Day-care of Dreams (Haikyuu)

Chapter 7

Oikawa and Suga fled to the receptionist office, throwing off their capes and hats, hiding wands up their sleeves. Effectively abandoning their fellow teachers to the painful conversations sure to follow. 

Standing there awash in the early morning light of the day-care, were three people. Oikawa vaguely recognised one of them, knowledge learnt yesterday forgotten in the cloud of murderous energy he had spent all morning cultivating. 

Kanoka offered the room a strained smile, glancing between them all. "These two are here for their colleagues? Akaashi's boyfriend and the detective who saved Kenma last night."

Suga nodded, standing slightly behind Oikawa and holding tightly onto the back of his shirt, lest he try and make a run for it. Oikawa channelled every mother figure in these halls that had made him want to jump off a cliff, and gave his most disturbing smile to Iwaizumi.

 Ha, that's it. Fuck you, lack of sleep. 

"Ah, those two. Well Akaashi is with Bokuto right now and Kenma is talking with the Detective upstairs, and I would appreciate it if you would leave them be, and if the police could so kindly stop interrupting our weekly Saturday meetings?"

Suga shuddered at the tone, having to stop his automatic gag reflex. He walked forward just a little, because he knew if he was a police officer the urge to commit a crime would be rising. Slowly. 

Daichi seemed to notice and did the same, but before either of them could get a word in Iwaizumi just had to open his big fat mouth. 

"Strange that a day-care, one my niece goes to, is so secretive about its business. Makes you wonder what you actually have back there."

Oikawa honest to god cracked his knuckles. 

"Ah, threats. How lovely. How about this one. Get your ass off my property and stop harassing my receptionist before I make you." 

There was silence as Oikawa sneered at Iwaizumi. He was childish enough to do it back. 

And Iwaizumi looked Oikawa up and down, and said "Oh pretty boy, I'd love to see you try."

The day-care creaked a little as Oikawa's wand slipped out of his sleeve, just a fraction. 

"Ohhkay- that's enough of that." Suga sidestepped Oikawa and bowed slightly. "Sorry about him. Been a long day." 

Daichi locked his hands round Iwa's wrist, and offered Suga a strained smile. The tension was thick, and oozed through the air. Kanoka breathed out steadily, and offered one of her nicest smiles. Kindness was her virtue after all. 

"Ah, well I'm sure your partners will be back soon. If you would just take a seat." It seems not even cranky police officers are immune to her bubbly charm, and soon they sat on the couches in the office. 

What ensued was a not so comfortable silence. 

~

Akaashi stared, stunned, at the door. 

I cannot believe he would do this to me. 

Bokuto stood slowly, circling over to Kaashi with his eyes on the unicorn, the forest, decidedly not the mostly naked mermaids, and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. 

Kuroo blinked once or twice, then lay down, staring at the sky. 

It was a rather nice sky. 

Akaashi breathed in once, then out again. "So, welcome to the wallpaper. Please stay on this platform, because here you cannot be seen from inside the school." He recited like a robot. Bokuto bit the inside of his cheek, whistling at what he saw. 

Kuroo blinked, then stood, circling around the platform. "So, magic then." Akaashi nodded. "Yeah. I guess I'll uh, have to explain some of this to you then." =Bokuto nodded. "Yes please." 

Cute. 

"Well, we are not exactly normal, here." Akaashi sighed. This was so surreal, and all of a sudden he just didn't know what to say. How could you possibly explain? It would be like trying to  teach a fish to fly. Bloody goddamn hard. 

Kuroo knelt in front of him. "I think questions could be easier. How about you start with whatever happened to Kenma-san in that alley?"

Akaashi nodded. "Well that was what todays meeting was about. Our job, is to guard things. Traits in kids, in everyone. To nurture them and keep them safe. Our magic comes from their belief. I myself, protect their imagination. But we're getting off track. Naturally, there are things like fear, rage, hatred and nightmares that want to do the opposite. It is part of the natural balance. Other's locked those feelings away, so that only adults who have already felt these small magics can be affected. And naturally, subconsciously fight them."

He paused. Kuroo looked like he wanted to laugh, and it was only pissing off Keiji more. This was already stressful enough without someone doubting him. Doubt was the antithesis of what they wanted to happen here, anyway. Kuroo noticed Akaashi's rising anger, and asked another question. "So was Kenma being attacked by another like you? But someone who nurtures fear instead?"

Akaashi looked him up and down. Fast learner. "Close. There is only one who controls all of that. The Bogeyman." 

Kuroo snorted out a laugh, and Akaashi was now very much pissed. Bokuto started giggling as well. Akaashi got in a crouch, before sweeping Kuroo's leg. He went down easily with a huff of surprise and Akaashi drove his fingers down, before they clenched around a rather cold and sharp ice shard. Aimed right for his throat. Kuroo watched him carefully, and Bokuto backed away. 

"Do not laugh. The Bogeyman is fear. The monsters under little kids' beds? Your nightmares that you have even as an adult? Who do you think those things answer to? Because they are very real, and so is he. Our enemy above all others, someone our predecessors have been driven to insanity to lock away. So once more. Do. Not. Laugh."

He opened his hand, and the ice spear dissolved away, becoming gentle snow on the air. 

"Kenma was attacked by a nightmare. A black ball of fear that comes right for your heart. An extension of the Bogeyman. One that should not be out and about, attacking teachers. Does that answer your question?" 

Kuroo nodded slowly. "That was some cool magic there. Sharp." 

Akaashi smiled. 

Bokuto shivered, the temperature seemed to be getting colder by the minute. Bleh. 

"Alright. Well why don't we go back in there? We won't rat you out. besides, Akaashi and I are meant to have a date in an hour." 

He entwined his fingers with Kaashi's. "You can tell me more then." 

Akaashi cracked his neck and nodded, turning towards the door, an ice-blue replica glimmering as he regarded it coolly. 

"Well then, no time like the present."