"CAN YOU JUST LET ME EXPLAIN?!"

"THERE IS NOTHING TO EXPLAIN! YOU EXPLICITLY DID EVERY SINGLE THING YOU'VE BEEN TOLD NOT TO DO!"

"FIRST OF ALL, MIMORI, I'M NOT SOME LITTLE KID YOU CAN BOSS AROUND ANYMORE! SECONDLY, I HAVE A REA-"

"WHAT REASON COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE FOR SNEAKING OUT, DRINKING UNDERAGE, SMOKING MARIJUA-"

"MORISUKE, I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK-"

"ENOUGH! YOU MARCH THAT ASS OF YOURS UP TO YOUR ROOM AND STAY THERE! ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU AND I'LL-"

"I KNOW I MESSED UP, BUT CAN I JUST-"

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP DISAPPOINTING PEOPLE, (Y/N)?! I GET NOT WANTING TO GO TO THE WEDDING, BUT TO GO BREAK THE LAW?! I UNDERSTAND WHY MOM GAVE UP ON YOU NOW!"

"H..Hey, Mom, maybe that's a little-"

"Y'KNOW WHAT?! FUCK YOU, MIM! FUCK THE BOTH OF YOU! I'M DONE!"

It had been a whole week since I had returned home to the wrath of the Yakus, and since then I had barely uttered a word to anyone in my family. What good was it trying to explain anything when they had already made up their minds about me?

I'd kept my head down, and whilst I wasn't exactly behaving, I wasn't purposely seeking trouble for once. The worst of it, however, was the nicotine withdrawals. I hadn't been able to have a cigarette for nearly seven days, and I was as irritable as they came.

"Lev, I love you, but if you touch me right now there will be a funeral."

The silver haired boy quickly retracted his hand from where it had been hovering over my head, blanching.
"M..My bad, (N/N)..." He murmured, backing away a few paces before he turned and fled. It wasn't like I wanted to be mean to him, or any of the others. I was just angry.

"Can you just calm down already? It's really starting to become a problem." My teeth clenched tight when Yaku spoke up, volleyball tucked between his arm and his hip as he glared at me. Refusing to give him any kind of response, I just cast my gaze across the gym, arms folding across my torso.

I was stuck here for weekend practice, and as fantastic as it was to be out of the house I hated so much, I was still stuck with my nephew babysitting me. It was honestly astounding that I hadn't physically attacked him yet.

"We're back with the goods!" Yamamoto dashed through the gymnasium doors, carrying two plastic bags, Kuroo trailing after him with more. "We've got soda! We've got sandwiches! We've got daifuku! Come'n get it!"

I just watched as everyone dropped what they were doing to race over. I wasn't even remotely hungry, just pissed and tired. It was hot, everything smelled like sweat, and I felt queasy. Something cold splashed over my arm, and just as I was about to snap and cut a bitch, I felt something drop into my lap.
"It puts the nicotine patches on its skin or else it gets the hose again."

I looked up at Kuroo, who was holding out an opened (F/Soda) in offering, and I accepted slowly, turning my eyes back down to the box of nicotine patches in my lap.
"Bro. I might actually kiss you." I murmured, setting the bottle down beside me and offering a ghost of a smile.

"Can you not? I'm eating."

I very nearly knocked it over when I jolted, head whipping around to find that Kenma had sat himself down on the other side of me.
"You're using irl cheat codes. You have to be." I clutched my chest, huffing out the residue of my shock as Kuroo plopped down on the opposite side of his closest friend.

"Got you a sandwich. If you don't eat it I'll rethink inviting you to the beach tomorrow." Stretching his arm over the top of Kenma's partially bleached noggin, he dropped the plastic wrapped sandwich into my lap along with the box, and I scrunched up my nose.
"Two big flaws in that, man. One, I'm like shadow realm grounded, and two, I'm not exactly a beachy kind of gal."

"Same. I hate sand. Too much sun, too." Kenma piped up, having already abandoned his food in favour of his gaming device.
"See? Me 'n pookie here are just two unbeachy gals." I slung an arm over him, earning myself a click of his tongue but no demand to get off.

