Sweet child of mine

I waited impatiently, looking up at the hammock that I had set up once again. Since Nen was coming, we decided to set it back in the hammock to be safe. I had already taken a shower and practice was over, everyone cleaning up. I put on my most appropriate clothes, putting on my spare bra just for the visit. I didn't want to risk Nen seeing me dressed inappropriately, as was natural for a mother. "Kimi-tan~!" Nen squealed as I glanced over at the entrance, seeing him standing by Asahi. "Nen! My sweet little bean!" I call and he starts dashing over to me, making my heart squeeze. I fall to my knees as he gets closer, opening my arms wide. "Kimi-tan! I missed you!" Nen says as he collides into my chest, knocking us both over onto the mat. "I missed you too, Nen! Ohhh my sweet little bean bun!" I say, hugging him tight and rolling us around on the mat, careful to not squish him as he squealed happily. "Hey, I'm here too." Kanori chuckles as I finally stop rolling around, smiling up at my cousin. "Hey, Kanori! It's good to see you, I missed you!" I say, sitting up and setting Nen snugly on my hip before I stand up, pulling Kanori into a hug, my arm holding Nen secure on my hip as he clings to me.

"I'm glad to see you're doing alright, how's it been?" Kanori says, hugging me tighter as I just smile at him. "It's been good, where's Kioshi?" I ask, glancing around as he just shrugs. "Looking for a place to park." He says as he pulls away from the hug. "He'll probably be in soon, Nen just couldn't wait so he dropped us off at the entrance." Kanori says and I nod. "I see, we'll need to have a talk soon, just us three." I say, Kanori slowly nods, seeming to understand that it was going to be a sensitive topic. "Here, hold Nen for a moment? I want to mount the hammock so he can try it with me." I say, Kanori nodding as he scoops Nen from my arms. "But Kimi-tan!" Nen whines and I just stroke his cheek with my thumb gently. "I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart! I just want to show you something really cool! Don't you want to watch?" I ask, and he seems interested. "Something cool? I want to see! Show me, Kimi-tan, show me!" Nen says, and I smile. "Watch this Nen!" I say before I walk to the ribbon, grabbing onto it tight and swinging myself onto it. I get settled in a sitting position as Nen claps, squealing happily. "That's so cool!" Nen says excitedly, Kanori also clapping.

"Come here Nen!" I say, reaching my arms out as Kanori hands me Nen, and I carefully take him, setting him on my hip. "Wow! This is the thing you danced on, Kimi-tan?" Nen says, looking over the ribbon with fascination. "Yup! These are my wings!" I say proudly, and he oohs and aahs as he gently touches them. "They're so pretty! But I'm scared to fall!" Nen says anxiously, making me laugh. "It's okay sweetheart, I was scared too at first. But this kind of ribbon is called a hammock, you've heard of a hammock, right?" I say, and Nen slowly nods. "yeah, but I don't see it, it's more like a swing right?" Nen asks as I smile at him. "Hold on tight, and I'll show you, okay?" I say and he nods, clinging onto me as I slowly, carefully slide the ribbon out, keeping my knees and head hanging on the outside, laying down on it. "See! Hammock! It's my cocoon!" I say, and he gasps in amazement. "Like where caterpillars turn into butterflies?" Nen says, and I nod my head. "Yup! Except butterflies gotta be careful for predators!" I say, and Nen looks at me weird. "Predators? Like what?" Nen says, and I cross my arms and pretend to think, cupping my chin. I grin at him, lifting my arms and spreading them wide.

"Like eagles! With their long wings, they swoop in to grab the cocoon so they can eat it!" I say, beginning to tickle Nen, making him squeal at the top of his lungs. "Nom nom nom nom, delicious butterfly!" I say teasingly, pretending to eat his shoulder as he lets out his bubbling laughter that makes my heart feel full. I relax, wrapping my arms around his waist and smiling. "Yum! I'm full now." I say, and Nen takes a minute to stop giggling. "Hey, Kimi-tan… Are you my mommy?" Nen says, suddenly seeming so adult like as I feel my heart stutter. "What makes you ask that, honey?" I ask softly, looking into his eyes as he stares right back. "Well, that guy from before, he asked me who my mommy was! I told him that I didn't know, but that my dad and brother always told me she was closer than I thought. And then he looked at you, and he pointed at you, and he said 'maybe that's your mommy!'. I always thought what dad and brother said was weird, how could my mommy be closer than I think if I never saw her, you know! But then that guy said that, and I was like- 'woah! Kimi-tan has always been there with me, dad and brother!" Nen says, and I feel my stomach begin to curl.

