Chapter 40: Underwater
"Don't worry. I've already found my home."
At the time, the dramatic message he sent to his mother had greatly pleased him.
It was only afterwards that he regretted it: 'dramatic' wasn't the right register if he wanted to stay under the radar. He then tried to sidestep the issue by selling his mother on all the merits of his new situation:
1. He didn't have to pay rent! Who could pass up such an opportunity?
2. He didn't have to buy back everything he lost in the fire. It wasn't much, but if he could avoid buying a rice cooker, utensils, and pots, it was all for the best!
The economic argument didn't necessarily convince his mother: opportunism? Certainly not! Not in this family!
So, he decided to play a different card, a bit more emotional:
1. He had company. Understand, mother! Solitude weighed heavily on him! Alone, lost in this huge city, left to fend for himself!
2. He was living with his childhood best friend, and if you remember well, dear mother, that was his wish since he was but a mere child!
This time, it was hard to argue against this logic! His mother eventually accepted the situation.
She also found it a good excuse to call him several times a week to ask how he was doing. Tetsurō was fine with it; it was true that lately, he had forgotten to keep in touch with his family, and this was an opportunity to make up for it.
"Your birthday is coming up, do you have an idea of what you want?"
"Not really... But I'll think about it and let you know if I come up with something..."
"Hmm, alright. How are you settling into your new room?"
Kuroo had now officially moved into the upstairs bedroom. Kōtarō had given it up without much remorse since he hadn't really been sleeping there for some time, and all his belongings were already in the master bedroom downstairs. Given that he had spent many nights there for months, the acclimation hadn't been difficult.
"Very well."
They continued to talk for a few more minutes, Kuroo answering his mother's increasingly odd questions: why was it important to know if there was a dog groomer in his neighborhood? Tetsurō started to wonder where she was going with that.
"Well then..."
Uh-oh.
"We don't talk about it much but... Is everything okay in the love department?"
Kuroo froze.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Fuck, fuck, fuck! She usually avoided this subject! What exactly had gotten into her all of a sudden? Did his mother suspect something after all?
"No…"
Technically, he wasn't lying -he didn't have a boyfriend, but rather three!
"Hmm, okay, okay... And... a girlfriend?"
Tetsurō rolled his eyes and sighed. Well, no, his mother didn't suspect anything… And she was still in denial!
"Oh no, don't think that I... that I... Well, don't sigh."
"Mom, do you really think I would have a girlfriend?"
"I don't know, baby."
"You already know that's not the case..."
He didn't really want to confront her about it, but he was starting to get tired of this attitude.
"I know, I know, but... But since you told us, you've never introduced anyone to us. You're almost 23 years old, and you've never talked about anyone... I'm just wondering."
Tetsurō frowned. Did she really want to talk about this with him? It was strange to think that because he never mentioned his boyfriends to her, he would suddenly become straight! And that he would hide it from her! What a ridiculous idea!
"Just because I've never told you doesn't mean it's never happened!"
"Oh... You... you've had a boyfriend before?"
"Yes Mom, several."
"And you've never told me!"
She seemed genuinely upset about it.
"Well, given that you just asked if I had a girlfriend, I wonder why that is!"
"I don't know, I'm just asking, I wouldn't want you to feel bad about telling me if it's the case."
What? Where was she getting this idea from? What about the 'I just moved in with three adult men' made her think he had a hidden girlfriend? Was that really the conclusion she had drawn from this?
"Mom..."
"I don't know, you could be bi or pansexual."
Tetsu nearly choked on his saliva, hearing those words from his mother's mouth. He burst out laughing:
"No, Mom, I'm not bisexual or pansexual. Where did you get that idea from?"
"Your sisters! They keep correcting me. 'Yes, maybe Mr Tanaka is married to a woman and has children, but he could be pansexual.' I can't keep up... I'm just trying to understand, that's all."
Kuroo was speechless. Since when had his sisters decided to advocate for the queer community and take the initiative to educate their mother? Even he gave up on that!
"Well, it's a valid argument, and if my sisters are trying to show you not to assume everyone's heterosexuality, I guess that's a good thing, but no, I'm not bisexual or pansexual... Not that I know of. But if that changes, I'll let you know."
"Okay, okay, I was just wondering. I thought maybe they insisted because you couldn't tell me something."
Well, sure, but we were still far from what he was really hiding from her!
"No, I don't think they're trying to cover for me, don't worry."
If it wasn't to cover for him, it was a bit surprising that they had decided to take the lead and bother to educate their mother on the subject... What were they trying to do?
He shrugged. Well, he wasn't going to be offended by that. After all, it could only bring positive outcomes.
"Okay... And so you'd tell me if you had a boyfriend?"
Fuck.
"Yes."
Again, he wasn't lying: if he had "a" boyfriend, she said, he would tell her, yes. That wasn't the case. It was just about asking the right questions, that's all!
He eventually managed to steer the conversation elsewhere. He did, however, end the call with the promise of receiving an entire crab soon, to his great dismay. At least he hadn't been caught.
As soon as the conversation ended, he sent a message to the group chat with his sisters.
"What have you been telling Mom? She just asked me if I'm bi or pan!"
Unfortunately, he never got a real answer; his very serious question was brushed aside with a few emojis and recorded laughs, which only deepened his confusion.
He quickly forgot about the event as mid-semester exams were around the corner, leaving him with no time to worry about that nebulous situation. He forgot a lot of things, his head completely buried in books. The days flew by at a breakneck pace; between the last classes of the semester and the beginning of study sessions, he barely came up for air.
"Hey."
Tetsurō looked up from his biochemistry book and turned his eyes towards Kōtarō. The latter was barricaded behind a mountain of open books and scribbled notes. He gave him a tired smile.
