Chapter Text
-AKAASHI-
Akaashi was determined to start the day off strong.
He had woken himself up earlier than usual in order to sneak out of bed, sliding out from under the covers and away from Nakamura’s grasp. He held his breath as the alpha stirred, his anxiety spiking for a moment before the alpha eventually rolled over, staying asleep.
The night before had been rough, evident by the broken glass that was still scattered across the living room floor. Nakamura had accidentally thrown him against the console table that normally adorned the wall, but now laid on the floor, surrounded by broken picture frames and old mail.
Nakamura had said it was an accident. After he realized that Akaashi had been cut by a piece of glass during their… little argument, as Nakamura insisted was all it had been… he had apologized. The rage that had previously been boiling over only seconds before immediately dissipated at the sight of blood. Nakamura had insisted the mess could wait until the morning to be cleaned up as he carried an injured Akaashi into the bathroom to clean his wounds.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You know it was an accident, right?”
Akaashi sighed as he began picking up the mess. Did he know that? He wasn’t entirely sure… But if he had learned anything in the five months he’d been living with Nakamura Akio – it was how to pretend that everything was fine even when things – well, weren’t.
The argument had been his fault anyways. Akaashi knew he shouldn’t have brought it up. He knew Nakamura would react badly. He should have just kept his mouth shut, but he couldn’t help but wonder what if? Unfortunately, the alpha was less than curious…
It took Akaashi twenty minutes to clean up the mess. It would have taken him less time, but he was trying his hardest to be as quiet as possible, as to not wake Nakamura. Turns out, sweeping up broken glass was not the quietest thing to do and having to stop every few minutes to make sure the alpha wasn’t waking up only slowed him down more.
Akaashi stepped back to admire his work. The console table was back in its original position, the pile of mail neatly stacked next to the few picture frames that remained unbroken and the ones that were, tucked away in a drawer to be dealt with later.
It was like nothing had ever happened…
Akaashi stretched as he walked into the kitchen, attempting to shake the last bit of sleep out of his system. He hadn’t had a particularly good night’s sleep after what had happened. To be fair though, Akaashi had not had a good night’s sleep in quite some time. Blame it on Nakamura or blame it on his own deep-seated guilt. Whatever the reason, Akaashi was suffering.
This next step was crucial to starting the day off strong. Nobody could ever be angry when being served breakfast in bed. At least Akaashi kept telling himself that as he quietly rummaged through the kitchen for the ingredients he’d need. Bread, eggs, cinnamon…
Everyone loved Akaashi’s french toast. It was a family receipe that he saved for special occasions, and it had been the first dish the omega had made for Nakamura after their very first night together. He hoped the sentiment would work in his favor.
Akaashi had made this same dish so many times before for so many different occasions that he was certain he could make it with his eyes closed. It was easy for him to fall into a routine, moving around the kitchen without much thought. Cooking had always been a relaxing activity for Akaashi. With so much in his life out of his control, cooking was one of the only few things that brought him a little bit of peace.
The silence within the apartment was overwhelming. Typically Akaashi liked to listen to music or a podcast while doing mundane tasks like this. Without any distractions, he was unable to stop his mind from wandering.
They don’t miss you.
This is for the best.
Nakamura just wants what’s best for you.
Akaashi shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. ‘Focus on the situation at hand, Keiji,’ he thought to himself as he flipped a piece of french toast in the pan.
-
Twenty minutes later and Akaashi stood silently outside of Nakamura’s bedroom, a plate of freshly made, beautifully plated french toast in one hand, and a cup of coffee, made exactly how Nakamura likes it, in the other.
Everything was perfect, yet he couldn’t bring himself to walk inside.
You’re being ridiculous, just open the door…
Another two minutes passed before Akaashi took a deep breath and pushed the door open. He was relieved to see Nakamura still asleep. He had rolled onto his back, his bare chest on display and the blanket bunched around his waist. Despite having been living with the alpha for months now, he still found himself blushing at the sight.
Akaashi chewed on his bottom lip nervously as he approached the bed. His heart was nearly beating out of his chest and despite how hard he was trying to calm down, he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.
