Chapter Text
“I’m sorry Miya-san, but I’m feeling very under the weather,” the woman said regretfully.
“It’s alright, don’t worry about it. I hope you feel better soon,” Atsumu sighed and hung up the phone.
Damn it, he thought, rubbing his hands over his face frustratedly.
“Akari, baby, come get in the car! Suzuki-san is sick, so she’s not coming today,” he called.
I guess it’s bring your secret, 4-year-old kid to work day.
>>>
“Daddy, are we ever gonna goooo?” Akari grumbled. The two of them were still sitting safely in their car, in the parking lot, a good 10 minutes after they had parked.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go,” Atsumu responded, unbuckling his seat belt.
Maybe I could pretend she’s Samu’s kid. He lamented. He and Rin have been married long enough!
He unbuckled Akari and lifted her onto his hip, then grabbed her backpack and slung his gym bag over his shoulder. Maybe I should have texted the team, he worried. Meian, at least.
He took a deep breath to settle the panic in his chest, and made his way toward the gym doors. The sound of volleyballs hitting the floor welcomed him as they got closer. Akari wiggled in excitement. Atsumu gathered his nerve, then slid open the door.
“Late again, Atsumu? You-” someone said, but the gym fell silent as they noticed he wasn’t alone.
“Hey,” he responded. Akari pulled on his shirt.
“Daddy, put me down,” she pleaded, still wiggling in his arms. He could see his teammates’ jaws drop.
“Okay, baby, but hold my hand.” He crouched down and set her on the floor. Well there goes pretending she isn’t mine, he thought.
“Atsumu-san, you have a kid?” Hinata yelled. Atsumu sighed. Oh boy, here we go.
“This is Akari,” he said as his teammates started to crowd around them. “Akari, say ‘Hi.’”
“Hi,” she said softly. His team, which had been looking at the little girl, all looked up at him in shock.
“Atsumu?” Meian looked lost for words. Bokuto was still gaping at Akari. Inunaki looked like he was about to burst out laughing. Hinata looked as happy as ever, if a little confused. Atsumu refused to look at Sakusa. He cleared his throat.
“Sorry, guys. My babysitter is sick. Is it… okay? If she sits on the bleachers? She’s four, she can entertain herself.”
“Since when do you have a four year old?” Inunaki practically yelled, dissolving into laughter.
“You had a kid when you were twenty?” Bokuto did yell. Atsumu coughed, nervously.
“...19,” he corrected quietly.
A collective “19?!!!” echoed through the gym.
Coach Foster entered the gym, slamming the door of his office.
“What is going on in here?” He shouted. The group surrounding Atsumu whirled around to look at him.
“Hey, Coach,” Atsumu said.
“Atsumu. Akari.” Foster nodded at each of them. Akari giggled, and he smiled warmly at her.
“You knew?” Meian asked.
“Of course I did. I had to,” Foster snorted.
“Sorry Coach, my babysitter is sick,”
“No problem, but you all better not be distracted,” he threatened, raising his eyebrows and pointing around at the group. “Get back to warmups.” He dismissed them, and the group began to disperse. Atsumu leaned over to pick up Akari.
“Miya.” Fuck, Atsumu winced.
“Sorry, Omi, I’ve got to get her settled… talk later?” He didn’t wait for a response before walking off, Akari securely in his arms. He sat her down on the lowest bleacher and dug out a coloring book from her backpack.
“Okay, baby, I’ve got to go now, can you do this coloring?” Akari nodded and sprawled out on the bench.
Atsumu stood up and stretched his back. He dumped his gym bag in the locker room, changed quickly, and jogged back out onto the court. His teammates glanced at him quickly, but no one said anything. He cleared his mind and started warming up.
>>>
During their break, Atsumu wandered over to Akari and pulled her onto his lap.
“Ew, you’re sweaty.” She wrinkled her nose.
“Uh, rude!” Atsumu scoffed and smiled. He started tickling her.
“Hey!” Akari exclaimed, grabbing his hair in retaliation.
“Ah, cheater! You’re gonna make me go bald!”
The rest of the team watched the scene.
“No one knew, right?” Bokuto asked. “Only Foster?”
“I didn’t know,” Meian reassured. Almost everyone agreed, admitting they had no idea.
“Sakusa-san?” Hinata questioned.
“No,” he responded slowly, “no, I… I didn’t know either.”
“I’m gonna go over there and dig a bit,” Inunaki announced decisively. The rest of the team followed him from a safe distance.
“So Atsumu,” Inunaki started, “Where’s Akari’s mom? Wait. Don’t tell me you’re married?” Atsumu reached for the chain around his neck.
“Nope, not married. Um, Akari’s mom isn’t around.”
“Ah, I see.” Inunaki nodded pensively. “So who knows about Akari?”
“Well, my parents, ‘Samu, Suna, Kita-san, Aran, and now you guys.”
“Why did you keep her a secret?”
“Um…” Atsumu struggled to come up with a convincing lie. Thankfully, Foster came to his rescue and told the team to get back to practice.
“Tsumu says he’s not married, but he was tugging on some necklace. I think it has a ring on it, so he might be lying. He also said Akari’s mom left. If he is married, that might be a lie, too. I asked him why he kept her a secret but he never answered,” Inunaki relayed thoughtfully.
“Can you imagine Atsumu-san married?” Hinata wondered aloud. The others hummed in agreement.
“Come on, I don’t see you practicing!” Foster chided.
>>>
Atsumu was just about to set a ball. He was so close.
“DADDY!” Akari screeched.
The ball hit him square in the face.
“Agh, ‘Kari you can’t do that!” He scolded, turning around to look at her. “I’m really sorry,” he told his teammates before jogging over to his daughter.