They had started studying together in the middle of the afternoon. Night had fallen hours ago now. Keiji had fallen asleep between his books.
"Hm?" was all Kuroo could manage to respond.
"Happy birthday."
Tetsurō's eyes widened in surprise. He unlocked his phone: November 17, 12:03 AM. It was indeed his birthday. He let his head collapse onto his books. He finally turned his head, meeting his boyfriend's gaze.
"Thanks…"
Kōtarō smiled at him.
"I have an exam in 8 hours," added Tetsurō.
"Me too."
He sighed again. Silence stretched on for a few more seconds.
"We should go to bed."
"Hmm... I won't be able to continue anyway…"
"Must be old age catching up with you..."
He laughed.
"Hmm, must be."
"Okay, I'll take Keiji to bed, otherwise he's going to spend the night here… We're leaving at 6:45 AM tomorrow, ok?"
"That early?!" Tetsurō complained.
"Hmm... I think Kenma needs the car during the day, so we'll have to take the subway. And we need to get there a bit early."
Kuroo let out a moan of despair.
"I know, I know."
"This is a crappy birthday," he complained like a child.
"I know, I know... I promise we'll make up for it."
Kōtarō leaned in to kiss his temple, which calmed Tetsurō.
"Go to bed, I'll take care of the rest, babe."
He vaguely nodded, packed up his things, and left the room.
Waking up the next morning was brutal.
"Happy birthday, Tetsu," he murmured to himself.
A biochemistry exam at the break of dawn was definitely not on his wish list... The universe was so cruel sometimes…
-/-
This is how the next ten days unfolded: falling asleep in the middle of the living room table on his revision notes, waking up at dawn to head to the university. By the time he finished his exams, it was already dark; he hadn't even had the chance to see the daylight. The temperatures had dropped too, which made this nefarious routine even more challenging.
Eventually, he made it through. He had tried to celebrate the end of the exam session with his friends the previous evening, but none of them lasted more than an hour, all completely exhausted by the two weeks they had just lived through (even those who didn't have to take exams, for that matter).
He woke up the following Saturday, engulfed in soothing warmth.
"Wakey, wakey, babe."
He opened one eye, then quickly closed it again. He let out a muffled groan, his body still glued with sleep. He felt arms wrapping around him and kisses on his face.
"Tetsurō..."
He finally opened his eyes completely. Kōtarō was sprawled on top of him and smiled as soon as their eyes met. Keiji was lying to his right, Kenma to his left, purring softly.
"Oh, you're all here," the brunet noted, a blissful smile spreading across his lips. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Hmm, happy birthday," murmured Kenma before planting a kiss on his neck.
Tetsu stretched, letting out a sleepy groan as he felt his body slowly waking up.
"It's already passed, stop reminding me of my old age..."
"Here," said the blond, handing him a steaming cup.
Kuroo discovered with infinite joy that it was a good cup of coffee. He eagerly took the first sip.
"Wow, I needed this so much, thank you..."
"And here," said Kōtarō, shoving three gifts neatly packed under his nose, "from us."
"Oh, you guys are too sweet..."
"Just open them already, they might be crap!"
"No, I don't believe that for a second!"
"Open them!" urged Kenma and Kōtarō.
"Okay, okay!"
He took the first one. It was the most voluminous: a square box wrapped in a blue furoshiki. As soon as he untied the knot, he guessed what was inside. His eyes widened in pleasant surprise, and he quickly unwrapped it completely.
"No way! It's the headphones we saw together!" he exclaimed, turning his eyes to Keiji.
The latter nodded with a smile.
One of the losses in the fire had been his earbuds. They were too old and worn out to mourn, but their loss had made Tetsurō consider investing in proper headphones. He had spotted one a few weeks ago during a window-shopping session with Keiji, but decided against buying it. His expensive taste had led him to fancy a headset with a price tag too astronomical for his modest budget. So he was more than delighted and moved to find it in front of him.
"I love it."
"Open the next one," pressed Kōtarō, handing it to him.
He did as he was told and chuckled upon seeing the contents: a cream-colored T-shirt depicting two children playing junior scientists in a vintage advertisement style, accompanied by the slogan 'finding a cure for stupid people'.
He chuckled.
"Thanks. Is that what you think I do for a living?"
"We hope so," commented Kenma.
He moved on to the third gift: a simple yet elegant silver chain. Kuroo let the links slide through his fingers, recognizing it as a piece of jewelry his three other boyfriends already owned. He felt his heart swell.
Deciding to inject some humor before getting too sentimental, he said:
"Whoa, this feels like I'm part of a Yakuza gang."
His comment had the desired effect: making his boyfriends laugh.
"We're part of the same gang now," he continued, losing his comedic tone.
Kenma extended his hand, and Kuroo handed him the chain to clasp around his neck. Kuroo held the chain to examine the details.
"Thank you..." he murmured.
A few seconds of silence followed. Kuroo felt perfectly at ease, right where he belonged.
Keiji leaned in, their lips brushing and caressing each other. They parted briefly before meeting again in a kiss that quickly deepened. Kuroo heard Kenma take the gifts and place them at the foot of the bed. He felt Kenma's breath against his skin and then his lips on his neck. He slid out from under the covers, feeling Kōtarō's hands move under his T-shirt and his lips kissing his stomach. Tetsurō let himself melt into their embraces.
It was quite rare for all four of them to be in the same bed, and the occurrence only heightened his desire. Just as he felt a hand slip into his underwear, they heard the downstairs door open.
All four of them froze.
"Didn't you lock the door downstairs?" murmured Kenma to no one in particular.
"I did," replied Kōtarō, not very reassured either.
Tetsu pulled the duvet over them, a flimsy attempt at protection. They all remained still for several long seconds, each on high alert.
