Archive of Our Own

Sunlight glinted off the freshly polished blades. Clashing metal filled the air, interspersed occasionally with shouts and grunts. The sun shone brightly, the heat only made bearable by the light breeze that blew through the field. 

Days like this were Daichi’s favourite. His hair sticking to his forehead from sweat, muscles just starting to ache with exertion, the wind cooling him down after practice while he watched his younger half-brothers shouting as they battled. Like the blood of the War God running through his veins, he enjoyed a good fight, even if he wasn’t part of it himself. 

Taking one last sip of water from his bottle, he observed Tanaka charging at full speed, shouting with his sword raised high. Nishinoya, forever brilliant at defence, dodged perfectly by executing a full body roll. Not one to go down without a fight, Tanaka twisted himself around to aim a quick swipe, only for it to be immediately deflected by the shorter boy. 

Daichi felt a sense of pride swell up inside him. For all the pain and trouble the two caused, they were excellent fighters. Sure, they weren’t the smartest, but they were pretty much experts at every type of weapon and fighting style, especially swords. They always gave it their all when it came to fighting, and despite their immaturity, no one could ever doubt them as being anything other than the sons of Ares. 

As much as he liked watching the fight, they had more important things to get to. Getting up, he shouted at them, “Wrap it up! Let’s head back!”

Both boys whipped their heads around comically fast. “What? We’re just getting started!” Tanaka whined, while Nishinoya bounced on the balls of his feet, still high on adrenaline. “Yeah! I could go for another round!”

“It’s been almost three hours. Can’t have you two getting heat stroke,” Daichi said, folding his arms over his chest. “Especially not when we have a party to prepare for.” 

It was a monthly tradition: the different cabins took turns hosting a get-together of sorts, a night where everyone just relaxed and hung out. Tonight, it was their turn, and while it wasn’t a formal event, Daichi still wanted to maintain a good reputation for the Ares cabin, a reputation that was constantly getting ruined by the antics of his two brothers. 

With a collective sigh and a drawn out “Fine”, the two walked over to him, gathering their own bottles before heading back to the cabin, but right before they left the field, from the corner of his eye, Daichi caught the silhouette of a certain someone standing by the weapons rack.

“You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up.” Daichi said, hoping his brothers wouldn’t notice. “I’ve got something I need to do.”

But of course they noticed. They turned around once he spoke up, smirks appearing almost instantly on their faces as they caught sight of who he was looking at.

“Something, or someone?” Tanaka asked, earning him a fist bump from a snickering Nishinoya. Daichi gave them his best glare, which they were apparently impervious to because they just kept on laughing, ignoring the daggers that he sent their way. 

“Oh come on,” said Nishinoya, punching him lightly on the bicep. “Don’t act as if we don’t know who you’re talking about. Also, if you’re going to talk to him, can’t we just have a few more minutes of practice? Just thirty minutes, that’s all I’m asking.”

Eyes closed, Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt the beginnings of a headache growing in his skull. He was just forming the words he was going to be shouting soon when he heard someone walk up to them, and then a voice saying, “Aren’t you idiots tired?”

The rage that was building up inside him dissipated. He opened his eyes to find, standing behind the two with his arms draped over their shoulders, Iwaizumi, a fellow son of Ares and his brother. He had split from the group earlier to go for spear practice, but thank the Gods he came back just in time. 

Iwaizumi was probably the strongest of the four of them, just based on physical strength alone. He was quick to anger like the rest of them, but unlike his other two brothers, Daichi could actually rely on him when it came to things outside of fighting. Without him, Daichi was sure that he would have broken down and gone completely insane if he was alone. 

“Alright you two, let’s go.” Iwaizumi steered them back in the direction of the cabin, and when they started protesting, Daichi watched his arm muscles flex as he strengthened his grip on the two of them, essentially pulling them into a chokehold. “Wasn’t it you two that fucked up the recipe the last time and almost gave everyone food poisoning? If I remember correctly, neither of you have made up for that mistake yet.” 

Just like that, they stopped struggling. With a satisfied grin, Iwaizumi pushed them forward with a loud slap on their backs, painful enough that it even made Daichi wince. This brother of his tended to be a bit more violent than necessary. Still, it produced results, so he wasn’t going to complain. “Thanks.”

“See you back in the cabin,” Iwaizumi said before leaving.

Now alone, Daichi was left to panic, his pulse speeding up as he walked over to the weapons rack. Once he was within earshot, he cleared his throat. “Need a duelling partner?”

The silver-haired boy turned around, and just like all the previous times before, ever since they had first met, Daichi felt his breath being taken away by the sight in front of him. 

Looking at him with a bright smile was Sugawara Koushi, a son of Aphrodite, one of his best friends, and the most beautiful person Daichi had ever known. 

Daichi was horribly attracted to him, so it was no surprise why he felt weak in the knees when he saw that brilliant smile directed at him, one that quickly transitioned into a cheeky grin. With a hand on his hip, Suga raised an eyebrow and said, “Yes, I do. How did you know?”

Don’t let him know how desperate you are. “Lucky guess.”

“Hmm.” Suga turned back to the weapons rack, skimming his fingers over the various hilts. “I saw you practise earlier. You sure you’re not tired?” 

“That was nothing. I can go for as many rounds as you need me.” The second the words left his mouth, Daichi nearly choked. “I- I didn’t mean-”

“Stamina, huh?” Suga continued, ignoring his panic. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.” The boy now looked at him with something darker, voice warmer and bordering on sensual.

Daichi felt his entire body heat up. He’s not sure when it happened, but their relationship had shifted into new, and frankly dangerous, territory. Besides their usual friendly banter and teasing, there was now casual flirting (on Suga’s end anyway; Daichi usually just blushed and flustered at anything his friend sent his way). 

Not that Daichi hated it - it made him feel warm and desirable in more ways than one - but all it did was feed into his crush. Daichi really, really liked Suga, and with the other boy saying such things so openly, Daichi was sure that one day his control was going to break and he was going to just kiss Suga in front of everyone (and maybe more than that if Daichi was being honest).

No one wanted to see that, so he kept it under wraps, but Gods, were times like this really testing his limits. 

Too deep in his thoughts, he almost didn’t notice Suga handing him a sword. Taking it from him, Daichi let his fingers brush over Suga’s pale and slender ones. Was that too desperate? Is he going to think I’m a creep? But other than a smile, he didn’t visibly react.

As they walked over to an open space, Daichi rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders, the heat starting to get to him. Glancing back up, he noticed Suga’s eyes following the motion of his arms.

“Don’t think you can distract me with those biceps of yours,” Suga said, a flirty tone in his voice despite him standing battle ready with his sword gripped tightly. “And don’t you go easy on me.”

Daichi smirked, half at how openly Suga ogled at him, half at how quickly the other boy got ready. “I wouldn’t dare.”

From experience, Daichi knew never to underestimate anyone, especially Suga. He had watched and fought Suga multiple times, and while Suga wasn’t the strongest or the most agile, he was incredibly observant. He had countless strategies and tactics up his sleeve, and knew how to change it up depending on his current opponent. It was a subtle strength, one that made him surprisingly powerful and dangerous. 

Daichi gripped his own sword. The two of them stood face-to-face, neither wanting to make the first move, but he knew that the more time Suga had to observe, the deadlier he could become.

So with a deep breath, Daichi charged, his sword swung high. 

Suga dodged and swung his own sword down, Daichi blocking it right before it could slash his chest, then returning an attack, which Suga parried. The fight continued like that for a while, the two trading blows and parries, with neither gaining or giving away any advantage. Daichi could easily overpower his friend, but not when Suga knew his fighting style inside and out. Instead, he had to wait for a misstep, a miscalculation. 

A chance finally came when Suga blocked a hard attack only to stumble, losing a few precious seconds of concentration. That was all he needed. 

Daichi took the moment to get behind him. He held the edge of his blade an inch away from Suga’s neck, his free hand going down to restrain the arm that held the sword, effectively trapping Suga right up against his chest. Under different circumstances, he would have been horribly distracted by how close they were, by the heavy breathing and the heat, but now, high on adrenaline and competitiveness, he was smug, whispering into Suga’s ear, “Ready to surrender?”

Suga said nothing. Taking his silence to be acceptance, Daichi lowered the sword. As he did so however, he remembered that a silent Suga was a deadly one, and that the quiet could only mean one thing, but by the time he realised this, it was too late.

In the split second it took Daichi to recognise his mistake, Suga forced his restrained hand back, jerking the hilt of his sword into Daichi’s stomach. Daichi doubled over and stumbled backwards, Suga ducking under his sword. 

With a grunt, Daichi ignored the pain. He regained his footing, only to see Suga already there, sword in a downward swing. Daichi barely blocked it, but because it was weak, Suga merely grabbed the sword right out of his hand. Before he could even register this, Suga had the sword pointed right at his neck, the other against his nape, the blade just touching his skin. 

Daichi blinked. Suga looked at him with a satisfied grin on his face. “Ready to surrender?” 

No weapons and nowhere to run. Daichi had made a mistake, and he wasn’t going to pretend that he didn’t. Sheepishly, he raised both his hands up, accepting defeat. 

A breathy laugh escaped Suga, his eyes crinkling up with mirth. In that moment, Daichi was willing to lose any and all of his future duels if it meant he could hear such a beautiful laugh directed at him again. 

Suga lowered the swords and handed Daichi’s back to him. This time, Daichi couldn’t help but notice that the other boy had held it in a way that had their fingers brushing against each other, in a way that was clearly done on purpose this time, unlike earlier. With the light touch of Suga’s index finger against his own, he wished he didn’t have to let go. 

