Archive of Our Own

Kazuya has known Mei's family since they were little, since Mei has never been the type to hide anything, especially not his enthusiasm. There isn't a shy bone in his body, Kazuya has been able to tell this for the entirety of their friendship. As kids, he had been persistently curious about Kazuya's own home and family, of course, but he was happy to host their playdates and drag Kazuya home along with him by the hand.

His parents had never been anything but welcoming, kind folks who let Kazuya stay for dinner and were rather free with affection. Mei always got his hair ruffled by his father, a smile on his lips, and sometimes even Kazuya had received the same, or at least a fond pat before Mr. Narumiya retracted his hand, looking sheepish.

Mei's mother hugged him often, holding onto him long enough to make Mei squirm in her arms, to start grouching. She would laugh, look up at Kazuya and share a look with him like he was in on a secret with her, even if he wasn't quite sure what it was. Now, he recognizes that she probably just figured that Kazuya enjoyed seeing Mei embarrassed and grumpy like that.

Admittedly, he sort of had. It was funny to him, too, but it was also odd -- a starkly different relationship from the one he had with his own father, all of it. Sometimes he did wonder if his mother would have been similar if she had lived longer, because Kazuya did remember her hugs, the warmth in her voice, but the details were getting hazier by the day. He couldn't really remember what her laugh sounded like anymore, but Mrs. Narumiya's was clear in his memories.

It really was a strange feeling, something that made his stomach twist, but even at that age, Kazuya was aware that he had something to be grateful for. The amount of time that the Narumiyas let him spend there, the way they didn't act stuffy around him, the sincerity with which they would ask him things...

In hindsight, Kazuya knows now that they were incredibly considerate. That sheepish look on Mr. Narumiya's face had been worry about overstepping his boundaries. They accepted his presence, made it clear that he was invited to be there, but were careful not to imply anything about Kazuya's own family situation. They never pressed him after Kazuya had explained, once, "it's just my dad and I." Since Kazuya never seemed hungry or particularly sad there, they seemed comfortable with things. He thinks, now, that if something had been wrong, they would have reached out to extend a hand to him.

It really wasn't that anything was wrong, though. It was just quiet at Kazuya's home, especially when compared to Mei's. His father worked hard, came home tired, and privately, Kazuya rather treasured their dinner conversations together. Mei was loud and talkative and at the time it had felt unpleasant to imagine that alongside Kazuya and his dad's chats, like Mei would drown them both out with his own words.

Dinner time was important. His dad would hear about Kazuya's day, whatever baseball related bragging that he wanted to get out, ask about school... and in turn, Kazuya would hear fun stories about the other men working in the steel mill, any particularly cool projects that they were working on...

He looked forward to that quiet bonding with his father, and sharing it wasn't something that Kazuya had been ready for as a child.

Plus, Mei's sisters alone were far more entertaining than anything Kazuya had at home.

They, too, liked to dote on Mei and cling to him, pinch his cheeks. It was probably exaggerated because Mei had a friend over, actually, but still out of a real affection. Mei was undoubtedly the baby of his family both in his actual age and in the amount of love directed at him.

His eldest sister was willing to help them with homework sometimes, though, and as a child Kazuya had held a certain amount of awe towards her in addition to respect. He was a clever kid, called precocious sometimes for how he spoke to those older than him, but Mei's elder sister seemed to know so many things and help them with such ease that it was nearly intimidating. She was in her first year of high school and seemed worlds away, someone with special insight into things that Kazuya and Mei could barely fathom.

His other sister, though, had been rather merciless towards them. Kazuya could distinctly recall being in Mei's room one time, looking at some American baseball cards and doing their best to comprehend the vastness of the world, the distance between the countries, the global nature of the sport... and the middle Narumiya sibling had poked her head into the room, grinning.

"Mei likes you, you know," she'd said, the picture of devious.

Mei had practically screeched at her, scrambled to his feet to chase her out of the room. "Shut up!! He already knows anyway!!"

All that had gotten him was a shriek of laughter as she ran away from him, leaving Kazuya a little red in the cheeks, realizing that their crushes on each other were very likely an open secret in the Narumiya household. He'd never thought about it before that moment, but, really... Mei was obvious. If he couldn't hide it from Kazuya, how could he hide it from his family?

It was that transparency, that space amongst the Narumiya family that had been carved out for Kazuya, that made getting back together with Mei so awkward, actually. The break up had meant losing access to this sort of home away from home, but Kazuya had been alright with that, ultimately. It was fair and right for Mei's family to take his side, to worry over him, to resent Kazuya's actions. He'd made peace with that by the time he ended the relationship.

Starting it back up, though...

Bluntly, Kazuya was scared. Apologizing was not his forte, and this seemed like a big hurdle to get over; he'd thoroughly broken Mei's heart, and with Mei's dramatic nature, there was no way his family hadn't heard about it and had to hand him tissues.

So how to explain it all? How to apologize? How to seem worth giving a second chance? Because Mei is Mei, there wasn't any possibility of Kazuya not interacting with his family again. Because Mei is Mei, they knew immediately of their reconciliation, and of course that meant Mei wanted him to visit again.