"I want you to be my mommy! I don't know if you are, but you're always so nice to me Kimi-tan, and you always take care of me, and you give the best hugs! I mean, only if you want me to be your baby." Nen says, his eyes dropping as my heart aches. "Oh my sweet bean bun, you will always, always be my precious baby. There has never been a moment that I haven't wanted to scoop you in my arms and hold you till the end of time. But it's not safe, I… I can't keep you safe yet, and I want to make sure I can keep you safe before I can really be your mommy. It's my duty as mom to keep you, my baby, safe. And right now, you're safe with dad and cousin, right?" I ask, and Nen slowly nods. "So you're looking for a daddy before I can be your baby, right!" Nen says, making me choke as I feel my cheeks burn. "W-what makes you say that?" I ask, and Nen just smiles. "Silly! It's a dad's job to make sure the family is safe, and to keep mommy happy! And it's mom's job to keep daddy happy and watch over the babies! But you're too busy keeping me safe to watch over me! That's okay, I can wait for you to be my mommy until you find us a daddy!" Nen says, making my heart squeeze.

"But find a really cool daddy, okay! I want him to be awesome, and I want him to treat me great like you do, oh! And I want a little brother or sister!" Nen says excitedly, making me laugh as tears gather in my eyes. "Hold on cowboy! Let's start with finding a daddy first, and making sure he actually wants to work with mommy. I'll find someone really cool who'll treat you great like I do." I say, and Nen just flashes me a big smile. "Okay! Don't take too long though, or else I'll be all grown up!" Nen says, making me smile. "I'll do my best!" I say, and he lifts his little pinky to me. "Promise?" He asks, and I cup his pinky with my own. "Pinky promise." I say, and he smiles widely at me. "Yay! Oh I can't wait! Make sure to let me meet daddy before you give me a baby brother or sister okay?" Nen says, just as Kanori peeks in through the head of the hammock. "I hear pinky promises? What are we talking about? I want in! Are we gonna get cookies and promise to share them?" Kanori asks, making Nen giggle. "We're promising to find me a good daddy so Kimiko can be my mommy!" Nen laughs, though I just smile at them both, nodding my head since I didn't trust my voice.

"Is that Nen? I heard Nen in there! I need to see him, fork him over, you cocoon!" Aima yells, beginning to tickle the hammock and making Nen squeal. "Oh no! It's the eagle!" Nen laughs, and I keep us steady. "Hurry, get to Kanori! He'll set you down, be careful!" I say, Aima easing up as I carefully work with Kanori to get Nen out of the hammock. "It is you! Come here, auntie Aima missed you!" Aima says as I hop out of the hammock myself, Kanori handing Nen to Aima to hug. "Hi Aima-tan! It's been a really really long time!" Nen says as Aima scoops him up, hugging him tight. "I know, I was starting to think I'd never see you again Nen!" Aima says, setting him down as Nen giggles. "I missed you, Aima-tan!" Nen says, just as Shoyo walks up. "Is that him? Is that Nen-kun?" Shoyo asks me, and I flash him a big smile and nod. "Hey Nen, meet my friend Hinata-kun! I told him all about you!" I say, Nen looking over at him. "Hi I'm Nen! I like your hair!" Nen says, smiling up at Shoyo and offering him a hand to shake. Shoyo smiles at him, kneeling down and shaking his hand firmly. "Thank you! It's nice to meet you, Nen-kun! Do you like volleyball?" Shoyo asks, Nen nodding enthusiastically.

