Nursery

I didn't want to wake up. I didn't want to be told that my best friend, my brother, my little devil, my other half had passed. Everything hurt, everything hurt so much and I just didn't want to. I wanted him to show up, perfectly fine and tell me to get my ass out of bed, but all I heard was steady beeps. I didn't want to exist if it meant I had to go on without him, my mind flying through all the days and nights we were together, all those fun and not so fun times. The nights we got fucked up, the nights we were fucked up, the nights were I fucked him up. The days where we goofed around, the days we got into fights and always came out victorious- was he alive? I was too scared to even open my eyes, knowing that if they knew I was awake that I'd find out. The door opened, someone quietly shuffling over to the side of my bed. "Good morning, sleepyhead! I've got some good news and bad news." The nurse says and I feel the dread coming on- "I'll start with the bad news." She says, tapping around on her computer and looking at the monitors. I swallow thickly, tears gathering in my eyes as I press them tightly shut. Here it comes, news that could potentially destroy my life.

"Bad news is your arm is broken. It's pretty bad, you might have some nerve damage because you pushed it around. We'll need to get it properly looked at to be sure, so we're gonna need a parent or guardian to come and sign some paperwork so we can take an X-ray." The person says and I slowly open my eyes, pressing my lips together. "And… my friend?" I croak, looking over at me as she gives me a pitiful smile. "The good news is that your friend is going to be just fine, he'll make a full recovery." She says and I let out a sob of relief, looking at my ceiling. "Thank you… oh, thank you…" I croak, wiping my tears from my eyes with my uninjured eyes. "Where is he? Please, I want to see him." I say as I sit up, already tugging out all the wires and tossing them away. "Oh, sweetie, no, you need to stay in bed! We're still monitoring your condition, it's possible-" she says, though I'm already stumbling to my feet with my injured arm held to my chest. "Hang on there, Kitten. You shouldn't be moving." Kuroo says, appearing beside me and gently wrapping an arm around me. I look up at him, tears in my eyes- he kept Arthur alive, he saved him, he saved Arthur and me again.

"Tetsuro… thank you… but please, I need to see he's fine myself. Please…" I croak, letting him see how hopeless and vulnerable I was feeling right now. He searches my eyes before slowly nodding, stroking his fingers through my hair. "Okay." Kuroo whispers, leaning down and kissing my forehead. He scoops me off of my feet, carrying me princess style through the hall. "Uh, sir, I really advise-" the nurse says as she follows behind us, though Kuroo carries me into a room. Arthur is laying down on the bed, a steady beep coming from the monitor beside him. Kuroo sets me down and I stare at Arthur, slowly walking over. He had his eyes shut, breathing steadily with a peaceful look on his face. I climb onto his bed, carefully moving his arm as I lay down beside him. "I knew your ass would come see me first thing." Arthur croaks, his lips twitching as he wraps his arm around me. "I mean, who could really stop me?" I say as I curl into his side, careful for my injured arm and his body in case he was injured too. "Mmph. Good point, even with a broken arm you're scary as hell." Arthur chimes, making me smile as I bury my head into his chest. "So?" I ask, taking deep breaths as I slowly close my eyes.

"I'm lucky cars are practically made of plastic. You actually came out worse than me, but it figures since you're a small thing and got hit twice. The hit knocked me around a bit, I got some fractures but I'll make a full recovery with time; would've been a lot worse if you hadn't guarded my head and neck." Arthur says and I let out a sigh of relief, relaxing into him. "So… I guess you saved me." I whisper, gently stroking his chest as he strokes my ribs. "Finally I returned the favor. I mean, you save me a lot, but… it felt good saving you. Like… ha, I can do it too." Arthur says, making me laugh as he gives me a mischievous grin. "Suck it, bitch. I almost paid my life for you, too. Ha ha, ha ha ha!" Arthur says, laughing before wincing and taking a breath. "Ow, it hurts to laugh." Arthur groans, laying his head back on his pillow and groaning in pain. "I'll laugh for you, then. Ha, ha, ha. Wait, no, I think it's more like… ha ha ha! No, no… Nya ha ha hee hee hee cackle cackle snort." I mock, making Arthur laugh heartily as I give him a smile. "Oh my god, you said cackle cackle snort, oh my fucking god- you goofy ass bitch! You're making me hurt!" Arthur laughs, squeezing me tight as he shakes with laughter.

I wait for him to settle down, faintly smiling as I stare at the window. "Next time… let me fucking die." I whisper, Arthur falling completely silent as he stares at the roof. "I don't think I can do that, Kiki. I really fucking can't. You felt it, didn't you? You felt what it's like being saved, it's… Well, I felt what it's like saving you. Gotta say, it's nice and scary saving your ass. I mean, I always tell you to just let me go but you're always there saving me. I get it now, why you always come… losing you isn't an option. I gotta respect you for saving my ass so many times now, I mean… damn that's a thrill." Arthur says and my smile slowly falls. "I felt what it was like being on your end… and I don't fucking like it. I really don't fucking like it. I just… don't fucking do it, Arthur. Don't, just let me die." I whisper, softly begging him as he snorts. "Welcome to the fucking club, you never listened to me so I'm not listening to you. How about we come to an agreement- neither of us gets into near death situations and we don't have to take our chances because we're both stubborn asses who will sacrifice our lives for each other no matter what." Arthur says, jostling me lightly and making me smile as I nod my head.

