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"Rina."

Tooru took a long second to stare at the rigid woman in front of him who is speculating him as much as he is. To him, it felt like time stopped and their surroundings turned white by her sudden appearance - unable to process it clearly as many emotions jumbled inside of him.

"How did you find me?" he managed to utter the question.

The white lights bounced off the halls outside of the gym, shining against the black hair on her head. By tucking her arms behind her back, she answered quietly with hooded eyes. "It isn't hard to find a professional volleyball trainer online."

Her reply made a point as Tooru nodded slowly yet nervously at her words. So, she came here with an agenda, he presumed, but he doesn't know if it was meant out of good intentions or not.

After five long years, who knows what kind of person she is.

"Listen, Rina. I'm in the middle of work," he aimed his eyes back through the window of the echoing gym. The sounds of volleyballs hitting against the polished court bounced off the wooden floors.

"Then, do you have time later?" her suggestion made him ponder and raise an eyebrow. Looking at the time on the clock above the entryway of the gym doors, he saw that it is still early evening. Rina can sense the unsureness on his expression and quickly added, "It will be quick, I promise."

Tooru pouted hesitantly and stared with deadpanned eyes. The idea of it doesn't seem suspicious. It only peaked his curiosity even more by the way she sounded so inviting.

"It's been five years, isn't it?" she smiled warmly - one that he doesn't recognize. "Just a small catch up."

>>>

"Am I doing it right, Mommy?"

Tetsu's hand placement stilled on the sushi rice over the nori sheet while he waited for your call to allow him to proceed in lining up the raw fish.

You were starting to get more responsive whenever he calls you by your new name, peering over his shoulder as he stood on his baby stool to help you roll sushi, and then smiled at his messy arrangement.

"That looks good," you nodded and slid over a plate of your personal favorite filling; the tamagoyaki - already sliced in long rectangles for him to grab. "Put two in each roll, okay?"

"Okay!"

Just when you were about to prepare the sauces, a light blinked in the corner of your eye and your head turned to the direction. Your phone turned on to display a text message on your screen and you meandered over to the counter and pick up the device. With a swift of your thumb, the text is from none other than Tooru.

"I will be a little late, so don't wait on me for dinner," it read.

You thought nothing of it at first, and sent him a thumbs up in reply. Maybe he just wanted to treat his students out.

"Your Daddy will come home late, Tetsu," you alerted the boy and his brown eyes looked up from positioning the red tuna pieces on balls of rice.

"Aww... but why? We're making food!" the boy complained with potential tears peeking in his eyes.

You attended back to the youngster and your hand patted at the top of his head in comfort.

"He's working really hard, baby," you cooed in a tuneful voice, then a grin made its way to your lips to lighten up his mood. "But you know what, it's okay because we can eat his tamago pieces while he's gone."

And just the thought of it, it immediately took his attention away and gasped in excitement. Placing his single finger over his lips, Tetsu hushed, signaling to keep that sort of information a secret between you two.

>>>

Volleyball lessons only lasted another hour or two after Tooru's late discovery of Rina's abrupt arrival. After a short shower in the boy's locker room, he came out to meet the young woman who patiently waited for him at the front of the gym, sitting on the bench with her cellphone in her hand to let time stroll by faster.

Tooru didn't want to make it all too fancy, so he suggested going to a fast food restaurant down the block to help him set the standards straight which Rina had no issues of. She followed without question.

"How you've been?" she began after a long silence of their walk, entering through the glass door that Tooru opened for her to walk ahead of him.

"I've been doing good," he answered kindly and fell in the short line to order at the register. "Volleyball, modeling... I've been working a lot."

"I see. I've been trying to get into real estate."

Tooru turned his head over his shoulder to look at her in wonder. "Oh, I never thought you would be into selling houses."

She shrugged, digging into her white handbag to scrap up her cash. "It's something for now, until I found something more settling for me."

"Well, it's a start," he said in optimism before looking at the digital menu right above the cashier's head.

With a relaxed faced, Rina offered by widening her eyes at him. "Oh, would you like me to pay for your meal? Since I asked you to come out and hang with me."

Another surprise that he discovered while glancing back at the girl. Tooru doesn't quite remember her being this polite before. As far as he knows, she didn't care about these simple manners during the time he was involved with her.

But he shook his head with a smile. "Thanks, but no thank you. I'll pay for my meal."

Another standard he put up front. It wasn't rude to refuse, was it? Unless, she was expecting him to offer and pay for her meal.

The two ordered like civilized citizens, not at all minding that both of them had significant history with each other which is also the elephant in the room that they haven't addressed yet. Indeed, it made the brunette a little anxious for being around the woman who decided to abandon him with her newborn.

The simple reminder only made him even more uncomfortable as past emotions bottled up inside of him.

"You look handsome as ever," Rina began once the two took a seat at a booth and she sat right across from him. He always does without effort.

"Thanks," Tooru grinned with smiling eyes.

"You also seem different," she added carefully with a speculating stare, waving a salted fry before chomping on it.

He quirked a brow after sipping on his vanilla milkshake. "Is that a good thing?"

