line inched forward. Koushi shook his head. “Lucky,” she whispered back, “He’s really cute, Suga. Like really cute.”

“I saw him first,” Koushi hissed back with a grin elbowing her. She beamed brighter.

“Hey Suga, I didn’t know you and Daichi were in earth science together? Is that with Yao or Nakamura?” Yaku asked turning around to face them.

“Nakamura,” Koushi groaned.

“My feelings exactly,” Sawamura agreed catching Koushi’s eye for a moment.

“Are your pockets full of bacon or what?”

Sawamura was surrounded by three big dogs, one who was eagerly licking his face. He was laughing, eyes scrunched up, color in his cheeks, dimples appearing. Koushi sat down next to him, as the three dogs continued to ignore his existence in favor of Sawamura, one snuffling the back of his neck.

“No, not bacon,” Sawamura giggled managing to get the dog to stop licking his face, scratching behind its ears, tongue lolling out of its mouth. The one that had been sniffing his neck now came to Koushi big tail sweeping back and forth, flopping down to let Koushi scratch its belly. Sawamura drew what looked like a dog biscuit out of his pocket and instantly all three were up close and personal again.

“Traitor,” Koushi jeered as his dog abandoned him. Sawamura was trying to break up the biscuit.

“Here, Suga,” he called tossing half of it to Koushi, the dogs now torn between the two of them. The big golden retriever that had been licking Sawamura’s face, now up close to him. Koushi giggled splitting his half between the two dogs that had come to bother him. Sawamura was still grinning at him, eyes warm.

“So do you just regularly carry dog biscuits around in your pockets?”

“Only on a special occasions.”

“Like in case you get hungry special occasions?” Koushi asked.

“Yes, those kind of special occasions,” Sawamura laughed.

“I knew it, I thought you were the type of guy to eat dog biscuits.”

“You hungry? I’ve got a second one,” Sawamura said with a grin. Koushi’s smile answered his.

“Asahi don’t laugh at me but I had this dream,” Koushi started.

“Another one of your future dreams?” Asahi asked, in the background Koushi could hear the wind. “What was it about this time? Did you see anything about me?” Koushi sighed running a hand through his hair.

“I met someone.”

“You met someone? Like-? What about the guy you dated for a week but it turned out he was just trying to make his ex jealous? What happened to you swearing off love?”

“Actually you know what, never mind,” Koushi growled.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m happy for you, what’s this someone like?”

“Tell me about you, did you get X to the art museum yet?”

“Suga,” complained Asahi. Koushi scuffed the soles of his feet along the pavement. He was outside the dorm, the sun already gone down, looking up at the lights on in the windows, curtains open and drawn, somebody on their phone looking down at him. He imagined for a moment that person was Asahi, nearby, not on the other side of the world.

“I want to know, I’m serious. And the Italian lessons?”

“The Italian lessons are fine, I can almost order food without feeling like an idiot,” Asahi answered him, the tension between them easing. “Actually I’ve got a great tutor who’s been helping me, he speaks like three or four languages.”

“Yeah?”

“I think I told you about him before? Nishinoya?”

“That does sound familiar,” Koushi agreed.

“He’s great at language but has trouble with the other stuff so I’ve been helping him with some of his other classwork.”

“Oh great, he’s doomed.”

“Suga!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. He’s just cursed, just a little bit,” Koushi snickered. Asahi gave him a long weary sigh in response. “I know I’m your favorite, Asahi, you can just go ahead and say it.”

“I miss you, Suga.”

“I’m just trying to keep you humble.”

“I mean it.”

“I miss you too,” Koushi huffed back, feeling the wobble in his throat just for a moment. Smothering it down.

“You going to tell me about the somebody now?”

“Okay, so I ran into him at the park. Like literally ran into him….”

Chapter Text

It wasn’t that Koushi had bad intentions or was a bad student. It was just that his first love was sleep, not learning, and when his fourth alarm went off he turned it off instead of hitting snooze. He woke up at the exact time earth science was starting. And then he needed coffee to power his run across campus. At the counter the tall annoying barista was leaning casually waiting for the dark haired man he was replacing to unlock the door. And it was at that moment on this exact day, now fifteen minutes late for earth science that Koushi realized the man the irritating string bean was replacing was none other than Sawamura, dark smudges beneath his eyes, up early to open the coffee shop at five. And as he opened the door, Koushi still gaping with his realization, Sawamura seemed to realize it too.

“We’re late,” he said.

“Really late,” Koushi agreed.

“We’d better run,” Sawamura told him adjusting his back pack.

“But coffee.”

“Better run,” agreed the blonde barista now leering at them from behind the counter.

“Can it, Tsukishima,” Sawamura growled. “I’d already be in class if you didn’t take your sweet time getting here.” Tsukishima raised his hands in surrender, but not looking sorry in the least. “C’mon Suga,” he said and then before Koushi could even register what was happening, Sawamura had caught his hand with his own and was pulling him out of the coffee shop. We’re… holding hands? Koushi felt his coffee deprived brain short circuiting as Sawamura pulled him across campus at a jog. His hand was warm and big and a little calloused, and god, what was happening right now??

When they slipped in the door Nakamura did not say anything. But only because he had stopped his whole lecture mid-sentence to give the two of them the death glare as they crept silently to their assigned seats, up front.

As Koushi slunk down in his seat pulling out his notebook, he felt like maybe this morning had turned out okay, sure, he was late, he had no breakfast or coffee, he was pretty sure his shirt was on inside out, but Sawamura had held his hand (!) and Nakamura hadn’t…

“Sugawara, Sawamura, see me at the end of class,” the words rang like a death knell. Koushi shuddered, glancing to Sawamura, who looked as stricken as he felt, his eyes wide. He turned his head just a little to meet Koushi’s eye.

“We’re fucked,” Koushi whispered and was gratified to earn a tiny smile from Sawamura in answer.

“Sugawara, you have something to share?”

Koushi shook his head emphatically, to snickers from the back of the class. Once Nakamura had dissolved back into his lecture Koushi pulled the edge of Daichi’s notebook closer to him writing a tiny note.

Think he’s gonna fail us?

Daichi stared down at the note and then wrote back.

Just you I’m a good student

Liar

“Sawamura, care to explain that for the class?” Nakamura’s voice cut through the silent giggles shaking Koushi’s shoulders. Sawamura stood bolt upright, chair scraping backward on the cement floor. He took a deep breath.

“Soil erosion,” Koushi whispered. Sawamura’s head bobbed almost imperceptibly and then he was rattling off information. Koushi felt a flash of warm affection, clearly Sawamura did the reading. He didn’t show up late every day like Koushi because he didn’t care.

In true Nakamura fashion he waited until absolutely everyone had left the lecture hall before he turned to where Koushi and Sawamura were waiting for him at his desk. Koushi shifting his weight from one foot to the other uneasily until Sawamura gently elbowed him.
“If you need to pee, I’ll cover for you.”

“Shut up,” Koushi hissed back to half a smile from Sawamura.

At last Nakamura straightened from where he’d been filing assignments waiting for the other students to leave. Perhaps he’d meant to be intimidating but both Koushi and Sawamura had him beat for height just barely. He whipped out two sheets of paper presenting one to each with a cold hard look in his eye. Koushi looked down at the words on the sheet, the requirements, the scope of the assignment and felt his blood turn to ice, stomach twisting unpleasantly.

“I’ve been nice enough to you two for too long,” Nakamura spoke at last. “And if you want both want to pass this class, here’s what I’m going to need from you. Sugawara especially. Your attendance is terrible. And your test scores are nothing to brag about either. You can work on it together or separate, it makes absolutely no difference to me. But I need it to be completed and I need it to be on time or I will not hesitate to fail you both. Attendance is part of your grade for the class and right now the way it is, you’re failing already,” he said turning his steely grey eyes first to Koushi and then to Sawamura. Koushi couldn’t meet his gaze staring instead at the professor’s neck, the crepe-y skin, two hairs he’d missed shaving, the bob of his adam’s apple. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

He didn’t dare look at Sawamura, who was still and solid beside him, but he could swear he felt the calm energy radiating off of him. He tried to focus on that instead because listening to the words that Nakamura was saying were filling him to the brim with dread, twisting his stomach into knots. Sawamura shifted his weight from one foot to the other, perhaps unconsciously, or maybe Koushi dared to hope for a second, on purpose, bumping elbows. He glanced out at Sawamura out of the corner of his eye. He was staring seriously at the professor, not afraid.

They didn’t say anything until they’d left the science building, the walk of shame from the lecture hall past the labs, and chattering people, silent and tense. Outside it was sunny, leaves beginning to unfurl from their buds on the trees in the quad. Sawamura let out a long breath and reached to card his fingers through his short hair. Koushi looked to him and wondered what his hair felt like and if he’d ever get the chance to find out.

“Shit,” Sawamura exhaled finally turning to look at Koushi, he shouldn’t have been smiling, there was no reason for him to be smiling but there it was, a tiny smile on his lips, warm and full in his eyes. Koushi felt dazed for a second. Shit was right. “You want to work on it together?”

Koushi lifted up the paper to read what it was asking for.

“Suga, were you even listening to what he said?”

“I uh…” Koushi read the words, the word count requirement, the presentation they had to make to the class and he felt sick all over again.

“We can work together, it’ll be okay,” Sawamura elbowed him again, this time Koushi knew it was on purpose, and he thought of the other one earlier and felt another rush of affection.

“Okay, okay, I guess I’ll help you,” he said with what he hoped came off as bluster. Sawamura snorted a laugh at that.

“What are your classes like this afternoon? Want to meet in the library after 2?”

“Is he a friend of yours, that guy with the bad attitude who was in here this morning?” Tsukishima was leaning on the counter looking firmly bored. This was the day of the week where he only had a night class and worked a long mid shift at the coffee shop.

“Bad attitude? Who are you talking about?” Daichi was frothing milk, frowning at him. Tsukishima shrugged.

“You know, the guy with the ash blonde hair, the mole under his eye, sugar over acid. Always going a million kilometers an hour.” Oh, he means Suga. Daichi smiled a little.

“What’s it to you?”

“It’s nothing to me. I’m just wondering why you’re making his drink with that stupid smile on your face.”

“Talk about someone with a bad attitude,” Daichi said adding the espresso and finishing with the caramel sauce on top.

“I’m just thinking maybe Sawamura has a crush,” Tsukishima continued with a menacing smile. Daichi was putting a lid on top of the drink and determinedly not looking at Tsukishima, heat filling his face. Even knowing that his coworker was trying to get under his skin, didn’t stop it from working, and what Tsukishima really wanted right now was for Daichi to be defensive about it.

“So what,” Daichi said instead, sneaking a glance to watch Tsukishima’s menace deflate a little. Tsukishima shrugged and faked a yawn. “Kuroo still trying to get you to join his ‘not a pyramid scheme’?” Daichi said as a peace offering to a weary groan from Tsukishima. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. The campus center was unusually quiet, the coffee shop had no customers. Though maybe it made sense since most people were in class right now. Daichi had a couple minutes to burn before he was supposed to meet Suga in the library and the drink was too hot to consume right now anyway.

“That a yes?”

“How’d you get him to stop asking?”

“Trade secret,” Daichi told him letting himself out from behind the counter, Tsukishima scowling at him for real now.

“How about tomorrow morning I tell Sonic the Hedgehog you’ve got a boner for him?” Tsukishima sneered. Daichi flinched.

“Kuroo knows I don’t have any money to invest. Every time he asks, I ask if I can borrow 2,000 yen.”

“And that works?”

“It’s a temporary solution,” Daichi told him with a grin. Tsukishima sighed resting his chin back in the palm of his hand.

“Thanks. Guess I won’t spill the beans to Sonic.”

“You’re a real pal, Tsukishima.”

“Have a nice date, Romeo,” Tsukishima called after him as he headed for the door. Daichi made a mental note as he crossed the quad not to cross Tsukishima. It wasn’t like he had a crush on Suga anyway. They were just…? Classmates? Sort of friends? They just so happened to live next door, and Suga just so happened to be handsome as fuck and charming and smart and maybe was actually Daichi’s type…

Well, maybe he did have a little crush. Just the tiniest crush. It’s not like he had a chance with the guy after all. Suga was attractive and a shining star and Daichi was just… well, just Daichi.

Suga was already at the library, he’d staked out a table, earth science book open, reading with his chin propped up on a fist. He yawned, scratching the back of his neck. He noticed Daichi then, eyebrows popping up, a bright smile on his face that he immediately tried to play off as more casual and less eager and fuck, he was cute. Daichi set the drink down in front of him and sat down across the table from Suga. Suga looked from the drink and then back to Daichi.

“What is that?”

“What does it look like?”

Suga pulled it a little closer and got a whiff and half a smile.

“Uh for you, since I made you miss your coffee this morning,” he fumbled for an explanation under Suga’s intense gaze.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re the best? Because you are, you are the most best, the bestest even,” Suga had popped the lid off the drink and inhaling the scent a blissful smile on his face. Daichi smiled to himself, warmth creeping up his neck. Suga took a sip and set the drink down with a happy smile.

“You ready to destroy Nakamura’s torture assignment?” he asked before laying out his plan on how they should approach it. Even though Suga had paid no attention when Nakamura had been explaining the assignment, it was clear he’d spent a lot of time thinking about it since then. Though Daichi had spent exactly zero time considering the assignment, and had only been thinking of the amount of time he was going to get to spend with Suga as a result. You know. Like a totally normal friend thing to think and not like a creepy dude with a crush on somebody totally out of his league. Even with those edges of despair, Suga’s enthusiastic plan to take on the project was contagious and before he knew it Daichi was pitching in his own ideas as Suga scrawled them down on a sheet of notebook paper. Their project took shape, Daichi pulling the notebook across the table so he could add his own notes to Suga’s. Suga took a long drink of the macchiato, sighing with a soft smile. Daichi’s hand stilled as he met Suga’s eyes, hazel and sparkling. There was no way he’d ever have a chance with a guy like Sugawara, even though there was nothing he wanted more.

--

Sawamura brought me a drink!

Not just any drink but Koushi’s favorite, made how he liked it with a little extra caramel sauce. And damn if Sawamura wasn’t sexy right now tapping on his chin with Suga’s pen, looking down at their notes for the project. When he looked up, Koushi was too dazed to pretend he hadn’t been staring, their eyes meeting like an electric current and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Koushi tore his eyes away first, sure he was blushing, he grabbed the drink and took another swallow to pretend he was doing something useful and not imagining what it’d be like to kiss Sawamura Daichi.

Sawamura slid the notebook back across the table, looking a little shaken up as well, eyes flitting away from Koushi as Koushi reached to receive the notebook and read Sawamura’s neat handwriting.

“See we know our stuff this won’t be hard.”

“Won’t be hard but it’ll be a lot of work,” Sawamura complained.

“Hmm,” Koushi answered feeling like there was a joke there he wasn’t sure how to make, he waggled his eyebrows at Sawamura, who made a sound pressing his lips to keep it in, eyes crinkling. They were in a library after all. “What kind of work are we talking about here?” Koushi asked with a wink and Sawamura lost it, putting his head down on the table with a giggling laugh. It was a sound that made Koushi feel like he was going to die. Like in a good way. His heart just straight up leave his body. Smiling until his cheeks hurt. Why was Sawamura so handsome, with those warm brown eyes crinkling at the corners, broad hands spread out on the table? Wearing his glasses which somehow increased his attractiveness in ways Koushi could not quantify. It defied all science and explanation.

When they’d settled a bit, after a pointed glare from the librarian at the circulation desk, and Koushi resolving that next time they’d sit somewhere further away from her judgment. Daichi bent over to dig through his backpack, pushing his glasses back up as they slipped and pulling out his earth science textbook, so he could look something up. Koushi caught the glimpse of the big set of maintenance keys still clipped to his belt loop.

“Wait do you get to keep those janitor keys all the time?”

“No, shit, I shouldn’t have those at all. We’re supposed to leave them at the end of the shift.”

“What all do you have?” Koushi asked leaning across the table, Sawamura unclipped them and handed them over. It was a huge ring of keys, and they all mostly looked alike. “Can these get us someplace good? Like Nakamura’s office to steal the exam answer key?”

“Suga!” Sawamura snatched the keys back out of Koushi’s hand.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Jeez Sawamura, don’t you have a sense of humor?”

“You can just call me Daichi you know?” Sawamura said and then his eyes got a little wider. “I mean, all my friends call me Daichi. Its weird hearing you call me Sawamura.”

“Okay,” Koushi said, not quite daring to feel the sound of Daichi’s name on his lips.  Daichi still looked flustered, flipping through the massive earth science textbook. “What about the cafeteria? Can you get us in after hours? See if they’ve got extra sweets.”

“You’re sweet enough,” Daichi said rolling his eyes, and then choked, “I mean you eat sweets enough. All those caramel macchiatos.” But Koushi was already face down on the table howling with laughter.

“Hey, keep it down,” came the angry hushed voice of the librarian, coming from around the circulation desk right at them, Daichi paled a little and Koushi pressed his hand over his mouth trying to keep it in. Daichi’s face so serious, slapping Koushi on the back.

“So sorry, we’ll be quiet,” he promised with such sincerity that Koushi laughed harder, tears squeezing out of his eyes, wheezing.

“Goddammit Suga, you’re going to get us kicked out,” he hissed when the lady had retreated back towards the circulation desk.

“Sorry, sorry,” Koushi croaked.