"What happened to the fucker? I figure you guys know." Arthur says, looking behind me- I glance back, seeing the trio there. "Police took him, Suna got the whole thing on video so they arrested him." Arthur says, Kozu coming and sitting beside me. "Though I'm pretty sure Kimiko fully intended to kill him for a second there, I knocked him out before she could get to him." Suna says, shrugging his shoulders and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah… um, thanks for that. I was considering it." I mumble, Kozu gently stroking my hip with his thumb. "But you didn't." Kozu says softly and I turn back to Arthur, wrapping my uninjured arm around him. "Cause Suna knocked him out and you… well… if Arthur didn't make it, I would have hunted him down, to hell with the consequences. I know he didn't mean to, I know it was Arthur's decision for trying to save me… but if he had died… I'm sure I would've lost it. When he blamed Arthur… what he said… all of it…" I whisper, falling silent and pressing my lips together. "What did he say?" Kuroo asks, coming over and crossing his arms. Yuki's words come back, his words ringing in my ears- all I was good for… all that I was loved for…

"You guys should go stream. We aren't going anywhere, they're probably going to run a bunch of labs on us and you won't be able to be with us anyways." Arthur says as he leans over, kissing my forehead. I hide my head into his chest, tears gathering in my eyes as I feel my heart and body aching. Was it true? Was what he said true? Was that all I'd ever be, all I'd be loved for? "Go on. She doesn't want to talk about it with you guys around, I'm pretty sure there's more to it then Yuki anyways." Arthur says firmly, Kozu slowly prying his hand off my hip. I hear the door open, the three shuffling out quietly before pulling the door shut behind them. "Go ahead. They all left, you can cry now." Arthur whispers, opening the floodgates inside of me as I just wail, clinging to him as I just cry. At least there was one person I knew who didn't see me like that- I had almost lost him, he almost sacrificed his life to save me. His love was unquestionable, undeniable and ultimately true; but our hearts could never love each other. There would never be anything more than the platonic love and utter devotion to each other; I could always put my faith in that, and I loved him all the same if not more.

Yuki's words hurt because he was right. The competition is more than it was before; it's not simply kissing anymore. It had crossed the line into something far more complicated, and it was all because I let sex become a part of it. I was in limbo between loving and regretting it- I enjoyed it all, but now that the words had been said… was that all I was to the boys? Was I a pair of spread legs, was that all they saw in me? Is that the only reason they loved me? They didn't know me, my pain, my insecurities and fears. I was all alone before the competition, I only had my small group of friends and family- the competition was the only reason that I wasn't alone anymore. There was a line though- I knew that, one I had drawn myself. A line between the real me and the me I showed- I felt as if I could never fully reach out to the boys, based on my insecurities. I had shown the three that had confessed their love to me a bit more than the others- but they were also the ones I had been the most involved with. Suna loved me since that day in the underpass… he loved me since we had sex. Was it the same for the other two? Was it all because of sex? The thought hurt, it broke my heart and destroyed me inside.

"You gonna talk about it?" Arthur asks softly when I finally stop crying, staring blankly at the window as I felt utterly empty inside. "You don't have to start with what Yuki said. You can start with what was bothering you before that." Arthur says, slowly stroking my side as I just breath. "Does it have to do with the trio?" Arthur asks- he wasn't going to let it go, I could already tell. "Kuroo proposed to me." I croak softly, Arthur pausing as we sit in silence for a while. "How did you respond?" Arthur asks and I slowly blink, shaking my head. "I didn't say anything… I just cried..." I admit, Arthur humming softly as he's silent for a while. "I'm guessing Kuroo didn't feel so good about that response, so you felt like shit." Arthur says and I hum, burying my head into his chest. "Hah… this is why I told them you weren't ready. I knew it was a bad idea… jeez…" Arthur grumbles, seeming genuinely upset as he blows out a breath. "Okay, so what did Yuki say?" Arthur asks, a lump forming in my throat as tears gather in his eyes. "He said something that made me realize something… what he said was right and that is why it hurts." I croak past the lump in my throat, Arthur humming softly as he strokes my back.

"H-he said… 'I hope you're actually managing to satisfy him. You're only good for sex, even then you suck at it' the first time… he asked me 'You're the one that was alone for how long? It's amazing how as soon as your legs opened the guys started flooding in, isn't it? I mean, really- did you honestly think they cared? Your head is fucking useless, it got you nowhere. Opening your legs did, didn't it?' in the street… that… it… it hurt… it really fucking hurt, because he's right… he's right…" I whisper, Arthur's face darkening as he clenches his teeth and glares at the ceiling. "Kimiko, he-" Arthur starts, though someone opens the door and he falls silent. "Excuse me, Suzuki-san? Your guardian is here now, we can X-ray your arm now." The nurse says and I wipe my tears away, nodding my head. "I'll let you rest now." I croak as I slip from his bed, though Arthur looks conflicted. "Kiki-" Arthur tries though I walk out of the door, shutting it behind me. I didn't need Arthur to lie to me, I didn't need him to try to come up with excuses to make me feel better. Yuki was right- my head got me nowhere but in pain, I didn't want pain. But as he said… opening my legs did. It's all I was good for, even then I sucked at it.

