The Cat and the Crow

“Think you can stay awake, Kei?” Tetsu asked as he followed him up onto the roof. “We didn’t really get a chance to rest earlier.”

“And we barely slept the night before. But, I’m going to try,” Kei replied. “Can’t miss out watching the sun rise on New Year’s Day.”

He reached up and Akaashi helped him onto the roof. Bokuto was already seated and looking to the east. Once Kei gained his footing and thanked Akaashi, he turned and helped Tetsu up onto the roof.

Since the day after Christmas, when the family returned from Sendai, they spent most of their time cleaning everything in preparation for the New Year. No room, no corner, went untouched, and they did their best to keep everything tidy. Furniture was moved to get under and around each piece. Everyone’s laundry was done, including all bedsheets, blankets and towels. Every last dish in the house was also washed and put away. Mom even had them clearing the front and back yards of leaves and fallen branches.

Tetsu had joked that everything would be sparkling, if they were in an anime.

Now, they were all huddled together under blankets on the roof, waiting for the sun rise. Already, the sky was changing from black to grey. It wasn’t long now.

“Are we all going to make a wish?” Bokuto asked everyone. “We should have one ready for first light.”

“Other than the standard wishes for a happy, healthy, new year?” Tetsu returned with a question.

“I think those are equally important,” Kei said, trying not to yawn.

Akaashi was thoughtful, and finally added, “Well, why not wish for a happy, healthy new year? Also, let’s wish good fortune for our teams to make it as far as we can at Nationals.”

“I like that,” Kei replied, and yawned again. He snuggled deeper into the blankets and into Tetsu’s arms.

“Thought you were going to try and stay awake,” Tetsu chided gently, though he tightened his hold a bit and smiled at his fiance. “Come on. It’s almost time. Just a little longer.”

“Fine. But we’re going to bed right after this.”

“No arguments here,” Tetsu chuckled.

“To sleep,” Kei stressed with a glare back at Tetsu. “Only sleep.”

“I now have an argument,” Tetsu replied slyly. “Do you really think I could sleep with your body so temptingly close to mine?”

“I don’t know. Give it a try.”

“Same goes for us,” Akaashi told Bokuto in an equally tired voice. “Watch the sun rise, make our wishes, get back inside where it’s warm, and go straight to sleep.”

“I think two of us are getting crankier the longer they’re awake,” Tetsu said to Bokuto, winking.

His best friend picked up on the joke. “I can think of several ways to help them get to sleep faster.”

“Yeah, same.”

“Good grief,” Akaashi groaned.

“Seriously?” Kei complained at the same time.

“It’s probably a good thing we’re not going to the shrine until later,” Tetsu reflected. “Even though going this early would mean it’s a lot less crowded.”

Both Kei and Akaashi snorted at that, but said nothing. Tetsu and Bokuto smiled at each other and snuggled their lovers. As the sky lightened a little more, fading from grey to pink, the sun crested the horizon.

“Happy New Year, Kei,” Tetsu murmured into his ear. “I love you more.”

“I love you most,” Kei replied quietly.

They stayed up there for a little while longer, then helped each other down from the roof and into the house. Mom had made them a light meal of soup and rice balls, which they dutifully ate before making their way to their rooms.

It did not go unnoticed that both Tetsu and Bokuto fell asleep before their heads hit their pillows.

A few hours later, they made their way to the closest shrine. It wasn’t as busy as they’d originally thought it would be, but it still meant waiting in line for a while. Bokuto, of course, got antsy and decided to go return his amulet from last year, find a new one, and draw his fortune. Naturally, Akaashi had to go with him, so that left Tetsu and Kei to stay in line.

“Maybe we should wish for Bokuto to learn patience,” Kei said, only half-joking.

Tetsu laughed. “Can you imagine him being able to stand in one place for longer than a few minutes, though?”

Kei smiled ruefully. “No, not really. At least, not while there’s so much to be seen and done. A patient Bokuto wouldn’t be our Bokuto.” He sighed and sidled up to Tetsu, stepping just behind so that he could rest his head on Tetsu’s shoulder. “Maybe we could at least wish for him to sleep normal hours, or something.”

“That would be even more strange… for him and for Akaashi,” Tetsu chuckled. He leaned his head against Kei’s. “Still sleepy?”

“Yeah.”

“Too crowded?”

“A little. Not so much that I want to leave, though.”

“We didn’t have to come, you know. We still have a few days.”

Kei sighed and reached around to put his hands in the pockets of Tetsu’s jacket. “No, we don’t. You’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

“Team Budget is coming down on the 4th, right? Who says we can’t visit a shrine in Tokyo?” Tetsu said quietly, putting his hands in his pockets and weaving their fingers together.

“Do you think we’d actually have the time? It’s going to be crazy for as long as we’re there.”

