Archive of Our Own

A frustrated scream filled the air.

The boy in Hajime’s arms flinched so he held on tighter. He flinched too, but he had to be strong right now.

Loud voices from down the hall could be heard all the way in the bedroom. As soon as the fighting had started, Hajime put his yellow and blue truck back into the toy bin by his drawer and crawled into bed, and waited.

Not long after, the door creaked open and wide, gunmetal blue eyes looked back at him. The door quietly shut behind the small six-year-old.

Keiji always was always quiet. Not silent, but he liked listening more. Hajime was always the loud one. 

Hajime was the one who taught him how to play. Keiji would set up the trucks in a line or the animal figurines into a zoo, and then he was done. Hajime showed him how to actually make a story with the objects. Keiji liked to set up all the toys and then have Hajime make a story and game out of it. Hajime liked that too.

The small boy climbed onto Hajime’s bed and crawled to the older boy. Hajime opened up his arms and the younger boy clung close to him.

Now, the two boys are in the same position they’ve been in a lot lately. Their parents used to be happy, Hajime thinks. They used to love each other. Now they just yell at each other and ignore each other. Do they still love each other? 

No of course they do. They told Hajime that they love each other. 

But what if they lied?

“Hajime?” Hajime looked down at the boy in his arms.

“Yeah, Keiji?”

“Why do mommy and daddy always fight?” His innocent eyes sparkled with tears. Hajime could feel his own water as well.

“I don’t know.” He sniffed and rubbed his nose on his shirt sleeve.

“Oh.” Keiji held on tighter. “Okay.”

They laid in silence just listening to the adults down the hall. It sounded like they were getting quieter. That means that they’re almost done. That’s what that always means. And then tomorrow they’ll be quieter again. Daddy will smile at them and play with them and mom will sit at the kitchen table or in her office and do work on her laptop. Mom and daddy are quiet to each other unless they’re yelling at each other at night. 

“Hajime?”

“Yeah?”

“Do they still love us?”

Hajime didn’t like that question. “Of course they do. Don’t think like that.” 

Hajime really didn’t like that question. Of course, they love their sons. They didn’t do anything that would make them not love them, right? Maybe he’ll have to ask daddy tomorrow. He won’t ask mom. She can be scary sometimes when he asks questions like that. He’ll ask daddy. Because of course their mom and daddy love them.

“Okay. Night Hajime.”

“Good night Keiji.” 

The six-year-old and the seven-year-old closed their eyes and let the sound of the front door slamming shut fade out into the back of their tiny minds.

At breakfast the next morning, their mom wasn’t there. Keiji gave Hajime his best puppy eyes so Hajime knew he had to be the big brother again. 

“Daddy, where’s mom?” Hajime watched as their dad tensed in front of the stove. He continued stirring what was in the pot. It took him a long time to answer. Maybe he was chewing something and needed to swallow it first. Because you can’t talk with food in your mouth. Mom said.

“You’re mom, she’s uh, she went to work.” He cleared his throat. “She has a lot of work and might not be home till late. She might not be home today. I, I don’t know. We’ll, uh, we’ll see.”

He took a deep breath and turned around to face his two sons. “Now enough about that. Breakfast’s ready. Let’s focus on that, okay?”

The boys said okay and the man put food in front of both of them. He observed the two boys, Hajime could almost touch the ground in his chair, while Keiji still had his feet swinging under the table. Hajime had his father’s brown eyes and their mother’s dark brown, straight hair. Keiji had their mother’s blue eyes and his father’s black, curly hair. He could see himself and his wife in both the boys. Hajime was getting his anger and strong personality while Keiji was quieter and more reserved like their mother.

Keiji finished first. He always ate fast. He squirmed out of his chair and ran towards the living room, where he was probably setting up a game for him and Hajime.

Their dad met Hajime’s eyes.

“Daddy, do you love me and Keiji?” His dad’s eyes got huge and he quickly swallowed the food in his mouth.

“Yes, of course I do. I love you both so much. Why are you asking?”

The boy only shrugged. He shouldn’t have asked. Of course he does. He shouldn’t have doubted him. He was his dad, he had to love him.

“And mom?”

When his dad didn’t answer right away, Hajime looked up at him with a tilted head.

“...She does. I mean, she’s your mother. She just has her own way of showing it. Now finish up. You don’t want the food getting cold before you can eat it all. Plus, Keiji’s waiting for you.”

With that, Hajime hurried up and finished his breakfast before jumping out of his seat and running to where his brother was currently setting up their dinosaurs in two lines facing each other. He smiled big and sat next to his little brother, waiting for him to put them all out.

When their dad was done in the kitchen, he sat on the couch, watching his two boys simply being happy together.

“Bokuto-san!” Keiji called out to the third year as the ball was set to him. The ace jumped and wound his arm back, and then the ball was slamming against the floor on the other side.

“Out!” Bokuto-san’s mouth fell open and he looked at Konoha who was playing the role of referee. He smirked at the taller man and pointed at the ground. “Sorry Bo, it was out.”

Keiji sighed as he watched the two-toned hair boy slouch and start to pout. He needed to do something quickly before Bokuto-san fell into another emo mode. He walked up to the other boy, his footsteps light. “Bokuto-san, would you like to spike another? I know this one will land on the court.”

Bokuto-san looked up at Keiji, his puppy dog eyes boring into Keiji’s skull. “You mean it?”

Keiji could only offer a small nod and a quirk of his lips, making the tiniest smile. It was enough to get Bokuto-san to straighten out and wrap his arms around Keiji’s waist. Keiji, after all this time with Bokuto-san, has never gotten used to the number of hugs he gave out. He wrapped his arms around the other and pat his back. Looking up, he could see Konoha and some of their other teammates puckering their lips or wrapping their arms around themselves. Keiji knows it’s friendly teasing, but he still sends a glare their way, along with a roll of the eyes.

The two broke apart and then retook their places on the court. 

This time, when the ball was sent Bokuto-san’s way, it smashed down within the lines.

“HEY HEY HEY!” He pounded his fist into the air. “‘Kaashi did you see!”

“I did Bokuto-san, good job.”

“Nice set! Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Keiji was going to need Bokuto-san to stop saying such nice things like that. The top of his ears burned and he had to fight the urge to cover them with his hands or squirm or do anything but hold still. That’s not how you be a gentleman.

Instead, he gave a respectful “Thank you Bokuto-san,” and got ready for the next serve.

After the practice game, Bokuto-san slung an arm around the second year and drug him into a group hug with the teammates on their team. Keiji couldn’t even be grossed out by the sweat at the moment. Bokuto-san’s happiness always lifts his spirits as well. They broke apart and then their coach calls everyone to start cleaning up. Keiji moved to help with the net and Bokuto-san moved to help pick up stray balls around the gym.

Usually, they stay late and practice by themselves for a while, but today Keiji has to get home.