The trio managed to carry the stream for the weekend as Arthur and I got treated for our injuries. My arm needed surgery and to be in a cast for 12 weeks and I needed to take care not to stress it, but it seemed like there was no nerve damage. I was still kept busy with my other plans, preparations for Aima's baby shower and Valentine's day for the boys. Aima volunteered to help with Valentine's day plans, so I let her take over on that one. That gave me more time to dedicate to her surprise baby shower, though it would take longer because of my broken arm- I had Arthur buy Aima a house, it was completely paid off and ready to move in. Lev had checked it out himself, he loved and approved of it, it had all the makings of a childhood home- plenty of good schools within a reasonable distance, good neighborhood and it was recently updated and renovated. Arthur and I got to work completely furnishing it, getting everything they could possibly need and baby proofed. It was a three bedroom, two bathroom house with a living room, full kitchen and a vast backyard. I planned to repaint and decorate after the stream, but seeing as I broke my arm it wasn't going to be easy.

I resorted to asking Arthur to hire someone to paint the rest of the house while I took care of the baby room- I had already lined everything, all that was needed was for the rollers. It would probably take a day or two, but after it dried we would have the movers bring in the furniture; we had planned to do it ourselves, but seeing as we were hurt it really wasn't an option. Arthur assured me that he would have it handled, to just focus on the baby room since I was the one Aima came to the most for ideas. I knew exactly what she was going for- I knew if I hired someone to do it they would probably mess it up and she would be a raging mommy. I wanted to get it right for her, I wanted her to love it as soon as she saw it. So I get to work- I wipe the sweat from my brow, wearing a mask as I hold the pallet with my cast arm. It was tough doing a full wall mural, though I had already finished the base idea- I was going back on and doing the details now. I had never been the landscape type, but Aima had wanted one of the walls to be a mural of a forest. I had already gotten down the tree that would be behind the crib, a big oak with light orbs hanging off, complete with green moss and big roots.

I was lucky to have completed it before the accident, so it was perfect- but now that my arm was hurt, it was harder to do the background. It was frustrating because I still had to do small details to the rest of the room- I painted it a light cream color, my first project when I got to work. I still had to put down the dusty pink polkadots, let alone the flowers in the canopy area. Usually my ambidextrousness would come handy, making it so I could double time- but I hurt my arm. It was starting to look like I needed to hire someone to finish it regardless- it sucked, but atleast I knew I got the majority of it down. "I'm back with the painting crew!" Arthur called over the music- I had been blasting my Yuki playlist over the speakers. We still hadn't talked about what he had said, mostly because I was busy painting and avoiding the subject. I knew he could tell that it was still bothering me, but I honestly just didn't want to talk about it. "I brought you a drink." Arthur calls, though I don't respond; I had pretty much locked myself in this room ever since the accident. "You can't just stay in there all the time, Kiki. Here, your drink." Arthur calls through the door and I sigh, setting down my paintbrush and pallet.

I walk over to the door, opening it up and taking the drink he offers. "I'm behind schedule." I say simply as I walk past him and put my drink on the kitchen counter. "You don't even have the door open; you need some fresh air, leave it open." Arthur says and I head right back into the room, picking up the paintbrush and pallet. "When I leave the door open you just stand in the doorway and stare at me." I say- case in point, he was watching me as I got back to painting. "I'm worried about you." Arthur says and I pause in my painting, 'Anxiety' playing over the speakers. "I'm fine." I say, stroking the paintbrush again. "You've been playing this depressing playlist the whole time you've been locked up in here. You're not even singing to it, just listening." Arthur says, crossing his arms and pinning me with an intense look. "It's not depressing, I just don't feel like singing." I say, keeping my gaze on the wall as I work the brush. "Kiki, this is fucking depressing as shit. You're not okay, don't lie to me. You haven't even said anything to me since the accident; this is the most I've heard you talk in a week, and even then you were just talking colors." Arthur says and I take a slow deep breath.

"Have you eaten? All the drinks I've gotten you have been going straight to the trash." Arthur says, genuine concern laced into his voice as I slowly exhaled. "I told you don't get me anything because I need to focus on the room. I'm fine, Arthur. I eat and drink at home." I say simply, though I can tell Arthur was getting irritated. "But I never see you go home! You're just locking yourself in here, listening to that depressing ass playlist!" Arthur says, sounding irritated. "Arthur, I mean no offense and I know you have good intentions- but you aren't my mom. Stop being a hen." I say, though Arthur groans and rolls his eyes. "Oh come on, you really think I'm going to let this go? Talk to me. How do you really feel?" Arthur asks and I feel my eye twitch as I put the paintbrush and pallet down. "Ask me one more time how the fuck I feel, Imma fucking lose my mind." I sing with the song as I walk over, slamming the door in his face. I walk over to my phone and unhook my bluetooth from the speaker. If my music was bothering him then I would just use my earbuds instead. I grab them and put them on, hooking them up. It's not like I asked the song to come on at that exact moment, I had my playlist on shuffle.

