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this is for the valentineâs day countdown! i hope you enjoy it! [ao3 link]
Itâs still cold in February and Yui isnât really one for the cold.
For once in her life, Yui is alone. Valentineâs Day is always a pretty awful occasion for her: her friends have no commitments and can go out with whomever they wanted but Yuiâs heart and soul is invested in one person.
The one person who will never probably ask her out. Ever.
She feels like a teenager, and forgets that she is, as she runs over possibilities of her day.
1) Sawamura asks her out.
Possibility: 0/10
2) Sugawara and Shimizu come back from their date to spend time with her.
Possibility: 3/10
3) Mao ditches the greasy Slytherin boy who dared her to go out with him and comes to spend time with her.
Possibility: 7/10
4) She spends the day alone buying pointless sweets and stationary and drinking butterbeer until she gets bored and goes back to the school.
Possibility: 10/10
She sighs and pulls open the door to welcome the freezing weather with not-so-open arms. Madame Puddifootâs is shining down the street and Yui can hear giggles and laughter and warmth from that direction.
She turns the other way and makes her way down the street to Honeydukes, which always seemed to cheer her up on a bad day. Â She feels like sheâs overreacting, but even she canât deny that, yeah, it sucks to have a crush that doesnât like you backâespecially on February 14th.
She tries not to think of the pretty girl that Sawamura is probably courting at the current moment.
She browses through a stack of nougats and forces herself to smile. Thereâs nothing wrong with being along. Sheâs okay.
But her mind keeps flying back to her hopeless hopeless crush that sheâs had since first year and how she canât even have a conversation with him without stuttering and how even the thought of him fills her veins up with sugar.
She loves him and itâs foreign even in her head.
She grabs a box of nougat and buries her head in her arms. She can feel her cheeks reddening already. God, sheâs pathetic.
âYou okay?â a voice asks and she looks up, nodding her head. She turns to see who it is and speak of the devil.
She kind of maybe wants to bury herself in a hole.
âHi, Yui.â
Oh, lord, his smile takes her breath away.
âHi, Sawamura. What are you doing here?â
Stupid question, Yui, heâs probably with someoneâ
âNothing much, really. Basically all my friends have left me for the day, can you believe it? Even Tanaka got a date!â
Yui laughs a little, involuntarily, and giddiness along with nervousness rises in her chest. âWow, really? All my friends are busy, too, soâŠâ
Yui trails off, too shy to continue, but Sawamura has never been shy before so Yui hopes to all the stars that heâll ask her.
She waits three seconds. No answer. Sawamura just stands there looking up to the sky and fiddling his thumbs together.
Why that gives Yui confidence, she doesnât know herself.
âDo you want to get a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks with me?â she blurts out and she swears she can see Sawamuraâs eyes widen.
âSure,â he says and motions to the nougat in Yuiâs hand. âYou gonna buy that?â
Yui blinks and puts it back on the shelf in a flash. âNope,â she grins and Sawamuraâs smiles back.
Sugar is coursing through her veins.
I love him.
Yui wraps her scarf around her neck tighter as Sawamura holds the door open for her and makes a polite gesture for her to pass through. She giggles and curtsies to him in response.
âHave you been in Madame Puddifootâs at this time of the year?â Sawamura asks and Yui shrugs.
âThat place isnât really my scene, you know?â
Sawamura laughs. âItâs not mine, either,â he says and then pauses before speaking again. âWe should go in.â
âWhat?â Yui says as they shove down the crowded street and near the pink decorated building. âNo, no, itâs fine, theyâll definitely think weâre a couple or somethingââ
Sawamura wraps his hand around Yuiâs wrist and pulls her across the street and her heart freezes up in her chest as he takes them through the door. A quiet jingle sounds and Yui is hit with an almost sickly scent of perfume.
âWell, this PDA is horrendous,â Sawamura said and Yui doesnât really want to see anymore than she already has so she covers her face with her scarf.
âLead me out of this hellhole,â she says and Sawamura full blown laughs and literally takes her hand to lead her out of the shop.
Heâs amazing and wonderful and perfectâeven as just a friend.
Yui is royally screwed.
âIâll pay for your butterbeer to apologize for scarring your eyes,â Sawamura says through giggles. Yui takes the scarf off her face (and regrets it as the wind hits her) and rolls her eyes.
âThanks, Sawamura.â
âYouâre welcome, Yui.â
He doesnât let go of her hand and sheâs not so alone anymore.
