"I can feel you staring at me, you know."

"I know."

"So, then stop it."

"Nah, I'm good."

Suga was sitting in the rickety chair across from Daichi's equally old desk. As an intern, the precinct hadn't deemed it quite necessary to purchase new furniture for him, especially now that he was almost done. And it wasn't like their intern would be getting too many people visiting him at the office anyway.

Or at least that was the thought.

His roommate leaned forward in his chair, wincing a little when it creaked rather loudly. But not removing his eyes from Daichi, who sat directly across from him and very clearly trying to avoid eye contact of any kind.

"Come on, will you stop it." Daichi squirmed in his seat uncomfortably.

"The only reason I'm here right now is because of you. So who's really to blame?" Suga's frown deepened and he edged his chair closer to the desk. "You said you would tell her."

Daichi kept his head low, trying and failing to focus on the case in front of him. The Chief had assigned it to him a few days ago and he still had no leads. When he finally spoke, it was low and rough with shame. "I know. And I will."

"And when might that be?" Came Suga's response, edged with frustration. Daichi was avoiding the obvious, just like he was avoiding looking him in the eye. "Because you said the same thing last week. And the week before that. And the week before that."

"Okay!" Daichi's hands flew upward in defeat, scattering a few loose papers in the process. "I get it! You don't have to waltz all the way down here to remind me." The scoff that Suga gave him was enough to know that he really did need to corner Daichi at work to force him to listen. Here he couldn't get away or try to skirt around the truth. Not with his superiors watching out of the corner of their eyes. He ran a tired hand through his hair. "I'm going to tell her soon, I promise."

"I'm going to need a more concrete answer other than 'soon'." Suga had grown tired of seeing the giddy smile on Jun's face week after week, of seeing the trust and affection in her eyes. Not that he didn't think she'd change once she knew the truth, but it was obvious nonetheless that Daichi hadn't brought it up.

Running a stressed hand through his hair, Daichi huffed in exasperation. "It's exam week. I don't want to stress her out more." He had never been so thankful for exams in his entire life. Jun was busier than ever prepping others for their tests, looking over practice essays, and reviewing flashcards with a stressed out Asahi. They had barely spent any time together in the past week and a half. But it was fine, because it meant another week to avoid the inevitable doom waiting for him at the end of that conversation. "After exams are over, I promise."

They regarded one another for a few long moments. Daichi finally raising his head to meet his friend's eye, wincing internally at the stony face he found. Suga wasn't going to let him off the hook on this. He'd have to find a way to break the news to Jun soon, otherwise he knew with absolute certainty someone else would blab it to her instead. And that would not go well.

Only somewhat satisfied with that answer, Suga finally rose to leave, dropping the bag of food on Daichi's desk that had been his excuse to see his friend at work. "Fine. But since exams are so important to you, I'm sure you'll be at the review that Jun has planned for us later today?"

Daichi snatched up the bag and furiously began opening a tin of cookies. "Obviously. I can't leave you shitheads alone with her can I? Kuroo would probably do something stupid and freak her out like last time."

Suga rolled his eyes and kept his comments to himself, opting instead to take his leave before he also said something stupid.

Almost as soon as Suga was turning the corner from the precinct, Daichi had turned back to the pile of papers scattered on his desk, trying once again to focus his mind on their meaning. He didn't get very far though. Suga's spontaneous visit left him worried, and he found his mind refused to focus on the case at all, and instead drifted solely to Jun. And how he would even breach the subject with her.

Part of him still wanted to forget the bet had even happened in the first place; to simply brush it under the rug as one of those stupid things college kids did but that never actually meant anything. But every time he tried to convince himself of this route, Jun's face would flood his mind, and her quietly smiling face would make him see sense once again. He couldn't do that to her. She did deserve the truth, and deserved to hear it from him, if only so he could explain how stupid he felt and that it meant nothing to him. Not anymore.

"Working hard, I see. That's good."

The unfamiliar voice nearly made Daichi fall out of his chair in surprise, which only made them chuckle quietly. Seeing this as his invitation, Toshiro Sasaki slid into the chair previously occupied by Suga, calmly clasping his hands in his lap.

Recognition settled quickly on Daichi's face as he righted his chair, which made Toshiro smile softly. But before Daichi could even fully rise from his seat to offer his hand, the man was batting it away good-naturedly.

