Crows were interesting creatures, Akaashi thought. The Owls often complained about them.
"Disrupt late morning early night hunts," Feathers-Dark-As-Night often complained, "scare chick children kids steal food need live." Feathers-Dark-As-Night never strung her words into proper sentences. Akaashi found it very irritating, but Bokuto loved the bird, spending much of his time listening to her rant about Crows. Actually, speaking of Bokuto… 'Speak of the Devil and he shall appear' was a Human saying, and Akaashi had never found it more relevant - Bokuto dropped onto the tree branch next to him.
"Hey Hey Hey!" He exclaimed, hopping, and the branch shook beneath them. "Kuroo - you remember Kuroo, right?" Akaashi sighed.
"Yes, Bokuto, I remember Kuroo-san." Pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san was one of Bokuto's close friends - one of the only one who wasn't an Owl Nymph. Kuroo was a Cat Nymph, one of a group that called themselves 'Nekoma'. Nekoma is a group of Cat Nymphs that don't hunt Bird Nymphs. Akaashi found it all very odd. Cat Nymphs loved to tease and bully Bird Nymphs, but Kuroo had retained the teasing while completely disregarding anything that could be considered bullying.
"Well Kuroo met another clan of Bird Nymphs today - the Nekoma head knew the head of that clan apparently or something like that - and he's bringing one of them over for lunch!" Bokuto sounded excited, which was normal, but also nervous, which wasn't. Akaashi frowned.
"What's wrong, Bokuto?"
"The new clan? They call themselves Karasuno. They're Crow Nymphs. Owls hate crows!" Bokuto seemed so down. It wasn't like him to worry about meeting new people. "Kuroo really likes this Crow - Tsukishima, I think he called him - and I don't want to upset him and lose Kuroo and Akaashi!" Akaashi smiled softly.
"Is that all? Bokuto, you're nice to everyone. You wouldn't loose Kuroo over a friendship anyway." Akaashi reassured, "Now let's go meet that Crow."
—
The Crow Nymph's name was Tsukishima, but Kuroo called him Tsuki. Akaashi thought it very fitting - Tsukishima did seem much like the moon - a calm, cool, collected teen with gold-brown eyes and blonde hair. He didn't talk much, but any comments he made were mostly scathing or sarcastic, oftentimes very blunt. Akaashi loved it. The Crow Nymph shut Kuroo down at any opportunity, and seemed to enjoy Akaashi's company - well, at least he was more courteous towards Akaashi than he was to Kuroo and Bokuto. The lunch they had was geared towards carnivorous animals, as Crows, Owls, and Cats all eat meat - in fact, the only omnivorous Nymph there was Tsuki, and he didn't seem to mind that meat was the only thing on the table.
—
Bokuto sat with Akaashi in their room of Fukurodani's treehouse. The head of the Fukurodani clan had given up on trying to keep them in separate rooms after Bokuto snuck into Akaashi's room for the 10th time (which admittedly had been the 10th day after they became friends). They were currently seated against the wall on Bokuto's bed - well, Bokuto was half sprawled across Akaashi, but he didn't mind.
"Keiji?" Bokuto said cautiously. He only ever called Akaashi by his first name when they were in their room. Akaashi did the same.
"Yes, Koutarou?"
"I think I like Kuroo." Akaashi froze. He had an unspoken something with Bokuto, and both knew it, but that it could be disrupted by this wasn't what worried him. The fact that he might like Kuroo as well was what did.
"I think I do too, Kou," Akaashi whispered, "I think I do too."
—
Both attempted to ignore that conversation for the next few days, and everything fell back to how it had always been. Until Kuroo - the asshole of a Cat Nymph - came over to visit again. He brought his cat, Kageru, with him. Akaashi watched as Bokuto and Kuroo laughed, talking about some absurd thing Bokuto had heard Wings-Quieter-Than-Wind say to Eyes-Like-Sky, and he realized that they couldn't just 'forget' about that conversation from a few days ago. They loved Kuroo, but they also loved each other, and they needed to sort this out.
—
"Koutarou?" Akaashi asked, late one night as they lay in bed.
"Yes?" Bokuto replied, voice heavy with sleep.
"We need to talk about this Kuroo thing," Akaashi said, staring at the roof as if he could burn a hole through it to the stars above.
"I know, Keiji," Bokuto replied, "But he's my best friend - and I don't want to lose that."
—
The next time Kuroo came over, he told them he was dating the Crow from a few weeks ago. Tsukishima. Bokuto congratulated him, looking for all the world like a supportive best friend, but when night fell and Kuroo left, Akaashi held Bokuto in his arms as he cried. As they both cried. Cried for a love left too long and taken by another.
