"I have no shoes."
"You have many shoes." Daichi corrected, watching Nishinoya run a circle around the kitchen table, one shoe on and one shoe off. "You just have to find them. Where did you have them last?" Shrugging Nishinoya jumped under the table at a seconds notice and crawled up beside Hinata's high chair, hand sneaking out to steal a piece of his toast. "Didn't you have enough breakfast of your own? Don't steal your brother's food. He'll never grow up as big and strong as you if you keep eating it all before he gets a chance to."
Retracting his hand and sliding back under the table, Daichi couldn't help but grin. Nishinoya was in a much better mood today and after being told he'd be back attending day care at a brand, new centre he was ecstatic. Which of course was a double edged sword, he would doubtless be on his best behaviour, but he'd be so worked up it'd be hard to get him to do anything. Mornings were is both his bane and his breath, everything about the hustle and bustle of getting up and going was a familiar and comforting routine. Even when Nishinoya was a hyperactive ball of giggles and noise it was entirely worth it.
Pressing a square of toast to Hinata's lips, Daichi sipped his coffee, flinching every now and again as Nishinoya trickled his toes. "Please eat this." Hinata turned his huge, brown eyes to his father without opening his lips and shook his head vigorously. Bumping his knee against the table as Nishinoya struck again, Daichi ate the toast instead, trying tinned peaches instead to lure his youngest into eating. Sucking down the peaches and sticky syrup at an alarming rate, Hinata's tiny fingers reached out for a second serving. "Are you excited about the new day care too?" Bopping the baby on the nose with a sticky spoon, Daichi smiled as Hinata burped and giggled.
"Care care care." Pleased with the response, he spooned the final serving into Hinata's open mouth before wiping his face down with a bib and pulling him from the chair.
"Shoes please Yuu." Pulling a face as he crawled out from under the table, Nishinoya offered his father his bare foot.
"My other shoe is on top of Hinata's change table." Putting Hinata down and dashing to the bedroom Daichi grumbled as he grabbed the shoe and slipped it on Nishinoya's waiting foot.
"Throwing things is not okay." He as they went to the car, backpacks slung over his shoulders and Hinata squirming in his arms Daichi strapped the boys in before pulling out.
"The shoe wanted to fly." Rolling his eyes as he typed the new day care address into his phone and followed the directions, Daichi was unimpressed.
"You are such a little fibber."
"Am not." Twisting in his car seat, Nishinoya made a loud humming noise until Daichi turned on the radio. "The shoes like to fly." Shaking his head the darked haired man ignored the rambling of the babes behind, keep his eyes peeled for the usual day care centre building designing and some kind of sign.
Pulling into the car park, Daichi took a deep breath to steady his nerves. This time it would work, he thought him. This time Nishinoya was going to be the perfect, little well behavioured boy he was in the garage. He'd make friends and people would like him and say nice things about him and not mutter darkly behind his back about how single fathers were useless. Plastering a big smile on his face, he turned to his little ones.
"Ready?" Unbuckling his belt and reaching across for Hinata's buckle Nishinoya nodded. Determination shining in his bright amber eyes. Fuelled by his excitement and drive, the trio wandered inside, passing a stationary van parked a few spots ahead. The dark smoke coughing from the exhaust screamed needs a service and the unhealthy grinding of the gears said the same. Glancing at it a final time before ducking inside, Daichi made a note to have a chat with the owner if they were still there when he came back. If they got in serviced now it would save a lot of hassle in the future and he might have even been able to score some more work for the garage.
Enrolling the boys for four days on and off throughout the week was the easy part. The hard part was yet to come. Smiling at the nice office lady as he offered a high five to Nishinoya as they awaited their carer. Daichi's heart clenched as Hinata hid his face from the smiling woman once she arrived. Nishinoya had long gotten over his over attachment issue to his father, happily leaving him in the doorway in order to gather as many building blocks as he could. Waving him good bye with a tired smile, Daichi unhooked Hinata's fingers from around his neck.
"Hey buddy, this is Yachi. She's going to look after you for a little while. Is that okay?" Burying his face against his father's neck with a small whimper, Hinata refused to look at woman let alone acknowledge her as a future friend.
"Hinata, that's a nice name. Do you like cars Hinata?" Blinking wearily as he looked over his shoulder, lips trembling the redhead nodded.
"Cars cars cars."
"Yeah he loves cars. Daddy fixes cars doesn't he?" Jostling him gently into sitting upright, the toddler nodded. Smiling brightly, the blonde care assistant reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a shiny red match box car. Eyes wide as he reached out to grab it, Hinata immediately started making driving noises, using his tongue to blurt and spit as he imitated an engine. Taking the momentary distraction to swap hands, Daichi pressed a quick kiss to his son's cheek before saying a good bye to the care staff and leaving before the screaming could begin.
He was almost successful. Turning the corner of the wide corridor, he heard the tell tale sobbing that quickly escalated into ear piercing screaming seconds later. He had to get out or else he'd be doubling back in a second and Kenma would be playing sitter again. Setting his jaw as he informed the receptionist of his pick up time before fleeing the building. Taking a moment to inhale some deep breaths, the dark haired man tried to calm his heart rate and balance his being. Daichi closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sound of relative silence ignoring the spluttering of the sick van still loitering in the car park. Cracking his neck before heading back to the car, he stopped beside the van and glanced through the back windshield at the driver. Catching the eye of the figure inside, he walked up the side of car, pausing half way as the door slide open.
He was a pale man, probably about his age. His unique silver hair had Daichi immediate interest. Coupled with soft brown eyes and a wide, open smile, the dark haired man suddenly found himself lost for words.
"Can I help you?" His tone was cheerful and maybe a little cautious but it worked to break Daichi from his speechless spell.