This is how Kazuya finds himself, having to carefully walk the tightrope of saying 'no' to Mei. For now. He does intend to agree later, but delayed gratification isn't Mei's strong suit.

Mei is laying on his chest, practically, enjoying Kazuya's hands lazily weaving through his hair when he makes this request. Kazuya hopes the comfort is enough to lull Mei into being agreeable.

"I think we should put that off a little, still," Kazuya starts, and he immediately feels Mei go stiff, frozen with dread, probably, because it definitely does look like a bad sign. It's the opposite, though. "I just think it'd be good if you actually met my dad officially, first. It's overdue," Kazuya admits, with guilt still nagging at him, "and I think it would mean a lot to your family that you knew mine now, too. Y'know?"

Mei lifts his head up, Kazuya lets him, and he looks a little wide-eyed, a little flushed. It's cute. It seems like a good sign.

"You're talking about actually admitting I'm your boyfriend to him, right? Not just as a friend?"

It's fair to clarify, but it still makes Kazuya feel a little embarrassed and tempted to squirm under Mei's excited staring.

"Yeah. I've had the... 'I like guys' talk with him already, so..."

That actually hadn't been so frightening. Kazuya's been lucky enough to have a father that has supported everything he's wanted to do, pretty much without question. He knew, deep down, that even if his dad was confused or bothered by it at first, he'd get over it for Kazuya's sake.

So that had been fine. Boring, really. His dad had been quiet for a bit, given him a firm nod, and initiated one of their more rare hugs. The embrace had been tight, and his father had squeezed him once more before letting go.

"As long as you're happy and safe," Miyuki Toku had said, and Kazuya's heart had swelled with affection for his dad once more. In Kazuya's brain, there's a list of all the times his dad has been particularly amazing or sweet, and his reaction then had made it to the top easily.

Introducing Mei to his dad is more about Kazuya's own shyness about personal matters than any worry about how his dad (or Mei) will act. Mei will undoubtedly muster up some manners and be charming for the sake of this, it's too important to him to be his loud, obnoxious self.

Kazuya is happy, and he is safe, so there's nothing that can really go wrong. It's because of that happiness, though, that he does have a genuine want to let his father in on things.

Mei leans in and kisses him while he's caught up in his thoughts. Instinct makes Kazuya return it; he lets his eyes fall shut, lets himself sigh out some of his relief. Mei smiles against his mouth and they get caught up in that for a bit, trading soft, slow kisses back and forth. It feels good, like things with Mei do in general now, and it's unbelievably nice to be in that place.

Sometimes it feels silly, because things like relationships and commitment come so easily to so many people, but Kazuya still privately feels a bit proud of coming far enough emotionally to be this comfortable.

Introducing his boyfriend to his dad is a far cry from the way he used to sort of cringe when Mei would use that word for him.

At some point, they've rolled onto their sides, and Mei takes Kazuya's face in both of his palms even though he's laying on one arm. They've both lamented that cuddling is not nearly as easy or practical as everyone else and the movies made it seem, but they make it work. Kazuya's bed has seen a lot of cuddling since they've gotten back together, especially lately.

Mei had truly used every bit of patience in him to not rush Kazuya this time around, and now that Kazuya's really found his comfort and footing, he wants to reward that a little. Consequently, Mei comes over a lot after school and they usually just sort of flop on each other, tired from practices.

They used to cuddle on the couch, but at some point Kazuya had started feeling guilty for their sweaty teenage boy germs being all over somewhere his dad sits, too, so they'd relocated to Kazuya's room with the agreement to stay atop the covers. That being a little gross doesn't bother him too much.

(His pillow gets covered by the blankets, too, so there's still a lump for them to rest their heads on, but no grossness is actually getting on the pillow itself.)

Kazuya thinks it's sort of funny that they spend so much time at his house now when they had spent all their time at Mei's as kids.

Mei's thumb strokes his cheek, calls him back to the present moment again, looking at Kazuya with an expression that makes his heart ache. It's so tender, filled with so much affection that Kazuya still isn't entirely sure he deserves but doesn't want to lose.

"I love you," Mei whispers, clearly touched by the gesture Kazuya's offering. He swallows hard, blinks a few times -- ever the crybaby, trying not to be. "A lot, Kazuya..."

"I know you do," Kazuya answers, smiling at him. "I love you too. Do you know that?"

He gulps, his voice comes out sort of hoarse, and Kazuya wants to laugh and tell him it's really okay if he starts crying, Kazuya's used to it--

"Yeah. I know."

And that's how they end up kissing again, Kazuya fumbling with putting their phones on the bedside table before they fall off the bed. Mei uses his hands to pull off Kazuya's glasses and pass them over so that Kazuya can put those on the bedside table, too. Smudges are annoying, the frames hurt when they dig into his face too much, and it's just not worth keeping them on when Mei is so close anyway.

It's awkward and a little painful, but worth it for the closeness that comes from wrapping both arms around each other like this. They're each going to have a numb arm from being squished under the other's torso, but it's okay.

Neither of them are sick of the warmth of each other or the novelty of making out for as long as they like, indulgent and languid. It's easy to get lost in it, to lose track of time. Kazuya finds it easy to ignore the tingles in his arm, too, when he can focus on the soft, pleased noises that Mei makes instead.