The sun was already low as they made their way back to the dorms after dinner. Somehow they were still together. Michimiya had texted Koushi about meeting up to work on calculus together later and he’d failed to respond hoping on some pathetic level that maybe Daichi (Daichi!) would want to keep hanging out. They’d definitely done enough work on earth science for the day, outlined their report, divvied up the work. Koushi had never been so grateful he’d signed up for earth science as he was right then, crossing campus while Daichi (Daichi!) was in the middle of a story about volleyball. Then they were up the stairs to their hall, Koushi thinking maybe they were going to his room when Daichi stopped short at the door next to his.

“Wait, don’t tell me,” Koushi exhaled. Daichi turned to look at him.

“What?”

“You’re my next door neighbor? Since when?”

“Since always?” Daichi was wearing the funny smile he’d had on when Koushi had run into him at the park. Like it was funny to him but he also couldn’t quite believe Koushi had done it.

“No way. I thought my neighbor was a big guy with hair like this,” Koushi said pushing up his hair in a poor imitation of the guy he was thinking off. Daichi gave a barking laugh.

“You mean Kuroo?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him in forever, did he drop out?”

“Yeah. He got rich and decided there was no point in school.”

“He got rich?”

“One of those get rich quick schemes, except he actually got rich,” Daichi said seriously. Koushi coughed at his serious expression.

“For real?”

“If you knew Kuroo, it’d make perfect sense,” Daichi said.

--

“You’re really going to do it?”

“I’m really going to do it, I already put the money down.”

“Asahi, I’m so proud of you,” Koushi exhaled from his spot on the bed listening to Asahi’s nervous laughter on the other end. They hadn’t talked on the phone in two weeks, it had all been texts and photos. Asahi had made friends with the other guys on the study abroad, and Koushi would’ve been lying if he said seeing the selfies with their Italian coffee and fancy pastas and pictures of the sun drenched coast and the ocean and the other grinning faces encircling his best friend’s didn’t make him a little bit jealous.

“You’ll be just like Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. Wait are you Gregory Peck or are you Audrey Hepburn? Are you driving the Vespa or is X going to drive?”

“I don’t like what you’re trying to say there.”

“Do you need a license for that?”

“I hope not.”

“So X is driving for sure?” Koushi laughed.

“Tell me about the love of your life, did you tell him yet you saw him first in a dream?” Asahi asked, and Koushi groaned.

“I didn’t see him first in a dream, he lives next door, Asahi.”

“That tall sinister looking guy with the wild hair?”

“No, that was his roommate. He got rich quick and dropped out.”

“Got rich quick?”

“Daichi won’t give me the details so I can buy into it,” Koushi groaned.

“Daichi?” Asahi’s tone shifted.

“Yeah, Daichi,” Koushi said and realized the last time he’d probably talked about Daichi to Asahi he’d probably called him Sawamura.

“You’re dating?”

“No we’re uh,” Koushi wavered. They were nothing yet. He wasn’t even really sure they were friends, even when they ate meals together it felt like maybe it was more out of convenience than friendship. Though they were definitely friendly. It made Koushi’s chest hurt trying to think it out. “We’re project partners in earth science,” he said instead.

“Isn’t that Nakamura-sensei’s class? The one that you hate?”

“That’s the one. Nakamura hates the two of us so much he gave us extra work.”

“Romantic.”

“Pure romance.”

--

Koushi meant to be on time today. He’d only hit snooze once, he’d even grabbed a bagel from the cafeteria, he went to the coffee shop to find Daichi behind the counter, a double win, macchiato and Daichi. The macchiato was the simple part, Daichi slid it across the counter to him.

“We’ve got five minutes, want to surprise Nakamura and be on time today?”

Daichi grimaced looking up at the clock.

“I’ve got to wait for Tsukishima, you can go on ahead.”

Koushi could not do that.

“I’ll wait.”

“He knows I have class,” Daichi grumbled before turning to the customer who’d appeared at the counter with an easy smile. Koushi leaned against the counter watching Daichi make the drink, apron already sporting a large coffee stain. He was in a forest green flannel today. Koushi imagined that if he could get close enough that Daichi would smell like maple syrup and fresh cut pine trees.

“Question,” he asked when Daichi had set the drink down for the girl, no one else behind her in line.

“What’s up?” Daichi asked. He came to where Koushi had set up shop leaning next to the packets of artificial sweetener and tiny creamers. Koushi reached across the space that separated them to poke Daichi’s arm.

“How many plaid shirts do you have?”

“I don’t know? A few?” Daichi seemed confused wiping his hands off on his apron.

“You wear a different one every day, I swear I’ve never seen you wear the same one twice.”

“I don’t have that many.”

“Yes you do, Daichi, don’t lie to me,” Koushi accused. Daichi was smiling a little now, mischief gleaming in his eye and he shrugged.

“I wore this one the last three days.”

“You did not, you were wearing a red one yesterday.”

“Why would you even know that?”

“Hello? Earth science yesterday. Do you chop wood in your free time too?”

“Do I what?”

“You know, like a lumberjack, with those big strong arms?” Koushi kept going even though his brain was now waving the red flags that he was well over the line. “And you know, eat flapjacks and maple syrup and whisky round the campfire in the mountains.” Daichi was laughing now.

“What the fuck, Suga.”

“Yeah, Sonic, what nonsense are you talking about now?” the cutting tone behind Koushi froze the fluttering of his heart at the sound of Daichi’s laugh. He turned to see Tsukishima fixing both of them with a smarmy smile.

“Ah, fuck off Tsukishima,” Daichi complained pulling his apron off.

“Did you just call me Sonic?” Koushi was reeling for a second.

“Gotta go fast. Aren’t you guys going to be late for earth science?” Tsukishima asked as Daichi let himself out of the door and let Tsukishima in.

“No thanks to you,” Daichi said slapping Tsukishima on the shoulder as they passed.

“I’m right on time,” Tsukishima said shrugging. Koushi shook his head.

“What is wrong with you?”

“Just ignore him,” Daichi said grabbing Koushi’s arm. “We’re going to be late.”

Chapter Text

Koushi collapsed at their usual breakfast table with a groan, hands in his hair, he hadn’t even bothered to grab food, he’d swiped his card through to come and sit at Michimiya’s table. She was silent for long enough eating a muffin, that he finally gave a second groan to provoke her.

“Okay, I’ll bite, what did he do now? Let it be known, I’m sick of your non-stop mooning about Sawamura though.”

“I had another dream,” Koushi answered her. She set down the half of a muffin and leaned forward on the table, he looked up to meet her eyes.

“Anything good? Did you dream that Sawamura falls for me instead and that’s why you’re all riled up?”

“No,” Koushi groaned, “I dreamt we kissed.” Michimiya rolled her eyes.

“What’s so bad about that?”

“It was in my room.”

“Ooh, that sounds steamy?”

“Are you kidding me? That’s terrifying. We don’t ever study in my room. It’s always at the library or the park or even the campus center. How am I supposed to subtly get him into my room to kiss him? Yui, I don’t even know if he likes me??” Koushi’s hands were back in his hair messing it up further.

“Hey, how could he not like you?”

“Uh, I’m me? I talk too much, I have these weird dreams…”

“Dreams where you find money and the love of your life? What’s uncool about that?”

“You don’t get it, I’m a freak. Daichi will totally think it’s weird. I think it’s weird. Asahi doesn’t even believe me.”

“Asahi is in Rome with other things on his mind. He probably thinks you’re making it up to steal back his attention.”

“See?? If that’s what you think about me, then what does Daichi think? I’m late to class all the time. He had to walk me through my calculus homework yesterday. He probably thinks I’m dumb as fuck and needy on top of that.” Koushi planted his face back down on the table, it was sticky. He had placed his face directly into something sticky. Ugh, as if things couldn’t get worse.

“Suga, it’s just a dream. Maybe it wasn’t your first kiss? Maybe it was further in the future than that. You’ve still got autonomy over the situation. Just kiss him where you want to.

“But what if he doesn’t like me?”

“Was he into it in the dream?”

“I was into it in the dream. God, I don’t even know if he was kissing me back! Yui this is a disaster!”

“Suga, it’ll be fine,” Michimiya said shaking her head. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Are you hungry? Go get some breakfast and then we can figure it out.”

They met in the library to work on their earth science project. Koushi feeling wobbly at the table he’d staked out, watching Daichi smile at the girl behind the circulation counter, he was wearing a thin t-shirt and no flannel even though today was easily a sweatshirt sort of day.  No flannel? Is he feeling okay? Maybe it’s laundry day? Koushi congratulated himself for bringing them both coffee. His stomach was full of butterflies as Daichi approached him, the look on his face cheery. Not a proper earth science attitude at all.

“Hey,” he said dropping his backpack that sounded like it weighed fifty pounds and was full of rocks. Koushi winced and offered him the coffee.

“Coffee? Aren’t you cold?”

“It’s not that cold out,” Daichi told him with a grin.

“You’re lying.”

“Thanks for the coffee, Mr. Psychic.”

Koushi’s heart did an uneasy staccato. Psychic. Now would be a good time to confess about his dreams, especially the one that Koushi had been unable to scrub from his brain all day. But then Daichi was sitting down and pulling out the earth science textbook and complaining about the group presentation he had to do for his ethics class and the moment had passed. Koushi sipped his coffee and tried to stop looking at Daichi’s lips, imagining what it would be like to lean across the table right now. That wouldn’t be easy, he’d have to crawl over the table, or maybe if he stood up, maybe he could pull Daichi the rest of the way to meet him…

“…Suga? Are you feeling okay?” Daichi was looking at him with concern drawing him out of the overthinking vortex he’d been sucked into.

“Oh yeah, I’m great, just fine, never been better.”

“You’re too quiet. It’s kind of freaking me out.”

“I’m capable of being quiet and composed.”

“Even when I’m talking about the Miya twins? You’ve always got something to say about them.”

“Wait, are they in your group for Ethics? That’s fucked up, Daichi. I’m sorry for you, for your whole class actually.” Daichi laughed.

“It’s not that bad,” he argued, “They’re on the volleyball team, we get along. Once they get going though…” he shook his head smiling. He had nice lips, Koushi thought idly, not chapped even in this weather, they’d probably be soft. Fuck, he was doing it again. He dragged his eyes away and pulled out his own earth science book.

“Alright, where were we at on this again?”

Walking back to the dorms the wind had picked up. Daichi usually ran warm, but he was regretting his own hubris right now, shoulders hunched up against the wind. It was spitting, cold rain biting at his face. Suga cut right through it, he had a jacket zipped up over his hoodie, hood pulled up over his messy hair. Daichi’s knee ached in the cold and before he knew it Suga had outstripped him, long strides putting him further and further ahead. Damn knee. Daichi tried to hurry but that only made it worse. Finally Suga seemed to realize he was ahead and alone, turning back and squinting at Daichi through the rain, nose scrunched up against the wet. Daichi’s heart gripped for a moment at the color in Suga’s face in the cold wind, the way his lips pulled at a smile, quick steps putting him back at Daichi’s side, unzipping his jacket and thrusting it into Daichi’s hands.

Daichi felt too numb to even try to turn it away, shrugging off his backpack and pulling it on. They were nearly the same size though Daichi was cut a little thicker, it zipped up just fine, a little oversized perhaps on Suga but just right on him. It was already warm and more devastatingly, it smelled like Suga. He pulled his backpack back on and then Suga had seized his arm and was dragging him forward. Daichi stumbled after him.

“Thanks,” he mumbled into the rain.

“Fits you better than me,” Suga answered shooting him one of his quick-fire smiles that made Daichi’s heart beat double time. All he could think was about Suga’s hand on his elbow towing him forward. His knee ached and he had to pull Suga back.

“Slow up a little.”

“I’m freezing my ass off,” Suga said turning to face him again, smile dropping at the sight of Daichi’s grimace.

“Knee,” Daichi said by way of explanation and Suga immediately stopped pulling, linking their elbows and falling into step with him, pushing his hands into the pocket of his hoodie.

“Sorry.”

“I’m freezing my ass off too,” Daichi forced out, wishing he could undo his fucked knee this time just to have Suga grinning at him again. Suga gave a huff of laughter, squeezing his arm tighter.

They disentangled at the dorm door, Suga fishing through his pockets for his keycard while Daichi tried to shake the rain off the jacket. Finally they were inside into the warm and limping a little Daichi let Suga pull him onto the elevator.

“Just hurts when the weather changes.”

“Can I get you ice? Or maybe…” Suga had a thoughtful face, “A heating pad?” And then just as easily there was something wicked in his face. “I think Michimiya has a heating pad, you want to wait in my room? I can go get it from her.”

“I’ve got a heating pad,” Daichi told him unlocking the door of his room and kicking off his wet shoes. Suga was following at his heels. “Oh right, your jacket,” he said unzipping it and offering it back. Suga accepted it, with a look of defeat. He was so close for a moment Daichi allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to kiss him, his cheeks still flushed from the cold and then Daichi was touching his cheek. Suga flinched at his touch and Daichi cursed himself for doing something stupid like that.

“You should go dry off, before you catch a cold,” he said heat filling his face pulling back his hand and taking a step further into his room.

“Right, uh smart,” Suga said taking a gulp. “Well, uh, hope your knee feels better, I’ll see you later,” and then he was ducking out of the doorway. Daichi kicked off his wet pants and peeled the shirt off and into something with long sleeves flopping back onto his bed with a groan. Why had he done that? Went and touched Suga’s face like that? Why did he have to make it weird? Couldn’t he just enjoy being friends without stepping out of bounds?

He’d dozed off there lying in his long sleeve shirt and boxers when there was a knock on the door.

Groggily he pushed himself up, knee even stiffer than before. He should’ve put the heat on it like Suga had suggested. Opening the door revealed the man himself in a fresh hoodie, holding a smoothie. Daichi was rubbing his eyes, Suga looked surprised.

“Were you asleep?”

“Nah,” Daichi answered. He had no idea what time it was but early enough the coffee shop was still open clearly. “Maybe just a little,” he relented under Suga’s intense look.

“Your hair’s still wet,” he said.

“Did I miss dinner time?” Daichi asked, glancing back at the clock beside his bed. Yep, definitely missed dinner.

“I’ve got some cup of noodles, I didn’t think you’d fall asleep or I would’ve gotten you when I went over to dinner.”

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Daichi ran a hand through his hair, it was still wet and cold and he realized what he was wearing then, the cool air on his thighs, he determinedly did not look down.

“This is for you, I’ll go heat you up dinner,” Suga said pushing the smoothie into Daichi’s hands. It was a soft pinkish orange and he suspiciously took a drink as Suga disappeared back into the hall. A mix of flavors that he wasn’t sure how Suga would’ve known was his favorite. Except….

“Tsukishima,” groaned Daichi under his breath. He dug a pair of sweatpants out of his dresser and then located the heating pad. He was set up on his bed when Suga came back, knee propped up under the steady heat, nursing the smoothie. Suga sat down on the other end of the bed with his own cup of noodles. They ate in silence, listening to the rain pelting off the window out in the dark of early evening.

Koushi woke to the ringing of his phone fumbling for it in the dark.

“Hello?” he croaked, sure for a moment it would be his mother delivering some sort of bad news, he struggled to sit up and reached to turn on a light.

“He had a date,” Asahi’s voice met Koushi’s ears but his brain tried to make meaning out of the words he’d just said.

“Asahi?”

“X had a date, some local girl, I fucked up, Suga, I was so sure…”

“Oh Asahi,” Koushi sighed heavy leaning against the wall, “I’m sorry, that’s shit. Did you get your deposit back?”

“No, no refunds,” Asahi said, and that’s when Koushi realized he didn’t sound completely devastated. “Nishinoya went with me instead.”

“Nishinoya?” Koushi tried to summon up which one of Asahi’s new friends that was. He rubbed his eyes. “Is he the one with the tattoo?”

“No that’s Matthew. Nishinoya, Suga,” he said as if that would clarify it at all. The clock said 4am and it was really too late, too early in the morning for this. Suga shut his eyes.

“Remind me.”

“He’s my Italian tutor, the guy from the volleyball team, he’s got the bleached bit in his hair.”

“Oh, the libero,” Koushi said, suddenly recalling something Daichi had told him.

“Yeah, I guess?”

“How was that?” Koushi asked and then listened to Asahi make a funny sound on the other end of the line. Like a happy sigh almost. A happy sigh? “Asahi?”

“It was a lot of fun actually,” he said.

“A lot of fun?”

“Yeah, fun, you know that thing you do with friends when you’re not stalking the guy you had a dream about.”

“Ouch, I’m just surprised,” Koushi amended, “Were you Gregory Peck or Audrey Hepburn?”

“Suga have you ever even watched Roman Holiday?”

“Maybe once, I don’t remember, it seems like something you made me watch in high school.”

“We took turns. He knows a lot of cool places around the city. I guess he’s been out and about while I’ve been sticking around school. I wish I could be more like him. He just goes after whatever he wants.”

“You do that too,” Koushi argued with a yawn. “Go after what you want. That’s why you’re in Rome.”

“Are you falling asleep?” Asahi accused him.

“Asahi it’s like 4am, you woke me up,” Koushi murmured back, he’d crept back down under the covers, Asahi’s voice comforting against his ear.

“Shit I didn’t even think about that. I’m sorry, Suga.”

“Its fine, its fine. I’m glad it turned out good. I’m glad you had fun.”

Daichi had mentioned he was closing the coffee shop that night and Koushi had tried to talk himself out of it, but ended up at the campus center anyway, propping himself up against the counter out of the way of actual customers. Daichi had been trying to clean things up, but instead Koushi had roped him in, showing him the video Asahi had sent him earlier, it was shaky footage of a man pulling a swordfish out of the ocean in a net, laughing maniacally.

