Work Text:
Saturday mornings were Kei’s favorite ritual.
A Ritual, because he spent the rest of the week in prayer and anticipation for the weekend.
Kei’s life had always been a flatline. His work schedule was crammed all the way up to the brim, barely leaving any time to spare for his boyfriend, let alone a few hours for himself. That said, Kuroo’s work-life balance wasn’t spot on either.
The only time they saw each other was in the morning- when Kei brews coffee, stifling his yawns, still in a daze from waking up while Kuroo paces around in long strides from one end of the room to another, holding his car keys, a bunch of files and other obscure office material. Kuroo never forgets to lean in and press a hurried kiss on Kei’s cheek which acts as the catalyst and keeps him fairly lively. Just the starter he needed, to look presentable and energized for the rest of the day. He would then scamper off to work, navigating through the bustling crowd of high schoolers with animated expressions, weary office workers, and a sea of people with not a familiar face in sight.
He would occasionally pass by a newly opened café and can’t help but let his gaze wander through the glass panes. The table closest to the sliding doors was that of a young couple, smiling, lost in each other with every word of exchange between those two.
Kei’s insides burned, the blaze enveloping a bright green aura around him.
He tightened his grip around the handle of his bag and continued walking towards the station. He finds himself a sly corner to stand and spends the twenty-five minutes of his morning commute admonishing every fleeting thought by forcing his focus onto the news app.
In between breaks at work, he would text Kuroo asking him to grab some eggs on his way back home, about wanting McDonald's for dinner but not before enquiring if he had eaten yet. That was an excerpt of the peak conversation they would have every day while at work.
He thinks anything more that would end in a straight blush across his otherwise inexpressive face. Careful not to invite any suspicious glares, he would force himself to keep the chat at bay thanks to his past experiences of horror with a bunch of morons who were also supposedly his teammates in high school.
As the blue in the sky turns gray, he prepares to leave, walking through the familiar streets of Sendai. The well-lit Izakayas and other nightlife hubs shone bright, each radiating a vibe of their own. The city seemed tranquil and serene despite the isolated honking of vehicles and lively laughter from people who walked past him.
The dark sky was vibrant, ever so slightly with stars upholding its decorum. It was on one such night that Tetsurou had swept Kei off his feet with a ring that resembles the most beautiful phase of the moon.
It was the first time that he had called him “moonshine” and Kei had to just stand there, defenseless as the tips of his ears evidently reciprocate his feelings.
The heat from his eyes caused the rims to be covered in fog. Kei felt like a traveler returning to his hometown after a lifetime. Everything seemed to appear confidently familiar but not.
It wasn’t the case of unease or awkwardness from having shared space with his boyfriend. It was something more of an ingrown fear of not being able to devote a few hours to the person he loves so much. The fear gnawed at his insides and only added to the pile of stress he always drags along.
Kei was not entirely ignorant of the multifaceted outlook of his situation. He, of all people, knew that neither of them was weak enough to self-destruct from the lack of attention or the very few, limited hours of time they spend together after a day’s hellish escape.
Even so, his conscience never let a chance slide if it meant guilt-tripping him into thinking otherwise about the whole affair.
The monotonous routine had grown onto him and he was desperate for a getaway and luckily enough, it was soon golden week in Japan which was just the right number of days for a vacation.
=
Akaashi was brooding on the desk, lost in idle thought.
He straightened up and stretched his legs under the table. He was still wiping his glasses when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
“What’s up? You look dead”, a voice said.
“I could say the same about you, Tenma-san” Akaashi replied, the ends of his lips curling into a soft smile. “You really shouldn’t be the one to talk”
“Well, that’s fair,” the other man said with a steady smile.
“I’m heading over to the Doutor. Do you want some coffee?” he further added.
“One black with five shots of espresso” Akaashi replied without missing a beat.
Tenma raised a concerned brow.
“You might as well start snorting ground cocoa straight from the jar at this rate,” he remarked, with a sigh.
“Oh please. Says the one who stays up until dawn playing Animal Crossing.” Akaashi remarked. “You literally need a peach-flavored monster to function, you don’t get a say in this!”
Tenma released his hands from the trademark I’m-your-mom pose and slowly retreated from Akaashi’s desk.
“He sure is scary when mad. Or, should I say sleep-deprived?” He thought to himself on his way out the door.