Finally, a voice reached them.
"Yo, is anyone home?! Ugly face, where are you?!"
Kōtarō poked his head out from under the covers.
"Nao?!"
"What's your brother doing here?" pressed Kenma.
"I don't know!"
"Maybe he's not here?"
The sentence was spoken in a small, childlike voice.
"Shin?"
"Nah, don't worry mosquito... Where are you guys?"
"Maybe they're sleeping?"
"Oh yeah," said Nao, trying to lower his voice. A failed attempt since all four of them heard perfectly.
"Well, we're not sleeping now!" yelled Kōtarō, grumpy.
He got out of bed and approached the door.
"Kōtarō," the blond called before he opened it.
"What!"
Kenma motioned for him to look down at the prominent erection that his poor boxers barely concealed. This only worsened Kōtarō's mood, who muttered something unintelligible, clearly annoyed. He approached the bed, yanked the blanket, and wrapped it around himself, leaving the other three exposed to the cold. Kōtarō stomped to the door and flung it open:
"What are you doing here?!"
"Yo ugly face, is that how you greet us?"
"You're a pain in the ass!"
His older brother didn't seem very receptive to his anger.
"Hm, hm, where is everyone?"
"Here!" answered Kenma.
Silence stretched for a few seconds.
"Oh, you're all upstairs! Am I interrupting something?"
"No!" Tetsurō, Kenma, and Keiji quickly said.
"Yes!" Kōtarō retorted, tightening the blanket around him, vexed.
"Oh, sorry! Come on, you can mess around later, get down here!"
They heard Kōtarō stomp down the stairs, continuing to grumble. His tone changed drastically when he saw his little brother.
Tetsurō finally caught the gaze of his boyfriends, and they chuckled together.
"Well, I guess we have to go," announced Kenma. "Are you presentable?"
Kuroo looked down at himself.
"Well, let's just say that cooled me off."
"I can confirm that as well," added Keiji.
"Alright, let's go then."
The blond was the first to get up and leave the room.
Kuroo sighed heavily and buried his head in Keiji's chest. The latter let out a light laugh and held his face to kiss him.
"Shall we?"
He nodded.
"I'll get dressed first."
"Okay."
Keiji got out of bed and disappeared as well. Tetsurō sighed again but finally got up. He threw on the first hoodie and sweatpants he found and went downstairs.
As he was walking through the hallway towards the kitchen, Kōtarō blocked his way.
"Don't wear that, go change!" he insisted.
This didn't sit well with Tetsurō.
"Kōtarō, this is my body, I do what I want with it, and I wear what I want."
Seriously! The guy was wearing canary yellow crop tops, and he dared to comment on his outfits?
"Sure, but not my brother's clothes... when he's here."
Not this again!
"Kō, it's not really…"
"Oy, oy, ugly, there's no need to be difficult, it's not your fault your boyfriend likes to wear my things. It's my natural musk…"
"You see why now…"
"Yes… I'll go change…"
Before he could turn around, Akaashi, now fully dressed, handed him one of his sweaters.
"Thanks…"
Kōtarō didn't let him go until he had removed his older brother's sweatshirt and put on their boyfriend's. He finally turned around, and they entered the living room together.
"Nao… san…" hesitated Kuroo, seeing his "brother-in-law."
He bowed, unsure of how polite he should be. After all, it was only their second meeting, yet he had invited himself into their living room without warning.
"Yo Tetsu! Sorry for the interruption."
He could only respond with a mumbled sound, not knowing what to say.
"Ah! It's you!"
He looked down and a genuine smile spread across his face when he saw the youngest of the siblings.
"It's me, Shin-kun."
The child smiled at him and extended his arms. He bent down to lift him into his arms, delighted by the affection the child showed him. However, once in his arms, Shin pointed to the high stool set up at the bar. A bowl of what he guessed was steaming hot chocolate awaited him there.
"Oh, you want me to settle you there."
Shin nodded. Tetsu complied, setting him on the stool but staying close to react quickly in case he fell.
"Yeah, sorry to barge in like that," said Nao as he walked around the bar to sit next to Kenma.
"You don't seem very sorry," grumbled Kōtarō, still bitter.
"Hmm..." Nao turned to Kenma. "At least I know you weren't up to anything freaky."
Kenma let out a slightly lewd smile.
"No, but I do like to watch."
Kuroo's eyes widened in surprise, while Nao burst out laughing.
"Hmm, I should have guessed, plus Yūji told me they were teaching you bondage."
"That's right."
Kuroo blinked several times. He didn't realize Kenma and Nao were... well, so...
"What's bondage?" asked the youngest.
"It's like jump rope, but for grown-ups," his older brother replied.
"Whoa, that sounds so cool!"
Nao snickered.
"Don't tell him that," grumbled Kōtarō.
"So you know Yūji?" asked Kuroo, trying to change the subject.
"Hmm, we went to high school together."
"Oh, okay."
"We met through Nao," Kenma clarified.
"Nice!"
"So what are you doing here?" Kōtarō interrupted, crossing his arms.
Tetsu smiled to himself, amused to see his boyfriend so grumpy. It was rare to see him in such a bad mood, and his pettiness was somewhat endearing.
"Folks went away for the weekend, Nobu is at his girlfriend's, Suki's still in Sapporo, and Megumi, I think, is at a friend's..."
"Why did they ask you to babysit?"
"Because apparently, they had so many kids to avoid babysitters... And I'm the only one around... and single... Damn, that sounds like a sketchy dating site tagline..."
The comment made Kōtarō laugh.
"So it was just the two of us and the shrimp wanted to see you."
"Hmm... And sending a message was too hard?"
"No, but it wouldn't have been a surprise then!"
