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Author-nim : I think this is an extra of explaining Momoi's and Aomine's lives! AkaKuro make less appearance here. The others make a cameo only.

Love Me For Thirty Days

DAY SEVEN

Friday

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"Lots of things can be fixed. Things can be fixed. But many times, relationships between people cannot be fixed, because they should not be fixed. You're aboard a ship setting sail, and the other person has joined the inland circus, or is boarding a different ship, and you just can't be with each other anymore. Because you shouldn't be."

― C. JoyBell C.

Fridays should always be the days of mirth. A day before for weekend to greet by for most to enjoy and laze around. A day without work and depression and fucked up colleagues and workers. However, a particular blunette was found disturbed by the perdurable calls coming from two different people. He groaned and shifted, annoyed by the non-stop birdy-song ringtone Sakura had set for him, and responded despite the disturbance. His eyes shifted to the other side; Seijuurou was awoke a long time ago since the blank sheet was cool.

"Tetchan. . .?"

"Yes, Momoi. . ."

"Can you come to Maji Burger now?"

Certainly there was a matter needed to be discussed seriously if the pink-haired mother of a little girl was asking him for a rendezvous. It was still a foreign feeling for him. Of course, he knew it would be none other than about her husband.

After a quick cleanse toward his body – and dressed himself with a thick coat, it was going to rain today – he languidly sauntered downstairs only to found a familiar redhead by the coffee maker. Surprised, he stopped midway throughout the staircase.

"Thought you left for work already – wait, aren't you late now?!"

"I only have an appointment with the general manager of Y Holdings around the afternoon," Seijuurou shrugged, proceeding for the jar containing sugar, "So, I'm free till two something. How about you?"

The redhead gave him an odd look, full with disputes, pathetically.

"I'm going to meet Momoi for a while. Seems like she's having problems with you know who."

"Is it about Daiki again?"

"I don't know," Tetsuya chuckled, "Aomine-kun is always busy after all."

"It was his decision to enter military after all," the redhead mused out his opinion, as he bit back the urge to shudder from the bitter taste of the coffee. Seijuurou proceeded to add more sugar, scooping a small pelt of silvery-white crystals.

The blunette snorted upon his husband's response; "Like you're one to talk."

Seijuurou choked, fortunately not with brewed bitterness in his mouth, his chest caught onto heavy breathings. "H-Hey, at least I'm not returning home after a year of absence!"

"But you're still busy that you won't return home for twenty-seven hours." Tetsuya smiled teasingly as he went to the shoe rack and pursued on taking the boots today. The eyes, a boundless swirl of ocean, shifted slightly to meet the mortified glance that of Seijuurou and he huffed softly;

"Sei-kun. . . I'm not angry at you."

He closed the door, gazing immensely toward the guilt-ridden redhead as the surface slowly shut between them.

As he expected, it wasn't a typical rendezvous meant for two people – there was Aomine Daiki as well. Unexpectedly dressed in casuals than the military uniform Tetsuya got the chance to see often, the blunette was awed that he was growing into a fine man day by day. He looked upon himself, one that played the role of a submissive, as a wife; Tetsuya was always described as petite. Even the pink-haired woman had her own curves and contours that of a voluptuous figure.

The two of them seemed to be in a sort of heated conversation. Tetsuya couldn't see Satsuki's expression of course, but the way the tanned man had scrunched eyebrows and creases on the forehead indicating that he – or both of them – wasn't really in good terms right now. He visited the counter first, obtaining his all-eternity favourite milkshake before trudging towards the table they were seated.

"Tetsu?" Aomine looked astonished, "Wait, you called him here?"

The woman retorted back, "I have to!"

"What for?!"

And they continued to bicker, leaving the blunette to cope up with the tension with only a milkshake as his ever-so lovely companion to ease the awkwardness.

"Guys, I think you have to calm down first. . ." The blunette was, he had to admit, embarrassed toward the strange glances others – even the workers – throwing toward them. They were lucky they weren't kicked out from the fast food restaurant yet. "I won't know what's happening between you two until you explained to me."

