Forever With You

“Yachi? Is that you?” she heard Terushima call out.

The man was on his feet and moving toward her, but she was already maneuvering to the side, giving him a wide berth, and making her way to Prince Kuroo. She thanked all her lucky stars that she didn’t faint this time. Not like she meant to last time, either, but still. Seeing him again was… still too much to handle.

“Yachi? I know you heard me.” His voice was taunting her.

Hitoka stopped in her tracks. She had to. She was nothing more than a nanny in the royal household. She couldn’t ignore those above her, not without repercussions. Even if she knew Prince Kuroo and Prince Tsuki would forgive her for ignoring Terushima, they weren’t the only ones here right now. Slowly, almost painfully, she turned back to face Yuji Terushima, her biggest mistake, and Aiko’s father.

“My apologies, my lord,” she said quietly as she curtsied deeply. “I did not notice you.”
He waited for a beat. “A pretty little liar, just as I remember you.”
“Rude,” someone else said in her defense. She didn’t recognize the voice. Either way, she stood up straight but kept her head bowed.
“Rude, and uncalled for,” a very familiar voice said. She bit her lip and tried not to shuffle her feet. Moments later, she felt a slight touch on the small of her back. “Go on. The boys are waiting for you.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, and turned to go to her charges, but not without stealing a glance up at Duke Semi. He winked at her, and then focused on Terushima.

“Come back here, Yachi! I wasn’t done talking to you.”
She almost stopped again, but Prince Kuroo gestured for her to come to him. When she got there, he placed a hand on her arm to keep her there. She knelt down, and gathered up Haru and Yuki, both with watery eyes and scared faces.
“Yes, you were,” Duke Semi said, but it was echoed by Prince Tsuki.
“She has you under her spell, too, I see,” Terushima sneered. “Trust me, Yachi isn’t the angel she makes herself out to be.”
“Bastard,” Duke Semi growled.
“On the contrary, I’m legitimate.”
“Willfully misunderstanding the meaning and intent behind the slur,” Prince Tsuki said quietly, his arms crossed over his chest. “Typical of you.”
Terushima’s eyes narrowed on the Prince. “Are you accusing me of something, your highness?”
“Did I say anything to make you think I was?”
Hitoka was shaking. The boys in her arms were beginning to whimper. All of this because they all had the misfortune to be in the dining room in the first place.

“Prince Kuroo, please,” she looked at him imploringly. “Let me go. I need to take the boys back to the nursery.”
“Good idea. I’m sorry for keeping you.”
She shook her head, and put the boys down momentarily. Neither of them liked that, and were soon holding up their arms to her.
“Mama, up!”
“Mama, please, up!”

An audible gasp ran through the entire room. Hitoka ignored it all, picking up Yuki, and then taking Haru from Prince Kuroo. It was awkward, holding both boys, but if it meant getting them out of here faster, she’d do it. Turning slowly, she started walking out the way she came. Eyes forward, looking only at the doorway in front of her, murmuring comforting words to her boys, who clung to her like baby koalas.

She didn’t notice it right away, but she knew when one more person joined her. From that point, until she was safely out of the room and to the staircase, she wasn’t bothered by anyone, much less Terushima, who’d growled something at her as she passed. She didn’t hear it, ignoring him completely.

“May I help you, ma’am?” a deep voice said from beside her. She looked up at the speaker; one of Duke Semi’s guards. He looked taciturn, but his eyes were kind.
“Haru? Will you let this man carry you, please?”
“Noooo!” He clung even tighter.
She sighed. “Yuki? Please? I can’t carry you both up the stairs.”
Yuki, bless him, clung tighter for a few moments, and then gave her a sweet butterfly kiss before letting go and holding his arms out to the guard. Hitoka tried not to laugh as the two regarded each other warily, and went up the stairs.
“Thank you, ummm?”
“Ushijima, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Ushijima.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”

~*~

“Always knew you were a slut, but I didn’t think you’d reach this high, Yachi.”

Eita was moving before his brain caught up to him. He was only stopped by Kenjiro grabbing a handful of his dinner jacket, and Reon stepping in front of him so he was forced to stop, or run over the man.
“Your Grace, stop!” Kenjiro was muttering under his breath. “Calm down!”
“Let go of me, Shirabu,” Eita growled, using the man’s surname. Immediately, he felt his jacket loosen. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Your Grace.”
“Next time, don’t stop me.”
Kenjiro smirked. “I’ll keep it in mind, sir, but I will stop you if it’ll keep you from creating an international incident. Besides,” he said, leaning over and jerking his head toward Terushima. “It looks like you weren’t the only one to start moving.”

Eita turned back to find Kei had moved faster than anyone knew he could, and was towering over the man, who looked like he couldn’t care less.