Nao walked around the bar to approach his little brother, who had already taken a defensive boxing stance.
"Come on, smile, ugly, admit you're happy to see me!"
Without a warning, he grabbed his little brother by the waist to tip him forward. Kōtarō didn't let him and immediately countered the attack.
"Oh no..." lamented Kenma.
"Hmm, I agree," Shin chimed in.
The child was sipping his hot chocolate like a gentleman from a good family, watching his brothers squabble with a bit of disdain in his eyes.
"I think it's not very polite."
Kuroo smiled to himself. Nakayama's genes were strong in this one.
"I do not like this kind of activity either, Shin-kun," added Keiji, addressing the child as if he were a man of the world.
"Hmm... I would never do that..."
"What do you mean you'd never do that?" exclaimed his older brother, ruffling his hair.
He picked up the child, making him laugh heartily, tousled his hair, and lifted him into the air, which, though terrifying to watch, greatly amused the little one who let out a scream of pure joy. Nao finally secured his little brother in his arms, laughing with him. Kuroo smiled at the scene. Turning his eyes, he found Kōtarō, his hair all tousled and his features much more relaxed than a few seconds ago, purring loudly without seeming to realize it. He chuckled: it wasn't hard to tame him, his older brother knew that well.
"So, did you have plans for today?" Nao asked, looking at Kenma and Keiji.
"Hmm, we were planning to celebrate Tetsurō's birthday."
Nao turned his eyes in his direction:
"It's your birthday?"
"No, it was ten days ago..."
"Oh, there you go."
"We were in the middle of exams, we thought we'd celebrate it today, just the four of us."
Grumpy Kōtarō was back.
"Come on! You're always together! Look, you can't say no to this little face!" exclaimed Nao, taking the youngest's face in his hand to emphasize his point.
Tetsu turned to his boyfriends, indicating that the persuasive technique was quite effective on him.
"Shin-kun, what would you like to do?"
"Go to the aquarium!"
The idea seemed to appeal to everyone.
"I suppose we could go to Sea Life Park, it's quite big and…"
"No!" the youngest interrupted.
They turned, surprised.
"Not there."
"Why not ?"
The child didn't respond, simply burying his face in his older brother's neck.
"Pfft, okay, so where do you want to go?" his older brother asked.
"Sumida."
"You want to go to an aquarium in a shopping mall?"
"Yes… And then we can go to the stores, and eat ice cream."
"Honestly, it's not a bad plan."
"Hmm… Plus, there are a lot of things in that shopping mall," Kenma noted, phone in hand. "There's even a planetarium."
"Woah! Can we go there too?" Kōtarō asked, having regained his usual enthusiasm.
"Ji, what do you think?"
"Sounds good."
"Alright, mall aquarium it is then."
-/-
"Why are you turning here? We're not parking here! There's a parking lot at the mall!" Kōtarō intervened.
"Yeah, but here it's free." Kenma grumbled.
Kōtarō rolled his eyes.
"Gosh, why are you so cheap when you don't need to be..."
"I'm not cheap, I'm... frugal."
Shin, sitting on his brother's lap, burst out laughing:
"Frugal, hehe."
Nao chuckled.
Kuroo, though squished against the window for nearly half an hour, also let out a smile.
"That's not what frugal means, and you know it," said Kōtarō.
"Whatever, we're staying here. Alright, everyone out," announced the blonde after parking the car in a tiny corner of an isolated alley.
Shin scrambled off his brother's lap to climb over him and open the door.
"Shin-kun, wait, you're going to…"
Too late, the child had already jumped out of the vehicle. Kuroo quickly unbuckled his seatbelt upon seeing the child running up the street at full speed.
"Hey, mosquito, stop!" his older brother yelled.
Shin obeyed immediately.
Kuroo quickly got out to join him.
"Hey, don't run off like that…"
"Sorry," the youngest apologized, "hold my hand."
Tetsurō looked at the small hand extended toward him and took it. Once he did, Shin wasted no time and started running again, dragging Tetsurō behind him.
"Hey, wait!"
They finally reached the end of the street. Shin had stopped. He was looking up at the sky with amazement.
"Whoa, it's the Tokyo Tower, look!"
The brunet turned his eyes in the indicated direction: in front of them, stretching up to the sky, was indeed an immense metal tower. Tetsurō chuckled.
"That's not the Tokyo Tower, Shin."
"Oh…" the child responded, disappointed. "Are you sure?"
"What are you talking about? You've already seen the Tokyo Tower, it doesn't look like that."
Nao had just caught up with them.
"Oh… right… So what is it? "
"Skytree."
"It's not the same thing?"
"… No."
"Hmm… and what is for?"
"Hmm… broadcasting TV or radio," Tetsurō explained.
"Oh, okay… Well, come on, I want to see the fish!" the youngest exclaimed, pulling on Tetsurō's arm.
"Okay, okay," the brunet relented, seeing that everyone was out of the car now.
The youngest's determination, however, was fleeting. Once inside the mall, his goal became less urgent and clear. He stopped in front of every shop window, touching the glass with his fingertips, looking inside the stores with amazement. They had to promise to return once the aquarium visit was over for the child to finally move on.
They finally arrived at their destination. It was still early in the morning; the aquarium had just opened its doors, and very few people had arrived yet. The entire floor was bathed in a bluish dim light, and Tetsurō smiled to himself as he heard Shin marvel at the colors of the neon lights and LEDs installed on each step of the staircase.
His enthusiasm quickly waned up when Shin discovered that the floor was mainly inhabited by small rectangular fish tanks. School of little fishes were swimming peacefully through lush and ethereal settings.
"The fishes are tiny" the youngest pouted.
"So what? You're tiny too," commented Nao.
"And look, Shin, the background is pretty!" said Kōtarō.