Satsuki was the one to respond first. She sighed deeply, throwing a final but sharp glance at her husband and vocalised; "He's going away for another two years."

"It was for –"

"And," she pressed, hushing the tanned man, "It leaves a bad impression to Sakura, you know, because she rarely gets to see her father around. I don't think she even feels like he's the father here. So I was thinking of. . . thinking of. . ."

Being one with problems himself, Tetsuya gulped a lump of air. Already feeling the thick, tense air clouding above them he knew that it wasn't good news at all. Tetsuya assumed for the worse. "Divorcement?"

They gaped – the pink-haired woman gasped instead to display her surprise – and threw a look at Tetsuya as if he was a foreigner with obvious idiosyncrasies.

"Of course not!"

"Then, what it is?" He tilted his head, confused. These two were always the oddballs, really.

Daiki swallowed, "What we're – I'm trying to say is that, we'll still stick through the marriage but we're just thinking of living in different houses now – fuck, Tetsuya. . . Didn't you hear that we don't want to leave a bad impression for our child?"

"No, I said that you were the one leaving a bad impression!"

"Well, it means the same anyway."

"No, it doesn't! Dai-chan, you idiot! I can't even imagine how you end up in an army."

"Excuse me –"

"Alright, alright. . ." Again, the blunette became the middle man stopping their everlasting arguments, "Will it be alright for you guys?"

They shared brief glances, multiple shades of cerise like cherries against the colours of the deepest ocean, and at last they nodded reluctantly.

"We. . . Actually, we don't really have feelings for each other anymore," Satsuki simpered slightly, her face lowered to mask the mortify she was feeling – and meanwhile Daiki was shifting nervous glances – "But we don't want to break our marriage as well because Sacchan needs us."

She looked at the taller man, a secret agreement happening between them two. They always had that kind of stolen glances with each other, secret signals and all of those childhood bullshit – but that was what maintain their bond even if it wasn't supposed to be love anymore.

The woman disrupted the silence, her fingers brushing against the fresh cut of dusty pink cascades. "Besides," she started giggling, "I realised that Dai-chan was starting to get close to Kise. There might be chemistry happening between those two!"

"Wha –" The tanned man finally blushed a deep shade of crimson, "What are you talking about?"

"It's obvious! I mean, you kind of always invited him for dinner anyway."

"Th-That's because he's my partner!"

"Haa? Haa?" taunted the woman, shone in light of victory, "Your what?"

Reluctant, the tanned man chose to disregard his wife for a while. Still blushing, he lowered his gaze and avoid the curious ones emitted from none other than Tetsuya himself. Somehow, the blunette was grinning triumphantly, as if he would now that this situation was going to happen any sooner.

Everybody assumed that one day this would happen after all. Long ago, they loved each other like how any other newly-weds would. But unfortunately, the tanned man was chosen to work for the military – and working in a militia was never a pleasantry, especially when one was sent to a place three thousand miles away from home. It was somehow difficult to explain this kind of situation; their relationship wasn't a broken one. They never did lost hope toward each other. It was just that when one stayed too long in a farther distance, the feelings started to fade without any particular reason. Perhaps, those feelings were like a disintegration between tangled knots of a ball of yarn. Once the thick strings were unattached from the ball itself, they would never be able to reconnect once again. And it was as simple as that.

Apparently, both Satsuki and Daiki couldn't find any reasons for their matter. That feeling was like when you wake up one day and the only thing you feel was hollowness – there wasn't any giddiness, there wasn't any excitement. . . Everything crumbles into dust but they weren't really broken. So, both of them, tongue-tied and confused, was waiting a response from the blunette – his opinions mattered, somehow.

"It shouldn't be a problem right?" Tetsuya felt nothing but pure confusion all over, "I mean, nobody was at fault. We can't force ourselves to love."

Because love works in a strange way. And one day, you may expect your life to crumble into dust because of love – because the love you longed to cherish forever is lost and all you can feel is numb – the blunette, nauseous as spirits took him back to the memory lane.