"Kimi-tan plays it with Kyo-Kun! It looks fun!" Nen says, making me smile. "Do you want me to show you some cool moves?" Shoyo says and Nen looks between Kanori and I."Oh! Can I? Please?" Nen asks, and I hum softly. "As long as Hina-kun is careful and Aima watches you." I say and Nen turns to Aima and gives her his baby doll eyes. "Please auntie Aima, come watch?" Nen says sweetly, making me giggle as Aima groans. "I guess I can clear my schedule. Come on, let's go!" Aima says, scooping Nen up as she and Shoyo lead Nen over to the court to play. Kanori and I tag along, falling back a bit and settling outside the court. "So, a daddy huh?" Kanori says, crossing his arms as I sigh. "Yupp, cause daddies keep the family safe and happy, mommies keep daddy happy and watch the babies, and I'm too busy keeping him safe and finding a daddy to be mommy. He said it, not me, though Aima suggested it last night too." I say, and Kanori slowly nods. "It's not a bad idea, I mean if you find someone who can keep you safe and support you, you can raise Nen yourself without worrying too much." Kanori says, and I slowly nod my head, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"Do you have someone in mind?" Kanori asks, making me pause as I look over at him confused. He grins lightly, pointing to his neck and raising an eyebrow. I gasp as I realize I had forgotten about the hickey's on my neck. "No! I mean, I'm opening up to the idea, but there's not really anyone in particular, and this… well…" I say, my cheeks burning as I drop my eyes to the ground. "That would be on me, I forced them on her to get her number." Kuroo says, making me jump as Kanori looks back at him. "Did it work?" Kanori laughs, and Kuroo grins at him. "Took two to get it. She didn't think I would." Kuroo says, walking up to the other side of me and looking at Nen as he tosses the ball to Shoyo. "So that's the little guy, huh? He's cuter in person." Kuroo says softly, making me smile. "Are you kidding me? He's cute all the time." I scoff, making Kuroo chuckle. "Yeah he is, that kid is too cute for his own good." Kioshi says as he walks up, patting my shoulder. "Hey kiddo, I missed you. How'd it go?" He asks, and I smile widely up at him. "It went fine, he wants me to find a daddy to keep us safe and happy so I can be his mommy and give him a sibling." I laugh softly, Kioshi humming softly.

"Well that's kind of anticlimactic, I mean, other than the sibling part." Kioshi says, his eyes watching over Nen as Shoyo and him celebrate a nice toss. "You guys set him up for this kind of thing, in fact, I think it went perfect for all of us. He's ready to wait, he knows it's not safe... I have something to tell you. I figured it'd be better to say it face to face rather than on the phone." I say, my voice falling to a whisper. "He's back, isn't he." Kioshi says simply, and I slowly nod my head. "He called last night, it was… an eye opener. There's a big possibility that he knows I'm in Japan, and with what he was saying, he plans to try and pursue me." I say, Kioshi sighing softly and running a hand over his face. "Are you going to tell your mom?" He asks and I look at the ground, feeling guilty. "She's so busy with Akira and work, I don't want to put that burden on her shoulders." I say, Kioshi slowly nodding. "Are you going to run?" He asks, and I just shake my head. "No. Not this time, I think standing my ground and showing him that he's not going to take me that easy is the best thing to do. It's what's going to be best for everyone, I just didn't realize." I say, and Kioshi pulls me into his side.

"I'm happy for you, kiddo. I'm sure your dad would be proud of you for deciding to hold your ground. It's not going to be easy, I hope you're ready." Kioshi says, making my heart squeeze. "I didn't sign up for easy when I decided to keep Nen. It's going to be messy, and that's unavoidable, but I don't regret anything. The only thing I regret is the possibility that Nen gets caught in the crossfire or gets in harm's way… but I have really good friends, new and old, all backing me up. With them by my side, well, I think I can do this. I can and will give Nen the life he deserves, with a loving mother, and no fear of his biological father." I say, pumping my fist in the air as I feel determined. "Atta girl, you got this, I can tell." Kioshi chuckles, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me tight. "So! A daddy huh? Got anyone in mind?" Kioshi says, making my cheeks burn. "Oh come on Uncle Kioshi, not you too!" I sigh, making him laugh. "You're the one that has hickeys on your neck." Kioshi says, and I turn and glare at Kuroo. "You see what you did, Kuroo-Senpai?" I say, and he just grins down at me. "Hey, you didn't believe me when I warned you." Kuroo says, making Kioshi snort.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Kioshi Suzuki, Kimiko's paternal uncle." Kioshi says, pulling away from me and offering a hand to Kuroo. "Tetsuro Kuroo. The pleasure is all mine." Kuroo says, sharing a firm handshake as my uncle sizes him up. "You seem like a decent guy, but if you want her hand, you're going to have to ask me first. On behalf of my brother, I'll turn you down." Kioshi says, and I actually feel kind of happy that he'll refuse Kuroo. "As any father would refuse simply handing over his daughter, I'd be honored to be refused once. But, I have high hopes that as an uncle you'll give it some thought." Kuroo says and I just gape up at him, Kioshi just laughing. "I like you already, kid." Kioshi says, patting Kuroo firmly on the back. "Kimi-tan, watch this!" Nen calls and I nod, offering him a big smile as Shoyo sets him a ball. Nen jumps up, smacking the ball as he cheers. "Oh my gosh, my little bean! Look at you go, next thing you know you'll be spiking through blocks!" I say, dashing over and scooping him up into the air. "They'll call you the ace, the one that scores the most! I'll be your biggest fan!" I say, Nen squealing as I gently throw him in the air, catching him as he giggles loudly.