Akaashi pulled his phone out of the pocket and switched it on. He kept staring longingly at his lock screen until he was interrupted by a faint buzzing noise.
A familiar name was displayed on the screen and he wasted no time in answering the phone call.
“Tsukishima. What’s going on? All good?” he asked, monotone, in an attempt to sound very concerned in response to the unexpected phone call.
“Akaashi-san, you sound tired,” Kei said as if he had seen through the pretense of the former’s store-brought act of concern.
“OH C’MON! You are the fifth person to say that to me today!” Akaashi replied, his voice an octave higher than usual.
“Yep. You really are tired.” Kei replied and Akaashi knew him too well to sense the barely concealed mockery in his tone.
“I thought you had something important to discuss”
“Oh, I haven’t told you about it. So, get this, for the coming Golden Week-”
Akaashi cut him off before he could complete the sentence.
“If it involves Bokuto-san and Kuroo-san together, it’s a no,” he said, in a tone of authority, enough to make a preschooler shudder.
“But Akaashi-san, we’ll be fine this time. I can assure you” Kei tried hard to keep his cold demeanor intact, all the while trying to sound apologetic.
“None can do, Tsukishima”. Akaashi replied, calmly. “You know what happened in Okinawa last time,” he added.
“They bought four whoopie cushions and blew them up by over-inflating them” Kei responded with a dejected voice.
“Not to mention, they even ended up spending spare bucks on roulette” Akaashi went on to say.
“I know Akaa-”
“I ended up paying for all the games that they placed bets on and lost.” He sounded like he was on the edge of breaking into tears. “IT WAS MY SECRET STASH! I was saving up to buy myself a new Black Jackals jersey!”
“I know, Akaashi-san”
“And after all that happened, you still want to go along with your plan? Why take a chance?”
“We all need a break right now! We can relax-” and yet once again his protest was cut off.
“Do you really think we’d be able to relax in a sauna, acting like we have all the time in the world?”
“….”
“Absolutely not!” Akaashi answered his own question. “With pain-in-the-ass Kuroo-san and Bokuto-san on the loose, a five-minute shower is the maximum amount of me-time I can predict for the both of us”
Kei was nearly baffled by Akaashi’s train of thought and he could agree more because every single sentence was beyond reasonable. Those two were indeed a handful aside from being utterly unhinged in each other’s company like they were two halves of a whole idiot.
“Akaashi-san, how about inviting-”
“Nope, we cannot have Kenma chaperoning them. He would not hesitate to murder me on sight for the invitation alone”
“Akaashi-san, can you-?”
“No, I cannot read minds.” He replied, completely unaware of the fact that he did the exact same thing.
“Fine, we can consider this for once. Do you want to meet up at the ramen place after work?” He continued.
“I’ll be there by 7 p.m.”
“See you there,” Akaashi said. Before he could hang up, he heard the other man speak again.
“Thank you, Akaashi-san” he mumbled.
Akaashi could only smile to himself and wonder about Kei’s thoughtfulness of inviting him along.
Sure, personal vacations were always an option. But, over the years their bonding only thickened. Even more so, since Tsukishima had moved to Tokyo.
Their offices were just a train ride away, which made it easier to catch up on weekends. They would casually chat over coffee and sometimes ramen if they were feeling extra generous.
Their conversations contained multitudes. Not the Regina George and Gretchen Wieners kind, it is a lot more toned down.
Kei would tell Akaashi about his trip to Brazil with Hinata and Kageyama, and how Kageyama mistook a fellow traveler for hotel staff, and the way Hinata spared no opportunity to show off his Portuguese skills.
“Posso pedir pedido de coxinhas, por favor?” he’d say, trying his best to imitate Hinata while Akaashi struggles to catch a breath in between stifled laughter.
In exchange, Akaashi would rant about his nearly boring desk job, about Tenma, and then they would laugh at how stupidly adorable Tenma and Akiteru are, as a couple. He’d also show him pictures of Bokuto-san stuffing himself with a Yakiniku bowl an hour before the match and blurry videos of other MSBY Shenanigans.
They’d share a hearty laugh before heading their own separate ways.
Despite renting a shared apartment, with Bokuto constantly having to be on the move for away games and other promotional purposes, Akaashi has grown used to being alone. A holiday getaway at this time of the year seemed like an offer too good to refuse, that is if the consequences are ignored.