âAnd the next thing on Sugawaraâs list was these cute gummy vitamins,â she told him eagerly, pulling out two capped, plastic bottles that could last them well into the year. âHe said to make sure to get these cute ones that are shaped like little bears because you love them so much. Thatâs so cute, Sawamura! I never would have expected that from you.â
She laughed, while he internally made plans that involved fire and his best friendâs unsuspecting flyaway.
Or, the one where Daichi comes down with the common cold and finds himself with a not-so-common nurse.
Now that February is upon us, itâs time for a DaiYui Valentineâs Day event! For this holiday, letâs all band together as DY shippers to hold a countdown to Valentineâs! :>
Here is how the event will work:
Anyone can sign up for a day between February 8th to February 14th on which to post an entry to celebrate the OTP! This way, we can all collaborate together as shippers for our lovely pairing, and it only takes one entry from each person to do so!
For more clarification, rules, and the sign up list, you can click here.
Letâs work together during this holiday of love to share the DaiYui love~ â„
Daiyui Week
Nov 14: Day Four
Prompt: Enchanted // Realizations
[Read on AO3]
Notes: Happy New Years and Happy Daiyui Day!!
There is no other word for the moment but euphoric.
When that last point is scored on the fifth set of the game, happiness hangs in the air as if it is tangible.
The crowd roars as Karasuno rejoices at their win against Shiratorizawa.
Michimiya Yui gazes down at the court, grinning, watching the shining faces of the players.
Theyâre on their way to Nationals, for the first time since the Small Giant.
Her eyes land on Sawamura.
Her insides twist a little as she looks at him, vaguely remembering middle school when she first saw him, remembering falling hard.
It was a surprise to find out that he was going to Karasuno like she was, and it hurt even more when she realized that she wouldn't get anywhere with him. Yuiâs too shy and Sawamura would never like someone like her anymore than a friend. Â
Yet, seeing him elated like that is almost enough for her.
Chizuru and Mao on either side of her share a single glance and smirk, putting their hands on Yui's shoulders and pushing her towards the stairs that led outside.
"Hey! W-what are you doing?" Yui protests and Chizuru grins.
"We're gonna go outside and wait for Sawamura."
Yui flushes, but they weren't done yet.
âThen we're gonna congratulate him and you're going to tell him how you feel about him," Mao finishes and Yui steps back from the pair, shaking her head.
"No way, I can't! There's no way that he'll actually say yes and I think I'll cry if he says no!" Yui says, but Mao just pats her, showing no sign of letting her go.
"Don't worry, there's no way he'll say no," she reassures and Chizuru smiles in agreement.
"Plus even if he does, there's still the boy in class 4," she adds and Yui blushes, rolling her eyes. Chizuru just winks in response.
She takes a breath and looks up from her sneakers. "Fine. Okay, I'll tell Sawamura."
All three girls break into grins and Yui's friends practically drag her out to the exit of the Sendai City Gym.
Yui, sitting on the closest bench, pokes a hole in her juice box and takes a gulp, trying to ignore the curling feeling of anxiety in her stomach.
"It'll be fine," Mao tells her and exactly at the same moment, the crows walk out of the door.
It isnât hard to notice them, theyâre basically emanating joy.
Chizuru stands up and puts her hands near her mouth to call out. Â "Sawamura!"
Sawamura looks over at them from between his conversation with Sugawara and smiles.
Sawamura walks towards them and Yui shoots up to her feet, leaving the juice on the bench. She looks past Sawamura and her eyes land on Sugawara, who shoots her an obvious wink and goes on his way, following the rest of the team. Yui blushes and laces her fingers together behind her back.
"C-congratulations!" Yui chirps and Sawamura grins.
Yui forces a swallow past the lump in her throat.
"Thanks, Michimiya! We couldn't have done it without all of you cheering us on," Sawamura says.
"You were amazing!" Yui says and Sawamura's smile stays steady.
"Congrats," Mao drawls.
"Congratulations!" Chizuru adds.
âThanks, Aihara, Sasaki,â Sawamura thanks both of them quickly, and then turns back to Yui.
"Oh and Michimiya, apparently there were scouts at the game! Asahi, Suga, or I might be scouted into a good university," Sawamura says excitedly and put his hands on Yui's shoulders. Yui jerks slightly at the touch and turns even more red.
Yui straightens up visibly and grins. "That's amazing! I'm sure that you will!"
She notices from the corner of her eye that her two friends are slipping away but Sawamura is touching her and she really doesnât want to move away.
"I still can't believe we won against Shiratorizawa," Sawamura murmurs, shaking his head in disbelief.
He makes no move to take his hands off of her.
"Y-yeah," she agrees. "They were all insane."
