Work Text:
WHITE DOORS AND SUNFLOWERS
It would be an understatement to say that Hinata Shouyuo was panicking. Today was the day, and everything had to be perfect. If it wasn’t, then all their hard work would be for nothing. Of course that could simply not happen. They had been waiting for this day for ages, because Japan’s adoption system works horribly.
Taking a deep breath and begging all the Gods to keep his stomach calm (he hadn’t been this nervous since that one fist official match all back to his teenage years), Hinata neared a waiting Kageyama by the window. The orphanage headmaster had arranged to take their soon to be daughter by their house. As an adopting parent, you also had the option to pick the kid up from the orphanage building. But neither Shouyuo nor Tobio had wanted the child to go through an abrupt change from one reality to another without any known person by her side.
The light-coloured wooden floor of the house living room shined like it never had. Tobio must be freaking out as well, even if he doesn’t show it. Although he does seem quieter than usual, Hinata thought. In fact, this morning as the sun rays made its way through the main bedroom window, Shouyuo had woken up to find his husband’s bed spot empty. An odd situation really, since Hinata was always the first one to wake up. But this time the roles had changed. Last night, the orange haired man could not sleep. Usually, Hinata was in his second dream while Kageyama was starting to drift to unconsciousness. Their sleep schedule made Shouyuo wake up during the first hours of the day, and Kageyama later on, when the morning was mere hours from ending, (except for Sunday, when they go running together, - 701 wins and 702 loses till now) . Anyway, the restlessness they felt shifted everything around them, including their sleep schedule.
Now, settling next to his husband and entwining their fingers to comfort not only Tobio but also himself, Hinata waited. The air was thick with a mixture of anticipation, excitement and nerves. The couple wasn’t conscious of the amount of time they spent there, sitting by the window, holding hands, in silence, waiting. Minutes, which seemed like unbearingly long hours, passed until a small old burgundy car pulled up in front of their house. At the arrival of the car, Shouyuo and Tobio stared at each other, their eyes wide with exhilaration. Everything stilled for a moment as the couple looked at each other, the wind stopped blowing, the birds didn’t chirped nor did the cicadas make a sound. There was some odd giddiness in the room, which was coming out from Hinata’s pores as well as Kageyama’s.
And when the doorbell rang, everything broke loose. The word resumed its pacing. At once, the married couple got out of their daze. They both jumped up and ran as fast as possible to the door. Hinata pushed Kageyama with his side to be able to reach the keys kept in a green and blue vase on the round small table by the door. However, Tobio didn’t stay behind and pushed his husband back, trying to get the keys first. I guess some things never change.
Finally, after a tiny pushing battle, the blue eyed man gained control over the oh so important key (Shouyuo will forever remark that he let Kageyama win). Unlocking the door very slowly to gain some time in order to recompose themselves from the slight agitation was probably what Kageyama intended. Nonetheless, Hinata had other plans in mind. The newly painted yellow front door was yanked open by a slender freckled hand.
On the other side stood a rather short young woman, wearing a gorgeous pink silky dress which had a strawberry pattern. Her expression was one of pure tranquility, her thin amber eyes had a soft glint, transmitting reassurance to whoever stared at them, while her thick red lips wided in a comforting grin. Her eyebrows rose in amusement when she catched Tobio half hiding behind the door. “Good afternoon! My name is Nomura Airi. I am a social worker, and I’m currently volunteering at Nozomi Home For Children.” Her tone was gentle, and as she introduced herself a little messy black haired head appeared from behind one of Airi’s legs. The little girl was grabbing onto the older woman’s dress like a lifeline while her big green eyes scanned her surroundings. She was wearing a loose round-necked lilac shirt, which was tucked inside some tight at the waist but loose as they went down, striped grey and white cotton shorts that reached an inch over her knee.
When Hinata spotted his soon to be child his whole face lit up, brown eyes shining in adoration and lips curling into a huge welcoming beam. All the while he waved a hand in greeting. Tobio was still listening to the social worker's words intently, which meant he hadn’t noticed the kid yet.
On the other hand, Airi did realize she had lost the shortest man's attention, stolen by the child. Thus, she moved to the side, exposing the little girl from her hiding place behind the adult’s leg. Pushing the kid forwards, the social worker made the proper introductions, although they all had already met. “Hanako, these are Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shouyuo.” Her voice became even softer than before, as she crouched down to meet the girl’s eyes, “you have already met them on various occasions, and, as we have talked beforehand, they are going to be your parents from now on.”
