Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: Taken Away (#4590)
Author: isilelensar
Chapters: 6

Archive: Haikyu!!
Category: Alternate Universe
Description: Due to a worsening condition, Kei Tsukishima's life was a ticking time bomb. But he was determined to live his life as much as he could before that bomb went off.
Published: 18 Dec 2021
Updated: 18 Dec 2021
Warnings: canondivergent, kurootsuki, character death
Type: Romance
Characters: Kuroo Tetsuro, Tsukishima Kei


Chapter 1 - Prologue

[2 years ago]

It was done.

He never thought he’d even have to do it until much, much later. Like, when he was old and gray, having lived life as much as he could and with those he loved. Not after his 33rd birthday.

But considering the way his health had been slowly working against him, this was what he needed to do. Even if Tetsu hated it. He hated it too, but… What else was he supposed to do?

Kei sat at the kitchen table, looking at the packet of papers. Inside the manila envelope was his will. He bequeathed everyone in his family things he knew they’d want, especially the children. But for Tetsu… oh god, Tetsu. Fresh tears fell, and he buried his face in his hands.

They’d argued about Kei even making a will in the first place, last week. The argument triggered an attack, which luckily they were able to stop with his inhaler. And when he was able to breathe again, he looked at his husband, tears in both their eyes.

“This is exactly why I need to have my will drawn up, Tetsu,” he whispered. “The attacks are much more frequent, and stronger. An inhaler can only help so much, and there might be a day when…”

“I know,” Tetsu replied shakily. “I know. I just hate to think that you might be taken away from me.”

“I hate it, too. I hate it so much, but…”

“Yeah…”

They’d sat on their bedroom floor, holding each other like a lifeline. After a few minutes, their door was pushed open, and their kids came in, joining them, making it a family hug. Of course, the other half of their family came into the room, making it an even bigger family hug, and soon they were all laughing. As it should be.

His life was a ticking time bomb, but Kei was going to live his life as much as he could before that bomb went off.


Chapter 2 - One

[2 years later - Present Day]

It was a beautiful, crisp, autumn day: cloudless, cerulean blue skies, a slight breeze just enough to rustle the leaves on the trees. Kei, who had just finished prepping dinner, decided to take the dogs out for a walk. Normally, he would just let them loose in the backyard, but he just couldn’t stay inside anymore.

It shouldn’t be too much trouble.

The dogs had been trained to walk slowly.

He had his inhaler in his pocket.

It shouldn’t be too much trouble.

Grabbing his keys, and the nearest jacket off the coat rack, he hooked the dogs up to their leashes, and started off. They walked at a stately pace, careful not to go too fast. While the day was crisp, the sun still felt so good, so warm. Kei wanted to raise his arms and stretch, but he didn’t.

They were rounding the corner of the block, heading back home, when the dogs suddenly started barking and pulling at their leashes. Kei tried to calm them down, but they weren’t listening. They may have been trained to walk slowly when on the leash, but they were still prone to distractions. They were still young; still puppies, to be exact.

They pulled at their leashes, and Kei, unable to hold on, let them go. They didn’t live on too busy of a street, but it wasn’t a dead end. He knew he shouldn’t run after them, knew that they’d come back eventually. But… he was afraid they’d get run over, and the kids loved these two, furry, boneheads. They all did.

Kei started jogging, trying to catch up to the dogs. He could still see them, so surely he could reach them without mishap. He hadn’t had a major attack since last year. He wasn’t being too strenuous. It was just jogging.

But then, one of the dogs saw him, and started running back, leash trailing behind him. The other gave chase. They ran pell mell, and ran out into the street, right in front of a car.

The car hit the breaks; Kei screamed.

Not realizing they nearly escaped death, the dogs kept running.

But Kei… he felt the attack coming on, and it wasn’t a little one.

Oh god, no.

He fumbled for his inhaler, pulled it out of his pocket, and brought it up to his mouth. It didn’t work.