Until he suddenly stops, pushes back, looking wide-eyed again but this time sort of panicked.

"Wait, wait, wait -- what time is it? When does your dad get home? Did you mean meeting him today? Holy shit, I don't have a gift or anything, Kazuya--"

Kazuya does laugh, then, a little startled. It's a novelty to see Mei frazzled this way, though, so concerned over making a good impression.

"An hour or so? It doesn't have to be tonight, though. And you don't need to get anything. You could just help me cook dinner."

By which Kazuya means that Mei can stand in the kitchen and hand him things, talking all the while to keep him company.

The conflicted feelings are visible on Mei's face -- Kazuya suspects he doesn't want to go home yet, but also feels intimidated by the prospect of meeting Kazuya's dad so quickly.

"Nnngh, isn't it better if he has some warning...?"

Kazuya snorts.

"Are you sure that's not just an excuse to give you more time to emotionally prepare?"

"That, too, okay!? Is that so wrong!? What if he doesn't like me...?"

He smiles this time, instead of laughing at Mei's nerves.

"There's literally no reason he'd dislike you."

Mei tucks his face against Kazuya's shoulder, talking into it, muffled.

"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Oh, lemme ruin it, then," Kazuya quips back, kissing the top of his head.

"Don't!! Don't. I'm using it for emotional support. But yeah, I think... it seems better if you give him a heads up."

It's a considerate choice to make, and Kazuya appreciates it, actually. Mei's right, it's better not to just spring it on his tired dad right after work. At the very least they can let him know one night he'll be coming home to his son and a boyfriend present.

"Mmk. Lemme know when you're ready then. You should still come help cook dinner, too. You gotta learn some time."

Mei whines.

They sneak in another half hour of kissing between making suggestions for a meal and then Mei heads home, worried Kazuya's dad will get off early and ruin the idea of waiting.

When Toku does come home, Kazuya's grinning, trying and failing to hold that back, avoid looking too eager.

"I was thinking of bringing my boyfriend over to meet you sometime. Maybe next week? We'll make dinner. Is that okay?"

Toku blinks, and Kazuya doesn't blame him for finding the development a little surprising, or sudden. He nods, though, and gives his son a small smile.

"Sure thing. If you're ready to share that."

His dad is the best, Kazuya thinks, for being as hardworking and caring as he is. He matches Kazuya's mood with his reaction, stays supportive and encouraging, doesn't ask him anymore questions... There are lots of kids who aren't as lucky as him, despite the fact that he's lost his mother. He still has a father who loves him and does his best to understand him, and it means a lot.

"Yeah," Kazuya says, feeling a bit choked up. "It's about time."

They settle in for dinner soon after, Toku giving his son a firm pat on the shoulder, a gentle squeeze, before they sit down. He's mindful of those arms and their muscles, since Kazuya needs them for baseball. He talks about his own day at the factory to take some of the attention off Kazuya. His son laughs and grins, shoves extras onto his father's plate, and Toku looks at the photo of his wife across the room in the hall, wishes she were here to see this.

He thinks of her every day, still, and knows she'd be proud. Kazuya's really come into his own, and he inherited her mischief, the way she'd tease. Toku can't say he minds.

-

So Kazuya and Mei both emotionally prepare. Kazuya decides on keeping the food something simple, mostly so that Mei can help a little in earnest, and Mei spends about a week panicking.

His oldest sister is engaged, which is why Mei glues himself to their sibling LINE group chat asking for advice for days.

nee-chan
Just be yourself! I promise, Mei-chan, that's the way to go.

aneki
no don't do that don't be like
ALL
of yourself
that's way too much for a first meeting

nee-chan
Well...
It's true that it's good to be polite. Letting Kazuya-kun's father lead the situation is probably wise, you know?
But you don't want to hide what you're really like!
If you keep spending time around him, those parts of you will come out anyway, and it'd be strange if you suddenly started seeming like a different person.

aneki
doesn't kazu-kun talk to his dad a lot though
like he probably knows what mei-chan is like anyway
so if he's willing to meet you and accept that you're dating kazu-kun at all, you're probably already okay tbh

Mei has never appreciated that his only slightly older sister is so blunt with him, really, nor that she uses such a familiar nickname with his boyfriend, but it is what it is.

His eldest sibling gets a much more affectionate title in Mei's mind, more respectful, too, because she's never been such a brat! A few years really do make a big difference in maturity, it seems.

what about a gift tho??
isn't that like
normal
common
important

onee-chan
It's not a bad idea. Generally it is a nice gesture and good manners. You both live in Tokyo, so a regional delicacy isn't an option... Hmm...

aneki
and you can't cook or anything lol so homemade is out
but it kinda feels like it should be something that's like... You, right?

so i should bring kazuya's dad rum raisin ice cream and see if he likes it and then eat it with him while kazuya stares in horror

aneki
yes i love it

onee-chan
That's... one way to go about it.

Days later, Mei shows up at Kazuya's doorstep with a convenience store bag and a big grin on his face, which Kazuya immediately knows spells trouble.

