#daichi’s birthday event 🎂❤️

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 7: Birthday Morning

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Marriage, babies

Word Count: 1.2k

Author’s Note: Welp! This is the last chapter. I’m pretty happy I got to write all the stories for this event and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you for joining me in this story.

Daichi jolts awake; something in the back of his sleep hazed mind telling him he needs to be up for something important. He blinks to get the sleep out of his eyes and focus on his surroundings. 

As his vision comes to, he sees his volleyball jersey hanging by his closet all cleaned and pressed. He blinks at it for a moment before his heart jumps into throat as he realizes he’s late for volleyball practice. He scrambles to grab his phone by his pillow to text Suga an apology and that he’ll be at they gym ASAP but stops when he sees his lock screen background behind all the happy birthday messages from his friends and co-workers. He slowly clears away the messages to see a picture of himself with arms around his wife, Nozomi, and his baby boy, Daisuke. Suga took this not too long ago, he thought, because it was Daisuke’s 1st birthday and they’re having him blow out the candles. Daichi feels warmth spread in his chest as he takes in the picture; he and Nozomi smiling and laughing while their son, who was basically Daichi’s mini me with the same short dark hair and wide brown eyes, stares confusingly at the cake and candles.

Daichi hears commotion going on downstairs and he pulls his eyes away from his phone to listen. He lets out a chuckle when he recognizes the scolding voice of his mother and the whines of his siblings and father. The urgency to get up and ready for volleyball practice is gone when he realizes that he’s back at his parents’ place in Miyagi to celebrate his birthday and the New Year holiday. He heart soars when he hears Nozomi’s voice drift amongst all the talking downstairs then it’s followed by his son’s babbling. Daichi sinks back into his old bed as he listens to his family chatter about his birthday plans; a nice homemade breakfast, going to see the boys of the old Karasuno volleyball team, maybe a nice dinner at a restaurant, and finally ringing the new year at the big temple. Arrays of laughter, jokes, and bickering litter the conversation downstairs and Daichi admits to himself that he had missed the liveliness of his parents and 4 siblings.

Moving away and living on one’s own had been hard. He remembers there were times he wanted to throw in the towel when training at the police academy became too unbearable or the big bouts of homesickness and loneliness seeped in or when life in general hit him too hard. But he shouldered on and kept going. Suga and Asahi were a big help in checking up on him and encouraging him on while the rest of the Karasuno boys and his family cheered him from Miyagi. He made them all proud of course, becoming one of the top graduates from the academy and a highly regarded officer in his precinct. An officer who was both firm and kind; using his strength and compassion to protect, help, and inspire those around him. Daichi always strived to do the right thing and believed that there was good in every person and every place. And he was happy to find someone who shared the same virtue; a girl with honey kisses, starry eyes, and twinkling laughter that he fell for at an ice rink. He felt for the gold band that rested on the ring finger of his left hand and couldn’t believe he was lucky to be married to the sunny figure skater he met a few years ago. Now, Daichi and Nozomi had a bouncing baby boy they loved with all their heart.

“Do you wanna see if Daddy’s awake, Dai-chan?” he hears Nozomi’s voice grow closer as, he assumes, she climbs up the stairs. Grinning, Daichi shuffles around so that he’s laying on his front and pulls the covers up to hide most of his face. He closes his eyes just in time as his old bedroom door opens quietly and Nozomi and Daisuke peek in.

“Looks like Daddy is still asleep, Daisuke.” He hears his wife tell their little boy, who made a cute noise in reply. They shuffle into the room and he schools his expression into pretending he’s asleep. He almost slips up when he hears Daisuke call out to him with a “Dada?” and it takes everything in him not to answer his son. Though he thinks Nozomi knows he’s awake because he hears an amused chuckle come from her before she coos at Daisuke,

“Why don’t you wake him up, sweetie. Say “Dada it’s your birthday! We made you breakfast!’” Daichi feels the bed dip next to him and the duvet rustle as Nozomi sets the baby boy on her pillow that is right next to Daichi’s. He can hear Daisuke moving around and then once again calls to him with another “Dada”. He tries to ignore it again but can’t help the smile that grows on his face as Daisuke starts patting his cheek with his soft chubby baby hands. Daichi chuckles at his son’s attempt to wake him and he finally cracks his eyes open to see Daisuke hovering next to him and Nozomi smiling fondly at the two of them from her side of the bed where she sat. Dasiuke chirps at the sight of his father now awake turning to look at his mother as if to say “I woke up Dad!” Daichi sits up in bed and stretches before he scoops up his son in his arms to blow raspberries on those soft chubby cheeks. He laughs as Daisuke squeals happily and then Daichi leans them both over so they can kiss Nozomi; Daisuke first with a cute “Mwah!” then Daichi himself as he slots his lips perfectly against hers. He can feel the smile on her lips when he kisses her and he hums in content.

“Good morning and happy birthday.” She greets him as they pull away but Daichi leans in again for another kiss.

“Morning.” He greets back and pulls away again to admire the sight of his wife, who’s looking at him with so much love and affection that Daichi can’t help but blush a little and his heart swell with happiness. He leans in again to kiss her and Nozomi lets out a laugh.

“Your family is waiting downstairs! They made breakfast.” She tells him as if that’s supposed to get him to stop his onslaught of affection; it doesn’t.

“I love you.” Is his only response before kissing her once more. He can feel her melt at that and this time she’s the one to lean into him and kiss him. Daisuke, who is watching his parents be all lovey dovey, giggles at their display of affection.

“I love you, too.” She gently whispers against his lips and Daichi can’t help but sigh in happiness. Yes, Daichi always knew he wanted to get married and start a family; that was his dream. But he never imagined it would be as wonderful as this. He hugs his son a little closer and reaches with a free hand to cup Nozomi’s cheek. In response, Daisuke nuzzled into his father’s chest and Nozomi leaned into his touch while placing a hand over his. Right now, Daichi felt… Complete.

“I love you.” He says again.

“I love you, too. Happy Birthday, my love.”

Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 6: Sway With Me

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Mention of the Karasuno team, wedding, babies

Word Count: 1k

Ever since their first dance at the park, Daichi wanted to get better at dancing and stop stepping on Nozomi’s toes. So, the next time he met up with Suga, he humbly asked his friend to teach him. 

After a few minutes of the elementary teacher teasing and laughing at him (all in good nature of course), he taught the old Karasuno captain a few steps and practiced with him in the empty classroom. After that, the officer practiced at home, pretending to twirl and sway with Nozomi; sometimes using his coat as a substitute.

When the figure skater pulls him into another dance a couple dates later, she’s delighted at how easy he glides and twirls her, though he’s still a tad clumsy. However, Daichi is no longer looking down because he’s worried about stepping on her. He’s now looking down to gaze at her with such fondness that it has Nozomi ducking her head down to hide her blush. Her reaction earning a handsome chuckle from Daichi. Now that he can dance with her properly without the worry of hurting her, he can enjoy the way Nozomi fits perfectly against him, takes in the sweet aroma of her perfume, and listens to her melodic humming of the song they’re moving to. As their dancing turns into light swaying, he hopes that this would become a reoccurring thing for them.

And it did.

Night and day, rain and shine, good days and bad days, Daichi and Nozomi would pull each other into a dance. Sometimes it would be to quick tempo songs; laughter filling their shared apartment as he spins her fast before enclosing her in his hold and wriggling the two of them. Most times these would happen in the kitchen while they’re making something. If they’re both in a mood, she’ll turn around in his embrace, wrap her arms around his neck, and with a sly grin, grind against him. Daichi’s eyes would darken and he’ll pull her as close as he can to trail hot kisses down her neck. He loves the moans Nozomi will slip out and his hands would grip her waist tight. They’ll be doing another kind of dance soon after.

Sometimes they’ll just sway softly in each other’s arms; one or both of them being too tired or too upset to full on dance. When Nozomi sees her boyfriend’s shoulders sag in defeat, she’ll wrap her arms him from behind, bury her face in his back, and sway them from left to right. She doesn’t say anything at first; only offering her presence as comfort until he’s ready to confide in her. And during times the figure skater’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes, Daichi is there to gather her in his arms and rock her to his own humming. He buries his face into her hair or shoulder and murmur how much he loves her. Sometimes tears need to be wiped away and kisses need to be peppered on each other’s face. But they always feel better after these; grateful to have each other.

They dance at home, in the park, under the stars, in the snow, anywhere when the urge hits them. They don’t really care if someone stumbles upon them; the two often in their own world when they twirl and glide. Though, they will admit it was a little embarrassing when Daichi’s old teammates found the couple dancing in the Karasuno gym during a reunion. All the boys young men grin knowingly at their captain and pestering him about “When’s the wedding?” and “Do you hear those bells? Sounds like a wedding is coming up.” It takes his signature glare for them to stop (Though they continue behind his back). Yet, Daichi doesn’t mind their families seeing him and Nozomi dance. Maybe because their parents could see themselves in the young couple. The officer wasn’t sure but he and the skater would never get interrupted as they dance in living room of their families’ home after the holiday mess was cleared away. Besides… All of them, family and friends, will get to see Daichi and Nozomi dance like always but this time… As husband and wife; golden rings twinkling on respective hands and white lace billowing as he twirls her and, like on their first date, pulls her so close to him. They’re so caught up in each other that they don’t see their parents’ crying in pure joy and their siblings and friends cheering them on happily.