Arthur scowled at the door, glaring at it as if it had called his mom a bitch- and his mom was no fucking bitch. He was half tempted to kick the door in and give her a piece of his mind, but knew damn well that it would just end in a fight and she would close herself off. If Arthur was honest, he didn't know what to say to comfort her- he knew Yuki's words, he knew that they upset her. He had no clue the extent of damage they had done though- enough that she was shutting everyone, including him out. He knew she was working it out in her head, licking her wounds- but she was also really hurt by those words. "Wow… that's new." Kozu mumbles, coming over and looking at the door. "Eh?" Kuroo asks, also coming over with a confused look. "She never locks herself up like this… she even shut the music off." Kozu says, though Arthur just snorts and crosses his arms. "She's got her earbuds in now. It's not the first time I got onto her about that playlist. She puts it on the speaker whenever I'm gone." Arthur sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm guessing this has to do with whatever has been bothering her since the accident." Suna says as he walks over, his hands shoved into his pockets.

Arthur resorted to the only people he could think of to help- the trio of love, as he called them. He couldn't seem to get through to her, so he sort of hoped that they would be able to reach her; they would also come handy in painting the house, so he had an excuse to involve them. He tried his best to lure her out and get her to notice or acknowledge them, but she didn't even bother to look at the 'painting crew'. "She told me what's bothering her in the hospital… that's why it bugs me so much, but she won't talk to me about it and I know she's hurt. She's really fucking hurt." Arthur grumbles as he looks up at the ceiling, pressing his lips together. "What'd she say?" Kuroo asks and Arthur drops his gaze to the guy, seeing he was concerned. "It's not about that. I mean, it hurt her that she hurt you; but it's what he said that's really fucking with her. It'd fuck with me too, in her situation. I can't exactly just say it either, if I do she'll get mad at me cause you know, secrets and stuff. We haven't talked about it at all, so I don't know if it's okay for me to say. It's really fucked up and it hit her tight where it hurts. She thinks he's right, that what he said is true." Arthur says, scowling as he glares at the floor.

"It sucks because I can't exactly tell her that it's a lie either, because it could be the case with some people. She even admitted that it really fucking hurt her- she never says that, she never says that. What he said… it's really fucked and it hit her right where it hurts." Arthur spits, scrunching his nose as he wishes he could beat the guy's face in. "It was a bad idea to have you guys confess your love. I'm telling you that right now because it's hurting her. She isn't ready, but… right now, I think your love is the only thing that can reach her. I just hope… I hope it's not too late. For now… let's paint and get this shit done. Maybe she'll come out." Arthur grumbles as he storms over to the paint buckets and starts busting them open. Everyone but Suna walks over, grabbing a roller though they notice that Suna wasn't following. "Hey, you gonna help or what?" Arthur asks as Suna stares at the door, Arthur's words fresh on his mind. Suna knew Arthur, he knew Kimiko; if Arthur said Kimiko was hurt, that he was concerned… then he was very concerned. He had seen her almost raped in an alleyway, putting glass to her wrist and totally out of it because of what Yuki said- and he had no idea what he even said.

But Arthur did, he said it was fucked up and not far from the truth; which meant that it hurt even more because it could be based on some truth. He said it hit her where it hurts- and Kimiko wasn't hurt often, but she believed what Yuki said to some degree. Arthur said that it was bad that they confessed their love, but it was his only hope. Suna was the first to confess his love- he couldn't help but feel responsible for her pain. "Earth to spaceman. Talking to you, you gonna grab a paintbrush?" Arthur asks, pouring some paint into a rolling tray. "What's she doing in there?" Suna asks; she said she was behind schedule. They had a few days to paint the rooms, even enough to do touch ups- but somehow she was behind schedule? "That's the baby room. She insisted on painting it herself, she's working on a mural; I kinda get why she locked herself up in there, she's got a lot to do with a broken arm." Arthur says, though Suna can't help but imagine- Kimiko was inside this room, alone, painting a wall. She was aching, hurting- she was distracting herself by putting a paintbrush to a wall, painting a picture. A picture for a baby, a friend, a loved one that she cared for, deeply- a mural.

He thought of what the painting looked like; what she looked like, painting that picture. Would she do the same for her own child? "She made the whole room by herself, actually." Arthur admits, grabbing his own roller- though Suna's hand finds the doorknob. "Hey, wait-" Arthur says, though Suna opens the door, his eyes automatically finding the girl as she stares at the wall. She was focused, a mask on her face as she had her face inches from the wall, making the finest of strokes- the wall was beautiful. In the middle of the mural was a big beautiful tree, almost like it had popped straight out of a fairytale. It was alive, almost popping out from the wall with it's deep moss and large roots. His eyes widened as he stared at it- soft yellow orbs with amber accents seemed to flow from the tree. As he dragged his eyes over it, he swore all the leaves swayed- it felt like if he walked over and touched it, he could feel the bark. She was working on the background, though her ideas were laid out on the wall. "I really think you should close the door, Suna. She might get upset." Arthur says, sounding a bit precautious- he noticed that Suna was staring, though the girl in question finally noticed him.