"It's a surprise!" Mei insists, shoving it in Kazuya's freezer without even asking permission first. Many months ago, Kazuya had said something along the lines of Mei not needing to be so formal here, and it's clear he's really taken it to heart. "Don't you dare look. It's for your dad, not you."

Saying it like that leaves Kazuya with a suspicion, but he won't peek. Mei deserves to have the surprise he's put effort into kept intact.

Besides, they have dinner to work on.

"Can you make the miso soup?" Kazuya asks, setting out some green onions on the counter, grabbing tofu along with it.

"Nope."

"Can you at least chop the onions?"

"I can try," Mei offers, shrugging. "Just don't criticize me if they don't look right."

Fair enough, Kazuya figures. He knows Mei isn't well-versed in any of this, being the baby that he is, so it's not exactly news to him. It makes sense, too, that he wouldn't want to have Kazuya nitpick his technique -- Mei's easily ruffled, he likes to be perfect, he's definitely got an ego... He could easily react to this by refusing to bother ever again since he didn't get it perfectly right the first time.

"Yeah, okay. I'll show you real quick, then, and you can do the cutting. The tofu's easy to cut, too. That's just gonna go into little squares. The green onions you kinda do like..."

Kazuya trails off, grabs a knife from a drawer, sets it on the counter, and comes to stand behind Mei.

"Okay, pick that up," Kazuya says, and Mei elbows him in the ribs.

"Duh."

Kazuya arranges the green onions in front of them, then covers Mei's hand with his own, leans over his shoulder a little bit. From here, he can feel the heat of Mei's skin, his cheeks, and bets that he's blushing. It's cute to imagine, even if he turns out to be wrong.

"Mmk, like this. A little bit at an angle, that's how people usually do it." He guides Mei's hand a few times, slicing slowly, deliberately, so that Mei can commit the motion to memory. It shouldn't be hard for a star pitcher.

"Why?" Mei asks, his voice low, quiet since it's just the two of them in such close proximity.

"Uh," Kazuya replies, elegantly. "I... dunno, actually. That's just how people do it on TV and stuff."

"So you don't even know but you're telling me to make sure to do it that way? Since when are you such a sheep, Kazuya?"

"Just cut," Kazuya sighs. Before he pulls away, he gives Mei a quick kiss on the cheek as both an incentive and a reward for helping out. "You just do that stuff, I'll get the rest of it done. There's still rice in the cooker from this morning, so that should be fine…” At some point he's mumbling to himself more than anything, snagging the fish to cook and the dashi for the miso.

They work together in relative quiet, just the ambiance of kitchen noises, the sizzling of the fish in the pan.

"It's cool, though, you know," Mei says out of nowhere, abruptly ruining the silence, as he's so wont to do.

"Hm?"

"That you can cook. I actually think it's cool that you like it so much. A lot of people like when somebody can cook. Everybody wants that in a spouse and stuff. I remember onee-chan really trying to brush up on some family recipes for her fiance."

Kazuya goes very red, he knows it. He doesn't need to sneak a glance at his own reflection to know that his face must be scarlet. Mei's just talking, that's obvious. He doesn't mean anything by it, at least not consciously, but Kazuya's thinking about it anyway.

He could ignore it, but he's gotten better at not doing that. He makes an effort to be affectionate now, to be more honest with his feelings both to himself and when sharing them with Mei.

So he stares very intensely at the pan on the stovetop and says: "good thing you already like my cooking, then."

There isn't a response, exactly. Mei's hand stills, and he makes a choked sort of noise, which does actually force Kazuya to look up in concern.

They're both very red, it seems.

"I --" Mei starts, and then closes his mouth. He just stares for another minute, a good, solid minute, Kazuya's certain. 60 full seconds, at least. "Yeah. Good thing," he finishes eventually, softly.

They don't stop looking at each other, and it's sort of intimidating and makes Kazuya feel younger than he actually is. Or maybe this is just a feeling of vulnerability that Mei prompts in him all the time, no matter what age they're at.

Eventually, Mei leans over and kisses him on the mouth -- it's a peck, just that, but they both linger. It feels like a big deal.

"Stir the soup and then dump the tofu in," Kazuya mumbles, suddenly very worried that his father is going to walk in on this exact moment of them both being so flustered.

"Yeah, okay."

After that, everything is that much more loaded with implications, so they're a bit more awkward as they navigate around each other. The meal turns out fine, though, just some grilled mackerel and miso and rice, something filling but relatively simple so that Mei could feel like he played a part.

They get stuff set out on the kitchen table, and then they wait. It's nerve-wracking. Mei sneaks his hand over to grab Kazuya's, threading their fingers together. His hand is sweaty from the nerves, surely, but Kazuya squeezes it anyway. His might be, too, after all.

They sit on the couch in the quiet, Mei's head on Kazuya's shoulder, hands still entertwined. Their thumbs brush as they both go to try and stroke the other's knuckles, and it ends up turning into some sort of strange competition, a thumb war sort of fight, until the front door opens.

They both jump up to their feet.

"I'm home," Toku calls out, pulling off his boots and stepping up into the house properly. "Smells good in here."