When Daichi looked back up, he saw a glint in the other’s brown eyes. Uh oh, what’s he up to now? He got his answer when Suga asked, “Now that I’ve won, do I get a prize?”

Daichi's breath caught in his throat. “Is there anything you want?”

Suga took a step closer, close enough that Daichi could watch as a single drop of sweat rolled down the side of the boy's face, making its way down the column of his neck and disappearing into the neckline of his t-shirt, a neckline that showed off a stretch of pale chest. It took everything Daichi had to force his eyes back up, only to see Suga’s heated gaze fall on him. “Well, there are a few things I can think of.”

Daichi would have probably kissed him right then and there. If only they weren’t suddenly interrupted by a loud click of a tongue. “Get a room.”

They turned to find, sitting on a fallen log not far away, Oikawa, another son of Aphrodite, looking effortlessly flawless even though he was clearly sweating. He was pretty, and Daichi could see why Iwaizumi was so attracted to this brunette. 

“Oikawa.”

“Sawamura. Nice to see you taking care of my brother… or whatever it is that you’re doing.”

Blushing, Daichi took a small step away from Suga. Oikawa’s tongue was just as sharp as his wits and skills, and Daichi wasn’t the only one who feared being at the end of his scathing words. 

Suga, however, was immune to all of it. “What are you even doing here?” Suga asked. “I thought you wanted to fight your precious Iwa-chan.”

“I did, but by the time I got there, he was gone. So I thought I’d come over and practise with you, but I guess you already have a partner. Though I doubt you two were actually fighting.” Oikawa turned to Daichi. “Seriously though, you two should get a room. There are kids here.” 

The youngest person in this camp is already sixteen, Daichi wanted to retort, but Suga had already beaten him to it. “You and Iwaizumi are the ones who should get a room, one that isn’t next to mine where I can hear everything! Seriously, how are the two of you so loud?”

“You’re just jealous that I’m getting some while you’re not.” Oikawa’s gaze turned into a dismissive side-eye. “Don’t know what’s taking so long though.” 

Ouch. That one hurt. As if he didn’t feel shitty enough about how cowardly he was about his feelings for Suga, it was clear that Oikawa, and probably many of the others, saw him as the problem too. 

“That’s none of your business.” Red stained Suga’s cheeks, a rare sight for one that was rarely fazed by anything. 

“Yeah, well, you’re done fighting, yes?” Oikawa picked up the knife that he had beside him. “You promised that we would practise hand-to-hand.”

“I did,” Suga said with a sigh, before mumbling under his breath, just loud enough for Daichi to hear, “Regretting it now.”

The silver haired boy had the most adorable pout on his face, and Daichi couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “You’ll be fine. At least there’s the party to look forward to. You’re coming right?”

“Of course I am. How could I miss it when you Ares boys are the ones hosting it?”

“Hopefully it’ll go better than the last time.” Daichi shuddered as he recalled being hunched over the toilet, spewing his guts out from the bad food. “Iwaizumi’s watching over those two idiots this time, which is already an improvement.” 

“I’m sure everything’s going to be fine,” Suga said, a faint pink still dusting his cheeks. “Things normally are, when you’re in charge.”

There it was again. That same flirty attitude from before. How Suga could do it so easily, Daichi had no idea. It was so effortless, so seamless, so unlike him now, completely flustered and struggling to form words. “I-”

From out of nowhere, a knife flew through the space between them, lodging itself into a tree a few feet away. 

Startled, Daichi nearly fell over, while Suga had already turned to the culprit. “What the fuck?”

Oikawa only smirked. “Iwa-chan was right. The tension between you two is thick enough to cut with a knife.” 

Suga was this close to screaming at his brother, and while Daichi would have loved to stay and watch a fight between these two children of Aphrodite, he really didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire. Also, he had to head back and check on his own brothers, so he said, “I’ve gotta go…”

Suga, doing a complete one-eighty and turning to him with a smile, said, “I’ll see you later then”, before immediately stomping over to Oikawa. 

Chuckling to himself about how incredibly scary Suga could get when he was mad, Daichi returned his sword to the rack and made his way to his cabin. As he walked, his mind couldn’t help but wander off to his friend, to the beautiful boy who he adored so much. 

Suga liked him, he knew that, but in what way he wasn’t sure. What if all the flirting was just Suga’s way of teasing him? What if Suga only did it because he got a laugh out of making him flustered? 

Furthermore, it wasn’t like he was the only one being teased. Suga targeted everyone, but he especially loved teasing all the boys from Ares, with Tanaka and Nishinoya in particular, the two younger boys often finding themselves at the receiving end of rough pats on the head and surprise ticklings. Even Iwaizumi, who Suga was the least close to, was still the victim of the occasional friendly punch or jab. Suga’s signature angelic smile alone could have the other three Ares sons blushing furiously, a feat only achievable by someone as incredible as him.

With the history of Ares and Aphrodite, it’s no surprise then that their respective children would be drawn towards each other. Daichi had already seen this happen with Iwaizumi and Oikawa, and he can’t help but wonder if Suga was only treating him this way because of their parentage. If that was the case, Daichi wouldn’t feel right. 

What if he wasn’t a son of Ares? Would Suga still feel the same way? Daichi knew Suga wasn’t as shallow as that, but he hated the thought that Suga had no choice in the matter, that fate had won over free will. 

Gods, for a son of the war god, he sure was pathetic. 

By the time he got to the cabin, he reached a whole new level of self-doubt, and while he would love to wallow in his feelings, he had a party to prepare for. As head of the Ares cabin, he couldn't afford to slack off.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he opened the front door, expecting to find nothing but chaos. Instead, he found the entire living area clean and spotless, the various video game consoles set up by the tv, and the volleyball net already up in the backyard. Even the Ares banner was clean, handing brightly over the room.

Hearing noises from the kitchen, Daichi headed over to see his brothers hunched over a phone, watching a video. At the sound of footsteps, they turned around. “You’re back!” Nishinoya beamed at him, hands resting proudly on his hips. “We did a good job, right?”

“You did. I’m surprised. I was preparing myself to find the kitchen on fire again.” 

“That was an accident and you know it!” Nishinoya said, sulking. Daichi would never forget the day his brother had stored too much ice cream in the freezer, only to not shut the door properly, which led to the ice cream melting and starting an electrical fire. He nearly had a heart attack when he found smoke spewing out from the windows.

Meanwhile, Tanaka looked at him with a smirk on his face. “Thought you just wanted to talk. Why are you all sweaty?”

“We just did some sword practice, that’s all.” 

“Sword fighting, eh?” This brother, on the other hand, was well aware of Daichi’s crush, and thought that comments like these would get Daichi to do something about it. The only thing it achieved was making him blush, which didn’t help at all. 

Thankfully, Iwaizumi slapped Tanaka on the back of his head. “Don’t be gross.”

For the second time that day, Daichi thanked the Gods for having at least one brother who didn’t cause him pain on a daily basis. (Daichi had received several complaints from the teachers and trainers about finding Iwaizumi sneaking out in the middle of the night to the Aphrodite cabin. It wasn’t a huge deal, but they wanted Iwaizumi to be more conscious of his actions, especially with younger kids around. Still, Daichi couldn’t find it in him to scold his brother for doing something he wished he had the guts to do.)

“Anyway,” Daichi said, hoping to change the subject. “What are you guys doing?”

“We were looking for meat buns recipes!” Nishinoya pushed the phone to him. “We didn’t know when you would get back, so we thought we would get started and surprise you!”

While Daichi might not be the best fighter in the Ares cabin, he was the best cook, most famous for his meat buns. He prepared them for every gathering, and they were often the first things to run out. Sometimes, if he was making them, other campers would pop over if they caught a whiff of it when they walked past. 

“I’m flattered, but if you think you can just follow some random online recipe, you’re wrong.” Daichi closed the video and walked over to the fridge to pull out ingredients. As he laid them out on the table, he noticed his brothers just watching him. “Don’t just stand there! Go wash your hands and help me out!”

Daichi normally made the meat buns on his own, worried that his two younger brothers would mess things up, as inept as they were in the kitchen (like that food poisoning incident). However, this time, whether it was because he was feeling particularly generous, or because he needed the distraction, he decided he would appreciate the help.

Excited by the request, Nishinoya and Tanaka ran over to the sink and seconds later, were standing at attention, waiting for orders. Iwaizumi, who was never really one for cooking, joined in too, and for the next couple of hours, the four of them chopped and mixed and kneaded. 

If only someone could see them now, the four scary sons of Ares making meat buns with aprons on. 

It went surprisingly well, all things considered. Tanaka and Nishinoya did try to throw flour at each other at one point, but after one glare from Daichi they went back to work. Iwaizumi was pretty clueless with the kitchen equipment, but he didn’t break anything, which Daichi counted as a win. Working with his brothers like this, Daichi felt a sense of peace wash over him. They rarely spent time together like this outside of practice, so to do something so domestic, they really felt like a family. 

By the time the buns were finished, Daichi was almost upset that they were done. But seeing the satisfied grins around him, he was immensely proud too. 

"Good job guys," Daichi said as he lowered the buns into the steamer, covering it with a lid and setting the timer. "Now. Time to get changed."

"What's wrong with what we're wearing?" Nishinoya and Tanaka whipped off their aprons to reveal their simple graphic tees and shorts.

"Seriously?" Though they had on aprons, every other part of them was covered with a white dusting of flour (no thanks to the flour throwing earlier). There were even some bits and pieces of the meat filling stuck to their hands and arms.

“It’s just a party. No one’s expecting us to look amazing,” Nishinoya said as he dusted himself off. 