—
It was another week and a half before Kuroo came over again. He brought Tsukishima with him, and they had dinner this time. They sat in the kitchen of Bokuto and Akaashi's little tree house and Akaashi made everyone dinner. The conversation was stilted on Akaashi and Bokuto's part, but Tsukishima surprised Akaashi enough to make him laugh, once. The dinner was over, they said their goodbyes, and Akaashi and Bokuto sat in their beds, in silence, until they finally fell asleep.
—
The four began to spend more time together - as Kuroo kept inviting himself over and bringing Tsukishima with him. Kuroo often invited Bokuto and Akaashi to his house on the ground as well. Akaashi thought it was to say sorry for all the times they came home to Kuroo raiding their kitchen. Bokuto thought Kuroo was trying to torture them, or force them to like Tsukishima, which he said was worse.
They both tried, of course, they tried so hard to get along with their crush's boyfriend, but it obviously wasn't working. Kuroo could obviously still tell they didn't like Tsuki. Tsuki and his perfect smile, sarcastic humor and annoying way of getting Akaashi to laugh. Akaashi paused in his mental rant. No. There was no way... right? He went back over his thoughts and came to a rather shocking - and irritating - conclusion.
"I'm in love with Tsuki." Akaashi breathed into the darkness of the Treehouse. Bokuto had gone flying with Feathers-Dark-As-Night and Wings-Quieter-Than-Wind, so Akaashi was alone. "I'm in love with Tsukishima Kei. And Kuroo Tetsurou. And Bokuto Koutarou." Akaashi groaned and rolled over on his bed. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" Akaashi screamed silently into his pillow. With his thoughts in turmoil, he finally slipped into sleep.
—
The next day, Akaashi was terrified. He'd decided when he woke up that he'd tell Bokuto what he'd realized last night, but now he was terrified. What if Bokuto hated him for crushing on the boyfriend of their mutual crush? It was a rather unusual situation. He took a deep breath.
'I can do this. Bokuto might have a crush on Tsuki too! Then we could both mutually pine for our best friend and his boyfriend. Wouldn't that be just great?' Bokuto, who had been sitting at the table across from Akaashi at the time, jumped when his boyfriend and roommate's head impacted with the table.
"Keiji?" Bokuto asked quickly, "Are you okay?"
"No," Akaashi replied, head still on the table, "I think I'm in love with Tsuki," he said, in an effort to just get it out of his mouth. Akaashi knew he'd never say it once he lost the nerve to do so.
"What?" At the completely unexpected voice, Akaashi and Bokuto looked to the window. Flight-Faster-Than-Flock, the oldest and fastest of the Owls that lived around Fukurodani's complex, was sitting on their windowsill. "I thought you were Flight-Mates?"
"We are!" Bokuto told the old owl, "But both of us fell for Ground-Brother Kuroo the Cat Nymph, and we wanted to add him to our Flight-Flock, but he became Flight-Mates with a Crow called Tsuki."
"And now I think I've fallen for Sky-Brother Tsuki," Akaashi added. Bokuto looked slightly sheepish.
"I think I've fallen for Tsuki too." He admitted quietly. Flight-Faster-Than-Flock stared at them.
"Then why not invite both Ground-Brother and Sky-Brother into your Flight-Flock?" Flight-Faster-Than-Flock asked. "It would make you happier, yes?" Akaashi nodded. "Then do it, you idiots!"
"Idiots?" Bokuto asked, outraged.
"Idiots?" came a voice from the doorway, repeating Bokuto's statement in confusion. Three heads turned to the doorway, and two pairs of eyes widened when the voice was revealed to be Tsuki, with Kuroo just behind him. "You should really lock your door, by the way. Otherwise, Kuroo will just keep letting himself in."
"We do lock the door, but Bokuto gave Kuroo a spare key," Akaashi spoke up from where he was standing by the table, empty plates in hand.
"ASK THEM TO JOIN YOUR FLIGHT-FLOCK," Flight-Faster-Than-Flock called as he hopped out the window and flew off through the trees. Bokuto and Akaashi stared after the fleeing owl in shocked silence.
"What did he say?" Kuroo asked, flopping into one of the chairs at the dining table. Distantly, Akaashi heard Bokuto answer something along the lines of "called us idiots", but distracted as he was he knew he'd tell them. Akaashi didn't want that - they hadn't decided what they were going to do about this whole fiasco. Deciding to ignore it all for now, he walked off to clean the plates, unaware of the fact that Tsuki was coming up behind him.
"Need any help?" Tsuki asked quietly. Akaashi yelped and dropped the plate he'd been scrubbing into the sink, spinning around quickly.
"Tsukishima, don't do that!" Akaashi breathed, relaxing against the sink. Tsuki opened his mouth to reply when Kuroo's voice drifted through the open door.
"Bokuto~," Kuroo sang. Akaashi saw his back pass through the doorway, and both he and Tsuki froze, waiting to see what would happen in the next room. "Come on. You can tell me~." Akaashi shivered. It was painfully obvious to him what would happen. Bokuto would tell Kuroo what Flight-Faster-Than-Flock had said, and Kuroo would ask why. Akaashi took one step towards the doorway, but Tsuki grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face the Crow Nymph.
