This was something lurking in my head, so here. I thank the tumblr user holosexualpan for beta'ing!
Caution: excessive amount of sillines.
"Papaa, I don' wanna wear this!" Shouyou protested as loud as ever, locking his arms in front of his chest.
Kei nervously fiddled with his glasses as his patience was wearing thin after god-knows how many failed attempts of fitting the small coat on his son's chubby little arms.
It was yet another ordinary Saturday in the Tsukishima household: Kei making silent prayers to the Gods to spare him a just one peaceful weekend while dealing with Shouyou's (4.5 yrs) antics whereas Tadashi dressing Yachi (3.5 yrs) up with a bunch of pink frilly things – which Kei didn't even imagine how one got into, so practically that's why he had to dress Shouyou. Every. Single. Time.
As he made a mental note to search for youtube video tutorials on how to dress your daughter with super frilly things, - no he wasn't going to ask help from Tadashi - Kei sighed miserably and tried once more. "It's cold Shouyou, so you have to".
"Nooo, don't wanna! Tadaa please?"
Of course, the little bean wouldn't listen. And of course he would plead help from his other dad. Right. Shouyu's small mouth twisted in a sad way and his eyes looked like a lost puppy, which Kei was immune to, though for Tadashi, it was a lost cause.
Tadashi stopped halfway putting Yachi's socks on (which apparently you have to fold outside for the flowery lacey thing to be seen, mind you) to observe the situation. The small smile on his face grew only larger as he took in the sight of blonde and ginger tangled together.
"My two most favorite boys in the world!", he sighed happily.
Kei rolled his eyes with a second-hand embarrassment as Tadashi sent a flying kiss to them, which made Shouyou jump to catch the kiss accompanied by happy little giggle fit. "But why won't you wear your coat sunshine?" Tadashi went on, taking advantage of sweetened mood.
"Becoz its not cool." Shouyou declared, looking disappointedly to the poor thing in Kei's hands.
Cool was Shouyou's second favorite word nowadays. The first one was of course the ever notorious Gwoosh or something like that. Not that they did not try to decipher – Tadashi, god bless his sweet soul- tried too hard since it might or might not have to do with this little book, or the Book, as Kei referred to it, where you put your child's first and favorite things into. Seriously the brunette was really into that thing for the first year, Kei just couldn't bring himself to put some sense into him.
"Hmm.. But it's black and orange just like the uniform little giant wears, right?" Tadashi tried to reason.
The little giant aka the 'super cool' (as Shouyou defined) ace of the Karasuno volleyball team, was the honorable fifth member of the family since the little bean watched his first volleyball game in real life. 5 months to be exact. The effect hadn't worn off yet. Despite, it might not be an underestimation that the little giant was becoming an important rival to his authority - much to Kei's disappointment. On the upside, mention of "the little giant" was a great blackmail material to both of the adults' pleasure.
(Like, if Shouyou is not eating his vegetables, remind him that he would not be as strong as the little giant. If he is not behaving well, then tell him the little giant would be so disappointed with him and so on. )
"Yeah b-but" Shouyou, -not surprisingly- less enthusiastic now from before, tried to go on with a stutter.
"And you were so happy when we first bought it?"
"Yeah but .. um.. b-because Tobio said -"
"Oh. Tobio. " Kei sneered. "I should have guessed!"
"I like Tobio" Yachi squeed happily from Tadashi's lap, earning herself two grins and a big pout. She was in full costume now! Ten points to Tadashi, zero to Kei.
"What did Tobio say darling?" Tadashi asked softly, ignoring his grumpy big kid. He carefully parted Yachi's hair into two equal sides, and started braiding.
"He said.. "The little red head huffed, "he said I look like a bird in this!"
"And why didn't you tell him to go f-"
"Tsukki! Oh my god, f word Tsukki" Tadashi shouted in a hushed whisper, eyes wide with shock.
"What's f word daddy?" which, it appeared, was not low enough for Yachi's sharp little kiddie ears.
" Find" Tsukishima emphasized, "find another human-looking friend to play with, Shouyou?"
"Nice save captain" lip-synched Tadashi, still not approving.
"No, papa, I don't want Tobio to play with someone else!"
Kei's frown deepened ten-fold. Why on earth his precious son and that weirdo (aka Tobio) were still friends, he had no idea. They were constantly fighting whenever they seem to have chance but somehow they hadn't had the "big fight" which Kei has been secretly praying to happen soon. He didn't want them to grow to be the childhood friends once he and Tadashi had been, God forbid.
"I don't see why looking like a bird is a bad thing?" Tadashi interrupted Kei's train-wreck of thoughts. Seriously, why would a simple task as wearing a coat require this much conversation?
"It isn't ?" Shouyou asked, eyes filling with somehow hope.
"It sounds pretty much a weird thing to say to me, Tadashi" Kei intervened.
"Umm, but you see," Tadashi continued much louder, trying too hard to not to lose his composure, "birds are cute and fluffy and-
"I don't wanna be cute" The small red bean protested.
"Yeah, who wants to be called cute?" Kei added in a stoic voice.
Oh God. Tadashi was totally losing it now. Kei disguised his laugh as a lame cough just in time!
