"Well, I'll see you in class tomorrow, bright and early!"

"Tch. Don't remind me."

Your tall, blonde companion pushed his glasses further up his nose as he brought himself to a halt alongside you. His amber eyes glanced around the familiar area where the two of you parted ways three days of the week after walking back from your class together. It was a nice part of town, with a sprawling park on one side of the path the two of you stood on, and a school at the other side. The houses were relatively large and likely belonged to the wealthy couples and families who strolled casually through the streets as if they didn't have a care in the world at 3 o'clock on a Wednesday afternoon.

His gaze then settled on you as you regarded him with a gentle smile. "Thanks for walking with me, Kei," you said, clutching the books in your arms closer to your chest.

He quickly averted his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets as a barely noticeable blush rose to his cheeks, sighing, "You don't have to thank me every time. It's annoying."

"And you don't have to tell me that every time. It's also annoying," you teased.

He scoffed, "Whatever. See you tomorrow." Leaning down towards you, he placed a swift kiss against your forehead before turning on his heels and continuing down the street towards the train station.

You watched his tall, slender figure grow smaller and smaller as he slowly disappeared out of your sight. A painful aching in your heart was an ever-constant reminder of the guilt you shouldered from purposely withholding a big secret from him. Initially, during the early stages of your friendship last semester, you hadn't felt inclined to tell him a great deal about yourself, since he wasn't much of a sharer either. But, now that you'd been dating for nearly four months, you felt an overwhelming amount of shame for hiding things from him. As much as you wanted to tell him, you didn't feel strong enough to accept the worst possible outcomes you had already predicted could arise from revealing what you'd been keeping under wraps.

Today marked another day that had passed without you uttering a word to him, and while it should've made you feel relieved at being able to avoid looking suspicious, you only experienced more disappointment in yourself. When you finally moved from the spot where the two of you always parted ways, you tried your best to keep your head up despite the psychological weight you felt from the negative emotions piling up inside of it.

><><><><><><><><><><

About a week later, your unbothered boyfriend made the romantic gesture of carrying your books for you in his backpack on your post-class walk. Even though it took you showing clear signs of struggle and fatigue for him to notice and swipe the textbooks out of your hands, you still appreciated that he had decided to offer some assistance rather than poke fun at your weakness.

"What's up with the zombified look today, (f/n)?" he questioned.

A scowl overcame your already unsatisfied features, and your (e/c) eyes moved from the path ahead to glare into his amber ones. He had that annoyingly familiar, sly smile on his lips. "I had a late night, Kei," you groaned.

"Did you really have that much homework? Or is your old age starting to catch up to you?" he teased.

You couldn't tell him the real reason why you were so exhausted, so you lied, "Yep, I've already become an old lady at the tender age of twenty-two." Brushing your (h/l) hair away from your slightly pale face, you averted your gaze from him and took to watching your surroundings pass by. Walks home in silence weren't uncomfortable for either of you, but this one felt nearly unbearable.

"I'll see you tomorrow," your boyfriend spoke, bringing your attention to the fact that you'd reached the end of your time together for the day. He leaned down to place a kiss on your forehead, and you put your hand on the side of his face to bring it further down so you could press your lips against his. "What was that for?" he grumbled once you pulled away. The hint of pink on his cheeks that he attempted to hide by pushing his glasses further up his nose brought you a sliver of joy.

"I just felt like it," you explained with a shrug, "Have fun at practice tonight."

He watched you for a moment longer before he turned away and continued down the road. It wasn't until he'd gotten onto the train and dug through his backpack for his pre-practice snack that he realized he'd forgotten to return your textbooks to you. No wonder his shoulders had felt sore.

It hadn't occurred to you that you'd walked off without them either, but a text from Tsukishima quickly reminded you.

beanpole

Forgot your textbooks. Send your address and I'll stop by after practice.

While you appreciated his kind offer, your levels of anxiety peaked after seeing his message. But, you couldn't turn him down, since you did need the material in order to finish the mounting number of assignments you'd been distracted from completing. Because the situation necessitated the return of your textbooks tonight, you sent him your address and continued on your way, heart pounding in your chest.