"Welcome back, dad," Kazuya says, internally debating whether or not to keep holding Mei's hand. Is it weird to? Too much PDA in front of a parent?

It's Mei who lets go, though, and moves around the coffeetable to look at Toku straight on. He bows his head probably lower than Kazuya has ever seen from him before. (Which doesn't mean it hasn't happened, because there's plenty Kazuya's missed at Inashiro, but it's still weird to witness.)

"Welcome back, sir. I'm Narumiya Mei. It's nice to meet you, and I hope we get along."

This really isn't anything like the stories that Toku has been told about Narumiya Mei from his son, so he raises his eyebrows a little in Kazuya's direction, who flushes again, gives his dad a shrug.

Still, it's endearing. He's clearly trying hard. Toku smiles at him, bows his head in return.

"I hope so too. Let's sit, I'm sure you boys are hungry too."

Honestly, Kazuya really isn't, because even though everything is obviously fine, he's still sort of terrified somehow and that's ruining his appetite, but they do take their places at the dinner table.

There's some clanging of utensils and bowls and plates as they divide out the food, and Toku takes some appreciative bites of the rice and fish before he decides to speak again.

Mei is busy nervously eating mostly his rice, projecting so much anxiety that Kazuya would laugh if they weren't in the same boat.

"So, Mei-kun," his dad says finally, and they both look up quickly. "You went to Inashiro, is that right?"

"Yes sir," Mei responds, so quickly. This entire thing is an embarrassment, it's like both Kazuya and Mei have forgotten how to act like normal human beings.

"It's a good school," Toku says, nodding, taking a long sip of the miso soup, which Mei watches with a worried glance. "I thought Kazuya was going to go there, too, but one day he came home and he wouldn't stop going on about Seidou... Said things change, that Seidou seemed like more of a challenge and all... So you boys ended up playing against each other quite a bit, huh?"

Mei smiles the most stiff, forced smile of his life.

"What a coincidence, Miyuki-san! I also thought Kazuya was going to go to Inashiro," he says, feigned lightheartedness in his voice.

Kazuya slumps in his chair, wishing he'd prepared his dad with a list of topics not to bring up instead of spending all his time worrying about how Mei would behave. He heaves a sigh, just swallows down his soup, and lets Mei chatter on about some of the highlights of their matches against each other.

Toku listens as he eats, keeps sneaking looks over at Kazuya and giving him that small, soft, encouraging smile, and that does make things more bearable.

Eventually, when the food is practically gone, Toku pushes his chair back a little. "Well, I'm glad, you know. That you've known Kazuya for so long and been in life even when you were competing against each other. He used to get in a lot of trouble, you know, with the older kids... I was worried about him, but it's good to hear how long you've been friends. And we wouldn't be sitting here if you didn't make him happy now, so. Thank you for that."

Mei is very likely internally yelling at himself not to cry, Kazuya thinks, but it's hard for him not to feel moved by his dad's words, too.

Miraculously, Mei manages to laugh, though.

"Well, you should see how he talked to those older kids. How he still talks to people. He's annoying." Toku laughs, Kazuya scowls. "But I've always liked him," Mei continues, his affection clear in his tone.

It's more than Kazuya can handle, exactly, so he stands to start clearing plates, bringing them to the sink. He turns the water on and focuses on that noise instead of how loudly it feels like his heart is beating, or the voices that he can still hear from the table.

Toku gestures towards Mei, beckons him closer now that Kazuya's moved away.

His voice is low, conspiratorial.

"I think he's always liked you, too. It was always your house he was going on about, Inashiro and your pitching that Seidou had to watch out for... I'm not very surprised by who he brought home, I'll put it that way."

It's the greatest gift that Mei could have received, really, hearing those words from Kazuya's father. He knows he's beaming. It's so reassuring, it comforts the hurt in his heart that came from being separated for a while, and he feels a little bit of that smug, victorious high that he loves so much.

Kazuya's always liked him, even his dad thinks so.

"Ah! Wait, I brought dessert. I don't know if you like sweets, Miyuki-san, but..." Mei hurries out of his chair, then, and moves to the freezer. Out of the convenience store bag comes just what Kazuya had figured -- a mid sized container of rum raisin ice cream. "It's my favorite flavor," Mei explains, proudly, for no real reason at all except that he feels like his boyfriend's father has validated all of his thoughts and theories about said boyfriend for the past several years and that feeling is leaking into everything else. "I figured it'd be another way of getting to know me."

"Mei..." Kazuya groans, opening up a cabinet and letting his hand hover next to the bowls, not sure how many to grab. He, admittedly, doesn't know his father's opinion on the flavor.

"Rum raisin? It's not bad, not bad at all, but I'm sort of surprised to see someone your age have it as a favorite."

And that's how Kazuya ends up sitting at the kitchen table watching his father and Mei eat spoonfuls of a terrible flavor of ice cream that shouldn't even exist in his opinion, elbow on the table, fist against his cheek, smiling despite himself.

It's a good night.

Mei heads home a little before 9. Toku tells him to come by again for dinner soon. He grins so wide, promises to do so, thanks him and does a quick bow again before he heads out the front door.