Oh god, no, not now.

Kei shook it. Nothing. It was empty. He could’ve sworn he picked up the full one. Stumbling, he made it to his front yard.

Oh god, no, not now, please.

He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t get air. He had to get inside; there was another inhaler by the door.

Tetsu…

His legs gave out, he fell to the ground. His inhaler fell out of his hand. The dogs came up to him, sniffing him, licking him. He could hear them whining. He could feel them laying down beside him.

Tetsu...

His vision went black. He couldn’t move anything. One of the dogs started barking, the other started keening. That was the last thing he heard.

Tetsu. Akira. Jun. Megumi.

Keiji. Kou. Chika. Kaoru.

Mom. Ni-san.

Tetsu… I love you.

~*~*~

Akira, Jun, Chika, and Kaoru all waited at their bus stop, waiting for Megumi’s bus to arrive. It wasn’t long, just another fifteen minutes, and then she was jumping off the stairs onto the ground.

“Race you home, Juni!” she yelled as she took off home. Naturally, he took off after her. As did the others.

But the closer to home they got, the more they realized something was wrong. The dogs were barking and howling, which they almost never did. Megumi, who reached their home first, stopped in her tracks.

“DADDY!!” she screamed. The boys caught up to her and they saw what she did.

Jun raced to his sister, who was trying desperately to give their dad his medicine with the inhaler she had. He wasn’t taking it; he wasn’t even moving. She was panic-crying, and Jun pulled her away, holding her tight.

Akira immediately pulled his phone out and called the emergency number for an ambulance. His voice shook slightly, but he was able to talk, to answer questions, to tell them to please hurry and save his dad.

Chika grabbed the dogs and pulled them inside the house. He ran to the kitchen and found dinner prepped. He didn’t think anyone would be able to eat, but he started finishing what Uncle Kei had started.

Kaoru started making calls. He called his dads first, holding it together just long enough to tell them what happened. They were on their way. Hanging up with them, he called his Uncle Tetsu…

~*~*~

Tetsuro was in a meeting, when his phone buzzed. He tried to ignore it, to finish his presentation, but when it didn’t stop, he excused himself, and went out of the meeting room. He took his phone out and looked at the ID.

“Kaoru? Why is he calling me?” he asked himself, swiping to answer his nephew.

“Hey Kaoru…” he started saying, but all he heard was Megumi crying. “Kaoru, what’s wrong?”

“Please come home, Uncle Tetsu,” Kaoru said, his voice shaky and small. “Please.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Uncle Kei… he…” the boy’s voice choked up.

“K-Kaoru?” His heart stuttered.

“DADDY COME HOME!!” Megumi screamed. “DADDY ISN’T MOVING! HE’S NOT WAKING UP!”

“Please come home, Uncle Tetsu…” and the phone disconnected, but not before he heard sirens.

He turned back to the door, found the curious gazes of his coworkers on him, most of whom already looked sympathetic. It must’ve shown on his face, in his eyes; worry, fear. Mostly fear. They may have also overheard Megumi screaming through the phone.

“Why are you even still here?” his boss said. “Get out of here. We’ll take care of everything.”

Tetsu didn’t even know if he’d thanked him, just turned and ran. Ran as fast as he could. He dodged people, barely apologizing if he accidentally ran into someone. He took the stairs; no elevator moved as fast as he needed to go. Five flights of stairs. His feet barely hit the risers. He didn’t care. His only thought, only mission, was to get home.

But even so, once he reached the curb to hail a cab, a familiar vehicle pulled up. Within seconds, he was in the passenger seat, shaking and anxious to go.

“He’s been taken to the hospital,” Keiji’s quiet voice told him as they pulled away.

“What happened?”

“Ask me when we get there,” Keiji said, and Tetsu noticed that his brother was barely holding it together. “Akira will meet us at the hospital. He went with the ambulance. Kou stayed home with the others.”