"Well, Yaku would be coming too, so I'm sure I could charm him into getting you released on compassionate grounds." Both Kenma and I snorted in unison, and our captain took offence. "Wow. I feel so attacked right now. You two wouldn't know charm if it bit you in the asses."

Using the arm I still had slung across Kenma's shoulders, I poked the ravonet in the side of the neck, periodically glancing down to watch the screen on the handheld console.
"Cool it, Cap. You're plenty charming, in your own, awkward little way."

I mean, you charmed me.

"Miss (Y/N), you seem to have visitors." Hearing Coach Nekomata call my name, I turned to look towards the doors of the gym, eyes widening. There stood Hanamaki and Matsukawa, casually dressed and waving to me.
"OH MY GOD, WHAT?!" Nearly decapitating poor Kenma when I sprung to my feet, I dashed across the room and dove at my friends, dangling above the ground when they caught me.

"You went radio silent, so we wanted to make sure you didn't die." Matsukawa gave my hair a ruffle as they set me down.
"My bad. I was stripped of all worldly possessions when I was charged with badassery of the second degree. I get it back tonight, though, since I've been a good inmate." I explained, growing all too aware of eyes burning into the back of my skull.

"Who are these guys?" Yep, there was Yaku, approaching from behind to suss out the situation. I could hear the distaste in his tone already.
"Friends." I bit back, shooting him a sharp glare over my shoulder.
"Awww, just friends, (N/N)? You wound us." Hanamaki joked, dragging me into his side by the shoulder. "Hanamaki Takahiro, and Matsukawa Issei, Aoba Johsai. You must be the little guard dog nephew we've heard so much about. Lady Momolade, right?"

I love antagonising him, but please, I don't want to deal with a shitfit right now...

"Yaku Morisuke." The ginger corrected through clenched teeth, seemingly trying to puff himself up to look bigger. "(Y/N), this is official practice, and you're grounded. You're not running off to do whatever with these guys." Of course he thought I'd somehow had a hand in their appearance. How could I? My phone was locked in a drawer at home, and I had no other way to communicate.

"Easy, bud. She had no idea we were coming, so don't get all up in arms." Hanamaki raised a hand as though it would calm the guy down.
"Yeah, we just want to steal her for a bit. Won't even leave the school grounds, if you're so hellbent on being strict." Matsukawa added with a shrug.

Much to my chagrin, I spun on my heel and clasped my hands together, using so much force to make puppy dog eyes that I thought they might pop right out of their sockets.
"If you say no, I'll actually will my body into heart failure. Please? I've been good."

I could see the no forming on the boy's tongue, but before he could expell it and crush my hopes and dreams, Nekomata cleared his throat.
"We're taking a break for lunch now, so you're more than welcome to sit outside and catch up. Though, boys, next time, you should seek permission before entering school grounds."

I love that man.

"B..But Sir, sh-"
"We promise we won't keep her long, and we're sorry for the sudden intrusion, Sir." My friends bowed in unison, and before Yaku could argue any further, they began to whisk me out the door. I turned to steal a glance at Kuroo before we rounded the corner, and he was just sitting there, staring at me, face unreadable.

Settling to sit further along the outer wall of the gym, away from any windows, I plonked down between the pair, glad to be Yaku-less for the first time in a week.
"I could sloppily kiss you both on the mouth so hard right now. You rescued me." I sighed, breathing in the first lungful of un-sweaty air I'd had in five hours.

"I'll take that as an IOU, please." Matsukawa chuckled, stretching his legs out to full length, and I mimicked him, Hanamaki quickly following suit. I looked so short and stubby between the two of them.
"I'm guessing the aftermath was crazy?" Hanamaki asked knowingly, and I nodded before leaning my head back against the wall.

"You have no idea, my dude. Absolute bedlam. I'm surprised they didn't take my door off the hinges and bar up my window." I complained, and with good reason. If I was younger, then sure, in a way I'd be able to understand, but I was legally considered an adult now. "Please tell me one of you brought cigarettes? I'll trade you my first born. He's the one with the legs and the greyscale hair inside."