She remembers Tendou Satori, the guess block monster, and Ushijima Wakatoshi, the left-handed ace, and a surge of pride shudders through her.
"I'm so happy," he says, and then his face splits into a goofy grin, and he hugs Yui, lifting her up and spinning around.
Yui wouldn't have been surprised if every person within 10 kilometers can hear her internal screaming.
Sheâs also pretty sure that sheâs screaming out loud.
His chest is warm and solid and Yui's heart thumps with the force of the footsteps of a thousand elephants.
Before Yui could react, he set her down and pulls away. Yui swears that she sees a red tinge high on his cheekbones.
Itâs adorable and confidence swells in Yuiâs chest for a second.
(She goes for it.)
Yui leans in and kisses himâ
(No, not on the cheek. Or the forehead or the nose or any other part of his body that could be interpreted as friendship.)
âon the lips.
Then the confidence vanishes and Yui explodes.
She resists the urge to crawl into a hole in the ground.
Sawamuraâs staring. His hand floats up to brush across his lips and he seems so dazed that Yui decides that itâs the best time to escape. She turns to leave but Sawamura's other hand closes around her wrist and pulls her in close to kiss her again.
Again.
He must be drunk or delusional or at least out of his mind.
Yui moves away as soon as Sawamura pulls away and retreats to the bench.
Sawamuraâs eyes focus and he snaps to attention, looking at Yui concernedly.
âIâm sorry! Are you okay? I mean...Suga said...I mean I didnât realize...I'm...I'm so sorry!" Sawamura bursts out in one breath and Yui splutters.
"No, I...I do! I mean..." Yui buries her face in her hands in an effort to hide from her crush.
A beat of silence.
"Wait, um, you like me?" Sawamura says and Yui squeaks.
"Can I take that as a yes?" Yui keeps her face in her hands and nods slightly.
Another beat.
Sawamura takes an audible breath. "Me too."
"What?" Yui uncovers her eyes to look at Sawamura. There is a small blush on his cheeks and Yui gulps.
"I like you too.â
Oh.
Yui's internal monologue of screaming intensifies. âOh.â
Daichiâs cheeks become increasingly flushed as the seconds tick past and Yui moves her hands to her lap and twiddles them together as she realizes her crush likes her back.
Daichi shuffles over and sits next to her. âUm.â
Yui grabs his hand and laces their fingers together.
âCan I kiss you again?â Daichi asks in a small voice.
Yuiâs head clears suddenly and then sheâs smiling with all she has.
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We received such wonderful fic entries for this week that I thought to compile a masterlist of each one, both so theyâre easier to find and to encourage everyone to give all of them a try!
These are sorted first by each day + prompt of the week, just as in the fic tag. Each entry includes a title, an AO3 link (if one is available), a summary (if available), a link to the lovely author, any additional tags and/or warnings, and even some of my own ramblings (because I love them all so much, I just couldnât resist).
Thank you to all the authors who shared these with us and brightened up the daiyui tag! â„
day one: links // partners
1. rotation pattern
author: manhattan
summary:Â âDo you think,â Michimiya begins once, on one of the rare occasions they walk home together. She doesnât finish right away, biting her lower lip and chewing as she thinks. Daichi waits, rolling his shoulder under the handle of his bag. She exhales then, a cloud of resentment, and goes on: âDo you think of your teammates as your partners, Sawamura?â
tags/warnings: friendship. fluff. obliviousness. character study.
a beautiful fic thatâs so well characterized and wonderfully written. and the subtle beginnings of a romance sparking were so lovely as well!Â
2. selfish â [ao3]
author:Â stxrsupernova
summary:Â Daichiâs selfish and thatâs the other thing he knows, but he doesnât care when heâs in love, so he continues kissing down Michimiyaâs neck and taking her out to dates and kissing her some more because heâs selfish.
Itâs not going to last, because as many times as Michimiya gives into him, thereâs no way sheâs going to stay when she meets the one.
(They never do.)
tags/warnings: au. soul-identifying marks. kisses.
a gorgeous and gut-wrenching fic about daiyui living in a world of soulmates linked by chains, knowing their days are numbered. itâs beautiful ;;;
3. wonât let you surrender â [ao3]
author:Â noyakvn
summary:Â sheâs always been there to support him. now itâs his turn.
tags/warnings: friendship. fluff.
insecure yui and firm captain daichi who softens for her is one of my weaknesses!