"Don't worry, son, I'm not here to scold you or anything. And I won't take up too much of your time." His eyes drifted to the large and messy pile of papers that littered the desk. Daichi quietly tried to tidy them. "I can see you are very busy."

"Not too busy, sir." He cursed himself when his voice gave a small crack. He never expected to see Jun's father again, especially in a one-on-one setting. He could feel his pulse quicken. "I'm happy to set this aside for you."

"Well that's good," Toshiro crossed one knee over the other, "because we have a few things we need to discuss."

Daichi swallowed loudly. Unsure where this was going, but meeting the now serious expression on Toshiro's face.

Clearing his throat, Toshiro spoke calmly, but still with an air of authority. "I need to formally apologize to you for the way my family acted at that god awful dinner a few weeks back."

"Oh." It came out sounding more like a question and Toshiro nodded in confirmation.

"Of course. My family behaved very poorly, my wife especially. And I can think of no reason to justify her treatment of you. I would have visited sooner to offer my apologies, but I have been away on business and only just returned this afternoon." His stern expression softened at the edges as he continued, "I know how much you mean to my Jun-bug, and so I wanted to make sure you knew how much I regret your first encounter with the family."

Daichi let his words sink in, the nerves he had previously felt washing away as their meaning settled. He took another moment before responding to observe the man sitting across from him. There were streaks of gray in the raven black hair, and an ashen pallor that spoke of sleepless nights and too long workdays. Where his wife seemed to constantly be assessing the world and finding it lacking, the light dancing in Toshiro's eyes seemed to say the opposite.

When Daichi didn't respond right away, Toshiro leaned forward to rest his forearms on the desk. "I sincerely hope you will not judge my family by this previous encounter. Because I can assure you, we are much better people than that might have lead you to believe."

In an effort to make up time for his delayed response, Daichi spoke quickly, back straightening as he tried to look taller. "Don't worry, sir, it has already been forgotten." He watched the tension leave the older man's shoulders, the gentle smile that crept onto his face instantly reminding Daichi of Jun.

"Oh good, that is an immense relief indeed. Jun had mentioned you probably wouldn't have been offended, but I felt it still required an apology."

Thinking how typical it was for Jun's father to also worry about something that happened weeks ago, Daichi gave a small laugh that had both of them smiling. "I can assure you, sir, everything has been forgiven."

The man smiled wider, "Please, call me Toshiro. Someone as special to my Jun doesn't need to bother with formalities."

Daichi matched his grin for a brief moment, before he felt the fluttering of nerves in his stomach as Toshiro continued. "Which brings me to my next point of discussion. Jun." The abrupt change in his tone from lighthearted to serious left the room feeling chillier. Daichi tried to adjust his gaze nonchalantly, but found he couldn't shake the other man's stare. There was still a kindness to Toshiro's voice when he spoke, but it was laced with a seriousness that could not be ignored.

"I don't think I have to tell you that Jun is a very special girl." Toshiro started, speaking slowly so his words would sink in, "But I think it still must be said that I expect you to treat my daughter with the respect and care she deserves. Even more so, if what she says about you is to be believed." He fixed Daichi with a stern, wide-eyed stare, the undertone of his words speaking volumes. Do not, under any circumstances, break my daughter's heart. Daichi's stomach squirmed uncomfortably. But he found himself nodding.

"I care for her very much sir—uh, Toshiro. I would never do anything to hurt her intentionally."

The chill in the air instantly popped out of existence as Toshiro rose to his feet with a warm smile, offering his hand for Daichi to shake vigorously. "Very good, my boy, I expected nothing less! Now!" He gestured to the voluminous paperwork between them, "As promised I will not keep you away from your work. I'll leave you with this, and my hope that we will be seeing much more of you in the future." Toshiro winked kindly, placing a business card on top of a stack of crumpled documents, and breezed out of the room as quickly as he had first appeared.

Barely having time to stand to watch him go, Daichi slumped back into his chair, suddenly exhausted. He reached for his coffee mug, swearing softly when he found it empty. He desperately needed another cup, but he knew that as soon as he rose from his desk with the intention of making a cup, the rest of the precinct would be hounding him for refills. But then Toshiro's words and intentions rang through his head again, the guilt that accompanied them draining the remainder of his energy, and he knew he wouldn't have a choice.