I shouldn’t feel this way…
Taking a deep breath, Akaashi stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds. Why did he suddenly feel like he was on the verge of tears? Why did the room feel like it was closing in on him?
Akaashi stood there in silence for what felt like hours, willing his tears away and steadying his breathing. Nakamura couldn’t see him like this. It would only make things worse because he hated when the omega became emotional, he hated being made out to be the bad guy.
Another few minutes passed before Akaashi was able to pull himself together. He blinked away his remaining tears before sitting down on the side of the bed, causing the alpha to stir.
“Nakamura,” he started softly, careful to keep his voice level. The alpha immediately began to stretch, his face scrunching up in annoyance, and for a second Akaashi felt like he made a horrible mistake. “I made you breakfast,” he added quickly. “To say sorry for last night.”
He held his breath when Nakamura opened his eyes. Time felt like it was moving in slow motion as the two looked at each other. Akaashi felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes again. Stupid, stupid, you’re so stupid! —
But then… Nakamura smiled.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” the alpha mumbled, his voice raspy. “You’re so cute.”
Akaashi breathed, letting himself smile shyly as Nakamura sat up in bed. “I wanted to make up for last night. I shouldn’t have… I shouldn't have brought it up again.”
Nakamura nodded in agreement as he took the cup from Akaashi’s hand. “I just want what’s best for you. You know they’re better off without you. You left them. You already know you’re not capable of being what they need.”
Despite having told himself that same thing over a million times, hearing it said out loud still made Akaashi’s heart hurt. Tears stung his eyes. “Yeah,” he choked out before clearing his throat. Do not cry. “You’re right. I’m sorry again.”
Nakamura hummed in acknowledgment as he took a sip of coffee. “Let’s just not bring it up again, okay?”
Akaashi knew he wasn't really asking, but he nodded in agreement anyways. He held out the plate as an offering, attempting to change the mood. “French toast and strawberries. I thought I’d make you something special.”
Nakamura chuckled, placing the cup of coffee on the nightstand before taking the plate from the smaller man. “Looks delicious. But I’d much rather be eating something else for breakfast.”
Akaashi’s heart sank. What? His anxiety began to spike again as he silently watched Nakamura put his plate on the nightstand next to the coffee. Before he could put the pieces together, the alpha pulled him forward and connected their lips in a rough kiss.
Akaashi’s face warmed up as they kissed. His heart was pounding in his chest and he prayed Nakamura didn't notice the way his hands began to shake again.
He couldn’t be so lucky.
The energy in the room shifted abruptly as Nakamura pulled away. He glared down at Akaashi, obviously annoyed with the way the omega was acting. “Are you scared?” he spit. “Do I scare you, Akaashi?”
Akaashi immediately started shaking his head. “No, no, no! I’m just.. I’m just nervous-”
SMACK
Akaashi didn’t see it coming. He gasped as his head whipped to the side, biting back a cry at the sudden strike. “I’m sorry, Naka- I’m sorry, I’m not sca-”
“I’ll give you something to be scared of,” Nakamura said coldly, forcing Akaashi down onto the bed. “Since you want to act like I’m such a bad guy. I’ll show you how bad I can really be.”
-BOKUTO-
Soft whining is what first pulled Bokuto out of his sleep. He stayed silent, eyes still closed as he listened to see if the source of the whining would fall back to sleep… but after a few seconds, the whining turned into a loud cry and Bokuto knew it was time to get up. Who needed an alarm clock when you have a nearly six month old baby?
Getting out of bed, Bokuto yawned and stretched as he walked over to Keiko’s bassinet. She had her own nursery down the hall, but Bokuto usually put her to sleep in the bassinet in his bedroom instead. It had originally started out of convenience; Keiko had been a fussy newborn and would wake up every couple of hours throughout the night, so having her nearby had been easier for him. Even though she was regularly sleeping through the night now, Bokuto still found it hard to leave his daughter alone in her room at night. She just seemed so lonely.
“Good morning, sweet girl,” Bokuto cooed, reaching down to scoop the fussy girl into his arms. “Are you hungry?”