4. something more â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary:Â Sawamura Daichi, the boy she follows with her eyes.
tags/warnings: none.
reassuring daichi!! making yuiâs heart stop with his unknowingly smooth lines!!
day two: scars // middle school
1. iâll heal you if youâre broken â [ao3]
author: noyakvn
summary: he picks her up when she falls and it all goes from there.
tags/warnings: childhood friends.
an adorable child yui sets out to prove sheâs tough and makes daichi start balding early instead haha. itâs so, so sweet how he looks over her and worries for her c:
2. itâs my fault â [ao3]
author:Â stxrsupernova
summary:Â The camouflage uniform hides her scars well, and she needs that when sheâs out in the field with a gun in her hands.
Sawamura had protested but she knew what she wanted to do and she knew she wanted to fight and protect and there was nothing that Sawamura could do about it.
She misses him more that ever now because when sheâs crouched in trenches and pressed against a building, she knows how much more comfortable it would be to lie in bed with Sawamura on a Saturday morning instead of fighting for her life.
tags/warnings: army au. ptsd. minor character death. please be cautious!
no meshing words; this is going to break your heart. into a million pieces. i was ruined. please be ruined with me.
3. outlines â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary: Past his eyes, beneath his temple, she spies the faintest of scars etched into his skin.
tags/warnings: none.
for once itâs daichi falling for yui first, and in the most adorable way, and i love that!!!!
day three: messages // oblivious
1. do you feel the same? â [ao3]
author:Â noyakvn
summary: awkward teenagers and unidentifiable feelings.
tags/warnings: none.
an adorable yui with a crush (and the jitteriest of nerves), and a daichi whoâs oblivious to both the effects he has on her and the effects she has on him.
2. blind eyes and text messages â [ao3]
author:Â stxrsupernova
summary: In which Michimiya Yui and Daichi Sawamura are oblivious to their feelings, and their oh so tired friends try to help them with their frankly pathetic love lives.
tags/warnings: texting. fluff.
the entire daiyui love story told through texts!! it has so many cameos from other characters as well, itâs so silly and fun!
3. thousand ships â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary: The tradition begins early in their friendship.
tags/warnings: none.
daichi is such a sweetheart!! he just cherishes yui so much, cherishes everything she gives him so much, even when she doesnât know it. this was honestly a brilliant approach to the prompt.
day four: enchanted // realizations
1. when you feel it once, and you know it â [ao3]
author:Â noyakvn
summary: "She is slow to realize her feelings towards him. But when she does, the rest of her world comes alive."
tags/warnings: none.
mutual obliviousness and pining is one of my fave things!!
2. wondering if you knew â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary: If itâs Yui, maybe he doesnât have to just wonder.
tags/warnings: none.
3. some kind of blessing here â [ao3]
author:Â stxrsupernova
summary: Her eyes land on Sawamura.
Her insides twist a little as she looks at him, vaguely remembering middle school when she first saw him, remembering falling hard.
It was a surprise to find out that he was going to Karasuno like she was, and it hurt even more when she realized that she wouldn't get anywhere with him. Yuiâs too shy and Sawamura would never like someone like her anymore than a friend.
tags/warnings: getting together. confessions.
a cute little scene of daiyui after the shiratorizawa match, and it feels so canon that itâs wonderful!! just what we needed after that match!
daiyui sleeping habits!! more like yui being an adorable jellybean and daichi falling more in love with her aaaa.
day five: jealousy // misunderstandings
1. saints into the sea â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary:Â If someone had asked whether Daichi was a jealous person, the answer might have been a little curt. And a little hesitant.
tags/warnings: implied nsfw.
day six: something red // date night
1. the night changes â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary: It was Yui who had asked, frequently in fact, to meet his friends, the boys he spent all his time with when he was not with her.
tags/warnings: none.
2. red connection â [ao3]
author: thetasteoflies
summary: A fine thread of crimson that no one else could see â what is the purpose of it? Or: Soulmates exist, and Yui learns what they are.
tags/warnings:Â au. mutual pining. friends to lovers. background relationships.
a red string of fate au!! yui slowly comes to learn the meaning of âloveâ and âsoulmatesâ through the experiences in her life, and maybe sheâs starting to realize this means something for her and sawamura...
4. Red Underwear Brings Good Luck in Some Countries
author:Â theladycrxw
summary: Another installment of the daiyui EMS AU. Daichi is a trauma king.
tags/warnings: au. blood cw. car accident.
daiyui are the best, most bantery partners. and they match each other so well. i love it.
day seven: photograph // aged-up
1. time forever frozen â [ao3]
author: whitemiists
summary: A doctor's appointment, Yui thinks, isn't exactly the ideal place to run into an old crush.
tags/warnings: none.