True enough, as soon as they saw their intern shuffling towards the break room, half a dozen empty mugs were in the air requesting a fresh cup.

***

After making the rounds and brewing no less than three pots of coffee, Daichi slowly made his way back to his desk, knowing full well he would not be completing much more work today. His mind was too far gone to focus on anything else. And so, he had planned to use the remainder of his caffeine buzz to finally plan out what he was going to say to Jun, when the time finally came for that conversation.

Plans that were put on pause once again when Daichi walked back into the room to see yet another familiar face by his desk.

Taisei was standing behind Daichi's chair, looking down at the still untidy mass of papers, one hand lazily shifting through them while the other flipped absentmindedly through his phone. Daichi sighed heavily.

"Was there a memo sent out that I missed? Something about everyone bothering me at work today, or was this all a shitty coincidence?"

"Oh?" Taisei looked up quizzically, but made no move to step away from his desk, leaving Daichi to stand to one side awkwardly. "I'm not the only one who's blessed you with their presence today? How lovely." His well manicured hand tapped at a half-hidden letter, "You'll want to revisit this by the way, the Aunt was clearly involved in the murder."

"Wait, what?" Daichi leaned forward eagerly. He had been sifting through those documents for hours, how had Taisei been able to figure out so much so quickly? But the older man didn't seem interested in offering more insight. Instead he gracefully sat in Daichi's swivel chair, kicking his feet up onto the corner of the desk.

"No no, I'd much rather focus on something less depressing, like who else was here that put you in this positively charming mood."

Eye twitching in annoyance, Daichi slowly lowered himself into the guest chair, trying very hard to keep his eyes focused on Taisei and not the leaf of papers his feet now rested on. "One of my roommates stopped by to yell at me about—something. And then your dad was here too. To apologize for that dinner."

That caught Taisei's attention. Long enough he stopped typing away on his phone and cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Did he now? Well that is intriguing."

Feeling the last remains of his energy seeping away, Daichi heaved a sigh. "Yes, it was, and if that's why you're here as well you don't have to waste your time. Apology accepted, moving on." He almost rose to his feet, hoping to see Taisei do the same, but the latter only swiveled in his chair.

"Oh, you think I'm here to apologize? That's cute." He chuckled, "Unfortunately, no. Although that would have been a great excuse to cover my ass if I got caught, which of course, I knew I would." Taisei paused to relish the confused look on Daichi's face before continuing. "My dear, dear mother sent me to spy on you, as if we were six year olds and you stole her favorite toy." The heel of his studded leather boot crumpled the stack of papers it sat on as he leaned back and scowled. "She wanted to know more about the 'boy who seduced her daughter,' but instead of behaving like a regular adult, she sends me to do the dirty work."

There was an uneasy silence between them for a few moments. Daichi wasn't really surprised; this was definitely the kind of bullshit he expected Hana Sasaki to pull. But the bitter rage at her audacity still boiled angrily in his stomach. And it laced his words when he finally spoke. "No offense, but your mother is a bitch."

Taisei barked a laugh, "None taken, you are absolutely right. I didn't even want to come here, but she screamed at me until I agreed." He was fishing his phone out of his pocket again to see three text messages from Hana, which he ignored with a roll of his eyes. "I actually planned to just visit Jun while I was here, but I had to at least make an appearance to keep up the facade."

"So what're going to tell her?" He kept his eyes trained on Taisei, hoping only his anger at Hana was showing and not the tense worry that was starting to form. He didn't care what that woman thought of him. But this was also a test of what Taisei thought too, and that opinion was one Daichi did care about.

Taisei must have known this, because when he returned Daichi's gaze, it had hints of laughter flecked in it. "Not to worry, Romeo, I will give a glowing report." Finally rising from Daichi's desk, Taisei reached across and gave him a tight handshake and a wink. "I'll tell Jun you say hi." And then he was gone, waltzing out of the room with only the kind of flourish Taisei could pull off, leaving behind an unexpected trail of glitter in his wake.