They got everything put away and got out of the way of their teammates trying to mop the floor and headed to the locker room. They rinsed off in the showers and then got changed back into their school clothes.

“You guys are leaving? This early?”

Keiji slung his bag over his shoulder and Bokuto turned to Komi with a smile. “Yeah! Keiji has to pack!”

“Oh? Where are you going?”

Keiji made eye contact with the libero.

A gentleman makes eye contact, Keiji. Don’t make me look bad, Keiji

. “I’m going to my dad’s house for my brother’s birthday. They live in Miyagi.”

Komi looked taken aback. “You have a brother?”

Keiji nodded. And then he said goodbye to everyone in the room and turned to leave. Bokuto-san’s locker closed and he bounded out after him. He shouted goodbye and see you later to everyone and slowed down once he was next to Keiji’s side.

Once they got into an easy pace, Bokuto-san slid his hand into Keiji’s. Just like always, Keiji’s heart spiked and his ears got too hot once again.

Even though they started dating a few months ago, Keiji still couldn’t believe it. He had a boyfriend. His boyfriend was Bokuto-san.

“You excited to see them, Keiji?” That’s one thing that Keiji definitely is not used to yet. Letting Bokuto-san use his first name was a huge step for him, one he couldn’t quite use yet for himself. He was very uncomfortable with being informal with anyone. He tried dropping the san once and had a panic attack, so he hasn’t tried it again since.

Gentlemen are respectful, Keiji. Gentlemen use titles no matter who they’re talking about.

“Yes, I haven’t seen them in two years. I miss them.” Bokuto-san nodded his head in understanding. They continued walking in comfortable silence with the occasional conversation until they get to the intersection they always part at.

Bokuto-san pulled Keiji to him and held him in a hug. Keiji wrapped his arms around him and tightened his hold. He’ll miss Bokuto-san while he’s gone. A lot. He loves being around him. 

Bokuto-san pulls away slightly and looks up and down the street before kissing Keiji. This always makes Keiji feel warm inside.

When they pull away, they say goodnight. Keiji forces himself to take steps away from his boyfriend and walk toward his house. Since he was getting home earlier than usual, he had time to make dinner for himself and his mother.

When he reaches his home, he shivers. He thinks about turning the temperature up, but his mother likes the house cold.

He sets his bag down on the dining room table and moves to the kitchen. He grabs a pot and puts it on the stove while he gets ingredients together. He won’t make a complicated meal, just something he can put together and have ready by the time his mother got home.

When it was ready, he set two plates on the dining room table, put the pot in the middle, and sat in his seat. He put a pile of food on his plate and as slowly as he could. He wanted to make sure he still had food on his plate when his mother got home so that they could eat together.

They haven’t eaten together at home in at least a year, but Keiji always leaves the option open in case she does decide to sit down with him.

He was halfway through his plate when the front door opened. He heard the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor and he straightened. She appeared in the doorway, wearing her usual outfit of a pencil skirt, a button-up shirt, and a pair of heels. Her brown hair was up in a tight bun, only a few hairs out of place.

“Oh, you’re home.”

“Hello, mother. Dinner is ready.”

She sighed and took the lid off the pot of food. She piled food onto her plate and set it down. She went into the kitchen and came out with a glass of water. She picked her plate up again and then looked at Keiji.

“Keiji, what did I say about elbows on the table?”

Keiji looked down. He didn’t even realize that he had moved them to rest there. He jerked them off the surface as soon as he saw them. When did he do that? He never does that. He bowed his head toward his mother.

“I apologize mother. I’ll be better next time.”

The silence that followed dragged on. Keiji slowly lifted his head a fraction, just enough so that he could see her face. Her pursed lips let on to the fact that she wanted to say something but was figuring out how to word it.

He waited for what she would have to say to him, but she just turned with her food and walked out of the dining room.

He heard her heels click as she walked away. The sound of her office door opening and closing was deafening.

Keiji sat completely still for a moment before slowly unraveling himself and stared straight ahead. He picked his fork up, swirled his food around, then set it back down, as quietly as he could.

He wasn’t very hungry anymore. Tiptoeing around the kitchen and dining room, he stored all the leftovers away in the fridge in case his mother got hungry later tonight or tomorrow. He scraped the food from his plate into the trash can and then cleaned the dish.

His phone buzzed while he was walking up the stairs but he ignored it for the moment, deciding he needed to finish packing first before indulging in conversation with others. He had packed most of his stuff the day before, not wanting to wait until now to get everything he needed to lessen his chances of forgetting anything. He packed what he needed, including the toiletries in the bathroom he would need once he used them for the night. Anything he was using that night or in the morning got put in one spot on his desk. Once that was done, he deemed that all his stuff was ready to go and he turned off his bedroom light, ready to lay down for the night.

His phone buzzed again and he finally looked at it seeing two messages. The earlier one was from Bokuto-san.

From: Bokuto-san <3

I’ll miss you :(! But have fun!!! :D You better text me a bunch! But not too much, you have to hang out with your brother. >:( Tell him I said hi :)!! Love you <333

Keiji smiled at his text. Texting Bokuto-san sometimes gave him whiplash with how many different moods he tried to portray in one single text. Keiji feels like his texts are wrong next to his. Sometimes he tries to write more informally, but he gets a queasy feeling in his gut when he does.

To: Bokuto-san <3

I’ll miss you too. I will try my best to have fun as well as text you when I can. I’ll make sure to pass along your message. I love you too.

He then opened the other test that he had received a minute ago and saw that it was from his brother.

From: Hajime

Can’t wait to see you tomorrow. It’s been too long

To: Hajime

I can’t wait either. I’ve missed you very much. See you tomorrow.

Keiji looked at the message he sent. He knew it seemed like he was being sarcastic or untruthful, but he really wasn’t. Hajime was always good at knowing how he really felt though, so he hopes his response was appropriate.

After scrolling through his phone for a bit, Keiji decided to close his eyes and try to sleep. He always had a losing battle with insomnia, but sometimes it helped to think that he was back with Hajime, and sometimes he would think about being with Bokuto-san. He laid there with his eyes closed for a long time before he was able to drift into an easier slumber. 

Hajime didn’t even knock when he opened the front door and entered the house. He left his shoes by the entrance and made his way to the living room. Once there, he could see most of his teammates already there. Oikawa popped his head around the corner to see who it was that arrived. “Ah, Iwa-chan! Hi nice of you to show up! Come help me in the kitchen.” 

He disappeared once again and Hajime could only go after him, nodding his head at the members scattered around the room as he passed.

Once in the kitchen, Oikawa started putting bowls of snacks in his arms and told him to put them out. He set everything down on the coffee table in the living room and then was going to turn around to help more, but Oikawa had followed him with only one bowl and a smile on his face as he set it down.