“Daddy, I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, Daddy!” Inunaki yelled from the court. Atsumu flipped him off without turning around.
“Baby, I’m almost done, just ten more minutes, okay? And then we can get dinner.”
Sufficiently placated, Akari nodded and turned back to her toys. Atsumu sighed and combed a hand through his hair. Back on the court, he apologized profusely to his team (who brushed it off out of amusement) and they finished practice without interruption.
“Okay, Akari, pack up your things now,” Atsumu called as he helped the team collect balls.
“Do you guys want to come get dinner with me and Bokuto-san?” Hinata asked the team excitedly. Most of them accepted eagerly. Sakusa accepted not entirely eagerly.
“Thanks, Shoyo-kun, but we should really head home,” Atsumu replied.
“Please? Akari can come too!” he begged. Atsumu caved.
>>>
Atsumu regretted it almost instantly.
“You didn’t tell me your highschool friends were going to be here!” He groaned. “I’m wearing a sparkly, pink backpack!”
“That’s because you have a daughter… it’s not like it’s your backpack,” Hinata responded, as if that made it even remotely better.
“Yeah, and I know some of your high school friends. And they don’t know that I have a kid!” he hissed. Someone hit his head as they passed.
“Just go to the damn table, Miya,” Sakusa ordered.
Kageyama, Hinata’s partner, was there, as well as his teammate on the Adlers, Ushijima. Practically the entire old Karasuno team was there, and some other players that were at Nationals in his second year were too… It was like a whole damn party and a half. Hinata and Kageyama kissed in greeting, Bokuto and a tall, black-haired guy yelled at each other and hugged ferociously, even Sakusa shook hands with Ushijima. Atsumu was glad to go unnoticed and bounced Akari on his hip.
“Hello, Atsumu-kun,” a calm voice greeted him.
“Jeez, oh, Akaashi-kun, nice to see you. You startled me!” Bokuto’s fiancé smiled.
“And who is this?” he asked, waving at Akari.
“Ah, this is my daughter, Akari.” If Akaashi was surprised, he didn’t show it.
“Nice to meet you, Akari,” he said, smiling.
“Hi!” Akari replied brightly.
Hinata had moved to greet the cute freckly kid from Karasuno and Bokuto to the tall blonde kid. Akaashi followed his gaze and sighed.
“I guess I should go rescue Tsukishima-kun from Kotarou.” He smiled, and went to greet his fiancé.
Atsumu stayed on the edge of the group, and asked a passing waiter for a high-chair. The reunion died down, and soon everyone was sitting. Hinata rattled off everyone’s names and Atsumu tried to keep track. He knew Kageyama, Akaashi, and Ushijima. Tsukishima was the tall blond; Yamaguchi, his cute, freckly boyfriend. Kuroo was Bokuto’s loud, black-haired friend.
“Everyone, this is Atsumu and his daughter Akari, he-” Kageyama choked on his drink.
“Atsumu-san, that's your daughter? ” he exclaimed, “How old is she? How old are you , 23?”
“Shut up, Tobio,” Hinata said. “As I was saying, he went to Inarizaki and we beat him in my first year.”
“Thanks, Shoyo-kun,” Atsumu said, rolling his eyes.
“Oh!” Kuroo exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “You’re a Miya twin!”
“Yep,” Atsumu said, laughing. “‘Samu now runs an Onigiri shop.”
“I love that place,” Akaashi sighed, fondly.
“Are you going to answer me?” Kageyama asked.
“Fear not, Tobio-kun. Yes, believe it or not, Akari is my daughter. She’s four, I’m twenty four, and she was born when I was 19.”
“Huh,” Kageyama grunted, taking a sip of his drink.
“It’s nice to see you again, Miya-san,” Yamaguchi said.
“Please, Atsumu is fine,” he replied, “You too, Yamaguchi-kun, Tsukishima-kun.” Tsukishima merely nodded in response.
They ordered food and ate it. Atsumu began to revoke his regret. Akari seemed to be having a great time, and everyone loved her. Sakusa kept trying to make eye contact. Atsumu kept ignoring it. Soon, it was late, and Akari was falling asleep in her high chair. He bid the group goodbye, collected his sleeping daughter and her sparkly, pink backpack, and made his way out of the restaurant, thanking the hostess as he left. Once he was outside, he noticed someone following them.
“Hey, Omi, are you leaving too?” Atsumu asked in a relievingly steady voice.
“No,” Sakusa replied emotionlessly. “I wanted to speak with you.”
“Sorry, Omi, another time. I really have to get her to bed.” Atsumu gestured to the sleeping girl draped over his shoulder.
“You said that earlier today,” Sakusa replied harshly. “Are you even fit to drive? We can talk while you’re waiting for an Uber.”
“What, you’d think I’d try to drive myself and my daughter home drunk? ”Atsumu fumed. “You’d think I’d even consider taking a sip of alcohol while I’m responsible for a four-year old?”
“I’m sorry! It’s just… you probably would have been blackout drunk if she wasn’t here! How was I to know that you’d be any different with her?” Atsumu was shocked.
"You really think that? You really think I’m that irresponsible?” Atsumu took a couple steps away from Sakusa, whose face, usually completely unreadable, was contorted. If Atsumu tried hard enough, he could convince himself it was an expression of regret.
“Bye, Sakusa,” Atsumu said as he turned and walked toward his car.
>>>
At home, Atsumu tucked in Akari, showered, and climbed into bed before letting himself cry. It was a hurt, quiet kind of cry. The kind of cry that hurts more than heartbreak. The kind of cry that is unsatisfying and insufficient. He drifted into a dreamless sleep.