Suna was standing in the doorway- it shocked me at first, I hadn't even noticed. He hadn't been looking at me though- he was staring at the mural, his eyes slowly looking over it as if he could see what I was going for. I watched him and let him picture it, curious of what he thought. I slowly pulled my earbud out, waiting patiently until his eyes found me. "What do you think?" I ask softly, turning my gaze back to the mural and looking over at it; I had taken inspiration from his background art for the videos, given it my own touch. "It's amazing." Suna says, though I wave him over- he steps in, closing the door behind him and walking over. "Aima has been obsessed with fairies and fantasy stuff for as long as I've known her. She wanted a forest mural for the baby so… I thought of a cave forest. Silly, I know but… right here is gonna be a river with some fairy lights… over here is gonna be a small waterfall, with some flowers growing along the bank. I wanna put a small tree here… there's gonna be a bare rock wall here. On that side is gonna be a moss covered wall, flowing down and hanging off, with light coming from up there…" I say as I point it out for him, gesturing out the areas I was talking about.

"What are you working on here?" Suna says, gesturing to the background that was a misty mint color. "I want to put birch trees as a background here and here, it'll give it some depth and variation. I want the oak to stand out the most since the crib's going here." I say, gesturing to the areas as he nods, a twinkle in his eye. "I got inspiration from your work, the forest really popped out in yours. I might have to cut back on my ideas though… not enough time. I'd hate to leave it unfinished…" I sigh softly, looking over at the painting- there was so much detail needed, so much beautiful potential. Still, there was no time to do it all; I just didn't know what I could cut back on. It all meant so much to the picture I was imagining, but I still had the rest of the room to work out on. "So… this wall is going to be moss, this rock… this is gonna be a river, this is going to be a waterfall. There are going to be birch trees, shrubs here, flowers here." He says, gesturing to the right areas as I nod, humming affirmatively. "But you painted it black here? Isn't this going to be a rock wall? Wouldn't it be easier to do gray?" He says and I sigh, fiddling with my pallet as I look at the left area he was talking about.

"Well, I was going to make that into a cave-like area, so it's obvious that the whole thing is based in a cave. That's why the light is coming from here, the tree is tilted to the right and the roots are based more on this side. Trees are more light motivated, so of course they'd lean away from the dark; I was going to put some kind of cobweb hanging from the roof here, some distant rocks here with an white orb casting light from here to here, so it lights the rocks and casts a shadow of them on a rock wall here… over here would be left black, giving the effect of a cave. The water would be coming from that area as well, so it would seem a tad wet with moisture. I decided to scrap that idea for time, a rock wall would be easier." I say, Suna frowning as he looks a tad disappointed. "Ah… but that sounds like such a good idea." Suna says, making me smile lightly as I nod. "I know… but I really don't have time. I still have to paint the rest of the room." I sigh, tapping the paintbrush on my pallet. "The rest of the room? It's already painted, though." He says, looking confused as he glances around, making me smile. "I need to put polka dots and flowers in the canopy area." I say, gesturing to the areas as he nods.

"I see… well… how about this." Suna says, turning back to the mural and pointing at it. "You got inspiration from me, right? So how about I help you paint it? I'll do the birch trees here, the waterfall and river here, the cave design you were talking about here, some rocks here and here… I'll start the moss wall here, and then you can finish the rest up. While I'm doing that you can do the rest of the room and give me any thoughts you have." Suna says and I purse my lips, thinking about it- landscaping was more his thing, he would probably be better than me… "You can always kick me away if you think I'm killing the vibe, but I totally get what you're going for. Two heads is better than one, plus with the extra time you can do touch ups and add more. Like here, we could do more rocks with light shining on them. We can also do some background work here, kind of like a shadow but more of a silhouette in the mist. I can do some rock like forms, we can put another shrub here… I can do some more rock formations here to make it more cavey." Suna says and I hum- it would be easier with two people, plus that could cut the time in half if I finish the rest of the room quickly.

"We could make the whole background kind of misty, it's a cave right? That means it's cooler, but with the sunshine and moisture, it'll be more foggy. Not too foggy, but enough that we can kind of blend our styles together. I can make the trees more lively on this side, thinner and leaning on this side…" Suna says, making me smile as I look up at him- he was totally getting into it now, even thinking about reason and giving it a more realistic feel. "Genius. You've earned your spot, Mister. Now put those hands of yours to work." I say, leaning up and kissing his cheek. He gives me a grin, taking the palette and paintbrush from me. "Of course, but you're not going to leave me in silence here are you?" He asks, pointing to his ear as I hum, offering my other earbud to him. "If you want you can listen to my 'depressing' music, but seeing as we'll be busy there won't be much conversation other than painting." I say, though he takes the earbud, popping it in. "I like your taste in music, I doubt it's as depressing as he was making it out." Suna says as I walk to the waiting paint can in the middle of the room. "You might want a mask." I say, offering him one- he gladly takes it, sliding it on before getting to work.

"I can't believe she let him in." Arthur grumbles, pouting as he cuts the roof edges. "They are both painters… drawers, whatever. He got in by offering to help with the mural. She was behind, after all." Kuroo says, using the roller to paint in the walls. "Well, I offered to pay someone to help her! I'm her best friend and she wouldn't even trust me with the polkadots on the wall. I haven't been allowed to step a foot into the room." Arthur complains, though they all fall silent as the door opens- Kimiko walks out, setting three masks in the kitchen before walking back to the room, shutting the door behind her. "She knows Suna's work, she did use his background for our intros. She must have some faith in his work." Kozu says, walking over and grabbing the masks, offering them out. They all put them on before they get back to it, Kozu cutting in the outlets and floor. "Yeah, he is good with backgrounds… She really enjoyed working with his stuff. She is doing a kind of background thing in there, I think she might even have based it on his work. It's a big tree, she did mention doing a forest of some sort." Arthur admits, though they fall silent as Kimiko and Suna start singing 'La La La' softly- Suna was making progress.