2. of stone and coral bone â [ao3]
author:Â pommegranulite
summary: Infatuated, spontaneous; Sawamura Daichi was neither of these things. But they became him, because of her.
tags/warnings: aged up. domestic. implied nsfw.
daiyui as an older couple, in a steady, comfy relationship!! daichi going out of his comfort zone for the sake of his girlfriend who needs a break from life ;v; itâs so real.
Thank you so, so much to everyone who participated! It was great fun to see all the different entries and to celebrate the OTP together like this for seven days straight! :>
If youâre running behind, or if youâd still like to contribute but havenât yet, no worries! You can still submit late entries and I will definitely reblog them; just be sure to include âdaiyui weekâ in your first five tags. Also, please be sure to check out all the amazing entries weâve already received and give the creators lots of love!
Again, thank you so much to everyone who made this week and this event so special. I canât say it enough. And, well, the week might be over, but letâs never stop celebrating this lovely captains ship of ours! â„
A doctor's appointment, Yui thinks, isn't exactly the ideal place to run into an old crush.
It could be worse. She could be here with one of those embarrassing infections, or some cringeworthy story about how something had somehow gotten stuck in some part of her body. Instead, she's here with a six-month-old in her lap, flipping through picture books when the receptionist answers the ring of her phone.
"Michimiya-san?" Yui glances up at her name. "I know Harada-sensei is your usual doctor, but he's tied up with a patient at the moment. If you're all right with it, Sawamura-sensei says he can see you now.â
She startles a little at the familiar name. It's expected, for it's been years now since she's heard it or even seen the boy she remembers being attached to it in her memories. She doesn't remember anymore, where he'd gone for school or what he'd studied or which path he had taken in life. It had really brought it into perspective, that they had just been two people who knew each other because they happened to play volleyball.
"That's fine," she agrees with a smile, putting her past behind her, and scoops up the boy in her arms. "I think Hiro here is getting restless, too."
He smothers a small yawn, and both women smile as Yui follows the colored hallway down to room 1K, where it reads Sawamura on a neat plaque hanging on the door. She can see a broad, steady back from over the chair in the corner, a man hunched over some papers on the desk. He doesn't flinch even when she knocks.
"Ah, come in, come in," he greets her, still busy shuffling around files as she slowly heeds his words and takes the chair beside the standard clinic bed. Hiro shifts a little in her arms, blinking away the sleepiness, but it seems difficult for the boy.
Something niggles in the back of Yui's mind. This voice, so familiar, yet a tinge deeper and more mature (though back in high school the thought had seemed impossible).
"So, you're not my usual patient, Michimiya-san," the doctor begins, procuring what she assumes is her file as he spins in his chair. "But I think this should just... be procedure..."
The faint, baffled look on his face tells Yui that he's in the same state as her: trying to process this unexpected reunion, and all of fateâs workings that could have led to this moment.
He snaps out of it first. A grin splits out across his face. "I can't believe this. Michimiya?"
Yui is not so quick to snap out of her trance. "Huh?"
"I thought it might be you," he chuckles, flicking his file once. "Or, at least, I wondered, when I saw the name. It seemed like too much of a coincidence, though, so I convinced myself it couldn't be."
She tries blinking away her daze, taking in her old high school acquaintance. It's Sawamura Daichi for certain: same face and same crooked grin and same powerful shoulders. But he's got a five o'clock shadow in the middle of the day and bags pulling down his eyes â a testament to his life as a doctor. And he's bigger now, bulkier â a testament to growing up (and how much time has passed between them).
"I, uh, yes!" She grins enthusiastically, cheeks flushing a little like some memory her body had not forgotten about being near him. "It's good to see you! How have you been?"
"Busy and overworked, but well," he hums, still smiling. He does seem truly happy to see her, which Yui can't understand; she feels like her heart has jumped into her throat, a sensation she had long since forgotten. "I'd ask if everything is well with you, but then you wouldn't be at the doctor's, would you?"
Just like that, his happiness slides into professional curiosity, his gaze drifting from her to the boy in her lap. She remembers this well; his hard, serious face, and how quickly he falls into it. So many parts to him are so familiar that it almost hurts.
"The file says Hiroshi-kun is running a small fever," he reads, but it's obvious enough from the toddlerâs flushed face. "I'll check his temperature, check for any infections, and prescribe him some antibiotics. And he should be healed up within the week, if everything goes well. Sound good?"
"Yeah, sure." She taps her toes together, soothingly running her fingers over Hiro's hair. Worry purses her lips when he doesn't stir.