Kazuya lingers, oddly torn, a little embarrassed by the idea of following Mei out to say a private goodbye. His dad is settled on the couch now, TV on, and catches Kazuya waffling. He shoos him, practically, with that same smile, and Kazuya throws on his shoes.

Mei was lingering, too, it seems, rocking back and forth on his toes, looking terribly pleased with himself. A bit smug, but mostly happy.

"I -- I think that went well," Kazuya says, feeling shy.

"Mmmmhm. He definitely liked me. And you were worried!"

Kazuya steps forward, puts his arms around Mei and sighs.

"No, I wasn't. You were. I told you he'd like you."

"No, you told me that he wouldn't dislike me."

"It's the same thing," Kazuya huffs into his shoulder.

"It's not! But I did it, he likes me, everything's great."

"Yeah," he says quietly, not letting go just yet.

Mei squeezes him tight, makes a happy noise.

"Thank you. I know that was hard for you and all. But it means a lot to me."

It wasn't that hard, in the end. Kazuya does feel very much in the spotlight, like these people close to him can see through him and see the very heart of him and how much space Mei occupies in it, but aside from that... it wasn't hard. Not really.

"Look at you," Kazuya mumbles, teasing, deflecting a little, "being so serious and polite for so many hours straight. I know that's hard for you and all."

Mei growls at him, but they both laugh. The hug ends, Kazuya isn't sure who pulls back from it first, but he knows that Mei is the first one to try and open his mouth again.

"I --"

Kazuya can't have that. Not right now.

"I love you." He says it first, firmly, without averting his gaze.

"I love you, too," Mei says, and he doesn't even look angry about being cut off. He just kisses Kazuya again, sweet and slow, and they both seem reluctant for it to end.

"Message me when you get home," Kazuya tells him, taking a step back, reaching for his front door.

"I will."

"Good night, Mei."

"Night, Kazuya. Tell your dad I said thank you again."

"I will."

He goes inside, breathes out a sigh so heavy, feeling so much weight come off his shoulders. He nearly collapses onto the couch in the spot next to his dad, focusing on the TV now too.

"Well?" Kazuya prompts anyway, curious and nervous.

His dad's hand comes to rest atop his head and his hair gets fussed with, something that probably hasn't happened in years.

"You look happy," Toku says, trying to keep his tone neutral, not let his own parental sort of relief seep into it and make Kazuya feel even more self-conscious. "I think he seems good for you. I'm glad."

Right now Kazuya feels an awful lot like the crybaby, because he knows that his eyes are stinging. He won't cry in front of his dad, though, especially not over this.

He just sits beside him, still, and leans into his dad's side a little. Just a little.

"Thanks dad."

(Mei, slipping through the train doors for the short ride home, can't type fast enough into the chat with his sisters. He knows they've been anxious for him, too, hoping Mei would come home happy.

it went SO good

He sends that first, sees how quickly the message has been read by both people, and spends the ride home writing out as much detail as he can, giving exact quotes to the best of his ability.)

Kazuya goes upstairs, gets himself showered and ready for bed, pulls back his covers and flops into bed, feeling more exhausted than he has after some baseball games.

There is indeed a message from Mei on his phone to let him know that he's home safe, but there's another one after it, too, because Mei is evil.

"now when are you coming to MY place again?" it says, and Kazuya just groans. He's felt so much in the past handful of hours that he feels like he needs to decompress for a week.

"ask me after ive slept for at least 2 days straight" he types back, hits send, grabs his sleeping mask and resolutely ignores the subsequent chimes from Mei on his phone.

It turns out that Mei really has turned Kazuya into some sort of masochist, or maybe he simply can't say 'no' to him anymore. (He thinks back to the Tokyo Invitational and Mei's whining and how Kazuya really had wanted to satisfy him. Ugh.)

He figures, in a way, that it's easier to just get it over with. They've already jumped over one hurdle, might as well do the other one, too. It's just that meeting Kazuya's dad was a hurdle for both of them, for different reasons, but facing Mei's family again is pretty much only going to be difficult for Kazuya.

No matter how much reassurance Mei tries to offer him, no matter how much he promises that nobody is angry at him, Kazuya doesn't buy it. The abrupt, sudden way he ended things between them, the way he ditched Mei for high school and probably crushed his dreams... Sometimes he's surprised that Mei's parents are letting them date again at all, but he can only assume that Mei threw a tantrum and that they all gave in.

So in a little less than two weeks, he steels himself and shows up at the Narumiya's home with a homemade shortcake as some sort of peace offering. His stomach is in knots, and though he doesn't like to think of himself as a coward, Kazuya feels an awful lot like fleeing.

Even after ringing the doorbell, he still thinks about turning around and walking back to the train station.

The door opens to reveal Mei's mom, not Mei himself. It immediately leaves Kazuya feeling taken aback, because he'd assumed Mei would have been waiting by the door abuzz with excitement.

"Oh! Oh, Kazuya-kun... Come in, come in," she says, holding the door open for him, ushering him inside. "I'm sorry to say it, but I think that boy has played a bit of a game with us all. Mei-chan isn't home," she sighs, and Kazuya freezes in the middle of taking off his shoes.