My stomach growls as I'm kneeling in the corner where the canopy is, though I ignore it as I focus on the flower I'm painting. "Are you hungry?" Suna asks and I hum, dabbing my brush in more paint, making sure to wipe off the excess. "I'll eat when I go home." I say, getting back to the painting- my stomach growls again, making me grimace. "I make a mean stoner sandwich, just saying." Suna says, my lips twitching into a smile. "Oh do you now? You'll have to make me one some other time." I say though Suna hums, tapping his paintbrush. "Why not now?" Suna says and I shrug, wiping a bit of excess paint off. "Well… eating takes time. I don't really have time and I don't want to bring any food or drink here in case I mess up or get paint in my food." I say, Suna humming softly as he fiddles with his paintbrush. "You have time since I'm helping, right? We can eat in the kitchen." Suna says and I sigh, pulling my paintbrush back. "But then Arthur will be staring at me, he'll try to make me talk and I don't want to talk." I admit, Suna humming softly before he sets down his paintbrush and pallet. "I'll be back." He says, confusing me as he walks out of the room without another word.

I shrug it off as I get back to work, my stomach gurgling angrily at me. I finish the flower I'm working on, rolling my shoulders as I stand, stretching my knees out. "Go wash your hands and face, Sunshine." Suna calls, confusing me as I set down my paintbrush and pallet. I walk to the bathroom, washing my hands and cleaning my face off before I head out to the kitchen where he was. "Eh? The others left?" I ask, though Suna pushes a plate over to me- it was a really nice looking sandwich. "I kicked 'em out. It looked like they could use a break anyway, get some fresh air and all. Speaking of, you wanna go eat that on the back porch? I could use some myself." Suna says and I hum softly, taking the plate and walking out the open back door. I knew what he was getting at- I couldn't exactly get mad at him, I was hungry and could use some fresh air. I nibble lightly on the sandwich as he comes over, looking over the yard. "This place is actually really nice. Good for a dog." Suna says and I nod, looking at the yard. "Lev and Aima want to get a big dog, so we factored that in when we were looking for a place. Nice sandwich by the way, thanks." I say, Suna humming as he nods, smiling lightly.

"Told you so." Suna says and I drop my gaze, setting the sandwich down for a second. "Aren't you going to ask?" I ask, I knew I was probably walking myself into a mess, but I was curious why he hadn't. "Do you want to talk about it?" Suna says and I shift lightly, shaking my head. "No… not really." I admit, glancing up to him to see his reaction- he just shrugs, staring out at the yard. "There's your answer." Suna says, looking down at me as I just look at him; I was confused, grateful- a tiny bit hurt. "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't make you. If you want to tell me, I'll listen. I've never really been one to pry into or care about such things… yeah, I care about you, I'm curious, even worried but… you're a strong girl. I figure just being around for you to talk to when you're ready is enough. Maybe you'll never be ready; I don't know, but I do know that you don't want to talk about it. So I won't pry, no matter how curious or worried I am. Just being here for you is enough for me, I won't push. If you decide to open up about it, then I'll be here. It's still up to you either way. I care, I do, but I don't usually care, so I dunno." Suna says, grimacing lightly as he itches the back of his neck.

I hum, dropping my gaze down to my plate as I fiddle with the sandwich. So he did care… but he also cared that I came to him when I was comfortable. He just wanted to be by my side, to be sure that I was okay for the most part- the thought was comforting. "I never got the chance to ask… how's Hina?" I ask as I lift the sandwich up, nibbling it lightly. "She's alright, she's actually doing really well considering. She's a stubborn girl, she was frightened at first… but she was more worried about you. She said you were really brave and cool, that you put on an act for the guy so you could get her hairpin and undo your cuffs. She thinks you're really smart and she's happy that you made sure to comfort them the whole time… even when you were hurt. You're like her new favorite superhero, she calls you Ms. Badass. My parents aren't too happy but… they're grateful. They understand that you're not at fault, that you didn't ask for that but you risked your life to make it right. They respect you for that, too." Suna says and I hum, nodding my head as I chew on my bite. "Course, they did give us a good long talk. Stranger danger and all that." Suna snorts, looking out at the yard and smiling lightly.

"Ah, America's greatest lie. You should be more worried about the people you do know. I mean, there's no real way to tell danger… but sometimes it's the strangers that will save you. There's really no way to go about it, you just gotta be ready for anything at any time." I mumble, Suna nodding as he shoves his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I can see that. We're putting her in martial arts training, I can handle my own in a fight but… I can't take a tank like you can." Suna says and I smile lightly, unable to help my little giggle. "I'm a petite girl, I can't run up and challenge anyone and take them down. I mean, don't get my wrong, I was a little shithead that thought I was on top of the world in middle school. Course I was beating Arthur's ass left and right, he had my back too… but they have to advance on me and I have to think of every move I make ahead of time." I say, Suna smiling down at me. "Oh, I was surprised when I saw you take down those three in the underpass. I couldn't comprehend it, but seeing you fight… it's amazing. I mean, really, it's weird seeing a little thing such as yourself take down someone triple your size. It's really shocking." Suna says and I snort, swallowing my bite.