"It is. Back then, you were... distant." When she emphasized the word, memories flooded in Tooru's mind. Nothing but meaningless sex and vague conversations. He didn't express interest in sharing personal stories or emotions.

Although he isn't saying much, Rina can tell that he changed. The way how he looks at her, his tone of voice and his manners changed, he was just radiating a beautiful aura that she couldn't distinguish.

"Are you seeing anybody?" it was a harmless question and Tooru brought his brown eyes up to her.

A faint blush dusted his cheeks in the midst of chewing his burger and he curled his hand against his mouth to swallow the contents. He let out an entertained huff and his faint smile didn't go unnoticed, resisting himself from rambling how amazing you are.

"I am."

That could be the reason why he's glowing so much.

"How about you?" Tooru asked in return.

She sighed, not appealed to the topic. "Not at all. I figured I should just focus on myself. I've been busy looking for work so relationships would be too much a hassle."

"Well, that's good. At least, you're putting yourself first. But who knows? Someone will pop in where you least expect it," he said, speaking from his own experience.

She nodded at him. From what he could remember, Rina struggled to find a career at the time he knew her. Hearing that answer, it sounded like she's trying her best to focus on her priorities.

"How's your dad?" that was one distinctive thing he could remember her sharing in the past, but briefly.

Suddenly the expression she stirred made Tooru feel guilty in asking. Her deep gray eyes shook and her mouth tightened, then she forced herself to ease her stare and went back to playing with her food.

"He passed away."

Tooru stilled, looking up from his cheeseburger with parted lips. He squiggled a frown at her distraught face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's okay," she muttered gently and managed to keep a small smile on her. "I appreciate the concern."

The awkward silence filled in again. This is the most intimate he ever gotten with her so it was uneasy for him in how to console her. They're still practically strangers.

Tooru cleared his throat after realizing that he was getting too deep in thought. He didn't want to waste a second in order to come back home to you and Tetsu soon. So he asked in hopes to lighten the mood and change the subject, "So what brings you here to Tokyo?"

The atmosphere didn't change like he expected, but it only gotten somber which made the man stiffen at the long pause.

Now, he isn't as hungry as he thought he is, losing his appetite in the progress and leaving his hot fries untouched.

>>>

"I'm home~!"

Several hours later, Tooru's entrance caused a bit of a scare while you sat in the living room with Tetsu playing on the ground with pieces of LEGOS scattered around him. A puff of a sigh emitted from the male's lips while he tossed his keys on a glass bowl by the door. Veins protruding from his translucent skin on his flexed hand gripping the strap of his duffle bag and dropping it on the floor.

You turned your head from the couch as Tetsu ran to him and been lifted into Tooru's arms. "Welcome back."

"Sorry for making you wait," he approached you by the couch and leaned in to kiss at your head.

"It's okay," you replied, standing up to help him strip out of his jacket after putting Tetsu down on the floor. "I found your compressor. I would've dropped it off but there would be no time in making dinner."

"It's fine. I was good without it today," he eased.

"Do you have room for dessert?"

He blinked happily. "Oh? What's on the menu?"

"Banana bread pudding," you answered and his brows raised in amazement. "I just made it."

"I helped!" the little boy added while he waved his arm.

Tooru laughed. "Sure, I'll have some. Let me change first."

You helped him dump the dirty clothes he had in his bag in a hamper that's tucked away in the laundry room. When you came back, you prepared the small dessert for him by cutting a square piece and place it on a white plate decorated in whip cream and caramel drizzle that Tetsu obliged to do.

The brown headed male came back shortly in a white fitted tee and gray sweatpants with a fresh and rinsed face. A yawn broke out of him when he entered the kitchen to watch you prepare the sweet treat for him, pulling out the stool on the island counter.

"That looks good," he smiled warmly and picked up Tetsu to let him sit on his lap. "Did you make it from scratch?"

"Not entirely," you admitted while pushing the plate to him. "I didn't have time to make the challah bread so I just bought it from the store and make the rest."

Tooru made an approving nod when he took the first bite of the warm delicacy. The smell of brown sugar, banana, and cinnamon wafted through his nose after cutting the spongy bread in smaller pieces for Tetsu to try with him. With an opened mouth, the little boy sang an 'ahh' to welcome the piece of pudding.

"This is amazing," the grown Oikawa beamed. Excessive joy spilled from his lips when shouting his compliments to you.

You gave your appreciating gratitude and pushed him a glass of water for him to drink. "Did you have dinner with your volleyball students?"

Somehow he took his time to answer. Without you knowing, Tooru gulped the remaining of the dessert in his mouth, hiding the agitation of your question. Should he mention it now?

Glancing at Tetsu on his lap, he figured it wouldn't be smart to talk about it in front of him.

"Yeah, it was fun," he went along bluntly.

Turning your body around, you continued in washing the rest of the dishes you made from dinner as the sink whistled with running hot water.

"So I was thinking we could go to the zoo with Naomi and Ushijima this upcoming weekend," you began, lathering up the dish soap in the sponge and scrub the pan that was sitting in water for the past hour. "Tetsu said he never been. Maybe we can go after I get off work on Saturday."