When two becomes three, Daichi still pulls his wife into a dance and smiles in pure bliss when she’s accompanied by their tiny son. Daisuke, their bundle of joy, chirps and laughs as Dad spins both him and Mom. Nozomi sways with baby in one arm and the other with hands intwined with Daichi’s. He’s got them both pressed against him as they move to the slow music playing on his wife’s phone. His police uniform is still on him, but his cap sits on baby Daisuke’s head; way too big for him and sometimes slipping down to cover his vision. The couple coos at how cute he is before Dad fixes it for him. Able to see his parents again, the baby boy squeals and claps his hands excitedly. Both Daichi and Nozomi’s hearts fill with joy at this. Daichi leans down to kiss his son first, then his wife; still reeling over his little family and how much he loves him both. He wraps his arms around the two of them and hugs them tight.

And when Daisuke is put to bed and night falls all around them, Daichi will lead Nozomi into their backyard and slow dance under the stars. Sure, the light pollution blocks most of it out, but they can make out some of the brighter ones and even nearby planets and satellites when they look hard enough. And depending on the season, the cicadas are playing music for them. Or the cherry blossoms whirl around with them. Regardless, they bask in each other as they dance.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 5: Aishiteru

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.5k

Nozomi Hoshikai was taught at a young age that the phrase “Aishiteru (I love you)” was to be said to the person you truly, truly were in love with; that it wasn’t something you just threw around willy-nilly. It was an important phrase and should be said with one’s whole heart. She remembers sitting on her father’s lap as he told her how special this phrase is.

“I will never forget the way your mother looked at me when I told her “Aishteru” for the first time. I knew from that moment that she was the one… And I was right.” Her father said with such love and fondness on his face. Nozomi, only 7, hung onto her father’s every word; already dreaming of shoujo adventures and fairy tale romances.

“One day you’ll find that person, my dear. The person who will make your heart feel so full that it will be like your chest is about to burst. Your body will feel like it’s floating with all the feelings you have for them. You’ll fee like you need to shout it out for the whole universe and beyond to hear how much you love. Love is a wonderful thing. So, only say this special phrase when you know with your whole being that they are the one.”

- - -

Daichi and Nozomi don’t know how they found themselves in that park they visited on their first date, but here they were. Snow was falling all around them and honestly the park looked like something out of a Christmas story. Well, it was Christmas after all. After a nice traditional dinner at a cozy restaurant, the couple decided to take a walk around; enjoying all the decorations and festive displays. A nice moment together before they would make the trip  to Miyagi to spend time with their families for New Year’s.

“So… Meeting your family…” Nozomi starts, a little nervous to be finally meeting the Sawamura family in person. She had seen pictures of them, heard stories, and met his parents via FaceTime. She remembers one instance of talking to Daichi’s mother with her boyfriend and his siblings crashing the call to shout out “IS THAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND?????” Daichi almost hung up on his own mother. So far, his family seemed okay with her dating him, but she’s still worried that they won’t like her at all. Sensing her uneasiness, the handsome officer looks over to her and gives her a gentle reassuring squeeze to her hand.

“Don’t be so nervous. I talk about you with them all the time.” He looks over to her, gaze full of affection to console her worries.

“Really?” The anxious butterflies in her ease up a little at his words but they still flutter about.

“Of course. They ask about you all the time. Sometimes they’re more interested in you than they are of me.” Daichi jokes somewhat. It’s not a lie that Nozomi comes up in almost every call he has with his family. His father once having the ‘talk’ with him (Daichi totally mortified) and asking where this relationship was going. He got the hint at what his father was trying to convey and Daichi assured him that he was serious about Nozomi. Absolutely serious.

“So, don’t worry about them. They already love you.” ‘Because I do, too’ he thinks

It feels like the world is slowly coming to a halt. Love… That word made Nozomi’s heart leap. In the months of them dating, neither she nor Daichi had yet to say the phrase “Aishiteru”. It was only “Daisuki (I really like you)”. But as the days pass by, Nozomi was starting to realize that it was more than that for her. She was in love with him. Every moment she spent with him was like a treasure and her heart ached every time they parted. She loves being with Daichi. Loves sharing her days with him, regardless if it they did anything special or just basked in each other’s presence. She loves everything about him; from the little things like the way he licks the pad of his thumb to turn a page to the big things like how he stops in front of the pet stores to coo at the animals in the window. Loves every nickname he bestows on her, loves every dance he pulls her in, loves every kiss he gives her… Nozomi Hoshikai was undeniably in love with Daichi Sawamura.

She stops in her tracks; watching Daichi go on strolling through the snow, head lifted to watch it fall all around him. Her heart was aching; so full of love for the man in front of her that it was spilling and filling her whole chest.

“Daichi…” she calls out softly to him. He hums in response but keeps walking and watching the snow fall. All her love filled her being and the phrase… That phrase… Was coming up from her chest, to her throat and onto her tongue; she couldn’t contain them anymore. But somewhere amongst her love for him was fear and it made her lips refuse to let the phrase come out.

‘Love is a wonderful thing. So, only say this special phrase when you know with your whole being that they are the one.’

Her father words came ringing back and it’s the push she needs,

“Aishiteru.”

And the world shifts below Daichi. He stops in his tracks and, as if in slow motion, turns to look at Nozomi.

“What?” Because even though it’s almost quiet save the distant sounds of the traffic outside the park, everything else has become deafening; from the crunch of the snow below him to how loud his heart is thundering around in his chest. He’s not sure if he’s heard correctly or he had imagined it. He prays to every snowflake falling that she said what he thinks hopes she said.

“Aishiteru…” Nozomi repeats, voice wavering slightly.

The seconds tick by as her words hang in the Christmas air and she can feel tears start to prick behind her eyes as she watches Daichi just stare at her; the fear coming back and growing by the second. Maybe… Maybe it was too soon… Maybe she read him wrong… Maybe this wasn’t what he wanted… Her heart shatters at the thought and the need to undo any damage urges her to back pedal. In reflex, Nozomi clutches the fabric of her coat and her eyes dart side to side to find an excuse; an escape.

“I-… I- I’m sor-“

Suddenly Daichi comes at her; lips pursued tightly, eyebrows furrowed, and eyes blazing with such intensity that it makes Nozomi step back.

“D-Daic-“

His arms fly up to take her face in his hands and he pulls her roughly to him so he can crash his lips onto hers. He pours his whole heart into this kiss; trying to show her how much he loves her back. How much that phrase makes his heart soar. There had been so many times Daichi had wanted to say them himself, but he could never find the right moment. He didn’t understand why it was so hard to say them. It wasn’t like he wasn’t sure if he loved her or not. In fact, he had been pretty sure of his feelings early into their relationship. He cherished every moment he spends with her and always looked forward to the next time they’d meet. He loves it when they can be together. Loves doing things from checking out the newest café to simply running errands. He loves everything about her; from the way she pats the top of her own head to dispel the spice of too much wasabi to how she insists saving the popcorn until the movie actually starts. Loves how her hand finds his every time, loves how she holds him when work is rough, loves every kiss she gives him… Daichi Sawamura was absolutely in love with Nozomi Hoshikai.

He feels wetness touch his cheeks and he pulls away gently from the kiss. His heart twists when he sees the teary trails on Nozomi’s rosy cheeks. Her eyes flutter open, lashes wet with tears, and she hiccups. He can see the apprehension swim in her eyes but hope and love are also there. And maybe that was the reason why he hesitated to say the phrase. That while he was sure of his love for her, he was still scared that she didn’t feel the same.

“Daichi?” she calls to him, lower lip trembling and he stops it with another kiss. Once more trying to convey his feelings and now, apologize for taking too long to confess. Her hands shakily come up to grip his arms, kissing him back desperately. When they part once more, Daichi rests his forehead against hers; both of them panting to catch their breaths.

“Say it again… Please?” he pleads gently to her, hands still cupping her face. Nozomi looks up at him, seeing his face scrunched up in fear.

“Aishiteru.” She whispers once more. Daichi let’s out something crossed between a laugh of relief and a choke out sob of happiness. His eyes open up and Nozomi’s heart blossoms with how much love is glistening out of them.

“Aishiteru mo.” He whispers back. Tears well back up in Nozomi eyes, but this time they weren’t out of fear and uncertainty, but with bliss and  how much she loves the man in front of her.

“Aishiteru.”

Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 4: First Date

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

Word Count: 3k

It took just two more times of them running into each other, a couple of texts, and another coffee run for the handsome police officer to finally ask the pretty figure skater out on a proper date. 

The restaurant is cozy and it’s pretty busy, but Daichi knows the owner; is good friends with them in fact. Nozomi is impressed that there’s a table waiting for them with how full the restaurant seems to be. It’s got a good view of the city and after he pulls a chair out for her and make sure she’s comfortable (such a gentleman) Nozomi can’t help stare out of the window in wonder. Daichi stares as well but he’s not looking out into the city; he takes this time to appreciate Nozomi’s beauty with her soft looking hair cascading down one of her shoulders and fitting nicely in a navy-blue halter dress. The city lights are reflecting in Nozomi’s dark eyes and he swears they’re like stars in a night sky. He sucks in a breath when she turns her attention to him, and his mind goes blank. He feels like he should say something; like continue the conversation they were having in his car as they drove over here. But Daichi can’t remember what they had talked about earlier. He’s saved by a waitress who comes over to bring their water and menus and he’s somewhat thankful for the distraction. He was already feeling hot under his collar.