"Go, go, little bean! Go go, little bean!" I cheer, setting Nen down as he starts running and jumping around, pretending to hit imaginary balls. "Come on Nen, hit it! I know you can!" I say, grabbing a ball and tossing it in the air. Nen runs over, jumping up and smacking the ball. "Oh my gosh! That was so cool! Come on, do it again! Jump higher this time, so it's even cooler!" I cheer, grabbing the ball and tossing it again. He runs over again, jumping even higher and smacking the ball further. "Whoa! Oh my gosh, did you see that guys! That was so cool!" I gush, Kanori and Kioshi clapping enthusiastically. "Way to go, Nen! Look at you, you're doing so well!" Aima squeals, clapping her hands enthusiastically. Nen beams with pride, posing as I just laugh. "Hurry, Uncle Kioshi, take pictures of our star, before he becomes famous!" I say, Kioshi pulling his phone out as I scoop Nen in my arms, both of us posing as Kioshi begins snapping pictures. I lift up an imaginary microphone and put it to my mouth, clearing my throat. "Excuse me, Nen, if I could have a moment of your time, can you please tell me how you got so good at volleyball?" I say seriously as I smile and hand the microphone to him.

"Um, I tried really hard, and I practiced a lot! I also had the support of my family and friends, and they're totally awesome for being there for me!" Nen says, beginning to giggle as he hands the microphone back to me. I turn back to Kioshi with a serious face. "You heard it from the man himself, now please, give it up for Nen the Little Bean!" I say, setting Nen back down and cheering for him. He laughs happily, bowing as everyone joins in cheering him on. "Come on Kimi-tan, you play too!" Nen says, tugging my hand gently. "Me? Play with Nen the Little Bean? Why, I'd be honored! Please take care of me!" I say, making him laugh as we began to play with Shoyo. Okay, Kuroo was totally starstruck. Kimiko was an excellent mother, she was a natural. She subtly encouraged Nen to do better, gave him full support, but also somehow managed to make him humble. I mean, just seeing her being so tender and loving to Nen really made him see the side of her he never saw. Sure, she was fun to tease and really cute when she was annoyed with him, but seeing her with Nen really opened him up to her softer side, he wanted to see more of the sweet Kimiko, because it was beautiful.

"Oh, Nen-kun's playing volleyball with Hinata?" Kozu asks, having suddenly appeared next to Kanori. "Oh hey Kozume-kun. Yeah, they really have him going." Kanori chuckles, Kozu humming as he steps forward. "Hey, Nen-kun, do you want me to set for you?" Kozu says, catching the boy's attention. "Kozu-kun, you're here too? Woww, yeah! Please set for me, Kozu-kun!" Nen says, though he glances behind him, seeing Kuroo. "Hey, do you want to play too?" Nen asks, Kuroo pointing to himself. "Yeah! You can be a blocker!" Nen says, smiling at Kuroo as he walks over, seeming unsure. I understood how he felt, it was difficult to play with a small kid, and everyone currently playing was at least double his size. "I'm so tired from all the exercises earlier! I'm gonna keep sitting down, Kuroo-Senpai, take my position! I'll act as an opposing spiker, and you can teach Nen to properly block!" I say, Kuroo seems to catch on as I sit down across from Nen. "Aima! Be my setter, and Shoyo, be my blocker!" I say, and they nod, taking my side of the court. "There! Now we're going to practice 3vs.3! You ready, Nen?" I ask, and he nods enthusiastically.

Everyone gets in position and ready, and Nen serves the ball to me. "Hai! I got it! Nice serve, Nen!" I say, letting the ball fall into my hands and bouncing it up so Aima can serve it back to me. "Give it to me!" I call, Aima smiling as she gently serves the ball back to me. "Here I go!" I say, hitting the ball softly and a little high, enough to go over his head. Nen raises his hands over his head, the ball bouncing off as I groan. "Nice kill, Nen-kun! High five!" Kuroo says, reaching a hand out, Nen smiling as he jumps up and claps it. "Thank you!" Nen giggles, getting back into position. "It won't be so easy next time, Nen! I hope you're ready!" I declare as he just laughs. "I'm ready! Come on!" Nen says, serving the ball to Shoyo this time. "Nice serve! You're really good at this!" I say, Shoyo bouncing the ball to Aima. "Give it to me! Let me at 'em!" I say, Aima serving the ball to me again. I hit it a tiny bit harder this time, aiming a bit higher. Nen reaches up again, realizing he was just a tad too short. He hopped, the ball smacking into his forehead and bouncing off. "Ouch! My bad Nen, are you okay?" I ask, making sure I didn't sound panicked or too concerned. "I'm fine!" Nen says, rubbing his forehead.