Once safely outside the precinct, Taisei took a moment to pause and type out his text messages. The first he sent to his mother; a long and positive report of the hard work Daichi put in at his job (complete with a photo of the neatly arranged desk of Daichi's superior), clearly displaying Daichi as a responsible and courteous partner for the middle Sasaki child. And while most of this message was full of fabricated information Taisei had whipped together, he still knew their contents to be true. Daichi was exactly the kind of person his little sister needed, so who cared if he had a few more ear piercings than expected. Those never hurt anyone anyway.

He sent the message to Hana, adding an emoji smiley face at the end just for kicks and giggles, and instantly starting composing the second one. But his mind was still thinking of his sister, and how happy she seemed to be as of late. Even their father had taken notice, and seemed to approve. Otherwise there was no way he would have made visiting Daichi his first stop after returning home. The apology had just been his excuse to visit. That thought made Taisei smile, knowing both he and his dad were on the same page about Daichi.

Still smiling softly, Taisei paused his typing and stared down at the image on his phone, the one he was about to attach to the message. The one Daichi hadn't known he'd taken just before he had caught Taisei snooping around his desk. The crumpled page in the image was clear enough, showing a few lines of typed text near the top:

Every time she laughs
she's hoping he's watching
hoping that he will
fall for her smile
just as hard
as she fell
for his.

Taisei had attached the image to the message, thumb poised over the 'send' button when he paused once again. He knew what sending it would do, and somehow it didn't feel right. Not just yet. He stole a glance back towards the precinct, where he knew Daichi was hunched over his desk, feverishly sorting through pages and pages to make sure nothing was amiss. That nothing had been spoiled. Turning back to his phone, Taisei slowly deleted the message to his sister, but kept the image saved for later. He liked Daichi well enough to give him a bit longer before he spilled the beans. Turning his collar up against the chill, Taisei strolled along down the sidewalk, contemplating where Daichi had found such a quote.

Back inside the precinct, Daichi finally sighed a heavy relief when he found it. The one page he'd seen jutting out from under Taisei's feet, and the one page he knew had to be kept away from him. Smoothing out it's front, Daichi quickly stuffed it away in a desk drawer, not once thinking Taisei had almost immediately found it not twenty minutes ago, and quickly deduced the meaning of the scrawled out message Daichi had left under the text.

A sea of whiskey
couldn't
intoxicate me
as much as
a drop of you.
~JS Parker

***

Everything was as it should be. Her door was shut to the wandering freshman looking for help; the overhead lights were off in favor of the softer glow of the string lights she had weaved around her room; and Pink Floyd was quietly playing in the background.

And yet still, Jun could not focus.

She had tried and tried to study. For hours she had tried, jumping from one subject to the next when her brain felt too much like cottonwood drifting in the wind. But all that had gotten her was a crick in her neck and the dull throb of a growing migraine.

Giving up once again at Biology, Jun sighed and slowly leaned back in her chair to try and stretch her sore muscles. Even the faintest of movement sent a stab of pain through her left temple. She rubbed at it in exhausted circles while closing the Bio tab on her laptop and opening the one on Political Science. She had spent all week helping everyone else study, now that it was finally time for her to review for her own exams, her brain had turned to mush. Worse than mush. It had become a useless sack of goo that could barely remember even the simplest things. As if in retaliation, her head gave another painful kick to her temples that made Jun shut her eyes tightly.

"There you are, I was a little worried. Should've known you'd be here." Jun looked up from her desk to see Daichi leaning against her now open door, a crooked grin stretched across his face. She hadn't even heard him knock.

Pushing his way in, Daichi quickly crossed the room, planted a kiss on Jun's head and proceeded to sprawl out on her couch. "How long have you been here studying?" His eyes flicked to the open laptop and the stack of books next to it.

Blinking in confusion, she checked the time. It was almost 10 pm. "Uh, a few hours I think." Her brain still refused to cooperate. "Why?"

He gave Jun a knowing smile. "You missed the last study group with the others. Suga and I tried calling, but I'm guessing you had your phone off." Daichi watched her closely as the realization took a moment to set in. Her tired eyes suddenly growing wide.