Nozomi is also glad for the waitress because Daichi was staring at her with such intensity that she felt like she was gonna melt into her chair. She listens to the waitress tell them about the restaurant’s special while she chances a glance at Daichi. His ear and cheeks are tinged with pink but he’s got his polite and professional demeanor on. He looks so good in his dark grey slacks and dark blue shirt (purely coincidental) that it makes her bite her lower lip. His shoulders are squared in attention and his nice thick arms are flexed that the figure skater wants to know what they feel like. When the waitress leaves them to decide, Daichi turns back to Nozomi who’s burying her red face in one of the menu books.

“Are you okay?” he asks her in concern.

“I’m fine!” she squeaks from behind the fancy menu, trying to will her blush to go down.

“Sorry for just staring at you earlier...” Daichi starts and Nozomi lowers the book down to give him her attention.

“I just... You’re so beautiful.” he finally gets out and he loves the way Nozomi’s cheeks turn pinker than before and her eyes widen so that he can see the stars in her eyes shine at his compliment.

“I… Thank you… You’re very handsome yourself.” She returns before quickly ducking back behind the menu. He shakes his head while feeling his own face flush at her words. They both busy themselves by looking through the menu; piping up to ask what the other is having and pointing out what looks yummy. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out what they want and it’s Nozomi who flags down the waitress. When their order has been placed, the figure skater goes back to looking out the window. She’s trying her best to calm her beating heart but when she peeks over at Daichi and catches him staring again, she flusters. Daichi chuckles lowly and he rubs the back of his neck in bashfulness and Nozomi finds this habit of his so endearing.

“The city nights look like stars…” she ponders aloud. Daichi looks out into the city and he hums in agreement.

“Miyagi had some of the best night views, if I remember.” And that opens the conversation up to star gazing and astronomical events they’ve seen when they were both still living in their hometown. Daichi quickly learns that Nozomi is fascinated in astronomy and can blather for hours about the subject. But he doesn’t mind; it’s fitting, honestly, about how much she loves the stars in the sky when she has some twinkling in her eyes. He listens intently to her talk about waking up in the middle of the night not to miss the meteor showers even if she had school the next day. In return, Daichi shares the time he and his brothers slept in a tent out in their backyard to wait for that same meteor shower and somehow, he woke up to marshmallows in his hair. They both laugh at that and were still giggling about it when their food came.

Their conversation continued throughout dinner and desserts as they talked about anything and everything. Nozomi shares that she had studied and trained in Russia before coming back to Japan for the figure skating competition. That somehow leads to her teaching Daichi simple Russian phrases; things like “Thank you” and “What’s your name?”. Daichi makes a mental note to try and study some English or Russian. He thinks it would be useful but more importantly, he wants to impress Nozomi. In return, Daichi teaches her about volleyball and the different types of positions. He feels his chest puff out in pride when she’s applauds him for taking on the captain role in his last year in high school. He shares stories of past games and even promises to invite her one day to see him and his gym buddies play. “I’ll hold you to that.” Nozomi tells him and he pinky promises.

When they notice that the restaurant is starting to clear out, the couple decides to leave as well. Both of them amazed at how much time they spent just talking. Daichi is thinking of his next move as he and Nozomi are at the register to pay for their dinner. He wants to spend more time with her, but he doesn’t know which option to go to; move to a bar? A coffee shop? He mulls it over as he insists on paying for dinner (He gets Nozomi’s cute pout, which he doesn’t mind.) and when they finally step out, he opens his mouth but Nozomi beats him to it,

“I saw a park somewhere close by... Do you... Wanna take a walk with me there?” she shyly asks and Daichi smiles warmly. He offers a hand to her and replies,

“I would love to Ms. Hoshikai.” Nozomi huffs softly but she a lovely shade of pink when she slips her hand into his. She can feel the callous on his hands from sports and work against her soft palm.

“You can call me Nozomi, I don’t mind... If you let me call you by just Daichi.” she bargains with him playfully. Daichi gives her the fondest smile she’s seen yet before raising their joined hands and letting his lips brush her knuckles. It sends a current through Nozomi’s arm to her whole body and she almost squeaks.

“Call me however you like… Nozomi.” he almost purrs and there’s a mix of cute and naughty thoughts bouncing in her head. She lets Daichi lead the way to the park, too dazed to let herself walk.

Nozomi awes at the fairy light wrapped trees when they enter the park; the stroll there wasn’t too far. The whole setting of the park reminds her somewhat of the Christmas lights in Russia and it makes her giddy. Daichi rubs his thumb against the back of her hand and she turns to look at him with sparkling eyes. He doesn’t remember how many times she’s taken his breath away, but he doesn’t mind each time. They talk softly as they trek on, continuing their earlier conversation from the restaurant. When they get closer to the center of the park, they can hear music; slow and tender. Nozomi doesn’t know what spurs her to do it but she turns to him and says,

“Dance with me?” her heart is quivering nervously in her chest, but she wants to do this. Daichi is taken aback by her request and while he doesn’t want to deny her, he sheepishly responds,

“I... I don’t know how...” but it doesn’t seem to dissuade her and she pulls him closer to the central area of the park.

“I’ll teach you.” she says. She has them face one another and takes one of his hand in hers. Then she takes his other hand to let it rest on her waist. Daichi swallows and licks his lips in nervousness but he grips her there and looks down at her with determination, ready for her instructions. She brightens up at his willingness to learn and she begins to lead him in a slow dance, coaching him softly and steadily. The park central is soon littered with giggles and apologies. The officer has stepped on Nozomi’s toes here and there, and he stammers an apology each time. But the figure skater just giggles and tells him it’s okay before gently leading him on the correct steps. Daichi starts to get the hang of it after a few minutes and though he’s still a little awkward, he’s smiling as he’s able to sway to the music with her. He’s concentrated on their steps and she finds it so endearing. He suddenly looks up at her with a grin and she blinks at him when suddenly he maneuvers her into a big spin. Nozomi laughs in delight at this and she spins back into him. Daichi catches her and pulls her close but maybe a little too close because he’s got her so flushed up against him. They stare at each other hearts beating wildly. Daichi watches Nozomi’s eyes flicker to his lips for a second and he’s sure he does the same. He wants to kiss her; wonders if she’ll taste like the honey she had with her dessert. He wants to know. They move their heads a little closer to each other until they hear a chuckle. They jump apart and look to find an elderly couple passing by who are clearly amused by the two of them. Daichi and Nozomi are blushing like two teens getting caught making out. Trying to hide his embarrassment, the officer clears his throat,

“I-I should get you home...” he says to her and Nozomi’s heart sinks a little, wishing she could spend more time with him. She mumbles a little “okay” before they start to make their way out of the park to go back to where he’s parked his car.

They don't say much on the way to her apartment, but the air is comfortable enough that they don’t need words. The radio softly plays in the background and Nozomi sometimes hums along. Daichi’s heart fills with something as he listens to her; he likes this. His hand twitches on the gear shift as he misses how soft and small her hands felt in his. He glances over and sees that one of her hands that was resting on her lap was close enough for him to take; but he didn’t want to be too forward and rude. Unbeknownst to him, Nozomi wanted to feel his hand in hers again, too. She touches the knuckles that he kissed earlier and feels her cheeks redden as she recalls how soft his lips were. She takes a peek at him and watches as he drives them along. She loves how fluffy his hair looks and admires the sharpness of his jawline. Her eyes travel down to his broad shoulders and sturdy frame and remembers when he had accidently pulled her too close to him when they were dancing. One would think he’d be too hard and stiff with a frame like his, but all Nozomi felt was warmth and a gentle firmness. For the briefest moment she was in his arms she felt safe and content; she didn’t want to leave his embrace. Even now, Daichi’s presence gave off that same feeling she felt when she was wrapped up in him.

Her apartment building soon comes into view and Nozomi’s heart sinks more. She doesn’t want the night to end yet. Daichi pulls into the guest parking lot and when he kills the engine, he squeezes the steering for a moment before turning to her and undoing his seatbelt,

“Let me walk you to your apartment?” he offers and Nozomi nods, relived that they’re stretching this as long as they can. As they make their way up to where the figure skater lives, the go back to talking; it’s not hard to find a topic to jump on. They walk as slow as possible and even lingering outside her door for a good chunk of time when Daichi shares a cute story of him visiting an elementary school for Career Day. But when a neighbor peeks their head out into the hallway at them, they decide that it’s time to part ways.

"I had... I had a great time, tonight." Nozomi starts. Daichi can feel his body thrum with happiness.