"Nope!" Tsuki smirked, looking far too happy about this entire situation. "It's not just Kuroo who wants to know what that Owl said - so do I. So either you tell me, or we listen to Bokuto tell Kuroo - and you know he will."
"Bro! You can tell me anything, you know that!" Came from the dining room, and Akaashi flinched. Bokuto had a love-hate relationship with that word at the moment. On one hand he loved it because it meant he hadn't lost Kuroo's friendship yet, and on the other hand, he hated it because it meant they were still just friends. Tsuki noticed his flinch (when had he become Tsuki anyway?) and let go of Akaashi's arm.
"Akaashi?" Tsuki asked, obviously concerned, but Akaashi ignored him, turning back to the doorway. He could just see Bokuto in the next room, still sitting in the same chair as he had been when Kuroo and Tsuki walked in the door. His shoulders were slumped, his head down. From where Akaashi was standing, all he could see of Bokuto was white-grey hair - the top of Bokuto's head.
"Bokuto..." Akaashi breathed, taking another step into the doorway. He felt Tsuki come up behind him, and heard his breath catch when he caught sight of Bokuto. Akaashi could see Kuroo panicking - he hadn't wanted to upset Bokuto, even Akaashi knew that - he just wanted to annoy him enough that he'd tell Kuroo what Flight-Faster-Than-Flock had said as he fled the windowsill. Bokuto looked up, catching sight of Akaashi in the doorway. He looked pleading, upset, and Akaashi could tell - he wanted to tell Kuroo what their wise old friend had said, and who was Akaashi to resist that look. He wanted to tell them as well - as Flight-Faster-Than-Flock had told them exactly that. 'Ask them to join your Flight-Flock'. Akaashi spoke up from the doorway.
"Do you want the exact thing he said, or the more Humanised version of it?" Kuroo jolted, turning to see Akaashi and Tsuki standing in the entrance to the kitchen. He looked back at Bokuto, then turned to the two in the doorway.
"Humanised, please. Some of your friends don't make much sense." Akaashi laughed at that, before walking over to Bokuto.
"Do you want to tell them? It was you who made me realize, you know." Bokuto smiled, leaning into the hand Akaashi rested on his shoulder. He nodded his head slightly and took a deep breath.
"The owl - Flight-Faster-Than-Flock - told us that we should ask you both to date us," Bokuto said in a rush. Akaashi squeezed his shoulder.
"Both of us," Akaashi added, chancing a glance at their reactions. Kuroo - Kuroo was smirking, Tsuki was smiling. He looked happy, both of them looked happy. Akaashi was confused - wouldn't most people react with shock at having their best friends admit they would like to date you and your boyfriend? Then Kuroo laughed - actually laughed, and said;
"We've been flirting with you two for weeks now, it's about time you admitted that you liked us." Tsuki hit his boyfriend and smiled kindly at both of them.
"We'd talked, and realized that we liked you, so when we realized you might like us back? Kuroo was ecstatic - his reaction was kind of funny, actually - and I suggested we ask you to poly date us if you were open to it. Kuroo then thought 'maybe we'll let them figure out if they actually like us first, wait until they tell us, and are ready, you know' and I agreed, so we've been waiting for a while. I'm glad you finally told us so, will you date both of us?" Tsuki asked. Akaashi blinked, still attempting to take it all in. Bokuto processed it faster and launched himself out of his chair towards the other two Nymphs.
"Yes, yes yes, of course, we would love to..." Then Akaashi finally caught up with what had been said. He almost started crying, chanting under his breath;
"Yes, we were so worried Bokuto thought he'd lose you, we'd love to, of course!" And Flight-Faster-Than-Flock listened from a tree a few feet away, proud of the two Owl Nymphs he considered his grandchildren.
—
"Keiji?" A voice called through the door into the living room, "Is Kageru there? I wanted to ask him something." Akaashi sighed.
"No, Tetsu, Kageru isn't in here. He told you he was going to go see Kei about five minutes ago," Akaashi called, "And Kei was in the bedroom watching an Owl Documentary with Kou when he left." He heard Kuroo's muttered 'oh yeah' and went back to making dinner. Kuroo and Tsuki had moved in two months ago, about half a year after they'd started dating. They'd learned about the first names at home thing, become used to the Owls that flew in the window about every second day, and the members of Fukurodani that came bursting in to ask Akaashi questions at all hours. Akaashi and Bokuto got used to cats climbing the trunk to talk to Kuroo and Kageru, and Crows irritating the owls when they flew in to ask Tsuki things. They got used to the quirks they each had, and came to know each other inside out. They had good days and bad days, they had days in the skies and days on the ground.
But best of all, they always had each other.