This Side of Paradise - Tsukishima Kei x OC

Chapter 36: The Path

Chapter 36:

Kei was nervous about flying to France with Hana because it would be her first time on a plane. Luckily, Mizuki's mother and her step-father were there on the flight with him as they were also going to be staying in France to support her. Her brother couldn't attend because of school but he would definitely be cheering and watching her on TV. Additionally, Mizuki wasn't with them as she and all the other athletes participating in the Summer Olympics flew to France a week before to train and familiarize themselves with the arena.

For the majority of the flight (which was about 12 hours long), Hana was curled up and asleep in Kei's arms, meaning that he had one less stressful thing to worry about. He knew about the reputation of crying infants and toddlers on a plane so he was relieved that his daughter was calm and not fussy. When Hana was awake, he fed her meals and snacks, showed her the clouds from the window, and played with her in order to keep her distracted, busy, and content. When they finally arrived, they went straight to their fancy 5-star hotel to unpack and rest. They had two separate rooms, and Kei fell asleep alongside Hana as they were exhausted from the long flight. They met up with Mizuki shortly after.

The following few days after their flight, Kei, Mizuki, and Hana toured France on their own. They visited classic tourist areas such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Palace of Versailles, and they captured many endearing photos so that they could look back on Hana's first vacation as well as Mizuki's second Olympic participation. They explored old castles, ate local French foods (such as boeuf bourguignon), and toured various art museums.

Kei and Mizuki also had a chance to go for a romantic stroll along the Seine River under the cool, starry night. The antique lampposts illuminated their way as they walked, hand-in-hand. They had this opportunity to be alone thanks to Mizuki's parents who were looking after Hana for the night.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Kei asked, squeezing her hand.

"Yes..." Mizuki laughed softly, "I mean, there's a lot of pressure for the team to do well since we won gold four years ago..."

"You're going to be great..." He smiled reassuringly, "I know it."

She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, her heart fluttering from her husband's support.

"Hana's going to be cheering for you too." Kei added.

She let out a light chuckle and shook her head, "I feel even more pressure now."

"She knows you're going to be amazing." He stated as he adjusted his glasses.

"I hope so..." She sighed, "I don't want her to be disappointed in me..."

"Hey."

Kei stopped walking, causing her to turn around and face him. He cupped her face gently in between his hands and grimaced - immediately, Mizuki gulped, knowing that her husband didn't like it when she looked down on herself and her abilities.

"Stop thinking like that." He pouted, squishing her cheeks at the same time.

"I know, I know..." She mumbled, gazing into his golden-brown eyes, "I can't help it."

"Think of how far you've come..." He murmured, "From missing every receive in elementary school to being the opposite hitter in the most feared Division 1 volleyball team. You also scored the match point that secured your win during the last Olympics... I'm not exaggerating when I say that you're the most talented player in the entire world."

Mizuki blushed, flustered by his kind compliments.

"Hinata, Kageyama, and all the volleyball freaks that we grew up with haven't even won a gold medal yet!" He chuckled.