“Hey, that’s Nishinoya,” Daichi said leaning closer to peer down at Koushi’s phone. “I thought you were going to prove to me that Asahi was real.”

“Asahi is real,” Koushi groaned rolling his eyes at the smirk Daichi was giving him.

“All I see is Nishinoya.”

The view of the video shifted to another guy with a pair of pliers, sunglasses concealing his eyes reaching to help the supposed Nishinoya get the hook out. The camera angle went askew as the fish wiggled loose from Nishinoya’s arm.

“Holy shit,” Daichi was giggling, the fish flipped free. There was indistinct shouting from the video. Koushi thought he heard Asahi’s squawk of horror as the fish flopped across the deck and then out into the water. Nishinoya was coming back toward Asahi face glowing.

“Did you see how fuckin’ huge that thing was? Did you get it on video huh? Show me, Asahi-san,” he crowed, the video angle shifting again dropping from the scene to the deck and going black.

“See he said Asahi,” Koushi said looking up to Daichi, who was still grinning at him.

“I didn’t hear it,” Daichi insisted, grinning wickedly. He was so close, Koushi could’ve leaned forward and bumped foreheads. He reeled for a second, Daichi’s eyes warm brown, and he didn’t think they’d ever been so close before. Was he imagining that Daichi was looking at his lips? Could he…? Koushi felt like he was being drawn like a threaded needle right through the center of his chest pulling him in. The look in Daichi’s eyes was hazy, leaning a little closer.

“Suga?” he murmured. Then he was jumping back toward the counter, as two girls stepped up to order. Koushi felt heat flooding his face, turning to where Daichi had gone, wondering if he was imagining the extra color in Daichi’s face as he cheerily asked the girls what drinks they wanted. What the actual hell had just happened? I think maybe he was going to kiss me?

Daichi came back with more composure than how he’d left, leaning up a little further away and Koushi’s heart sank a little.

“Can I claim my free drink yet?”

“Not yet,” Daichi said, “You have to help me clean up.”

“Go ahead and close already, I should’ve been in bed an hour ago.”

“I thought you were always out late, party and drinks and stuff,” Daichi said it casually and Koushi remembered for a moment the night out he’d invited Daichi to drinks with their hall-mates, what felt like a million years ago at the beginning of last semester.

“Ehh, that’s not really my scene,” Koushi said, “I’d rather badger local baristas.”

“Clearly.”

“I do enjoy a good night out though. Get Yaku drunk and then he gets up on top of the tables.”

“I’ve heard stories about drunk Yaku,” Daichi said smiling again.

“They’re all true, I can confirm,” Koushi said grinning back. “A necessary life experience. You’ll come with us next time?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Daichi leaned away as a young man with longish hair and freckles wandered up toward the counter. His eyes were on the drink board, fumbling with his wallet. “Hey Yamaguchi,” Daichi called.

“Hi Sawamura,” then Yamaguchi was looking around, eyes skating over Koushi. “I thought Tsukki was working tonight?”

“Not tonight,” Daichi told him. “You want to get something to drink?”

“I’m already here so I guess I should. Could I have uh…”

“Hot chocolate,” Koushi whispered loud enough that Yamaguchi turned to look at him.

“Hey, Sugawara!” his face brightened a second.

“How’d your team turn out?”

“We only made it another couple of rounds after we beat you guys,” Yamaguchi said looking a little embarrassed.

“Team?” Daichi asked looking from Yamaguchi back to Koushi.

“Intermural volleyball,” Koushi said.

“Oh,” Daichi’s face was twisted.

“Do you play volleyball?” Yamaguchi asked and Koushi cringed wishing he could somehow signal him to quit.

“I’ve played some,” Daichi said. “You pick a drink?”

“I’ll go hot chocolate,” Yamaguchi said thankfully letting the topic drop.

When Yamaguchi had gone, Daichi set out the closed sign.

“Free drink time?”

“Are you going to help…” Daichi didn’t finish before Koushi was climbing up and over the counter. “Stop! Stop! Don’t…!” Koushi cackling as he leapt down into the small space behind the counter. Daichi somewhere between horrified and laughing. Koushi grabbed the mop.

“What do you want to drink?” Daichi asked.

“You know what I want,” Koushi told him.

“But it’s nine. I thought you should be in bed.”

“Caffeine doesn’t affect me, get that espresso going,” Koushi said starting at the back side of the small space behind the counter. Daichi gave him a long suffering sigh, Koushi grinning to himself. By the time he’d made it to the espresso machine, Daichi was drizzling the caramel on top.

“Suga, you’re a monster,” he told him.

“You’re welcome,” Koushi beamed back and then shooed him out of the way.

The night was cool as they walked back to the dorm. Suga was sipping on the macchiato, humming under his breath. Daichi kept thinking about what Yamaguchi had said.

“You didn’t tell me you played volleyball,” he said finally.

“Hmm?” Suga looked to him, blinking at him in the orange glow of the streetlamps. But before Daichi could repeat what he’d said Suga was continuing. “I didn’t think you’d want to talk about it? You know…”

“Since I’m washed up.”

“Yeah,” Suga winced. “Now I feel bad again, want a sip?” He offered Daichi the cup.

“I’ll be up all night.”

“With just one drink?”

“Not to mention it’s too sweet.”

“Just like me?”

Daichi rolled him eyes and Suga laughed.

“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”

“Nope.”

When they reached the dorm, Suga pulled out his key and then held the door open for Daichi. Their elbows brushed, a white hot spark. Daichi’s eyes trailed back to Suga as he came through to join him.

“Suga, you’ve got an eyelash,” he said indicating on his cheek. Suga frowned reaching to brush it away missing it. Then before he could stop himself Daichi was brushing it off with a thumb, Suga’s cheek beneath his hand. Their eyes met again and it was like it had been at the coffee shop. He’s out of my league. The thought growing fuzzy under the intensity of Suga’s hazel eyes. Was he imagining it or was Suga leaning into him. Was this happening? Was…?

“Hey there’s the man I’m looking for,” Yaku’s voice sent Daichi stepping back. Suga looked red, he’d turned his face away as if he didn’t want Yaku to see. “Do you have your fancy keys? There’s a raccoon in the stairwell. Lev wants to catch it, doesn’t maintenance have animal traps or something? Oh, Suga, you’re down here too?” Yaku came to a stop. Suga whirled back around.

“Did you say a raccoon in the stairwell?” If he’d been red it was hard to tell now.

“I don’t have the keys.”

“I knew it was a long shot,” Yaku groaned.

“Don’t let Lev try to grab it though,” Daichi told him.

“Don’t worry, I left him with Tendou.”

“Morisuke. Tendou?” Suga’s eyes were wide.

“Right, right, that was a bad idea,” Yaku led the way back up to the hall at a jog. Just in time to stop Tendou from sending Lev in to chase the raccoon out the open ground floor door.

The following evening, Koushi was lying on his bed halfway through his calculus homework when there was a knock on his door. Pulling off his headphones he got up to answer it, opening the door to find Daichi.

“Hi,” Daichi looked bashful, shoulders pulled up, and Koushi felt a smile light up his own face, a pulse of warmth across his chest.

“What’s up?”

“The A/C is broken in my room, it’s been putting out hot air for the whole day. It needs a new part and I can’t get it to turn off, can I stay here? Uh, since Asahi’s in Rome?”

Koushi didn’t even have to give it any thought.

“Sure,” he said opening the door wider. Daichi had brought a backpack, he shuffled in and let it down hesitantly.

Suga’s room was much messier than the last time Daichi had seen it, clothes draped over his roommate’s desk chair, books and papers in leaning piles covering his desk, three pairs of shoes all in spots to facilitate easy tripping. The window at least was open, and Daichi could smell the cool night air. Suga retreated through the mess to his bed where he was working on math homework, book open, calculator out. Daichi would’ve been lying if he’d said he hadn’t imagined this scene before, though he was a little disappointed Suga wasn’t wearing his ‘HOT STUFF’ pajama pants. Instead he had on a pair of gym shorts, one leg hanging off his bed kicking in time to whatever was playing through his headphones. He pulled one side of them down off his ear when Daichi had clearly spent too long absorbing the chaos in front of him.

“Make yourself at home,” Suga told him, waving at the room and then taking it in for a second with an embarrassed smile. “It’s kind of a mess, Asahi always made sure it was neat but obviously he’s been gone for too long.”

“There you go with that Asahi nonsense again,” Daichi teased kicking off his shoes and depositing his backpack on a clear patch of floor, sinking down into the couch under Asahi’s lofted bed. Suga rolled his eyes at him, putting his headphones back on, tapping his pencil on his notebook. Daichi tried to pull out his homework to work on it, he really did, he opened up the earth science textbook, got out a fresh sheet of loose leaf to do the assignment on and then stared at the questions on the page, mind blank. Eyes then drifting to Suga who had his chin propped up on his hands, there were moles on his legs just like the one on his face, and then Daichi’s head was someplace else entirely, were they on his stomach also? His back? Shit he’s looking at me now. Daichi looked hurriedly away.

“Got something to say, Sawamura?” Suga asked him with a smug smile.

“H-how’s that math homework coming along?” the words came out of Daichi’s mouth decidedly uncool.

“Just great,” Suga groaned running a hand through his hair. Daichi wondered what it felt like, if it felt as soft as it looked. Fuck. I should’ve asked to stay in Yaku’s room instead. This was a mistake. But Yaku was roommates with Lev, they didn’t have a spare bed like Suga did. So this made more sense. But at what cost?

“Can I help?”

“I’m beyond help,” Suga said closing his textbook. “Are you working on Nakamura’s assignment from hell? Can we do it together? I don’t know how he expects us to finish up that project on top of all the shit he already assigns in class.”

“It’s not supposed to be easy, it’s supposed to be a punishment,” Daichi answered him glad to seize on a topic that wasn’t the lazy circles his mind had been running in.

“Punishment has no place in school. It should be about learning,” Suga complained pulling out his textbook and a fresh sheet of paper and then Oh god he was coming to sit next to Daichi on the couch, their knees bumping as Suga tucked his legs underneath him, leaning over to look at Daichi’s answers.

“You haven’t even started.”

“I got distracted.”

“Gotta stay focused, Daichi,” Suga said tapping him on the head with his pen. He turned to look at Suga, but he was so close, it was disorienting, surely they’d sat this close before right? And then his eyes were on the mole on Suga’s knee.

“That first one’s gotta to be back in the beginning of the chapter someplace, right?” Suga was flipping back through the chapter they’d had to read the day previous, tracing lines with the back side of his pen looking for the words.  “Daichi, do you remember reading that part? Was it at the beginning or towards the end? Huh? Earth to Daichi?” Suga elbowed him hard, brows drawn down in suspicion. Daichi blinked, heat searing his face.

“Oh, uh, I don’t remember,” he mumbled, “Wait, did you actually read the chapter this time?”

“Yeah, is that so shocking?” Suga asked looking back to the pages.

“Have you read any of the chapters so far?”

“It’s not that I don’t read them,” Suga said, “I just get started and then before I know it, I’m asleep,” he grinned bashfully, glancing at Daichi out of the corner of his eye. His smile making Daichi’s stomach do backflips.

Koushi was yawning by the time they were finished with the questions, a moment he had not been eager for, he would’ve done a hundred more if it meant he got to spend another hour huddled next to Daichi on the couch, elbows bumping, leaning against his shoulder. On the other hand the moment they were done Daichi leapt up to go take a shower, looking sweaty and a little nervous and Koushi doubted again whether he was reading any of the signs right. A little sad that it seemed like Daichi needed an excuse to put space between them. I’ll be better when he comes back. Koushi was essentially already in his pajamas, brushed his teeth and then switched out the books in his bag for tomorrow’s classes.

Then Daichi came back running a towel through his hair, looking fresh, and maybe a little sleepy. Hanging up the towel to dry Koushi had to smile at the image he made, in a ratty black t-shirt, hair wet and sticking out every which way. Daichi caught him staring.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He went to dig through his bag for something, Koushi moving past him to collect his assignment for calculus, their shoulders brushing. The room suddenly felt very small, he’d been living alone for the whole semester so far but he didn’t ever remember feeling so crowded when Asahi had been there. And then they were touching again, bumping into Daichi as he stood up.

Koushi turned to say something cutting about the lack of respect for personal boundaries and instead found Daichi’s eyes on him with that look and felt the answering call in his chest. They’d bumped again noses colliding, a nervous exhale of laughter from Daichi and then they made better contact, lips meeting, Daichi’s warm hands on Koushi’s waist. Tentative at first, a question seeking an answer, and then with confidence, hunger even. Breathless, they broke contact, Koushi’s fingers in the damp hair at the back of Daichi’s neck. Withdrawing, settling them on Daichi’s shoulders, trying to keep from pulling him back in. Daichi’s face was flushed and he looked shyly at Koushi now.

“So,” he was the one to break the unease that was settling between them, removing his hands from Koushi’s waist and with regret Koushi let go of him as well.  Daichi rubbed the back of his knuckles like he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

“So,” Koushi answered and sat back on the edge of his bed. Daichi moved and sat beside him. Far enough away they were not touching. Koushi hated it. He hated every second they had spent thus far not touching, he wanted to feel Daichi’s warmth again.

“Did I make it awkward? Do you want me to go back to my room?” Daichi said looking at Koushi nervously. Koushi wanted to smooth the crinkle out of his brow, thinking about the funny little laugh he’d done when they’d knocked noses.

“It doesn’t have to be awkward,” he said, and then risked scooting a little closer so their knees were touching. “Beside you didn’t start it, it was me.”

“No, it was me,” Daichi insisted, smiling a little now. Koushi elbowed him.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked, and then before he could stop himself, “prove it.”

Daichi was leaning in to him again, hands impossibly gentle, cupping his face, a soft sweet kiss this time. Koushi felt himself melting. Was this what happiness felt like?  When Daichi finally let him go, Koushi’s arms were wrapped around him and he laid his head against Daichi’s shoulder, Daichi resting his cheek on Koushi’s head. Koushi listened to the soft sound of Daichi’s heart against his ear. Daichi yawned.

“Suga?” he finally murmured.

“Hmm?”

“I’m going to pass out, I’m so tired.”

“Oh, okay,” Koushi let him go, reluctantly. Daichi didn’t get up immediately, knee still touching. Daichi yawned again, and Koushi finally took the matter into his own hands and pushed Daichi up off the bed. “Alright, bed.”

“Will you let me take you on a date?” Daichi asked as Koushi tried to push him toward Asahi’s lofted bed.

“Shit, you beat me to it,” Koushi hissed at him, a grin splitting his face.

“Tomorrow? After class?”

“Only if it’s something fun.”

“Fun like what?”

“Fun like, I’m not giving you any ideas, surprise me,” Koushi said still pushing Daichi. Daichi allowed himself to be pushed, but put up enough resistance it was an effort. He was smiling. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“That face you’re making.”

“I’m not making a face.”

“Yes you are, it’s the dopiest smile.”

“I can’t help it, I’ve got a date.”

“You’re embarrassing, maybe I’m changing my mind.”

“You can’t change your mind, you’re the one who kissed me.”

“Shut up, shut up,” laughed Koushi as Daichi slowly climbed the ladder to the top. He crawled under the blankets with a happy sigh.

“These blankets don’t smell like you,” he said as Koushi went to hit the light switch.

“Yeah because it’s Asahi’s bed, dumbass.”

“Asahi doesn’t exist.”

“Yes he does. Don’t make me come up there.”

“Please do.”

“Daichi,” Koushi growled heat spreading across his face. He hit the light and listening to Daichi’s soft laughter, like a glowing light in Koushi’s chest. He crawled into his own bed, the quiet between them comfortable. He fell asleep smiling to himself.

The parking lot was covered in cracks, painted in lines of asphalt, he was wearing a beat up pair of shoes, heading for the sidewalk, a glass door reflecting the blue of the sky, it was beautiful. Then he remembered what he had forgotten, the words rising up to his lips, the sound of squealing brakes, turning, the forest green of the car coming right at him, an intake of breath…

Koushi sat up shuddering in the dark breathing hard. The neck of his t-shirt soaked in sweat, heart hammering in his chest. He leaned over his thighs trying to slow his heart, to shake the dream, convince himself it had not felt solid. God, it had felt solid, he’d felt the sun on his neck, the fluttering distraction of talking with somebody, a pebble in his shoes, those damn lines of asphalt.

“Suga? Are you alright”

Koushi nearly jumped again at the sound of a voice that was not Asahi. There was the creaking of Asahi’s lofted bed, and Koushi found the shape of Daichi in the dark, propped up in bed leaning toward him. Koushi shuddered again.

“Just a bad dream,” he croaked in the dark, shrugging off the sweaty t-shirt and trying to mop the dampness from his neck and chest, tossing it onto the floor and flopping back into bed, staring up at the ceiling. Asahi had talked him out of the glow in the dark star stickers and he resented him for that. Asahi was probably awake right now. What time was it in Rome? Had he just dreamed his own death? Koushi sucked in another shuddering breath, glancing up to Asahi’s bed. It didn’t seem that Daichi had moved. Maybe he’d imagined that Daichi was awake, his heart was still going too fast and he felt like he was shivering.

“Daichi?” it came out as a whisper.

“Yeah?”

God, he was awake. Koushi shut his eyes but he could see the flash again of the forest green car, the sun glinting off the roof, the bright blue sky. He peeled his eyes back open.

“What was it about?” Daichi asked. His voice was rough with sleep.

“Nothing, go back to sleep,” Koushi said scrubbing his eyes with his fists.

“Sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“It was just a dream.”