"Don't worry, Michimiya, children get sick all the time," he assures her, his smile comforting. "It's good you came in before it became a more serious problem. Fevers are never anything too bad, I promise."
She returns his smile with a tiny, grateful one of her own, clutching the child to her chest.
âLet me just glance over his history again real quick, hmm...â He loses himself in whatever is on his paper, his expression serious in a way she had always found to be handsome. Something on the paper gives him pause, however.
âMichimiya Hiroshi.â He traces over the name, a hint of surprise coloring his tone. âA younger brother?â he guesses, with another polite smile. âOr a cousin?â
Yuiâs heartbeat rises to her ears, her chest feeling hollow. She knocks her knees together, suddenly interested in her worn-out shoes. âActually, heâs my...â
His gaze drops on the paper, the words staring back at him like drops of twisted ink.
Relationship to patient: mother.
-:-
Her best friend is sympathetic. âSo what did you do?â
âWe just... went on with the check-up like I was some normal patient,â she tells her, speaking in hushed tones into the phone so as not to wake Hiro. âMao, it was... so awkward. He looked so shocked. I didnât know what to tell him.â
âYou donât owe him any explanations,â Mao huffs. âItâs not like he bothered to keep in touch.â
âNeither did I, though,â she defends him, chewing on her bottom lip. âEven though I wanted to.â
âYouâve both changed a lot, Yui, and itâs not like he should have expected you would have stayed the same,â her best friend reasons. âItâs been years now. Obviously you were going to become an adult.â
âI guess...â She twists the phone wire round her finger, still unsure. In her mind she canât stop replaying Sawamuraâs choked looking face and his clipped tone, the way heâd looked at her so differently.
âHowâs Hiro?â Mao asks, abruptly changing topics. âThe medicine working?â
Yui gladly grasps at the out, sighing, âItâs too early to tell, but I gave him some before bed and he seems to be sleeping soundly.â She pauses for a beat, hears even breathing from the closest room, and smiles.
âTell the kiddo Iâm bringing him the best souvenir when I get back from my business trip. Thatâll fix him up quick!â
Yui dissolves into giggles, flopping down on her side onto the couch, and for a single moment she forgets about how her reunion with Sawamura had gone horribly, horribly wrong from how sheâd always daydreamed.
-:-
There are worse things, Yui realizes later that night, than messing up a chance encounter with an old crush. There are much more horrifying things in life, like the clock ticking close to one in the morning when she hears wails in Hiroâs rooms, her blood turning to ice. Like bursting in on her son having a fit on his bed, sweating bullets and leaking tears and plagued by some nightmare thatâs got him looking terrified to be in his own skin.
âHiro?â she calls out to him in alarm, reaching to cradle him, but pulls back at the first touch when his skin burns.
And Yui, for all her old captain days and cool head in sticky situations â she panics. The medicineâs not working and her parents live nowhere close and her best friend is on a business trip on the other side of the world, probably immersed in some meeting at that very moment. Thereâs no one to turn to.
She lunges for the phone, her fingers instinctively shooting over the digits sheâd been given just that afternoon, that she had unconsciously burned to her memory.
Thereâs only a second of hesitation that plagues her â the phoneâs on its third ring and sheâs tapping her foot and wondering if this is the right call â but then thereâs a click, followed by a grumpy, âHello?â
âSawamura?â She swallows hard, hearing the croak in her own voice. âI... sorry. I know itâs late but I-I didnât know who else to call.â
She hears hasty rustling on the other end and can only assume heâs shooting out from under his blankets, taken by surprise. âMichimiya?â
âSawamura, Hiro has gotten way, way worse and I donât know what to do.â
âSend me your address,â he replies immediately, followed by two steady thumps of his footsteps. âIâll be right over.â
And like theyâre magic words, Yui feels every last bit of her panic drain away.
-:-
Sawamura looks even worse than he had that afternoon when he shows up at her door; unshaven and weary-eyed, his first button popped open and a small first-aid kit in his hand. But still heâs a reassuring presence, as heâs always been, and she feels relief wash over her.
âShow me to him,â he requests seriously, shucking his shoes and quietly following her inside.
At any other moment, any other dilemma, Yui might have been the one leading the charge, bullheadedly moving forward as sheâs always done. But this is her son running his first serious fever, looking so much in pain. She lets Sawamura take the lead this time, and trusts him with everything she has.
He purses his lips at the sight, but remains steady.
