A season had passed while Kuroo had been gone. Having taken some of the kids out to Nihon for educational purposes and also personal, he was more than ready to be home. During the trip, his brother, Usagi, had decided to stay back in Nihon where he felt like he belonged. For Kuroo, the feeling wasn't mutual. The bamboo, the bay, and hopefully Nami were waiting for him. Bringing back Jiro with him, Kuroo hurried the return trip home as much as he could.

It was early morning when they arrived. Dropping the boy off with Hattori, Kuroo didn't waste anymore time heading toward Manatee Bay. The paths leading out to the bay seemed unchanging and made his hurried trot go by with ease. It's not until his paws touch the sand does he sigh with relief, a smile broadening over his muzzle as he heads straight to where he hopes to find Nami either sleeping in the hut or already starting on the day's fishing.

"Nami," Kuroo calls out, feeling as nervous as he had when he had left. Their relationship had just truly began to blossom when he had left suddenly, but in so many words he had explained needing to find concrete evidence that his father would never be returning. It was a past he was ready to put behind him so that he could start anew with the ones he cared deeply for. Standing there, feeling rather awkward, with his lopsided grin and low wagging tail, he shifts his weight back and forth, wishing she would come to greet him.

Namoo

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Though Kuroo had been gone, life had gone on for Nami - as it always did. Though she hoped deeply for his return she couldn't spend the days lying around waiting for him. Life waited for no one and for nothing. As the rainy season set in across Auster she busied herself with making sure the fish stores were always well-stocked, knowing she'd need to work even harder with Kuroo being gone. She was always glad to be busy though, and putting her whole self into her work helped distract her from any somber thoughts that threatened to creep up. It'd be easy enough to feel a little down about everything, but she wouldn't let herself, not this time. Not when she knew in her heart he'd come back, eventually. The not knowing when part made staying optimistic difficult, but not impossible. She certainly hadn't expected to see him so soon. Nami had been busy rifling through the huts near the bay, sorting through some of the fishing equipment there. Not that she used much of it herself, but she'd spent some time recently using some of the bigger nets that Tojo-Kai had accumulated. It'd been awhile since she'd used a net so becoming re-acquainted with the equipment had taken some time. Just finishing up hanging up a few of the nets, she froze in her tracks when she heard his voice. Could it really be...? "KUROO!" She practically shouted, abruptly dropping the net that hadn't quite made it up on a hook and scrambling to the door of the shack. Once she verified it was, in fact, him, she leapt forward to tackle him. There was no holding back just how happy she was to see him, her nub tail wiggling hard as she made to topple him over onto the sand below.

He peers around the hut to look down the beach for her. Nope, she wasn’t in the water or walking along the beach. His tail droops a little bit, his expression falling. Maybe she was somewhere else. Gone on a day trip to hunt outside the lands? Kuroo questions this as he walks closer toward the other huts that have popped up along the beach. He was definitely pleased to see that they had been kept in good condition while he’d been gone.

As he approaches another hut, drawn by the sound of rustling, he calls out again. “Nami?” Kuroo questions softly, not wanting to disturb anyone if it wasn’t her. Pausing to wait for an answer, he’s taken by surprise when she returns his name in an excited shout. It doesn’t take more than a moment for his whole body to start wiggling with a smile practically splitting his muzzle.

Laughter leaves him as she emerges from the hut at full tilt, aimed directly at him. With no time to dodge, Nami barrels into him, toppling him over into the sand. His eyes close to avoid the sand as his back hits the shore. He reaches up to grab ahold of her and pull her into a big, tight hug. A happy grumble rumbles in his chest as he pushes his face against her neck, inhaling her scent deeply.

“I missed you,” he whispered, unwilling to let go of her for now.

Namoo

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Keeping herself busy was a natural way to keep herself from dwelling on the past - or the future, whichever felt more daunting at the time. She'd spent so long living in the present that reverting to that mindset was an easy shift for her. She could spend the days fishing away, tidying up Tojo-Kai's supplies and making sure they never went without food. Her present work was abandoned quite abruptly though when she first heard Kuroo's voice. Work be damned! She'd return to it later, greeting him was far more important! A little shriek of excitement left her lips when she rushed him, making no effort to conceal just how much she'd missed him. Surely he wouldn't mind getting covered in sand, because she certainly didn't mind. Another little happy squeal fell from her lips as she embraced her. She nuzzled down into his chest, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders at his return. She'd tried hard to stay busy and not dwell on the sad feelings, but letting go of them made her realize just how hard it'd been since he'd gone away. "I missed you more!" She argued playfully, willing to dig her heels in and debate on the matter with him if he wanted to. "How was Nihon? I want to hear all about it!" Rolling over onto her side, she flopped down beside him on the sand, still pressed up tightly against him.