"I did too." He agrees softly and watches Nozomi turns around to unlock her door and turn on her lights. She turns back around to face him and says something the same time he does,

"Next wee-" "This Wednesd-" They both blink at each other before letting out a laugh. Nozomi motions him to continue and Daichi rubs the back of his neck,

"I was wondering... If you're free this coming Wednesday? There's a special astronomy event happening at the planetarium. You've talked a lot about star gazing so I-"

"Yes! I'd love to! Umm… Go with you, I mean..." Nozomi answers a little too quickly, abashed at her eagerness. But Daichi's heart swells as he sees her eyes brighten with excitement and he's happy to find that the stars in her eyes are still there. Even though they've agreed on the time Daichi will be picking her up at her apartment for their Wednesday date, they are reluctant to say good bye. It feels like something needs to happen, but they don't know what it is. They linger for a moment before Daichi starts to excuse himself,

"Well... I'll see you on Wednesday. Good night." He's about to turn around when Nozomi stops him,

"Wait!" she grabs him by the hand and his hand tingles at the contact. She flounders for a bit on what to say until she blurts out,

"Text me? When you get home? So, I know you made it back safely?" she asks of him. It makes him warm all over with the way she cares and is considerate of him. He nods and gives her his usual mock salute.

"Will do, Nozomi." She doesn’t smile or laugh this time. Instead, she chews on her lower lip and looks away as she gathers the courage to murmur a request,

"Can I kiss you?"

Daichi stares at the woman in front of him, brain slightly short circuiting from her request. Nozomi’s brows crease in slight worry and her pink stained lips are slightly parted to quickly utter an apology if she needs to. But the police officer is lost in her eyes; they're so dark brown that it takes the illumination from her hallway light to distinguish where her irises are. But he likes them; for stars only shine their brightest in the darkest of night skies. And the stars in hers are quivering, scared that she's being too forward; too scared he'll say no. But he won't say no. He'll never say no to this. He closes the distance between them and brings a hand up to stroke her cheek. He watches it tint in a rosy color and he breathes out his answer,

"Yes..." And his eyes close slowly when she tip toes up and leans forward to gently place a kiss on his lips. It's small and a tad hesitant but it's everything. The kiss only lasts a moment before she's pulling away, but he chases and kisses her back; holding her face a little firmly with both his hands and slotting his lips onto hers. Nozomi gasps but it’s soon followed by a soft moan that makes the hairs on the back of his neck raise. And to answer his own question on what her kiss would taste like; it is indeed sweet as honey and warm. Before it can get any further, Daichi reluctantly pulls away. He opens his eyes to see hers half lidded and lips parted for another kiss, but he refuses the temptation.

"It's late... You should head inside." he says breathlessly. Nozomi blinks in focus and once she's back to earth, she blushes a bright red and stutters in agreement,

"A-Ah Right! And you need to head home!” Daichi nods. Before he pulls away completely, he places a kiss on her forehead.

“Good night, Nozomi.” Her heart leaps for joy at the way he says her name. It sounds wonderful coming off his lips.

“Good night, Daichi.” He can feel something bang around in his chest as she calls him by his first name. He has to push down the urge to kiss her again but it’s not so simple. It’s already a bit difficult to make his way towards the elevator. Nozomi waits until Daichi’s inside of it and waves to him. He waves back before the doors close and he descends. Once she steps in her apartment and locks her door, the figure skater lets out a squeal and throws herself onto her couch. She grabs a pillow and buries her face in it as she replays the kiss in her head over and over. She then replays the whole night she’s had and Nozomi is squealing all over again.

Daichi leans against his car as he thinks about how she asked if she could kiss him. How could a simple request captivate him so? Yet it did and he hopes she asks him for kisses more and more. His heart is full, and he's elated to have another date with her on Wednesday. He wants to see her again, spend more time with her, just be in her presence all the time. He blushes at his thoughts and desires. One a time, he tells himself as he gets in his car. He touches his lips that still tingle from their kiss. He lets out a grin and pulls out of the parking lot to his way home. Wednesday can’t come soon enough.

Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 3: Misunderstandings

Genre: slight Angst to Fluff

Warnings: appearance by Tetsuro Kuroo

Word Count: 1.6k

It was like all the air and sound was sucked out of the room as Daichi and Nozomi stare at each other from across the restaurant lobby; both arm in arm with someone else.

The woman Daichi has his arm around is a beauty; fair and tall with perfectly curled hair wearing a stunning red dress that clings to every curve. She matches the man she’s clinging onto; Daichi dressed in all black with a crimson tie, looking all kinds of handsome. Nozomi feels childish with her own baby pink floral dress that just flares out; making her look like she should still be in high school. She clutches the fabric of said dress when she sees the other woman lean over to whisper something in the officer’s ear.

Daichi knows Kuroo is smooth, charming, and treats any woman he courts respectively. To see sweet and pretty Nozomi, with her starry eyes and soft pink cheeks, shower the once Nekoma captain with blinding smiles and twinkling laughter when they had strolled into the restaurant made Daichi clench his fists in jealousy; they look so… prefect together.

“Oya? Sawamura? Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” Nozomi bristles as the air and sound come rushing back when Tetsurou addresses Daichi, the soft jazz and small clinks of cutlery almost deafening now. The taller man waves at his captain buddy and pulls the figure skater along with him. Her legs feel like lead as they make their way over to the other couple and her heart is in a jumble of emotions; nervousness, jealousy, dejection, sorrow… Daichi’s stare starts to get more intense the closer they approach that it makes Nozomi look away in shame. She grips Tetsurou’s arm tighter and wishes she was anywhere but here.

Daichi’s heart aches when Nozomi looks away from him and his fist clench tighter. He greets her and Kuroo through a strained smile and clenched teeth then introduces his date. The other man smiles appreciatively and returns the introduction with his own and Nozomi’s. Daichi HATES how smooth the figure skater’s name rolls off his rival’s tongue; It sounds like it belongs in his mouth. “Nozomi…” he tries under his breath and frowns at himself. It sounds rough coming from Daichi; too rough. He watches her lift her head to look up at him when she catches him calling her by her first name. It’s always Miss Hoshikai; even when he’s off duty or texting her, he addresses her as such. Hearing him say her name so softly has her heart yearning to hear it again. Daichi and Nozomi stare at each other while their dates chat beside them; not knowing what to say but wanting to say everything. ‘My colleagues set this up on me.’ the police officer thinks. ‘Tetsurou’s just a friend…’ the figure skater tries telepathically.

“Table for two for Kuroo-san?”

“Ah, that’s us. Well, we’ll leave you two love birds alone. Let’s go, Zomi?” Kuroo purrs. Nozomi tears her eyes away from Daichi. She wants to tell Tetsurou, no… That she’s no longer hungry or in the mood to be out. She wants to tell him to take her home and let her cry about how much it hurts seeing Daichi with such a beautiful woman. She wants to tell Daichi that this thing with Tetsurou is just a dinner; That she’s not into him at all and she’d pick the kind police officer over and over again. But…

“Yeah… Okay…” Nozomi responds softly and walks along with the taller man. She spares a glance back at Daichi and her heart breaks when she thinks she sees hurt and dejection set on his face. Or was it just the lighting? She has to bite her lower lip to stop a sob when she watches Daichi turn to his date with a smile and a chuckle.

“ - a friend…” Nozomi hears and she whips her head back to keep walking away, clinging to Tetsurou like her life depends on it.

---

Daichi enters the skating arena and scans the rink for Nozomi. He couldn’t shake last night from his mind and when he parted ways from his date, he spent a good hour or two staring at his phone; contemplating what he should say to the pretty figure skater. It hadn’t been long since they’ve exchanged numbers and they were still getting over the awkwardness of it all. While Suga commended him for getting her number, he still berated Daichi for not taking the chance to ask her out. “What are you waiting for? You like her, she likes you! Ask her on a date!” the silver haired teacher nearly yells at him from the other line. Daichi would tell him and Asahi that he doesn’t know why he’s hesitating, but deep down he knows why. There was something about Nozomi that made him feel a tad vulnerable. He’s usually so composed around strangers; people can see and feel his authoritativeness by just his posture alone. But the moment he met her, he had been nothing but a bumbling mess. He wonders how a girl like her can fall for a guy like him?

His heart does a flip when he spots her sitting on the rink’s sideline; skates still on but swinging her legs idly as if in thought. He slowly makes his way towards her, a bunch of questions he wants to ask her running through his mind. How long have you known Kuroo? Are you dating him? Is he your type? Do you know how pretty you looked last night? Do you know you look pretty all the time? Daichi stops just a few feet away, unsure of how to greet her. The last time he came looking for her at the rink, he’d been on duty. Today is his day off and he’s got on a varsity jacket over a plain white shirt and jeans; looking plain compared to his uniform he thinks. Sensing someone behind her, Nozomi turns from where she’s sitting and Daichi watches how her eyes light up and how her cheeks turn a pretty pink shade. His heart does another flip.

“Hi.” He greets weakly.

“Hi.” She responds back just as much. They stare at each other for a moment searching the other’s face for the answers they needed.

“About-“ “How was-“ they both try to speak at the same time. Nozomi bites her lower lip and gives a bow of her head as an apology while Daichi motions with a hand for her to continue.

“How was your date?” Nozomi asks hesitantly, unsure if she wants to hear the truth or not. Daichi reaches up to rub the back of his neck before he answers her,

“It uh… It was okay. She was nice.” The figure skater bites her lip harder and looks away, so he won’t see her eyes starting to mist over.