Hajime sat down on the couch, next to Kyotani, who was there early surprisingly. They talked idly until the late members arrived, quite noisily Hajime might add. Matsukawa and Hanamaki bounced into the room, shouting their arrival for everyone to hear.

Hajime felt his eye twitch and he was a second away from yelling at them, but they quieted down when Hanamaki sat on the armchair and Matsukawa sat on top of him. He sighed instead.

Oikawa clapped his hands together. “Alright, now that everyone’s here, which movie should we watch?”

Everyone groaned as he held up two different alien movies.

“Oikawa, not again.”

“We’re not watching another alien movie!”

“We already watched those ones!”

“Put those movies away, Stupidkawa.”

Oikawa turned his head to the side and plopped down on the other chair in the room. “These are great movies! It’s not my fault none of you have any taste!”

Once again, Hajime sighed and moved to the shelf with movies on them and started browsing through them. 

“I swear Iwaizumi, if you try to get us to watch Godzilla again, I’m leaving.”

“I’m not. I’m not. I know when to stop.”

Several voices of disagreement lit up the room. Hajime was ten seconds away from yelling at everybody. He grabbed a movie,

not Godzilla

, and put it in the DVD slot. Everyone settled down, some reaching for a snack on the table. It was an alright movie, more fun to point out awful CGI or cringe-worthy lines and actions.

After the movie ended, they let the end-credit music play in the background why they decided which game they wanted to play.

“What about two truths and a lie?”

“That’s the most basic game ever.”

Yahaba glared at Kunimi. However, it seemed like Oikawa, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki have latched on to the idea so the game has been decided.

Matsukawa cleared his throat. “I’ll go first.” He thought for a few seconds. “Ok, got it.” He sat up, making Hanamaki groan.

“Stop moving your bony butt, will ya?”

“Okay, okay, shush. Okay, I wore Hanamaki’s uniform at our first practice game last year, I have the same birthday as Yahaba, and my favorite food is cheese-filled hamburger steak.”

Everyone took a second to think. Matsukawa and Hanamaki have switched uniforms before to see if the coach notices. Hajime was pretty sure that the birthday one was true. Now it was down to the wording.

“The first one.”

“Yeah, the first one.”

Everyone in the room nodded their head in agreement. Matsukawa looked positively scandalized.

“Fine. You’re right. I didn’t wear his uniform for the first practice game.” He paused for a second. “I wore it for the first

official

game.”

“...Of course you did.”

Laughter filled the room as other people went. Oikawa went and tried to convince everyone that he was an alien. He also tried to say that him having brown eyes was a lie. His round caused outrage amongst the group and Hajime was just glad that Oikawa’s parents aren’t home. They would definitely have been scolded to keep quiet.

“Ok Iwa-chan, you’re up.”

Hajime totally forgot that he would have to go as well and so he took a few minutes to come up with something. It wasn’t going to be as well thought out as some of the others, but oh well.

“Uhhh Oikawa and I are dating.” He thought for another second. “Um, I have a brother, and I have a cat.”

“The second one.”

“Definitely. I’ve never seen you with a brother.”

“You and Oikawa are dating?”

“Oh my god. Kindaichi. They’ve been dating since their first year.”

“How was I supposed to know?!” 

“Forget about it. Now, which option do you pick?”

“He doesn’t have a brother.”

“Oikawa?”

“Three.”

“What? Oikawa, be smart about this.”

“I am. He doesn’t have a cat. He has a dog.”

Everyone looked to Hajime who could only shrug.

“Oikawa’s right. I don’t have a cat.”

The room went silent before it dissolved into chaos.

“YOU HAVE A BROTHER?!?!”

“When did this happen??”

“Is this a prank? I feel like this is a prank.”

“It’s not a prank. I have a brother.” Hajime doesn’t understand why this is such a surprise. The team has been to his house. There are pictures up of the two of them. He’s definitely mentioned him.

“Prove it.”

“Prove- what? How do you want me to prove it?”

“What’s his name?”

“Akaashi Keiji.”

“See? You don’t even have the same last name. Not related.”

Oikawa and Hajime looked at each other and Hajime shifted in his seat. “Our parents are divorced. He lives with my mother in Tokyo.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s alright, you didn’t know.”

Hanamaki looked around Matsukawa’s shoulder. “So, what does he look like?”

Hajime pulled his phone out of his pocket and went to Instagram. Hajime doesn’t have any recent photos of Keiji on his phone, so he figured this would be better. He passed his phone over to Kyotani, who looked at it then passed it on to Yahaba, who kept passing until they got to the two in the armchair. Once it got to the two, they paused and scrolled through the page.

“Hajime.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Your brother’s kind of hot.”

Hajime blinked. And then blinked again. He looked around at everyone in the room to make sure they heard that too. They were all avoiding looking at him.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Iwa-chan, come on. You have to admit he’s pretty good-looking.” Hajime turned to Oikawa. He threw his hands up. “I’m just saying.”

“Let’s change the subject. When does he get here?”

“Uh, his train is leaving tomorrow morning and he’ll be here by three.”

“Wait he’s coming here? Tomorrow?”

Hajime now glared at the two in the armchair. “Yes.”

Oikawa lit up. “Can’t wait to see Keiji-kun again. We haven’t seen him in person in two years. He’s coming up for Iwa-chan’s birthday.”

“Oikawa, I swear, if you start talking about Iwaizumi’s birthday

again

, I will strangle you. We know.”

They continued like normal until it was time to wind down for the night. Everyone got comfortable around the room, a movie was put on mostly for background noise, but also for those who weren’t falling asleep anytime soon. Hajime was sitting on his phone, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, before he closed out of the app and opened his text messages. He clicked on the thread for him and Keiji and texted that he couldn’t wait to see him. Keiji rarely texted right away so he went back to Instagram for a few minutes before he got a response.

From: Keiji

I can’t wait either. I’ve missed you very much. See you tomorrow.

Hajime smiled at his phone. Keiji may not be the best at showing emotions (his mother’s fault, but he’s not getting into that right now), but Hajime can tell how much he means the words he does say. He was excited to see his brother. It’s been too long. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming about seeing his brother again after all this time.

His knee was bouncing uncontrollably. He tried pushing down on it with his hand, but it wouldn’t stop. The lady across from him was giving him a strange look. He whispered an apology, his voice barely coming out. She looked down at her phone and Keiji looked away.

He had one earbud in, even though it wasn’t something his mother would approve of, but he needed something to distract his mind. He texted Bokuto-san to keep his fingers busy and also because he was sad he wouldn’t see him like he usually does. Since it’s summer break, the weekend practices are optional, but he always went to them anyway. He didn’t like staying in his home if he could help it.

He also decided that while he was in Miyagi he would practice dropping the san off of Bokuto-san’s name in a place that he remembers to be more comfortable and safe. Letting his boyfriend call him by his given name was something he now loved, and he wanted to eventually get to the same place with Bokuto… -san.