Her embrace is warm and comforting. A feeling he has missed the whole time he’s been gone. The motion of Nami snuggling into his chest further until he can barely breathe makes his heart swell. As much as the trip to Nihon had been good for him, he also never wanted to leave her either.

Nami’s playful words leave Kuroo chuckling. His head leaning back against the sand so he could get a better look at her. She doesn’t look any different, but somehow still more beautiful than when he had left. Surely the lopsided grin across his muzzle is goofy with how it stretches nearly from cheek to cheek, but he doesn’t care. “Oh, I’m not sure about that,” Kuroo teases back playfully, reaching forward to boop her nose gently with his.

When Nami rolls over onto the side beside him, Kuroo tilts as well so he can continue to keep eye contact with her. As she questions his trip, his smile falters ever so slightly, but not enough to dampen his mood. “Nihon is beautiful as always. They seem more prosperous than ever. It was nice catching up with old friends,” Kuroo begins, wondering just how much he wanted to tell Nami about the sadder details of the trip.

Namoo

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She'd return to her work later, right now she was just thrilled to be seeing Kuroo again. Nothing else mattered at all. It was hard to not want to cling to him even more tightly, though at the same time she was so eager to hear about his trip and how it had all gone. Pulling away just enough to see his face, content with the very slight distance between them, she was hopeful he might tell her all about. Or at least a little, even if he wasn't up for storytelling. A little laugh left her throat at the way he bumped her nose against his, her own grin wide, practically hurting her face from how it refused to go away. "Beautiful?" Her ears perk, eager to hear more. "What's it like there? Is it anything like Tojo-Kai?" Was there bamboo like there was here? Was that what had drawn Hanzo to this place? Or maybe it somewhere completely different. "I'm glad it went well. Catching up with old friends must have been nice," she mused thoughtfully.

His cheeks hurt from the amount he was smiling. Others probably thought they looked foolish lying there in the sand, but Kuroo could care less. Just being near her made his heart swell enough that no amount of sand digging into his skin would bother him.

When she inquires about Nihon and it's beauty, Kuroo lets out a wistful sigh. "I wish I could show you one day," he says thoughtfully. "You would love it there," his voice is tender as he reaches out a paw to gently touch her cheek. "There is plenty of bamboo, yes, but it's not often you find it in the larger populated areas. They prefer to have cherry blossom groves and fruit trees closest to where the Emperor lives. I come from a small fishing village along the coast so our little village appears much like this bay. Lots of streams and ponds that lead out to the ocean. Bamboo lines the pathways and there's even rice patties here and there. The air always has a salty, but slightly sweet twinge to it," Kuroo pauses to take a breath and give Nami a time to imagine what his homeland was like. Would she think it just as beautiful as here?

Namoo

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Grateful. Nami felt it down deep in her soul. Though she made an effort to always stay optimistic, she often found that part of her was always preparing silently for the worst. Seeing Kuroo now is a huge weight lifted, and she felt so much lighter lying here with him. Though her smile softened just slightly as he began to speak, she felt herself overcome by a peaceful calm- completely unparalleled by anything she'd ever felt before. She was happy to listen all about his trip, eyes widening at the description. It sounded easy enough to visualize due to its similarities to Tojo-Kai's lands, but it sounded so unique and beautiful. "Cherry blossom trees- oh, those sound so pretty," Nami breathed softly. The trees with the pink petals, if she could remember correctly. What she wouldn't give to see a sight like that; and with Kuroo, no less. It reminded her of back home too, in a way, only far more temperate. Though she was sure life in Nihon couldn't be a fairy-tale, it was hard not to imagine the place somewhat wistfully through that lens. "Maybe someday we could go together? On a trip? Not anytime soon, but someday, many years from now?" The question she posed him had a lot of implication about the future, but it left her mouth before she could think twice, and still she smiled warmly at him.

Her question has him leaning up onto his elbow. Surprise lightens his gaze as he looks over her face. Did she really mean it? She would really want to go to his homeland and visit? Kuroo feels his heart pick up in pace, the smile widening over his lips unable to be tampered with. "No, whenever you're ready," he says softly, tail beginning to thump against the water-packed sand. "I think that is a lovely idea," Kuroo is beaming at her, more than happy. Unexplainable, truly.

Without thought, he reaches forward and plants a tender kiss to her forehead, his eyes fluttering closed as he relishes in her warmth and closeness. "I am glad you stayed. It is nice to have someone to spend my days with," Kuroo admits quietly, pulling away from her slowly so he can look once more into her warm eyes. Everything was falling into place. Sure, he was still sad to lose so many family members, but he was accruing more to claim as his own.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" He asks, smile peaking once more as mischief lingers in his eyes.

Namoo

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