“Keiji…”

“Don’t. Please,” his brother pleaded. “If you lose it now, so will I, and I’m not about to wreck getting us to the hospital.”

Tetsu nodded. Keiji reached over and grabbed his hand. The rest of the ride was in stunned silence.


Chapter 3 - Two

As Tetsu and Keiji both jumped out of the car, Akira ran out from inside the hospital. Keiji turned his keys over to the hospital’s valet service; Tetsu ran to his 15-year-old son and grabbed him up in his arms. It was at this moment that Akira finally broke down. He clutched at his dad’s suit jacket, crying as if his heart was broken. And it was.

Tetsu didn’t need to know why his normally level-headed, somewhat stoic, son was falling to pieces in his arms. He didn’t need to know. He didn’t want to know. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. He raised his head to look at Keiji, who was rubbing tears from his eyes.

“Papa…” he heard his son’s watery voice, sounding small, just like Kaoru’s earlier.

“Wait,” he said quietly. “Where did they take him?”

Akira sniffled and slowly peeled himself away from his dad. Tetsu held his son’s hand, who, for once, didn’t protest, or tell him he was too old for such things. His stubborn son, who now clutched his hand tightly like he did when he was a child. His beautiful baby boy, whose twin brother was likely pacing their home, waiting for them to come home.

They walked through the waiting area and down the hallway to the emergency room. One of the nurses at the desk looked up and recognized Akira. She immediately looked sympathetic, knowing the boy hadn’t cried until the two men with him showed up. She stood up and came around the desk, a clipboard in her hands.

“This is my dad,” Akira said quietly, introducing Tetsu to her. She nodded at him and bowed politely. Akira turned and gestured at Keiji. “He’s my uncle.” The nurse repeated her greeting.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot to ask but…” she started to say, the clipboard in her hands extended toward Tetsu. He took it, but didn’t look at it.

“Take me to him,” he interrupted. “I need to see him.”

“Certainly,” she replied, turning and walking to a nearby room. She turned back to face him at the door. “I’m so sorry,” she said again, leaving them at the closed door.

For the longest time, maybe forever, they stood at that door, unable to go inside. They all knew what they’d find, as much as they wanted to deny it. Tetsu felt his son wrap his arms around him, and he hugged his boy to him. Keiji laid his hand on Tetsu’s shoulder, grasping tight.

“Do you mind if I go in alone?” he managed to ask around the lump in his throat.

“No. We’ll wait for you in the waiting room,” Keiji answered, gently taking Akira’s hand.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, son?” When he didn’t respond, Tetsu looked down at his son, his face a mirror of pain and anguish. He bent and kissed Akira on his head. “Go with your uncle. Wait for me, okay?”

“Okay.”

Keiji went with Akira, wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders, talking gently and just being the pillar of support he’s always been. He almost wished he could have kept Keiji with him, but his son needed him more. Right now, he had to see Kei.

Gathering his courage, his strength, and anything else he could possibly gather to bolster himself, he pushed the door handle and the door eased open. The room was dark; there was no need for light. What light there was, filtered in through the blinds, illuminating the bed Kei was in with lines of fading sunlight.

He set the clipboard down on the chair next to the door, and took a few more steps closer to the bed. His eyes settled on Kei’s feet; he was wearing his favorite pair of scarlet-colored, beat up, high top sneakers. Letting his eyes drift upward, he took in the stone-washed jeans (the dirt scuffs where Kei must’ve hit the ground first), his faded green Sendai Frogs jersey (Kei always hated having to quit playing), and… Tetsu’s old Nekoma VBC jacket.

“Oh god,” he whispered, his hand flying up to his mouth. Kei always had a habit of wearing whatever came to hand, and most of the time, there was always something of Tetsu’s on him. Today, it was his old high school jacket.

With what felt like Herculean strength, he looked at Kei’s face. It was beautiful in it’s stillness. Eyes shut, mouth slightly open. To be perfectly honest, it looked like Kei was just sleeping, his breath flowing evenly in and out. Like he was sleeping peacefully for once in a long while.