“I will accept your apologies, now, Terushima.”
“Apologize? What for?”
“You’ve slandered a member of our household.”
“By telling the truth?”
“Truth, huh?” Tetsu drawled, sauntering over to Terushima, also towering over the man like his husband. Anyone who was smart would have backed off by now, and done what was decent. Clearly, Terushima was not smart. “And what would that be?”
“Honestly, I’m surprised you’d take her into your household, Kuroo. The little opportunist got her claws into you, too, huh?”
Tetsu and Kei shared a look, and then Kei nodded.
“First you call her a liar, then a slut, and now an opportunist. It sounds like you know her well enough to throw those insults at her.”
“Are they really insults if they’re the truth?”
“You keep saying that.”
“I mean it.”
“I’m sure you do,” Kei smiled devilishly. “But… I know you’re lying.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”

Kei would have continued, but the rustling of fabric from the other guests had him pulling himself up short. He stood back a step, spun on his heel, grabbed Tetsu’s hand, and stormed off to the far end of the dining room. Nekomata and Ukai came over to respectfully offer apologies and assurances that nothing more would happen tonight. Then, they turned to the other guests and bowed, offering more apologies. Damage control at its smoothest.

Terushima looked all that was smug, and somehow vindicated. His attention went from the two princes talking in the corner, to him. There was a slight head tilt, and then he started walking forward, until he was a few feet away.

“Duke,” he said snidely.
“Baronet,” Eita replied in kind. “Are we playing name the titles?” He continued sarcastically, and waved a hand at the table of avidly interested guests. “We have several in our midst…”
“Smartass. I like that.”
“Funny. Can’t say the same about you.”
Terushima had the nerve to look surprised. Then, he dropped the act and looked angry.
“You were going to defend her, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, I was. Problem with that?”
“Not at all! I just figured you’d be less gullible, that’s all.”
“You keep alluding to something you seem to be so sure of,” Eita tried to sound calm and reasonable, but a tug on the back of his jacket suggested otherwise. He took a deep breath. “Why don’t you tell me your truth.”
Terushima snorted. “Why should I? I mean, you have my word, plus the evidence is right in front of you.”
“Frankly, I don’t trust your word, Terushima. I’ve heard too much about you already to know you’d lie to save face. And there’s no evidence in this room to prove your truth to be factual.”
“Not anymore.”
“Whatever, dude. Go on. Tell me. Tell all of us.”
“Why should it matter? It’s her word against mine, and she’s nobody special.”
Someone stood up behind him, and when Eita turned toward the table, he saw Tetsu and Kei had returned to their seats, but remained standing. As was Moniwa, Bokuto, Oikawa, and Miya.
“Enough with the side-stepping, Terushima. Either tell us why you’re insulting a member of Kuroo’s household, or return to your seat and shut up,” Moniwa commanded. As king, he had the right to pull rank, if needed, and he had the support of all in the room to do so.
“Fine.” He retreated and went back to his seat. Nearly everyone waited until he was there before they started sitting down. However, it seemed Terushima wasn’t finished.
“I insulted her because she’s all that I said she was. She charmed her way into my bed, threatened me with her pregnancy, and then disappeared. Now, I find she’s wormed her way into Kuroo’s household, and succeeded with him, or possibly both him and Tsukishima, by having their children. Although, I still haven’t figured out why she’s just a nanny and not a consort. Well, no, that doesn’t work out since you two are…”
“Terushima of Johzenji, you will leave my castle, you will leave Nekoma, and I hereby ban you from ever returning.”
“You can’t do that!”
“I can, and I will.”
“I also ban you from Karasuno Archipelago, Terushima of Johzenji. You will not be allowed to step foot on any of my islands,” Kei pronounced.
“You can’t! It’s against the law!”
“You forget, I make the laws here,” Tetsu growled. “My husband, similarly, makes the laws for the Karasuno Archipelago. You dare to dispute our laws, while standing among us?”
“Keep talking, Terushima. Dig yourself into a deeper hole,” Kei said with a wicked smile.
“BUT I TOLD YOU…!!”
“You lied.”
“Prove it!”
“They don’t have to,” a small, quiet voice said from the door. Eita, and everyone else looked to see who spoke. “I can tell them everything you didn’t… Yuji.”

She’d changed her clothes into something a little more formal than that of a nanny, but still leagues from the finery that surrounded her. Her hair was down, left in wavy tendrils that flowed around her neck and shoulders as she made her way slowly into the dining room. In her arms, she carried Aiko, who was, for once, quiet and cuddled up against her mother, tiny fingers in her mouth. Hitoka walked with her head held up high, refusing to be cowed by the seething glare Terushima sent her. But, her eyes… Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears, and he could see it was taking everything in her to not turn tail and run back out of the room filled with royalty.

She slowed to stand beside him for just a moment, long enough to reach for his hand and give it a squeeze, and he felt how much she was shaking. But before he could act on it, she let go and went to stand next to Tetsu and Kei, who were now standing together as co-rulers of their nations. She had their complete support and backing.

“And who would believe you, Yachi?” Terushima sneered. “You are nothing. A nobody from nowhere, who couldn’t get what she wanted from me!”
“I never wanted anything more than for you to return my love, Yuji.”
Terushima started laughing maniacally. “As I said before, you’re a pretty little liar.”
“Let her speak,” Miya quietly said from his seat.
“Yes, let’s hear her side,” Bokuto agreed.
“We’re all ears, my dear,” Oikawa grinned at her.
And then, she looked at him. Eita nodded his support and encouragement, and gave her a little smile.