“Don’t think there’ll be a second date, though.” He continues. Nozomi sucks in a tiny breath at that, hoping filling her chest.

“O-Oh?” is all she can utter as she looks at him again. Daichi’s reassuringly smile is what greets her.

“Yeah. I… She’s not my type. The guys at the precinct set me up with her. They mean well but… It just won’t work out.” He confesses, recounting last night on how he couldn’t pay attention to the woman across his own table and his eyes kept glancing over to where Kuroo and Nozomi sat. In fact, he cut the date short: not in the mood to entertain someone he didn’t fancy and his thoughts and feelings in disarray.

“How about you?” How did the date with Kuroo go?” Daichi decides to bite the bullet and ask. Nozomi, finally riding out the wave of relief when he confided to her about his date, looks at him with determination.

“We were celebrating me getting a big sponsorship. Tetsurou is a friend of mine and he’s been helping me find companies that would sponsor me for the nationals.” Nozomi admits; finally clearing the air once and for all. Daichi takes in all that she said and replays it in his head once or twice more. The skater watches him process his thoughts while a smile makes it was across her lips.

“I see…” Daichi let’s out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding. It was like the sky over their heads cleared of any rainclouds that brewed from last night. Both of them could feel that something else was on the horizon; something good. Daichi takes a step… Then another… Then another until he’s standing next to where she’s sitting on the rink’s sideline. He’s staring at the ice, remembering the first time he saw her; gracefully gliding over the ice and enchanting him with her smile and blush alone.

“So… Just a friend you say?” he verifies, still staring into the rink.

“Yes.”

“Is he… Uh… Is he your type?”

“Mmm… Not really.”

“What is your type?” Daichi inquires. There’s a pretty long pause as Nozomi takes a while to answer so he peeks at her from the corner of his eye. Her head is tilted, and she has a finger to her chin as if she’s mulling over his question. He’d be nervous if it wasn’t for a playful smile she’s got on.

“Well… There is a very handsome police officer that I keep running into. He’s definitely my type.” She finally responds. Daichi’s face burns in red while the figure skater giggles at his reaction.

“I-Is that so?”

“Mmhmm.”

Daichi ducks his head to hide his red face and wide smile. Nozomi leans over to nudge his shoulder gently with hers.

“Maybe this police officer can take me out for coffee? If he’s free right now?” she suggests. Daichi’s head shoots up and he gives her a hopeful look. Her face is a pretty pink and there’s hope too dancing in her eyes.

“Do you… Do you wanna go grab some coffee with me?”

“I’d love to.”

Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 2: 5 Times the Stars Tried to Align & 1 Time it Did

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of harassment (nothing in detail), light swearing (like only twice)

Word count: 5.6k

1. Grocery store

It has been about a week since Daichi had gone with Detective Takei to the skating arena and the young officer will admit that he can’t really get Miss Nozomi Hoshikai out of his mind. He finds himself recalling her performance, her shy smiles, and soft blushes during the lull parts of the day before snapping back to reality and going back to burying himself in work. He had stopped by the ice rink two days ago to get any more information on the perpetrator… And maybe see the pretty figure skater again. But when he asked if she was around, he was told that Miss Hoshikai was away for some training. Daichi couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

Now, he’s at a grocery store picking up dinner after work. He groans and rolls his shoulders before reaching to grab a pack of beer; today was a long and grueling day and he needed to go home pronto and just relax. He looks into his basket at what he’s got: along with the beer, there’s a couple of instant ramen, pre-made food, and some snacks. He really should be eating healthier, but Daichi figures he’s allowed to have a cheat day after the shit he’s been through today. He compromises with himself and decides to pick up something to actually make for his day off tomorrow: some fluffy pancakes sound nice. He heads into an aisle, looking for a good pancake mix when he notices a young lady trying to reach for something on the very top of the shelves. She’s quite short and he guesses she can barely come up to his shoulders. She’s tippy toeing to try and reach a bag of brownie mix before sighing in slight frustration then trying to jump for it. Daichi lets out an amused huff before heading over to go and lend a hand.

“Can I help you?” he asks when he approaches the young lady. He is pleasantly surprised when she turns around and he sees that it’s Miss Nozomi Hoshikai. Her coffee brown eyes light up in recognition and a small smile graces her face. He feels a flutter in his chest as he takes in how cute she looks without the make-up and ornate figure skating outfit he met her in days before; she looks so cozy.

“Ah, Officer Sawamura. Hello.” She greets with a polite bow.

“Miss Hoshikai.” The officer reciprocates with a small salute then a bow as well. She giggles at his formality then takes in his appearance. Daichi is still in his police attire but he’s also got on a puffy jacket and his cap is nowhere to be seen. Nozomi admits to herself that he looks very handsome in his uniform, whereas she probably looks like a mess in a faded hoodie and threadbare jeans with her hair in a lopsided bun. Just her luck to run in with the dashing Officer Sawamura looking like this.

“I’m a bit surprised to see you. Did you just finish work?” Nozomi tries to start the conversation, pointing out his state of dress. Daichi looks down at himself and then nods with a slight chuckle.

“Yeah. Just grabbing dinner and maybe tomorrow’s breakfast.” he answers and brings up his basket as proof. He somewhat regrets it when Nozomi leans in to peek in his basket with a curious hum; Daichi really wishes he had picked up better things.

“Oh! I like those too!” the skater happily points to some rice crackers he’s got in his basket then grins up at him. He isn’t prepared for that sunny smile and his brain stutters for a moment. Clearing his throat to stop himself from staring at her, Daichi looks over her head to the brownie mix she was trying to reach for earlier.

“So umm…” He starts to say, jutting his chin to the item above her. Nozomi follows his gaze before making a cute ‘o’ with her mouth and flusters a bit.

“Ah yes! Umm… Could you help me? Please?” She asks, tilting her chin down a bit and looking at him through her eyelashes in bashfulness. This makes Daichi’s cheeks burn, throat dry, and palms sweaty. He easily plucks the mix from the shelf and gives it to her, even though he feels like his motions are jerky and robotic. She happily takes it from him and grins at him again.

“Thank you! It’s been a while, but I really like baking! Cookies and brownies especially!” Nozomi tells him. Suddenly, Daichi is imagining her in a cute frilly apron, mixing up some batter while something is already in the oven baking. Interestingly, it’s his kitchen he’s picturing her in.

“I hope my little toaster oven can handle.” She ponders aloud that the officer snaps out of his imagination.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He assures her as he pushes his daydream to the side. The figure skater nods in agreement.

“Thank you again. And thank you for stopping by the arena a couple of days ago! Someone mentioned to me that you came by to check on us.” Her eyes are shining with admiration and the blush on Daichi’s cheek darken.

“Ah yes!  I- I just wanted to get as many statements and evidence as I can. And to make sure you’re all safe.” He explains to her, ducking his head a little and rubbing the back of his neck with a free hand.

“You’re so sweet. Thank you so much.” She tells him with such softness that the flutter in Daichi’s chest grows.

“Zomi? Did you get it?” comes a silky voice down the grocery aisle. Daichi and Nozomi look over to see an alluring and smartly dressed woman approach. The figure skater nods at her and shows the brownie mix while listing off the other things she needs to grab. The other woman listens but throws a glance at Daichi, a perfectly shaped eyebrow lifting in interest. Nozomi notices and introduces them to one another; Shiori, her best friend and Officer Sawamura, the officer helping with the skating arena’s predicament. They greet each other respectively but her best friend looks him up and down as if she were assessing him. He admits the other woman is quite intimidating. Daichi, feeling like he should let the two women finish their shopping, excuses himself but not without grabbing the pancake mix he came for then giving Nozomi a mock salute as a farewell. She laughs at that and salutes him back. As he’s walking away, he thinks he hears a “He’s handsome.” then a cute giggle. If his ears turn red in embarrassment, no one is around to point it out.

2. Bookstore

Daichi scans through the rows of books before looking down at his phone again to read a text Suga had sent him a couple of days earlier. He had gotten a book recommendation from the silver haired elementary teacher and he had promised to try and get into it. Daichi, on occasions, will read during his free time if the book is interesting. So when Suga suggested this one, he thought he’d take a look. His eyebrows furrow as his search seems to be unfruitful. The busy bookstore employee could only point out to where the book could be found before another customer came badgering for help. Daichi figured this is what he gets for going to the main station’s bookstore during rush hour and thought that he could handle looking for the book himself. But after a good couple of minutes looking and no results, Daichi sighs and runs a hand through his hair; maybe he’ll try buying it online.

“Need help?” comes a voice to his side and he makes a small sound of relief thinking it’s another employee coming to aid him. Instead, he finds that it’s Miss Hoshikai. She’s got hair up and face done all prettily this time. And judging by her looks and apparel, it seems like she had just gotten out of skating practice. She’s smiling at him, eyes twinkling with amusement, and a few books in her arms.

“Hello, Officer Sawamura. Nice running into you again!” She greets him.

“Nice to see you too, Miss Hoshikai.” He returns and adds a mock salute like last time; it never fails to make her laugh. A smile spreads on Daichi’s face at the sound of her laughter; he finds the sound pretty. He leans over a bit to look at the books she’s carrying around and Nozomi, taking notice, tilts them to him so he can see the titles better.