"Oh no." Heart pounding, Jun reached for her phone, which indeed had been shut off to minimize distractions. Turning it back on she saw the missed calls, the worried texts from Daichi and his friends. Her eyes began to water. "Oh no, oh no, oh no. I am so sorry Daichi. I completely forgot, but I can make it up to you guys right now!" She tried to start a new text in their group chat while shoving books into her bag at the same time, but her hands were shaking too much and most of them just spilled onto the floor along with her phone.

"Woah there, sweet cheeks." Instantly springing from his place on the couch, Daichi was at her side, brushing her hands away from the fallen books and guiding her back into her desk chair. He knelt beside her, forehead wrinkled with worry as he brushed at the line of tears streaking down her chin. When Jun hadn't shown up to the library that evening, he had assumed like the rest of his friends that she'd forgotten or got caught up with something else. Not thinking too much of it, the group had done pretty well studying as a team for the remainder of their time. But now he knew he should've checked on her sooner. "Hey," His voice was soft, coaxing, "what's going on?"

But Jun just shook her head, immediately regretting it when pain stabbed at her head once more. "I-I need to get my things, I need to make it up to everyone before tomorrow's exams. I need—"

"You need" Daichi interrupted, "to sit the fuck down. Right now." He had seen that pain flash across her expression and had instantly known what it was. He didn't give her much of a choice when he pushed the books aside and closed the lid of her laptop. He paid no attention to her small protests that she still had to study, that she still had to help him study. He simply scooped her up like she barely weighed a thing, crossed the room once more and gently placed her on the center of her bed. And when she tried to move away, Daichi turned from where he was busy collecting her books and fixed her with such a stern glare she froze in place.

"Don't even think about it." He growled, motioned for her to lay back against the pillows once more. Only when she finally capitulated did he finish scooping up her study materials into his arms and sweep out of the room with little more than a "be right back."

Still too stunned to move, Jun simply waited for him to return, knowing it would be useless to hope he'd come back with her things. Sure enough, when Daichi opened the door once more, her school bag and laptop were nowhere to be seen. Instead they were replaced with a blanket and a small glass bottle that he rolled between his fingers.

"Where—?" Jun started.

"I put them in my room." Daichi seemed calmer than he did only moments ago, his voice softer. "You can get them back in the morning."

"But we have to study—"

"Not anymore." He sat at the edge of her bed, "The guys and I got through the reviews just fine, and you know more about your own exams than the professors. It's time to take a break."

But Jun kept protesting. "But, I still should—"

"Nope." That edge was back in his tone. But he was gentler than ever as he picked her up once more so that he could settle on the bed behind her, covering them both with the blanket. "Studying until you give yourself a migraine is not how we prepare for tests, Wallflower." He opened the bottle of oil he'd brought, the delicate scent of lavender filling the room. And as if he knew she was about to argue with him once more, Daichi set to work. He placed his hands on either side of her head, fingers gently tracing circles along her temples.

Jun instantly stiffened at the touch, not knowing what to do. Her argument to keep studying died in her throat, but only to have it replaced with a new anxiety that had everything to do with the man now pulling her back to lean against his chest.

Daichi chuckled a bit at her uneasiness. "Relax, Babe, I'm not going to hurt you. Or do anything you aren't comfortable with." He let his thumb press against a knot of tension he'd found just behind her ear. Jun sighed at the relief. "Ok?"

Both of them felt the tension leave her shoulders as Jun nestled comfortably against him. She let out another sigh as she turned her head enough to find his eyes. They stared down at her with so much concern and affection, she had to close her own to keep them from watering once more.

"Ok."

***

It was quickly clear to Jun that Daichi knew what he was doing. Forty minutes of his hands massaging her temples, neck, and shoulders, and Jun felt like a puddle of bliss. With a methodic efficiency that made her think this wasn't the first massage he'd given, Daichi worked every knot of tension he found until none remained and Jun's migraine was nothing but a forgotten memory.

Fighting against the lull of sleep, Jun shifted lazily, allowing Daichi a better angle to massage along her shoulder blades. "You're really good at this, you know?" She murmured.

"Yeah, I know." Daichi smirked, pressing his hand a bit harder into her shoulder muscles and soaking up the hum of relief she made. "My mom used to work two jobs when we were kids, and she'd come home a lot with back pain and headaches." He ran a hand back up to the base of her neck in small, deft circles. "So I learned how to give massages so I could help. Used to have to give her three a week just so she wasn't in pain."