He’s getting there.

For now, he’ll just turn and look out the window behind him, watching the scenery drift around him. He was about an hour into the journey and had a few more hours to go.

His eyes came back into focus when the same woman from earlier put her hand on his shoulder. Keiji was startled and realized the train was slowing to a stop, his stop. He grabbed his bag and stood, thanking her. She nodded and stepped off the train once the doors opened. He waited for a second before doing the same, giving her space.

He looked down at his phone and saw a text from Hajime saying that he was waiting for him. Keiji looked up and began searching for him. It was a little easier since he knew they were both taller than the average height here. 

He saw the head of brown, spiky hair and smiled. He quickened his pace and made his way over. When Hajime spotted him as well, Keiji could see his smile grow. Hajime walked towards him and the two wrapped their arms around each other.

They held on to each other for a long time, Keiji wasn’t counting the minutes. He didn’t want to let go.

Hajime pulled away from him, Keiji fought the urge to pout. But he wouldn’t.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

Home.

Keiji wants to go there too. He reached down and grabbed the bag that he had dropped, falling into step next to Hajime.

They walked back to the house, because they lived relatively close to the station and because their dad was currently cooking dinner, according to Hajime. It was strange to Keiji, being cooked for at home. Their mom hasn’t cooked for him in several years, deeming him capable enough to do it on how own.

When they reached the house, Hajime opened the door and gestured for Keiji to go in first. As soon as he stepped in, the smell of food hit his nose and his stomach growled. He forgot that he didn’t finish dinner the night before and he didn’t eat breakfast in the morning before he left.

The next thing that happened was the dog that bounded up to him, barking. Keiji bent over and let the dog sniff his hand, and the bigger dog licked it. When Hajime was here two years ago, the shikoku dog was about one year old. Now the dog was older and definitely better trained. He used to bark at Keiji a lot, but he already stopped and it hasn’t been even five minutes.

Keiji smiled at the dog. He was still very cute, too. He still has the energy he remembers him having. “Hi, Yuuma. It’s good to see you again.” 

The dog wagged its tail at being acknowledged. A pan being set down was heard in the kitchen and Yuuma trotted over to see what was going on. Keiji walked further into the house, feeling a little out of place at the moment.

While this was his home as well, it’s been two years since he’s been here. It feels strange, but hopefully, he’ll get used to it.

“Keiji? Is that you?” A head popped out from behind the doorway to the kitchen and Keiji nodded. He fought a smile, but it slipped onto his face anyways. Hajime took the bag out of his hand before their father walked over and wrapped his arms around Keiji.

Keiji let the feeling surround him and he closed his eyes. He could hear Hajime quietly say he was taking the bag to Keiji’s room. Keiji should do it but he can’t seem to move at the moment. It’s been a long time since he’s gotten a hug from one of his parents and his body refuses to let him move from his spot at the moment.

They stood like that until their dad pulled away with a giant smile on his face. “Come in, come in, dinners almost ready!”

Keiji remembered the food and his stomach growled once again. His dad chuckled and told him to follow him. 

He sat down at the table in the kitchen where he can think of many family meals and let himself sink it all in. Hajime came into the room a minute later and sat next to his brother. He offered to set the table but was promptly denied.

They all started a conversation about what they’ve been up to recently and the stories they had.

“-And even though I know I had told them about you before, they were all shocked when I said I had a brother. Sometimes I just don’t understand my team.”

Keiji has yet to remove the smile completely off his face. It’s not as big as it was when he first saw his dad, but it was still there.

“My team also didn’t know. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned you to them as well.” Their dad set a pan on the table and sat down as well.

They all said their thanks and piled food onto their plates before plowing into it.

After a few bites, their dad cleared his throat. Keiji and Hajime both looked up at him. When he spoke his voice was very quiet. “Keiji, you can relax.” 

Keiji furrowed his brows. He looked at the other two and noticed how they were sitting. Hajime was hunched over his plate. Their dad was sitting up straighter but had his elbows on the table. Both of their positions made his stomach squeeze a bit. 

Keiji took note of how he was sitting, but he didn’t understand. He was supposed to sit like this. He slowly put his elbows on the table to see what would happen and he tried to swallow the squeezing in his stomach as it grew tenfold.

“I apologize.” He didn’t know what else to do or say, so he looked back to his food and continued eating, even though he lost his appetite. His elbows seemed to burn. 

He could feel two sets of eyes boring into him, but he ignored them. Both of them stopped looking after a moment. When he knew they weren’t both looking at him, he slowly moved his elbows so they were back off the table.

A sigh from his dad let him know he didn’t do a good job at being sneaky about it.

After dinner, they were able to settle back into a more comfortable atmosphere. They moved into the living room and the two brothers sat on the couch next to each other while their dad sat on the chair. Yuuma jumped onto the couch and laid his head on Keiji’s lap.

Keiji pet the dog, half because the dog was adorable and half because he needed something to do with his hands. 

Hajime looked through Netflix trying to find something to watch and hesitated when they passed over Godzilla. Apparently, he still loved the movie.

“I think we should watch a movie about aliens, what do you think dad?”

Hajime looked over betrayed at Keiji, who just blinked.

“What’s the matter? I’m sure we’ll find one that Oikawa-san hasn’t made you watch somewhere in here.”

His eyes were now flowing with humor and mischief.

“I think that’s a lovely idea, Keiji. Let’s find one.” Hajime looked over at their dad and sunk into the couch before refusing to look at alien movies.

Keiji let out a huff of laughter at his brother and watched him click something that looked like an action movie, that did not involve Godzilla or aliens. The movie seemed like something Bokuto-san liked watching.

Speaking of Bokuto-san, Keiji checked his phone real quick and responded to the three messages he found from the older boy.

Keiji looked up and met the amused eyes of Hajime. Keiji scowled at him and put his phone back away. He didn’t need to be teased before he even saw Oikawa-san in person again.

They continued watching the movie, making side comments when necessary, Keiji a lot less than the other two. The dog had shifted at one point so that he was half laying on Keiji, and half laying on Hajime.

After the movie was over, their dad stretched and stood up. Keiji turned to him. He looked at Keiji as if he had something to say and Keiji straightened up. He didn’t know what he did wrong but he knew better than to slouch when he was going to get scolded. 

His dad furrowed his brows. He pursed his lips in a move similar to what his mother did the night before. He waited for what he would do. Would he be yelled at or ignored? He never knew with his mother and he certainly didn’t know with his dad.

“I’m going to bed. I have work in the morning. Goodnight boys, see you tomorrow. Love you both.” 

“Love you too, dad.”

“...Love you. Goodnight.”

Keiji watched him call the dog after him, probably to let him out, and then disappeared around the corner. Keiji blinked. He forgot that his dad wasn’t like their mother. This home was much different than the one in Tokyo.