“Something to help get any inspiration for future skating routines. And a few for some light reading.” She explains as she holds up a shojo manga as an example of light reading.

“What about you? You seemed to be looking for something?” Nozomi pulls him back into what he was doing before and Daichi nods.

“Actually yeah, I’m looking for a book a friend suggested to me. Would you know it?” he shows her Suga’s text with the suggested title. She lets out an “Ah!” and then with a “Follow me!” she leads him to the next aisle and they both look for the book. It doesn’t take them too long to find what Daichi has been looking for, but they stay behind to look at other books; talking about which one’s they’ve read or if this one has been made into a movie or not. Daichi takes up another book when Nozomi finds one that she’s read before and excitedly tells him about without much spoilers. He’s interested to know what books she takes pleasure in reading.

They spent a good time wandering about the bookstore chatting and looking at different subjects together: flipping through manga they’ve read as teens as well as finding books on weird subjects. At one point, Daichi picks up one that looks to be harmless only for both of them to go bright red when they peek into a random page. Daichi hastily shoves the book back where it belongs while Nozomi tries her best to stifle her giggles. And somewhere between the history and psychology sections of the store, the two began playing hide-n-seek; peeking through shelves and surprising each other around corners. But their little game stops when a couple of other customers raise their eyebrows at them; some even shaking their heads at their silly behavior. Blushes rising to their cheeks, the officer and skater hurry to the register to buy their books and leave the store. Once outside, the two of them stare at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing.

“Thank you for the help and book suggestions.” Daichi says once their laughter dies down. To emphasize, he holds up the three books he’s got in his hands. He’s gifted with a bright smile from Nozomi.

“Anytime! I hope you like them!” she chirps. There’s a moment’s pause and it looks like Nozomi is about to say something when an incoming text pings on Daichi’s phone. He checks it to see that some co-workers were planning to meet up for drinks and were extending an invitation to him.

“Well… I best be going.” Daichi quickly looks up to Nozomi as she motions to where the station gates are. He opens and shuts his mouth, wanting to say something but not really knowing what to say to make her stay. So, he just nods and offers a wave.

“See you around?” he tries and Nozomi’s smile turns fond. Like the time at the grocery store, something flutters in his chest.

“Of course. Hope to see you soon, Officer Sawamura.”

“Likewise, Miss Hoshikai.”

3. Train

“ -enri Station. Please get off here for the Chuo Line.”

Daichi blinks as the train’s announcement pulls him away from his thoughts. He takes a moment to observe the car he’s in before going back to looking out the window. He had taken the weekend off to go out of town and visit a relative. Being stationed in the big city had its perks but there were times when the young officer got homesick. He lives too far to see his family often so he’s grateful he knows someone who lives a couple train rides away that can ease the loneliness. Daichi lets out a sigh and watches as the scenery slows with the train pulling up into the station. If he could, he would’ve taken his car, but it was currently in the shop for maintenance. He didn’t mind taking the train for this trip though; letting himself just be and zone out by watching the fields and landscapes whizz by.

As the doors slid open, a few people came trickling into the train car: a businessman, two high school students, a mother with her son, and an elderly woman. Daichi immediately stands up and offers his seat to the latter, who bows in appreciation and even pats his arm as she sits down. He smiles at her and after making sure she was seated, takes his bag and stands by the door to again stare out at the scenery. The chime to warn passengers that the train doors were closing rang out, but someone suddenly came rushing through; barely making it into the car before the doors shut. However, the poor person was still in momentum and looked like they were going to ram into the two high schoolers until Daichi puts himself between them just in time and caught the hurried passenger. The person lets out an “oof!” when they collided into him, but because they were quite small and Daichi was pretty sturdy, there didn’t seem to be any harm.

“Omg! I’m so sorry!” Daichi recognizes that voice and looks down to see the familiar face of the pretty figure skater known as Nozomi. At first, her face was scrunched up in worry: eyebrows furrowed, and mouth formed into a pout. But when she realizes who is staring down at her, the young woman’s eyes widen in shock and her eyebrows shoot up. Red rushes to her cheeks and he is pretty sure his are similar in color.

“Miss Hoshikai.” Daichi says breathlessly.

“Officer Sawamura!” Nozomi yelps. The two of them stare at each other; neither of them moving as she’s pressed against his chest and he’s got his arms around her. The jerk of the train pulling away from the station knocks them back into their senses and they pull away as if they had been burned. Daichi coughs as if to hide his embarrassment while Nozomi tucks a strand of hair behind her ear in nervousness. From the corner of his eye, Daichi thinks he sees some of the passengers snicker at the two of them.

“I’m really, really sorry. Are you hurt?” Nozomi asks him, worry back on her face. Daichi waves a hand to assure her that he’s alright.

“I’m fine. What about you? You okay?” he returns the question and even looks her over for any injuries. The worry slips away from the ice skater’s face and she nods.

“I’m okay. Thank you for saving me.” She gives him a small shy smile that kicks up that flutter in his chest whenever he sees her. He does his best to push it down and calm it, but it lingers.

“You’re welcome. Where are you headed by the way? You were in such a rush to catch this train.” Daichi inquires, genuinely curious. She flashes him one of her grins before answering,

“Ah! I’m heading back home actually. I stayed over a friend’s place for the weekend. What about you?”

“Went to visit a cousin of mine. It was nice to catch up with him.” He responds and Nozomi nods in agreement. The two of them went more into detail of their weekend as the train cruised on. Soon the topic went to other things; like hobbies, places they’ve been to, and even current events. Daichi learnt that pretty figure skater liked sweets, had monthly karaoke nights with friends, and avoided anything dealing with ghosts. While Nozomi found out that the handsome police officer hit different ramen shops with colleagues to compare, was looking to get a dog if his apartment allowed it, and continues to play volleyball even after high school with some gym buddies. Speaking of high school, Daichi was shocked to know Nozomi had graduated from Shiratorizawa a year after he grad from Karasuno and that they were from the same area.

“Sorry, I just assumed you were from the city…” he says apologetically but she waves it off, unoffended.

“It’s no problem. I’m very much a city girl so it fits me!” They chatted a bit more before Nozomi’s stop was announced to be coming up. They were reluctant to part but neither of them voiced it out.

“Thank you again, Officer Sawamura. See you around!” she chirps as she stood up to leave.

“Nice seeing you again, Miss Hoshikai. Don’t go watching those horror movies before bed.” The officer responds teasingly, and he chuckles when she pouts at him.

“Tell that to my friends!” Nozomi huffs but laughs along when he does. They wave goodbye at each other when the train doors open and Daichi watches her hop onto the station platform. He loses sight of her when other passengers also get off the train and he figures she was already making her way to the station gates. But when the door closes and the train slowly beings to pull away, Daichi spots her still on the platform; waving one of her arms to bid him farewell. The fluttering in his chest that he had pushed down previously comes rising back up and he waves back until he could no longer see her.

 4. Coffee Shop

Daichi was in need of some coffee. He had pulled an all-night patrol and instead of getting to going home when the sun started to rise, the precinct needed him to come over and fill out some paperwork. Saying he wasn’t happy about this was an understatement. Daichi can literally feel the bags under his eyes along with achy muscles and knots in his back. Daichi queues in line at a coffee shop that isn’t so busy despite it being the morning rush hour. He sleepily lifts his head to check the menu, even though he’s pretty sure he’s just getting a cup of straight black coffee. As he puts in order when he gets to the cashier, he glances over at the baked goods display and wonders if he should grab breakfast too. He takes a moment to think about it but decides against it. He’s about to pay, when a voice pipe ups from behind him,

“Add a bagel sandwich and I’ll pay!” Daichi whips around to see Nozomi looking up at him with her bright sunny smile.

“Miss Hoshikai!”

“Morning!” she happily greets him and gently brushes past him to add in her order with the cashier and pay for his and hers. Daichi, totally sleep deprived, could only stare in bewilderment before his brain caught up with the situation and the officer flusters about.

“Ah! Miss Hoshikai! I can-! You don’t hav-! I just-“ he tries but he’s met with the same sunny grin after Nozomi finishes the transaction.

“Think of it as a thank you for all you hard work and that time on the train.” She reasons with him and once she has the receipt, she ushers them over to the side to wait for their order. Once she gets a good look at him though, the figure skater frowns,

“I thought you looked tired when I saw you enter the shop. But now… You look absolutely exhausted.” She tells him. Daichi blushes but he can’t deny it when he knows he’s got bags under his eyes and his hair is messy and probably greasy. That thought makes him wish the floor could swallow him; ashamed to be looking like a mess in front of the pretty figure skater. He probably looks ghastly standing next to Nozomi who’s got a cute pink coat dress on and her hair looking so soft and fluffy while down.

“It’s… It’s been a long night.” He sighs tiredly, running a hand through his hair and down his face. He sees a look of guilt join in with worry on her face.

“Oh… I’m sorry… I-“ she started.

“No no! I… You… Thank you. For treating me.” He tells her genuinely. He is honestly flattered that she’s doing this for him, and it makes that fluttering in his chest go crazy. A soft blush spreads across Nozomi’s face and she gives him a shy smile.