><><><><><><><><><><

The flames underneath the skillets on the stove extinguished immediately when you turned the knob all the way back around with a click. The mouth-watering aromas of the meal you'd just prepared filled the entire house, but you didn't feel hungry at all since a bundle of discomfort rested in the pit of your churning stomach. Tsukishima had never come to your house before, and while he hadn't asked for dinner, you'd made extra to send home with him as thanks for his delivery.

A knock at the door nearly made you leap out of your skin with surprise. You were so on-edge that you wondered how you were going to keep yourself together to greet him. For being a generally unfazed and seemingly disinterested person, Tsukishima could be shockingly perceptive. Taking a deep breath, you wiped your sweaty hands on your apron before sliding it off, walking over to the door, and opening it. "Hi, Kei," you greeted him as calmly as possible, hoping he didn't notice the subtle shakiness of your voice.

"Hey," he responded flatly.

His fingers—which were more heavily taped than usual—reached inside of his backpack to retrieve the textbooks he'd accidentally walked off with, prompting you to ask, "Is your hand okay?"

With a nod, he answered, "Yeah. I just jammed my fingers a bit." His gaze darted between yours and the books he held, silently willing you to relieve him of his unnecessary and annoying burden.

"Oh!" you blurted upon realizing your mind had gone blank for a moment, "Thank you." Once you'd picked them up, you pecked his lips gently with gratitude and added, "I appreciate you going out of your way."

His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he glanced around at the scenery outside. "It's not actually out of my way. It's closer to the train station than where we usually split off, so why haven't you been walking this far with me?"

Shoot, you thought, trying not to let the smile on your face crack under the nervousness that was constricting your throat. Needless to say, you hadn't thought about that small detail when you'd given him the okay to deliver your books to your house. As you averted your gaze and tightened your grip around the textbooks, trying to think desperately for a good reason behind your shady behavior, you noticed Tsukishima's golden eyes widen as they came to rest upon something beside you.

A tug at your sweatpants revealed that you'd been caught. "I'm hungry!" a small voice complained, making you look down at the little girl who'd crept up on you, as she tended to do. Her bright, (e/c) gaze moved from you over to Tsukishima, and her head started to tilt further and further back as her attention traveled from his feet to his face. "Froggy!" she gasped suddenly, making you blush profusely.

"Hey! That's not very nice," you scolded.

"But he does this--" she cut herself off to demonstrate her impression of a spike by swinging her arms madly--"for Froggies on TV!" she argued.

You placed your hand over your burning face, utterly speechless, since she wasn't wrong. Tsukishima did play for the Sendai Frogs, which she had named the Froggies. You could barely stand to look at him because of how mortified you felt, but when you did, you saw that he had an eyebrow raised at you. Knowing he expected an answer to this madness, you stated, "Kei, this is my daughter, Ichika." Turning to the small, bouncing girl next to you, you told her, "Ichika, this is Tsukishima-san."

"Tsuuuuu... keeee... sheeee... eeeee..."

"Kei-san will suffice," he interjected, seeing that your daughter was clearly struggling to pronounce his name.

Her previously concerned face brightened as she giggled, "Kei-san!" However, she hadn't forgotten her initial issue, and began pulling on your clothing again. "Mama! Food time!"

Feeling defeated, you extended an invitation to your boyfriend to stay over for dinner, which he accepted without hesitation. You had a lot of explaining to do and you knew it. After plating all the food you'd made and setting it down at the table in your rather cramped living room, you sat down beside your daughter and across from your guest. The size of your house was laughable compared to those in the area where Tsukishima always dropped you off, but, unbeknownst to him, you had to part ways with him there because Ichika's preschool was right at the corner.

As nervous as you were about the situation, seeing your child with a little, shy smile on her face brought you a level of comfort. She loved having company, and since you rarely had anyone to bring over, Tsukishima's appearance was a treat for her made even more exciting by the fact that she idolized him.

Watching volleyball games with her after your classes and her schooling was a regular pastime you shared, and you'd always been sure to point out your favorite "froggy" on the court. She had begged you to go and spectate his games in person, but you'd always told her that you were too busy even though it made you feel like shit, since the real reason was because you weren't ready for your boyfriend to find out you had a child.