He shouldn’t be thinking of his mother like that either. She’s not that bad. She doesn’t hurt him. Other people have it worse.

“Want to watch another movie?”

Keiji voiced his approval and slowly leaned back into the couch cushions. It took him fifteen minutes to completely relax on the couch. He forgot how hard the first couple of days, especially the first one, could be when he gets to his dad’s home. He’ll get used to it, but it always makes going back harder. But he can do it. He always has in the past. For now, he’ll enjoy his time here as much as possible.

Hajime watches Keiji from the corner of his eye. He’s been watching him the entire time trying to figure out what damage their mother caused. Hajime knew it wasn’t very good at their mother’s house, but Keiji never went into detail about what it’s like other than that she doesn’t really talk to him a lot and that she expects him to act like a gentleman. He also mentioned only a handful of times that she’s yelled at him for things out of his control or something idiotic.

Hajime suspects there’s more going on than Keiji is saying. If he was treated okay at home he wouldn’t straighten out and look like he wants to run whenever their dad looks in his direction.

He knew it wasn’t a good situation, no matter how in-depth Keiji refused to talk about it. Hajime will have to have a talk with their dad about it after Keiji leaves again.

It won’t be the first talk they’ve had. It’s one of the only things the two argue about. Hajime desperately wants to get Keiji out of their mother’s house, but their dad is steadfast in his stance. Their mother got Keiji in the divorce, and he couldn’t argue about that without having to go to court again. Hajime thought it was worth it.

It’s not like their dad didn’t want to, Hajime knows. It’s just that they don’t have the money to offer it. They aren’t poor, but they definitely couldn’t afford to go to court with a chance of losing the case anyways if Keiji continues how he is and doesn’t say anything.

During dinner, Hajime didn’t notice how Keiji was acting until their dad pointed it out. Keiji’s eyes have always betrayed how he really feels and watching his face remain completely blank while his eyes were swimming with emotion hurt Hajime.

Hajime knew he didn’t use to be like that. When they were younger, Keiji was expressionate. Not as much as every kid, but it’s only gotten worse as he’s grown.

Hajime saw the internal struggle as he brought his elbows to the table, and then Hajime tried not to watch him as he retracted them a few minutes later.

He also watched as Keiji gradually relaxed when they watched the movie, only having to start over when their dad stood up. Hajime was going to make sure to be a great brother for him this week, making sure he feels welcomed in his own home.

The movie they were currently watching was winding to a close and Hajime pulled out his phone checking his texts. He looked at the one from his coach, asking if Keiji could join their optional practices that week if he wanted to which his coach told him it was okay. He responded with his gratitude and looked at his other messages.

And of course, he had eighty-seven missed texts from his group chat with his teammates. He was going to kill them all tomorrow. There’s a reason he put the group on mute, and this was why.

Scrolling through all the messages, that were still coming in, he found that most of them were Oikawa. He rolled his eyes at that. He sent a short text telling them all to stop texting and go to sleep, they had practice the next day, which got responded with “

yes mom”

by every single person who was currently conversating.

He then got a message from Oikawa.

From: Tooru

How’s Keiji?

To: Tooru

He’s alright. I think my mom has been treating him worse than the last time he was here tho. I’ll keep you updated.

From: Tooru

He’s worse than last time? I might have to kill your mom. He should just live with you.

To: Tooru

Get in line. And I agree.

Keiji stood up and Hajime looked up at him. Hajime noticed that the tv behind him was no longer playing the movie but the end credits. Keiji quietly said he was going to bed and made his way towards his room. He was so quiet, Hajime wouldn’t have known he left if he didn’t see him stand up from the corner of his eye.

Hajime got up as well and made his way to his own room. He continued texting Oikawa for a bit before deciding he needed to go to sleep. He’ll ask Keiji if he wants to join their practice tomorrow when they wake up.

Hajime wakes up to the sun shining on his face. He squinted and tried smashing his face into his pillow, but it was too late. He was awake. He checked his phone for the time and only groaned.

It took him a moment to reenter the present and when he did, he remembered that Keiji was there. Waking up earlier than he normally would during the break would be worth it if it means spending more time with his younger brother.

He made his way out to the kitchen. His dad must have already left for work. Hajime decided to make a simple breakfast for him and Keiji and set out on finding the ingredients and pans.

Cooking kept him busy and Keiji padded into the room when he was practically done. He must have been lured out by the smell of food. Keiji was never a morning person, but he always did wake up for food.

Separating the meal onto two plates, Hajime set them both down on the table and took his seat. They both said their thanks and then dug in. If Keiji was still like he was two years ago, he won’t want to talk until he’s finished his food completely.

They ate in comfortable silence. Hajime was enjoying having his brother here with him, and he was disappointed whenever he thought about Keiji leaving again.

Once they finished and had the plates where they went, Yuuma ran around Keiji and then went to the back door. Hajime took the cue and let the dog out. Keiji followed him to the door, so he decided to go out and play fetch with the dog to let him run around.

After throwing the ball around a few times, and Yuuma making Keiji throw a few as well, even though the ball was covered in slobber, Hajime sat down on the patio chair. Keiji made a face and rubbed his hand on his shorts, apparently not caring at the moment if he got them dirty. Keiji sat down on the other chair and closed his eyes, head tilting up towards the sky. 

He looked so peaceful here. Hajime would love seeing Keiji here all the time.

“My team has an optional practice today if you want to go.”

Keiji didn’t open his eyes or move, but he made a noise letting Hajime know he heard him. 

“Am I allowed?”

“Yeah, I already talked to my coach about it.”

Keiji cracked a small smile. “Of course you did.” Hajime lets him go back to enjoying the sun. 

He tends to forget that Keiji lives in the city and doesn’t live in an urban area like Hajime is used to. The air was cleaner here and there was less light pollution and noise. It wasn’t the quietest place, but it was definitely not the same as Tokyo. Hajime doesn’t know if he would be able to sleep somewhere with so much noise.

He’s never gone to their mother’s house, simply because she has never shown an interest in having him over. He feels like she didn’t want anything to do with either of them, but took Keiji with her out of some sort of pride. Hajime honestly has no clue. He doesn’t know what the woman is like other than what Keiji tells him, which is barely anything.

The birds chirping around them have Hajime checking the bird feeder they have, finding it to be empty. He decides to go fill it up before he forgets later.

They continue to kill time, inside and outside of the house until it’s time to head out to Hajime’s school for practice. Keiji had packed volleyball gear like he always has so it wasn’t like he wasn’t prepared.

Usually, they go off to the park nearby to play, but Hajime thought it’d be fun for Keiji to meet his friends.

They started the trek to Hajime’s school, meeting Oikawa at his house. As soon as Oikawa had laid eyes on Keiji, he squealed and blubbered about how much he had missed him, and then pulled a one-eighty and pretended like it wasn’t a big deal that the younger boy was there.