"Since we're in a game and you hit your head, I need to make sure you're okay to continue. Come here, it'll be real quick so we can keep playing!" I say and he dashes over, and I lift his hair, double checking to make sure he is alright. "How many fingers am I holding up?" I ask, lifting 3 fingers. "Three!" Nen says firmly. "What is today?" I ask. "Friday!" Nen says. "Where are you?" I ask. "I am at Kimi-tan's training camp!" Nen says. "Last question, what is your name?" I ask. "I am Nen Suzuki!" Nen says, and I clap my hands. "You're good to go, mister! Now come on, let's get to it! Let's practice your receives next, I hope you're ready and remember to keep your arms in the right position!" I say, Nen nodding as I pick up the ball. He lifts his arms and I wait for him as he makes sure they're in the right position before I send him a soft serve. He receives it perfectly, using his arms to serve it up to Kozu who sets him the ball. I was glad he was able to receive it and get it up to Kozu, but I didn't know how to bring up that he should use his hips and not his arms to bounce it up. Nen hits the ball and Shoyo and I both dive for it, pretending to fall short.

"Shoot! He scored a point, we gotta get that back now!" I sigh, Shoyo groaning as he gets up and tosses me the ball to serve. "Time out! Nen-kun, come here, let me tell you a secret!" Kuroo says, making a T before he crouches down, Nen shuffling over to him. "You guys close your eyes and cover your ears! No peeking, okay!" Kuroo says, and we all do as he says, though he does start whispering to Nen. "Ohh! I see!" Nen says, and Kuroo whispers to him again. "Okay! I think I got it! Let's keep playing now, I want to try it!" Nen says, making me smile. "Okay, you guys can listen and open your eyes now. Let's continue!" Kuroo says, everyone taking their positions. "Okay! Come on guys, let's get that point back!" I say, giving Nen another soft serve again. He receives it perfectly, this time using his hips to bounce it up to Kozu. "Whoa! Did you guys see that? Who taught him that, that's so cool!" I gasp, covering my mouth as Nen smiles up at Kuroo, Kuroo grinning back down at him. "Okay! I'll set it for you this time, Kuro." Kozu says, setting the ball to Kuroo. Kuroo jumps up, hitting the ball hard into our court. "Whoa! That's so cool, Kuroo-san!" Nen says, completely flabbergasted.

"Yupp! You keep up with your practice, and I'll give you lots of tips and tricks so you can get cooler than me!" Kuroo says proudly, Nen cheering excitedly as he begins zooming around the court. I smile up at Kuroo as he looks down at me, mouthing 'thank you' as he just grins at me. "Hey mister! We're in the middle of a game here! Why are you dashing around like you already won!" I call, Nen dashing back to his position. "Sorry guys! Come on, I need to keep practicing so Kuroo-san will teach me cool tricks!" Nen says excitedly, all of us continuing to practice. As soon as I notice Nen starting to get tired, I fall back and groan. "I can't anymore, you wore me out! You won this round, I give up!" I say, covering my face as I fake being out of breath. "Guys! We did it, we won!" Nen says excitedly as I slowly and reluctantly sit back up. "Don't forget to thank everyone for playing with you!" I say, and Nen gasps, beginning to bow to everyone. "Thank you for the game! I had lots of fun with you all!" Nen says, smiling at everyone before he dashes over to me, hugging me tight. "Thank you for inviting me, Kimi-tan!" He says and I laugh, gently patting his back.

"Come on, let's start cleaning up! Get the ball so we can put it back, okay?" I say and he nods, dashing to get the ball before we walk over to put it up. "How did I do?" Nen asks, and I smile at him. "You did so well Little Bean! You're a fast learner, and you made sure to do all the important stuff like keeping your arms together and making sure you receive the ball properly so the setter can use it! I'm really proud of you!" I say, making sure to praise him on the key points so they stick with him. He puts the ball into the thing before he lets out a big yawn, making me smile. "Come on, let's get you back to Kanori and Kioshi so you can go home and sleep." I say, scooping him into my arms. "I thought you said I tired you out!" Nen whines, making me giggle. "You did, but I'm never too tired to carry my precious baby." I say, and he lays his head on my shoulder. "It was so fun to play with everyone, and Kuroo-san was so cool! It'd be fun to play with them a lot more." Nen yawns, and I can't help but smile. "Yeah, it was. I don't know about the others, but I'd love to play with you more!" I say, and he hums in agreement, and I can tell he's dozing off.