You waited for him to make a reply but he didn't make a response.

"Tooru?" your head turned back curiously to find the man still sitting there on the same stool with a dazed expression, like he was staring at nothing.

Tetsu looked up at him, "Daddy!"

"Hm?" his eyes reverted back to reality and realized that all eyes were on him. He scrambled with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"Saturday, do you think we can go to the zoo with Naomi and Ushijima?" you repeated shortly this time, just to cut the conversation small and immediate. But your brow quirked at him worriedly and shut off the faucet to silence the whistling sound. "Are you okay? Are you tired?"

"I probably am," he bantered quietly with a smile and continued scraping the rest of the bread pudding against the plate. Tooru looked up at you again with stuffed cheeks. The energy within him restored back to normal. "But Saturday sounds good! We can make food for them, too."

"Yay! I want to see a tiger!" cheered Tetsu, making roaring noises to mimic the mammal.

Tooru smiled and rubbed his head to ruffle up his hair before lifting him off his lap to maneuver himself out of the stool and handing you his empty plate.

"You should get some sleep," you advised when you felt his arms wrapping around your waist from behind. "I'll put Tetsu to sleep if you want."

He shook his head against yours, "It's okay. I'll wait until you're done so we can tuck him in together."

Without a word from you, his lips puckered and kissed at your cheek before unraveling his arms.

Like he promised, he managed to stay up momentarily while you rinsed and polished the clean plates from the dishwasher and followed Tooru to his son's bedroom. Tetsu was ready to hit the bed the minute you placed the covers over his fetal position with his favorite alien doll next to him. A smile ghosted over his lips once both you and Tooru pecked at his head with your hand brushing back his hair in a comforting manner.

You joined Tooru on the bed after finishing up your night routine, seeing him laying on his back with an arm tucked behind his head and cellphone in his other hand over his stomach. The wire-framed glasses he wore hung loosely at the tip of his nose as the blue light reflected off his prescriptions.

In the midst of scrolling through sports news, his attention traveled to you when the bed shifted by your knees making way to his body. Tooru smirked when he saw his favorite blue button up draped on you and placed his phone down to invite you into a hug. His arm lifted to create space for you to curl against him.

A relieved sigh blew pass your lips when your head laid against his chest, smelling the familiar crystal water smell on him that you shamelessly enjoy. His large hand ran through your hair to massage your scalp. But once your ear planted in the middle of his pecs, you can hear a faint pace of his heart beating faster than normal.

"[Name]."

That's when you knew that the conversation is about to get serious by the way he wasn't calling you by your pet name. So your head lifted to look at his face but his eyes glued at the ceiling, away from your gaze. You were unable to read his expression.

"About dinner," Tooru started but hesitated to go on further. "It wasn't with my students."

Your full attention is on him, sitting up to face him in shock.

His brows wrinkled, feeling brave to make eye contact with you. "I actually ran into someone in the middle of practice."

"Who?" But his brief silence made you even more suspicious and you felt like your precious world is collapsing. Tooru's eyes scrutinized in shame, looking regretful for even sharing it and fearing an argument but you maintained yourself from expressing distress.

Wordlessly, you knew.

"She came to me. I don't know how, but she did," he explained in a hurry, almost looking desperate by sitting up in his seat to meet your hurt eyes.

Your heart even raced at your own presumption, and suddenly your worst nightmare is coming to life.

"You mean... Tetsu's-" You didn't want to say, or even finish that sentence because you don't want to give that credibility to her. A hitched breath stuck in your throat while you squinted your eyes at him. "Did you-... Did you do anything?"

Then it was like his life flashed before his eyes by your frightful assumption. "I promise. I would never! We just had dinner and I paid for my own meal. I made sure it was nothing romantic! I even mentioned that I'm with you so please believe me."

"Tooru," you quivered. "Why didn't you say anything before? How can I believe you?!"

But how could he? You knew he was too nice for his own good. He didn't want you to worry, of course. But the fact that he kept it away until he got home made it even more suspicious. It didn't sit right with you.

"I know, I realized I messed up. I just... didn't know how to react. I wanted to figure it out myself - what she wanted." He could tell that you were upset and that was the last thing he wanted to do. Panic written on his face and he gently scooped your hand in his assuringly. "I'm sorry. Believe me, I came straight here after dinner. The fries sucked and I already missed you."

When he batted his long pretty lashes at you, you were instantly mesmerized in his stare and you were forced to be sucked into his pools. Earnest and honesty filled through them the longer you studied them, like he wanted you to.

You have to believe him - no, you wanted to trust him.

"You're forgiven," you uttered despite the disappointment didn't wash away completely. With the help of his sweet kiss and promising hug, the last ounce of your displeasure finally disappeared as a sense of relief healed you.

You love the man too much to stay mad at him.

"What did she want?" you mumbled against his chest, still wrapped in his strong, bulky arms. His heart paced slower now that he told you the full truth but the anxiety never left his profile. At this point, there's no telling where this could lead.

"She wants to meet you."

______________________________

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Posted: 06-18-21