“Move up a little,” Tetsu said, guiding Kei as the line moved forward a few paces. When they stopped, he tugged Kei closer. “True, but it’s not like we can’t find a way to be together. And anyway, Bokuto still has plans to get together with everyone, remember?”

“I’d almost forgotten,” Kei mumbled. He lifted his head slowly, and looked at Tetsu. “How would that work, exactly? I mean, I guess it would just depend on where everyone is located in town, right?”

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t think he’s thought that far. Just that he wants all of us to hang out together.”

“Right,” Kei went silent for a few minutes. “Yaku was the one who covered for you when we escaped training camp, right?”

Tetsu caught on to his train of thought. “Yeah. Kenma did, too,” he answered. “I guess we’d have to get someone else we could trust to cover for us. I’d ask Kai, but he’d be one of those invited.”

“It’d be us, Bokuto and Akaashi, Daichi, Suga, Hinata, Tadashi, Yaku and Kai. Likely also Kageyama, since he and Hinata are tighter than ever. So that’s like, half my team about to disappear for however long Bokuto wants his party, or whatever, to last. That won’t go unnoticed, especially because you know Tanaka and Noya would want to join. That leaves Ennoshita, Narita, Kinoshita, Shimizu, and Yachi to cover.”

“Murder of Crows goes missing at Nationals,” Tetsu joked, sounding like a reporter. “Karasuno coaches have no idea what happened.”

The line started moving again, and they moved up. Just as they were coming to a stop again, Bokuto and Akaashi reappeared. Both of them carried a plastic bag full of stuff.

“He got carried away again, huh?” Tetsu asked, lifting an eyebrow at Bokuto.

“Indeed,” Akaashi deadpanned.

“I bought us all New Years’ amulets, and hama-ya, and we found a few food stalls!” Bokuto reached into his bag, brought out a container, and opened it. “They had dango, Tsuki!” He offered Kei the container so he could take one. Then offered it to Tetsu and Akaashi.

“We overheard you talking about Tsuki’s team going missing?” Akaashi asked as the line moved forward again. “What was that about?”

“Just discussing Bokuto’s get-together he had planned for those of us on the video chat last year.”

“Last year?”

“Technically, he’s right,’ Kei responded, smirking at Tetsu. “Anyway, considering nearly half of Karasuno was involved, it would be difficult trying to hide it from the rest if we all tried to meet up somewhere.”

“Not to mention it would not go unnoticed for all of Nekoma’s 3rd years to also go missing, even if we did explain to a trusted 2nd or 1st year what was going on. And I wouldn’t put it past Kenma to weasel out the information.”

“We could try to meet up at the gym, maybe?” Bokuto questioned, but then shook his head. “We don’t know the schedules yet.”

Akaashi shrugged. “Why don’t we wait until after Nationals? It would make things easier.”

“Yes, but none of us know how far we’ll go. I’m not trying to be pessimistic, but we could lose the first or second round. I doubt we’d be able to stay to watch the rest, nor would anyone be in the mood for it, to be honest,” Kei said, popping another piece of dango in his mouth.

“You’d stay, though, wouldn’t you?” Bokuto asked, looking hopeful. “I mean, by virtue of your mom…”

“Our mom,” Akaashi corrected, still looking a little stunned about calling her that.

“Our mom,” Bokuto repeated happily. “Anyway, we’re family now, right? You can stay with us and watch the rest of Nationals!”

“It couldn’t hurt to ask,” Tetsu said thoughtfully. “I live the closest to the gym, so we could stay at my place…”

“Or you could stay with us,” Akaashi said. “It’s not too much farther away, and you wouldn’t take the chance of seeing Kozume.”

“Right,” Tetsu said thoughtfully. “Okay, we’ll stay with you, if it comes down to it. We’ll just need permission for Kei to stay behind.”

“Let’s work on that later,” Akaashi said as they finally drew close enough to the honden for their turn to pray.

They lined up side by side, tossed some coins into the box, and Tetsu rang the bell. They clapped their hands together twice, bowed, and offered their silent prayers and wishes for the new year. When they were done, they stepped to the side and started walking back the way they came. Since Bokuto had already bought charms for all of them, Tetsu and Kei tossed the ones they purchased last year on the pile that would be burned later.

“Do you want to buy a fortune?” Kei asked Tetsu.

“Do you?”

Kei smiled shyly, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. “Not really. I already made my wish, which will come true, and just now prayed for health, good luck and happiness in the coming year. I think I’m set.”

“So am I,” Tetsu replied, returning the kiss. “Let’s go home. I could use a nap.”

“I love the way you think,” Kei laughed. “Let’s go home.”

The four of them walked back home, talking and enjoying each other’s company, and munching on the snacks Bokuto bought.