There was the sound of the mattress creaking, a soft sigh from Daichi, blanket shuffling.  Koushi wrapped his own self tighter in the thin comforter. Maybe it’d just been a dream. Just a regular, normal dream that had no bearing on reality. Not all of his dreams came true right?

Chapter Text

Daichi woke late to the buzzing of the alarm on his phone, cracking open his eyes to find the ceiling much nearer than it ought to be, and the sudden reminder that this was not his room, and not his bed, the sheets smelled like somebody else’s laundry detergent, photos pinned up on the wall of somebody else’s friends and family. Groggily he sat up to see that Suga’s bed was empty, messily made, pajamas shirt discarded on the floor, Suga nowhere to be seen. They didn’t have earth science today. Daichi rubbed his eyes wondering if it had become awkward anyway last night, even though they’d both said it wouldn’t be.

And then he remembered what had woke him in the middle of the night, the panicked, hoarse shout, Suga sitting up in bed shaking. The bad dream he’d had but would not explain. Daichi had laid awake long after Suga had told him that it was nothing and he should go back to sleep, listening to Suga’s shuddering breaths, and the sound of him turning over and over in bed. Finally he’d crawled out of bed and disappeared out the door and into the hallway. Drowsily Daichi had thought maybe he should go after him, but in the silence left behind, sleep crept over him and he only vaguely remembered the sound of Suga returning later.

Had that been real? Daichi rubbed his eyes again. Instead of worry he tried to supplant the feeling with the memory of Suga’s hands in his hair, on his face, ghosting over his shoulder.

Koushi had tried to call Asahi when he could no longer stay in bed, when he’d woken way too early from uneasy regular dreams, with the nightmare still hanging over him, fresh as an open wound, details still sharp and crystal clear. He’d listened to it ring and ring and ring and go to voicemail finally. He wasn’t sure what time it was in Rome but it must’ve been late enough that Asahi had already gone to sleep. He almost tried to call again but talked himself out of it. He’d have to wait if he wanted to talk. Instead he went for a jog, staying clear of all parking lots, but he couldn’t outrun the dream. It was there waiting for him when at last, panting, he’d come back around to the dorm. It was only six then and the idea of going back to his room, back into bed, even with Daichi’s soft snoring, beautiful as it was, was panic inducing. He sat down and tapped out a quick text to Michimiya instead. He knew she had a lot of early classes, maybe by some chance she was awake right now. He shivered in the early morning chill, pushing his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker watching his breath plume up in tiny white clouds. The sun beginning to cast everything in golds and orange. He shuddered again. His phone finally buzzed back with a promise from Michimiya to meet him in the cafeteria in thirty minutes.

“Suga? What’s up?” Michimiya sat down at his table. She hadn’t gotten food. Koushi lifted his head from his arms.

“Yui, I’m going to die.”

“You finally saw Sawamura naked didn’t you?” Michimiya asked with a smirk. Koushi rubbed his forehead grimacing. Michimiya’s smirk vanished in a look of fright. “Suga?”

“I dreamt I got hit by a car.”

“You’re not joking?”

“I wish I was.”

“Not all of your dreams come true though right? What about the one where you kiss Sawamura?”

Big tears filled up Koushi’s eyes.

“Wait, you kissed Sawamura?” Michimiya had her hands on Koushi’s shoulders. “When did that happen? He was in your room? Suga??”

“Last night,” Koushi choked, scrubbing the tears away, “But it doesn’t matter anymore because…”

“Are you sure you die?”

“It was coming right toward me and then everything went dark and I woke up.”

“Okay but maybe you don’t die then?”

“Maybe,” Koushi allowed, trying to visit the scene without the panic that it seared into his chest. All the details were vague. Maybe he didn’t die? He scrubbed his eyes again, the way he’d felt though was like he was about to die, the sharp tip of panic in the instant knowing what was happening was too fast to stop.

“Back up then, why was Sawamura in your room? What was it like kissing him?”

“Yui,” Koushi groaned pressing his face back into his arms, heat returning to his face, imagining the look on Daichi’s face.

“Give me details,” Michimiya was gently shaking his shoulders. “Did you confess to him? Did he kiss you back? What was he doing in your room in the first place?”

Daichi didn’t run into Suga all day. He’d tried to hit the cafeteria at the right time but he was nowhere in sight. He’d haunted the coffee shop until Tsukishima had started telling customers to ignore the creep standing by the straw dispenser. He had Suga’s phone number in his phone, their open conversation a series of “where can I meet you” questions for working on their earth science project. He’d opened it a million times thinking today I’m going to say something witty instead, break outside of their class dominated discussion. But it was always easier to just meet up in person under the pretext of their project, which they only ever were 30% focused on anyway. Now his thumbs hovered over the characters trying to say something fun and charming and not you don’t hate me after last night do you?? He scratched his ear and tucked the phone back into his pocket. Maybe Suga was back at the dorm? Maybe he could casually run into Suga’s friend Michimiya who lived in their building and she would know where he was at? He always spent a lot of time with her? What if they’re dating? Maybe Suga was just being nice pretending like he wanted to kiss me?

And right at that moment as he was unlocking the dorm door he remembered their date.

“Shit,” he exhaled pulling out his phone.

To Suga:

suga?? when r u done with class?

He took the stairs up the two flights to their floor, his knee only twinging a little. That had to be a good sign right? There was still no response when he finally reached Suga’s door, knuckles hovering. And then he knocked. To no answer. No text back. Uneasy, Daichi went to his own room, the heat was still blasting, a wall of hot air greeting him as he opened the door. The plant on the window sill from his sister was looking sad and wilting. Daichi rescued that first, setting it out in the hallway and then sweat breaking out as he tried to locate the right date outfit. Something nice, casual, effortlessly cool… who was he kidding?

From Suga:

Just got out now, y?

Daichi heart dropped a little, had Suga forgotten already? His phone buzzed again

From Suga:

What r we doing?

From Suga:

Is it FUN?

Daichi smiled.

Daichi was waiting in the hall when Koushi got back from class, holding a sad looking potted plant. Koushi cocked his head at the sight.

“Is that for me?”

“Uh, no,” Daichi blushed, “The heat’s still on in my room, I need your help.”

“Ooh, my help?”

“Can Eugene stay in your room? Can you try not kill him?”

“Your plant’s name is Eugene?” Koushi laughed at that, having to stop unlocking his door for a second to try and smother the giggles escaping his mouth. Daichi looked redder.

“Maiko named him.”

“Aren’t plants usually women?”

“How sexist of you.”

“Who is Maiko?” Koushi tried to ask casually opening the door and letting Daichi in behind him. “Your hot girlfriend?”

“Maiko is my twelve year old sister,” Daichi answered deadpan. Koushi laughed again.

“You’ve got a sister?”

“And a little brother, Kenji.”

Koushi hummed, dropping his book bag and clearing space on the windowsill for Eugene. Daichi set him down reverently.

“I don’t know why you’re worried about me killing him, he looks half dead already,” Koushi said.

“I watered him just a little bit ago, he’ll recover.”

“You know, this isn’t really the kind of fun I was expecting,” Suga said as he stood too far out of the bushes for Daichi’s comfort. Daichi was struggling with his maintenance keys on the lock on the back door of Founder’s Hall. It was the smallest building on campus, a relic of previous time, crumbling a little at the edges. Strictly off limits.

“Suga,” he hissed reaching out to pulled Suga closer, peering around to see if anyone had spotted them. He was pretty sure he was sweating through his flannel right now in the warm April evening.

“I was picturing going out to a bar or maybe pranking Tsukishima or something but instead you brought me to the haunted house. Are you going to kill me next or did you just bring me here to make out?”

Daichi was definitely sweating now, wiping it from his forehead with a wrist, taking one more furtive look around before jiggling the locked door one more time.

“Are you sure you have the right key? Ah!”

Daichi dragged Suga inside the building. Inside with the door shut it was dark and Daichi fumbled for the light switch, keenly aware that now Suga was pressed behind him.

“Daichi! What the hell…!”

The lights flickered on dim and spread out casting the first floor of the building in eerie light. Suga peered around his shoulder only to yelp when he saw the skeleton.

“Daichi, please don’t kill me!” Suga was hanging onto his arm now. Daichi grinned and gently bopped him on the head.

“Knock it off, it’s just a prop,” he said.

“Just a…? Daichi?” Suga was looking around now soaking it all in, the interior held a hodgepodge collection of old theater props. “I thought this building was haunted not…?”

“Glorified storage?”

“I was going to say a gold mine but okay,” Suga was grinning now going for the racks of costumes pushed up against the wall, pulling back the sheet of plastic flung over them.

Daichi followed him, he’d been in here once before looking for a spare part to fix something in the science building, up with the junk on the second floor. He’d thought they could eat dinner on the roof but Suga had other ideas, throwing on a starry cloak and digging through a box of props.

“Hey Daichi, look at this!” he called whipping out a knife, and then without missing a beat plunging it into his chest up to the hilt with a gagging sound. Daichi’s heart did a panicked jolt before Suga pulled it back out cackling. He did it twice more, the rubber retractable blade disappearing each time before he stabbed Daichi with it. Daichi staggered and dropped to his good knee.

“Et tu, Brute?” he croaked to more giggles from Suga. Suga dug through the box and pulled out a plastic chest plate of roman style armor.

“Here, you need this,” he said now wearing an eyepatch. Daichi dropped his backpack and let Suga strap it on.

“What are we going for here?”

Suga handed him a pirate’s scimitar, he’d put on a long white beard, eyes dancing in the dim light.

“I’m thinking gladiator pirate.”

“And you’re the wizard?”

“Yes, clearly.”

Daichi grabbed a red cloak off the rack and pulled it on. Suga was grinning at him. Daichi’s heart thudded nervously at the look Suga was giving him.

“Are we going to make out now?”

“I was thinking dinner first,” Daichi said grabbing his backpack off the floor and taking Suga’s hand to lead him to the rickety staircase.

“Wait, can we bring Mr. Bones with us?” Suga asked reaching to grab the skeleton’s hand, it was on a set of wheels and rolled after him.

“I’m not going to play third wheel to you and Mr. Bones,” Daichi threatened him, letting go of his hand.

“Fine, fine,” Suga let go of the skeleton and seizing Daichi’s hand again. Suga’s hand in his. He felt invincible. If this is a dream, please don’t let me wake up.

The second floor was a mess of broken equipment, ancient computers stacked up next to overhead projectors and dusty stacks of textbooks. They continued up the stairs to another locked door and Daichi fumbled again with the key in the near dark.

“Do they keep the bodies on the top floor?” Suga whispered in the dark, his breath on Daichi’s neck making all his hair stand on end. He wasn’t sure if it was a joke or real fright, the idea that Suga was so close he could press his lips to Daichi’s neck made the sweat start again. Then the key turned and the door opened and they were on the roof looking out over campus. Suga stumbled out behind him with a sharp intake of breath. Daichi shut the door behind them, looking down and wondering if people could see them from below. The sun was going down fast, soon they’d have the cover of darkness to keep them hidden.

“Is this where you take everyone on the first date, to make-out roof island, Gladiator Pirate?”

Daichi turned to find Suga grinning at him, more ridiculous in outdoor lighting in his beard and eye patch.

“Only when I’m on a first date with the wizard.”

He set down his backpack and pulled out their meal, the bento boxes he’d picked up from the shop down the street from campus, two bottles of tea.

“Wait until I tell Asahi about that skeleton, he never even wants to get close to this building,” Suga cackled as they sat down.

“You know for somebody who doesn’t exist you sure talk a lot about this Asahi person,” Daichi said with a grin offering Suga one of the boxes.

“Daichi you’re so mean. Asahi would be so sad if he knew you were telling everyone he didn’t exist.”

“Are you sure he’s not your imaginary friend?”

“Daichi,” Suga punched his shoulder.

“It’d be okay if he was.”

“He’s real, I’ll show you a picture.”

Daichi was laughing, Suga punching him again. Opening his bento now, he snapped open his chopsticks with a vengeance.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?”

“What? I had imaginary friends when I was kid.”

“Really?” Suga turned from his bento to stare eagerly at Daichi, beard dangling dangerously close to his dinner.

“Yeah his name was Kenzo and he was my imaginary big brother,” heat filled Daichi’s face with the admission but he knew Suga would not let him start this story without finishing it so he plunged on, “I used to imagine him going to school with me and he’d grab these two bullies and throw them off the playground equipment,”

“This is a weirdly violent fantasy,” Suga was still grinning.

“Well they deserved it,” Daichi said seriously. “And I was still pretty young when my parents got divorced, I used to imagine Kenzo shared a room with me when we moved in with my mother’s parents. Especially at night when the wind would blow. It was an old house and it creaked. I told my mom once I thought it was haunted and she didn’t even deny it.”

“What the fuck.”

“Yeah, even if it was, wouldn’t you try to convince your kid it wasn’t?”

“Maybe she just wanted you to be prepared. In case it was.”

“What the fuck.”

“Was it actually haunted though?”

“It could’ve been.”

“Did Kenzo fight off the ghosts then?” Suga tucked himself a little closer to Daichi as the wind blew across the roof.  Without thinking, Daichi wrapped an arm around him, surprising himself, but it felt right that way, Suga beside him. It was nearly dusk, chill setting in, Daichi opened his bento.

“Yeah he was like the ghostbusters, he had one of those vacuum cleaners that just sucked them up. And then we used the ghosts to fight crime.”

“Perfectly reasonable,” Suga agreed with a grin. They ate in quiet for a bit the sun finally dropping below the buildings, sky painted orange and pinks. Suga shivered again, wrapping his starry cloak tighter around himself, with a look on his face that Daichi couldn’t quite get a read on, worry maybe? And then seeming to realize Daichi was watching him, Suga pulled up the hood over his head as well, one eye twinkling the other hidden by the eye patch.  Daichi picked up the sword and poked him with it. Suga pulled out the knife from his cloak and stabbed him. Daichi only laughed.

“Can I just keep this knife? I feel like it would come in handy, when I fake my death to get out of Nakamura’s final.”

“No, you can’t keep the knife.”

“Please, no one will know. I need this. They’ll probably never miss it. How many shows do they even put on where stabbing is necessary?” Daichi raised his eyebrows. “Wait don’t answer that question,” Suga grinned and slipped the knife back into the folds of his cloak, pulling down his beard a moment to take a drink of the tea. Daichi shivered.

“I should’ve brought coffee, I didn’t think the sun would go down so fast, it’s cold as shit out.”

“You definitely didn’t think this through,” Suga was quiet a moment and then poked Daichi in the ribs, pulling his hood back, face a little more serious. “Something’s been bothering me.” Daichi felt another shiver go through him that had nothing to do with the cold. He could see the edges of worry again in Suga’s face. “Why didn’t you come out with us when I invited you to drinks? Uh, way back last semester?”

“I had a big test,” Daichi said, receiving a skeptical stare from Suga. “Seriously! Joke’s on me, I didn’t do great on it, either way. You know I kicked myself about that for the longest time. Especially when you just never talked to me again.”

“I always meant to,” Suga looked genuinely remorseful running his fingers through the hair on the back of his head. “I guess I sort of thought you were out of my league. I’m sorry.”

“Did you like me then?”

“We definitely had a moment, when you hit your head on my window. Now I know how hard your head is I’m surprised you didn’t break something.”

“You’re an ass you know that?”

“Yeah but I’m a nice ass.”

“Maybe,” Daichi was smiling, leaning toward him. Suga caught his shirt with his fists pulling him in the rest of the way. They kissed for only a moment before Daichi pushed Suga away coughing and trying to get the loose fake beard hairs off his lips. “Bastard,” he hissed while Suga laughed.

--

 “I had the dream again last night,” Koushi admitted as he and Michimiya browsed today’s offerings from the cafeteria. Michimiya was eyeing the breads, she already had a tray full of good options but Koushi hadn’t picked anything. The dream still too close to the surface. It’d been two weeks and he’d had the dream three times now. None of his other dreams he’d had more than once. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Last night he’d woken up and been unable to go back to sleep, lying in bed tracing lines on the ceiling in the dark while the dread gnawed at his stomach and Daichi snored on across the room.

“What’s Sawamura think about it?” Michimiya asked, selecting two and offering one of them to Koushi. He took it though he was not hungry.

“I haven’t told him.”

“But Suga, he’s sleeping with you, how have you not told him?”

“He’s not sleeping with me,” Koushi protested face burning, regretting he’d ever told Michimiya any of this. “He’s sleeping in Asahi’s bed and I’m sleeping in mine.”

“Right.” Michimiya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, elbowing him when he squirmed and looked away. “You really haven’t told him?”

“No, not about any of them,” Koushi grumbled grabbing a banana from the selection of fruit as they headed for a table.

“Why not?” Michimiya set down her tray and flopped down to fix her look on Koushi. He couldn’t meet her eyes, peeling the banana. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of telling Daichi. He’d asked at least twice and each time Koushi had played it off like it wasn’t a big deal, like it wasn’t slowly ruining his life. He’d googled how to write a will last night while Daichi was laughing about some Miya brother nonsense in his ethics class. How fucked is that?

“I can’t tell him,” Koushi sighed, “I just, I don’t want him to think I’m crazy, or like totally weird or something. I mean, we’ve barely started dating, I don’t want to fuck it up. I…” he bit his lip now, Michimiya had set down her muffin and was waiting, “I really like Daichi.” Michimiya was smiling gently now, and Koushi felt irredeemably sappy. “Stop it,” he complained and took a bite of the banana.

“Don’t you think he’d understand though? He’d believe you. He wouldn’t think you’re nuts, at least not any more than normal. He already knows you, Suga.”