True, but Daichi still hoped he and his brothers could maintain a certain standard when it came to their appearance. Style wasn’t their thing, obviously, but they still had to look presentable. 

“Well, you do know that almost everyone is coming over tonight,” Daichi said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the counter as nonchalantly as possible. “And by that, I mean every cabin is going to be present.” 

“So?” His two brothers stared at him, completely clueless. Thank the Gods that they were at least good at fighting, because they really could be the densest people on earth. 

“So, I’m sure you want to look good in front of all of them.” Daichi turned to his shorter brother. “Nishinoya, I thought you knew that the Iris cabin has good taste?”

The boy’s eyes went wide, and without warning, immediately turned around and sprinted out of the room. “I have to change!”

Daichi then turned his focus to Tanaka. “And you, aren’t you worried that a certain child of Hestia is going to comment on what you’re wearing?”

With the exact same reaction, Tanaka ran out, screaming after his brother, “Help me pick out an outfit!” 

Iwaizumi chuckled from behind Daichi, shaking his head. “They’re just too easy to read, aren’t they?” 

Daichi just smiled and nodded in agreement. “The same goes for you too. Don’t think you can get out of looking good because you already have a boyfriend.”

“Please, he likes me best when I’m not wearing anything.” Iwaizumi barked out a laugh when Daichi punched in the arm for that mental image. “What about you? Don’t you have someone you want to impress?”

“Shut up.” Daichi couldn’t help the blush that reached his cheeks. Ignoring the smirk on his brother’s face, he quickly headed up the stairs to his own room 

One quick shower later, Daichi found himself standing in front of his closet, staring at his possible clothing options. Normally, he would just throw on a clean tee and jeans, but he hated to be a hypocrite. And while he hadn’t done much for any of the past parties, he always felt the sudden urge to dress up when it came to the ones he hosted (which may or may not have been related to a particular son of Aphrodite).

Suga had told him once that dark blues and greens looked good on him, so he pulled out a nice pine green button-down and a pair of dark blue ripped jeans. Turning to the mirror, he thought he looked pretty good. The shirt was just tight enough to show off his broad shoulders and biceps, while the jeans did wonders for his thighs. Sure he didn’t have the greatest outfits, but he’d be damned if he couldn’t pull off something simple like this. 

Heading back to the kitchen to check on the buns, Daichi heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he sighed. “You are way too early.”

“You know I hate being late.” Asahi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Despite his height and older appearance, Asahi was a gentle son of Iris who disliked any and all types of fighting, even if he had the talent for it. Instead, he was a great designer, and with the clothes he had made for everyone, he had single-handedly raised the style level of the entire camp. He was also a huge worrywart, which had him receiving the brunt of much of Daichi and Suga’s teasing, the three of them best friends since they entered the camp together all those years ago. 

Daichi clapped him warmly on the shoulder, pulling him into the cabin. “Since you’re here, do you mind helping set up the snacks?”

Never one to say no, Asahi agreed, the two of them heading to the kitchen. As Daichi started handing Asahi the chips, he paused. Then, a flash of inspiration, realising there was a way to kill two birds with one stone. 

Poking his head out of the kitchen, he shouted, “Nishinoya! Come down here! I need your help!”

Panic took over Asahi’s face, but Daichi ignored it when he heard his brother’s reply. “I’m still changing! Can’t you get Ryuu?”

“No! You’re the only one who can do this!” Asahi was already pulling at his arm to stop, but he just brushed it off with a smirk.

There was no response, but a few seconds later, a door slammed, followed by footsteps down the stairs. Nishinoya’s voice got louder as he got closer, the boy clearly frustrated. “You’re seriously asking for my help now? Asahi-san is going to look amazing so you know I can’t just wear anything! What if-”

Nishinoya’s rant stopped the moment he stepped into the kitchen, his eyes falling on the taller boy. In all his years of knowing him, Daichi had only ever seen his brother blush a handful of times, and now he could add one more to the list. Nishinoya’s eyes and mouth were wide open, face flushed at the realisation that everything he just said had been heard. Somehow, he managed to say, “Hi.”

Asahi, on the other hand, was completely red, an awkward smile on his face, looking everywhere except at Nishinoya. “Hi.”

An awkward silence quickly followed as the two said nothing else. Okay, time to move things along.  Daichi quickly grabbed more snacks and pushed them into the hands of the other two. “Nishinoya, why don’t you show Asahi where to put these?”

At the mention of his name, Nishinoya blinked. “Oh. Yeah, sure. Follow me!” Asahi walked over to his side and they made their way out, but not before Daichi heard the tall boy say, “You look good.”

Daichi could only shake his head at those two lovable idiots. How two people so different were attracted to each other, he had no clue. Neither of them had actually told him of their crushes, but it was so obvious. Nishinoya, who was already a naturally lively person, became even more energetic around Asahi. Asahi, nervous wreck that he was, always seemed more confident around Nishinoya, the panic of messing up replaced by flustering over the amount of attention given to him by the shorter boy. 

Daichi was nothing if not a good brother, friend, and wingman. He knew how to push them in the right direction, no matter what tricks he had to pull. 

If only he knew how to apply it to his own life. 

But now wasn’t the time to think about that. He had a party to host. 

He went around the cabin, doing last minute checks on everything. By the time he was done, the other campers had begun streaming in. 

Daichi always loved these gatherings. Any friendly rivalries were gone, with everyone just chilling and hanging out together outside of practice. Even though he was the host, he could feel his stress levels go down as the sun set. 

With a cup of ambrosia in hand, he did a quick check of his brothers. Nishinoya was still stuck by Asahi’s side, the former animatedly recounting his earlier fight, the latter with a soft smile on his face as he listened. Tanaka and Iwaizumi were with Ennoshita, a son of Hestia, and Kenma, a son of Hermes, the four screaming at each other over Mario Kart.

If Iwaizumi is with Tanaka, then that means… Daichi mentally slapped himself. Stop it. It’s still early. He’s going to show up. What are you so worried about?

Heading back to the kitchen, Daichi walked past Akaashi, a quiet but kind son of Athena. Daichi wasn’t close to him, greeting him with a nod rather than awkward small talk. Akaashi had a neutral expression that had some people thinking he was emotionless, but Daichi knew him well enough to know that he was anything but, a supportive and calming presence in the surprisingly chaotic Athena cabin. 

In the kitchen, seeing that the buns were done (he could almost hear the collective cheer), he switched the stove off, only to feel someone come up behind him. Next came darkness as a pair of hands covered his eyes. 

Only two people in the camp would do such a silly thing, and Daichi was sure he knew which of the two this was.

“Bokuto, I know it’s you.”

A loud sigh was followed by the hands being removed. Daichi turned around to find the other son of Hermes with a pout on his face. “How did you know?”

“I passed your boyfriend on the way here. You never go anywhere without him.” 

“Akaashi!” Bokuto shouted, his voice doing that weird inflection that never ceased to amaze Daichi. “You ruined the plan!”

“Sorry, Bokuto-san,” came the response, in an unfazed manner so typical of Akaashi.

“What was the plan, anyway?” Daichi asked, an eyebrow raised. “I would have known it was you the minute you said something.”

“That’s why he’s here.” Bokuto gestured backwards with his thumb. Stepping out from behind the fridge, with his signature bed hair and smirk, was Kuroo, another son of Athena. 

“Of course he is.” Daichi sighed. Like his two brothers, Kuroo and Bokuto were strong fighters; unfortunately, just like his brothers, they were dumbasses who loved messing with him. They were great friends, but thank the Gods they were from other cabins. “Who did you even think I would guess?”

“I don’t know, maybe a certain son of Aphrodite?” Kuroo looked like the cheshire cat with that stupid grin on his face. “You know, a little shorter than you, silver hair, has a beauty mark under his eye, really pretty…”

“Please. He wouldn’t do something like this. Only you two idiots are dumb enough to think I would fall for it.” 

“But you would have liked it to be him, wouldn’t you?” Kuroo moved closer, hips swaying in an effort to be sexy, voice pitched slightly higher to imitate Suga’s. “Wouldn’t you, Daichi?”

“Shut up.” Daichi smacked Kuroo on his side, hoping to distract him from the blush on his cheeks. “I hate you guys.”

Bokuto slung his arm over his shoulder. “But you love us!”

“Yeah, don’t remind me.” Daichi shrugged the two of them off him. “Get out of here. I didn’t host this party for you to be stuck in here.”

"But we wanted some meat buns,” Bokuto said, walking over to the steamer, closing his hand around the lid only for Daichi to slap it away.

“Not yet! I’m letting them cool down so don’t you dare! Now go! Go drink, go eat, go do something! If I see you in here again, you're not going to get any buns for a year."

Kuroo clutched his chest in mock pain. "Sawamura, you wouldn't."

Daichi planted himself in front of the stove, arms crossed. "You willing to risk it?" 

"Okay! We'll go, we'll go!" Bokuto said, pulling Kuroo out with him. "Akaashi, let's go play some volleyball!"

Daichi sighed, following behind them after grabbing a new pitcher of ambrosia. It was going to be a long night with those two around, and the night had only just begun.

Hinata, son of Apollo, and Kageyama, son of Nyx, arrived soon after, Daichi hearing them before seeing them, their usual bickering loud through the door. Daichi used to shout at them a lot for arguing and disrupting practice, but as was the case for most of the campers, they were extremely talented at fighting, so he couldn’t stay mad at them for long. Besides, the trouble they caused had toned down a lot since they got together (again, another couple that Daichi had no idea how it worked, seeing as how their parents were literal opposites), and he wouldn’t tell this to anyone, but he did have a soft spot for the two boys. 