For an instant Shouyuo turned to face Tobio. His husband was looking at the little kid with so much love in his eyes. Many people wouldn’t notice it since Kageyama could be, more or less, expressionless. However, Hinata considered himself an expert when it came down to the blue-eyed man, and right now he had the same look as he did when talking about volleyball, aka his second favourite thing in the world after Shouyuo. Well, we can surely say volleyball was now in third place. Right there, at that precise second, did the browned-eyed man decide that adopting Hanako was one of the best choices they had made in their lives.
“Shall we step inside?” asked Tobio with content and excitement shining in his beautiful deep-blue eyes.
“Of course, thank you.” said Airi with such professionalism that Hinata was reminded of the fact that she was actually working and not passing by to chit chat with them.
Both men took some step back to make room in the foyer for the girls. “We can talk in the living room, if that is okay with you.” said Hinata trying, and failing miserably, to hide his enthusiasm. Airi and Hanako took off their shoes and walked behind the couple, which was almost by the door that took them to the living room. Hinata and Kageyama sat down at the big soft-blue couch, while Airi took the matching armchair to the right of the sofa the couple was sitting in. Hanako, because she was not quite comfortable in the new environment yet, stood next to the armchair Airi was in. The adults chatted for a while about banal things mostly, like the weather or personal preferences such as favourite colours or flowers, or tv shows and movies. Of course, Hanako was included in the conversation. She could speak rather fluently, just making some small mistakes here and there in the pronunciation of some particularly difficult words and messing the word order in a few sentences. The point of this ‘small talk’ was for the kid to get to know her new parents and for the couple to find out more about their child.
Only once the conversation had died did Airi bring up the fact that Tobio and Shouyuo needed to sign the last of the paperwork, and then the adoption process would be complete. And therefore, they happily signed the papers the woman gave to them. I officially have a kid, thought Hinata with such giddiness it was reflected in his whole face.
They talked some more, Airi went to fetch Hanako's belongings in the car, and after that they said their goodbyes. The social worker couldn’t help herself and gave Hanako a bi hug. Then, she was gone, leaving the two men and a little girl behind in their home.
Silence made its presence known by filling every single corner of the house, just allowing the white noises to continue their curse, like the occasional car honk or the leaves movement when the wind blew. Hinata, however, was not to be defeated by awkwardness and nervousness. Hell, he’d faced worse in the court. Why did this feel way harder though? Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Shouyuo was the first one to break the silence: “Would you like something to eat Hanako? I can prepare anything you want!” Then with a mock-seriousness intended to lighten the mood, he continued, “But don’t ask Tobio to cook, or he will burn the house to ashes.” The ‘warning’ was completed with Hinata’s signature smile.
“Oi, don’t tell her that!” Kageyama replied, mad fire in his eyes while he stared at his lovely husband. Then, softening his expression as he turned to face the child, he said: “I can cook just fine, don’t listen to your Papa.”
And that, ladies and gents, is how you ruin everything, charging the air with this uncomfortable tension, thought Shouyuo. All the while, Kageyama was oblivious to what he had just said.
Kageyama you big stupid idiot, I’ll kill you in your sleep if you say another word! said Hinata’s brown eyes as he looked at the love of his life. Tobio asked straight up if he had done something wrong.
As the two male grown-ups got into yet another ‘fight’, in this case a stare contest, Hanako wandered around her new house. The living room walls were painted a boring beige, but the currently fighting couple could not, for dear life, agree on a new colour to repaint them. And thus, beige they were. The big soft-blue (almost grey) couch was against one of the walls, facing a medium size TV, which was supported by a low soft-brow table that used to be their old coffee table. Their current coffee table, which was made of glass, was a meter (three feet) from the sofa and a meter and a half (five feet) from the TV. The armchair, positioned to the couch’s right, was facing the window where you could watch the street. The back of the armchair faced a low, also beige, half wall that divided part of the kitchen with the living room.
There was a hallway entry at the right corner of the ‘couch wall’. Her curiosity got the best of her, so Hanako left behind the still arguing couple and entered the hallway. The walls were beige as well, and there were thousands and thousands of framed pictures. There were also three doors: two at the left side of the hallway and one at the end of it.
The house was suddenly filled with silence, the adults' bickering had stopped on account of noticing Hanako’s absence in the living room. Four pairs of steps could be heard moving around the house, and quieting down when arriving at the hallway.