There were a lot of words fighting to come out, none of which he wanted to really say. He knew whatever happened was an accident; but he wanted to rail at Kei, at the world, for whatever circumstances took him away. He wanted to scream about how unfair it was that Kei was gone first, and not him. About how they were supposed to grow old and feeble together, surrounded by their ever expanding family. Above all, he wanted to blame himself for not being there for his beloved husband. If he had, they might not be here at all. Kei would be home getting dinner ready…

Without realizing it, he’d moved to the bed, tears streaming uncontrollably, and he climbed in beside Kei. Mindless with the grief that finally hit him, he wrapped an arm around his husband, buried his face in his neck, and tried not to think about not hearing his heartbeat. Tried not to think about the cool, lifeless skin. Tried not to think about how he wasn’t breathing, and would never take another breath.

~*~*~

Later, they sat together in the waiting area. Akira had fallen into an exhausted sleep, and was curled up against his Uncle Keiji. Tetsu was still filling out the paperwork the nurse had given him earlier, but kept having to stop. This was still so unreal. He should not have to be filling in answers about Kei’s last wishes. Dammit! Kei had only just turned 35-years-old! They only just finished celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary. This wasn’t supposed to be happening!

“Throw it,” Keiji’s calm voice told him.

“What?”

“The clipboard. Throw it.”

“Why?”

“Less chance of it breaking. You’ve nearly bent it to its breaking point, anyway.”

“It’d only be one more thing broken today, anyway,” Tetsu said, relaxing his grip on the offending clipboard. “Besides, they might not like it if I threw their property.”

Keiji snorted. “I doubt it. They know why you’re here. Also, I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t be the first to throw anything here. Or the last.”

They spent another several minutes in silence as Tetsu filled in more blanks. The page blurred, and he finally tossed the clipboard away.

“I’m never going to finish that.”

“If you want, I can do it for you. We just have to be careful and not wake up Akira.”

“Done.” He gently took his son from Keiji, careful not to wake him. His brother took the clipboard and started writing.

“Akira told me what happened. At least, what they know.” Keiji looked up at Tetsu. “Are you ready to listen?”

“As if I’ll ever be ready,” Tetsu replied sadly. “Have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

Keiji shrugged. “You’ll understand when I tell you.”

Tetsu sighed and held his son tighter. “Go for it.”

“Kei went out to walk the dogs. That was what a neighbor told Akira when the ambulance arrived. They saw Kei and waved, but didn’t see anything after. I guess between that time, and when the kids found him, Kei had an attack.”

Tetsu felt his heart skip a beat, and the blood rush from his face. “The kids found him?”

Keiji nodded. “They waited for Megumi’s bus. She raced them home, like always. She found him first, in the front yard.”

“Oh god.” That explained why he heard her screaming when Kaoru called. He sat up and held Akira a little tighter. “We need to get home.”

“I agree. Once we’re done here, we’ll go. But Tetsu, let me finish.”

Tetsu nodded.

“They found his inhaler. It was empty. Since we all carry an extra for emergencies like this one, she grabbed hers and tried to give him his medicine….”

“But he was already gone by then.”

“Yeah,” Keiji agreed softly. “Akira called for an ambulance. Juni took care of Megumi. Kaoru called us and you….”

“And Chika?”

“Finished making the dinner that Kei had prepped before walking the dogs.”

Tetsu scrubbed a hand over his face and through his hair. He looked down at Akira, who was awake and listening to them, tears running silently down his face. He was lost for words. How did you try to comfort the children who found their father and uncle dead in the front yard?


Chapter 4 - Three

The ride home was nothing short of hell. Tetsu was constantly having to remind himself that they weren’t leaving Kei behind, even if it felt like it. Akira had even gone into a panic, asking Keiji to turn around several times to go back and get his dad. Keiji had to pull over so they could both calm him down, and then they stayed there because everyone was too upset to continue.