He didn't intend to tease his lover, but he couldn't help himself as the red sploshes on Tadashi's were growing exponentially and his brows furrowing in that absolutely cute way and his lips.. Did he say cute?
"I like cute" A tiny sweet voice participated.
"I like cute, too Yachi!" Tadashi sent daggers to Kei's way – probably, no undoubtly for making things harder than it already was and which also had the undertones of 'I'm trying to help you, douche'.
What Kei didn't expect was the line Tadashi added much too quietly. "And your dad liked cute too once!"
Oh no. Did he land on a mine?
Their eyes met for while, Tadashi's green ones darker with disappointment and Kei's honey ones were surprised at the sight. Tadashi finally broke the gaze and turned to Shouyou asking, "And the birds can fly right?"
Shouyou froze for a second –was that even possible?- and furrowed his brows like he was so deep in a thought and murmuring some gibberish along with "right, fly" and then started jumping with a newly found joy and launched himself to Tadashi's lap crushing Yachi in the process.
"Gwaah, dad you are so smart!"
"Yeah? So what Tobio actually said is a good thing, right?" Tadashi supplied with a hope.
"Yeah!" Shouyou agreed with more than enough enthusiasm. "Birds can fly! Tobio is smart too papa!"
"Yeah, right" nodded Tadashi, with a relieved sigh.
The three were tangled right now, making kissing noises and giggling while Kei was alone in the other side like there was an invisible wall separating him from the happy side. And somehow the luckiest person of this equation was Tobio. The evil.
Tadashi motioned him to join them, but he refused taking Tobio's win over him to heart. "Wow. I'm totally blown by the conclusion." He sneered instead. "And why do you have to be on that sneaky little crow's side every single time Tadashi?"
"You mean Tobio?" The brunette asked, voice muffled by the laughter under the tickle attack of the little monsters. "Why are so against him Kei? He is just a kid."
"He might be a shape shifter."
"Really?" Tadashi sat straight, taking one child under one arm and lifting one eyebrow quizzically.
"What's sheepshhesh- daddy?"
"Seriously Tadashi, they might be all aliens and I wouldn't be surprised."
"Alieeeeens?" Shouyou interrupted with animatedly. "I saw a huuuge alien poster on Tobio's house. It was so green and ugly!"
"See, it's Tobio's grandpa Shouyou." Kei supplied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Woww, really papa?"
"No Shouyou, your papa is joking." "And you mister, half of our library consists of books about creatures that lived what 200 million years ago!"
"That's.. that's irrelevant" Really cruel.
"I don't want to continue this conversation"
"Because you know inside, that it might be true."
"Just shut up, Kei!"
Rest of the minutes passed in a silence. Shouyou silently tugged Kei's arm, informing him that his majesty is now ready to wear his coat. Yachi's braids turn into flawless pieces of art.
As the silence grow, none of the so-called adults made no attempt to speak or move. Shouyou looked blankly to his fathers, eyes darting between them in a pure childish surprise that melted Kei's heart just the right amount. Enough to break the ice Tobio the evil freezed.
"Um just so you know.." Kei started.
"I certainly don't want to know Kei" The brunette interrupted.
"I have an apology"
That made Tadashi interested. "Is that so?"
"Right."
"We are all ears, then."
"We are ears papa?"
"It means we're listening, sweetheart"
"Oh"
"So" Kei started clearing his throat loudly to start but stopped short, suddenly realizing Yachi's small hands holding his hands.
"Papa, your brave!"
"Huh?" Kei asked.
"Your brave papa!" Yachi was smiling that precious smile while reaching out with her pretty chubby hands – saying hold me.
"Is that so?" Kei asked, hugging his girl to his chest.
"Yes, brave people say sorry" Shouyou supplied with excitement.
"I said that?" Kei looked Tadashi to confirm, but he just pointed the girl in his arms.
Yachi nodded.
Wow. This Saturday took such an unexpected turn. His glasses weren't foggy no. "Thank you for reminding me princess" he added with not-so-broken voice and kissed the perfectly braided golden hair.
"We are ears papaaaaa!" Shouyou decleared. Kei laughed softly just as Tadashi hugged Shouyou behind, two giggling manicly.
"Yeah right, so kids, .. Um. it's really bad to tell lies, right? And I did a bad thing.. and lied to you."
Somehow the mood changing instantly – and seeing the kids' (and Tadashi's) shocked faces made him hurt. He cleared his throat once more.
"I said "I don't like cute", but it wasn't true because I really.. really like cute things." He made sure he made eye contact with his pretty fragile lover. "See you father was really cute back then, he is still, ehmm.. cute. Very. Much. So, it's not a bad thing, Shouyo. Yachi and Shouyo are cute, too! Actually the cutest. Three of you."
He was certain now that Tadashi's eyes glittering just as always his cheeks weren't actually red. Maybe not that red. But.
His further embrassment saved by his little angel wrapping her arms around his neck, peppering kisses to his cheek, saying "You are cute too papa!". The naughty duo joined them with their merciless tickle and kiss attacks. Somehow in the mess of tangled limbs and laughters, his lovers lips found his whispering sweet nothings.
What a Saturday indeed.
A certain laughter came to sudden halt then, and Shouyou stood and looked his family with proud and happy eyes – the eyes of a man who just discovered a land, and declared:
"Oh, I think Tobio is cute too then!"