=
Akaashi was the first to arrive at the ramen place. He takes a look at the menu and frowns. It was the same ramen place he had been visiting for over a year now and they never had onigiri on the card. Yet, he had a narrow beam of hope that they’d do it one day. Of course, it cannot beat the savory, perfectly shaped ones at Myaa-sam’s place but onigiri is onigiri and Akaashi is Akaashi.
Kei pushes himself through the door a mere fifteen minutes later and Akaashi waves his hand in greeting.
He takes the opposite seat and tosses his bag onto the empty chair beside him.
This time of the evening was always busy and swarming with people, their coats and umbrellas, and with the staff running around from one table to the next, yelling out orders and carrying steamy bowls of ramen.
Neither of them paid any mind to the chaos around. After dealing with the circus troop of their respective teams, it felt like a natural habitat to them at this point.
A museum instructor and a weekly magazine editor, trying to get by in the current era of capitalism. Surely enough they would skim thoroughly and carefully only for the cheapest of food joints, serving the right quality of food to splurge into.
Kei unlocked his phone, sent a bunch of quick texts to Kuroo, and then put it face-down on the table.
“Akaashi-san have you ordered yet?”
“Nope. Shall we go for the usual?” Akaashi said, his eyes scanning the area for a waiter.
“Mn.” Kei nodded.
“Somen Chanpuru. Two bowls of it, along with Karaage please” he said.
“So…” Kei began.
“So, we are doing it after all?” Akaashi continued.
Kei gave a small nod in response.
“We might require reinforcements.”
“And a plan.”
“And a plan, yes,” Akaashi repeated.
Kei hummed in thought and immediately said, “how about a staycation in Tokyo?”
“Here in Tokyo?” he asked, slightly confused.
“Yep”
“But how? You surely don’t mean we’d spend the week at either of places, right?” Akaashi enquired.
“Not quite.”
Akaashi mentally sighed in relief.
“We could rent an AirBnB!” Kei said, sounding purely confident. “That way, it won’t be heavy on our wallet either.”
“I agree with you on the second part” Akaashi responded. “In any case, that doesn’t sound too bad either. We can take a gamble I guess?”
“We could try, yes.” Kei smiled.
Two hours and a single round of beer later, Kei and Akaashi came up with a week-long itinerary, attached with a contingency plan, just in case things go southward.
“That takes care of it,” Kei said, setting his mug on the table.
Akaashi nodded, his eyes watching the droplets of water streaming down the glass mug and forming a little pool on the table.
They seemed to be pretty content with the way it turned out and decided to call it a day.
=
The sky was already gray with a few clouds scattered about, like brush strokes on ink paper.
Kuroo had just pulled up in the driveway of his house and peeked out of the car window, only to find the front door still locked. He turned on the yellow porch bulb and checked his phone for new texts, all the while fumbling with two different sets of keys to open the door.
[unopened] Kei: Going out for ramen after work. Order something in for dinner. Will be back soon, love you.
[unopened] Owl-dude: HEY HEY HEY KUBRO
A smile lit up on Kuroo’s face after seeing a text from Kei.
He acknowledged his texts with an okay and sent a follow-up message asking him to take care before proceeding to reply to the next contact.
Kuroo: Brokuto! What’s up my man?
Owl-dude: I’M COMING HOME IN TWO DAYS I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE AKAASHI
Kuroo: …
Owl-dude: AND YOU! WE’RE GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF FUN TOGETHER!!!
Kuroo: I know bro, go easy on the caps will ya?
Kuroo: I can sense your excitement from miles away :joy cat:
Owl-dude: Do you miss me, bro?
Kuroo: Not a bit
Owl-dude: :pleading face: :pleading face: :pleading face:
Kuroo: Fine, I DO!
Owl-dude: :smiley:
Kuroo: UGH who taught you about emojis?
Owl-dude: Tsum-Tsum did! :smiley: :smiley:
Owl-dude: Kubro can you pick me up from the airport the day after?
Kuroo: I might be at work, What about Akaashi?
Owl-dude: but Akaashi has a meeting on that day! :sad:
Kuroo: Have you tried asking Kenma? :joy cat:
Owl-dude: I did
Owl-dude: He told me that he has a stream scheduled
Owl-dude: I even offered to buy him pudding
Owl-dude: He told me to never text him again.
