#you can pry family man aran ojiro from my cold dead hands

[a-pastel-edgelord]

Aran knows how to keep his head. He'd go as far to say one of his skills is keeping it together under pressure. Not that this situation counted as keeping it together under pressure but he needs the reminder.

Because there you are, standing in his house and cooking dinner. You've got an apron on and everything—he's almost overcome, truly. So when his younger brother comes barreling down the hallway towards him, Aran lets himself be bowled over and thoroughly winded.

"Hey, watch the roughhousing!" You call out, not looking up from your place at the stove. "I'm not takin' the blame if somethin' breaks."

Aran pads into the kitchen, ignoring the smaller boy climbing him like a jungle gym. "Thanks for this again. I know you've got yer own stuff."

You finally look up at him and you smile. "Ye should know that the money is too good to refuse."

It's true—the Ojiro's pay you at the same rate one would a professional nanny. Most of the money is being squirrelled away into a savings account so you can pay for university. Hence why you went to a cheap public high school (nearby but in the opposite direction of Inarizaki so Aran never has the chance to walk you to school).

"Is that all I am to ya? A source of income?" He places a hand over his heart, feigning being fatally wounded as he plucks his scrambling little brother of his shoulders and onto a chair.

You swat him on the shoulder. "Have ya showered yet?"

"I did at school."

"Go change then. Dinner will be ready in 'bout five."

He does so, a dutiful charge. As he descends the stairs, he can hear you singing the theme song of a children's cartoon with his brother. You sing with gusto, not technique, mimicking different voices as you go to the delight of the ten year old acting as your audience. Aran pauses—his grip on the railing tightening as he forces himself to focus, to commit these sounds to memory.

At first it was a little strange to be looked after by someone his age. But as the demands of volleyball grew, he started to look forward to hearing your voice calling out, "Welcome back!" He savors the way you ask him how his day was or how his teammates are or even if he wanted to do homework with you because, "Ya go to that fancyschmancy private school—figure you'll know how to do it." He loves his parents, but a traitorous part of him is disappointed when it's not your voice who calls out to him when he walks through the door.

Aran had once confided his feelings to Kita but the guy just shrugged as if such a thing were a forgone conclusion. A natural result of your presence being a part of his every day life.

Is it any wonder that he wants to take care of you the same way?

Aran could give you stability, if the volleyball scholarship pans out (and it should, Aran made the National Youth Team for goodness' sake). He would be a paid athlete by the ripe age of nineteen, all of his expenses covered by the university willing to throw the most money in his direction.

"Aran! Dinner's ready!"

"Comin'!"

All he's gotta do is convince you to attend the same university as him. His parents are already basically paying for your education anyway—Aran could claim it's just paying your salary forward. Or maybe even a wedding present.

"Thanks for the food!"

"Dig in, boys!"

He just needs to get around to asking you out.