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-~ 1 ~-
The twins met Ojiro Aran when they were all fairly young. Atsumu and Osamu thought that Aran was super amazingly awesome because of his name - it sounded really cool and foreign which captivated them - as well as his height and skills and the rest was history, really. He simply had become a staple to the twins ever since. They would compete with each other over who would impress him more, he would break up their excessive squabbles, and more often than not he really cared.
To say that they both liked Aran the exact same way was tough though. Osamu thought the guy was one of the coolest he'd ever met, a close friend who put up with his and his brother's antics for better or for worse and possibly against his better judgement, someone who had always been supportive of them. Atsumu, on the other hand, looked up to him in a different sense. Osamu valued his level-headedness and skills, but Atsumu admired him less on things like that and more on… anything that made his heart thump. Things that made his palms clammy and made him never want to take his eyes off of him.
He didn’t really understand.
Not for a while at least.
“Hey… ‘Tsumu?” Osamu spoke quietly in their room one night, both young and very nearly first years in high school. They were closer than ever tucked in their shared room and beds on top of the other, Osamu’s voice just barely reaching the other’s ears.
“Hmn… ‘Samu? What’s wrong?” Atsumu half-slurred while rubbing his eyes, just having been barely dozing off before hearing his name. “Y‘kay?”
“I wanna… I wanna tell ya somethin’ before we sleep. I gotta…” Sleep made both of their accents thicker and judging by the yawn, Osamu wasn’t far behind him in tiredness.
“It really can’t wait ‘til mornin’ at all?”
“No! No… I gotta say it now. I don’t wanna wimp out. ‘S important.”
The brothers turned in their respective beds to squint in the darkness towards each other’s general vicinity. Atsumu swore he could at least make out where Osamu’s face was and the faint outlines of how worried he looked. It made him stop and blink a little, knowing this meant something serious. Was he okay? What was going on so late-
“I know ya hate me - ‘cause I hate you ,” Osamu’s tone wavered, but it’s clear he said that jokingly and probably aware that humor helps cushion the blow of anything big scary serious for Atsumu. It just made him worry more especially since it sounded like he was stalling on whatever he said was important. When Osamu finished his thought, it came out almost too shy to come from the same mouth that had just earlier relentlessly teased him with such confidence that he had sounded as if each playful insult was fact, “but… ya love me too, right?”
“What? Of course I love ya, ‘Samu! What, didja just stop thinkin’ I cared ‘cause we fight so much or somethin’?” Atsumu sort of whisper-shouted down to the bunk in near disbelief. Something was definitely off here - Osamu always knew they were just joking around? They bicker and fight but they were still family and twins no less - they were important to each other. He tried to add a little humor with the addition of “I mean… yer my little brother after all.”
Atsumu could feel the half-hearted scowl in the darkness more than see it.
There was a moment of silence and he was about to speak up again.
“I’m gay.”
Oh.
“Oh.” Atsumu said, eloquently voicing his single thought.
“... Actually forget it-”
“Hey-” The sound of rustling sheets made him speak up again before Osamu could audibly turn away, probably out of thinking his brother wouldn’t support him which was bullshit , he mentally noted. “-hey ‘Samu thanks… for telling me. I’m proud ‘a ya and love that ya know yerself, but can ya get some sleep now? I’m not gonna stop lovin’ my brother ‘cause he told me he’s gay, but it’s late and I am gonna tell ma he didn’t get sleep last night ‘cause he was snackin’ in bed again if ya don’t get to sleep soon ‘cause we’ve got school in the morning.”
Capping off with a yawn and hearing a little shuffle, Atsumu turned over and expected it to be that. His support was real, but he was tired and Osamu should be too. Instead he remembered falling asleep to his brother quietly saying a little thanks to him.
Nothing really changed much between them, though Osamu made a fatal mistake telling his brother what interest he had in people - every time Atsumu saw fit, he would tease his brother about a possible crush once he was close enough to someone (in private at the moment, of course). It was friendly and all in good fun, and Osamu knew it too, but sometimes Atsumu would try to imagine talking to another boy like that… like he was going to flirt with him as he would try to charm girls he particularly didn't mind, like he teased his brother would do once he found a boy who really caught his eye, like he too was interested in boys.