"Okay sweetheart, I think it's time for you to go home. I love you, okay? I'll see you next time, little bean." I say, and he hums softly. "I love you too, Kimi-tan…" he whispers, and I start singing his song softly. Just like that he's out like a light, dead weight in my arms. I can't help but smile as I carry him over to Kanori and Kioshi, singing the whole time. They both smile at us before I follow them out to the car, buckling Nen in and giving him a kiss on the forehead before seeing them off. I wait till the cars out of sight before heading back in, stretching my arms over my head. It felt wonderful seeing Nen, being able to tell him I was his mother, knowing he was waiting for me when I was ready. It felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders, and like I could fly to the end of time. "Hey Suzuki-chan, can I talk to you for a moment?" Kuroo calls, catching my attention as I glanced around, seeing that Aima was taking down the hammock and Shoyo and Kozu were taking down the net. Kuroo had just put the mat up, which was why he was over by the wall as I entered. "Sure, what's up?" I ask, though he beckons me to follow him into a hall nearby, out of sight and earshot with the others.

"I wanted to confess, I overstepped my boundaries with you yesterday, and I'm sincerely sorry for that. You see, that thing we did in private… it's a very intimate thing to do, one that you're not supposed to do with just anyone. I tricked you into it, and it wasn't right of me to do that. I've felt really bad about it ever since, and I understand if you choose to hate me for it." Kuroo says, bowing deeply at the waist as I take a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie, as soon as you said you'd take me somewhere private to let you borrow my mouth for guilty pleasure, to not tell anyone and act like it didn't happen, I assumed that it was along the lines of that. I didn't understand what I was getting into, at the moment it wasn't terrible- I actually kind of had my own fun with it. I understand now that you feel like you wronged me, and I'm partially to blame for agreeing without full knowledge of what I agreed to. You also said you wouldn't do anything more, and you stayed true to your word on that. While I don't like the idea of being taken advantage of, I'm grateful you stepped up to apologize properly and take responsibility for it." I say slowly, reaching up and itching my neck as he nods his head slowly.

"At the same time, in my defense, I don't think it'd be right for me to just forgive you outright without knowing what exactly you're apologizing for." I say, and Kuroo slowly stands up straight, his cheeks pink. "I had you suck my dick." Kuroo states simply, and I stare at him, confused. He points to my lips, then his crotch, and I open my lips in an 'o'. I feel my cheeks burn as I realized, my eyes wide as I clear my throat. "Oh, okay then, um… I see. I mean… I-It wasn't all that bad- I mean, being clueless on what I was doing, it was not okay- b-but I won't hate you this time for it. Just… don't lie to me again, okay? Just be up front from now on and I'll forgive you." I squeak, dropping my gaze as I feel my face burning. "Okay, I will. Thank you, Suzuki-chan." Kuroo says, pulling me in for a hug as I just awkwardly hug him back. "Um, by the way, why do you call me Suzuki-chan now?" I ask as he just keeps holding me. "Well, it doesn't feel right calling you… that, knowing that it could scare you or hurt you." Kuroo says softly, and I hum. "It's okay if it's you. I mean, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me that, but if anyone were to I'd want it to be you." I admit, hearing him chuckle.

"I'm glad to hear it." He says softly, finally pulling away and offering me a genuine smile. "You can call me whatever you like. Kimiko, Suzuki-chan, Butterfly- I don't mind." I say, and he slowly nods. "Okay, I'll think of something and let you know." Kuroo says, and I smile up at him. "Are we done talking now?" I ask and he nods before we head back with the others. "Thank you for playing with Nen, guys. He really had a lot of fun, it made his day." I say softly as we head back together, Aima cooing. "I enjoyed it a lot too! He was so cute!" Aima gushes, making me giggle. "I know right! My little volleyball boy!" I say, making her squeal. "That had such a nice ring to it!" Aima laughs, beginning to skip around. "I'd love to play with him again, if I get the chance!" Shoyo says, making me smile wider. "Oh, he'd absolutely love that Hina-kun! He was already talking about wanting to play with everyone again!" I laugh, Shoyo begins to hop around. "He's so cute too! He was like, wam! And then he went bam! And it went woosh!" Shoyo says, beginning to play charades as I just laughed at his antics. "Oh, Kozu-kun, can I get lev's number?" I ask, Kozu and Kuroo both stopping.