The shakes of their heads lowered my morale a little, but I hadn't expected either of them to have any. At least I now had the nicotine patches.
"How'd you fare getting home with that Captain of yours? He seemed stressed as hell when you two left." Matsukawa asked curiously, drumming his thighs without much rhythm.

"I don't remember much of it, but basically I ended up crying to him about my Mom after trying to jump his bones, trapping him in a cuddle prison all night, then throwing my guts up in his toilet the next day. So, yeah, I fared pretty well." The sarcasm was rich in my voice, and whilst one boy laughed, the other didn't seem super enthused.

"Wait, he didn't let you, right? Because you were beyond blitzed when you left..." Of course Hanamaki was concerned, and it was sweet that he actually cared. Patting his leg, I put his mind at ease.
"He very much did not. We don't have an agreement like you and I do, and besides, I think he'd pass out if he ever saw a tit in person. Kuroo just took care of me."

He always takes care of me...

I had missed this. Just existing with my favourite people. No drinking, no chaos, just sitting around and enjoying each other's company. We could hear the slight chatter of the Nekoma team from inside the gym, the occasional sound of a ball hitting the floor, causing the wall to vibrate.

"Have you heard from your Mom?" Hanamaki shot Matsukawa a glare over the top of my head when our friend asked that question, and I felt a pang of something sour in my guts.
"Nope. She's probably off honeymooning in Fiji or Maui or something with that guy she married. Why would I be on her mind..?" I laughed bitterly, accepting as Hanamaki flopped his arm over my shoulders and gave me a comforting side squeeze.

"Her loss. You're pretty freakin' great, especially when you're not biting second years or climbing trees." He was trying to cheer me up, and I appreciated it, but it was going to take a lot to get me out of my funk.
"When are you being freed? We can plan some fun." Again, we looked to the dark-haired boy to my left, and he rolled his eyes. "I mean the kind of fun that doesn't result in corporal punishment, yeesh..."

Then can we really call it fun?

"No idea. Mimori didn't exactly specify, but knowing her, it'll be until I hit menopause." She hadn't given me any kind of time frame, so I was hoping it would end soon. There were only so many times I could listen to FNAF lore drops from my little nephews.

"Oi." I looked up as a figure approached, barely raising my hand in time to catch the flying sandwich Kuroo tossed over to me. "Sorry to interrupt, but you're not getting out of eating." He seemed almost uncomfortable being there, and I felt bad. Kind of.
"You heard the captain, (N/N). Stuff your face hole." Matsukawa grabbed the sandwich to unwrap it before trying to mash it against my closed lips.

"Sorry again for calling you out to Sendai so late last weekend, man." Hanamaki addressed Kuroo, who looked somewhat sceptical of the brunet. He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked up and off to the side.
"It's fine. She was better off at home in that kind of a state, so..."

Well, he's not exactly wrong, but it feels like he's being a bit snarky.

"Your darling little nephew is trying to eavesdrop, by the way. Failing, but trying nonetheless." Kuroo motioned his head, and all four of us turned towards the door, where a shock of ginger quickly disappeared.
"Just for that, I'll be staying out here longer." I muttered, quickly biting my lip and looking up to Kuroo. "Uh, as long as that's okay with you, Cap..?"

Pausing, the bed head stole another glance at my visitors, brow twitching as it tried not to furrow.
"As long as it isn't too long, because we need to go over strategy stuff..." The second I began to deflate, Kuroo released a long sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "But...why don't you two come to the beach with us tomorrow..? If you're still in the area, I mean..."

Wait, what?!

Was he inviting them for my sake? It was pretty obvious that he didn't really like the pair, so that was the only reason I could come up with for the sudden invitation.
"Really? I mean, I'm down for a beach day?" Hanamaki looked to Matsukawa for confirmation and was met with a thumbs up.
"Hell yeah. Thanks, my dude."

Meeting Kuroo's eyes, I beamed up at him, and in return, he cracked a small smile. Yep, he'd done it for me, and I really appreciated it.
"Sweet, but there's just one small problem..." I raised my hand as though I were asking a question in class.
"Oh? What would that be?"

"I'm still mega grounded."

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***I know some of y'all saw them on my insta but I did a couple of shitty doodles for this fic so I thought I'd pop them here too***