Stopping a few feet away from Hanako, who was staring intently at the ajar door at the end of the hall, Hinata observed his daughter's stance. Her shoulders seemed tense, as if she was observing something that upset her. A small soft smile made its way through Shouyuo’s face when he realized Hanako was looking at the already arranged bedroom, specially designed for her. You see, Kageyama had contacted the orphanage once they had decided to adopt Hanako, to find out some things such as her favourite colour (yellow), or her favourite animal (Panda Bear), and stuff like that; all to put together the perfect room.
When Hanako noticed the adults' presence behind her back she turned around, her whole face lightened up. “Thank you,” she said politely, “can we paint the white door? I don’t like it very much, bad memories.” Her tone had turned shy at the request, since she knew she was being blunt.
Hinata and Kageyama stayed still, not knowing how to respond. It was a rather odd appeal. Nonetheless, quick as ever, Tobio said gently: “Sure, whatever you want.”
This last sentence excited the little girl. She could ask for whatever she wanted for the first time, and her wish would surely be granted. “I want a sunflower on the door! They are my favourite!” Hanako was about to start jumping as she spoke, happy to have something she loved on her door of all places.
Tobio stared at his husband with his piercing blue eyes. His demeanour clearly expressed: we are absolutely going to paint a giant sunflower on our daughter's room door. Not being able to resist his partner in crime, nor his child, Hinata said hesitantly: “I think we have some yellow paint from when we painted the front door, but I don’t know if we have brown.”
“We can buy some from the store” came quickly out of Kageyama’s mouth. The sorter male sighted, guess I’ll have to be the strict parent out of the two. Thought Hinata, followed by: No way, I want to spoil my daughter too!
And with that, the three of them went to the store, bought the necessary paint, and went back to their house. While Kageyama set the old sheets on the floor to avoid getting paint droplets on the wooden panes, Hinata and Hanako went to fetch the necessary tools that were on the backyard’s shred, such as brushes, aprons, painters tape, and of course the yellow paint.
Soon enough, the new family started painting -or attempted to paint- a decent sunflower. At first everything went smoothly, but then Hinata accidentally splashed some yellow paint on Tobio’s and Hanako’s faces. That’s when all hell broke loose and a paint war was started by Hanako herself, while her loud high-pitched giggles filled the house. She had allied herself with Kageyama to get vengeance for the sake of their dignity.
Hours upon hours of goofing around ended when the sunflower was all done. The clothes that they were wearing should have been protected by their white aprons, but they suffer the consequences nevertheless. Brown and yellow paint was spread all around the walls as well (the floor was safe due to the sheets Kageyama placed before).
“We have to sign our art!” The child said with enthusiasm. Hanako was visibly relaxed now compared with how tense and shy she was before.
“Mmmm, you’re right…” Shouyuo spoke softly as he thought, “I have a brilliant idea! What if instead of our names, we paint our hands on the door?” Hanako was clearly happy with that idea, as she started to jump up and down. Tobio also agreed with the idea, nodding a little bit stiffly as he thought of painting his precious and well cared for hands, to then place them on the newly painted door.
Hinata was the first to approach the paint can, dipped his hands in the yellow paint and then shook it a little bit in an attempt to keep the droplets that were running down his hands to a bare minimum. Then he walked a few steps, kneeled down in front of the door and placed both the palms of his hands on the right bottom corner of the door. A few seconds later Hinata removed his hands from the door and turned around to smile at Hanko, who seemed even more excited. She followed Hinata’s steps, repeating his every action, and placed her hands next to the ones Shouyuo had painted. Her smile was as big as the one the browned-eyed man wore.
Because Tobio didn’t like the idea of literally dipping his hands in paint, his actions were much slower than the others, as if he was trying to avoid the inevitable. He still did it though, and rather soon than later, three pairs of hands were painted a few centimeters down the huge sunflower.
“Okay then, all done!” The tone in Shouyuo’s voice was cheerful, full of content. “Who 's hungry?”
“Me me me me!!” was Hanako’s reply, who was once again jumping. Then she started running down the hallway towards the kitchen. The energy of this kid is just like Shouyuo’s was what came to Tobio’s mind.
Hinata started to go after Hanako at a slower pace, and when he passed next to Kageyama, he paused and whispered very close to his ear seductively “We can then shower together to save water.” Afterwards he continued his path to the kitchen.
Tobio, rather flustered, half yelled half whispered “There is a child in the house now! Who is going to watch after her?”
But it was no good. Shouyuo simply turned his head around, winked at him, and then went to prepare some food. All Kageyama could do was follow him like a lost puppy.