Once they did get home, reality hit them again. They had barely shut the doors on the car when the boys came running out of the house. Juni headed straight for his brother; Chika and Kaoru were wrapped around Tetsu before he had time to blink. He held them both as they cried, and then they each kissed his cheek before moving aside for his sons.

There was no telling how long he’d spent consoling his boys and drying their tears, but he did so without hesitation. Not only had they lost their father, but they’d been the ones to find him, to realize he was dead before anyone else. They would need all the help they could give, and more. And with that thought in his head, he noticed movement at the front door.

Kou had carried Megumi out, and had just set her down on the stoop. She was clutching his hand, her dark hair was a mess, and her thumb was in her mouth as tears ran down her face. Tetsu nearly lost his already tenuous hold on his emotions. For just the briefest moment, he was looking at his daughter when she was three, holding Kei’s hand, and crying. She’d accidentally knocked over Tetsu’s laptop and thought she was in so much trouble. His adorable little girl who they all doted on and spoiled, now looking lost and broken. She was too young for this.

Akira and Juni had seen her, too, and moved just enough to clear a space for her. And she ran; she ran to them, tripping over her own feet to get to them. Tetsu moved to catch her up in his arms before she fell, and he held her tight as she cried all over again. The four of them huddled there, in the front yard, mourning the loss of their most important person in the world. Kou and Keiji took their boys back into the house, to give them some time alone, and to mourn as their own family unit.

~*~*~

It was almost dawn by the time they were able to get the kids asleep. They knew each one was fighting sleep, afraid of the dreams they might have. Eventually, they each fell into an exhausted slumber in the futon pillow blanket nest the adults made for them in the living room. They were a tangle of arms and legs, and somehow, Megumi had worked herself into the middle of the lot. Tetsu, Kou, and Keiji watched over them, until Tetsu left for a few minutes. He said he’d come back, but then, he didn’t.

Kou found him, fifteen minutes later, sitting on the porch out back, leaning against the post, staring up at the sky. It was still dark, but slight traces of gray could be seen on the eastern horizon. Stars still littered the sky, and the crescent moon was slowly giving way to her brother sun.

He sat down cross-legged between Tetsu and the open door, just waiting. Waiting for when Tetsu would need someone to unleash on. They’d known each other the longest out of the four - no, now it was three - of them, and Kou knew that Tetsu was holding everything in, trying to keep himself together, not just for the kids, but for everyone.

Kou couldn’t help but think of how similar Tetsu and Kei were, in that respect. They were both like… like pressure cookers, keeping all their emotions inside, letting them build up and build up until the pressure was too much. Sometimes, they were able to let that pressure release without too much damage. But sometimes, they’d just explode. He could see that Tetsu was nearing that point, and Kou was ready for it. The yelling, the screaming, the need to hit something, anything. Kou was ready.

“I don’t think I can do it, Kou,” Tetsu finally said, his voice broken from unshed tears. “I don’t think I can move on without him.”

“Don’t say that,” Kou told him firmly. “You can, and you will. You have to.”

“It’s just… I’m missing half of everything.”

“I know.”

It was that moment that Tetsu exploded. He stood up and ranged out into the back yard, pacing angrily from one end to the other, swiping at the tears falling down his face, until he saw the small corner garden with all of Kei’s favorite flowers. Kou moved faster than he ever had in his life, racing to stop in front of Tetsu before he destroyed the garden.

“Don’t you dare,” he growled, hands on Tetsu’s arms, holding him back. “Don’t you dare ruin that garden.”

“Why not?! Why should they be here and not him?!” He struggled to get past Kou, his arm outstretched as if he could grab the flowers from where he was.

“Because they’re not only his flowers, but yours too!” Kou shouted, trying to get through to him. Who cared if he woke everyone up in the neighborhood? “Every time he mentioned a new flower he liked, found fascinating, whatever… you went out of your way to get it for him. Even flowers that aren’t native to Japan, you brought them here, and planted them. Kei took care of them, loved them, and made sure they would survive. Now, you have to do it for him!”