It wasn't until the first year of attending Inarizaki High that Atsumu came to terms with the fact he'd have to experiment himself outside of imaginary circumstances with faceless boys to settle where his romantic interests were. He had already known girls were somewhat of interest to him, he thought they were cute and even let one hold his hand the previous year, but the curiosity of the same with a boy… that was new. There were plenty of great options (at least he thinks so, he didn’t really pay attention to them) in the same year as himself, but none of them sparked the same feeling as a certain second year.
"Aran-kun!" Atsumu greeted the second year way too casually after volleyball practice, happy to have caught him on the way out. His fairly recently dyed golden blond bangs needed to be pushed out of his eyes as he coolly jogged up to speed with his upperclassman. “Wait up, I've gotta talk to ya!”
“Atsumu-?” Aran halted a little in his step along with his words like he was concerned by just how fervently he was being chased, letting the first year fall in line beside him. Perfect chance! Just be bold! Say it! “What’d ya wanna talk about?”
Suddenly words were hard and weighed a lot on his tongue. His face felt hot and embarrassment burned. He inhaled, tried, and managed just a few pathetic noises to try and start.
… Why was this so hard?
“Ya don’t need to say it if… y’know…”
“I think… I like ya. A lot. Like- kinda like a girl would or I-I mean… not like another boy can’t-”
Atsumu’s ramblings were, thankfully, cut off by a warm hand on his shoulder. He blinked and glanced at the way it gave a gentle and comforting squeeze and how there was a fond smile on the face in front of him. Atsumu could feel his heart race under the blanket of Aran’s sweetness, something warm without the weight of his own flubbed words from earlier. He didn’t even realize that he was slowly being nudged into the other’s chest, a little hug against an airy laugh - the sound of the sky meeting the touch of land. He really got it there wrapped in Aran’s arms and given a hand to hold, he really got it later when he was sharing jokes and snacks and feeling closer to his friend (friend?) than ever before without the worry of being annoying when they teased each other, he really got it feeling lips on his cheek, nose, lips.
Atsumu liked boys and Aran helped him realize just how much.
-~ 2 ~-
When Atsumu’s second year had come around, he felt a little more confident and a little more lively. His sets were flawless (and he knew it), he felt great (and played great), he knew himself better. It was a little hard to think that his “relationship” with Aran wasn’t something past a small and briefly requited crush, something that both guessed they needed to get out of their systems and ended with mutual amiability after copious amounts of literal hand holding and movie nights that irritated Osamu. They didn’t put a label on anything aside from quietly trying something between them, so he hadn’t really known about the late night pecks across their room that he surely would have complained about; they were Atsumu’s first kisses - first real kisses, not just something on the cheek or forehead from his mother.
He tried to ignore the fact that his brother coming out to the others meant he was now open to searching for relationships without hiding and seemingly finding interest in the spunky new decoy for the volleyball club. A boy who was somehow similar and the opposite to his brother and something Osamu would later describe to him as intriguing and pretty. Actually a lot of what his brother would talk about turned slowly into the topic of Hinata Shoyo (interjecting into the usual bored thoughts, volleyball, and food related conversation) and it felt like Atsumu had to say something. Not that he would want to steal Hinata from him, he really didn’t care, but… he felt that the more Osamu was accepted by the team then the more he could be too - the more he had reason to not keep himself caged up anymore.
Atsumu and Osamu liked to spend their lunch breaks with Suna, and now Hinata, in their classroom to talk about whatever came to mind. While they usually would finish early to take a trip to the gym and get a little prepared for practice later in the day, it was just once that Atsumu stopped before they could go any further into the gym. Stopping just outside, he sighed and blocked the doorway in.
“Umm Atsumu? You do know that we don’t have much time to do this.” Suna raised an eyebrow, well aware that barring volleyball activities in the slightest was something very uncharacteristic of the twin.
“Yeah what’s up with ya?” Osamu crossed his arms, weight shifting to the leg Hinata was standing closest to - it was probably an unconscious decision, but it reminded Atsumu of what he was aiming to do.
“I’ve gotta tell ya something… ‘cause I don’t wanna hide it anymore. ‘Samu is accepted for liking guys so I just wanted to say that I….” Atsumu looked at the floor and then the frame of the gym door around them, not understanding why there was a quickly formed knot in his guts, “I like guys too. But! But I’m bi, not gay. I feel like I can say that now. Well… now that I figured it out. Just didn’t know when to get it out, yunno?”