Keiji and Hajime both rolled their eyes at him in response to his normal behavior. Hajime knows that Oikawa and Keiji text occasionally and are good friends. Hajime also knows that Oikawa is going to be scanning and analyzing Keiji for anything wrong, just like he has been doing these past two days.

They get to the clubroom and put their stuff in there, getting changed and putting on any gear they have. Kindaichi and Kunimi were in there and seemed curious about the extra person, but didn’t say anything to them, instead deciding to head out and help with set up.

They got a few curious glances but no one said anything until the terrible two bounced into the room. Hanamaki was the first of them to spot Keiji and his stare almost seemed predatory. He elbowed Matsukawa in the ribs to get his attention, who got an identical look when he caught sight of Keiji.

“Why hello, who’s this

Iwa-chan

, did you bring a friend?” Matsukawa only glanced at Hajime for a second before returning to look at Keiji. Hajime was suddenly remembering the conversation from a few days ago where everyone thought his brother was hot and he hoped to any gods available that they didn’t say anything like that with him there. “My name’s Matsukawa, but you can call me any time.”

Well. Hajime might have to punch him later. For now, a glare will suffice.

“It’s nice to meet you Matsukawa-san, I’m Akaashi. Unfortunately, I am not available.”

“And neither are you, Makki.” Oikawa had to point that out in case the other forgot, but Hanamaki didn’t seem upset about the comment, which also drove Hajime closer to a migraine. 

“Did you say Akaashi? As in Iwaizumi’s brother Akaashi?” Hanamaki smiled as if he was going to torment him with awful jokes like he does with the rest of them. “I’m Hanamaki, by the way.”

“I am. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Geez, why so polite? You afraid we’re going to bite or something?” Hajime frowned at that. So did Oikawa. And Keiji. Oikawa was the first to retort and change the subject.

“And why are you so informal all the time? It’s like you have no respect.”

“Oh don’t worry Oikawa, I have plenty of respect. It’s somewhere around here. Wait, no, I left them in my other pants. Sorry.” Hajime looked over to Keiji to see how he was faring and found him with a light smile on his face.

Hajime decided that this was a good idea, bringing him to practice. The rest of the team made their way over to where the group was, starting to do their stretches. As they did so, Keiji started getting more questions. Hajime knows Keiji isn’t the most talkative person so he hopes he’s doing okay with the attention.

“So, you play volleyball, then?” Yahaba asked while leaning towards his right foot. He’s surprisingly flexible, being able to touch his toes from there. “What position do you play?”

“I’m a setter.”

“Are you a starter?” Watari was next to Yahaba and seemed to be trying to match Yahaba. He was not.

“Yes.”

Matsukawa had his legs spread out and put his elbows on the ground in front of him. Frankly, he looked ridiculous. “Is your team any good?”

Keiji stopped in his movements and met Makki’s stare head-on. 

“We’re alright.”

Oikawa giggled and straightened out.

“Don’t let Keiji-kun fool you. He goes to Fukurodani.”

Kindaichi’s mouth hung open. “Fukurodani? Isn’t that a top-four team in Tokyo?” Keiji nodded. “And isn’t your ace in the top-five in the nation?” Keiji nodded again. This time, a blush was starting to form on his face. Keiji seemed to think for a second before speaking.

“Bokuto is a very good player.” Of course, mentioning his boyfriend has him flustered. Oikawa won’t let him live this down if it gets any worse.

Oikawa gave him a nudge and Keiji returned it with a jab with his elbow. 

Not long after, their coach walked into the gym, scanning each of the boys to see who was present. His eyes stopped when he got to Keiji and Keiji straightened under the coach’s gaze.

Hajime met Oikawa’s eyes to see if he noticed it as well, and he had. “Ah, you must be Iwaizumi-Kun’s brother. I’m Coach Irihata.” 

Keiji introduced himself to the older man. 

“Don’t expect me to go easy on you just because you’re not on my team. You’re at my practice and I expect you to practice like it, understood?”

“Yes sir.” Hajime knew Keiji would be able to keep up. Volleyball was something the two were able to talk about easily and openly. Hajime knew that not only did Keiji work hard during practice, he often stayed after for at least an hour with Bokuto.

They did some light drills, things that Keiji was able to easily pick up on and be pretty good at by the time they switched what they were doing.

The last thing they did at practice was a small practice match. Hajime and Keiji ended up being on the same team. Yahaba tried out being a libero, seeing how Keiji and he were both setters but everyone wanted to see how good Keiji was.

And they weren’t disappointed. He may not be a player that tends to stand out, but he is a really talented, consistent player, able to make quick-thinking decisions. He even tricked Oikawa and the others on his side of the net a few times.

In the end, everyone seemed to be impressed with him, and Hajime couldn’t have been prouder. He’s glad his brother was being recognized as the player he was.

“Where do you go to school? You should come here instead.” Oikawa squawked at the idea of being replaced, to which the coach huffed a laugh.

“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll stay at Fukurodani.” Polite as ever.

Coach nodded solemnly and patted him on the shoulder.

They helped clean up around them. Hajime tried to tell Keiji that he didn’t need to help, but he wasn’t having it, insisting on helping out.

When everything was put away and cleaned, they made their way to the locker room and got changed into their normal clothes. Matsukawa put his arm around Keiji as they were leaving the room. 

“So you’re younger, right?”

Keiji nodded. Hajime furrowed his brows. What was he doing now?

Hanamaki slithered his way to the open spot on the other side of Keiji. “How does it feel being taller?”

Hajime definitely had a migraine. He was a second away from bursting a vein and giving the two trouble makers an earful, but the sound of Keiji giggling left him quiet.

“It’s always enjoyable to point out. Hajime seems to have a short-temper.”

The sound of hysterical laughter as the two surrounding Keiji gave him high fives and looked back to where Hajime was.

“Haha. Very funny. You all know that I’m still taller than the average, right?”

“Still shorter than us.” Hajime looked at Keiji, narrowing his eyes. Keiji smirked at him. Of course, the one person that Hajime could never get angry at was playing along with the troublemakers. Oikawa chuckled and pat Hajime on the back.

As their laughter died down, Kindachi got closer to the group. “You’ve been to nationals, right?” Keiji nodded. “What’s it like?”

Everyone close by seemed to be paying attention wanting to know the answer from someone with first-hand experience. Keiji took a moment to think.

“It’s huge. The lights are blinding and it takes a while to adjust so that you can see the ball. Everything seems bigger and it’s nerve-wracking.” He took a breath. “It was the most fun I had had in forever. I loved every moment of it.”

Everyone seemed to have more questions or curious statements and seemed more excited than ever to work hard so that they could try their shot at getting into nationals. They could do it this time, they just know it. They have a great team.