Tetsu shoved away from Kou, resuming his angry pacing around the yard. He was trying to regain control of himself, but it was an effort he was failing at. Kou slowly moved closer.

“18 years,” Tetsu started up again. “We met 18 years ago, do you remember?” He didn’t sound angry anymore, but there was still an edge to his voice.

“Yeah,” Kou replied carefully. “You saw him walking outside of the third gym…”

“No,” Tetsu interrupted. “Not then. We met two months before that, in Sendai. I saw him standing there, watching Shrimpy and Inuoka bouncing around like idiots. I couldn’t help myself, and I went to go tease him.” He stopped and started chuckling even as more tears fell. “Kei turned to look at me, to politely tell me to fuck off. But I knew it then. I knew he was the one.”

Kou moved closer; he was just outside of arm’s reach, but it wouldn’t take much to get to Tetsu when he needed to. Movement from the house caught his attention; Keiji stood there, silent and patient, ready to help.

“Why?!” Tetsu moaned, his knees gave out and he fell to the ground. Kou managed to catch him before he ended up face first on the ground. Keiji raced over and knelt down with both of them. “Why?! He was too young! He wasn’t supposed to go until we were old and gray! He wasn’t supposed to leave us behind! He wasn’t supposed to leave before me! Why?! WHY?!”

They held onto him, cried with him, and tried to keep him from completely shattering apart. Tetsu was their brother, and it hurt to see him broken. But… they needed him; his children, and theirs. They needed him. They weren’t going to let him go, no matter how much he wanted to follow Kei.

And they stayed there as the sun rose on their first day without Kei; husband, father, son, brother, best friend. Perhaps they had at least one thing to be thankful for; Kei had made sure that nearly everything would be taken care of without them having to think too much about it. Really, all they had to do is make phone calls to friends and family, and set a date for the funeral and wake.

But for one day, they would only make a few calls. Mom and Akiteru first, then the kids’ schools, and finally workplaces. Once that was finished, they’d spend the rest of the day mourning together.


Chapter 5 - Epilogue

[One Year Later]

Tetsu finished dinner prep, and checked the time. He still had a little time to walk the dogs and then meet Megumi and the boys at their bus stop. The boys were coming home later, after volleyball practice. Tetsu grinned, still amused that their sons went to Shiratorizawa Academy, even though they started there for their first year of middle school. Now, as 2nd year high schoolers, they were doing well in both academics and their volleyball team was poised to make yet another appearance at Nationals.

He made it to the stop just as Megumi’s bus was leaving. She smiled as she saw him, and ran over to him, jumping into his arms. Both Kou and Kei had once agreed that she would be their little track star, and Tetsu had to agree. She liked volleyball well enough, but she loved running more, and next year, she would also enroll at Shiratorizawa.

“Daddy, what’s for dinner?” she asked as they made their way to a nearby bench.

“Beef teriyaki, fried rice, and pickled veggies. Your uncle Keiji is bringing some dango home for dessert, too.”

“I love dango!” Of course she did. Kei got her hooked when she was still a toddler, feeding her tiny pieces and laughing at the excited little faces she made when she ate the sweet treat. When she was a little older, she would hold out both tiny hands for a piece of dango, and wouldn’t leave until both hands were full. “ I hope he gets a lot!”

“He might,” he smiled down at her, mussing her hair, which made her look at him sideways. “But he might also eat your share before he gets home.”

She snorted. “He wouldn’t do that,” she said confidently. But then, not two seconds later, “would he?”

“I guess we’ll see,” he told her, winking.

Unable to sit still for more than a few minutes put together, his daughter hopped off the bench and took the dogs with her for a run. He turned so he could keep an eye on her, and see the boys’ bus when it came.