“Hi Daichi-san!” Hinata said when Daichi let them in, beaming brighter than the sun. “Is Bokuto-san here? He promised me a game of volleyball!”

“He’s outside.” Daichi gestured towards the backyard, and Hinata immediately sprinted away, shouting back a “Thank you!”

“Dumbass, don’t just run off!” Kageyama shouted after him, before turning to Daichi with a sheepish look on his face. “Daichi-san, are the meat buns…”

As fierce as he was on the battlefield, Kageyama was just a socially awkward son of the night. He was also one of the biggest fans of Daichi’s cooking, which only endeared him even more. “They’re just cooling down. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when they’re done.”

With a nod, Kageyama took off, running to the backyard after his boyfriend. Daichi barely had time to react when Tsukkishima, another son of Athena, and Yamaguchi, a son of Demeter, appeared too. These boys on the other hand caused barely any trouble at all. 

“Tsukishima, your brothers are out back if you want to join them.”

“No thanks. I spend enough time with them as is,” said the tall boy dismissively, before turning to Yamaguchi. “I’m going to grab us a drink.” 

Unlike his salty boyfriend, the son of Demeter was much friendlier, and Daichi could actually talk to him without feeling like he needed to defend his every word. “Oh, Yamaguchi, is your brother coming?”

“He’s on his way. He went to pick up Tendou-san.”

Ah, right. Because even Ushijima had a boyfriend. Everyone around him seemed to be in a relationship. This wasn’t news by any means, but something about today just made Daichi antsy about his own predicament. 

Letting Yamaguchi go, Daichi returned to the kitchen once more, silently grateful for the space alone. The buns were finally done, and one by one, he placed them on a tray. Counting them to make sure no one had stolen any, he felt another presence in the room, footsteps coming up behind him.

“I swear, I wasn’t lying when I said no buns for a year. You try anything funny and I’ll kick your ass.” 

“Well then, I'd better leave,” said an all too familiar voice.

Daichi never turned around so quickly in his life.

Fuck.

Looking absolutely stunning in a light blue sweater was Suga, with eyebrow raised and an amused look on his face. 

Daichi could not get the words out fast enough. “I- I didn’t mean- I wasn’t- I thought you were-”

“Kuroo or Bokuto?” Suga asked, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he tried to contain his laughter. “I figured since they were the ones who told me to find you here.”

Just then, Daichi spotted his two spiky haired friends poking their heads around the corner, Kuroo with that smug grin and Bokuto with a thumbs up. If Suga wasn’t there right now, Daichi swore he would have thrown something at them.

“So… am I banned from meat buns too?” Suga asked.

"No, of course not!" Daichi’s focus returned to the boy before him, taking a bun from the tray and handing it to him.

"Thanks! This is the only reason I come to these parties." Suga teased and oh god why is moving closer? He's too close. Oh why are his eyes so pretty? "Well, this and... one other reason."

Daichi, like the fool he was, could only stare dumbfounded as Suga bit into the bun innocently, as if he hadn't just said something that sent Daichi's heart racing. Suga was well within touching distance, and Daichi wished so badly to reach out, to hold his other hand, to run a hand through his gorgeous hair, but no, his body didn’t want to cooperate. Instead, he just stood there, watching as his friend finished the meat bun, running his tongue over his lips (don’t think weird thoughts, don’t think weird thoughts, don’t think- great, you’re staring at his lips now), before reaching for the tray again.

However, instead of taking another bun, Suga lifted the entire tray. “I’ll help you give these out.”

That snapped Daichi out of his thoughts. “I can’t let you do that! You’re a guest!”

“It’s fine. It’ll give me a chance to say hi to everyone!” Before Daichi could even stop him, he was out of the kitchen. 

Not wanting to be standing alone, Daichi left too, taking up a position by the door, watching as Suga went around the room. 

This was Daichi’s favourite version of him. Suga with a smile on his face, one that had everyone smiling back in return (even Tsukishima couldn’t resist it; Daichi swore that he saw the blonde boy crack a smile and even blush when Suga praised him after a particularly tough duel). He was so genuinely kind and friendly to everyone, patting the heads and ruffling the hair of the younger campers (Hinata and Kageyama were especially fond of this), while exchanging sharp-witted banter with the others, even including a fond punch or two (Asahi was once again at the receiving end, almost dropping his meat bun after a hard jab to his side). 

Unlike during practice or lessons, where his concentration and ambition were dialled up high, at times like these Suga was relaxed. He was comfortable. He was happy, which made Daichi happy too. 

Perhaps a little too happy, because someone called him out on it. “You’re staring.”

Broken out of his little bubble, Daichi turned to find Ushijima next to him. Big, tall, and an incredibly powerful fighter, this other son of Demeter was a force to be reckoned with, but despite the menacing vibe, he was a gentle soul. He was, unsurprisingly, a great farmer, and most of the produce Daichi cooked with came from his garden. 

“Not you too.” If even Ushijima was joining in on the teasing, then it must be bad.

“Hmm?” The boy’s stoic expression betrayed just the slightest bit of confusion as he sipped his cup of ambrosia. “What are you talking about?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Daichi said, glaring at his friend. “You’re thinking that my crush on Suga is way too obvious. You’re also thinking that I should just tell him. You’re thinking that as a son of Ares I should be braver, or that I should man up and stop worrying. Maybe you’re even thinking that I’m just being stupid. Isn’t that you’re trying to say?”

“No. I was just pointing out that you’re staring.” Ushijima’s face remained completely neutral, and Daichi would have punched him if he didn’t know that the other boy always spoke his mind. He wasn’t stupid by any means, but he was his own brand of dumb, so genuinely honest and direct in a way that made it that much harder to be angry with him. 

He continued drinking while Daichi could only stand there, the realisation dawning on him that he had just ranted and revealed everything without the least bit of provocation. 

Goddamn it. 

At least no one else was around to hear it. And Ushijima was never one for gossip. 

“I’m just… I’m gonna go…” With a sigh and a swig of his drink, Daichi walked away. He wished he could just bury himself in the ground, but the party was finally starting to pick up. He wasn’t about to spoil the fun, so filling his cup up once more, he joined in.

A quick game of Mario Kart, a few rounds of cards, and several cups of ambrosia later, Daichi was distracted. He was enjoying himself, goofing off with his friends and brothers, talking about silly things that didn’t really matter. Even when Suga was around, he didn’t feel tense at all. At that moment, they were just friends, and everything else didn’t exist. 

Sure it left Daichi feeling a little hollow, but it was fine. That was what the ambrosia was for. 

And it worked. Until said ambrosia ran out. 

Apparently everyone was feeling particularly thirsty, because all the pitchers he had previously prepared were soon empty. Luckily, they had more bottles in the storage room. 

Heading there, Daichi expected to find at least five more bottles, maybe fewer. 

What he found instead was Asahi and Nishinoya, making out against one of the shelves. 

For a few good seconds, they just stared at each other. Daichi even blinked a few times to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating, but no. He was in fact seeing his brother and one of his best friends pressed up against each other, faces flushed and hair dishevelled. 

Daichi knew he should say something. Instead, all that came out was, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I… I’ll just come back later.”

He walked away, but less than three seconds later, loud footsteps were coming up behind him. Turning around, he wasn’t surprised to find Asahi, face redder than he had ever seen before. 

"I can explain."

"Explain what?" Daichi asked, confused.

"Wait," Asahi said, equally confused. "You're not mad?" 

"Why would I be mad? A bit shocked, sure, but I'm not mad."

"Well, I just thought…"

"What? That I'll be mad to find you making out with my younger brother?" Daichi cocked an eyebrow as Asahi had at least the decency to look embarrassed. "Don't you know how hard I've been trying to get you two together?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing! I'm happy for you!" Daichi squeezed Asahi's shoulder, applying a bit more pressure as he continued, "Though I will hurt you if you break his heart."

"I would never!" The taller boy squeeked as he winced at the pain. Satisfied, Daichi let go, with Asahi sighing in relief. "But… are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's not that, it's just…" A worried frown took over Asahi's face. "Why do you look pissed off?"

Did he? Daichi took a moment. His whole body felt tense. His brows were furrowed for some reason. His fists were also clenched. But that didn't make sense. Like he said, he definitely wasn't angry with Asahi or Nishinoya. Then, what was…

Oh. Of course.

"I'm not pissed off with you. I'm…" Daichi sighed. He might as well say it. "I'm pissed off at myself because I’m a fucking coward." 

“Is this about…”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“You should just tell him.”

“It’s not that easy.” Daichi ran a hand through his hair. The ambrosia was wearing off and every thought he had pushed away was now rushing back. “I just… I don’t want to screw it up.” 

“You won’t. He’s not that kind of person.”

“I know that but…” Gods, Daichi hated this. Worse of all, he hated bringing Asahi into this. “You know what? I’ll be fine.”

“Daichi...”

“It’s a party. You’re supposed to be having fun!” Ignoring his friend, he forced a smile. “Stop worrying about me.” 

“You know I can’t do that,” Asahi said, now completely serious. “Promise me you’ll talk to him?”

“... I promise.”

Asahi smiled, and Daichi quickly pushed him in the direction that they came from, before he could say anything else that would make Daichi’s night worse. “Go back to Nishinoya. He’s probably wondering what happened to you.”

The flush returned to Asahi's face, and after he walked away, because Daichi couldn’t resist teasing him, he said, “Remember to use protection!”

The tall boy sputtered, and Daichi laughed, his mood lifted. 

But it was only for a second, because once he was back in the main living area, he had officially sunken into a funk.