There was a pause that made Atsumu’s eyes tear away from anything but the people in front of him to just them to make sure they registered the words. Osamu sighed through his nose, pushing past him with a small, proud smile and a pat on the shoulder. It made his brain go blank, realizing that right… it was nothing to worry about… and then Hinata bounced with a congratulations on finding out who he is that made his knees almost buckle with relief. Suna was the last one who just gave him a half smile and told him a straight-to-the-point proud of you before slipping past him carefully into the gym after the other two.
Everything was fine. Nothing much changed.
Nothing much until his brother opened his big mouth three days later.
“Kita-san’s been catchin’ yer eye a lot lately, haven’t they?”
“WHAT?”
Atsumu tried to be nonchalant with the way, simultaneously, he choked out the word and his head jerked over to where his twin was lounging with his phone in hand like a smug bastard in his bed. There was no way he could have figured it out? He wasn’t stupid enough to blatantly stare at his senpai during practice or go out of his way to stay after mysteriously and help polish each and every volleyball with them. He would never give himself away like that. Maybe he just heard the barely contained joy at the sign on the bench of Kita’s care - the bag of goodies left to take care of himself. He cherished that kindness a lot, a sign he wasn’t someone Kita would find… inconvenient.
Maybe it would have been seen as a friendship thing, aiming to become closer, but what could have possibly given away how Atsumu often wondered how soft their silver hair felt or how it would be to walk home with them in an attempt to have time to recount an event from the day to make them laugh. He really wanted to know what Kita’s laugh sounded like - their full and unbridled laugh. He wanted to be the one to make Kita laugh. He couldn’t really believe that twin telepathy could apparently expose his innermost thoughts about lacing his fingers through his captain’s and possibly even earning a kiss or two along the way, but he couldn’t note any other explanation of how Osamu caught on so fast.
As if on cue, Osamu looked up from his texts that he was probably exchanging with Hinata; his face was given a bored look of really? in contrast to the slight smile on his lips giving his likely contact away as he blinked and said “Ya don’t talk about things that ya don’t love.”
“ Love?! ”
Atsumu was not entirely sure if he would call his objective attraction and infatuation with Kita Shinsuke love, but he knew it was care and he knew that Osamu had a good point.
At home and in conversation for the past few weeks, he had apparently drifted to the topic of Kita more often than not. He couldn’t really help the fact that they were on their mind so much, it was a feeling that only got more and more strong as more practices showcased their abilities on the court and their blunt courtesy off of it. They would call him out for playing without being in his finest form and tell him to rest up before trying anything again. It was really… nice. It was so nice to be cared for like that so blatantly even if it was out of courtesy. They still had their own way of caring and it was enough for Atsumu to be charmed so quickly.
“I think you should go for it, actually. Ask’em out.”
“Ask Kita-san out?! I can’t- I mean what? No-”
Osamu shot a dirty, halfhearted glare and then went back to his phone with a small snort at something that - yes indeed Hinata, he only found his jokes funny (or maybe ridiculous) it seemed - as Atsumu floundered for plausible deniability of his feelings and this whole asking Kita out on a date thing.
“They really like ya, y’know.”
That… was true and Atsumu could tell. It wasn’t in the same way he was thinking, but he knew Kita cared for him a lot and liked to treat him well. They seemed to like him well enough to put time and effort into things they did for him, but they also just naturally did things with as much effort and care as possible. It was part of their belief system - something about being the sum of what you do? It made sense to Atsumu, memory clear or not. He shook his head and got back on track, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one foot in front of Osamu.
“They don’t like me that way.”
“I dunno, ‘Tsumu… I think there could be somethin’ there I’ve seen it,'' Osamu's focus slowly drifted back to the phone in his hand and his voice got slightly more steeped in Kansai-ben as he focused less on words, “I don’t think it’d kill ya to try asking Kita-san out on a date.”
Atsumu wanted to tug on his hair in stress and let out the pitiful thought of But it could! My poor, sweet pride and heart could get caught in the crosshairs because huffing the negativity down further and trying to see it from his twin’s angle - Kita, with as blunt and painfully honest as they were, was an absolute angle no matter what with delicate situations and would surely let him down easier than the horrors he couldn’t help but imagine himself.