“Y-You’re welcome. Again, you look so tired. I wanted to do something nice and make you smile.” She explains bashfully. The flutter in him intensifies and he has to stop himself from clutching at his chest.

“You always make me smile” He replies softly. When he sees her eyes widen and cheeks go bright red, Daichi realizes what he said and combusts in crimson as well. They stare at each other, not knowing what to say. After a minute or so, Nozomi opens her mouth to say something but,

“Order for Zomi!” the two of them jump at the intrusion and turn to look at the exasperated barista. They quickly take their things and with embarrassed thank you’s, they exit the coffee shop.

“Again, thank you.” Daichi says, holding up his coffee and sandwich. He still feels awkward about what he said in the coffee shop but he still has a mind to thank her. Nozomi nods, clutching her own drink in both hands while the blush on her face lingers.

“You’re welcome.” is her only reply. Daichi hesitates, a suggestion of them going out to get coffee together on his tongue. But before he can get it out, the radio on his uniform crackles loudly. It makes Nozomi jolt and Daichi fumbles to grab it to tell whoever it is on the other line that he’s on the way. He sighs once the message is received and gives an apologetic look for frightening her. She waves a hand to say she’s alright.

“Looks like you have to go.” She utters softly, sounding disappointed. Daichi feels the same.

“Yeah.” He confirms in the same tone, shoulders starting to slump. He’d rather be at home in bed than go back to the precinct. He’d rather be enjoying coffee with the pretty girl in front of him than go back to work. But said girl gives him that bright sunny smile from earlier, though a bit softer, and it boosts his will to get the last hour of his shift done.

“I’ll see you around, Officer Sawamura.”

“Nice seeing you again, Miss Hoshikai.”

 5. Bar

Daichi, Suga, and Asahi always try to meet up every so often. Using this time to catch up with each other’s lives and just have fun. They’ll go anywhere: from amusement parks, to clubs, to even concerts. Tonight, they decided on an izakaya bar; just to drink and catch up.

They are already a couple of drinks in, chattering and laughing out loud. Their table has a few bottles of booze and a couple of entrée plates that they’re snacking on here and there. The three men were talking about their old volleyball days when Asahi brings up something that happened during that one summer training week during their third year. All of them burst out laughing; guffawing and hitting each other as they recount that event.

“Officer Sawamura?” Daichi almost chokes on his own laughter when a familiar voice calls out to him. He whips his head so fast, he almost gets whiplash, to see Nozomi standing by their table. She’s looking a little hesitant to say something, not wanting to barge in on his time hanging out with his friends.

“S-Sorry to interrupt… I just… Wanted to say hello.” She stutters slightly. Maybe it was the alcohol or the shock of seeing her in this bar, but Daichi couldn’t help but stare at the pretty figure skater. He drinks her in: dark brown eyes twinkling, dark hair down and framing her face. Her outfit is cute and casual, but it hinted the curves that were hidden underneath. He is unaware of how long he has been staring until Suga kicks him under the table and hisses at him. In a panic, Daichi stands up abruptly but ends up hitting his thighs against the underside of the table and causing a few things to clatter. While he groans in pain, he can hear Asahi and Suga stifling their laughter; letting out snorts and snickers while their shoulders shake trying to keep it in. Nozomi is also trying not to laugh by biting her lower lip. But the corners of her mouth were coming up, so she brought up a hand to hide it. Daichi opts to sit back down before he makes more of a fool of himself.

“It’s nice to see you again, Miss Hoshikai.” He finally replies and he kicks Suga under the table when he sees a smirk grow on the silver head’s face. Both friends have heard of her from the police officer and they often prodded him into asking her out. They can see that Daichi had it pretty bad for this girl and it was more evident now that they can see the situation up close.

“Nice to see you again too!” she gives a small bow in greeting. Her eyes flicker over to Suga and Asahi and again it takes a moment for Daichi to react properly. He introduces his friends to her, commenting about how he knew them since high school and that they played volleyball together. Asahi smiles and bows from where he’s sitting while Suga beams at her and reaches over the table to offer a handshake. Nozomi accepts it and introduces herself to them in return. Suga wastes no time in engaging in a conversation with her by asking how she knows the past Karasuno captain. Daichi almost groans, hoping that his friend won’t embarrass him. When he looks over to Asahi, the taller man gives him a knowingly look over the rim of his glass. Daichi glares at him but it just makes Asahi chuckle.

“Why don’t you join us?” comes Suga’s suggestion and Daichi can feel both dread and excitement thrum in his body. He would love it if Nozomi would join them. But he was sure he was drunk… Or getting there. Who knows what he’ll say to her while intoxicated? Also, having Asahi AND Suga here would just end up with both of them telling Nozomi embarrassing stories about him. Suga especially would never let him live.

“Ah, I’d love to but… I’m actually with some friends.” Nozomi declines and she points to a table in the other part of the bar that has a few young ladies sitting around. Daichi is again torn, this time in relief and disappointment. It must show on his face because she gives a reassuring smile at him and just him.

“Maybe next time.” She tells him with eyes shining with something. He doesn’t know what it is but Daichi can feel that damn fluttering in his chest go bonkers that it kinda hurts.

“I’d like that.” Is all he can say. He and Nozomi stare at each other for a bit before one of her friends calls for her. She bids Asahi and Suga a polite good-bye and a “Nice to meet you” before glancing back at Daichi and giving him another smile. Daichi watches her go, almost skipping back to her friends, and he can’t stop the goofy smile that slips onto his face.

“Dork…” he hears Suga tease followed by a punch to the arm. Asahi laughs as Daichi argues with Suga while the other man mocks him. The officer doesn’t notice Nozomi peeking behind her from where she sat with her friends and giggling to herself at how cute Daichi looked all flustered and a bit dazed.

 +1. Ice Rink

Daichi had gotten the radio call when he was patrolling another part of the city: Another officer catching a man heckling a pair of young couple. When asked where the fellow officer was and if he needed back up, Daichi still made his way over to the precinct as his colleague reassured he was all good and that he picked up the creep around the skating arena. After interrogations and new witness statements, it was proven that they had the man who had been prowling around the arena and harassing the people coming and going there. Detective Takei made the call immediately to Mrs. Bessho about catching the harasser once a confession was given. So, in honesty, Daichi didn’t need to go and inform Miss Nozomi Hoshikai; she’d mostly likely be told about it by her coach.

Yet the next day, Daichi was sitting on the stands of the ice rink during his lunch break. He watches Nozomi and a few other women teach a group of children how to skate. He smiles at the sight of her holding the hand of a little girl, probably around 5 years old, as she helps her get used to gliding over the ice. It warms something in his heart at the way Nozomi encourages and praises the little girl; loving the way her face blooms into a smile when the little girl can skate along without her help. As if sensing his presence, Nozomi lifts her head and looks in his direction. Surprise colors her face until it’s replaced with fondness and that same smile he was admiring from afar was now directed at him. It makes his mouth go dry and he ducks his head in embarrassment; why was he here? The harasser had been caught and the case was on its way to being closed. Daichi didn’t need to be here. But deep down he knew why he was here: he wanted to see her again… On purpose. He was no longer satisfied with just the run ins the two of them seem to have frequently. He loves seeing her blush; how they go from the softest of pinks to the rosiest of red. He wants to make her smile; remembering how he always made her giggle with his salutes. He knows the melody of her voice; able to distinguish it over the chatter and laughter in the bar that time he was with Suga and Asahi.

“Hey.” Daichi lifts his head when that voice he was just thinking about breaks him out of his thoughts. Nozomi had made her way from the rink to sit next to him in the stands, head tilted to study him.

“Hey.” He replies, smiling at her.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on patrol?”

“On my lunch break… I actually wanted to see how you were doing.” He confesses.

“Doing good! I was told you caught him! Thank you so much for finally getting him.”

“Ah… Well, I didn-… Another officer got him.” He corrects her but she huffs and continues.

“Still! You, Detective Takei, and all the other officers helped and caught the guy. So again, thank you.” Daichi chuckles softly and nods, accepting her gratitude. They sit in silence for a bit and Daichi contemplates what to do with his sudden revelation. Somewhere in his mind, something urges him to take a chance and ask her out. He can almost hear Suga say “Just ask! The worst thing she can do is say no.” His friend is right though and when Daichi takes a breath of courage to finally ask Nozomi out for coffee, she interrupts,

“Hey. Did you finish that book by the way? The one I suggested.” Daichi blinks at her question and hesitates before answering.

“Uh yeah… I also finished the one my friend Suga suggested to me.” He tells her. She beams at him with her sunny grin,

“Good, good! I actually have another book suggestion for you!”

“Oh?”

“Mmhmm! How about you give me your number and I can text you the title of it. I can’t remember it on the top of my head. So, when I remember, I’ll text it to you!” Daichi blinks again at her and then smiles when he realizes what she’s trying to do. He lets out a small laugh at this and before the figure skater misunderstands, the officer pulls out his phone and hands it to her. Nozomi fumbles a bit to do the same and they go about putting their digits into each other’s contacts. When Daichi is given his phone back, he almost drops it as he sees she’s put herself down as Nozomi ❤; the little heart winking playfully at him. He wishes he could take his phone back and put himself as something better than just Officer Sawamura but it’s too late.