Wanting to cut back on the ambrosia, he tried distracting himself, but nothing worked. 

Not a karaoke session, where his friends make a fool of themselves by dancing and breaking their voices on incredibly high notes. 

Not another few rounds of Mario Kart, during which he had gotten so many blue shells that it seemed like even the game was out to get him. 

Not even watching a few rousing sets of volleyball, having to shout at his brothers a couple of times to get them to focus and win. 

It didn't help that there were so many couples around him. He loved his friends, but he just felt like a third wheel everywhere he went. Not wanting to be that guy and spoil the fun for everyone, he quietly snuck back upstairs, deciding to hide in his room for the rest of the night.

Which he would have, if he didn't open the door to find, sitting on the floor of his balcony, the exact source of his problems. 

Suga’s back was facing him, so he hadn’t noticed him yet, allowing Daichi a long moment to just look. Suga was leaning back, supporting himself on his two arms while his legs were hanging off the ledge. He was staring up at the night sky, his head tilted at just the perfect angle for his silver hair to catch the glow of the balcony lights, bright enough to illuminate the serene smile on his face. 

Gods, he’s beautiful.

Part of Daichi wanted to turn around, to return to the party, but he didn’t want to run away. He did promise Asahi that he would talk to him, and this was the perfect opportunity. No one to interrupt them, and no way for Daichi to find an excuse to get away. 

And so, with a deep breath, he walked over. 

Suga turned as Daichi stepped through the balcony door, smiling as he sat down beside him. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Daichi swung his legs over the edge too, hoping his friend wouldn’t notice how nervous he was. “What are you doing up here?” 

“The stars are out tonight, and I didn’t want to miss them. Also, I really didn't want to be dragged into any more karaoke.” Suga said, before playfully knocking his knee against Daichi’s. “What about you?”

“I was… tired.” He wasn’t lying. Physically, he had enough energy to last the whole night, but emotionally? He was completely drained and exhausted. 

“I’m not surprised. You’ve been running around all night checking in on everyone.”

“I did have to make up for the last time. And as long as everyone’s having a good time, I think it was worth it.” 

“Well, I had a lot of fun, so thank you.”

Daichi was floored by the brilliant smile directed at him. Should I tell him now? No, it’s too sudden. At least say something you idiot! But of course, instead of saying “you’re welcome” like any normal person would, Daichi turned towards the sky, asking “So what am I looking at anyway?”

Wow. That was real smooth.

Suga only chuckled before pointing out the tiny spots of light, using his index finger to draw the constellations. Daichi tried to pay attention, he really did, but he found himself regretting his actions, realising that he just wasted a good opportunity. How was he supposed to change the topic of conversation now?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Suga moving closer to him, their bodies now pressed side-to-side, connected from the hip all the way to their feet. Daichi didn’t even notice the warmth of another body next to him until he felt something on his shoulder.

He turned and saw silver. Suga was resting his head on his shoulder, still talking about the stars. 

With this new development, Daichi thought he would be freaking out. He wasn’t. In fact, the warmth grounded him. He felt tingly, but calm. And when Suga named a constellation, he remembered it. 

When the stars ran out, they talked about other things, the conversation moving seamlessly through various topics. The party, the camp, their brothers. 

Slowly, they fell into a comfortable silence. Enjoying each other’s presence, the two just sat there, looking at the night sky, the only other sounds coming from the party downstairs, muffled and distant.

It was a beautiful moment, and Daichi didn’t want to ruin it.

He wanted to freeze time and live in it forever. 

But of course, something just had to happen.

There was the buzz of a vibration, and Suga pulled out his phone. It was a text, and while Daichi didn’t want to pry, he had to react when a loud sigh came from his friend. “What is it?”

“Your brother is staying over at our cabin tonight.” Suga put his phone away, shaking his head in disgust. “I wasn’t lying when I said they were loud.”

“Trust me. I know.” Unfortunately, Daichi's room was next to Iwaizumi’s, and whenever Oikawa was staying over… well, Daichi was just grateful he had bought ear plugs. 

Suga’s head flopped back onto Daichi’s shoulder. “I’m really not in the mood to listen to that tonight.” 

“Why don’t you just stay over?” asked Daichi.

“And sleep on Iwaizumi’s bed?” Suga scoffed. “No thank you. I’m traumatised enough as it is.”

"You could sleep here. In my room.” 

Suga lifted his head, the mischievous grin from before returning. “Inviting me into your bed, Sawamura?”

The ambrosia must have been liquid courage, because the next words out of Daichi’s mouth were, “And what if I was?”

“You keep talking like that, and I’m going to start thinking that you like me.” Suga’s face was now inches from his, bright eyes staring right at him. 

It’s now or never.

“Would it be so bad if I did?” 

A pause. An entirely too long pause, during which Daichi could practically hear the frantic beating of his heart. 

Then, a smile. The most beautiful smile on Suga’s face, accompanied by a rosy pink on his cheeks. “No. It’s good. Because I like you too.”

Daichi's face mirrored Suga's, a grin growing so wide that his cheeks started to hurt. Suga liked him!

He wished he could have just left it there. He really did. But the irrational, maybe even masochistic part of his brain forced him to ask, “Why?”

“Why do I like you?” 

Daichi nodded, preparing himself for whatever answer was to come.

“Well look at you,” Suga said. “Big, strong, handsome son of Ares, what’s not to like?”

“Oh.” Daichi didn’t want to be disappointed. He had expected it. He should just be thankful that Suga even liked him, and- 

“But that’s not why I like you.”

Confused, Daichi turned to Suga.

“I mean, that is what attracted me to you in the first place, but that’s not the main reason why I like you.” Suga’s blush had grown even redder, and he even looked… shy? Daichi didn’t think he would ever see the day. “I like you because you’re so good.

"You're kind. You're caring. You're responsible." Suga's eyes never left his. "You look out for everyone. Not just your brothers, or the younger campers, but people like Kuroo, Ushijima, even Oikawa; you care for all of them."

For the first time, Daichi understood why Asahi always got so flustered around Nishinoya. To be praised so directly and genuinely - by Suga no less - made him embarrassed and uncomfortable but warm and happy all the same. "You're kind, caring, and responsible too, Suga."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the one praising you here," Suga said, punching him lightly in the chest. "You can talk about how great I am later, but for now, shush."

“Ow!” Daichi rubbed the spot where he was just punched, before chuckling at the look on Suga’s face. “Okay, I’ll be quiet. Please continue.”

“As I was saying…” Suga huffed, much to Daichi’s amusement. “I like you because even though no one asks you to, you make meat buns for every gathering because you know how much we like them. I like you because when you’re angry and you start shouting, I know that it's your way of showing that you care. I like you because you think you have to keep trying to impress me, even though I’ve been impressed since the beginning.”

The last point sent Daichi’s heart beating even harder. As much as he had been watching Suga, Suga was watching him just as closely, and his actions were clearly not as subtle as he had hoped. 

Suga reached over and held his hand. “Most of all, I like you because you’ve never once looked down on me.”

Suga paused, and Daichi waited, saying nothing but squeezing the pale hand that was in his. 

“When we first came to the camp, I was worried that the others would think I was just some pretty boy, a son of Aphrodite who had no skills whatsoever. And when I met you, I thought, ‘He’s a son of Ares, he’s going to look down on me for sure.’ But you didn’t. You have never gone easy on me when it came to fighting. You put as much into our duels as you do when you’re fighting anybody else. You’ve helped me become a better fighter, and for that I’m grateful.”

Daichi’s heart ached. He knew Suga had been worried about being underestimated, that he tended to hide behind his teasing and his smile, but he never knew the insecurities had been around for so long. He wished that Suga had told him sooner, but he was glad that he had at least helped in some way, that Suga had never given up.

Staring at his friend’s bright brown eyes, Daichi said, “You’ve always been more than just a pretty face to me.”

The corner of Suga’s mouth ticked up. “But you do think I’m pretty?”

Normally, a comment like that would have thrown Daichi, but right then, he only wanted to shower Suga with compliments. “Not just pretty... You’re beautiful.”

Suga’s face lit up, his cheeks and the tips of his ears completely red. “You’re such a sap.” 

Daichi was a sap, but he would only ever show this side of him to one person, and said person was looking at him with so much fondness that Daichi wondered why he ever questioned any of his affections.

He didn’t want to doubt any longer. 

Daichi leaned forward and pressed his lips to Suga’s. It was a quick kiss, nothing more than a peck, but it sent Daichi’s heart soaring. When he pulled away, he saw Suga’s face was now completely red, mouth slightly open in surprise. For the first time, Daichi had made Suga speechless. 

He didn’t know how to continue, so instead he just said, “I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time.” 

“Then why did you stop?”

With that single sentence alone, all of Daichi’s tension melted away, and his lips were immediately back on Suga’s, hands coming up to cradle his face. Suga welcomed him, kissed him back just as fiercely, his own hands coming up to grab the front of his shirt, pulling him even closer. 

And Gods, it was like the floodgates were opened, all the feelings Daichi had kept under wraps for years rushing out. Finally kissing Suga felt like heaven, but it wasn’t enough. His body wanted more, desire forcing him forward, physically pushing until Suga was lying on the floor, Daichi holding himself up above him. 

Suga’s hands were in his hair, holding him as his mouth opened under his, inviting him closer, deeper, feeding the growing fire. Daichi was beyond turned on, but didn’t want to rush things. He would have been perfectly fine if kissing was all they did. He would have been fine taking care of things by himself if Suga didn’t want to go any further. 