Again, they shared that sort of secret signal glimpse – a discussion occurring between an odd telepathic method.

"I guess so. . ."

Funny, the air seemed to be lighter than usual after that.

Tetsuya would never thought that there was a day on which he would escape the tedious humdrum in his life. It was a just a night. A night brimmed with shot glasses and bourbon glasses full of the stout and brandy and whiskey, and the room filled with endless, jocular chatters coming from his old team mates. He looked toward the other blunette sliding an arm over to Ryouta's shoulder – much to his very irritation – and yet he giggled and laughed and mocked toward Ryouta and Taiga, high with alcohol. Satsuki was rather fine with it, still with her own ebullience, and talking with the other members, mainly with Aida Riko and fellow ex-Seirin students; and a certain purple-haired giant on the background, munching food. Only a certain green-haired was unavailable for the night, saying that he had some emergency shifts in the main hospital which was indeed a true excuse – not just some of his typical dishonest behaviour.

There was only a person left for arrival and he was taking indeed a long time.

"Oi Tetsu, where's Akashi?"

"He said he'd be late. The traffic was bad just now, he's probably reaching here late."

And yet, when he spoke those words, the words sounded crestfallen and acrid in his mouth but he spoke none of it. Instead, the shortest male amongst the crowd poured more from the glass bottle and chugged down the contents as fast as he could.

He felt a tap on the shoulder. Tetsuya looked up slowly to meet a pair of concerned pools of cerise. "Tetchan, is there something going on between you and Akashi?"

"N-No. . . Why'd you say that?"

"It's," her lips parted as if she'd deliver a three-paged script, "It's because. . . you look rather down, really."

Tetsuya gave her an assuring smile. "No, Momoi-san. I'm alright."

"You can talk to me if you want to."

He shook his head, the only thing convincing his friend was his assuring smile.

To be honest, his patience was wearing thin. Tetsuya proceeded to wait for a few minutes more. He drank more of the bubbly sip, heard more of the conversations – which consisted of nonsensical mumbles and jitters – from the bunch of drunkards. It was only when his mobile buzzed with a short-term text tone, that he jumped slightly from his seat and instantly looked up to the screen.

I can't make it to the bar, the other Akashi had spoken.

Furious, he responded the text with his fingers tapping on the dim-lit screen with a harder pressure than before. Seijuurou said he promised a while ago. . . Why the sudden change?

And today was supposed to be happier, for him – for both of them. They were supposed to forget about the deal and just lose themselves to liquor and all the façades in the world, not depressed. Not fighting against each other, defending their own rights.

Come home now.

Why should I?

Sakura-chan is here. Satsuki let her stay for the night.

Fine.

After a while, Tetsuya managed to excuse himself from the rest and rose himself from his position. A few others didn't really pay attention, but then Taiga yelled something loud but incoherent and the petite male repeated himself once more as he took an unopened bottle of bourbon whiskey for later.

He expected the redhead would bring whoever the girl was to their home but it was seemingly impossible since Sakura was there. He thought about it for a long time, sulking inside the speeding taxi. He assumed an argument was going to occur later on even though a child was present. The blunette hoped that whatever bickers they had wouldn't be as bad after all.

Well, Tetsuya could've never been wrong.

Just as he slipped inside, shrugged off his coat and closed the surface behind him, he sniffed a whiff of roasted meat and custard cream and strong aroma of strawberries and chocolate. Curious as a cat would be, the blunette didn't realise he was shuffling toward the kitchen meant that he was basically following his instincts. Tetsuya gasped inwardly. Better yet, the briny tears were yet to come. The sight followed was beautiful, topped with his two favourite persons in the world. There was Seijuurou alright, greeting him with a sheepish smile as he brought up Sakura's frail arms to a playful wave, to and fro. Whilst the little girl had her grey-blue eyes glistened instantly, like polished jewels. The scene of dinner platter was like was almost akin to a lavish banquet, a feast of kingly proportions revealed beneath the plastic covers. Served on the table, although matched along plain décor seemed to be like roasted ham, its flesh a perfect golden brown, outfitted with salad and lemon and fresh dills; an avalanche of strawberries and fondue for desserts.