Keiko’s crying calmed down once she was in the familiar arms of her father, but she continued to fuss - a definite sign that she was wanting her breakfast. Bokuto made his way to the kitchen, humming a soft tune in an attempt to console the baby. He shifted her into one arm before he opened the cabinet to grab her formula. Bokuto had mastered the art of making a bottle one handed, something he was quite proud of.
He chuckled as Keiko immediately stopped crying at the sight of her bottle being prepared. Such a smart girl. It only took Bokuto a few minutes to get everything ready for her, placing the bottle on the counter so he could put her formula away, before picking it back up.
“Who’s a hungry baby?” Bokuto sang as he brought the bottle to her awaiting mouth. Keiko immediately reached up to hold onto it. His heart squeezed at the sight. It felt like just yesterday she could barely hold her head up. Now here she was, fully capable of holding her own bottle.
Bokuto checked the time as he walked back into his bedroom. He only had about an hour and some minutes before practice was set to start, meaning he’d have to start getting himself and Keiko ready soon if he wanted to drop her off at Kuroo and Kenma’s beforehand and still show up on time.
Thirty minutes later and Bokuto was walking up to Kuroo and Kenma’s apartment, Keiko still in his arms, but now dressed in a comfortable outfit for the day and wearing a fresh diaper, and her diaper bag slung over his shoulder. She babbled happily as she was carried, looking around at her surroundings. Bokuto wondered if she could recognize the building, having been here plenty of times now. On the days Bokuto had practice, Kenma typically babysat for him. The omega was an up-incoming streamer and had no issues watching Keiko for him. Bokuto could afford to hire a babysitter - or even a nanny - if he wanted, but he just couldn’t bring himself to leave his precious Keiko alone with a stranger. Plus, Kenma loved having her around, having easily claimed the spot as Keiko’s favorite uncle.
Once reaching their floor, Bokuto knocked on the door and waited patiently. He smiled down at Keiko as the girl picked up the scent of a familiar place, her tiny eyes lighting up in excitement.
It was Kuroo who opened the door, smiling wide as he stepped aside to let them in. “How’s it going, Bo? How’s my favorite baby doing!” he asked, reaching up to gently boop her on the nose. Keiko made a happy noise, little legs kicking. He took the diaper bag off of Bokuto’s shoulder, slinging it over his own.
Bokuto laughed. “She always gets so excited when we get here dude, it’s crazy how she’s already able to pick up the scent of you two even from outside your door.”
Kenma hummed in acknowledgment as he walked over. “Babies typically have a much more sensitive nose than we do. She can probably pick up our scent from outside of the building,” he explained. Bokuto just stared down at Keiko, unable to not find her incredible.
Kenma made grabby hands, waiting impatiently for Bokuto to hand her over. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before he allowed the omega to take her. He couldn’t help but feel his anxiety spike a bit as she was taken out of his arms. He couldn’t help it, he always felt a little nervous every time he dropped her off, even though he trusted Kenma and Kuroo more than anyone.
Watching Kenma hold his baby so carefully made him smile. Keiko nuzzled into the omegas shoulder, purring softly as she took in the familiar scent. Bokuto couldn’t help but wonder if she liked Kenma so much because he was an omega. The thought made his heart hurt.
I miss him too, baby…
“You haven’t heard anything?” Bokuto asked suddenly, unable to stop himself.
Kenma gave him a pained expression before he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Bokuto… I haven’t heard from him.”
Bokuto nodded a bit. He cleared his throat and forced a smile, though it was obvious it didn’t meet his eyes. He leaned forward to press another kiss to Keiko’s forehead. “Have fun today, baby girl. I’ll be back for you later,” he promised before he stood back. “Thanks again for watching her, you guys.”
Kuroo shook his head. “No problem at all. We’ll always be here for you, Bo.” He lead Bokuto to the entry, hugging him before he left. “Keep your head up, okay? and kick ass at practice today! We’ll see you later.”
Bokuto smiled, a bit more real this time, and nodded. “Thanks. See you later.”’