"If I put you on your ass you'd be shocked?" I joke, looking up at him with a smile on my face. "Yeah, but I think you'd be the one on your ass." He says and I hum, fiddling with the plate. "You think? Even with my broken arm, I'd kick your ass." I tease, Suna's eyes twinkling with mischief as he crosses his arm. "Nah, I could take you even with both of your arms fully functioning." Suna says and I scoff, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, right." I snort, taking a bite of the sandwich and chewing it. "Wanna go then? I'll go easy on you since you've got a broken arm." Suna says and I look up at him, feeling a bit mischievous myself. "You want me to put you on your ass?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him as I swallow my bite. "Don't get too cocky on me now, Little Sunshine. If I put you on your ass after you talk big, I'd feel a little too good about beating you." He teases, making me smile as I put my plate down. "Look who's getting cocky now, I don't want you to embarrass yourself when little ol' me royally kicks your ass." I tease, though he laughs as he walks down to the yard. "Come on, let's go. Two out of three wins." He says and I giggle as I jog down the stairs, walking in front of him while I stretch my body out.

"Forgive me if I'm rusty; I don't get practice like you do, Ms. Troublesome." Suna says, stretching his arms out as he gives me a cocky smile. "Is that an excuse? It sounds like an excuse you'd give when I kick your ass. Besides, I'm not troublesome. I don't go looking for fights, trouble just finds me. This is a play fight, it doesn't count." I tease as I hop lightly, walking further into the grass. "Play fight? Now that sounds like an excuse you'd give when I kick your ass, are we not going all out? Do I gotta pull my punches?" Suna asks and I snort, shrugging my shoulders. "No face hits, careful for my arm- go crazy. I can take a hit." I say and Suna hums, nodding his head. "Same for you then, no face hits." Suna says and I nod, lifting my arms up as I find my footing. "Ready when you are then." I say, my body turned at an angle as I faced him with my arms protecting my torso. "Okay. You take the first move then." Suna says and I hum as he lifts his arms, prepared to block or attack. I looked over him- he was big and tall, though he wasn't as beefy as some others. He was still muscled, but he was more of a lightweight fighter- potentially light on his feet, swift with his jabs and defense.

That just meant I had to break his defense or footwork, I had to be faster and lighter- I had the advantage there, but I was at a disadvantage with my broken arm. I was fighting with one arm, since it was a play fight he wouldn't target my weakness. That didn't mean he was going to pull his punches, though- and I didn't know how hard he hit. I relax my body as I think about what to do, considering he was really flexible as well- I should be careful of that. I didn't know what kind of fighter he was or how experienced he was, but when he did fight he knocked people out. He had knocked out Yuki with one punch, he had knocked out the guy in the alley- but he also put him on the ground and had been stomping him. That meant he was more comfortable with his opponent down or out with one solid hit. When he defended me at the theater, he had his body turned to me- "You gonna come at me?" Suna snorts and I bunker my body down, knowing I had to go for his center. "Didn't I tell you I have to think first?" I ask, taking a step back and crouching down as I take a deep breath. His center… if I faked left, he'd go right and I could trip him. I just needed to keep my footing right and I'd have him on the ground.

I charge into his torso, making it so he can dodge to the right if he pleases- but he took me head on. I wrapped my arms around his chest and put my weight into it, hoping I could knock him down. Shit- he leaned down, planting his feet and wrapping his arm around my torso, locking me in. "Son of a- ugh! See, this is why I don't initiate, people gotta come at me for me to be able to take them on! My tiny ass can't do shit without the other advancing." I sigh, Suna laughing as we pull apart, though I scowl as I back up. "Yeah, you're a lightweight. Tell you what, I'll advance this time." Suna says and I strip off my shirt and jacket, tossing them to the side. I needed all the skin traction I could get, I was lucky I was wearing a sports bra. "That's unfair." Suna groans and I snort, lifting my arms back up. "I don't see how, you can take off your shirt as well." I say and he huffs, shirt and tossing it to the side. Ooh, all that delicious skin and muscle on display- okay, no, focus. His sweats were hanging low on his hips, showing off his faint 8 pack and V line- "You're staring, Sunshine. I hope you're not distracted." Suna chuckles and my face burns as I turn around, huffing as I adjust my girls so they don't move.

"Uh, you're not going to fight without your bra, are you?" Suna asks, sounding genuinely concerned as I shake my head. "No, I'm just making sure that my boobs don't get in the way. You'd be surprised how much it helps." I admit, lifting my breasts and pulling my bra down, letting them fall and settle. The move made it so my breasts were perked up and more supported in my bra, plus my bra was better set. "Mkay. Whenever you're ready." I say, turning back around and lifting my arms up, crouching down. "That's so not fair." Suna grumbles as he stares at my chest, though I roll my eyes. "You're staring, I hope you're not distracted." I tease, raising an eyebrow at him- he snorts, grinning at me as he lifts up his arms. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." He teases, though it was hot seeing all his muscles flex as he got ready to fight. "Just come at me already." I say, taking a deep breath as everything slows down. Suna nods before he ducks down and advances at me, arms up- I watch him carefully, taking careful measured steps back. He grins at me, though he swings his arm out- I hop back, easily dodging the hook. "I feel like you're holding back." I say, making him laugh as he grins at me.