The youngest approached and looked at what his brother was pointing out. Kōtarō began narrating fantastic tales, voicing all the fish in the tanks, which made his little brother laugh. Kuroo watched them travel from tank to tank, continuing the magical epic of an imaginary aquatic adventurer. He finally turned away from them when he felt a hand brush against his. Turning his eyes, he found Keiji beside him.
"Hey," he said, smiling.
"Hey..." his lover murmured.
They both turned their eyes to the tank in front of them. Tiny grey fish swam in schools through green valleys, moving across the lush expanses as if they were flying.
"I know ethically," Keiji began, "I should not enjoy seeing living beings taken from their natural habitat and confined in small glass boxes..."
"Hum," Kuroo conceded.
"But I still really enjoy aquariums..."
Tetsurō chuckled.
"When you put it like that..."
His shoulder brushed against Keiji's.
"Maybe we'll be reincarnated as aquarium fish as punishment," Tetsurō hypothesized.
"Hmm... Maybe."
He sighed.
"On second thought, if I were to be reincarnated as a fish, I would prefer to be in an aquarium."
"Really? What about your ethics?"
"If you think about it, there are no predators, and food is free. There are worse things in the world."
"You're saying that because you're a human; maybe your needs would change as a fish..."
"Maybe all the fish here are reincarnations of human beings..."
Kuroo grimaced.
"This got dark very quickly."
Keiji laughed softly.
"Maybe... Seems like the goth teenager I was is still somewhere inside."
Kuroo widened his eyes.
"What?"
"Shall we move on?"
"No, Keiji, wait! You were, you... Oh my god, I want to see photos! Why didn't anyone tell me, Keiji!"
The sly one had already disappeared among the tanks.
"Yo, what's goi..."
"Did you know Keiji went through a goth phase?"
Tetsurō had just abruptly interrupted Kōtarō. The latter jumped, surprised by his intensity.
"I've known him since he was two and a half days old, of course I know. But I'd say it was more grunge than gothic..."
"Oh... that's even better! And you didn't tell me!"
"Was it really necessary?"
"Absolutely yes!"
Kōtarō chuckled.
"If you want, I have pics," Kenma offered, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
"Oh my, yes !"
"You would not dare..." murmured Keiji, reappearing behind them.
"I didn't keep them all this time for nothing!" retorted Kenma, quickly scrolling through his photo gallery.
"How come you have photos? We were not dating at that time," Keiji noted.
Kuroo saw the blonde start to blush.
"You remember wrong darling, you went into your dark academia stage eons after we started dating. But yeah, some of the pics were taken before we got together."
"So… you were taking creepshots of Keiji." said Tetsurō, snickering
"I think the word you're looking for is 'candid pictures'."
"'Tis not"
"That's..."
"Adorable."
"Creepy."
Keiji and Kōtarō spoke at the same time.
"It is a bit creepy, yeah," Kenma conceded. "But it's okay, we were friends at the time. It's not like I was some stranger lurking in the school corridors, taking photos of your underwear."
The three of them laughed together.
"Still, it's a bit creepy," Kōtarō muttered.
"Jealousy does not suit you, my dear." Keiji joked.
"I'm not jea..."
"I never said I didn't take pics of you too," Kenma cut him off.
That effectively silenced him instantly.
"Oh..."
"Here, I found one."
Kenma handed them the phone. It was a photo of Keiji and Kōtarō sitting across from each other in a park. Their faces still had their youthful roundness. Kōtarō had an even more improbable hairstyle than the one he wore today, defying the laws of gravity even further. The rest of his outfit was less extravagant than his current style, as he was simply wearing jeans and a sports jersey. Keiji, on the other hand, oh... Keiji was marvelous. He took the phone to examine it more closely: he was wearing a large black t-shirt over a purple and black turtleneck. He wore a myriad of chains around his neck, rings on each finger, and large glasses resting on his nose, secured by a silver chain. Through the holes in his black pants, Tetsurō could make out the distinctive crisscrosses of fishnet stockings.
He blushed.
"I... it's grandiose... Okay, I'm sending this to myself."
He managed to do it before Keiji could take the phone back. In the end, Kenma had the last word: he took the phone and stuffed it into his sweatshirt pocket. Kuroo retrieved his own phone and immediately opened the photo he had just sent to himself.
"I'll cherish it until the end of my days," he murmured.
Is this what they call the Stendhal syndrome?
He was brought back to reality by Nao's voice.
"Hey, move it!"
All four of them turned: Nao and Shin were waiting for them in front of the stairs leading to the lower floor. They hurried to join them.
"I have plenty more," Kenma confided to him. "I'll show you if you want."
"With great pleasure!"
Once downstairs, they immediately came across a large tank where dozens of penguins were resting and swimming.
"Penguins!" the youngest marveled, immediately pressing his face against the glass separating him from the animals.
Not satisfied with the view he had, he turned to Tetsurō and raised his arms. The latter understood his request and lifted him up, which offered quite an elevation for the toddler, who could now see the entirety of the tank.
"Oh! Awesome, bi penguins!" they heard Nao exclaim.
Turning his eyes, Kuroo discovered he was looking at a large panel.
"Oww, bi penguins!" Shin exclaimed.
His enthusiasm made Tetsurō laugh.
"Can we go see?"
"If you want."
They headed towards the panel where Nao was still standing. It was a diagram summarizing the relationships among each of the penguins. Well, the penguins seemed to have a thriving social life given the complexity of their relationships, enough to make several seasons of a young adult Netflix series.
"Which one?" Shin asked, still interested in the complicated love lives of these birds.
"There," his brother said, pointing at the diagram.
Indeed, the sign indicated that two males had been in love for a while. Their story, however, had already ended, and each had found a new female partner, who also seemed to have tumultuous relationships with the rest of the colony.