“I don’t want to risk it. I’ve got bad relationship luck, I’m surprised he hasn’t developed amnesia or something by now, or left me to join the circus.”

“Sawamura in the circus? What would his act be?”

“Definitely lion tamer,” Yaku slammed his tray down at the table, sliding Koushi a cup of coffee from the coffee shop. Koushi’s twisted gut, relaxed a little. Yaku didn’t know about the dream.

“I was thinking more like the guy who stands on top of the horses while they run around,” Koushi said.

“You’re both wrong, he’s the ringmaster,” Michimiya said. “He’s got captain vibes.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know about that,” Yaku said taking a big bite of his omelet. “I like Suga’s idea better. Wait, why is Daichi joining the circus?”

“When he gets sick of Suga,” Michimiya filled in and Koushi pressed his face back into his hands with a groan.

“Promise me you won’t tell him about my dreams.”

“Correction, he’s joining the circus when he finds out Suga can see the future.”

“Whoa, more forecasts, Weatherman?” Yaku asked setting down his chopsticks for a moment to peer at Koushi.

“You guys have to promise,” Koushi said again, ignoring Yaku’s question.

“I promise,” Michimiya said, “As long as you promise you’re going to tell him eventually.”

“I will, I will, just not yet,” Koushi said. “Yaku?”

“Why don’t you want to tell him? It’s totally cool, you’re like Spiderman except instead of getting bit by a spider, Lev beamed you in the head with a volleyball.”

“I don’t want to be Spiderman.”

“Everyone wants to be Spiderman,” Yaku argued taking another bite of his omelet.

“He doesn’t want Daichi to think he’s a freak,” Michimiya supplied.

“He’s going to figure out sooner or later, might as well hear it from you and not me.”

“That’s why you have to promise not to tell him,” Koushi groaned finally lifting his head from his hands to glare at Yaku.

“Fine, fine. I promise,” he took another bite, “But so if Daichi rides the horses, what do you do at the circus? You don’t just let him run away by himself do you?”

“Trapeze for sure,” Michimiya said.

“Not human cannonball?” Yaku asked.

“No, definitely the high wire. Doing cartwheels until I fall to my death,” Koushi was still frowning.

“They’ve always got a net to catch you though,” Michimiya said giving him a look.

“But what if they didn’t?”

“Drink some of that coffee, Suga, you’re too dark for this early in the morning,” Yaku tossing a tiny piece of omelet at Suga. It landed in his hair and he brushed it off, grimacing and then reaching for the cup of coffee. “Daichi hasn’t left you yet. You should be happy.”

“I want to be,” Koushi said and took a long sip, letting the warmth fill him up. He sighed, shutting his eyes and holding the warm cup between his hands.

“Better?” Yaku asked.

“Better,” Koushi agreed though he didn’t quite mean it.

When the part had come in to fix the heater in his dorm room, Daichi had been reluctant to do it. Given the choice it was suddenly very clear to him that while living alone was nice, he’d rather share the room with Suga. They hadn’t spoken about the future of their room sharing, though Suga had watched him fix the heater, handing him tools from the bottom of the ladder. Suga said nothing when it came time for bed and Daichi was hanging up his towel on the back of Suga’s door and crawling up into Asahi’s bed. Could it really be as simple as that? Suga still had his calculus book open, looking both exhausted and bored simultaneously. Exhausted seemed to be a look he wore a lot recently.

“Don’t go to bed yet,” he complained as Daichi lay down. “I don’t want to study alone.”

“You think you’re lonely? At least you’re not seven feet off the ground,” Daichi complained back. It had been a long day, he was ready to go to sleep even if it was clear Suga was not. “I don’t know why you had to loft your spare bed like this.”

“My spare bed?” Suga was giving him a playful glare now, Daichi propping himself up on his elbows looking back down at him. “That’s Asahi’s bed.”

“Asahi doesn’t exist.”

“You want to know why he lofted his bed?”

“He doesn’t exist but you’re going to tell me this story anyway,” Daichi continued. Suga rolled his eyes and Daichi smiled to himself.

“He lived in the old dorm last year, the one across from the cafeteria. I tried to warn him.”

“Oh no,” Daichi knew where this story was going. “Was it…?”

“Roaches, yes. Mice, yes. Both. He slept in my room for most of the semester. My roommate was convinced he was my boyfriend even though I was dating somebody else at the time.”

“Did you share a bed?”

“No I slept on the floor. Asahi’s six foot and broad shoulders and there is not space enough for two on these dorm beds.”

“I bet you could fit two on a bed,” Daichi said wishing he could try out that theory, with Suga, “You know, if Asahi was real.”

“Could you stop for just one minute and have some sympathy for the man. Mice and roaches, Daichi. We can’t all live in the fancy athlete dorms like you.”

“I still bet you could fit two on a bed.”

Suga was squinting up at him with an unreadable expression and then just as quickly he was scaling the ladder on Asahi’s bed. Daichi sat up, a small spike of panic, the bed wobbled.

“Suga what are you doing?”

“Let’s test that out,” he said now at the foot of the bed, intent on coming up to join him.

“No, wait, I don’t think it can hold both of us.”  The bed creaked ominously and Daichi flinched as Suga crawled over top of him, pushing him down flat on his back. His breaths were shallow, Suga’s face too close.

“You said you were lonely.”

“What if this whole thing breaks?”

Suga rocked forward on his knees, making the bed creak again. Daichi winced and Suga was chuckling.

“You should’ve thought of that ahead of time, Daichi, I thought you were the brain.” Suga was grinning, Daichi’s heart doing double time not just from the panic that they might both be moments from crashing to the ground, but from Suga over top of him, straddling his hips, hands on either side of his head. He couldn’t speak at all looking up, Suga’s smile warm, warm, warm. Want was coiling through his whole body but Suga seemed content to loom over him. Daichi wishing he wasn’t so afraid to move and pull Suga down to join him. Finally his hands crept up to take hold of the hem of Suga’s shirt tugging him down.

“Hmm?” Suga had the look in his eyes again. Daichi strained up to meet his lips as Suga let himself down on top. Daichi gave an ‘oof’ at that, feeling all the air squeezed out of his lungs.

“Don’t body slam me.”

Suga laughed into his mouth, adjusting a little so Daichi could breathe. They stayed like that for a long while kissing until Daichi had completely forgotten how close to death he’d felt. Shifting again, Suga rolled off of him, breathing hard, the bed creaking as he settled beside Daichi. The overhead light was still on, but Daichi felt like the buzzing was in his head and not from the fluorescent bulbs.

“Daichi?” Suga asked, lacing their fingers together. Daichi rolled to his side at the tone of Suga’s voice, a small worry tickling in his stomach. Thinking again of the worries he’d been alternately nursing and then beating back with a stick. Suga had been acting a little strange and he could see the guilt right now, in the cut of Suga’s eyebrows, eyes down, staring at the sun print on Daichi’s t-shirt, reaching his free hand to trace the edges of it. Daichi’s whole body humming in response.

“What is it?” he forced himself to say although what he really wanted was to be kissing him again, to erase the sadness that had crept into Suga’s face.

“Do you ever have weird dreams?”

“Sure, who doesn’t have weird dreams?” Daichi answered. Was this about the nightmares? He’d asked before but Suga always shrugged him off.

“Like dreams that come true?”

“You mean like déjà vu?” Daichi asked again; so this wasn’t about the nightmares. “Sure. I think most people do? Kuroo told me once it’s your brain’s delayed processing of input, something like that.”

“You sure he didn’t make that up? Like he made up that he got rich?”

Daichi snorted.

“You want me to google it for you?”

“No, I don’t want google’s explanation.”

“Did you just have a déjà vu? Was kissing me better the first time or the second?”

Suga slid closer until their noses were nearly touching, giving Daichi a dangerous look. Daichi’s heart started drumming again.

“The first time for sure,” Suga said, “The second time didn’t have the same feeling.”

“You want to try a third time?”

“Hmm,” Suga hummed, slowly moving to kiss him again, fingers at his waist, sliding beneath his t-shirt. Daichi feeling dizzy with want now, Suga’s hands ghosting along his stomach, kissing him harder, pushing him onto his back on the mattress.

Daichi woke to the sound of the alarm on Suga’s phone somewhere on the other side of the room. First annoyed that Suga was letting it ring on and on and not silencing it and then aware of the heavy weight, on his side, the arm flung across his chest, the tickling whistle of breath against his neck that was Suga himself sleeping peacefully on. And then he realized that it was Tuesday and he hadn’t set his own alarm and god knew what time it was and they were going to be late for earth science.

“Suga!” it came out as a rasping yelp, Daichi trying to push him off and sit up. Suga’s arm tightened around him, sighing softly in his sleep. Daichi got his hands on his shoulders. “We’re going to be late. Nakamura is going to kill us.”

“Hm,” Suga murmured, Daichi pushed him off scrambling for the ladder off the lofted bed, the ominous creaking adding to the panic. Since he’d assigned them the extra work they’d been better about being on time, but he didn’t put it past Nakamura to fail them anyway. Then he was on the ground and flipped on the light. That earned him an unhappy sound for Suga.

“What the fuck,” came the grumble from the mess of blankets. Daichi was searching for his athletic shorts he knew Suga had thrown to the ground the night before but they were lost in his own mess of clothes. He pulled on a sweatshirt that was definitely not his, coming up short on his wrists. Located Suga’s phone underneath a pair of sweatpants and turned off the alarm. It was even later than he’d thought.

“Suga, you need to get up,” he called up to the lump in the loft. There was another groan. He found the boxers, the shorts tugging them on. “Suga!” He reached up to grab the skinny ankle hanging off the edge of the bed. Suga yelped sitting up, hair a wild mess, looking around in fright.

“What the hell, Daichi?”

“We’re going to be late for earth science, get your ass out of bed,” Daichi was grabbing his backpack. Seizing a hoodie from the pile on Suga’s desk chair, the instant he tossed it to Suga realizing that it was his. It landed on top of Suga’s head.

“Daichi!”

Daichi pushed the sweatpants into Suga’s hands.

“Why don’t you give me some underwear while you’re at it,” Suga said dropping the sweatpants and pulling on the hoodie over his rumpled t-shirt. Daichi had to think for a minute at that, he had the distinct memory of wrangling a giggling Suga out of that t-shirt, pressing kisses up his stomach while Suga…

“Earth to Daichi?” Suga had on underwear, sweatpants on, picking up his backpack and stuffing his feet into his shoes. “I thought you were worried about being late?” Suga was smiling at him. Fuck. Daichi felt warmth spread up his neck, and ears and he didn’t know where his shoes were at, and Suga had smaller feet. Suga pressed a kiss to his cheek and pushed a pair of Asahi’s slides into his hands. “Come on Daichi, Nakamura is going to kill us,” he said grabbing Daichi’s arm and pulling.

--

“Do you ever miss volleyball?”

They’d settled in the grass of the quad Daichi’s head resting against Koushi’s stomach as he slowly ran his fingers through Daichi’s hair. Daichi’s eyes were shut but he opened them now.

“Everyday.”

Koushi stopped his hands, and then shuffled Daichi off as he sat up.

“Let’s play,” he said, “Is that allowed?”

“Playing with two is no good,” Daichi frowned. “I mean, I haven’t played at all since…” he scratched his head frowning.

“I could get Yaku and Michimiya to join us for sure,” Koushi said already pulling out his phone. “We were doing an intermural league for a while but we got knocked out of the bracket. We’re all a bunch of amateurs…”

“And I’ve got a bum knee, I’m nothing special Suga,” Daichi was looking down at his hands. Koushi looked up from his phone screen.

“Hey, negativity is not allowed,” he said gently chopping Daichi on top of his head with a hand. Daichi gave him a goofy smile. “It’ll be fun.” His phone buzzed and he held it up to show Daichi. “Michimiya’s in. She knows some people, we could do three on three. You’re a spiker right? I’m pretty good at setting. You’ll be impressed.”

Koushi had to remind himself this was not a ruse to get Daichi back into his red running shorts although in some perverse way it felt like it was and he had to keep dragging his eyes away from Daichi’s thighs. Daichi shuffled his feet as they waited in the hall for Yaku and Lev. He was holding knee pads but did not look comfortable.

“Remember you’ll have to go easy on us,” Koushi warned him again, just as Yaku emerged, growling something indeterminate and shaking his head. Turning to grin at the other two, the stormy look wiping from his face.

“Where’s Lev?” Daichi asked as he joined him. Yaku scowled planting his fists on his hips.

“Coming. Don’t wipe the floor with us, Sawamura. We got knocked out of the league in two games. The first game Lev spiked directly into Suga’s face and the second…” he shook his head in shame. “I can’t even say it.”

“It was a clusterfuck,” Koushi filled in. “We’ll just say that. A collective failure.”

“I thought I could carry the team, but…” Yaku shook his head but he was grinning. Koushi jabbed him in the ribs for the comment and Lev appeared, somehow in gym shorts appearing even taller, his pale legs long and gangly.

“I call Daichi for my team,” Koushi said linking elbows with Daichi as they headed for the sand volleyball court.

“That’s not fair,” Yaku complained. “We should all get to share Daichi.”

“How many people have we got tonight?” Lev asked.

“Us four, Michimiya,” Koushi counted off on his fingers.

“Yamaguchi, you know Yamaguchi, he’s in our engineering class,” Yaku addressed to Daichi.

“I didn’t know he played,” Daichi said. Yaku nodded.

“It’s too bad Kuroo dropped out, he was always down for a game.”

“Kuroo is a menace,” Daichi agreed.

“That’s six,” Koushi said.

Stretching out in the sand Daichi felt the odd man out. He knew Yaku and Lev and Suga, Yamaguchi to some degree as Tsukishima’s friend and Michimiya hardly at all. Suga was easy with all of them though, giving Michimiya a high five and arguing with Yaku how to divide up the teams. It ended up Daichi, Suga and Lev versus the other three. His knee still felt stiff even in the warm night, and as the ball entered their side of the court on a difficult serve from Yamaguchi, Daichi was struck with the memory of when he’d been hurt. The terrible pull in his knee, the white fire, going down. Osamu’s hand on his shoulder, shouting for the coach. Now the ball was sailing toward him and the sand gave under his bare feet in an unfamiliar way. He got under it anyway with first touch sending it up in an off angle arc to Suga. Suga’s face was lit up, eyes bright and shining, beaming at Daichi.

“Nice receive!” he called even as Lev went up for the hit. He slammed it down before Yaku could get under it.

“I’ll get you next time!” Yaku called sending the ball back to Suga who passed it to Daichi for his serve. The shivery feeling eased a little with the ball in his hands. Maybe this was fine. Maybe he was worried about things he didn’t need to be worried about.

The next one Lev got first touch and returned it to Suga in what could only be described as a shitty receive. Laughing a little Suga got it up.

“Daichi!” he called. Daichi moved to hit, a little afraid for the jump. They didn’t sync quite right, the toss too high. “Shit! My bad!” Suga called as he swung and missed.

“Air ball!” jeered Yaku from the other side of the net. Michimiya punched him in the shoulder. He batted her off. “What?”

“I put that too high,” Suga apologized again as they set up to receive another serve.

“I could’ve made it. That was probably about the right height,” Daichi conceded, “I got nervous there for a minute.”

“Knee?”

Daichi didn’t answer digging up the serve, this one feeling just right, an easy pass to Suga. Suga set it effortlessly, and this time it was Lev who missed.

“Damn, my timing was off, that was a nice one, Suga,” Lev said with an embarrassed grin. Suga thumped him on the back with an easy smile.

“Don’t mind. Guess you have trouble when you’re not aiming at my face huh?”

Lev paled and Yaku howled with laughter from the other side of the net.

“Yeah, Suga’s got a point. Except it’s thanks to Lev you’re such a great weatherman, you can’t go too hard on him.”

“Morisuke, shut up,” Suga jeered back, cutting a hand across his throat. Michimiya elbowing Yaku with a look. Then Suga was stepping back into position as Michimiya went for another serve.

“Weatherman?” Daichi asked unsure what to make of what he’d just witnessed, an uneasy sensation in his stomach.

“Uh,” Suga was reddening, “I’ve got a passion for the weather, what can I say…”

Lev picked this one up in another sloppy receive, Suga having to lunge to get the set. This time Daichi took a deep breath and trusted and went for Suga’s toss.

He slammed it down, heart galloping, palm stinging, whole body buzzing. He’d forgotten how good it felt and then Suga was slapping him on the shoulder, Lev coming in for a high ten.

“Nice kill!”

--

 “Sawamura, do you have a scar?” Lev asked afterwards as they sat in the grass pulling their shoes back on. Daichi was exhausted but in the best way. Both his knees hurt but in what he was trying to imagine was a normal way. Suga was laying back on the grass beside him, bangs plastered to his forehead with sweat, big smile on his face. Daichi pulled down his brace to show the scar, still dark and jagged.

“Sick,” said Lev.

“Fuck, Daichi,” Suga had sat up beside him looking down at his knee, face pale.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Much,” he said pulling the brace back up. Lev went back to his shoes.

“How are you feeling?”

“Sore as fuck,” Daichi answered, “but like in the best way. That was fun. I didn’t…” Suga’s eyes were still on him. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to play again.” Feeling a flush creeping up his neck. Suga punched him in the arm.

“We should do it again, then,” Suga said.

“Yeah Sawamura, you’re not half bad,” said Yaku tossing a water bottle in their direction, Daichi ducked and Suga caught it. “I call him on my team next time, Suga.”

“Nope, he’s mine,” Suga said grinning, linking his elbow with Daichi.

--

Koushi woke with a gasp, shuddering, Daichi shifting beside him, arms unconsciously pulling him closer in his sleep. Koushi tried to settle his heart, holding still, trying to pull in slow breaths through his nose.