Kuroo: :joy cat: :joy cat: :joy cat: :joy cat:
Owl-dude: :pleading face:
Kuroo: NO.
Owl-dude: :pleading face:
Owl-dude: :pleading face:
Kuroo: Don’t even think about it
Owl-dude: :pleading face:
Kuroo: FINE.
Kuroo: Fine, I will pick you up
Owl-dude: :smiley: :smiley:
Kuroo was still chatting away with Bokuto, a taco in one hand and a glass in another when he heard the doorknob turn.
“I’m home” Kei called out; his voice laced with enthusiasm detectable by Kuroo alone.
“Welcome home, moowshife” Kuroo said, his voice muffled by a mouthful of food as rose up from the couch to pull the other man into a hug.
Kei felt relieved and at ease in his arms and pressed his face onto the crook of his neck.
It was a good five minutes before they peeled away from each other and the latter announced that he’d take a shower.
A brief hour later, Kei returned, smelling like milk and honey. He squeezed himself onto the couch and into Kuroo’s arms.
Contrary to popular belief, Kei was a sappy cuddler.
He liked to curl up in his boyfriend’s lap with his knees drawn to the chin and his fingers intertwined with Kuroo’s. He felt warm in the cocoon of his embrace and never liked to let go easily.
Most times, he fell asleep in this position and Kuroo never had the heart to tug him awake. He was not immune to his Tsukki’s sleeping face and would rather settle to watch the serene expression he carried on his pink-flushed face, as his lips lay slightly parted and his chest heaved from rhythmic breathing.
The simplicities of domestic life never failed to start a chain reaction of fuzzy feelings in his heart.
As someone who had a fast-paced upbringing of a schedule packed with school, volleyball practice, and other professional interests, he seldom had the chance to experience this way of life. He always drowned in content from the sight of Kei’s face pressed against his stomach and his hands thrown around his waist. After all, some things are worth cherishing all the way to the end.
“Kuroo?” he called out, slightly tilting his head up to get a clear view of the other man’s face.
“Hm?” he said, voice sounding mellow, almost like a whisper.
“I feel like we need a vacation. I was thinking the coming week would be the best time to take a little break” he said.
“Of course,” he answered, lying back on a pillow propped up against the wall.
“Do you have any plans around that time?” He asked.
In reality, Kuroo had a project to work on. But it’s not due until the end of the month.
“Not really, no” he said, without breaking eye contact.
Kei pressed his together in a moment of thought and continued, “we should invite Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san too”
“Not a bad idea”
“Really?” He asked, sitting up and straightening himself from excitement. “So, you’re on board with it?”
“If that’s what you think we should be doing then we might as well get on with it,” Kuroo says, his free hand coming along to pull him closer to his side.
Kei’s face stretches into a smile and he melts against Kuroo’s side again, his head leaning on his shoulder.
=
Two days passed by in a swift wave of breeze.
The air carried a thick scent of the collective enthusiasm, emitting from the townsfolk ready to indulge themselves in a week-long holiday and resort to the slow-paced ways of life.
Kuroo arrived at the airport, half an hour prior to the flight’s time of arrival.
He engaged himself in a phone call or two, providing his underclassmen with vague instructions to handle the ongoing affairs in his absence.
As the speaker announced the time of arrival for Bokuto’s flight, he walked over to the ‘arrivals’ section.
Knowing Bokuto, he stood in an easily identifiable area and examined the crowd.
The Golden week had its own significance in their country, thus attracting lots of travel enthusiasts which eventually resulted in a congested space.
He perked his chin up in the search of a certain gray-haired man. Not that he was indistinguishable but he got lost in crowded spaces very easily.
A hot minute later, he is greeted by a man whose voice was bursting with liveliness.
Kuroo spotted him immediately and waved frantically to gain the notice of the former.
“KUROOOO HEY” he shouted, with a face full of smiles as he leaned in for a shoulder bump, followed by a hug.
“BOKUTO!” Kuroo exclaimed. “I’m surprised that you made it past all these people, unnoticed”
“HAHAHA no one seemed to recognize me.” He replied. “Sunglasses are the trick y’know?”
“You think?” Kuroo said and then paused as if he were remembering something.