"That's...really nice of you." Jun smiled sleepily. She was finding it hard to keep her eyes open, so warm and comfortable next to him. So perfectly content. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

The dim lighting did nothing to hide the sudden color on Daichi's cheeks. He leaned forward to bury his face in her hair, hoping to hide it and distract her. "And you're really tired. Time to get some rest, sweetheart." He gave her kiss on the temple, carefully trying not to jostle her as he crawled out of their cocoon. "I'll stop by in the morning to make sure you're ok."

"Don't go." Jun mumbled as she fought sleep, her hand surprisingly firm on his forearm. "Please."

Daichi's heart pinched tightly. He wanted to stay, god did he want to stay so bad. To hold her next to him all night as they slept. To feel every inch of her against him. To wake up with her in his arms. But guilt gnawed at him enough he paused. Jun was barely awake, clearly not alert enough to know what she was saying, what she was asking.

Any resolve he had melted away at the sight of those pleading eyes, so soft but full of clarity. Something else sparkled in their depths as Daichi settled back next to her and he drew the blankets back over their entwined bodies. Daichi couldn't quite make out what it was as they lay there together and held each other's gaze. But he knew she found the very same twinkle of light dancing in his.

They were both asleep within minutes.

***

Warm. So warm and comfortable. Daichi couldn't remember where he was, or the time. Only that he'd never felt so relaxed and at peace. And he didn't want it to end.

Jun shifted next to him, burying her face closer to his chest. Still half asleep he pulled her closer, letting out a long, content sigh. He could stay exactly where he was forever and ever and never once complain. But already his mind was waking, denying him the chance at such bliss.

Hoping to memorize as much of this moment as possible, Daichi ran a hand lazily along the curve of Jun's spine, her skin soft and smooth. Jun hummed her approval and Daichi knew she too was starting to wake. The arm she had draped over him all night slid between them, resting over his heart.

"G'morning" Daichi mumbled, a wide grin splitting his face at her touch. Jun only uttered something incoherent and tried to inch closer. "Yes, I know, words are tough in the morning." Daichi laughed, trailing featherlight kisses along her chin, stopping at her temple. "Are you feeling any better, Babe?"

Jun nodded a few times, finally caving to the morning and opening her eyes. Sunlight filtered in from the window in soft rays, warming the room. As if testing her abilities, Jun wiggled and shook her head from side to the side, surprised and grateful not even a small twinge of pain remained. "Much better," she squeaked, voice hoarse, "thank you, Daichi." She pressed her forehead back to his chest, suddenly overcome with shyness. "And...thank you, you know...for staying. I'm sorry if it was too weird."

But Daichi tugged at her chin with his free hand, making sure her eyes found his. "Hey, don't apologize." He said steadily. "I'm glad I stayed, and would do it again in a heartbeat." His voice dropped to a lower timbre, "I want you to feel safe with me, Jun. I won't do anything you aren't ok with."

Jun wasn't sure how to respond. It was like there was a small knot in her throat that kept the words she wanted to say from forming, of expressing the gratitude she felt for him. She could only nod pathetically and hope he understood, just like he always did. To try and make up for the silence, Jun craned her neck forward to place her lips against his, butterflies exploding in her stomach when he instantly responded.

Her kiss was soft and tender, just like her. Butterflies flapping in his own stomach now, Daichi wrapped his arms more tightly around her, pulling her closer. Jun giggled quietly before tugging him back to her fervently, suddenly desperate for his touch.

A new warmth blazed to life in Daichi's chest. He broke their kiss, which made Jun pout briefly, until he turned his attention to trailing his lips down her throat, finding a sensitive spot of skin near her collarbone. The soft moan that escaped her lips sent a new wave of electricity coursing through them both and Daichi became determined to hear that mellifluous sound again. He let his mouth return to that same spot, kissing her deeper, nibbling experimentally.

The effect was immediate. Jun couldn't hold back the sounds she was making. She raked her nails down his back in pleasure as he continued his ministrations, making his gasp and pull back. But then she was placing her hands on either side of his face and guiding him back to her lips, just as eager to explore his mouth as he was hers.