Then, Suga rolled his hips up, his erection rubbing against Daichi’s, and any thought of “being fine” flew out the window. 

Daichi groaned at the sensation, momentarily breaking the kiss. Suga, whose lips were red and cheeks almost a similar shade, only smiled and said, “Let’s head back inside, shall we?”

Oh, right, they were still on the balcony. 

With a nod, Daichi stood up, trying his best not to adjust himself in his jeans, his cock pressing painfully tight against the zipper. Instead, he opened the door to let Suga in first. 

“Such a gentleman,” Suga said, shaking his head as he laughed breathlessly. Stepping back into the room, he pulled Daichi after him and against him, back into a kiss, hands working swiftly to undo the buttons of Daichi’s shirt. 

Daichi, content with Suga taking the lead for now, let his own hands rest on Suga’s hip, fingers dipping under the hem of his sweater, rubbing light circles on the soft skin until Suga was done with the buttons. 

Once the shirt was gone, with a light shove, Suga pushed him onto the bed. Daichi quickly sat upright, just in time to see Suga undress, pulling off each article of clothing in a manner so deliberate that it felt like a damn strip show, and Daichi was his personal audience.

Not that he was going to complain. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of the lean body that was revealing more of itself as Suga removed his clothes, each piece falling to the floor until he was in nothing but a pair of tight blue briefs. 

Suga climbed onto Daichi's lap, draping his arms around Daichi’s neck and wrapping his legs around Daichi’s waist. And because he was a damn tease, Suga grinded his hips down a little, and Daichi really wished he had taken his jeans off when he had the chance. 

The cheeky grin was back on Suga's face, and Daichi wanted nothing more than to wipe it off. So, grabbing Suga's thighs, Daichi pulled him closer, their lips crashing back together in a filthy kiss that had his whole body tingling. 

That wasn't the only thing that had him on sensory overload. Suga's hands roamed over his sides, his abs, his pecs, fingers just playfully ghosting over his nipples, touches that had Daichi shuddering. 

Just like when they were in battle, Suga knew exactly all the right moves. 

But Daichi was never one to go down without a fight. 

Two can play at this game, Daichi thought as he ran his hands along Suga's thighs. With a firm touch, he moved from the knees to the thighs, hands eventually finding their way to Suga's ass, squeezing the two globes of muscles that he had only ever admired from afar.

Feeling braver, Daichi slipped his fingers under the waistband of Suga's briefs. The little gasps Suga made at the contact only encouraged him, pressing and pulling at the firm flesh, exploring until he found Suga's entrance, a light touch over the tight hole-

"Wait," Suga said suddenly, breaking out of the kiss. 

Daichi immediately removed his hands, afraid that he had gone overboard. The lust-induced fog in his mind cleared instantly, and he quickly looked for any signs of distress on his friend's face. 

There was none of that. Instead, with a shy smile, he asked, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What do you like about me?"

"Really? Right now?"

"Hey, I've already given you my reasons. Now it's your turn," Suga said, and Daichi would have thought that this was just another form of his cruel teasing if it weren't for the faintest hint of doubt in his voice, the way his smile didn't fully reach his eyes. 

Suga's insecurities went deeper than just his fighting capabilities, and with what they were about to do, he needed to make sure that they were doing it for the right reasons. 

Everything, was what Daichi wanted to say. It was the truth, but he knew that it was a cop out, a lazy answer, and Suga deserved more than that.

But he really did like everything about Suga, and while he could have probably spent the next few hours listing every single thing he liked, his painfully hard erection, along with Suga's equally hard bulge pressing against him, was telling him otherwise.

Daichi started by moving a hand to Suga's hair, running his finger through the soft silver strands. "I like your hair. It's the first thing I noticed about you, and wherever I am, I always look out for it, hoping you're there. 

He cupped the side of Suga's face and pressed a light kiss to the beauty mark below Suga's left eye. "I like this mole of yours. I know you sometimes feel self-conscious about it, but I think it's part of what makes you so beautiful."

Then, he ran his thumb over Suga's bottom lip, trying not to get too distracted by how shiny and plump it was. "I like how you always know the right things to say, how you encourage, praise, tease everybody, including me. I even like the way you scream and shout when you're watching a fight and you really get into it. But most of all, I like your smile, your laugh, the way it brightens any room or situation. I like how it makes me feel, so much so that I only ever want to do things that make you smile and laugh like that for the rest of your life."

Slowly, Daichi trailed his hand down Suga's neck, across his collarbone, along one arm, finally reaching the hand that was resting on Daichi's chest. "I like your hands, so deceptively strong, so adept at handling a sword in any fight. But also-" He raised the hand to his lips, pressing a featherlight kiss to each digit. "-so soft. So gentle. So free in giving out all the pats, the friendly jabs and punches, the high fives."

Finally, he moved to rest his hand over the left side of Suga's chest, heart beating steadily under his palm. "This is my favourite. Strong, accepting, warm. Full of love and care for everyone, yet somehow, you managed to find a special place for me."

Hearing all of this, Suga could only stare at him with disbelief and adoration, and once he was done, all the silver haired boy said in response was, "How are you real?" before surging forward to press their lips together.

Even as he kissed Suga, Daichi still couldn't believe he had this wonderful person in his arms, that all the time he spent yearning wasn't for nothing. 

What made it even more unbelievable was when Suga, breathing hot against his lips, said, "Do you have lube?"

It took Daichi a couple of seconds to process the question and all that it entailed. Blushing, he nodded, reaching under his bed as best as he could without toppling Suga over. He had a bottle of lotion for certain purposes and while it wasn't lube, it would work just fine. 

Taking it out, he handed the bottle to Suga, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. All he said in response was, “Don’t ask.”

Suga didn’t question it any further, instead opening the bottle and squeezing out a good amount onto his own hand. Spreading the lotion over his fingers, he then reached behind, the expression on his face slowly morphing into one of bliss as he pushed his fingers into himself. 

Daichi stared in pure amazement at the slow movement of Suga’s arm, his other hand gripping hard on Daichi’s shoulder for support, bottom lip caught between his teeth to try and stop the moans that escaped anyway.

Daichi could have watched this for hours, but he didn’t want Suga to have to do all the work. So he reached forward, grabbing Suga’s arm. “Let me.”

Suga blinked at him for a few good seconds before he replied with a breathy “Okay”, the flush on his cheeks turning one shade darker. 

Daichi repeated the same process with the lotion, coating his finger with a generous amount. His clean hand on Suga’s hip to steady him, he reached around, hand lightly trailing down from the base of Suga’s spine till it found its target. Meeting minimal resistance, he pressed two fingers into the deliciously warm heat, pushing until he was knuckle deep.

Slowly, he moved his hand back and forth, occasionally spreading his fingers, watching as Suga had his eyes shut, mouth slightly open as lovely whines and moans left him.

As erotic as his reaction was, it was clear that he was still holding back, afraid to fully reveal this part of himself. Daichi didn’t want that. He wanted to see everything.

So the next time he moved his hand back, he added another finger, pushing all three back deep into Suga.

Suga gasped, throwing his head back, his pale neck on full display. And because Daichi couldn’t resist any longer, he started attacking the column of flesh, pressing open-mouthed kisses all over.

Pressing his lips to a spot below Suga’s ear, a sudden thought entered his mind. Softly, he asked, “Have you done this before?” Daichi hated the possessiveness that washed over him at that moment. Suga was his own person, and he certainly didn’t belong to him, but the beginnings of jealousy invaded anyway, the mere thought that someone else could have seen Suga like this sending that ugly emotion even deeper into his brain.

Suga replied, voice shaky, “Only with myself.”

Instantly, the image of Suga lying on his bed as he fingered himself, rubbing his cock in time with his fingers, his face flushed and gasping into his pillow, filled Daichi’s head, sending even more blood down south. His jealousy sated, Daichi then asked, “What do you think of when you do it?”

Suga pulled back, brown eyes staring deep into Daichi’s. “Who do you think?”

The image in Daichi’s head evolved, now visualising his name coming out as a moan from Suga’s lips, then as a shout when he finally came. An image, Daichi realised, that he could make a reality. With his fingers still deep inside Suga, he bent them, pressing on that special bundle of nerves.

Suga’s whole body jerked, and Daichi felt him clench tight around his fingers. "Gods," Suga said, forehead now resting on Daichi's shoulder. "If you keep doing that, I'm going to c-"

Daichi didn't let him finish the sentence, thrusting his fingers against that spot once again, feeling Suga shudder against him, words turning into a moan. "Isn't that the point?"

"Not yet." Suga pressed his lips to the shell of Daichi's ear, breath hot and voice seductive. "Not until I feel you deep inside me."

A shiver ran down Daichi's spine. Suga really was going to be the death of him, saying things like that so easily. But he was right. It was time to move on. 

Just as Daichi removed his fingers, he realised there was a problem. “Fuck, I don’t have any-”

“No worries.” Pressing a light kiss to Daichi’s temple, Suga moved off his lap and hopped off the bed, walking over on shaky legs to where he had left his pants on the floor. Rummaging through the pockets, he pulled out a row of five foil packets. “Oikawa gave me his extras.”

Before Daichi could even ask why, Suga replied with a “Don’t ask”, throwing the packets on to the bed. 

Daichi couldn’t even find it in him to question it even further, because Suga was stripping off his briefs right in front of him. His eyes tracked the movement of the blue fabric over the swell of Suga’s ass, the other boy’s leaking cock now exposed. Daichi raked his eyes over the lean body, the body that was naked because of and for him. It really was beyond anything he had ever fantasised about. 

Suga, on the other hand, was blushing at the way Daichi stared at him with both amazement and lust. With a smile, he glanced down at the tent in Daichi’s jeans. “You want to do something about that?”