"I'm not much of an advancer myself, when I do I end it with a hit to the head." He says and I hum softly, nodding. "I guess we're a bad matchup." I say, Suna humming as he keeps advancing at me. I keep taking steady steps back, waiting for him to pick up his pace. I feel something hit the ball of my foot as Suna grins- I hit the fence. He moves to pin me as I dive to the right, rolling away and hopping right back up onto my feet. I take advantage of our new position and jump onto his back, wrapping my legs tightly around his torso, putting him in a headlock before he can tuck his chin. "Shit, you got me." Suna laughs and I let go, hopping back as I smile at him. "Nice try with the fence, but it won't work twice now." I chime and he chuckles, both of us returning to the middle of the yard. "Okay, whoever wins the next one is the better fighter." Suna says and I hum, lifting up my arms. Suna starts advancing, throwing light jabs though I easily dodge them. I threw a kick at his side, making him grunt- my legs were my strongest feature. He grabs my leg and we both tumble onto the grass, grappling for control. Eventually I end up on top, my arm pressed against his throat as I straddle his torso.

We both pant for air, Suna's hands pinned between us with my fine arm holding them- my cast arm was to his throat. "Okay, okay… you got me, Sunshine." Suna groans and I smile, letting go of his hands as I slide my hand around his throat. "Damn right, I win." I giggle, feeling giddy with all the adrenaline still coursing through my body. Suna grins, a faint heat in his eyes as his hands slide down to my hips. "Damn right, you look so good while you do." Suna purrs throatily, stroking my hips as he leans up, capturing my lips in a gentle kiss. I return the kiss softly, though his hands guide my hips down to his erection. Yuki's words ring in my ears- was that all I was good for? Was that all that Suna loved me for? My chest hurt as I yank myself away, unable to hide the pain as I press my lips together. "I better get back." I croak as I grab my shirt and jacket, pulling them on before I head back into the house. I felt sick, I felt sad, it hurt that I couldn't get those words out of my head- we had been having fun, too. I had finally felt like myself, able to relax and have fun- I storm into the house, heading right into the baby room and slamming the door shut behind me before I plug in my earbuds and blast my Yuki playlist.

Arthur, Kuroo and Kozu all stare, shocked, wondering what happened while they hadn't been looking. They returned while they were in the middle of a play fight, relieved that she seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself. They had decided to leave the two to their antics, getting back to painting as they heard the two tumbling and laughing together. Suna walked into the house with his shirt over his shoulder, his gaze cast down as he ran his tongue over his teeth. "So… Arthur." Suna says, drawing their attention as Suna leans in the rear entryway, crossing his arms as he glares at the ground. "You could've mentioned that the problem had to do with sex." Suna grumbles- he was upset, with himself for upsetting her, with Arthur for not warning him, with Yuki for hurting her in the first place. "Uh… oh… fuck." Arthur groans, running a hand through his hair as he makes a sour face. "Shit, fuck." Arthur spits, glaring at the ground and pressing his lips together. "Sex?" Kuroo asks as he wondered what they were implying. "It was always a huge sore point for them… it's what's hurting her, I should've mentioned it." Arthur grumbles, Suna punching the doorway before walking back outside.

Suna didn't come back; I was grateful for space, but at the same time I didn't know what to think. Was he upset? Was he done helping with the mural? Was he done with me because I didn't give him any? I silently cried, staring numbly at the wall as I tried thinking of what to do; if he didn't come back, I was down one more day which meant I was even more behind then before. That meant I had to scrap everything outside the tree- and that killed me. I seriously debated on just waiting till after Aima gave birth to give her the house, but I had been so determined to give it to her for the baby shower. She had been stressing over finding a house for so long, she hadn't even started buying anything for a baby room because she was so busy looking for a house; I didn't want to give it to her with the painting unfinished- I'm sure the paint would mess with her and the baby, plus she'd be able to tell that something was wrong if I locked myself up in here alone. Then she'd get all cranky because I wouldn't tell her what happened, then she'd go hunting for answers and being an angry frustrated momma and friend, only stressing the baby. I curled into a ball, giving in and let the pain and frustration take over.

I scream in frustration, digging my nails into my arms as I wail in pain, wishing I could just punch something, that I could destroy something. I cry hysterically, just clawing at my arms as I curl tighter into my ball, fighting myself so I don't do something I regret. This room was for the baby- I couldn't get paint all over, I couldn't punch holes in the walls. I bury my fingers in my hair, pulling and clawing at my skull as I growl. Why- why were Yuki's words hurting me so much? So what if I was only loved for sex- I could just cut the sex out of the competition and then I could just go about it as normal. But if I did that then Aima would be concerned, the boys would be upset- fuck, did they really only care about sex when it came to me? Was that all I was good for? Why was it only sex, it seemed like when I was with them now, everything was about sex. But so what if it was, why did I care? If they only saw me for sex… but I didn't see them like that. Did I? Was I the same way? Why, why did I have to have sex- I couldn't exactly just ask them if they only cared about sex. For fucks sake- I was fucking worthless, absolutely useless. Yuki was right, there was nothing about me except when I opened my legs.