âGet me a washcloth, damp with warm water,â he instructs her, pulling up a chair beside the bed. âAnd a jug of water for drinking.â
Yui nods once, racing out of the room. I knew that, I knew that, she berates herself the whole way to the kitchen and back, frustrated at how her brain had shut down in her panic.
Sawamuraâs swiping a thermometer to Hiroâs forehead when she returns, looking significantly less frantic than her. âHe doesnât have an ear infection and his breathingâs not obstructed in any way,â he murmurs quietly, accepting the tray she hands him. âI got him to down some liquid medicine, and weâll need him to drink water from time to time. Weâll flush the rest of the fever out.â
âAnd... the nightmare?â she whispers, looking sadly at her troubled son.
âFever induced,â he replies calmly, rinsing out the cloth. âItâll pass eventually. Sometimes itâs best not to wake the child or theyâll only be confused or frightened.â
âSo now...?â She bites down on her lip.
Sawamura places the cloth carefully over Hiroâs forehead, then turns to her. His eyes gleam in the lamplight. âNow, we wait.â
-:-
Yuiâs content to pull up her own chair at her sonâs side, take his hand firmly into hers and stroke his cheek occasionally, smiling when the nightmare seems to slowly fade away and his breathing evens out.
Sawamura doesnât leave her side.
Occasionally heâll rinse out the washcloth or check his temperature again. But mostly he soothingly rubs Yuiâs back and murmurs assurances to her that everything would be okay â I promise. Sawamuraâs promises have always carried the weight of the world.
âSorry I panicked so much,â she whispers, full of shame. âAhh, I feel so useless. I couldnât help him at all.â
He slowly starts rubbing her back again, up and down. âItâs not your fault, Michimiya. Itâs normal for parents to panic, and for a first-time fever as well. You just wanted to protect your son.â
Yui peeks out at him from under her bangs, hiding a meek smile. Heâd always gone easy on her, even when sheâd told him not to.
âI didnât know you wanted to be a doctor, Sawamura,â she makes conversation, looking at him closely.
He scratches the back of his head; at least that hasnât changed. âMm. It was something I sort of decided along the way. I only recently started working at Harada-senseiâs practice, though. How about you?â
âI work in the animal shelter three blocks down,â she tells him fondly. âOne day I want to open a vet clinic. Maybe.â
âMaybe?â he echoes, his grin teasing. âWhat happened to the Michimiya who would always say definitely!â
She chuckles, her hand unconsciously squeezing her sonâs. âShe came really close not too long ago. But then she became a mom.â
âAh.â He nods once, sobering up quickly at her answer. But neither of them really seems to know what to say after that.
-:-
Itâs not that Michimiya wants to hide anything. Sheâd already decided that if Sawamura asked, she would tell him. But he seems to be doing the polite thing and awkwardly skirting around the topic, afraid to bring up something taboo. Itâs almost endearing in a way; sheâs never known Sawamura to be hesitant.
âHe looks like you,â he murmurs, some time in the night.
Some time in the night, the two had also bumped their chairs together, and occasionally their arms press, or their knees touch, or she steals his armrest and his space along with it. Neither of them moves away.
âDoesnât he?â An affectionate look plays on her face, as she teases her sonâs bangs. âI was hoping he would.â
âMaybe heâll be a volleyball player, like you.â
âAh! A good dream!â she giggles, collapsing back in her chair. Sawamura seems to like watching her laugh, seems enthralled by it. She shyly tucks her hair behind her ear to hide her face. âHeâll be captain one day for sure. You know heâs already showing signs of crawling?â
âA lot of babies start crawling by six months, though,â he tells her carefully.
âYeah, but he just turned six months not too long ago,â she insists, and when he still looks unconvinced, she lands a hard punch on his arm. âOh, let me dream, would you!â
âSorry, sorry. Heâs going to be a star.â
They wrinkles their noses at each other.
-:-
Sawamura finally asks some time in the early morning, early enough that the sunâs still hidden beyond the horizon, but late enough that theyâre both cradling cups of coffee in their hands.
Hiro hasnât stirred in hours, looking peaceful in sleep, so the two had finally sunken back in their chairs and relaxed, their heads bent together.
âMichimiya?â he begins unsurely, swirling his coffee in his cup. âI donât... want to pry...â
Ah, this is it, Yui thinks, but surprisingly doesnât feel the ice in her veins that usually accompanies this topic.
âYou can just not answer if you want to,â he continues cautiously, still dancing around the topic. Itâs unlike him. But then, how would Yui know, when this is their first time together in so many years. âWhy isnât your husband home?â
She stares down at one of her palms. âMm. That would be because... I donât have one.â
Silence. At first. Then Daichi shifts restlessly.