Panting heavily, Daichi paused long enough to whisper Jun's name, his glassy eyes asking for permission before continuing. Breathless, Jun nodded again, drawing him back to her with a needy kiss. She gave a soft sigh of approval when the hand on her back began to wander down her thigh, back up to her waist, and settling confidently, territorially, on her ass. One soft squeeze and Jun was arching her back to press as tightly to him as she could.

Wake me up, before you go-go
Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo
Wake me up before you go-go
I don't wanna miss it when you hit that high

Daichi's alarm blared too loudly around the room, making Jun nearly jump out of her skin and Daichi groan angrily. Reluctantly, he rolled away to silence the alarm, cursing his past self for even setting one in the first place. Turning back to Jun, he couldn't help his smirk when he saw the burning red face she was trying to hide behind her hands. But, rather than comment on it and probably make it worse, Daichi gently pulled one of her hands away and placed a kiss at the center of her palm.

"Back to reality, eh, Wallflower?"

Barely able to return his easy grin, Jun opted instead to give his hand a tight squeeze before quickly scrambling off the bed, taking a few deep breaths to slow her heart rate. It didn't help when Daichi lumbered up to hug her from behind and she found all she wanted to do was fall back into him and be enveloped once again.

That all quickly snapped out of existence however, when Daichi mumbled quietly between placing kisses on her neck. "Be back in a sec ok? Gonna go grab our bags and I'll walk with you to your first exam."

The exams. She had completely forgotten about studying. Last night had been a much needed break, and Jun had allowed it partly because she had convinced herself she would wake up early to study before class. But then....Daichi had stayed. And she had felt so safe and happy in his embrace, everything else was forgotten.

Panicking, Jun was a whirlwind of movement as soon as her door shut behind Daichi. She scrambled to change into the first clean clothes she found, not caring if they matched, and rushed to her desk to search for anything Daichi might have left behind. She found a few stray flashcards and tore through them so fast, she wasn't even sure she comprehended them. But then Daichi was back with her bag slung over his shoulder and she was frantically reaching for it, digging to find her notes for her first exam: Biology.

Only slightly worried at the frenzied way Jun devoured her notes, Daichi chose to simply guide them both across campus rather than try and keep her from studying. Something told him if he tried to take those flashcards from her, she'd likely bite his fingers off.

"Ok, Jun, we're here." He'd given her a few extra minutes of them standing outside the building before attempting to break her from her notes. And when he did, she met his eyes with her own clouded in panic. "Listen," He coaxed, rubbing her arms for comfort, "take a few deep breaths ok? There ya go, nice and slow. You're ready, Jun. I know you are, you know you are. You don't need to study anymore, all that knowledge is in that pretty little head of yours." He smiled and tapped a finger to her forehead. "Go kick some ass."

For the first time since they woke up, peace settled back into Jun's face and she smiled genuinely back at Daichi.

"You too."

***

Daichi sat at their regular table, clinking his third beer against Suga's and Kuroo's. Kenma, having been forced into attendance by his suitemates, sat awkwardly next to Asahi, who also wasn't drinking.

"Aw, come on guys, what'll one beer do!" Kuroo slurred, sloshing some of his drink into Kenna's water, "We're here to celebrate and nothing says celebrate like beer!"

Daichi met Suga's eye and both of them rolled their eyes and took a sip. Kuroo was already too far gone, seeing as he was the first to finish his exams and celebrate what he believed was a perfect score. Daichi and Suga had followed not too long after, both more confident than they'd ever been after their exams. And it was clear why.

"When is Jun getting here?" Asahi asked politely, trading his water glass with Kenma's. "I need to thank her for all she did to help me prepare for these exams. I don't think I'd have done so well without her."

"Soon, I hope." Suga turned to Daichi, "I want to thank her too. And buy her first round."

"Any minute." Daichi fished his phone from his pocket, hoping to see a text from his girlfriend. He'd sent her a quick message earlier, telling her where to meet them once she completed her final test, which he knew ended over an hour ago. But instead of seeing a waiting reply, his phone began to buzz, Jun's number blinking with an incoming call.

"Hey, speak of the devil! We were just talking about you, Wallflower. When are you getting here to celebrate?"

The voice on the other end was familiar, but it wasn't Jun's. It spoke quickly, their anxious tone heard by others at the table. Daichi set down his drink.

"Taisei, say that one more time, she's where?"