Kuroo chuckled, remembering the conversation he had with his mother recently. He took out his phone to take a picture and sent it to his sisters.
"I thought penguins were monogamous," Nao commented.
"Apparently not."
"No... Oi ugly!" Nao yelled, spotting Kōtarō behind him.
"Stop calling me that!"
Tetsurō and Shin stayed together in front of the sign, detailing all the colony's relationships. Kuroo eventually put the child down so he could see the bottom of the sign.
"They really get along well," he heard Keiji comment behind them.
"Hmm, beta stuff, they understand each other," Nao said, amused.
"Nao, stop that," Kōtarō scolded.
Tetsurō didn't really react to the intervention. But since he was completely silent, Kuroo turned his eyes to Shin: he seemed to have heard what was said behind him and he didn't seem to like it at all. He saw his face completely close off. Finally, he spun around:
"Stop saying that!" he yelled.
Finally, he rushed at his elder brother, kicked him in the shins, and ran off.
"Shin, I..."
Kuroo looked up at Nao and Kōtarō.
"Tetsu, he didn't mean..." Kōtarō began.
"I'll go get him," he interrupted, walking past them.
"Tetsu..."
He didn't bother to respond and headed in the direction he had seen the youngest go. He quickly found himself in front of an immense tank. Inside, schools of multicolored fish and a few small sharks swam together in dark blue water dotted with pearls of light. The water's convolutions reflected on the ground.
Shin was slumped in a chair facing the tank, his eyes filled with tears, looking upset. Kuroo came and sat next to him. He turned his eyes towards the tank and said nothing, waiting to see if Shin would accept his presence.
"I don't like it when they say that," the child finally said.
Kuroo eventually turned his eyes to him. He just nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"I... they can't know, nobody knows, and it annoys me, I..."
He didn't continue.
Kuroo understood that he wouldn't say more.
He found it strange that something like this could distraught him so deeply. He realized that the environments he grew up in and the one Shin was growing up in were vastly different. If it turned out that he was a beta, it would make him a minority in his own family, in his world, which had never been the case for him, at least not like that. But he understood. It was not a pleasant thought for such a young child.
"You're right, Shin, they can't know."
The child sniffled loudly.
"Yes..."
Shin no longer seemed angry but was still very much upset.
"But you know... um... even if it's the case, uh, it's not a big deal."
"What?"
"Being a beta."
Shin crossed his arms.
"Um... you know, there are plenty of people who are, it's not a big deal. I'm a beta, and... well, it's okay."
The child turned his eyes to him, genuinely surprised.
"Really?"
"Yes."
The youngest sniffled again.
"You know... whatever happens, it doesn't... it doesn't define the person you're going to be... Well... we're not there yet... But you're right, they can't know. And it's not important to know right now. But Shin, whatever happens, you'll be okay, I promise, okay?"
The little one nodded vigorously. He eventually fell against him, which brought a tender smile to Tetsurō's face.
He turned his eyes to the tank.
A large ray passed in front of them.
"Look, Shin, a ray, it looks like it's flying!"
"Cool!" the youngest yelled, genuinely amazed.
He stood up to press his face against the glass.
"And look there! Do you see that one? So pretty!"
"Yes, I see, I see."
Tetsurō sat quietly, watching the child captivated by the wonders swimming in the tank.
"Hey."
Tetsurō turned his gaze away from the tank. Nao had just arrived. He simply nodded to greet him, then finally turned his eyes back to the tank.
He heard the young man sigh.
Eventually, Nao sat down next to him.
"Um," he began to get his attention, "sorry about earlier."
"It's nothing. I'm fine. You didn't say anything particularly offensive. Shin was upset, but he's fine now."
Although nothing overtly hurtful had been said, Kuroo clearly understood the implications of the comments and recognized what had deeply upset the youngest. In his experience, when someone commented on his secondary... or about any secondary in general, it rarely came as a compliment. Instead, it often aimed to reinforce outdated stereotypes. But well, he could overlook it.
"It's not for nothing that the kid got upset, that was uncalled for, I'm sorry about that."
"Hmm..."
Kuroo didn't quite know what he truly felt.
"Sorry, it was stupid of me. I wouldn't like it if someone did the same to me. And trust me, I know how it feels like to... whatever, that was stupid."
Kuroo just vaguely nodded. Now he just wanted the conversation to end without going south. He didn't necessarily want to confront his brother-in-law when they knew each other so little.
In his peripheral vision, he saw Nao glance at him before quickly looking away. He nervously rubbed his neck and finally spoke again:
"I have to admit that... I... I realize that I had a lot of prejudices, stupid things... Well, now I see it's stupid. And..."
"Nao, it's okay really, it's fine. I'm used to it, my friends call me 'clueless beta' all the time, and for a good reason, believe me." Tetsurō cut him off, wanting to escape this conversation as quickly as possible.
Nao didn't seem to agree. Apparently, he was also here to challenge his social conceptions. Frankly, Kuroo wasn't in a position to judge.
"It doesn't matter if you're used to it or not... I mean, I've faced so much of this kind of crap in my life, I don't necessarily want to repeat the pattern."
He sighed again.
"I get it you know, it's okay. Like I said, I've been called a clueless beta countless times since I got here, and I mean, yeah that's fair. I can't deny that. I know what it's like. Betas are kind of clueless and ignorant in general because we don't feel like we need to understand, because most of the time we don't have to. And I'm not going to deny the systemic discrimination that exists in this country, and I benefit from it most of the time... And I must have participated in it, and probably still do, despite myself. I also had a lot of stupid stereotypes and... well, there you go. "
"Whoa, you went really deep real fast there," Nao noted.