Immediately, Daichi shimmied off his jeans and briefs, awkwardly kicking them off his legs and off the bed. He sighed in relief as his own cock was finally free, and while he wouldn’t consider himself particularly big, he noticed the way Suga’s eyes darkened at the sight of it, an instant ego boost that immediately chased away any hint of self-consciousness. 

Scooting backwards until his back hit the wall, he grabbed a foil packet and ripped it open, hands shaking as he rolled it on. 

Climbing back onto the bed, Suga straddled his lap. Getting onto his knees, Suga reached behind, hand wrapping around Daichi’s cock, a sensation that sent another wave of arousal through the brunette. Ever so carefully, Suga lowered himself, sinking down onto Daichi, and it took every last shred of control for Daichi to not come right then, at the heat engulfing him.

By the time Suga was fully seated, both of them were breathing hard. For a moment, neither moved, just savouring the feeling of each other, of their warm bodies connected together.

With both hands on Daichi's shoulders for support, Suga started moving, lifting himself up and down, slowly at first, then speeding up ever so slightly with every move. He was panting now too, small breathy moans escaping his mouth, eyes closed as he found his rhythm. 

It was the erotic thing Daichi had ever seen, a sight immediately and permanently seared into his memory.

Holding onto Suga's hips, Daichi returned to kiss and mark his friend's jaw, his neck, his collarbone, all the while savouring the intoxicating feeling of Suga twitching around his cock. Every sound that escaped Suga's lips, every move of his hips, every touch of skin against skin only made the hunger inside Daichi grow even stronger, threatening to consume him whole. He wanted to make sure that they were going at a pace that Suga was comfortable with, but every part of his body was screaming for more.

Then, Suga rolled his hips in a way that had Daichi seeing stars. "Can feel you so deep," Suga said in between burning hot kisses. "So full. So good."

With those words, something snapped within Daichi. Tightening his grip on Suga's hips, he slammed him back down on his cock, forcing a choked gasp out of Suga's lips.

He did it again, thrusting up just a little, skin smacking hard against skin. A small part of him worried that he was being too rough.

He didn't have to worry much longer, however. Suga's nails dug into his back, his scalp, as released a sign of satisfaction, of pleasure. "Yes."

So Daichi did it again, over and over, lifting Suga and pulling him back down, thrusting up hard at the same time, deep into Suga's tight heat. Daichi's arms were aching, but it was beyond worth it, with Suga trusting his body to him, the silver-haired boy's trembling arms and thighs wrapped around him, his seductive moans and sounds echoing in the room.

Daichi was lost in it, the incredible feeling of their sweat-slick bodies pressed against each other, Suga overwhelming all of his senses. His best friend, and now so much more. 

The name left Daichi's lips much easier than he thought it would be: "Koushi."

Suga twitched hard around him. Daichi had never called him by his first name before, so to do it now was beyond intimate, but it felt so right. 

Daichi said it again, whispering into the hollow of his friend's neck. 

The hand gripped harder, nails dragging down, sure to leave marks the next day. "Daichi, I-"

"I know." The brunette pulled Suga's body even closer, the other boy's leaking cock pressed against his abs. Suga gasped, and Daichi used this chance to recapture his mouth in an absolutely filthy open-mouthed kiss, but not before saying, "Me too."

Muscles burning, Daichi resumed his movements, fucking up into Suga's heat, directly against his prostate. That all too familiar coil inside was quickly tightening, but he didn't want to chase it just yet. He wanted Suga to come first, wanted to see him in his moment of utmost bliss. 

Within a few more minutes, Daichi got his wish. Suga clenched around him, coming with a gasp, spilling between their bodies.

Warmth surrounded him, and with the look of pleasure that overtook Suga's face, it was too much for Daichi. Several hard thrusts later, Daichi followed Suga over the edge, biting down onto the shoulder in front of him.

They slowly came down from their high, chest heaving, hearts pounding rapidly against each other. Suga was resting limply, putting his entire weight against Daichi who simply held him, still too overwhelmed from processing everything that just happened.

"That was- You were- I-" Suga was barely coherent, stuttering in his ear. Part of Daichi swelled with satisfaction, secretly proud that he was able to get the other boy this fucked out. Suga leaned back until they were face-to-face, saying with a mix of disbelief and amazement, "We just did that."

Daichi stared at him then. Silver hair stuck to his forehead from sweat. Brown eyes shining with just a hint of lust. His lips, red and well-kissed. Cheeks flushed in both exertion and excitement. A smile, slightly goofy and lopsided.

Daichi had never found him more beautiful.

I love him, he thought.

"I love you," he said. 

Suga stilled. Only then did Daichi realise what he just said. 

He panicked. They just had sex for the first time, and that was what he chose to say? 

Yet, another part of him felt at peace, at ease. Those three words… they felt right. Because Daichi did love Suga, in every way possible. 

Suga had an unreadable expression on his face. “Do you mean that?”

Of course. Just looking at his friend, his heart swelled. In a voice that was nothing but sincere, he said, “Yes.”

A second. Then, a smile, bright enough to rival the stars, grew on Suga’s face. Daichi thought he imagined it, but Suga actually seemed to be glowing. He had no time to think about that however, because Suga was pulling him in for a kiss, and Daichi was there, waiting for that intoxicating touch. 

They kissed, and kissed, and kissed. Suga wasn’t moving away. Daichi didn’t want to either, but there was something he wanted to do. Slowly, without breaking contact, Daichi lowered Suga onto the mattress, pulling out in the process. Suga gasped at the change, and after quickly getting rid of the condom, Daichi took this moment to sit back upright, and observe the sight before him.

Suga, basking in the afterglow, flushed and sweaty, sprawled against the dark sheets, silver hair forming a halo around his crown. His neck and shoulders, covered in red spots and bite marks. White streaks covering his abdomen, his cock twitching under Daichi’s heated gaze. The beginnings of faint hand-shaped bruises forming on his hips, his lean thighs. Legs that were spread apart, open and inviting. 

Daichi thoroughly savoured the fact that this was his doing, allowing himself to revel in his own satisfaction and possessiveness. 

He was pulled out of his trance when Suga reached out to him. “Come here.”

Daichi did, but instead of granting another kiss, he held himself over the other boy on aching arms and began his exploration of the body below him. Lips pressed to the neck, shoulders, the chest, taking a moment to kiss the spot right above the heart. Suga was trembling from the contact, and Daichi relished it.

Along Suga’s torso, along the contours of his faint trace of abs, the stripes of come were beginning to dry up. He looked at them for a moment, then licked them up.

“What are you-” Suga’s objection went unheard as Daichi continued, replacing the white with red marks of his own. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he didn’t care, not when he was turning Suga’s complaints into more gasps and moans. 

Daichi moved down, trailing his mouths along the hips, moving just shy of Suga’s cock, and onto the boy’s fair and unmarked inner thighs. Daichi almost went feral at the sight of them once, on a summer day a couple of years ago, when Suga wore incredibly short shorts to combat the heat, exposing those thighs to the world. He barely controlled himself then; he didn’t control himself now, pressing open-mouthed kisses to the supple skin, biting and sucking along those deceptively strong muscles.

He heard his name then, leaving as a moan from Suga’s sweet mouth. He sat back upright, and noticed Suga’s eyes, slightly hazed over with desire, raking down his body, stopping when it came upon his crotch, to which the other boy’s eyes widened. Only then did Daichi realise that he was completely hard again, as if he hadn’t just come minutes ago. 

“Wow,” Suga gasped. "You really weren’t lying about going a few rounds, were you?"

Daichi couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed. Instead, he surged forwards to kiss Suga, grinding down at the same time. Suga was growing hard too, and Daichi was silently glad that he wasn’t the only one.

He grabbed around his sheets trying to find the other foil packets, only to turn back and see Suga already holding one in his hands. Daichi took it from him, opening it and rolling on the condom. As he positioned himself, a warm hand came up to rest on his forearm. He looked up, seeing a shy expression on his friend’s face. “Gentle this time, okay?”

Daichi exhaled, his control so close to snapping. “Okay.” Anything you want.

He leaned back down, embracing Suga once more. I would do anything he asked of me, for as long as he would let me.

*

Daichi woke up to a delicious satisfaction nestled deep into his bones, and he opened his eyes to see the cause of it right across from him. 

Suga was still asleep, his silver hair shining under the morning sunlight streaming in. He looked serene, almost ethereal, and to be able to wake up to such a view, Daichi thought himself the luckiest person in the world. 

He could have stared at Suga’s sleeping face forever, but he caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall. It was almost late morning, and while they didn’t have anything to do that day, Daichi was sure that his brothers would be wondering why he hadn’t gone down yet. The last thing he wanted was for them to invade his room and find Suga and him still naked in bed. 

In a soft voice, he called out, “Suga.”

The boy huffed, eyes and nose scrunching as he burrowed deeper into his pillow. Daichi’s heart nearly exploded from the adorableness. 

“Suga, time to wake up. Don’t you want to get breakfast?”

“Five more minutes…”

"Koushi…"

The boy cracked one eye open then, squinting. "That's not fair."

Daichi let out a breathy laugh. "Good morning, Koushi."

"G'morning," Suga replied with the cutest sleepy voice, and Daichi couldn't resist pressing a soft kiss to his lips. When he pulled away, Suga scrunched his nose again. "Your breath stinks."

Oh. That was definitely not what Daichi wanted Suga to wake up to. "Sorry."