What? Why not? Why would Mei not be home when he'd specifically told Kazuya this time? Mei really is evil.

"I'm -- sorry to impose," Kazuya manages, feeling mortified.

Mei's mother lays a hand on his arm, shakes her head.

"You aren't. Really. We knew you'd be here tonight, just not so early. But it's fine. I think this is Mei-chan's way of telling us to talk, don't you?"

Probably.

"Probably," he agrees, grimacing.

"So why don't we do that? It's been a long time. Let me just get -- honey?" she calls into the house, gently pushing Kazuya towards the living room. "Honey, Kazuya-kun is here! Why don't you come down? Tell the girls to stay upstairs for now, won't you? We don't need to swarm him."

Thank goodness for her thoughtfulness not having changed in so many years.

Kazuya sinks into a chair, stiffer than it looked despite it being fabric and seeming cozy. Mei's dad comes down the steps and takes a look around.

It takes him a few seconds, too, to process the lack of his actual son, and then he's letting out a sigh that is as weary as Kazuya feels.

He settles himself on the couch, enough room for his wife to sit next to him, and gives Kazuya an awkward smile.

"That kid, huh?"

"Yep."

He still has the bag of the shortcake in his hand, so Kazuya sets it on the table beside the chair he's in, folds his hands in his lap. He's not sure what sort of position he should be sitting in when it feels like he's on trial with his boyfriend's family.

Mei's mom takes a seat, too, and claps her hands together, taking control of the situation as always.

"Well, let me start off by saying that you look well, Kazuya-kun, and I'm so glad for it. But then I think the most important thing I have to say and let you know is this: we're not angry with you, Kazuya-kun."

That seems impossible, so Kazuya mentally tacks on an 'anymore' to the sentence, nodding a little stiffly.

"No, really," Mr. Narumiya insists. "We're a little more reasonable than you've probably been imagining. We love our son, but he's a handful, and it's not like he's never done anything wrong."

Kazuya nods again, even though he's not sure he agrees still. Mei's only real crime had been his enthusiasm, and his general habit of not really listening to Kazuya, or anyone else, and being pushy... Okay, so, maybe Mei's behavior did contribute to the breakup, but Kazuya still thinks that someone who had been more emotionally well-adjusted could have handled that in a different way and not caused Mei so much heartache.

"And even more than that, Kazuya-kun, you're your own person. We've known you for a long time. No one in this family wants to see you give up your own dreams or happiness for Mei-chan's sake. Of course I'd hoped that you boys would follow the same path and things would work out happily, but life isn't easy and plenty of things don't go that way, and it's no one's fault. I hated seeing my son hurt, that's true, but please don't think that we didn't spare thoughts for you and your heart, too, Kazuya-kun."

It's surreal. It's too kind. He doesn't know what to say.

"We'd be thrilled to have you two stay together and be happy, we were thrilled to hear that you guys were going to give it another shot, but don't be afraid to come to us. If Mei needs a push and isn't acting right..." His father pauses here, seeming conflicted, frowning. "Well, it's not exactly respecting the fact that you boys are going to be adults sooner than later, but we can still try to talk some sense into him. It's our fault he's so spoiled anyway."

It's just so strange to have all those childhood feelings come to the surface again, the care that he felt in this house, the implicit belief that these people would have tried to protect him, stick up for him...

Kazuya has often felt that he didn't quite understand 'family' the same way that others did. His family is two people, almost more of a partnership than a group like a family usually seems to be. It's been he and his dad against the world for so long, and for so much of the year Kazuya lives in a dorm, too. 'Family' is something small and subdued to him, but it's suddenly very clear that to the Narumiya family, 'family' can be something even bigger than it already is.

This is an invitation in multiple ways, not just about giving Mei a stern talking to, but an invitation to try and settle into the space that they had carved out for him in elementary school. The space that they've saved all these years. The space they probably metaphorically brushed off and got ready for him again when he and Mei got back together.

He feels very small, unprepared to reply to such genuine kindness and support. His throat is tight with all the feeling that wants to come out, but words are so difficult for him. Kazuya has only just been learning to use them more with Mei, other people are an entirely different struggle, and it's Mei's family. They matter.

"I'm not -- I'm not very good with words," Kazuya says, painfully aware that his voice sounds sort of hoarse, "but I'm grateful. This is -- a lot different than I thought it was going to be, and it means a lot. I knew, when we were young, that you both cared, and even as a kid that felt like an honor. It is one now, too." He feels very flustered, then, and makes a grab for the bag that he'd brought along. "This is -- it's homemade, a shortcake like we'd all have together, so I thought..."

Kazuya trails off, knows his cheeks are pink. Mei's parents are both smiling at him so he looks at the floor, overwhelmed.

Mrs. Narumiya stands up and takes the bag from him, gently.

"You're so sweet, Kazuya-kun. I can't wait to have a taste. Why don't you go upstairs and wait in Mei-chan's room for him to come home? I think you ought to lock the door if you want to be spared the girls giving you a talk, too, though. I know they have things they want to say, too, but it's more than reasonable to feel like that's too much right now." She's so kind. She really thinks of so much. She leans down a little, too, and lowers her voice -- it's obvious she's still smiling. "I hope you'll be comfortable letting me give you a quick hug before you leave tonight, Kazuya-kun. We really have missed you."