Life was not quite back to normal, but it was… steadier. They’d made a few changes to their routines in order to make it that way. It went without saying that they all still missed Kei, and there were still rough patches to deal with as they came, but overall, things had balanced out on a relatively even keel.

Tetsu had opted for a position at the JVA that kept him home in Sendai. He was also able to telecommute, so he stayed home most of the week. This was a big help for the kids, who were used to coming home to someone waiting for them. That someone had usually been Kei, who was home first from his work at the museum. So, with Tetsu stepping into that role, the transition was easier than if it had been Kou or Keiji. It also helped him, too, as he was able to spend more time with his kids and his nephews.

Keiji did the same, choosing to telecommute more often. He was home on the days Tetsu had to go into the office. He also joined Tetsu and Kou at the boys’ volleyball games, cheering as loudly as they could, but also groaning at the irony that this was Shiratorizawa they were cheering for, and not one of their old high school teams. Nevermind that both Fukurodani and Nekoma were in Tokyo, and Karasuno was an hour and a half from Sendai.

Kou still played volleyball, but not for MSBY Black Jackal. Originally, he’d decided to play part time to help raise the kids. But now, he did it as his tribute to Kei. He started playing for the Sendai Frogs, who were more than happy to welcome him. They even honored his request to wear Kei’s #17.

Tetsu and Keiji shared cooking duties, and Tetsu could just imagine how proud Kei would be of him. Even Keiji was impressed, and he was still the better cook of both of them. The boys also helped out, learning as well as making at least one dish for the family for weekend meals. Megumi, however, showed absolute zero interest in cooking whatsoever. Any attempt she made ended up in disaster, anyway. In this, she was exactly like her Uncle Kou, so she became his sidekick in cleaning duties.

Since Kei’s death, both Mom and Akiteru visited a lot more often. In fact, Mom was considering moving in with them, to which no one had any objections. If asked by any of the kids, she’d tell them it was because she loved them so much, and hated living by herself, so why not live with them? But, when Tetsu asked her one night after dinner, she shrugged and said that what she told the kids was her biggest reason, but Megumi would need another female in the house soon enough, as well.

Tetsu smiled softly. He couldn’t ask for a better family, and couldn’t wait to see what awaited them in the future. Truly, he really was happy to be a part of such an extraordinary group of people that he could call his own. They supported him when he needed them, and vice versa.

But even so, he still missed Kei terribly. He missed seeing him, talking to him, just being in the same room with him. He missed hearing his voice, his laugh, even the slightly off-key tone of his humming as he cooked. He missed touching Kei, and being touched, especially when Kei was the one to initiate. There were still nights he could swear he felt Kei beside him, wrapping himself around him, holding him. Those nights were the worst; Tetsu would wake up, half expecting to see Kei’s gentle smile and the love in his eyes… and force himself to remember that he’d never see it again. Night ruined, he’d get up and ramble around the house, or go sit on the porch.

There’d be no one else in his life like that. No one else could ever replace Kei. He never even considered taking off his wedding ring, which helped fend off any interested individuals. He was grateful for the eighteen years they’d had together, but mourned the loss of what could have been so many more.

Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall, he smiled when Megumi came running back, her timing as impeccable as ever. As she sat down beside him, catching her breath, the dogs panting at her feet, he saw the bus approaching. They stood up, and Tetsu took the leashes from Megumi when the dogs started tugging.

“Hey, Dad!” Akira said, smiling when he saw Tetsu. “Hey, lil sis!”

“Hi Akira! Hi Juni!” she smiled and waved, waiting until they got off the bus to run up and hug her brothers.

Right behind them, Chika and Kaoru hopped off the bus, taking their turns hugging Megumi.

“What’s for dinner, Dad?”

Tetsu laughed and slung his arm around Akira as the bus drove off and they started walking home. “Ask Megumi. She knows.”

“She isn’t going to help cook, is she?” Juni asked, acting horrified, and dodging a wild swing from his sister.