"What? Why?" They ask at the same time, making Aima giggle. "Because this girl wants to climb him like a tree." I say, pointing at Aima as she gasps. "Why'd you have to put it like that?" Aima says, slapping my back and making me gasp. "That's what you said last night before we went to bed! At least I asked, I could have left you hanging." I grumble, rubbing my back where she hit it. "What does that mean, 'climb him like a tree?'" Shoyo asks as I purse my lips. "Yeah, Aima, what does that mean?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at her as she just clears her throat. "You see, it means I want to climb onto their body-" Aima says, and I slap my hands over Shoyo's ears. "And ride their dick like there's no tomorrow!" Aima finishes, Shoyo looking at me confused as I pull my hands away. "What was that about?" Shoyo says, and I smile at him. "Oh nothing, I just felt like it. Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, right?" I ask, and he slowly nods. "Alright, Aima and I are going to split off here! See you guys tomorrow, make sure to get plenty of rest!" I chirp, pulling Aima away. "Wait! They didn't give me his number, I need his number! Please!" Aima begs as I laugh, pulling her back to the room.

I danced on the ribbon, feeling free as everyone watched me flying in the air, Kozu recording it so I could send it to Akira later. It felt so wonderful hanging on the ribbon, no hammock below, just me flying with no fear. I was free from my cage, flying in the open sky, dancing to the music. "Hey Kimiko, come down! You're getting a call!" Aima calls as I sigh, working my way down the ribbon as everyone claps for me. I walk over to Aima who looks concerned, holding my phone to her ear, holding it so the microphone doesn't pick up. "Promise you won't freak out." Aima says as she glances over at the boys, though I feel a cold shiver bolt through me. "What, why? Who is it?" I ask, and she takes a deep breath. "Kimiko, I need you to promise you won't freak out." Aima says and I slowly nod, holding out my hand. "It's the hospital." Aima whispers as she hands me the phone, and I almost drop the phone. Why would the hospital call me? Was something wrong with Akira? Why wasn't mom calling instead of the hospital? Was it something that happened to my mom? "Hey! Calm down right now, and put the phone to your ear." Aima says firmly, and I tremble as I put the phone to my ear.

"H-Hello, this is Kimiko Suzuki." I say, my voice shaky as Aima takes my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Hello, this is XXX hospital calling on the behalf of Sayuri Suzuki, she has you listed as an emergency contact." The person says, and my legs collapse under me, Aima dropping down beside me. "Is she alright? What happened?" I ask, all the thoughts flying through my head- was there an accident? Did he find her? Why was she in the hospital as a patient? "Sayuri Suzuki is in a stable condition and is currently resting. There was a minor accident at her place of work." The person says and I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Okay, um, thank you for letting me know. I'll come in as soon as possible." I say, the person confirming before giving me the information for her room and hanging up. "So?" Aima asks as I cover my face. "My mom got in a small accident at work, she's at the hospital. I-I've gotta go see her now." I say, stumbling to my feet though Aima grabs me. "Okay, first off, calm down. She's fine, right? Take a deep breath, you aren't going anywhere that fast. You get yourself together, we'll get all the stuff together, put it up and we'll find a way." Aima says and I slowly nod.

I shake too much to pull the ribbon down so Aima sends me back to the room to change and get all my things together. She was right, I needed to calm down, get all my stuff together and be patient. My mom should be fine, they said she was stable and resting. Just in case, I pulled out my phone and texted Kyo. [3] I took a deep breath, running my hand over my face as I continued packing my things. After a while my phone binged again and I dived to check it. I almost cried in relief knowing my mother was fine, I would make sure to pay him back as soon as I could. "Hey, Ryu's sister agreed to give you a ride to the hospital. Come on, let's get going." Aima says as she steps in the room, tossing a few things in her bag before we head to the parking lot. I nibble on my thumb but Aima smacks my hand out of my mouth, shaking her head. "Quit that, it's fine. She's fine, I just know it." Aima says and I drop my hands to my sides, nodding my head. "Yeah… Kyo-Kun is with her right now, he'd call me if something happens." I mumble, wiping my palms on my pants as we get to the doors, everyone waiting for us. "I'll take the things to the car." Aima says, grabbing my bag from my shoulder.