It was true that for someone who didn't want to participate in the debate, he had certainly put his foot in it.
"Sorry..."
"No, don't apologize."
Silence fell between them.
"I also had a lot of stupid stereotypes in my head until... well until I got here really, in Tokyo."
"Well... you're still a queer guy in a quad with two omegas and an alpha, so I'm not too worried about your deconstruction," Nao commented.
"When you put it like that..."
"Still... sorry... I... well, when Kōtarō told us he was dating a beta, I... um... I admit I was real judgy, like 'who is that idiot,' no offense."
"None taken."
"But... now that I know you a bit more, I have to admit, well, you're a pretty cool guy."
"Uh... thanks?"
"And... in a way, it reassures me."
"About?"
Nao let out a long sigh.
"That you're around. My parents… especially my dad, were starting to lose it, freaking out that one of their children might be a beta... Um... I feel like it's getting better… and I think it's partly thanks to you..."
"Oh… uh… okay."
Tetsurō nodded. Even he could see that something had changed. The first time Tetsurō met Naruhito-san, he was cold and stinging towards him. The second time was... well, he was warmer, still very sober yes, but something had definitely changed. Tetsurō didn't understand what he had done to bring about this change, he didn't know how he had gained the goodwill of Kōtarō's parents. In the end, he could only be happy about it.
"Thanks."
"For?"
"I don't know..."
"For not being an idiot? You're welcome, I guess."
His comment made Nao chuckle.
"Look at the big fish!" Shin yelled, pointing to an empty corner of the aquarium's tank.
"What big fish?"
"There!"
"There's nothing there, Shin..."
"No, it's a big fish. Come here!"
"Well... I guess I have to go look then," muttered the eldest.
He patted Tetsurō's shoulder and stood up to go to his little brother. Kuroo watched them interact. Shin was back to being just a happy kid apparently.
"Hey babe..."
He turned his eyes to Kōtarō. He smiled, and his boyfriend sat down beside him.
"Sorry... My brother can be an idiot sometimes..."
"It's nothing. We talked about it. Your little brother was upset earlier, but he seems fine now."
Kōtarō turned his eyes to his younger brother. He let out a smile.
"Yes..."
"Did you talk to him?"
"To whom?"
"Shin?"
"Briefly... But I didn't have to say much... He was upset because he said no one could know yet..."
"Hmm... Good. Thanks."
He sighed.
"What did you talk to Nao about?"
"Um... he apologized to me... which wasn't really necessary, but still."
Kōtarō nodded.
"Maybe my brothers will be better this time around."
"What do you mean?"
"Um... Honestly, they were really shitty to me when I was younger."
Tetsurō frowned, turning his full attention to his boyfriend.
"Oh..."
"I... um... when I was like, eleven, maybe twelve years old... I had to get an X-ray and I don't remember what else, an ultrasound or something."
"Okay..."
He didn't quite see where this was going.
"Nothing serious, I had just swallowed some safety pins."
Kuroo's eyes widened, horrified.
"It was closed! I mean, I didn't know that when I swallowed it, which is why I went to the hospital, but... nothing serious in the end."
"A potential perforation isn't exactly what I would call 'nothing serious'! Why did you swallow a safety pin in the first place?!"
"It was an accident! I was just playing with it!"
"With your mouth?!"
"Oh come on, It was ten years ago, I was young!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Okay, but do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"
"Yes, go on."
"So... anyway, the exams... I hadn't had any before and, well... We could have known earlier, but my parents didn't really want to know... It's kind of a family tradition, let's say. Anyway. That's how they found out, well, I found out too, but anyway, that's how they found out about my secondary."
"Oh... uh... okay."
"My parents were thrilled! After three alphas, they finally had... me. But honestly, I took it really, really badly... I made my parents promise not to say anything, at least until... until my presentation... I guess I was hoping it was a mistake, that it wasn't really the case..."
"Uh... And... why did you take it badly?"
"Well, it's sad but it's kind of a 'hello shitty life' sign."
"Oh..."
"And then... I had many prejudices in my mind; things I had heard at school or on TV. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to hurt my parents, especially 'ka-san and 'tto-san. But honestly, it didn't sit well with me at first..."
"Hmm..."
"Let's be clear, it still bothers me, but I realized a long time ago that it has nothing to do with my secondary, the system is just fucked up. Besides... well, it's a part of me, and I... I like that about myself too... Anyway."
Tetsurō nodded.
"My brothers were really shitty about it... Honestly, at that age, I didn't get along with them much anyway, but then... One day we were at a fair, I was doing bumper cars with my older brothers and sister, and I remember Nao saying something like 'Enjoy it, later you'll have to ask your Alpha's permission to do that', and the other two just laughed their ass off."
Tetsurō made a face.
"Ew... Yeah, that's pretty bad."
"Yeah. I could have killed them! My parents were angry too. Man, they yelled at them for so long, I still remember it to this day. But yeah... I don't know what my parents told them in the end, but they changed. I think I went into a cycle shortly after that and... they stopped bothering me... They were actually really sweet, and... it's also thanks to them and their support that I feel relatively good now... I get along with them now, but that wasn't the case before. Anyway... What I wanted to say is that Nao can be a bit slow sometimes... But I don't think he means any harm or... I think he just doesn't realize the impact his word can have."
"I think he gets it now... "
"Hmm..."
A small shark weaved between the rocks.
"Like, eight months ago, I think, Shin had to go to the hospital because of a stomach ache or something... They did ultrasound test and everything and... Well, we don't know his exact secondary, but we know he's not an omega."
"Oh... Okay."
"We'll see... I just hope my older brothers won't repeat the same mistakes... But well... I guess it's gonna be fine," he said, turning his eyes towards his brothers. Nao had picked Shin up and they were examining the fish swimming a few centimeters away from them together.