“Daichi?” he asked into the dark. Daichi sighed, breathing still deep and even, and Koushi sank back against the pillow, then tucking himself closer to Daichi breathing in his smell, the warmth. He’d dreamt something different for once. He would’ve been grateful if it hadn’t been the image of Daichi’s face crumpled in hurt, tears spilling out of his eyes, shaking his head at Koushi, turning to walk away. He’d said words but there’d been no sound in the dream, a foggy image, a gripping hurt in Koushi’s chest that remained even now. Koushi shut his eyes, though he didn’t want to go back to sleep.

“Are you getting enough sleep? Suga, you look like a mess, no offense.”

Michimiya had leaned in to say it, and Koushi was grateful, his eyes on Daichi’s back ahead of them. He was leading the way to a spot on the quad, they’d smuggled their lunches out of the cafeteria, into the warm spring sunshine.

“I’m fine,” Koushi lied, even though he felt more exhausted than normal. Michimiya frowned at him.

“Are you still having the dream?” she whispered.

“Here look good?” Daichi asked turning back to them, Koushi tearing his head away from where he was bent toward Michimiya. Daichi’s eyes moved between them, a question on his face that he didn’t give to words.

“It’s great,” Koushi said with forced cheer. Probably too much cheer, by the way the question deepened on Daichi’s face. Michimiya dropped her bag and took a seat, with the tray they were not supposed to remove from the cafeteria. Her eyes were pinned on Koushi with a different question, the one she’d just asked him. But he hadn’t told Daichi about the dreams yet, and here was not the time for it.

“Are you feeling alright?” Daichi elbowed Koushi as they sat down.

“I’m fine, just great, this is a good spot,” Koushi said and then took a big bite of his sandwich to discourage a continuation of the topic. He shot Michimiya a glare. She pursed her lips at him.

“Sawamura can you make sure Suga is getting sleep, for me?”

“Why wouldn’t he be getting sleep?” Daichi asked and then he got red turning from Michimiya to give Koushi a look.

“No, she didn’t mean it like… I didn’t…” he clamped his mouth shut feeling hot, sweat breaking out on his neck. Michimiya looked between the two of them, eyebrows shooting up.

“Suga?”

“I’ve been having bad dreams again,” Koushi tried to stop the conversation, “Probably finals stress, you know, uh, oversleeping and missing class, doing a presentation in my underwear, those kind of dreams.”

“I always have the one where I can’t seem to wake up, like I can’t open my eyes and I know that I’m late,” Daichi offered clearly as eager as Koushi to redirect the conversation away from nighttime activities.

“One time I dreamt that I got to school but I couldn’t find my classroom like it wasn’t where it was supposed to be,” Michimiya said, pulling out her phone as she took a bite of her own sandwich. In a moment Koushi felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He resolutely refused to check it, giving Michimiya a hard look, Daichi was deep in his stir-fry and Michimiya wiggled her eyebrows at Koushi. Koushi felt hot again, looking away.

“I’m surprised we got away with no homework from Nakamura today,” he said instead. Daichi looked up from his food to give Koushi a grin.

“I kept thinking all the way up to the end he was going to drop it at the last moment. Like read two hundred pages and write me a three page essay on the tectonic plates.”

“You think he’d fail you by default from our project if I dropped out?” Koushi asked.

“God, don’t do that to me,” Daichi said.

“I tried to warn you not to take it with him, but you just wouldn’t listen,” Michimiya reminded Koushi.

“I heard the other prof was even worse,” Daichi said.

“How is that possible?” Koushi groaned, sliding the phone out of his pocket as it buzzed again.

From Michimiya:

Are u doing it?

From Michimiya:

Boning

Heat flushed Koushi’s face again and Michimiya smiled triumphantly.

“You guys are going to the school fair this weekend right?” Michimiya asked before Koushi could even contemplate how he was going to pay her back.

“School fair?” Daichi asked looking up again from his stirfry.

“There’s games and food, and all the clubs have booths,” Michimiya said.

“It’s usually pretty fun,” Koushi said, “Except freshman year when that one tent caught on fire. Do you remember that, Daichi?”

“I haven’t ever been,” Daichi said flushing a little. “Spring time is always tournament season, uh,” he scratched the back of his head.

“We have to go then,” Koushi said, “You’re uninitiated. Maybe we’ll get lucky and witness a wild animal escape or something. Bring your dog biscuits just in case.”

“Okay,” Daichi laughed.

The fair was laid out in the staff parking lot, something that immediately set goosebumps on Koushi’s arms. He’d had the dream again the night before. Daichi had dragged him to it anyway in search of the source of all the good smells, the fried food. There were games with prizes, goldfish to be caught, cork guns, ring tosses. Koushi let it all wash over him, determinedly ignoring the parking spaces marked out beneath his feet, in the dream the focus was all on the fresh lines, if he didn’t look down, then here could not be there.

Daichi pulled Suga toward the cork guns. He’d been weird and quiet today despite Daichi’s attempts to stir him up, he’d plied him with hot coffee and takoyaki and the promise of a pet fish to keep Eugene company and still he was drifting along beside Daichi like a ghost. They’d nearly passed the fortune teller tent when Suga came to a complete stop, Daichi having to double back.

“What is it?”

“Want to get our fortunes told?” Suga asked.

“Do you really believe in that stuff?”

Suga laughed nervously.

“It sounds like fun.”

Daichi shrugged, if it would make Suga happy he was all for it, as much as he had no faith in such things.

“You know you make your own destiny, they can’t really see the future,” he said as Suga pulled him inside past the fabric folds. They were greeted by a blonde young woman, maybe a few years younger than them, star barrettes in her hair. She smiled at them a little nervously.

“You’re here to glimpse the future?” she asked as Suga produced his wallet and Daichi tried not to think of better things to spend money on. Like maybe more takoyaki. His stomach growled and he grinned guiltily at Suga, who grabbed his arm with a smile as they followed the girl into the second room of the tent.

A woman with dark hair and glasses was sitting at a table, she had a beauty mark on her chin and analyzing dark blue eyes. Daichi felt a shiver tickle his spine when she met his gaze.

“Have a seat,” she said. They sat down, the chairs too far apart for Daichi’s comfort, wishing suddenly he could have Suga’s hand in his own. All the blood had drained out of Suga’s face, shoulders hunched up like he was waiting for bad news.

“Who first?” the woman asked them seriously.

“Suga,” Daichi prompted, sure he didn’t want to hear whatever she might say about him. He imagined for a moment what she might predict. The best was over, he wouldn’t play volleyball again, he’d settle for whatever job he could get with his degree, maybe if he was lucky Suga might…

Suga reached his hand across the table and Daichi was transfixed as the fortune teller took it, jealous for a heated moment as she traced the lines in Suga’s palm, chewing her lip thoughtfully. Her brows narrowed a little, Suga stiffening.

“I see terrible sadness in the future,” she said softly.

“When?” Suga choked out, Daichi’s eyes moving from the fortune teller to Suga who was still pale as a ghost. The damn distance between them.

“I can’t see exactly,” she answered him. “A great grief, misfortune, a separation.”

“A separation? Like separation from life? Death?” Suga’s voice was thin, and for a second Daichi felt he had missed something, looking again to Suga’s face, the way his brows were knit. The worry was there again, the look he was always quick to hide if he knew Daichi was looking.

“Maybe like death,” the fortune teller murmured adjusting her glasses and peering closer. Daichi hated the look on Suga’s face.

“Anything good?” Daichi spoke out of turn, Suga flinching, the fortune teller’s eyes flitted up to him for a moment.

“I do see love,” she said softer, “deep as the ocean.”

“Prosperity, a long life,” Daichi ventured to add.

“Hmm, it’s difficult to say,” she murmured in response and Daichi felt a flash of anger and rolled his eyes. None of this was real, these vague ramblings, life was full of grief and misfortune, love and promises of blessings. Her saying so didn’t mean she saw it, merely a generalization of the human condition. He’d had plenty of all of those things, especially in the last year. Suga deserved all the good things, love and prosperity, long life, who was this woman to deny him those?

“You’d like to go next?” she was asking him as she released Suga’s hand, Suga rubbing his knuckles and still looking pale.

“No offense but I’m okay, thank you,” Daichi forced out. Suga’s eyes turning to him, but for once he ignored it. He didn’t want to hear any more of this. They got to their feet, Suga thanking the palm reader, she put a hand on his shoulder with a serious expression and again Daichi felt the bite of jealousy, reaching to catch Suga’s hand.  Suga squeezed his hand, nodding his thanks again to the woman and then they were emerging from the tent into the harsh sunlight.

Koushi was trying to keep from shivering, it was not cold out, but since he’d looked into the palm reader’s eyes he couldn’t shake the feeling she’d seen the same thing that he had. He’d wanted to protest at Daichi’s rudeness but hadn’t even been able to tell him about his own dreams, the things he’d seen that had come true and then one it seemed was only a matter of time away.

They made their way back towards the dorms cutting across another parking lot, Koushi found himself scanning for the green vehicle that continued to haunt his dreams. Daichi’s eyes were on him. They’d barely spoken since they’d left the tent. Koushi hadn’t thought about it until now under Daichi’s scrutiny, but he’d been acting strange. Again. He fumbled for a story to explain it away before Daichi could see the truth.

“Koushi, what’s going on with you?”

“It’s nothing,” Koushi answered just as easily, it was always nothing. He was alright. Everything was alright. He realized with a jolt he still had work to finish on their earth science project and if he died before they were finished that would be more work for Daichi. He shuddered.

“Suga, come on,” Daichi complained. “What is all this about?” he asked still frowning at Koushi. Clearly it wasn’t nothing and Koushi was sure that much was written all over his face. “Is this about that bad dream you keep having? Just because you dream something doesn’t mean it’ll happen.”

“You don’t understand,” Koushi said pushing his hair back from his face as they stepped out of the lot and up onto the sidewalk, feeling a wave of relief that this wasn’t the parking lot. Death delayed a bit longer. Daichi was still staring him down.

“Then explain it to me.”

“I had a dream about the day we met.”

“What? At the hall meeting? And then you just didn’t talk to me for a whole semester?” Daichi was disbelieving, mouth pulling like he wanted to smile. Like this was perhaps all a silly joke.

“No, about seeing you in the park. Wearing those red shorts and the trainers with the navy stripes,” Koushi said, there was no going back now that he’d started.

“That doesn’t mean anything. Just coincidence.”

“Sure it does, because I knew then I was in l…love with you, in the dream.” Koushi winced, that had definitely not been the way he’d wanted to say it.

“You were in love with me in the dream? Before you even knew me?” the tone of Daichi’s voice was wrong and Koushi forced himself to look Daichi in the face. Daichi’s eyes were on the ground, brows furrowed.

“And the kiss in my room. I dreamt that too before it happened.”

“Koushi that was…” Daichi started, “Are you listening to yourself?”

“I know it doesn’t seem reasonable but I can’t explain it. And maybe I didn’t actually know I loved you until later. I have dreams about things and then they happen whether I want them to or not. Though,” this was coming out wrong, “Though obviously I wanted to kiss. And, Daichi… I…”

“Just stop.”

The look of heartbreak on Daichi’s face was cracking Koushi’s ribs. And with every word he sputtered out to try and make it better, it got worse. Like their whole relationship was based on lies. Like he only loved Daichi because he’d had a dream that said he did. Fuck. Daichi’s hand had slid out of his when they’d come to a stop. But there was no taking it back now, Daichi’s hands clenched together.

“When were you going to tell me about this?” Daichi asked voice cracking eyes still on the ground. Koushi wanted to reach for him but it felt like a chasm had opened between them, the casual comfort gone and in its place this vibrating pain, feeling like this was a bad dream he was going to wake up from, not something that was quickly coming true around him.

“It didn’t seem important.”

“It didn’t seem important?” Daichi was incredulous, voice wobbling, eyes glistening as he finally looked up to meet Koushi’s. Koushi felt like he’d been punched in the stomach, seeing the pain in Daichi’s eyes. “That all of this was based on a dream?”

“Daichi,” Koushi reached for him but Daichi took a step back shaking his head.

“I just… I need some space, Suga,” he said taking another step back.

“Space?”

Daichi nodded his head, jaw clenched, tearing his eyes away from Koushi and then he was turning on his heel.

“I’ll see you later,” he mumbled retreating. Koushi watched him go, hitting him then this was what he had seen in the dream, that knowledge a fist squeezing down on his heart. Feeling smaller and smaller with each passing moment. Maybe he should chase after Daichi? But what if that only made it worse? What if there was nothing he could say to make it better?

Back in the dorm, his room felt so empty, the silence pressing in on him. He opened a text to Asahi but not sure what to say. He backed out of it, pulling up Daichi’s contact instead, staring at the blinking cursor in the dialog box. Mocking him, blurring as his eyes filled.

Chapter Text

It’d been three whole days since Koushi had seen Daichi, he was back to sleeping in his own room. He’d skipped earth science this morning, Nakamura glaring at Koushi the whole class period like he was responsible. Nakamura liked Daichi better, that was for sure, and seemed to believe that Koushi was the source of all ill. Koushi was starting to believe the same thing. After class he’d gone to the coffee shop thinking maybe there was some chance he could catch Daichi while he was working but instead there was only Tsukishima looking surly as always, blonde hair rumpled as he was wiping down the espresso machine.

Koushi leaned up against the counter expecting Tsukishima to say something biting but, always a disappointment, instead he continued to pretend that Koushi did not exist.

“Tsukishima, when does Daichi work next?” Koushi finally forced out and despite having no customers and maybe even because of it, Tsukishima looked supremely annoyed. He looked up from his cleaning and fixed Koushi with a withering glare.

“Don’t get me involved in your lovers’ quarrel.”

“In my what?”

“I spent the last two hours cleaning up the huge mess your lover made back here, he dropped a whole carton of soy milk and did the sloppiest job of cleaning it up, and all the smoothie mixes were missing lids and he spilled coffee grounds all over the counter. Sawamura is the tidiest person who works back here, what the hell did you do to him?”

Koushi gaped at this string of complaints from Tsukishima who actually seemed like he wanted to get involved in the situation despite what he’d started off by saying, and then shame followed that realization because what the hell had Koushi done to Daichi? He put his head in his hands.

“I fucked up.”

“Obviously,” Tsukishima said. “How are you going to fix it?”

“I don’t know. What if he hates me forever?” Koushi didn’t dare to look up at whatever expression of disdain that he was certain Tsukishima was giving him.

“Sawamura doesn’t hate anyone,” he said simply instead and then shifted to the gaggle of giggling girls who had just arrived at the counter “Hi, what I can get started for you ladies today?” in a totally foreign voice. At another time Koushi would’ve laughed to hear the contrast between the bored drawl he reserved for him alone and the false cheer he put on for other customers. But all he could think of was the mess he’d made. When at last the girls were gone, Tsukishima returned to where Koushi was moping and set something down on the counter, prodding him in the shoulder.

“He’s working the close shift tonight, covering for Terushima.”

Koushi looked up to see the caramel macchiato that Tsukishima had set down in front of him.

“Tonight?”

“Make sure he cleans up whatever mess he’s made, I’m opening tomorrow and I don’t want to have to deal with it,” Tsukishima said from where he’d moved to rinse off the espresso portafilter in the sink.

“But Tsukishima, how?”

“With a mop ideally if it’s a wet spill, and wipe down all the counters and I swear if anything in the fridge is missing its lid…”

“How do I get him to forgive me?”

“Why the hell are you asking me? He’s your boyfriend.”

“He’s my…” Koushi stared at the macchiato sitting on the counter, a lump in his throat as big as a boulder, slowly sinking down into his body crushing all his internal organs, he dragged in a shuddering breath.

“Maybe start with saying you’re sorry,” Tsukishima cut into the beginning of another breakdown or whatever the hell was happening to Koushi’s body. Koushi gulped in another breath.

“The close shift?”

“The close shift.”

He pushed himself upright from where he’d been draped on the counter reaching for drink. It was hot and he could smell the caramel.

“Tsukishima you’re not so bad.”

“Please leave.”

“I’m serious. Thank you.”

The coffee shop closed up at 9 and that was when Koushi arrived to find Daichi wiping down the machine, a stack of dirty utensils waiting in the sink. He must’ve caught sight of Koushi out of the corner of his eye because he didn’t look up.

“We’re closed, sorry,” he called over his shoulder.

“Just me, Daichi,” Koushi said and Daichi turned in alarm and then just as quickly turned back to what he’d been doing.

“Suga, I’m working.”

“I can wait until you get done. I just want to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk,” Daichi answered him. The words like a gut punch. Koushi wavered.

“Would you just hear me out?”

“Suga, I…” he stopped as the carton of milk he’d been about to put away, slipped from his hands. It exploded on the ground. “Fuck, the second time today…” Daichi exhaled taking a step back, milk splattered on his shoes and ankles.

“I can help,” Koushi offered to the look of despair that was crumpling Daichi’s face. He turned to Koushi with a face that said he did not want to but he opened the door for him anyway. Koushi collected the mop and set to it as Daichi dumped the empty container, pulling up the fatigue mat now dripping.

“Daichi, I’m sorry,” Koushi said when he’d gotten the worst of it and Daichi hung in his periphery watching.

“Koushi.”

“I am. I don’t… I don’t love you just because I had a dream that said that I did. I love you because you’re you, and I like being with you. You make me laugh and make me feel comfortable to be me, and I don’t want to lose you just because I don’t know when to shut my mouth and stop making things worse. Let me make them better. I’m sorry.”