I stop before the boys, fidgeting with my fingers as I look around. "Um, my mom… she's in the hospital, I'm going to be going ahead, so… I'll see you guys when you're back in town. Kozu-kun, Kuroo-Senpai, thank you for your time and I hope to see you around." I say, before going around and giving everyone a tight hug. "It will all be just fine, Suzuki-chan, keep us updated and I'll let you know when we get back in town. If anything at all happens or if you need help, just let us know okay? We'll be there for you in a heartbeat." Daichi says as he pulls me in for a tight hug, making me smile. "I will. Aima said she should be making a group chat for the competition soon, so I'll send updates there." I say and he nods before pulling away and patting my shoulder. "Everything will be just fine." Daichi says softly, making me smile before I move on to Kozu to say goodbye. He pulls me in for a tight hug, his nose burying in my neck as he takes a deep breath. I hug him back, surprised as he had never really been this open about touching so much, let alone initiating it. I gladly accepted the comfort he offers, squeezing him back just as tight and burying my face in his neck.

I took a deep breath, smelling his scent- it was fresh and manly, and it made me feel kind of tingly. "I'll miss you." He whispers ever so softly into my neck, making me smile as I nod my head. "Me too, but I have a feeling we're going to be seeing each other soon." I whisper back and he pulls away, giving me a small smile. "Text me, okay. If you need me, I'll be there." He says and I nod before moving to Kuroo. "Do I really have to hug you?" I ask and he just laughs, pulling me into his hot chest. "There. Now you didn't hug me, I hugged you." Kuroo says, making me giggle softly as I lightly hug him. "Ew, now I'll have to take 12 showers." I say, burying my nose into his chest and taking a slow breath. Strangely I don't feel annoyed with him like I usually would and I can't help but notice that he actually smelled good too. It was kind of fruity, but at the same time it was manly? What the heck was that smell? "What the heck, you smell really good. Do all annoying people smell good?" I ask playfully as I pull away from him, wiggling my nose as he just laughs. "Old spice, man's best smell good friend." Kuroo says, grinning down at me. "I like it." I admit just as Aima comes back in.

"Okay, let's get going girl. I'll be back tonight guys, see you!" Aima says as she takes my hand, leading me to the car. "Have a safe trip! I'll see you!" I say, waving bye to everyone. Kimiko waves bye before she disappears with Aima around the corner, though Shoyo walks over to Kuroo and sniffs his chest. "Wow! You do smell good!" Shoyo says, sniffing himself and gagging. "I feel bad for Kimiko now." Tsuki snorts, though Kozu looks up at Kuroo. "What did you use?" Kozu asks and Kuroo lifts his arm. "That old spice deodorant you got me, Fiji." Kuroo says, though now he would make sure to use it when Kimiko was around. Kozu hummed before trudging back to the room, his hands in his pockets. "I need to go edit that video. See you." Kozu says, Kuroo moving to follow him. "Hey, wait. We need to sniff you." Ryu says, grabbing Kuroo as he began to furiously smell him. "Wow, it does smell good! You said it was old spice? I need some!" Ryu says, everyone joining up to give Kuroo a sniff before Shoyo sniffs his chest. "Wah! His chest smells sweet, like vanilla?" Shoyo asks, sniffing more though Kuroo realizes it was probably Kimiko's scent.

Kuroo lifted the part of his shirt Kimiko had been pressed against, sniffing it- Shoyo was right, it was sweet like vanilla, though there was a trace of something else there. "Daichi, come here, let me smell you." Kuroo says, Daichi raising an eyebrow as he reluctantly stepped over. Kuroo took his shirt where Kimiko had been held, lifting it to his nose. Daichi's smell was more plain and simple, making it easier to smell Kimiko on him. Sweet like vanilla, with a hint of something fruity, like a berry. "Strawberry. She has a faint smell of strawberries." Kuroo says once he realizes, everyone suddenly lifts their shirts and takes a sniff. "Oh my gosh, is that what she smells like?" Yu asks, taking a bigger sniff. "She does smell faintly of strawberries." Tsuki says, seeming pleasantly surprised as he subtly sniffs his shirt. "What? I can't smell her on my shirt! Hey, let me smell yours, Kageyama!" Shoyo says, beginning to fight Kageyama over his shirt. Misaki comes around the corner, pausing and looking over the boys as they all sniffed their shirts. "What? Do you guys stink?" She asks, raising an eyebrow as the boys all jump. "Oh! No, it's just…" Daichi says, falling silent as he drops his own shirt.