"Yeah... And besides..."
"Hmm?"
"Now you're the big brother too."
Kōtarō smiled at him.
"That's true..."
"Ni-san!"
Kōtarō turned to his little brother, who ran to him. Kōtarō stood up and opened his arms to lift him up.
"Hey, little mosquito."
"I saw all the fish!"
"Hmm, really all of them?"
"Yes, really."
"And did you name all of them?"
"No... But I'm hungry! I want ice cream."
"We might eat something else before we have ice cream."
This statement didn't seem to particularly please the youngest.
"I'm starving too," declared Kenma, who had just arrived with Keiji.
"Oh wait, I want to see the shop first!" exclaimed Shin. "Nao, give me my money!"
"Give me my money, what?"
"My money... now?"
"And the 'please'?"
"Please."
"Much better... I'll come with you, hold on. Hey, we'll meet you outside," Nao said, taking his little brother by the hand and heading towards the souvenir shop.
"So, what are we eating?"
In the end, Tetsurō didn't have a say in the matter. As soon as the little one reappeared, he solemnly declared that he was fine with eating something other than ice cream, but he refused to eat anything other than chicken nuggets.
In the end, the deal wasn't that bad, and they ended up eating giant burgers at the only restaurant in the mall that served decent chicken nuggets. The food was delicious, yes, but the aftermath was brutal. They ended up scrolling through the mall like a pack of postpondial spleed deprived zombies, trying to contain Shin fully boost up, running around and yelling every time he spotted a shop (which, and you guessed it, was every two seconds).
They finally made it to the planetarium, where none of them really enjoyed the visit, as they all fell asleep as soon as they settled into their seats. Tetsurō vaguely remembered seeing a nebula projected on the dome above his head before he dozed off. Still, he had to admit that he had one of the most pleasant naps of his life in that planetarium, the perfect birthday present of all. After one last round of window shopping, and seeing that Shin was finally starting to tire, they decided to head back.
The return trip was peaceful. Tetsurō sat in the back of the car, his head resting lazily against the window. He watched the urban scenery pass by as the last rays of the sunset reflected off the glass facades of the towering skyscrapers, casting an orange glow over them. A smile spread across his face: it had been a good day.
"Do you want me to drop you off at the train station?" Kenma asked.
"Hmm, yeah," Nao replied, looking up from his phone. "There's a train in ten minutes. Do you think you can make it in time?"
"Yep."
"How are you getting home from the station?" Kōtarō intervened.
"I have Mom's car."
"Okay…"
They finally arrived at the station. Nao had to wake up his little brother. They said their goodbyes and thanks before turning to enter the station.
But before they could even start the car, they saw Shin running at full speed in their direction, trotting with a panicked expression on his face.
"Shin, did you forget something?" Kenma asked, opening the window.
The youngest didn't respond and instead went around the car to the door where Kuroo was sitting. He knocked, and Kuroo opened it.
"Shin?"
The little one was out of breath.
"I forgot!"
He handed him a small bag with the logo of the aquarium they had visited earlier in the day.
"Happy birthday."
Tetsurō blinked several times, surprised by the gesture.
"Oh, you didn't have to, Shin-kun, that's very kind but…"
"Shin!"
Nao reappeared, completely panicked.
"He's over here," Kenma yelled through the window.
"I'm here!" the little one shouted to indicate his position. "Open it when I'm not here," he specified. He politely waved goodbye and ran to his brother.
"You can't just run off like that, there are cars!" Nao scolded him.
"Sorry, I forgot something."
"Don't run off like that again, okay? Come on, we're going to miss the train." Nao picked up his brother and hurried towards the station, waving goodbye one last time.
Once they had disappeared for good, his three boyfriends turned towards him.
"What is it?"
"A gift."
"Yes, but what's inside?"
"Go on, open it!"
Tetsurō complied. When he unwrapped the paper, he discovered a mug. A smile spread across his face, warmed by the thoughtful gesture. As he examined the cup, he noticed it was decorated with dolphins and various fish in an incredibly kitschy art style. It was truly marvelous, and he wasn't being sarcastic.
"It's beautiful..." he murmured.
Kenma snickered.
"I've never seen something so ugly."
"That's what makes it so endearing!" Tetsurō argued.
Akaashi smiled.
"Look, there is something written on the back."
Tetsurō turned the mug in his hands to see what it was. He felt his heart tighten, overwhelmed with tenderness when he finally discovered what was written.
"What does it say?" Kōtarō asked, leaning in.
"Big brother," Tetsurō murmured, smiling tenderly.
The other three smiled as well.
"It's a nice gift," Kenma said, a smile playing on his lips.
Tetsurō nodded. He placed the mug back in the small bag, which he held close to his chest.
Yes, it was a very nice gift.
-end of the chapter-
Next chapter: "Parenti acquisiti 2"
"Am I the only one who heard that, or am I just tripping?" Kenma muttered.
The other three nodded.
"I'm sure I locked the door," Kōtarō said.
"Sure sure?"
"Positive."
Silence. Panic began to rise.
"Maybe it's Nao again?" Tetsurō suggested.
"I doubt it, we would have heard him scream by now," Kōtarō replied.
"Hmm..."
"So it's a burglar!"
"Who is stupid enough to break in at nine in the morning!" Kenma replied.
"I don't know..."
"Tetsu, go check!"
"Why me?" he whined.
"You're the tallest one!"
"So what! Why not Kōtarō? What's the point of hitting the gym so much if you won't even defend us! Kenma, go get your ropes to tie him up, don't let those bandaging skills go to waste".
Keiji laughed nervously.
"Stop, this is not funny at all," he said, tightening his grip on the blanket.
See you!