Daichi was rubbing his knuckles, brows still furrowed. Koushi set the mop in the bucket, wiping the dampness from his hands onto the thighs of his pants. He felt like all the air had been squeezed out of his lungs, he’d laid it all out there.

“Daichi?”

“Why didn’t you tell me though? Right from the beginning? Why wait months?”

“Because I know it sounds crazy. I didn’t want you to think I was nuts.”

“I mean you are a little nuts,” Daichi countered his voice gentler. Koushi dared to see what expression Daichi was giving him. It was one quarter of a sheepish smile.

“In an endearing way though,” Koushi said.

“Maybe.”

“Am I forgiven? Daichi, I am so sorry. These last days have been miserable.”

“What’s your bad dream about? The one you keep having,” Daichi said face still grim. Koushi’s heart sank.

“Daichi…”

“No more secrets.”

Koushi sighed.

“Can we go somewhere else and sit down? I don’t want to talk about it here,” he said glancing out at the student center where people were still sitting at tables studying.

They cleaned up the rest of the coffee shop in silence. Koushi went over the milk spill a second time with the mop out of consideration for Tsukishima. He wanted to laugh about it with Daichi but the mood was wrong, the tension strung between them like a laser trap in a spy movie, one wrong move would send the alarms wailing. It’d been hard enough to tell it to Michimiya, and thinking of having to put it all back out into words for Daichi who Koushi wasn’t even really sure believed in his dreams at all in the first place, felt like a task beyond his strength. He hadn’t even been able to tell Asahi.

Daichi locked up and they headed out into the spring night. It was balmy and warm and Koushi shed his hoodie as Daichi let the way out to the empty benches beside the darkened sand volleyball court. The moon was full, casting cool white light and long dark shadows. They sat and Koushi dumped the sweatshirt on the bench beside him and turned to face Daichi. His face lit up in the moonlight, he was the most beautiful thing Koushi thought he’d ever seen, and with that in mind he pushed forward, starting slow but telling Daichi all the details as he’d relived them more times than he cared for.

Daichi listened, lips pressed in a thin line, just dark enough out, even with the moonlight, that Koushi wasn’t quite sure what he was thinking. At last he finished, feeling the prickly dread in his stomach, bringing the whole thing back up to the surface again.

“Okay.”

“Just okay? That’s all you have to say?”

“Suga, it’s just a dream.”

“No, that’s the whole point, Daichi, it’s not,” Koushi breathed out and leaning over his knees putting his head into his hands. God, he wished it was just a dream.

“A bad dream. I used to dream all the time about the day I fucked up my knee. Didn’t mean that it was going to happen again. You’re not going to die, Koushi.”

“I don’t want to die. I just know how it feels. And I know how it felt all those other times, all the other times the dreams came true. I don’t want it to be true, Daichi. If I could just believe it was a normal dream, a normal nightmare, I swear I would but I can’t because that’s not how it feels,” Koushi slid his fingers into his hair, squeezing his eyes shut. The panic was swelling in his chest thinking about it, sucking in breath suddenly difficult, head light.

“You really believe it?” Daichi’s voice was thin now, strained almost, he shifted closer to Koushi on the bench. Koushi nodded his head, not trusting the tight feeling in his chest to let speaking be easy. Daichi put a hand on his shoulder and Koushi lifted his head, fingers sliding from his hair. Daichi’s touch was still electric, the look on his face hard to parse in the dark, brows drawn up. It was sad, Koushi realized suddenly, Daichi’s eyes glassy in the moonlight. Their hands met, Koushi’s hand fitting just right against Daichi’s calloused palm. Daichi squeezed his hand.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“I was the ass, don’t be sorry.”

“I am anyway. I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t tell me. I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone. We’ll figure it out. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Daichi…” Koushi felt tears prickling in his eyes, he didn’t think there was any way that was possible. Daichi’s other hand cradled his cheek, warm. Koushi leaned into his touch, gulping down the tears and Daichi leaned forward to kiss him. Koushi sank against him, Daichi releasing his hand to cup his face and Koushi sliding his arms around Daichi to pull him close. Like that Koushi could almost imagine that Daichi could do it. That there was some way for him to be kept safe.

The flood lights came on, blinding, long before Koushi was ready to let go, but they broke apart startled.

“Get a room!” called Tsukishima from where he’d turned on the lights, he had a volleyball under one arm, Yamaguchi beside him kicking off his shoes, one hand over his mouth to hide his snickering. There was the sound of voices from across the way headed toward the court.

“Fuck off, Tsukishima,” called Daichi getting to his feet and offering a hand to pull Koushi up. As they passed where Tsukishima was stretching, Koushi met his glare and received an eye roll.

--

“I don’t understand, I used to have good dreams,” Koushi complained. They’d gotten coffee after earth science. Daichi’d had to work early and even now sipping his coffee black he looked to Koushi like he was three minutes tops from being asleep, eyelids heavy, smothering a yawn.

“You didn’t wake me up last night,” Daichi said and Koushi grimaced because that was the continuing problem. It’d be one thing if it was only him losing sleep but now it seemed like Daichi was too. For a while they’d slept in the same bed every night because it seemed like having Daichi beside him made it less likely he’d have the dream but that had worn off.

“I dreamt something different last night,” Koushi said, and that got Daichi’s eyes all the way open.

“Really? Something good?”

“I dreamt Nakamura was saying ‘I’m still going to have to fail you’.”

“Ha ha, good joke,” Daichi deadpanned drinking his coffee.

“Could you two quit hanging around, I’m trying to enjoy some peace and quiet,” Tsukishima was scowling at them from the register where he was standing despite the lack of a line. They ignored him.

“I’m serious. It was directed at me, he was wearing that weird tie he has with the globes on it,” Koushi said, “It’s almost laughable compared to getting hit by a car.”

“You’re not going to get hit by a car.”

“You know who’d like to get hit by a car…” said Tsukishima.

“And not going to pass earth science either apparently,” Suga pinched the bridge of his nose. “I might as well drop it now.”

“Maybe you misunderstood it, you can’t drop the class,” Daichi said elbowing him. “Is it our project? Do we bomb the presentation?”

“God, I hope not,” Suga rubbed his eyes. “All I got was seeing him wearing that tie and saying those words. Maybe he fails me out of spite.”

“Out of spite?”

“I’ve missed more class than you, he likes you better, you’ll probably pass.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

“Of course you aren’t,” Koushi rolled his eyes and Daichi elbowed him again.

“Don’t be so ready to give up.”

“You two make me sick,” groaned Tsukishima.

“Tsukishima, butt out,” Daichi growled back at him. He raised his hands in surrender.

“If you two went someplace different, then I wouldn’t have to be holding back my urge to puke.”

“Tsukishima…” Koushi threatened. The barista smirked in answer and made a sound like he was going to barf. Koushi exchanged looks with Daichi. “Fine, we’re going,” he grumbled straightening from where he’d been leaning on the counter. They sat down on the steps outside. It was still early but it felt like it might get hot today.

“Daichi, what if you got me the answer key to the finals test.” Koushi said after they’d sat for a moment in silence. “With your fancy maintenance keys.”

“Suga…”

“So I don’t have to drop the class and retake it over. All alone. By myself. And he’ll hate me right from the start next time because I’ve already made such a bad impression,” Koushi stuck out his lip, giving Daichi his best puppy dog eyes. Maybe a month ago it would’ve worked but today Daichi rolled his eyes and playfully pushed Koushi instead.

“Why don’t you just study and pass it all on your own?”

“Clearly that doesn’t work, if I dreamt he failed me.”

“And you think me stealing the answer key would change anything either?”

“So you do think it’s hopeless?”

“Koushi, knock it off. We can study together. If he fails you he’ll probably fail me also. We’ll just retake it together next semester.”

“Together?”

“That’s what I just said didn’t I?” Daichi’s cheeks were a little red, he took a drink of his coffee pretending to look out across campus with serious thoughts. Koushi’s heart had done a tiny backflip. He moved closer until their shoulders were touching, leaning his head against Daichi.

“I like the sound of that.”

Daichi leaning his head against Koushi’s for a moment with a gentle hum.

“Me too.”

“Are you ready for this?” Daichi asked unsure that he was.

They were almost the first to class, Suga unloading his backpack, plugging his flash drive into Nakamura’s laptop.

“Yeah, we’re gonna kill it,” Suga said but the look on his face said he was exhausted. Daichi was worried he hadn’t been sleeping enough, dark smudges beneath his eyes. He’d woken up again last night, shuddering in the dark making a sound like a strangled animal. They should’ve gotten coffee this morning, he thought absently, but Suga had insisted they skip it lest they be late again. Nakamura was sitting at his desk already perusing the thick paper they had handed over. Daichi had gotten it bound up all professional like at the copy shop and Suga had laughed at him. “Kiss ass.”

Now he was pulling up their slide show, and Daichi pulled out his notes, nerves increasing as the seats began to fill. He couldn’t bear to look out at any of them, instead turning back to Suga. His hands were trembling.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Suga agreed clenching his hands together and frowning at them like they’d betrayed him. If they hadn’t been in front of the whole class Daichi liked to imagine he could’ve put his hands on Suga’s shoulders to steady him. Or wrap him in his arms and breathe in the scent of his shampoo. “You’re wearing the lucky flannel,” Suga said then touching his arm.

Something eased in Daichi’s chest at his touch.

“Need all the luck I can get,” he answered.

“Wait, are you nervous about this?” Suga took another step toward him with half a smile.

“No, I just hate doing presentations.”

“Didn’t you say back when we got assigned this that you were great at presentations?”

“I was trying to impress you.”

Suga snickered. There he was, the quickfire, all confidence Suga. He punched Daichi in the shoulder.

“We’ve got this. I’ll carry it if you get stage fright. Just think about it like a volleyball match, there’s definitely less people watching you right now than at a game. And I know for sure you know this material like the back of your hand, Mr. Read-Every-Chapter.”

“Okay, let’s get started,” Nakamura said standing up from his desk and silencing the chatter of the class. “Sawamura, Sugawara, isn’t it nice, when the whole class is on time and ready to go?” he asked giving the two a sharp smile. Suga turned to hide that he was rolling his eyes. “Whenever you’re ready go ahead.”

The door to the lecture hall opened and a girl crept in and snuck up the stairs to sit in the back as the class collectively twittered. Suga snorted and gave Daichi a smile.

“Ready?”

--

“When are you coming home?” It was dark out and Koushi was making his way back from night class, headed for the sand volleyball court where he knew Daichi would be subbing in.

“Next week,” Asahi answered. He sounded cheerful. Koushi hadn’t been able to tell him about the dream. Daichi thought that he should. It was always in his mouth, he just had to force it out. He gripped the phone tighter. “Listen Suga, I’ve got to tell you something,” Asahi said before Koushi could force it out, his voice was serious enough that Koushi panicked a moment that whatever was coming was bad news.

“What is it?”

“You know Nishinoya?” Asahi sounded nervous. Maybe it wasn’t so serious.

“He was the one you were helping flunk out of school right?”

“Suga!”

“Okay, I know Nishinoya.”

“We’re dating.”

“For real?” Koushi came to a stop with a pang of confusion and then realization that it’d been there for a while, a plot line he hadn’t been following close enough. “Asahi, that’s great! He’s a lucky guy!”

“You’ll really like him.”

“Your Italian adventure was a success.”

“We’re going to go back after graduation. Noya has a line on a job. And they’ve offered me an internship at a design firm.”

“Wow, what?” Koushi could see the flood lights on over the volleyball court, his friends all shouting, Michimiya was up to serve, Yaku was flipping Lev off from across the net, he could hear Daichi laughing. Asahi was still talking but Koushi couldn’t decipher the words, there was so much to lose. The school year was over in two weeks. He’d been having the dream for months. It was only a matter of time. There was a pinch in his throat.

“Suga? Are you still there?” Asahi sounded worried.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” Koushi croaked.

“You sound funny.”

“Oh,” Koushi tried to laugh it off, “Must be a bad connection or something. Hope the call doesn’t get dropped, you keep cutting out.”

“Shit, maybe it’s me, I’m walking back to the house, can you hear me now?”

Koushi felt ashamed for his lie rubbing his eyes and trying to steady his voice.

“Yeah, that’s better,” he answered.

“Suga!!”

One of the people on the court had spotted him waving both arms over their head from across the way. Was that Yamaguchi? And then Suga found Daichi, a hand raised in greeting. Suga waved back, heart thumping painfully.

That night he had the dream twice, back to back. This time when the car hit Koushi was launched right back to the beginning of the dream, walking across the lot, trying his hardest to turn around, to run, to do anything that prevented the inevitable ending. But it didn’t change anything, he woke shivering. The window was open tonight, outside he thought he could hear an owl. He listened to Daichi’s breathing across the room. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. Koushi squeezed his eyes shut, but the image of the car was right there waiting for him. Slowly he extracted himself from the tangle of his sheets and crept to Asahi’s bed, climbing the ladder and then crawling in beside Daichi. Daichi mumbled something in his sleep, shifting to make room.

Suga had spent the whole following day with the feeling that things could not stay this way. He’d even gone as far as to google ‘how to stop seeing the future’ (spoiler alert: none of the answers were helpful at all). He found Michimiya at lunch who was cramming for a literature final. She tried to wave him off as he set his tray down next to her at the table.

“Just one question,” he pleaded, “It’s easy and quick, I promise.” Michimiya sighed and shut her notebook.

“Alright, what is it?”

“How do I stop having these dreams?”

She stared at him for a long moment.

“That’s easy and quick?” she asked him.

“It is if you have the answer.”

“I don’t know, Suga. I mean, it doesn’t make any sense that you have them at all in the first place so I don’t know how you would stop them. It’s not like Lev hitting you in the face had any special power, right?” She flipped her notebook back open to where she’d been at. Koushi true to his promise, didn’t prod her further, poking at his food and mulling that over. If Lev hitting him had really truly been what had given him the dreams. Then maybe the reverse would take them away.

“Michimiya,” Koushi started.

“Suga, you said one question.”

“Not a question, an idea,” he said.

There was no earth science today and Daichi had somehow managed to miss Suga at lunch. Sometimes he went earlier to eat with Michimiya so it wasn’t totally strange. He’d worked a short mid-shift at the coffee shop before setting up on a couch in the campus center to knock out some Ethics homework before he had to be on call for maintenance. One of the busy days he usually dreaded.

“Daichi!” He looked up with a grin at the sound of Suga’s voice. “Daichi, I need to ask you a favor,” Suga was holding a volleyball, and Daichi felt like Pavlov’s dog hearing the bell ring.

“Pick up game?” he asked, hopeful.

“No, I need you to spike this into my face.”

“What the fuck? No.”

“Please, I need to stop having these dreams.”

“I can’t do it. I’m sorry, I love you Koushi but I can’t.”

“You love me? If you loved me you would do it,” Suga insisted but his eyes were bright, smile wide. He’d closed the space between them offering Daichi the ball. “If you don’t do it, I’m going to ask Lev. Yaku said he was going to take a video.” Daichi took the ball, shaking his head.

“No.”

“Please Daichi.”

“Even if I do it, that doesn’t mean what you saw won’t happen though, right?”

“It’d be a worth a try.”

“Is Daichi going to do it?” Yaku appeared, joining Suga, eyes lit up.

“No, I’m not. And Lev isn’t either,” Daichi said.

“Come on.”

“No.”

“I’ll do it,” Yaku volunteered, “Daichi will you take the video?”

“No!”

“Morisuke, you’re no good at spiking.”

“Sure I am, which you’d know if you ever set up for me instead of Lev.”

“No one is going to spike Suga in the face,” Daichi protested. But Suga had already snatched the volleyball back.

“Get Lev, we’re doing this,” Suga said turning toward the door, Yaku in his wake, leaving Daichi to stuff his homework into his bag and helplessly follow.

Michimiya and Lev were waiting on the volleyball court.

“This is a bad idea,” Michimiya said to Daichi as he joined her.

“Michimiya you have to set it for Lev,” Yaku called from where he had his phone ready.

“Don’t do it,” pleaded Daichi. Michimiya looked torn.

“Don’t listen to him,” Suga called waving her to come join them. Michimiya grimaced.

“Sorry,” she told Daichi as Suga tossed her the ball.

“Ready when you are,” Yaku said giving Suga a thumbs up.

“Bring it!” Suga called standing ready as if he was going to receive the ball with his arms and not his face.

Lev tossed the ball to Michimiya who gave it a decent set, Lev airborn, swinging back. Daichi cringed but could pinpoint the exact moment on Suga’s face when he realized that he didn’t want to get hit in the face on purpose.

“Wait-!” he choked out. Lev was already swinging down. Suga ducked barely missing it.

“Suga,” complained Yaku.

“Was that my bad? Do you want me to try again?” Lev asked. Michimiya covered her face with her hands. Suga looked shaky running to fetch the ball and then tossing it back to Lev.

“One more time.”

“Suga, no,” Daichi said.

“You’d have better aim than Lev,” Suga told him.

“Is that a good thing??”

“Come on, Daichi, put me out of my misery.”

Daichi shook his head. Lev was looking between the two of them.

“You know Suga, maybe Daichi has a point. I don’t want to hurt you,” Lev said.

“What’s so wrong with seeing the future anyway, Weatherman?” Yaku added. Michimiya only grimaced. All eyes were on Suga, his lips pressed together and for a second Daichi thought he might cry.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” he finally conceded, deflating a little.

Koushi didn’t remember when exactly Daichi got done with his shift doing maintenance work, knocking on Daichi’s door sometime after eight. The door opened.

“You’re not Daichi,” Koushi said to the tall dark haired man who opened the door with wild hair.