The team started making their way to their respective houses. Hajime and Keiji walked with Oikawa all the way to his house then started towards their own house. Hajime thinks that the day has been pretty good.

Keiji stared at the ceiling of his room. Everything was too quiet. It’s not like it was completely different from his mother’s home; they lived in a more urban area of Tokyo. The difference was subtle but vast. It wasn’t helping his insomnia.

He laid there until his heavy eyelids finally won several hours past when he had gone to sleep.

He awoke to his old bedroom, a certain comfort coming from that. While the room had been changed and was no longer a child’s room, it wasn’t remodeled completely and hadn’t been redone since the last time Keiji was here. He had looked around his first night there and was happy knowing that everything was how he remembered.

Pots clinked together in the kitchen and Keiji knew it was time to get up and join them. His phone buzzed and a smile graced his features when he saw that it was Bokuto. He sent a reply while walking out to the kitchen. He looked up from his phone as he sat down, blinking at Hajime who was sitting down next to him. Their dad had the day off and was making them both breakfast.

The two boys waited a few minutes longer for the food to be ready and then helped their dad bring the food and silverware to the table.

After breakfast, Hajime said he was going to Oikawa-san’s house, leaving Keiji alone with his dad. While he had no reason to be, he couldn’t help but feel a smidge of nervousness settle in his bones.

He shouldn’t feel that way about his dad. His dad would never hurt him or say awful things to him.

Keiji helped clean the table and kitchen. Once everything was done he slowly moved to the living room where his dad was. His eyes landed on the couch and he tried to decide where he should sit. Should he sit closer to his dad’s chair or farther away or somewhere in the middle?

His head was racing with what decision he should make. When he reached the couch, he decided on sitting in the middle and carefully sat down. Keiji looked over at his dad to find him staring at him. He tilts his head to the side in question.

“You don’t have to be so careful around me.” Keiji furrowed his brow. “I don’t know what it’s like at your mom’s house, but you don’t have to act that way here.”

Keiji searched his eyes for a hint of a lie. They sat like that for a few minutes.

“Does she hurt you?”

Keiji shakes his head no.

“Okay.” And that was that.

He turned on the tv and picked something for them to watch. They sat there occasionally talking or answering each other's questions.

When Hajime returned with Oikawa, Keiji had shifted over to the spot closest to their dad, his feet curled up underneath him.

They finished the movie they were watching, the three boys decided to take Yuuma to the park. Yuuma was definitely excited about that, her tag wagging the entire time Hajime put her leash on.

Once they were out on the streets, Yuuma wanted to sniff everything they passed, so it would be some time before they reached the park.

Oikawa moved so he was next to Keiji and slung an arm around his shoulders. “So how’s Bokuto?”

Keiji smiled. “Bokuto’s been good, Oikawa-san. Still energetic. And loud.”

“Oh don’t pretend like you hate it. You’ll seem just like Iwa-chan over here.”

Hajime reached around Keiji to smack Oikawa.

“And your team? How are they?”

“We’re doing alright. We're all steadily improving and working on new skills. We’ll have a good shot at going back to nationals.”

Oikawa nodded and the two older boys tried to pretend like they weren’t jealous that the younger one had done what they couldn’t.

Keiji could tell that Hajime was side-eyeing him and was beginning to wonder what he wanted to say.

“How’s our mother?”

Ah. There it was. Keiji tried to think of an appropriate way to answer this. He saw Oikawa and Hajime share a look as he continued to not speak right away.

“...Busy.”

Hajime looked at him as if he could find an answer in his eyes. He probably could if he looked hard enough.

“What’s the last nice thing she did for you?” Keiji looked over at Oikawa. He doesn’t want to be talking about this if they’re going to react badly to anything he says. He doesn’t want to be defensive right now but he might have to.

“She cooked me dinner.”

“How long ago?”

“...I don’t know, a week or two ago? She taught me to make my own food. Plus she usually isn’t home before dark a lot.”

Keiji kept his eyes on Yuuma. They had reached the park and were going to the dog area so they could let Yuuma off the leash.

“Cooking dinner doesn’t count as being nice, that’s the bare minimum of being a mother.” Keiji wants to change the subject. He doesn’t need to be having this conversation right now.

“How are you, Keiji?”

“...I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

Keiji knew Hajime didn’t believe him but was letting him stop the conversation. He’s thankful for that. They get to the dog area and Yuuma practically vibrates as Hajime unhooks her leash, letting her zoom around and see the other dogs. The three sat in silence for a few minutes before picking up a new, lighter conversation. Keiji’s brain was still in defensive mode and he had to calm down, but once he did, he started having fun.

It’s obvious that his family is trying to figure out if his mother is hurting him, but they don’t need to. She’s only done that once. She slapped him on the cheek a little over a year ago but she apologized for it. Truth be told, that was the last time she touched him. How could she hurt him if she doesn’t touch him?

If Hajime ever asked, he would tell him that she hasn’t physically touched her in a while, that’s all he’ll tell though. He doesn’t want to make his mother seem like a bad guy. She has her bad moments, but she’s not a bad mother. Keiji can’t figure out why the people around him disagree.

He knows she acts differently than how she did when they were younger, but it’s not a complete change. He knows she’s a good person. She has to be.

Hajime lets Keiji keep quiet about their mother.

He will try to get more information out of him later, but for now, he doesn’t want to ruin the little time they still have together.

Over the next few days, they go to practice one more time and continue to hang out and talk to each other. Hajime hasn’t felt this happy since Keiji was there last. Having his brother there helped him feel better. 

Hajime has a tendency to think of the worst-case scenario and likes having the people he cares for in his sight. Having Keiji hours away in Tokyo doesn’t help that, but he’s learned to live with it, making sure to check in every once in a while.

The night before Keiji had to leave again, Hajime woke up to the sound of his bedroom door opening.

Keiji was standing there with his back to the door. Hajime rubbed his eyes and sat up.

“What’s up?”

Keiji continued to stand, probably building up the courage to ask something. Hajime had an inclination as to what it could be and scooted over in the bed, patting the spot next to him. Keiji slowly made his way over to the bed, lowering himself down.

Hajime brought the younger one closer to him, letting his arms surround Keiji. Keiji seemed to deflate in his arms.

“You could always stay here.”

“I can’t. I can’t leave her alone. Plus, I have school.”

“What about after high school? I know we’ll be going to university, but you don’t have to go back to her place.”

“I don’t know.”

“Why not?”

“She’s still my mother.

Our

mother.”

“So?”

“She’s not as terrible as you’re making her out to be. You don’t have the first-hand experience I do with her.” 

“I don’t have experience with her because she doesn’t want to see me. How could that make her a good mother?”

“...I don’t know.”

Hajime tightened his arms around Keiji.

“You don’t have to know right now.” Hajime fought a yawn, but couldn’t help but let it out. “Just think about it.”