"Um, yeah, sorry. Your car, the fuel injector sound wrecked. It might need replacing and soon." Those enchanting whiskey eyes widened for a moment only to be replaced with a wide, pleasant smile.
"Really? Oh I wouldn't know a thing about it, thank you so much." He paused, looking back towards the thick smoke coming from the back of his car. "I probably can't do myself right?" Rubbing the back of his head as he returned the smile, Daichi shook his head sadly.
"Probably not, but they're not that expensive."
Heaving a sigh of relief, the silver haired man leant a hip to the side of his van, the smile still present.
"Thank goddess for that, cars sure keep you broke."
"And keep me in business." Laughing in tantrum, Daichi caught himself staring with a small blush. "I work as a mechanic just across town. Daichi Sawamura." Offering his hand in a friendly gesture, the dark haired man felt his heart jump when the other man accepted his handshake.
Making friends had been hard over the last couple of years. Beyond those he worked with and some people he knew from his home town, friends were not common in his life.
"Kōshi Sugawara, but everyone calls me Suga, that's handy. Thanks for the heads up." Falling back into a semi awkward silence, Daichi licked his lips nervously.
"Not a problem, so you come here often?" Wow. He was going to give himself such a self kicking back in the car. Who opens with that? Ready to admit defeat, the taller man watched the other struggle to keep a straight face as he managed a reply.
"Yeah, hanging around in childcare car parks is my usual Wednesday morning." Breaking down in a fit of giggles, the almost audible sound of breaking ice kick started Daichi's breathing again.
"Good to see I'm not the only one." Covering his smile with a hand, Suga shook his head, a gleam of mischief in his eye.
"They are a great place to meet people. And get a free quota on my busted car." The corners of his kind brown eyes had the smallest, most enduring wrinkles, smiles and laughter were not a foreign concept to this man. Falling into a string of small chatter, Daichi couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled this much. Certainly not in a conversation with Ukai or any of the guys at the garage. It felt nice just to casually talk as if he was free to do so and actually had the time to waste. Instead of knowing he was going to be horrendously late for work, but pretending it didn't matter anyway.
"So where are we heading to get this fixed?" Looking up from glancing at his watch, Daichi noted the subtly 'we' and was thankfully that his friendly investment was paying off.
"Just over by the carpet factory. You can follow me if you want." Hopping into van with a nod, Suga rolled down the window and watched Daichi head back to his car. Calling ahead to Ukai he reserved a bay for the van and asked about the parts required. Driving into the garage and giving Suga enough space to park the larger vehicle, the dark haired man jumped out quickly and waved a loitering Kenma over.
"This is Mr Sugawara, 2007 Kia Carnival. The fuel injector needs replacing. Ukai said we can get it up in bay three and the wreckers are sending over the parts with the morning deliveries." Nodding, the quiet boy wiped his hands down on his pants before passing Suga on his way out to drive the car around.
"Our grease monkey," Daichi said leading Suga to the office.
"Is he always so sad?" Holding open the door and letting Suga in, the taller man thought for a moment.
"You know I've never seen him smile." Laughing as he watched the smaller man take a seat to the side of the desk, Daichi booted up the computer and went over the details of the fix up. Pleased with the price and the time frame, they shook hands a final time before Daichi suited up and went out to the garage bay. Leaving Suga in the capable hands of Kenma with a cup of cheap coffee and a pile of ancient magazines.
"You're late and a fuel injector replacement will not make up for that." Buckling his tool belt low and tight around his waist, Daichi rolled his eyes.
"I'll do the laundry run tonight before I pick up the boys." Peering over the hood of the car he was working through, Ukai tisked.
"Not good enough. Laundry for the rest of the week. Please don't make me hate you, just keep on top of things okay."
"Will do." Rolling up his sleeves before a jacking up the van, nothing could keep the grin from slipping from Daichi's face. This morning he'd picked up a job and made a friend, his boys were safe and happy in their new day care and nothing could bring down his mood.
Ducking his head through the open door, Daichi knocked quietly. Looking up from his phone with a smile Suga did a double take before standing.
"Wow, you scrub down good." Cocking his head to the side at the strange statement, Daichi cotton on to his implication and felt his cheeks warm.
"Yeah sorry, I was going for time not cleanliness." Laughing airily, Suga shook his head.
"No no, I really appreciate it. And its not like it's a bad thing." Pulling up the final invoice, the tall man kept his eyes lowered as the tone in Suga's voice shifted and he felt his stomach roll. It almost sounded like the man was flirting with him. Brushing it aside and focusing on the calculations on screen, their formalities were quickly over and Daichi saw fit to walk Suga to his newly serviced, functioning van.
"I am so thankful for this." Shrugging off the compliment with a warm feeling of satisfaction, Daichi smiled.
"You're welcome." He paused, ensure how to continue. How had he become so social adept in such a short time? Maybe that's what kids did sometimes, sucked out all the social manners one struggled to learn over so many years and in its stead replaced it with poop talk and how to kiss injuries better.
"I'll maybe see you around?" Suga ventured instead. Relieved Daichi nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, maybe at daycare or something." Laughing happily Suga nodded, fiddling with the frayed plastic of the steering wheel. "Okay, well thanks again. Bye."
Standing back as he drove out from the garage, the dark haired man couldn't help but wave happily. Had he seemed reluctant to leave? Shaking his head as he turned back into the garage and picked through the next car on the bay for inspection, he let his mind wander as he hands moved over the tasks in front of him. If he was lucky, very lucky he might have actually just made a friend. An actual friend outside of work for the first time in almost five years. It was a little sad and yet he couldn't help but smile, Kōshi Sugawara, Suga, his friend.