He nods, because he does think that would be okay. Odd, still, but not in a bad way. She moves towards the kitchen and Kazuya gets to his feet, looking forward to having a second to just breathe in the privacy of Mei's room.

Mei's father pats him on the back as he walks by, and his voice is gentle, too.

"It really is good to see you, Kazuya-kun."

It's so much. He hopes that they'll forgive him his quiet responses here, the fact that he nods more than anything else. They forgave him breaking up with Mei, though, so it seems like this wouldn't be too difficult for them to get over.

He does head up the steps and enter Mei's room, does shut the door behind him. Kazuya leans against it for a moment, breathes slow, tries to process. His head feels a bit like it's spinning with the realization that he was never being blamed and hated after all -- by Mei's parents, at least.

He doesn't lock the door, figures he might as well deal with his sisters, too, and takes a seat on the bed.

It's only a few minutes before they file in, but both of them are giving him smiles, too.

Mei's oldest sister lingers by the door, the younger one crosses her arms and leans against the wall. He's not sure what to expect.

"Mei is a brat and you were probably right to break up with him back then," she says. Kazuya blinks at her, more stunned than he had been downstairs. "He's selfish and whiny and all that, so nobody really blamed you, except for maybe how it seemed out of nowhere."

"But that's just what Mei-chan told us," the eldest cuts in. "It might have been weighing on you for quite a while. We've told him that, and we've done our best to set him straight. He's gotten plenty of lectures and pieces of advice on how to be a better boyfriend, for the sake of any future partner he may have had. But personally, I think we're both happy that it's you, Kazuya-kun. You make him so happy, he just... lights up about you."

Mei's 'aneki' clears her throat, then, takes the conversation back into her own hands.

"That said, Kazu-kun. It sucked. He was miserable. You did break his heart, and he does love you. A lot. Sappy and embarrassing amounts, but enough that it might really last. So try, yeah? This time you're getting the big sibling threat and all. If you break his heart, we'll kill you. Okay? But nobody hates you. Mei would hate us if we did."

Kazuya nods.

"Okay. That's fair." He tries to say more than that, turns over some possibilities in his head. Eventually he settles on his own blunt honesty. "Thanks for trying to make him less obnoxious. It might have worked."

They laugh. Kazuya does, too, even if it's weaker. They grin at him, and he smiles back, even if he feels -- so many things at once, again. That's all Mei does to him lately, put him in these situations that are just like being hit by waves of emotions over and over again.

Luckily Mei's oldest sister has always taken after their mom, adept at reading the room. She pulls her little sister by the arm, gives Kazuya a wave and shuts the door behind them.

He makes himself comfortable, regardless of how rude or presumptuous it might be, and lays on Mei's bed, takes his glasses off and puts his face into Mei's pillow.

Whether he really falls asleep or not, Kazuya isn't sure. How much time passes before he hears footsteps climbing the stairs, he doesn't know.

It's just that eventually the door opens again, and Kazuya just knows, immediately, that it's Mei this time.

The bed dips with the weight of another person sitting. Mei's hand rests on his back, moves up and down.

There's a nervous chuckle.

"You okay?"

"I actually hate you."

He doesn't. He loves Mei very much, and admittedly thinks that he loves Mei's family, too, which is why he could probably cry again. Kazuya's used to going months without that feeling, this is far too often, too close together.

"Sorry, sorry," Mei laughs, and he bends down to kiss the back of Kazuya's neck because he can, because there's some skin visible right now. "You wouldn't have believed anything, though, if I were here. Admit that. You would've thought they were just saying stuff to be polite or make me happy if I was around. You had to talk to them alone to believe they weren't filtering anything!"

Mei has a point, though Kazuya absolutely won't admit to anything like that right now especially. Maybe in a year. Maybe two. It's too raw at the moment to even consider giving him credit for this.

Mei shoves at him, makes Kazuya scoot over on the bed, and lays down next to him. They're both on their stomachs, it does feel very similar to when they were kids.

"Hey. Look at me?"

He doesn't really want to, but Kazuya shifts his head to the side enough to do so. Mei is smiling at him with such tenderness. He really looks so happy. It occurs to Kazuya, then, that Mei feels his family is whole again, judging by the way everyone else has treated him.

"I'm gonna hug you until you stop pretending like you aren't about to cry, and then we're gonna eat dinner and probably play a video game all together, and then have your shortcake. Okay?"

Kazuya lets it happen, lets Mei tug him into his arms, just focuses on breathing.

There are hands in his hair, lips on his forehead. Mei's being surprisingly sensitive. This must be influence from his older sisters. He must have actually planned out this part, too.

"Welcome home, Kazuya," Mei whispers to him, very softly, shyly. It sounds like something he's wanted to say for a very long time. It aches in a good way.

Kazuya grumbles.

"I still hate you."

And Mei just laughs, loud and annoying, but warm.

"Don't be like that. You don't."

"I don't," Kazuya agrees, just as quiet as Mei had been before. "Sometimes."

"Kazuya!"