âSo, Hiroâs father...?â
ââis not in the picture,â she finishes for him, rather curtly. âWe were never married. Just together. For a little while. Until we werenât.â
He frowns. âYou didnât want to get married?â
Her breath comes out in short puffs. âHiroâs father... was not a good man.â She runs one foot over the other, rubs one arm to settle the goosebumps, and stares hard at her coffee â hoping, hoping, hoping he would leave it at that. âHe let me think he was, at the beginning. But he wasnât. And I didnât want him anywhere near a â my â child.â
She can hear Daichiâs mind at work, picture him connecting thoughts and pieces of information together, drawing his own conclusion. She imagines his hard, serious face, and swallows.
âSo you never told him.â
âNo.â She bites the inside of her cheek. âDo you think what I did was wrong?â
âWha! â No, of course n â it was your choice,â he asserts quietly, his voice firm. âAnd you only do whatâs best for your son. Thatâs all Iâve seen from you tonight. So, no, Michimiya.â
Yui feels her chin tremble, even though she doesnât feel sad in any way. Itâs the elated kind of trembling, the kind that warms her toes and rushes blood to her cheeks. The kind sheâs associated with him for as long as she can remember.
âThank you.â
She rests her cheek against his shoulder, and, for what feels like the first time in a long while, she closes her eyes.
-:-
Hiroâs fever breaks at four in the morning, bringing with it the final form of relief.
âSo I should be heading home,â Sawamura pipes up, after looking over the boy one last time and declaring him well on his way to recovery. âCall me if something drastic changes. But he should be okay.â
âSawamura, I-I canât thank you enough.â Yui trails after him diligently, wringing her hands. To think that heâd come all this way, stayed so long, and all for an old high school acquaintance. âI-If thereâs anything I can do. If thereâs some fee I can pay you for a home visit!â
âMichimiya, stop that.â He scowls, turning back at the door before he can slip on his shoes. âWhy are you talking to me like that? Like weâre just some doctor and patient â strangers.â
âWe sort of have been,â she begins softly.
He shuts her up with a firm poke to her forehead, insisting, âWeâre friends. I did this because youâre someone close to me.â
Despite herself, Yui feels something warm and ticklish rise up her neck. Sheâd longed to hear those words for many, many years after all. Maybe sheâd never stopped yearning.
âNow, go to bed, okay?â he instructs her, much more kindly. âYour son might be okay now, but you look exhausted. Get some rest.â
They both could use the rest. Theyâre both covered in this weary atmosphere of two people who had spent an entire night looking after a sickly child, looking battle-worn and sleep-deprived. And sheâs reminded once again that heâd had no obligation to come over at all, but heâd still done so instantly at her call. She bites her lip.
âSawamura, Iââ
âHm?â he inquires absentmindedly, looking for his shoes in the mess she has piled up at her front door.
âI just â I know you said â but still. Thank you.â
He turns back with a kind smile, no doubt a âno problemâ ready to leave his mouth. But Yuiâs earnest look leaves him speechless, as does her hands slowly running up his arms, soothingly drawing circles on his shoulders, tangling into his hair. She leans in.
âThank you so much, I couldnât have done this without you, I just wanted... hmm...â
Daichi drops his first-aid kit when she kisses him, the hard thud echoing through her tiny apartment. Yui takes two steps forward, melting against his chest, and presses her mouth to his more urgently.
Thereâs a beat, a stillness, and then Sawamura kisses her back just as much direly, his large hands pressing into her hips, his mouth tipping open so he can deepen their kiss. Yui hums low against his tongue, putting all her weight on him as she struggles to get even closer, to feel him, never mind the impossibility when theyâre already pressed together in every possible way they can be.
The night, with a sick child on their hands, had passed so slowly. But the morning, when they both have warm lips upon their own, passes in a blur.
-:-
âMaybe... you should clean yourself up before you go,â Yui suggests uncertainly, rocking on her feet. âHave some breakfast, too. Or who knows what the neighbors might think.â
They both simultaneously turn red at the thought of what would surely cross an outsiderâs mind, to see such a roughened up man leaving Yuiâs apartment in the early morning.
âI have to get to the clinic, though,â he tells her regretfully, even though the thought of a morning with Michimiya sounds so inviting. âIâll be quiet when I leave, I promise.â
âOkay. And... call me? When you get home?â she adds, trying to smother a pleased smile and failing spectacularly.
Sawamura seems to be facing the same problem, but promises, âI will.â
He hesitates once, then quickly kisses her cheek before slipping out the front door, leaving no traces of himself behind.