"Silly," Suga said, then scooted closer, snuggling against Daichi's chest, the lengths of their bodies pressed against each other. Daichi instinctively rested his arm along Suga, hand drifting along the warm skin, fingers absentmindedly drawing random patterns, recalling everything else that transpired last night.

Daichi bending Suga in half, pressing into his tight and welcoming heat, thrusting into him deep and slow. Suga holding onto him, legs wrapped tight around him, refusing to let go even when he came with a cry, Daichi following him soon after.

The time after that, a sleepy exploration of each other's bodies, delicate hands and soft touches, brushing over sweaty and trembling skin. The air filled with tiny gasps, breathy laughs, satisfied sighs. They came in each other's hands, cleaned up and easily fell deep asleep soon after.

It was all incredibly, impossibly good, and Daichi couldn't help but wonder if the past few years would have been like this if he hadn't wasted so much time being a coward about his feelings.

"What's on your mind?" Suga asked, looking at him with big brown eyes. 

"Nothing."

"Please. This only appears-" Suga pressed a finger to the ridge that formed between Daichi's furrowed brows. "-when something is bothering you. What is it? You can tell me."

Daichi sighed. He didn't want to make Suga worry, but neither did he want to lie. They were finally together after all, and he wanted to make sure they started their relationship without any doubts or worries between them.

"It's just… I'm sorry for taking so long, for making you wait all this time."

Suga pressed a hand to his cheek, and Daichi held onto it, onto its warmth. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But you knew how I felt, didn't you?" Daichi asked, and Suga nodded. He was the son of Aphrodite, of course he could tell. Even if he wasn't, he still would have known. Hell, the whole camp knew. "So why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't want to rush you. I wanted you to come to me on your own, when you were ready." Suga said with a smile, one that quickly became sheepish. "Although I was getting a little impatient. I was dropping a lot of hints, but I think that just scared you off."

"It did, but not for the reason you think." Daichi felt Suga's curious gaze, and he continued. 

"I was just scared that your feelings for me were influenced by who our parents are. Or that you, with the general disposition for love like your mother, loved me just like you loved everyone else. I was afraid that I was the only one who felt something. The last thing I wanted was to burden you with those unrequited feelings and ruin our friendship."

Daichi didn't have the courage to turn to Suga, didn't have the heart to see his face, his reaction to his excuses. It didn't help that Suga didn't respond, and the silence that followed was so unbearable that Daichi started rambling.

"Yeah, I know it's stupid. I just got too into my head, and you know when those kinds of thoughts start, they- oof!"

Suga shifted, placing almost his entire weight onto Daichi's body, their bare chests pressed against each other. He felt Suga's heartbeat, strong and solid against his own.

"Sawamura Daichi, you listen to me." There was a look on Suga's face which Daichi could only describe as determination and conviction. "I am more than who my mother is, much like you are so much more than your father, and our parents definitely do not determine who we are attracted to. Look at Asahi and Noya, or Bokuto and Akaashi, or Hinata and Kageyama! It doesn't matter who our parents are, we are our own people.

"And yes, I care for everybody, but what I feel for you…" Suga stared at him, eyes bearing his soul. "What I feel for you, I have never felt for anyone else before. It's scary and beautiful and horribly overwhelming, but it's also real. Don't you agree?"

Daichi nodded. He couldn't not agree. It was all true. What did it matter who their parents were, when Suga was brilliant and bold and bewitching all on his own, and Daichi would fight the entire world for him, if only he asked.

"Good. Now I want to hear you say it again." Suga looked at him expectedly, and for a moment, Daichi didn't know what he meant. But that moment passed soon enough. Daichi smiled, repeating those words as easily as they had the night before.

"I love you."

Suga beamed and there was that glow again, ever so faint but distinct enough that Daichi knew it wasn't the light playing a trick on his eyes. It was most obvious in Suga's hair, the silver strands now seemingly lit from within, emitting a glow that was matched by a huge smile.

"I love you too," Suga said before kissing him, and Daichi knew then that it was the end and beginning of everything. Nothing else would ever compare, the rolling warmth that spread to every inch of his body, strongest at where their bodies were touching, solid and oh so beautifully real. 

Suga broke the kiss then. "As much as I would like to do this forever, our breaths really do stink."

Daichi laughed before getting out of bed, pulling Suga up after him. He quickly dug out a spare toothbrush as they headed into the bathroom, and Daichi couldn't help but feel a little in awe as they stood side-by-side in front of the mirror, too content at the little moment of intimacy.

As they got dressed for the day, it's with a sheepish grin that Daichi realised how many marks he left along Suga's necks, his blue sweater unable to cover up most of them. Daichi found him the highest-collared shirt he had that wasn't a turtleneck, which only barely covered the hickeys.

Well, it would work for the time being. Worst case scenario, his brothers would figure out what happened and he would force them into secrecy.

Of course, that was if he could tear his mind off the tantalising image of Suga in his shirt. It was loose around him, his friend being slightly smaller than him after all, but the very look of it sent a bolt of heat through Daichi, and coupled with the hickeys, his possessive side was well and truly fed.

Before they left the room, they kissed, short and sweet, and Daichi really wished they could just spend the day inside. But they had to face everyone else sooner or later, so with a deep breath to prepare themselves, they headed out the door and down the stairs.

Worst case scenario, like they said, was to come clean to Tanaka and Nishinoya. They could handle them; hell, Suga could handle them alone.

The only problem was that reality was so much worse than they expected.

Greeting them downstairs wasn't just Daichi's two younger brothers. Everybody, literally everybody, who was at the party last night was there, sitting around the living room with plates of breakfast, the biggest, smuggest grins on their faces as they all said in unison like a damn chorus, "Good morning!"

"What the heck are you all doing here?" Daichi asked, too shocked to be angry. "Did none of you go home?"

"They did, but not before we invited them for breakfast!" Nishinoya shouted across the room, so proud of this sudden act of generosity. 

"Well, I didn't plan on coming over, but my brother who was scheduled to make breakfast today wasn't at home this morning." Oikawa was just as cutting at this time of the day, continuing with piercing sarcasm, "I wonder what he was doing?"

"Don't you mean: who he was doing?" Kuroo asked, earning a round of sniggers throughout the room. If only that spikey-haired bastard wasn't holding onto a plate of pancakes, Daichi would have definitely picked up the nearest cushion and sent it flying his way. 

Calming himself down, he turned to Suga. "Wait here. I'm gonna grab us some food." 

“Sure, thanks,” Suga replied with a smile, and Daichi quickly left for the kitchen, all the while still hearing comments behind him.

As he plated up pancakes and eggs, someone stepped up beside him. It’s Asahi, holding an empty plate of his own, but with a knowing grin plastered on his face.

“So, I take it the talk went well?” Asahi asked, and if it wasn’t for the fact that the understatement was him trying to temper down his glee, Daichi would have given him a hard elbow to his side. 

Instead, Daichi just nodded in response, unable to stop the content smile from spreading across his own face.

“Took you two long enough.” 

“You’re one to talk. You were literally kissing my brother for the first time just moments before I went to talk to Suga.”

“Hey, all I’m hearing is that I made a move before you did.” Now that did earn Asahi a playful jab. “Ow! But seriously though, it’s great that you’re finally together.”

“Yeah, I know.” Holding onto the two plates, Daichi turned towards the door, past which had a gaggle of annoying boys that were somehow his friends and family. “If only everyone could stop being so immature about it.”

With his own topped-up plate, Asahi was beside him again, a comforting hand coming up to rest on his shoulder. “They’re just really happy for you two, that’s all.” 

Daichi sighed. It’s true, and he should really be grateful that everyone was so supportive, but he just wished they weren’t this supportive. 

Preparing himself for another onslaught, Daichi took a deep breath before stepping out of the kitchen. Surprisingly, nobody was crowding around Suga, everybody back and talking within their own little groups or focusing on their breakfast. It’s with relief that Daichi made back to Suga unencumbered, placing a plate in front of the silver-haired boy. “For you.”

“Thank you.” Suga looked at him, and he caught sight of that familiar cheeky grin. What’s he up to now?

Daichi didn’t have to wonder for long, because the second he finished that thought, Suga pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. 

Oh no, here it comes.

Awws erupted around the room, the attention completely back on them once more. With so many people in the cabin, it was horribly loud, and at this point, Daichi had had enough.

“That’s it!” Daichi hated to shout like this, to use what everyone called his “Dad” voice. “What are you, twelve? Just eat your damn breakfast, and when you’re done, kindly leave.”

There was no real malice in his words, however, and it was clear that everyone could sense that, the hush that fell over the room quickly filled by soft chuckles and whispered comments.

Suga’s hand is on him now, rubbing soothingly along his arm. “Alright, why don’t you sit back down and eat too, your food’s going to get-”

And because it seemed like even the universe didn’t want him to eat in peace, from across the room, there came another shout.

“Oh my god, is that a hickey?”

Oh for fuck’s sake.

The cheers and screams and whoops were even louder than before. Resigned, Daichi could only plop himself back onto the chair and dig into his food, trying to ignore the commotion that surrounded him.

Amidst all the noise, there was a point of calm. Suga’s hand that had been on his arm moved down until it met Daichi’s own hand. The other boy interlocked their fingers together and squeezed, an anchor, a sanity check amongst the chaos. 

Daichi turned to him then. There was still that smile, but a beautiful red dusted his cheeks too, light brown eyes also rich with mirth and affection, all directed at him.

The noise became much more acceptable then. After all, if everyone had been fighting so hard for them, for this joy and love that filled every part of his being, how could he possibly not be grateful? 

The Gods may have brought them together, but it’s through their own bond that they’ve stayed together. For now, and possibly forever.