failed attempts to fly

i try, but i get overwhelmed

"I've missed you too, Daichi." I respond with a big smile, "I almost didn't recognize you without your volleyball shorts."

"Cut it out." He groans, "I thought wearing a police belt was bad, but a suit? Ugh, I feel so stuffy."

After graduation, he went straight into the police academy, just like he always wanted. He was busy doing what he loved, but he always came back home during holidays or randomly, like this time.

People always questioned how we remained friends after dating for so long, and maybe it didn't make sense. But he was Daichi, and I was Rin, long before we were boyfriend and girlfriend. And that fact mattered more than anything else.

"But you should have called." I lecture him that if anyone of us knew, we would have planned a surprise or something. Instead, he found him with my red polo on my way to work.

"Wait, so and Rio and Suga, they're finally?" He offered to drive me to work as I filled him in on the Schuyler gossip. He never cared about Rio's love life, mainly because if I'd list everyone he's hooked up with, we'd be there all day. But surprisingly, when I told Daichi about the locker room situation between Rio and Suga, he wasn't surprised that their chemistry was more than friends. "Took them long enough," he laughed.

"Just don't ask them about it unless you want to see Rio turn bright like a tomato."

"And about you? You seeing anyone?" The thing about remaining close friends with your ex is that things are bound to happen from time to time.

Especially after witnessing him in his uniform, I couldn't resist even if I tried.

A friends with benefits type relationship whenever he was in town.

So we'd ask the sacred question before proceeding with our activities. On some visits, Daichi would say he was dating, other times, I'd say I was, and we'd respect the answer and leave it at that. But when the answer was no from both parties, was when the shenanigans happened.

"Um, well, I think so.." I nervously respond, remembering that Iwaizumi and I haven't had the conversation yet. We hooked up, and I spent the night at his house, but by definition, that could mean many things. I tried explaining this to Daichi, but he's the type of person who needs clarification before doing anything in life. "So just ask him?"

In retrospect, it does sound quite simple to ask, "hey are you sleeping with other people? Also, what are we?" But it's always the what if.

What if he says he doesn't have too serious relationships, or he just casually dates for fun? What then?

I'm not that strong-willed enough to stop seeing him, even if he was seeing other people. And as far as serious relationships go well, there was only one. And he is currently dropping me off at my job.

"Need me to pick you up after?"

"No. I'm not a little kid, Daichi."

"Yes, you are." He laughs as he drives off. I already alerted Suga and Rio of his arrival, which means his hand will be occupied with those two. Therefore, I'm not the kid Daich needs to worry about today.

*******************************

"Hey, Kenma, how'd you and your boyfriend start dating?" It was the slow season at the movies, with no blockbuster hits or midnight screenings, just old reruns and people going to see a film to fill the time.

"Why?" They immediately responded, almost confused as to the meaning of the personal questions. It was a little out of the left field, but I was curious and bored. A person can only clean the counter enough times before getting fed up with all the butter everywhere.