Keiji stayed quiet but he stayed relaxed. They laid there for a while, Hajime falling back asleep eventually.

When Hajime woke up, Keiji was sound asleep. Hajime didn’t want to move and risk waking him so he laid there in silence. Keiji was going back to their mother’s house later today but he wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

Keiji shifted before opening his eyes. Hajime watched as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings before recognizing Hajime and his bedroom.

“Good morning.” Hajime chuckled at Keiji trying to fall back asleep, complaining about how loud he was.

Hajime gently removed his arms from around the boy and reached for his phone on his nightstand. He let Keiji lay back down for a few minutes before deciding to get up for breakfast. Keiji huffed but got up as well, albeit very slowly. 

His eyes rolled and he made his way to the kitchen where their dad already was. Keiji went to go and help their dad but Hajime gently pushed him away toward his seat at the table. Hajime could see that the boy was going to argue but silenced him with a raised eyebrow. Didn’t stop him from huffing his indignation though.

They had breakfast together and then had a relaxing morning. They all sat outside for some time, Keiji with his eyes closed. Hajime took a picture of him so that he could remember him like this.

They went out to eat for lunch before Keiji had to come back to pack anything he hadn’t already and leave. Keiji didn’t have much else to pack and returned to the living room after a short while once he was done. 

The three enjoyed each other's company before it was time for Keiji to leave. When Hajime and Keiji stood up, their dad called for Keiji. Keiji looked at the man in question and Hajime went to grab Keiji’s bag.

Hajime couldn’t hear what their dad whispered to him, but he did see him pull the boy into a tight hug. And he did hear the “I’ll miss you every second you’re gone.”

The two kept holding each other until Keiji slowly pulled away. “I’ll miss you, too.”

Then Keiji and Hajime were off to the train station. They walked slowly, not wanting to say goodbye to each other quite yet.

The station wasn’t terribly busy, being able to walk together without being packed together. When they made it to the spot where his train would be coming, they slowed to a stop, making sure they were waiting out of the way of the others around them.

Hajime set Keiji’s bag down on the ground between them then pulled the boy into his arms, just like he did the night before. Even though Keiji was taller, Hajime still managed to swarm him with his hug, Keiji burying his head into Hajime’s shoulder. 

They stood like that, not saying a word until they heard the train approaching. Hajime pulled away and looked into Keiji’s eyes. Keiji had tears forming in his eyes and Hajime would be lying if he said his eyes weren’t beginning to water as well.

“You’re a good brother, you know that?”

Hajime smiled at him. “I’d hope so. I’ve mastered the art over many years.” Keiji rolled his eyes at him. 

The train pulled into the station, the doors opening once it stopped completely. Keiji picked up his bag.

“You’ll be okay?”

Keiji gave him a small smile. “Yeah. I think I’ll be fine. You’ll be okay, too, right?” Hajime nodded. “Good.”

“Goodbye, Keiji.”

“Till' next time Hajime.”

He stepped onto the train finding a seat before turning to look back out the window behind him. The train nudged forward and the two boys waved until they couldn’t see each other.

Hajime stood there looking at where the train had disappeared. He let his hand fall to his side. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and turning back to his home.

Keiji didn’t understand what their parents were telling him.

The two of them had sat Hajime and Keiji down at the dining table to discuss something important. They said that they had been fighting a little bit. 

Keiji already knew that. They’ve been fighting since he was six. He’s seven now. He learned from some of the other kids at school and Hajime that most parents don’t yell at each other as their mom and dad do.

Now they were saying that they were getting a divorce. Keiji scrunched his eyebrows together.

“A divorce? But that’s only for people who don’t love each other anymore.”

His mom and dad glanced at each other. It seemed like they were debating over who had to say something. Finally, their dad spoke to the two boys.

“It’s not that we don’t love each other. We do. It’s just that… we um, we don’t get along like we used to. Instead of being happy together, we just make each other sad and angry. Does that make sense?”

Keiji rolled it over in his head for a moment. He looked over to Hajime. Hajime seemed to understand and nodded his head. Keiji nodded his head too.

“Now, there is something else.” What else could there be? He looked at his dad with reservation. When his dad seemed to trip over his words, their mom spoke up.

“I’ll be moving away. And as part of our agreement, we’ll each get one of you.” Keiji barely registered her words before she continued. “I’ll be taking Keiji with me and Hajime, you’ll be staying here with your father.”

Keiji could feel his world shatter. Why did he have to leave Hajime? He didn’t want to move away. He likes it here with his dad and brother.

Hajime wrapped his hand around Keiji’s, squeezing tight. Keiji squeezed back. He didn’t know what to do.

“Why can’t we stay together?”

Their mom sighed as if she was prepared for this question but still didn’t want to have to answer it.

“While we get that it’ll be hard to separate-” Separate?” “-it’ll be for the best. It would be unfair to either one of us if only one of us got both of you, so we decided that if we each get one of you, it’d be better.”

“I don’t like that idea.”

“Hajime, it’s not for you to decide. The decision has already been made.” Keiji felt tears fill his eyes, spilling over. Hajime tugged on Keiji’s hand and they both left and went to Hajime’s room, Hajime slamming the door behind them. 

Keiji didn’t like it when Hajime was angry, but he was too, so it was okay right now.

“They can’t do that. It’s not fair.” Hajime stomped over to his bed before burying himself under the blankets. Keiji rubbed his eyes and followed him under. They sat in silence letting their emotions flow through them. Keiji couldn’t control himself from sobbing and he clutched onto his brother. Hajime held him and squeezed tight. All the energy left Keiji and he fell asleep.

When he woke up, Hajime was still holding him. Keiji liked being held by him; it felt safe. After a few minutes, he got restless and sat up. They talked in hushed voices. The blanket was still above their heads so Keiji didn’t know what time it was, but he didn’t want to risk it being night and disturbing his parents.

Keiji looked up at his big brother with pleading eyes.

“What are we going to do?”

Hajime looked down at him. He scrunched up his face while thinking. Then when Keiji was beginning to think he didn’t have an answer, Hajime set his face into one of determination.

“We’ll stick together.”

“But we won’t be together. They said I’m going to live with mom and you’re going to live with daddy.”

“Well, then I’ll be there for you anyways, okay?”

“Okay.” Keiji didn’t know how Hajime was going to do that, but he was smart so Keiji knew he would figure it out. He always does.

“I won’t leave you alone. We’ll be there for each other.” Hajime ran his hand through Keiji’s already messed up hair. Sitting under a blanket made it a disaster that Keiji would have to deal with later. Keiji pouted and swatted at his hand.

After a moment, Keiji looked down towards where he had been picking at his fingers. He squeezed one hand into a fist and held the other up.

“Promise?” Keiji put his pinky out. Hajime grinned at him and linked their pinkies together.

“I promise Keiji. No matter what.”