“I’ll text you the title later.” She tells him with happiness and hope dancing in her eyes. Gathering his bravery from before he responds,

“If you want… You… Could text me about other stuff. Not just about books. Maybe like how your day was or what you were up to.” He offers. Nozomi blinks at him owlishly, the pink in her cheeks growing. She clutches her phone a little tightly and ducks her head to hide a bashful smile but Daichi sees it; the flutter in his chest now blooming into something more.

“Even if it’s something silly like how I got an extra bread roll at the bakery nearby?”

“Anything and everything. I… I want to get to know you.” There was a pause and Daichi thinks that maybe he went too far. But when Nozomi lifts her head and even though cheeks are bright red, she giving his the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen yet.

“I want to get to know you too.”

 Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​ 

[honeybunny-sawamura]

Chapter 1: First Meeting

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of harassment (nothing in detail)

Word Count: 1.7k

Author Note: yaho everyone! im celebrating my hubby’s birthday by indulging in my self ship! 💝 with an OC heheh this is my first time doing self shipping OxO i hope you like the stories i have ready

Daichi Sawamura will try and say he doesn’t believe in love at first sight. That yes, he can appreciate someone’s good looks at first glance, but to truly fall in love with someone he needs to get to know them. Only when he has seen all their hidden quirks, knows their favorites and inspirations, and can immediately distinguish their voice in a crowded room will he know that he’s absolutely in love with that person.

But… He’ll never forget the moment she first took his breath away.

There had been a string of harassments happening at the city’s skating arena. Apparently, it started off with it just being verbal, but things started to get physical and the perpetrator had not yet been caught. Officer Daichi Sawamura was accompanying Detective Takei, a hardworking man he respected, to meet up with the person who had called in for someone to investigate and catch the person(s) responsible. Daichi didn’t normally patrol this area but he had heard of some of the cases from a colleague. The victims were often young women and it always happened around nighttime when the perp could hide in the shadows. It was starting to affect the community and people were getting anxious; especially with the regional skating competitions coming up soon. Hearing all of this brought out Daichi’s protective nature and he already made it a priority to make sure that they catch whoever was harassing these innocent people. Detective Takei let out an amused snort at the determination set in Daichi’s features, knowing he picked the right officer to accompany him.

The two men enter the skating arena and shiver at the chill that hit them; the inside is way colder than the weather outside. There aren’t many people around: only four to five skaters with their coaches and a couple of others who could be friends or supporters. They’re all sitting in the stands, scattered about but close enough to chat with one another. The ice rink itself is void of any skaters which is surprising since the detective and officer had been informed that the competition is in a month or so and that practices were happening almost every day at every hour.

“We’re looking for a Mrs. Bessho. A middle-aged woman, somewhere between her 50s I believe. Taller than most her age, quite thin, and brown permed hair. She’s a coach to a young female figure skater.” Detective Takei tells Daichi as they scan the place for someone that fits that description while taking in anyone they think looks suspicious. They slowly make their way down the steps and closer to the ice rink, giving a curt nod at those who look their way. Daichi thinks he spots someone fitting Mrs. Bessho’s description standing at the rink’s sideline talking to a young woman all dressed up to perform. He points out the woman to the detective, who nods, and they both briskly descend the stands. They were just a few rows away from reaching Mrs. Bessho when music starts to fill the arena and the occupied stands bursts with cheering and hollering. The young lady who Mrs. Bessho was talking to, happily waves over to her small audience and then skates away from the sidelines. She takes a leisure lap around the rink, swaying a tad to the music, before heading to the middle of the ice.

“Might as well enjoy the performance.” Huffs the older man to Daichi, leaning on one of the seats at the end of the row. A hush settles over the ice as the music fades out and the figure skater sets herself in position, serene and confidence all in her pose. There’s a silent pause for just a moment until a riff of quick piano notes opens up and the rehersal begins. Daichi couldn’t help but become mesmerized by the figure skater. How graceful she skims across the ice and how her every movement, down to even the flick of a wrist, seems to tell a story. His eyes follow her every glide and every jump makes his heart leap along, wondering if she’ll stick the landing; impressing him without fail when she always does. Daichi had seen figure skating performances before, his mother and little sisters loved watching the competitions on TV, but he’s never seen one in person until now. He can see the appeal of it and why people held high regards for the sport. Daichi himself couldn’t skate for his life and to see someone do it so effortlessly and beautifully with all those spins and jumps, he thinks he could watch this young woman skate for hours.

But it doesn’t last for too long and before Daichi knew it, things come to an end. The small audience cheers and whistles as the young woman on the ice bows and waves to them again, a triumphant smile on her face. He watches her scan the stands and giggle here and there at her friends; even from where he stood, he could tell she was quite pretty. The young officer couldn’t help but feel something electrify through him when her eyes land and linger on him. She blinks at him, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. The figure skater gives him a small but polite smile and a bow before she is called to the sidelines by her coach, Mrs. Bessho, who Daichi remembers he and the detective are here to talk to.

“Come on, let’s go.” Says Detective Takei, breaking Daichi from whatever trance he was in. He nods a bit jerkily and follows the older man to the sidelines where the coach and figure skater were.

“- was wonderful! But remember about the turns…”

“Mrs. Bessho?” the detective calls out and the two women turn their attention to them; the elder a bit annoyed with the interruption and raising an eyebrow at the two burly men.

“I’m Detective Takei and this is Officer Sawamura. We’re here about the harassment problems you called about.” Mrs. Bessho’s face morphs from irritation to realization.

“Ah, of course! We spoke yesterday afternoon. Yes, I am Mrs. Sakura Bessho. And this is my protegee, Nozomi Hoshikai. She has had a run in with the harasser before, right dear?” The older woman introduces while the girl bows in a formal greeting. Daichi tries her name out in his head, ‘Miss Nozomi Hoshikai’ and he finds it sounds quite nice.

“Well, we’d like to take any information you have so we can pursue further with the case.” the detective pries.

“Oh, heavens! Where do I start?” exclaims Mrs. Bessho before spilling everything she knew and heard of. As she and Detective Takei talk, Daichi busies himself by taking notes but he’s a little distracted. His eyes keep drifting over to Miss Hoshikai, who nods every so often as her coach goes on. Daichi takes in her inky black hair that’s tied in a bun with a few ornaments adorning it. Her eyes were so dark, almost looking black if it were for the arena’s lights above to illuminate the brown hue in them. And a soft pink color dusted her beige cheeks; was it from the chill of the ice rink or from the exertion from the performance just now Daichi wasn’t sure. Noticing he was staring a bit too long, Daichi shakes his head a little to snap out of it and goes back to taking notes. But when his gaze goes back to Miss Hoshikai, his eyes meet hers. Both of them blink in surprise and turn away with cheeks growing warm in being caught looking at the other. Daichi clears his throat and interjects the older pair with having Nozomi recount her confrontation with the harasser.

“We’d like to hear your encounter with them, if that’s alright Miss Hoshikai?” he asks politely. Something tickles in his chest when the pink on the skater’s cheeks grow a tad darker. Unbeknownst to him, Nozomi likes the way he says her name. She complies and tells her story. While she does so, a frown grows on Daichi’s face as well as the need to protect gets stronger. Even though no real harm came upon her and Nozomi dismisses her experience with a “It’s not as bad as what the other girls experienced…” Daichi can’t help but get a tad upset and reply,

“Regardless! You shouldn’t have gone through that. You nor anyone else.” Nozomi is slightly taken aback by the officer’s words; honestly touched that this kind officer refuses to brush off her frightening ordeal.  She gives him a soft smile in gratitude, and it brings back that tickle in his chest.

“Thank you…” she tells him. Detective Takei and Mrs. Bessho wrap up with a few more statements. Once he and Daichi have all that they can get from the two women, they decide to part from them and go ask the people around what they knew. The stands had cleared out while they had been talking but the older woman assures them that the others were probably in the lobby or outside.

“Thank you. We’ll see to it that the perpetrator gets caught once and for all.” the detective, along with Daichi, nod reassuringly.

“Thank you both for coming today and taking on this case. If we get anymore information, we’ll contact you.” Mrs. Bessho responds. The two men bow and when Daichi comes up, he notices that the young figure skater looks like she wants to say something but doesn’t know how to go about it. She opens and closes her mouth a few times then brings a hand to her mouth as if to ponder on what to say. Her brows are furrowed in what looks like anxiousness and the officer thinks back to her dreadful encounter that she had shared with them.

“If you ever need help, please… Don’t be afraid to call the precinct and ask for me.” Daichi offers to the young lady. He can only imagine how scared she and the others must be. If he can be of any solace to her, he’d do so in a heartbeat. Relief settles onto her features and she gives him a small nod,

“Thank you… Officer Sawamura.”

“I’m happy to help, Miss Hoshikai.”

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[honeybunny-sawamura]

Prelude: Introucing Nozomi Hoshikai

Here is our young lady of the story! I thought instead of writing about who she is, I decided to use pictures to describe her. First chapter will be up tomorrow! I’m excited!

Taglist: @tsumtsumland​ @ceo-of-daichi​ @daichis-kitty​ @karasimpno​