Tetsuya gulped involuntarily, both touched and confused at the same time. On the contrary, he placed his hands akimbo and clicked his tongue. "Did you went to work or the market stores?"

"Both," the redhead shrugged, a smile intact, "I went to fetch Sakura first because Satsuki was busy with her problems, right?"

"Yeah, and I told otou-san that we should make a surprise for chichiue!"

Well, that indeed was the loveliest thing he ever experienced since such a long time. Tetsuya inhaled deeply, lips quivering to match the smiles displayed in such a perfect scene. He almost leap to embrace them whole, Sakura gasping within his arms and the redhead sheepishly attempted to stroke the baby blue tufts. And then, they realised he was crying.

"Kami, is something wrong chichiue?!"

"N-No. . . It's – It's. . . It's perfect, and I'm so happy," he sniffled back the tears. "But how do we finish the whole thing?"

It went silent for a moment.

"Should we call the others?"

"Yeah. . ."

Thus, they continued the simple drinking party in the Akashi's residence. The others had their arrival a few minutes later, bringing more bottles of brandy and whiskey and Japanese sake to match up the feast they had. For once, the house was noisier than ever, conversations and music and laughter echoing through the hallways.

Exhausted from the dose of joie de vivre, he decided to sit on the staircase, leaning against the railing as eyes the colours of azure skies watched everything from above. Just like last time, at the very least, this memory of his would forever last in his mind. The blunette, of course, always liked to cherish moments even if he was not fully involved. He loved it, being a wallflower, observing like a film camera capturing every moments and stored in his memory files.

The blunette looked upon the letter within his grasp, crestfallen had bellowed upon his once gleaming eyes. The humdrum returned, and he sighed heavily as his fingers reached the top of the thin material, about to rip it into half. He stopped before he even could. Inside his pocket, his phone was ringing, not from a call but a reminder. And the screen flashed the name and the due he despised – well it was more of a less preferable time – the most.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"A-ah, Sei. . ."

"What's wrong. . .?" the redhead quirked his eyebrows. Certainly, something wasn't right. "Something's bothering you."

"It's nothing," hummed the latter.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

They talked nothing afterwards and both knew it held a rather awkward surrounding around them. The taller lad was only able to pass down a bourbon glass, ordering the other to chug down the remnants of the contains.

"Hey, Sei?"

"Hm?"

"If you'd leave me next month – and for the rest of the years – would you want to forget about me?" He certainly was wearing a forlorn tone. Deep inside, the Akashi heir knew there was indeed something that had bothered his thoughts lately.

So, he tried to give a good response instead. "Of course not, I'll be thankful that I get to meet you."

It was such a short response, plain even. Yet, the blunette was caught laughing – a sincere, bubbly tone that once made the redhead fallen head over heels toward him – and Seijuurou was caught mesmerised.

"Me too," he said almost inaudibly.

As if there were any magnets pulling them closer, their faces went from a far distance to mere inches. Eyes meeting eyes, a pair of azure gems tenderly gazed against mismatched ones. Forehead to forehead, the unpretentious warmth flooded out to their flushed skin. Lips against lips, the blunette caught himself gasping and they deepened the intimate action for a long time, coaxing and pulling and tugging.

It was when they pulled away, the redhead was shocked enough to find the blunette crying.

"I'd remember you too."

He spoke nothing of it afterwards.

TO BE CONTINUED

Mozu : Stomach ache is the worst! GAH! I should've been updating during Deepavali holidays but I was busy doing art. Besides, I spent my time mostly playing UNO games with my friends and photoshopping. *Squee*

I'm sorry I haven't update for a while. To be honest, I was stuck writing this chapter unable to explain a few stuffs. To be honest, I'm still not satisfied with it. Anyway, you guys always suspect that I will be fully following that prompt. *laughs* Maybe I am. . .

Anyway, follow me on Instagram ; mie_rawr

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-Mozu The Mochi (2015)