"How old are you?" Tsukishima wondered, his eyes shifting to your daughter. She counted her fingers on her hand before holding up three of them very proudly as she chowed down on her meal.

"Baby, why don't you tell Kei-san what you like to watch on TV?" you suggested, giving her a little nudge.

"Froggies!" she exclaimed, tossing her hands up into the air, "Mama says Kei-san is the best 'cause he's good at this!" You and your boyfriend chuckled when she put her arms up above her head to imitate blocking a volleyball while wearing a hilariously serious expression. Her hands only remained up for a moment though, since she had her priorities in check, and food was at the top of her list.

Smirking, Tsukishima commented, "Starting her early, I see."

You shrugged. "She likes what she likes." With that said, the three of you continued to eat, only being interrupted every so often by Ichika's questions for her favorite volleyball player. Once you'd all finished your meal, your daughter pranced off to her room, since she was desperate to draw a picture permanently memorializing the moment she'd met one of her idols.

Of course, the first question out of your boyfriend's mouth was, "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

The two of you were standing in the kitchen as he helped you clean up and take care of the leftovers. You felt your heart drop in your chest as you answered, "I was worried. I didn't know how you'd react. We haven't been together for that long, you know, and I was just scared because dating someone with a kid isn't ideal for any guy." The dishes you held in your hands underneath the faucet soon became blurry when your eyes started to fill with tears.

Placing them against the metal basin of the sink, you dried off your hands and pressed your fingers into the corners of your eyes. "I've always wanted to date and have her be involved, but the other men I've been with haven't wanted to take on that responsibility. I feel so bad because her father was never in the picture, and I haven't seen him since before she was born. I always think that she could've had a better life if I hadn't let him take advantage of my vulnerability. Being a single mom is really hard, Kei. I wouldn't trade her for anything else, but relationships have never come easy to me because nobody wants to be involved in her life." By the end of your lamenting, your body was shaking with quiet sobs

Warmth overtook you as Tsukishima wrapped his arms around you in a rare display of affection. One of his hands rested on your back while the other ran through your hair gently. "I'm not like the other dirtbags you've gone out with, (f/n)," he assured you. You could feel the vibrations of his voice in your own chest as he spoke. "It's going to take me some time to get used to this, but knowing you have a kid doesn't make me think any less of you. If anything, it's crazy to me that you're able to keep up with your coursework and take care of Ichika. You're a madwoman."

His final remark made you giggle softly and tighten your grip around his body. When he pulled away from you, one of his taped fingers whisked a few tears away from your eyes before his hand cupped the side of your face. Looking into his steady, amber gaze eliminated all the worries that had been plaguing you for months, and you suddenly felt like you'd had a giant weight lifted off your shoulders. "Thank you," you whispered, leaning in towards him and giving him a kiss that you hoped conveyed the appreciation you felt towards him. A deep blush rose to his cheeks, making him clear his throat loudly and turn away from you to resume his cleaning duties.

><><><><><><><><><><

About two months later, you found yourself in the stands of a large gym with your boyfriend's most devoted supporter, cheering him on loudly as the Sendai Frogs played a match against another team in their league. Whenever Tsukishima shut out another hitter or scored a kill of his own, Ichika thrust her little, homemade poster up into the air and screamed, "Yay, Kei-san! Go Froggies!" Despite being intensely focused on the game, Tsukishima had to do his best to hold back a chuckle whenever he heard your daughter's voice echo from the crowd.

Being able to finally fulfill your promise of taking Ichika to a live game made you the happiest mom in the world. Seeing her little dress fluttering madly around her small figure whenever she danced to celebrate each point brought you immense joy. When the cameras panned over towards the supporters during time outs, the fans around you whom you'd been conversing with waved their arms frantically to draw the cameraman's attention to you as you held up your daughter.

"Who's that pretty girl up there?" you gasped, pointing over at the big screen suspended above where the players stood on the court. Ichika's little hands flew to her cheeks at seeing her face in the center of the gym, and she bounced up and down in your arms with excitement.