He then said, “Well, look who else is here to see you today!”
Bokuto’s gaze fell upon the lad with glasses and perfectly styled hair.
“A- AKAASHI?” he screamed, voice stuttering as he momentarily forgot to breathe.
“Welcome home, Bokuto-san!” Akaashi said, extending his arms as an invitation to hug.
Bokuto took the cue and threw himself onto Akaashi, much like a puppy leaping into its owner’s arms.
“Awkashiii I’ve missed you!” he said, nearly tearing up.
“Really dude? Are you crying?” Kuroo teased.
“AM NOT!” Bokuto answered in between sniffles.
Kuroo pulled up right in front of the exit, and the two of them climbed into the back seat.
“Akaashi, didn’t you mention that you had a meeting today?” Bokuto asked, still settling in his seat.
“Mn, I did. But I had Kuroo-san pick me up as soon as I was done with it” he said.
“Aww, you couldn’t wait to see me until I got home?”
Akaashi only smiled and said nothing in response. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he really missed having him by his side.
Their apartment always felt dull, like a somber afternoon.
The slow rattling of the wind chime ringing in the emptiness of the flat. His files and other things were thrown about haphazardly for he couldn't care any less about how his bedroom looked when he was the only one living in it.
It has been two months since they have seen each other in person. Though Akaashi did attend one of their matches in Osaka, it did not count as a proper reunion taking into consideration that they barely had any time to speak.
He turned to watch Bokuto’s face for a moment and tightened the grip on his hand by a fraction.
On the other hand, the latter felt a surge of emotion and placed a hand on the side of Akaashi’s face to pull him in for a little kiss. He watched as Akaashi’s eyebrows quivered under his breath, his smile faint and sincere.
Bokuto must be truly fortunate to look at him and feel his chest tighten like the first time they met. It has been over five years since they started dating and not once did his emotions falter, even by a bit.
“Guys, I didn’t sign up to be the third wheel” Kuroo joked as his eyes shone with a mischievous grin.
Akaashi responded by clearing his throat and Bokuto turned away to look out of the window, the tips of his ears flushed with embarrassment.
“Bro… Kuroo? Are we going out for lunch?” Bokuto asked, puzzled by the definite change in the route, which clearly was not the road to neither his apartment nor Kuroo’s.
“We’re going someplace even better,” Kuroo said, changing the gears with one hand and steadying the rear-view mirror with another to sneak a quick glance at Bokuto’s surprised face.
It was a rather long drive, well into the suburbs of Tokyo where you could practically hear the birds chirp as the summer breeze teased at irregular intervals.
Bokuto was fast asleep by the time they reached the destination. Akaashi was careful in waking the other man up, without startling him out of the blue.
Kei was already waiting at the reception hall. He noted their arrival and stepped forward to receive them.
“HEYYY TSUKKI!” Bokuto was the first to call out. “Have you gotten any taller?”
“Surely not. How have you been Bokuto-san?” he replied, calmly while Kuroo flashed a wide grin in the background.
He then reached into his coat pocket and produced a card-key.
“Akaashi-san, here’s your room key. It is on the same floor as ours, I think.” He said, unsure whether he remembers correctly or not. Nevertheless, he pressed the card into his hand and blinked in a returning gesture.
Akaashi nodded in response.
They planned to meet for lunch as soon as Bokuto was done freshening up. Having decided on their agenda for the rest of their day, they retired to their designated rooms.
The inside of the room was chilly and dark. Subtle rays of sunshine peeked through the heavy curtains as the scent of lavender incense lingered in the air. There were seven different shelves, a ginormous wardrobe with tons of hangers, and other obscure pieces of modern furniture which filled the area.
One could tell that the interiors were made to taste just by looking at the number of details engraved on the ceiling.
The place felt unfamiliar, yet the same.
Kuroo jumped face down onto the bed, in an attempt to relieve himself of a stinging backache. He spread out his arms and legs on the springy mattress which was strangely comfortable and looked at Kei from the corner of his eye.
“Something up, moonshine?” he asked.
“Nothing really” Kei shook his head a little. “Just admiring the place”
“Does it look prettier than you?” he chuckled.
Kei’s cheeks heated up and he brought his hands up and covered his face.
“Me? What is there to admire?” he asked, his voice slightly squeaky.