“No. Your uncles should both be home by now, so Keiji probably started cooking.”

“Uncle Keiji brought dango home!” Megumi sang, skipping ahead of them. She squinted at her brother over her shoulder. “Race you!” and she was off and running.

“Beat you there!” Juni took up the challenge, racing after her as he always did. Chika and Kaoru took off after them both.

“Not going with them?” Tetsu asked Akira, who stayed with him.

“Nah,” was all his son said. They walked the rest of the way in easy silence.

Tetsu spent time like this with each of his children. Akira and he had started this after the kids had gone back to school, just walking and occasionally talking. But mostly, it was the two of them making sure they were both okay. They didn’t have to ask that question out loud. The answer was in the way they looked and sounded. If it had been a particularly bad day, for either or both, they’d take a little more time walking home.

With Juni, they would binge watch episodes of a favorite show, or watch a movie that no one else was interested in. They’d sit on the floor in Tetsu’s bedroom, with snacks and drinks on a tv tray, and no one bothered them. If they needed to talk, that’s what they did instead, even with the tv running.

Tetsu’s time with Megumi was often right before bed. She’d had the worst time with nightmares, being the first to find Kei. At first, she slept with him, unable to sleep alone for fear of those nightmares. Eventually, she was able to sleep on her own, and their special time was spent with her playing with his hair, painting his nails, having evening tea parties, and doing all sorts of little girl things. When she fell asleep, he’d tuck her in bed, kiss her head, whisper ‘I love you,’ and then watch over her for just a few minutes more before leaving the room with her door cracked open.

As a family, the dads would help the boys with their volleyball skills, which usually ended up as a 3-on-3, with one keeping score. They’d rotate one out after half a set, so that everyone got to practice. After a full set, they switch sides and mix up their teams, so that each of the boys practiced something different. It would often come back to them that the coaches were impressed with the boys’ playing style and skills, nevermind that all four dads had once played in high school, and until last year, two dads still played.

Tetsu worked with Akira and Jun on their blocking and floor defense, both of whom were middle blockers on the team. Kou worked with his sons on spiking and attacks, while Keiji helped them learn setting. Both Chika and Kaoru were wing spikers, even though Chika preferred to be a setter. It was his hope that he’d be able to replace the current setter next year, after the 3rd year setter retired. All four boys were in the starting lineup, just like their dads had been.

After the kids were in bed, the dads met in the kitchen for a nightcap, and talked about their day. It was something Kei started years ago, and they saw no real reason to stop. They still set out a cup or glass at the table for him, even a year later, because it felt wrong not to.

They were missing their moon. They were missing an integral member of their squad, their family, who could always be counted on to be there for them in a pinch. Someone who stepped in to help when anyone needed an extra pair of hands. Someone who could be counted on to bring them up short if they were about to do something stupid.

They missed Kei. They always would.


Chapter 6 - Author's Notes

I feel like I need to explain a couple things. Other than the obvious timeskip (ten years from now), after 3 years of marriage, Tetsu and Kei adopted 2 children; 2 boys, twins (Akira and Jun (aka - Juni)) in 2018 at 2 years old. Three years later, they adopted 1 girl (Megumi) at 1 year old. They are currently 15 and 10 respectively.

Akira, Jun, and Megumi call Tetsu and Kei 'dad,' 'daddy,' or 'papa.' It really just depends on what comes to mind first. KT never really thought to just go by one or the other, and they found it amusing to hear themselves be called whichever name. They loved it.

Keiji and Koutaro also adopted twin sons (Chika and Kaoru) in 2018, also at the age of 2. They are also 15 years old.

In quite a few of my stories, I've written BAKT* not only as a squad, but closer than that, like family. Pairings remain the same, but KT* will call BA* 'brother,' and vice versa.

*BAKT = Bokuto Koutaro, Akaashi Keiji, Kuroo Tetsuro, Tsukishima Kei
BA = BokuAka (pair)
KT = KurooTsuki (pair)
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