“Ahh, the infamous Sugawara,” the man grinned. “Tsukki, look who it is.”

“Sonic,” Tsukishima was sitting in Daichi’s chair, feet up on his desk. Koushi soaked in this very wrong image.

“You must be Kuroo,” Koushi said finally turning back to the man, who gave him a formal bow.

“The one and only.”

“Where’s Daichi?”

Kuroo shrugged.

“Don’t know, he wasn’t here when I got here. Say, Sugawara, Tsukki here says you’ve got some bad vibes, can I interest you in an investment?”

Koushi could not say no to an opportunity to get rich quick.

When Daichi returned to the dorm, Suga’s room was empty. A little confused by that he headed to his own room to change. He opened the door to find Suga, Kuroo and Tsukishima, deep in a game of strip poker. Suga down to his underwear, Kuroo fully clothed and Tsukishima somewhere in between. Suga beamed up at him.

“Daichi, Kuroo is going to unfuck my aura. No more bad dreams.”

“No, Suga.”

“Yes, look what he sold me.”

“Suga please tell me you didn’t.”

“It’s proven by science,” Suga said pulling out the bottle.

“Kuroo, I’m going to kick your ass,” Daichi growled.

“Dearest roommate, it was merely a business transaction,” Kuroo grinned up at him, Tsukishima covering his mouth to hide his smirk.

“How’d you even get into my room?”

“I was bringing back my key I forgot to turn in, thought I’d swing by and say hello. Make sure you don’t have to pay a fine for the missing key,” Kuroo said pulling the key in question out of his pocket, twirling it on a finger.

“Thanks, I guess,” Daichi caught the key as Kuroo tossed it to him.

“Enough talk, Sawamura, sit down and I’ll deal you in.”

“I don’t know…”

“Come on, Daichi. Join us, you’ve got plenty of clothes,” Suga called. Daichi dropped down beside him as Kuroo dealt.

“How much money did you give him?”

“Suga wouldn’t buy in,” Kuroo answered.

“Not fiscally responsible,” Suga said giving him a cheeky grin, “Tsukki sold me on this though,” he said handing Daichi the bottle.

“Don’t call me that,” Tsukishima said.

“You too?” Daichi asked taking the bottle, as Tsukishima studiously ignored the comment.

“Try it, Daichi,” Suga said.

“Try what?”

“That.” Daichi turned the unmarked bottle over in his hands, then turning a suspicious look to Kuroo.

“Scientifically proven to relieve stress.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Daichi twisted the lid off and took a whiff. Of straight vodka. Gagging a little as the other three burst into laughter.

“Suga this is…!”

“It was his idea,” Kuroo said. Suga laughed harder. Daichi pushed Suga.

“You should’ve seen your face,” Suga wheezed wiping tears from his eyes.

--

“Sugawara, Sawamura, stay after a minute,” Nakamura called as everyone was stuffing their books back into their backpacks. He’d handed out study guides for the final, which is more than Daichi had hoped for. Daichi glanced to Suga who’d frozen beside him, face gone pale.

“It’ll be alright,” Daichi whispered, and Suga shuddered.

“Daichi, he’s wearing the tie.”

“We’re in this together, remember?”

Suga nodded, shooting him a grateful look as they picked up their bags to head to where Nakamura was waiting for them at his desk, arms crossed.

When they’d reached him, he offered them back their thick bound paper, Suga was ramrod straight beside Daichi radiating nervous energy, so Daichi reached to take the paper, pulling back the cover to reveal their grade. He exhaled through his teeth in relief, but Suga was still tense beside him.

“It was well thought out, and well written. I was very impressed,” Nakamura said, tone suggesting that giving praise felt unsettling to him. “But I’m still going to have to fail you if you don’t do well on the final,” Nakamura said. Instantly Suga seemed to sag beside Daichi with relief.

“Thank god,” he breathed out.

“Excuse me?” Nakamura frowned at him.

“I thought you were about to say you were going to fail me right now,” Suga explained, reddening a little.

“Much as I’d like to, Sugawara, for all the trouble you’ve given me. I think if you two apply yourselves, you’ll pass just fine,” the first time Nakamura had said something that did not make Daichi’s blood run cold. The professor looking between the two of them. “And maybe you two ought to avoid early classes in the future if you can’t seem to get up on time.”

--

“Suga, time to call it a night.”

Suga blearily blinked his eyes open from where he was laying on the bed, the earth science text book open. They’d been going over flash cards Daichi had made but the time of effectiveness was over. The last twenty minutes had been Suga drowsily answering questions about the history of the earth, Daichi could feel his own eyelids getting heavy.

“One more.”

“Nope, we’re done. No more, time to go to sleep,” Daichi said gently brushing the hair back from Suga’s forehead.

“Don’t want to,” Suga complained with his eyes shut.

“Well I’m tired,” Daichi told him, running his fingers gently through Suga’s hair. “You can stay up if you want to.”

“I will,” Suga said without moving.

“Can I sleep in your bed tonight, since I am so tired?” he asked smiling laying down beside Suga. Suga shuffled over slowly to make room.

“Sure, gimme the flashcards,” he mumbled. Daichi did not give him the flashcards, setting the textbook onto the floor and then leaning to kiss Suga’s forehead and turn out the lights.

“Daichi,” grumbled Suga.

“Shh, I’m going to sleep,” Daichi whispered throwing an arm over him. Suga hummed softly.

For once Koushi woke with his first alarm the following morning, shivering with nerves in the dark as Daichi snored on beside him. The day was here. The earth science final. And Asahi coming home later in the afternoon.

“Daichi,” he whispered shaking his shoulder gently, Daichi’s snores stopped and he grunted in the dark squinting in the pale dawn light creeping through the window. He made a mostly unintelligible sound somewhere between ‘huh’ and ‘what’. “It’s time to get up, we can’t be late.”

“Shit, we’re late?” Daichi sat up with such force, he nearly tumbled over the edge of the tiny bed, Koushi grabbing hold of his shirt to keep him from falling.

“Not yet,” he said laughing softly. Daichi rubbed his eyes with a yawn.

“You fuckin’ scared me,” he grumbled, voice gravelly with sleep. Koushi leaned to kiss his cheek and Daichi blinked at him, small goofy smile blooming on his face.

They ate breakfast for good brain functioning reasons though Koushi could hardly choke down a bite already sweating through his shirt. Daichi ate a big breakfast while Koushi stared at his notes, head feeling full of bees, none of the words he read sticking at all.

“Daichi, I’m going to fail.”

“No, you’re not. Quit looking at that and eat something.”

Daichi was the deepest calmest ocean on the walk to the science building. Koushi could’ve sworn he was actually humming some sort of song, finally grabbing Koushi’s hand and squeezing it.

“Just relax.”

They were the first to class and Nakamura actually cracked a smile. The world is ending today, Koushi thought putting down his backpack. Nakamura passed out the test as people began to arrive, everyone spaced out with an empty seat between them. Not having Daichi at his elbow made Koushi’s anxiety peak again but then he looked down at the test, bracing for something impossible. Instead something settled into place in his chest. Like Daichi’s deep blue ocean calm.

Koushi got done first, even before Daichi, turning his test in and then picking up his backpack and trying to refrain from running. The somber walk from the classroom to the quad, it bubbled up like a well and then he was out the front door and the quad was still mostly empty because it was early.

He collapsed onto his back in the grass with a smile that he couldn’t keep in any longer. The sky overhead blue and clear, birds chirping.

“That wasn’t bad at all,” Daichi was sitting down beside him before much longer and Koushi beamed up at him feeling like maybe things would turn out okay. Asahi would be home that afternoon, they’d already made plans for a double date, he and Daichi, Asahi and the mysterious Nishinoya.

They borrowed Yaku’s car.

“Do you think they hooked up?”

“Hooked up, in what sense?” Daichi asked parking the car in the airport short term parking. The sky was a vivid blue. It was almost too good to be true, shreds of clouds whipping across in a strong wind. The sun felt good on Koushi’s face as he hopped out with his sign. It said “Welcome home Asahi” in what he hoped was legible Italian. And that Asahi knew what ‘welcome home’ was in Italian. And that google translate hadn’t given him a bogus translation. He was worried about a lot of things suddenly, ready to skip the in between and get to the part where he and Asahi were physically be in the same space and time zone.

“Hooked up like hooked up,” he clarified and Daichi laughed. He turned, grinning as Daichi locked the car, jogging around to join him, hand finding his easily.

“Well, I don’t know Asahi but I know Nishinoya.”

“And?”

“And- what do you think?”

“Based on the way Asahi describes Nishinoya, I’m going to vote yes, because Asahi would not, but I think Nishinoya makes him braver than he normally is.”

“And I’m going to vote no,” Daichi answered.

“What? Why?” Koushi asked as they walked toward the entrance to the terminal.

“Because Nishinoya, for all his energy, is very serious and sincere, and if he really likes Asahi I don’t think he’d just jump into it like that.”

“Hmmm,” Koushi mused still smiling down at his shoes. There was a pebble somewhere in his one shoe, poking his heel with every step, he kicked down on his toe trying to get it loose. They’d almost reached the terminal when he suddenly remembered Yaku’s warning that they needed their IDs to get through security to meet incoming flights in the terminal. He patted his pocket realizing he’d left his wallet in the car. He turned to Daichi.

“Shit---“ he started to say when he saw it, coming around the corner much too quickly, right on top of them. Terror lighting like a fuse. No. It was supposed to be me. Not Daichi too! He reached for Daichi, the sound of squealing breaks, Daichi had grabbed him, strong hands on his shoulders pushing him hard. 

Koushi came to lying on the ground, with a small crowd of worried looking strangers around him, someone had his wrist in their hand. Koushi struggled to put the pieces back together.

“Hey? How do you feel? How many fingers am I holding up?” the woman asked gently. She was a paramedic it occurred to him.

“Am I…?” Koushi blinked up at her face, the three fingers she was holding up, still peering down at him with concern. “Where’s Daichi?” His head hurt, grimacing he tried to sit up. The paramedic tried to hold him down. “Where’s Daichi?” he asked again, panic bright and sharp in his chest.

“Whoa, whoa take it easy,” the lady said soothingly. Koushi pushed her off, sitting up as his head spun, searching for Daichi.

Daichi was sitting on the pavement a distance away, eyes shut as another paramedic was placing butterfly bandages over a cut above his eyebrow, arm in a sling, and a blanket around his shoulders.

“Daichi,” it came out this time as a hoarse croak, Koushi trying to get to his feet, legs feeling like jelly and almost going back down if it hadn’t been for lady still at his elbow, steadying him.

“You hit your head pretty good,” the paramedic was warning him, “Your friend is okay.” Koushi had no answer to her moving toward Daichi. He opened his eyes then, finding Koushi’s in a heartbeat.

“Daichi,” it came out all wobbly from Koushi’s mouth, a lump in his throat and tears threatening.

“Koushi,” Daichi was reaching for him, the paramedic giving them space, Koushi throwing his arms around Daichi and pulling him in tight, stifling the sob threatening in his throat. Daichi was holding him with one arm around his neck, making an odd sound against Koushi’s shoulder. When Koushi let him go, Daichi’s eyes were blurry with tears. Koushi reached to wipe them away. Daichi leaning into his touch.

“You scared me,” he finally said voice hoarse.

“You bastard,” Koushi growled, “Pushing me out of the way.”

“What was I supposed to do? Just let you get hit?” Daichi challenged him, Koushi’s heart squeezed, and then he was leaning in to press his lips to Daichi’s.

“Stupid bastard,” he whispered. “Did it hit you?” he asked smoothing a thumb over Daichi’s one eyebrow beneath the bandages. Daichi winced.

“Just a little, it could’ve been a lot worse.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Oh god, Suga!” the voice turned both of their heads to where a tall man, dark hair loose on his shoulders was emerging from the door. He dropped his backpack when he realized it was in fact, Koushi. Koushi had barely gotten to his feet before Asahi had caught him in a hug. “I thought you were going to meet me at the gate, and then when you weren’t there I got so worried. And then I saw the ambulance and I panicked. And I could hear your voice in my head saying there was no way and it was all a coincidence and then I saw you and…”

“I’m okay, Asahi. It’s alright,” Koushi cut him off with a squawk, Asahi was taller and broader and he felt like all the air was being squeezed out of him. “Where’s Nishinoya?” he choked in a bid to distract Asahi into releasing him. It worked, Asahi looked back over his shoulder where a short man was pulling a large suitcase that Koushi recognized as Asahi’s, a backpack on his shoulders nearly as large as he was. He waved at them, with an easy smile.

“You’ll like him,” Asahi promised.

“You must be Asahi,” Daichi said when the paramedic had done with him and Nishinoya was nearing. “You’re real after all,” he added with half a smile to Koushi, who punched him gently in the shoulder.

“And you’re Daichi, right?” Asahi flushed slightly, “I remember you from that first hall meeting.”

“Glad somebody does,” Daichi said gently jabbing Koushi with a smile, heat filling Koushi’s face. It was starting to settle on him that the worst had happened but that he hadn’t died, that the story didn’t end here. There would be more time with Daichi, more time with Asahi, he’d graduate. He felt the weight of that burden ease off his shoulders, his hand settling back into Daichi’s.

“Daichi-san!” Nishinoya greeted them, crossing their huddle to put both his hands on Daichi’s shoulders and beam up at him proudly. “You’re looking good.” Daichi laughed in confusion. This was probably the least good he thought he’d looked in a long time.

“You’ve got a low standard for good.”

“I mean you look happy, it’s been a while,” Nishinoya amended. Oh. He’s right. I am happy. Suga squeezed his hand, and he glanced over to see his crinkling smile. It was a good feeling. Somewhere between a perfect spike and a well-executed play. He hadn’t imagined he could find it again someplace else.

--

“It’s good to be back,” Asahi said dropping his bag once they were back in their room. Then he took in the state of disarray that was Koushi’s side of the room. Koushi and Daichi had cleaned it up, the best they could, though Koushi was pretty sure Daichi’s clothes made up half the contents of the pile stacked on top of his desk chair. He could see one of Daichi’s shoes underneath his bed. They had just parted in the hallway, after a stop at the campus health center, Daichi’s sprained wrist in a splint, but Koushi already missed him. Asahi frowned, pulling the sweatshirt off of the edge of his bed, holding it up. It was Daichi’s volleyball hoodie. Then he was taking a couple of steps up the ladder to his bed.

“Suga, please tell me, you and Daichi didn’t…” he trailed off unable to say it, and Koushi could not keep a straight face at the look Asahi was giving him, somewhere between pissed and queasy. He cackled, sitting back on his bed.

“I hate you,” Asahi groaned dragging the blankets and sheets off the mattress and throwing them down to the ground.

“Your sheets are clean, I promise,” Koushi said. Asahi glared at him. “We washed them.”

“I want to trust you, but also…” Asahi had one fist clenched like he would ever punch Koushi. Koushi giggled again.

“Don’t hit me, I’ve been beat up enough today already,” he said. Asahi’s face crumpled dropping his fist.

“I’m glad you’re okay. Daichi said you were having some sort of dream about it? For like months? You never said anything to me about it,” Asahi was frowning.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Koushi said. “I’ll just be glad if I never have a dream about the future again.”

As familiar as it was, the sound of Asahi snoring was not at all like the sound of Daichi. Koushi lay awake, trying without success to turn his brain off. To stop retracing the afternoon’s events. Where they could’ve avoided the car. How he could’ve prevented Daichi from getting hurt. In a couple of days they’d be done with finals and then they’d all be dispersing for summer break.  He turned over a second time, listening to the low sounds Asahi was making, and then covered his eyes with his hands. This was no good. Finally he rolled out of bed and let himself out into the hall.

Then he was knocking softly on Daichi’s door. It was a long wait before finally the door opened revealing a bleary eyed Daichi, hair wild, arm in the splint tucked against his body protectively.

“Koushi?”

“I can’t sleep,” was all Koushi could answer. Daichi opened the door a little wider to let him into his dark room. Without a word he crawled into Daichi’s bed and Daichi followed, tucking their bodies together on the twin mattress, face to face.

“Here, let me be the big spoon,” Koushi whispered, “So I don’t squish your arm.”

“Arm’s fine,” Daichi murmured sleepily. Koushi prodded him in the ribs.

“Roll over, Daichi.”

“No,” he answered, cracking his eyes open at Koushi in the dark. “We’re good like this,” he mumbled pulling Koushi a little closer in the dark, tucking Koushi’s head against his neck. Koushi exhaled and breathed in the scent of Daichi, a little glad Daichi was stubborn. He leaned closer to press a kiss to Daichi’s neck. Daichi shivered with a low hum, and Koushi kissed him a second time for good measure. He shut his eyes feeling warm and safe.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered into the dark.

“I told you I’d keep you safe,” Daichi answered.

“Next time, pull yourself out of the way as well,” Koushi growled softly, his fist to Daichi’s chest in the gentlest punch. Daichi chuckled quietly, wrapping his uninjured arm around Koushi and pulling him into a tight hug. Koushi squirmed in complaint against his bones being crushed.

“Don’t make me tickle you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I would dare,” Koushi hissed, fingers reaching for Daichi’s ticklish spot just below his ribs. Daichi batted him off.

“I’ve got to work early tomorrow.”

“So what?”

“So you came over here to sleep, now sleep,” Daichi growled. Koushi tucked his head back against Daichi’s neck and shut his eyes. They settled, a deep peaceful silence filling Koushi up.

“That’s it? No argument?”

“Shh I’m sleeping,” he said back, smiling into Daichi’s neck.

And then he slept the whole night through without a single dream.