Once the eventful game had come to a close with another victory for your boyfriend's team, you and Ichika waited outside the gym for the star to emerge. When you saw Tsukishima's blonde head of hair towering above the other figures in the crowd, you called out to him, drawing his attention to the pair of you. Ichika bounded over to him and threw her arms around one of his lanky legs, pressing the side of her face into the material of his track pants. Your heart fluttered happily in your chest when he ruffled her hair playfully and accepted the poster you'd helped her make for him, commenting that he was going to put it up in his room after he got home.

Despite his personality being far from warm and fuzzy, he didn't seem to mind filling a more nurturing role when it came to your daughter. He was still taking his time to adjust to the situation, but he was handling her with more care and respect than you could've ever asked or expected from him. You witnessed it in the way he would sit with her and draw to keep her occupied while you took a nap or did your homework, and, right now, you saw it in the way he allowed her to latch onto his hand so that they could walk towards you. Grabbing onto her other hand, you gave it a gentle squeeze before sending your boyfriend a bright smile. He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes in return, but you saw the familiar tinge of red appear on his cheeks. With your little girl skipping merrily along, one hand in yours and the other in his, you felt at peace.

><><><><><><><><><><

Bonus ending!

In the two years that passed, you celebrated many milestones. You and Tsukishima graduated from college and began working in your respective fields. Ichika moved into elementary school and her height climbed. You now wore a ring on your finger to mark your recent engagement to your boyfriend, and you'd been blessed with attending your fair share of family get-togethers.

Now, you stood by the front desk of the Sendai City Museum, watching your fiancé's brother, Akiteru, play I Spy with your daughter to keep her entertained. Today, the three of you were due for a special tour of the brand new dinosaur exhibit given by Kei himself. Ichika had been so excited that she'd sprung out of bed surprisingly early and had practically dragged her Uncle Akiteru to the museum after you'd met up with him at his house on the way.

Footsteps beside you alerted you to Kei's presence, and you looked over to see him approaching you, donning his uniform of a button-up shirt, trousers, a suit jacket, and a striped tie. You greeted one another with a gentle kiss before he ruffled your daughter's hair playfully, making her giggle and shake her head to shift her (h/c) locks back into place. You and Akiteru fell into step alongside one another while you watched Kei and Ichika stroll side-by-side ahead.

Every now and then, your fiancé would stop to point out a few interesting exhibits, but he could tell that Ichika was brimming with excitement at the thought of seeing dinosaurs, so he made his presentations rather brief. Once you'd reached the giant series of rooms where the brand new dinosaur collections were, he had spouted off all kinds of facts and information about the creatures and answered your daughter's never-ending questions. Normally, he got annoyed when he was bombarded with inquiries, but when it came to your daughter and dinosaurs, he was extremely patient, since he had an inherent fondness for both.

Following a successful tour, the four of you wandered back to the front of the museum, since Kei was due to lead another group shortly afterwards. Kneeling down as he turned to Ichika, he stuck his hand in his pocket, retrieved a keychain with a small, T-Rex dangling from it, and placed it into her palm. "Don't tell anyone except your mom and Uncle, but I got this from the shop just for you," he told her, putting his finger up to his lips as an indication to keep it a secret. She enthusiastically accepted his gift and threw her arms around him with gratitude before skipping over to Akiteru to show off her newest accessory.

"Thanks, Kei," you said sweetly and pressed a kiss against his lips.

"You're welcome. I'll see you after my shift."

When his lips met with yours again, you were interrupted by your daughter gasping, "Am I gonna have a sister?!"

Your head whipped around to face her, your (e/c) eyes wide with shock. "What did you just say, young lady?" you questioned.

"The first-grade girls I talk to at lunch say kissing is how babies are made!" Her comment, as well as the self-confidence she expressed while speaking, made the two brothers blush profusely, but you found amusement in it.

"Oh, honey," you chuckled, "that's not quite how it works, but we'll have this conversation again in the future, when you're older."

Before she could protest, Akiteru piped up and changed the topic: "How about some ice cream?"

Ichika hopped up and down with eagerness, and you said, "Sure. But when you want someone to play with you after eating all that sugar, go find Uncle, okay?" She cheered, but the nervous smile that came onto Akiteru's features upon hearing your proposition elicited devious snickers from you and Kei.