It has been so very long since they had been together but Kuroo can get especially smooth at times and the stupid little habit of his never managed to not catch Kei off guard.
“Do you want me to bring out the list?”
“NO.” Kei blurted out almost immediately.
He sat down on the edge of the bed as Kuroo rolled over and pressed his face onto his back. He groaned softly, with eyes closed.
“Hungry?” he asked, turning around to pat his head.
“Mn.” He replied.
“We should get something to eat. There’s a nice sushi place about three blocks away”
“Mhm.”
“Are you in the mood for sushi?”
“You know I am.” he said, tugging at Kei’s shirt sleeves.
“Good” he smiled and tugged Kuroo close.
After he sat up, now a bit taller and easier to reach, he leaned down a bit and pressed their mouths together. The kiss was so slow and easy, he could count the seconds slipping away like sand through the gaps in his closed fist. He never wanted to let go, Kuroo’s lips were warm. A bit chapped even but they belonged to him. Only him.
When he pulled back, he barely moved to widen the gap between them and pressed their foreheads together instead.
They were drunk on each other, bottomless when a loud scream caught their attention.
They took one look at each other in confusion and mutually agreed to find out the owner of this voice.
They had barely stepped out of the room and Kuroo could already make out who had screamed earlier. Kei seemed to have guessed it too, they shared a knowing look and headed straight towards Bokuto and Akaashi’s room.
They took the liberty of pushing the door open only to be greeted by a very emotional Bokuto whose face was drenched in tears while Akaashi stood calmly to a side, pressing his thumb and index finger to his temple.
“Is something the matter?” Kuroo was first to ask and as soon as he did, Bokuto charged towards him with a hug.
“Aka- Akaashi- AKAASHI PROPOSED TO ME!” he said out loud, swallowing his sobs.
“Bokuto-san, there is no need to get so emotional. I already told you we’d be disturbing others” Akaashi said, in a low voice struggling to keep his cool.
Kuroo exchanged a glance with Akaashi and said, “It’s never too late, you could still do better” he said and responsively burst into a fit of laughter, wrapping his arm around Bokuto.
“KUROO!” Bokuto protested.
Kei caught the nature of the situation they were in and joined in laughing. Only then, Akaashi’s tense features seemed to relax a bit and before he knew it, he was shaking with laughter as well.
“Well, what else did I expect from him?” Akaashi said, still laughing. I hadn’t even pushed the ring onto the finger and there he goes, screaming and bawling.
“Now” Kei announced, “shouldn’t we order drinks to celebrate?”
“That’s right”, Akaashi caught on. “What should we have tonight?”
Both Kuroo and Bokuto looked at each other for a moment as if they had already made up their mind and unanimously announced,
“AN APPLE JUICE, ON THE ROCKS!”
Kei and Akaashi doubled over in laughter, as the latter finally came to terms with the mess of a situation he had created.
No one remembers how long it has been since they shared a good laugh together. But it has certainly been a long, long time.
Today was enough to send them spiraling back to their high school days when they were young and stupid and now, they were only older but still fitted with the same brand of chaos and naivety.
Kuroo seemed to have lost himself in thought as he recollected the old third gym days with his back pressed against the wall and hands folded while staring away into space.
Kei was the first one to notice him zoning out and scooted over to stand by his side.
“Something on your mind?” he inquired.
Kuroo replied with a smile and gingerly put an arm around his waist.
=
In hindsight, the Third gym was where it all began and this is what growing up feels like.
They weren’t teenagers anymore and once the week is over; they will return to their own walks of life. It is sad when you think about it, but it isn’t necessarily depressing either. They would always meet again when another summer comes by. Maybe they would even watch the waves together and bask under the blinding sun, raising a toast by clinking their glasses of piña colada together.
Kei with his overgrown maturity, Bokuto, and his seriously delayed sense of adult-like comprehension, there was also Akaashi who is as calm as the surface of a cold pond, and Kuroo with his snobbish demeanor and upfront sentimentality.
This isn’t the end. This is a speech to be kept hidden out of plain sight, tucked away for another day.
For when they are all gray but the sky isn’t.
Once again, they would make plans for the weekend. They would probably be dressed in pastel color sweaters and khaki pants by then, the weekend is theirs to last.
As long as they needed it to be.