The Cat and the Crow

Birthday Surprises (Late September)

Kei leaned back at his desk, stretching after finishing his classwork. There was still about an hour left of school, and then he'd head home. Earlier at lunch, the team got together to celebrate his birthday. Even Coach Ukai had stopped by, telling him that he didn't have to stay late this evening. In fact, he said Kei could just go home after school, as a birthday present from him. No one seemed to object, so Kei agreed, thanking them all.

Now, after turning his work in, he started getting his stuff together. He opened his bag, and turned on his phone, waiting for it to stop buzzing with the amount of notifications that he'd received through the day. It was mostly the squad group chat blowing up, as usual, and one from Kuroo. Without thinking twice about it, he tapped on that one first.

[HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope it's been a good one, so far.]

[I love you]

Kei smiled, and looked up from his phone. He caught Tadashi watching him, and he flushed. His best friend picked up his stuff and came to sit at the empty desk in front of him. Neither of them spoke, but now it seemed that Tadashi was waiting for something.

"What's going on?" Kei asked suspiciously.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Why do you ask? Aren't you going to text him back?"

Kei squinted. "How did you know...?"

"Oh my god, Tsuki! It's written all over your face! Just... text him back, already."

"Tsk. Sus," he muttered, staring hard at Tadashi. "Could you at least give me a hint?"

"Okay. The hint is... text Kuroo back."

"Not helping."

"Not at all."

Kei squinted at him for a few minutes before going back to his phone. A new message had popped up, this one from his brother. Curious, he tapped on it.

[Happy birthday, lil bro! When you're done, meet me downstairs at the gate.]

"That's weird," he said to himself. He replied to Akiteru and glanced at Tadashi, who was looking even more excited, and then he went back to reply to Kuroo's message.

[Thank you. It's been... interesting.]

[I love you, too]

[What's going on?]

He waited.

[I have a surprise waiting for you]

[What is it?]

[Can't tell you. That would ruin the surprise]

[Does Tadashi know what this surprise is?]

[Yeah, kinda]

[Akiteru, too?]

[Yup]

[Am I the only one who doesn't know?]

[Again, that would ruin the surprise, don't you think?]

[Kuroo?]

[Yeah?]

[Shut up]

[LOL! Right. So... are you coming down, or what?]

"Wait... what??"

He suddenly looked up at Tadashi, who'd taken his school bag, replacing it with another. Confused, he looked around, and noticed most of the rest of his classmates were also watching them. One of them pointed in the direction of the door. From where he sat, he could see nearly everyone on the team looking back at him. Suga and Daichi especially, as they were literally standing in the doorway.