Waiting for Kita to be alone in the locker room the next week was unbearable. It wasn’t very common for Atsumu to stay without his brother present, but this was more important than just keeping a schedule. Maybe that thought process wasn’t going to win over Kita’s affections, but he didn’t really care about the minor details like that when his confession mission was both a joint way of needing to get this off of his chest after being pestered by Osamu, his own feelings building up further, and the fact his lousy ass twin had taken to bringing Hinata along on their walks home without even asking. So… sort of messy- maybe it was a play to get him to confess sooner and it was work-
“Atsumu-?”
When Atsumu jumped - literally actually jumped - at the sound of Kita’s confused voice, not having heard or seen them while lost in his thoughts, he was immediately hit with the embarrassment of it. It must have cut them off as, when he turned around to check, they looked surprised as well with a hand caught in mid-air as if they were about to lay it on Atsumu’s shoulder. They were the last two in the locker room, Ginjima dutifully following Akagi out last to presumably check the nearest convenience store for something fun and new along with a snack to bring to practice the next day.
Instead of focusing on those thoughts, Atsumu centered himself on Kita in front of him; they were smoothing out their shirt and resettling their bag on their shoulder. The fluorescent lights above were far from a particularly romantic lighting, but Kita looked unfortunately extremely stunning in any form of lighting and especially when it would catch the silver of their hair or the amber of their eyes. It wasn’t really fair to be so breathtaking. Maybe he had it worse than he thought…
“Hello?”
“H-Huh?” Atsumu blinked back to reality, realizing that he had been staring blatantly at his captain before feeling his face turn aflame as he saw the knowing curiosity in Kita’s eyes. “Sorry, Kita-san… couldja repeat that?”
Where he expected a defeated sigh or a simple repeat of what they said, Kita seemed to soften and chuckle. The sound bounced between the lockers around them and startled Atsumu a little in its sweetness. If Atsumu fell hard when he did, then this sound quickly became his favorite even just at its debut for him.
“I just asked why ya stuck around.” Kita answered without any of the irritation Atsumu expected in having to repeat themself, simply looking with the perfect glint in their eyes to drive him up the wall.
I can do this… I can do this! It’s just Kita-san… the embodiment of perfection.
“I’ve got somethin’ important to tell ya…” Atsumu mumbled as he scuffed his sneaker against a spot on the floor - it must have been where they tried cleaning up the time Riseki turned around just as Ginjima was miming a swing resulting in the disaster of a spilled snack. Focus.
Kita looked encouragingly at him and held onto one of his hands in both of theirs as if to will out what news he felt the need to spill.
"I have feelings… for ya… and they're romantic. I really really like ya, Kita-san."
There was a blank pause before Kita's hands slipped away from his own (he would be lying if he told anyone he didn't try chasing their fingertips) leaving a panicked disappointment for a moment. He stopped instantaneously spiraling in thoughts once he saw that they were holding something out to him. It was a small box no bigger than his hand and sitting so perfectly wrapped in theirs.
"I like ya too, Atsumu. Please take these as a token of my affection. I'd planned to leave them in yer bag actually."
Atsumu stopped and stared at the gift now in his hands. Inside of the small box had been little bits of candy. Knowing Kita, these were probably made by hand and by the look on their face - something so fond and sweet, hopeful and happy in their eyes - that probably was a definite. All Atsumu proceeded to do was look at the treats made specifically for him, tuck them away safely, and drag Kita into his arms without warning to hide the tears pricking at his eyes. How could one person be so unbelievably thoughtful after being so scary during practice?
Against his shoulder, Kita chuckled. Their arms took a moment to loop around him and squeeze a hug out of him. It felt… really good. It felt so nice. Being held was something so inexplicably emotional and important for Atsumu. Being held by Kita Shinsuke was something even better than that though.
When they walked out of the school that day, Atsumu had a pink tint to his cheeks at the feeling of Kita’s fingers slipping between his lovingly. He made the mental note to stop freaking out about how touchy and affectionate they got once feelings for another person were involved. It made their first kiss in the early morning mist just outside of the Inarizaki gym the next week (before anyone else was around to catch them) even sweeter.
-~ 3 ~-
Suna Rintarou wasn’t someone Atsumu expected to end up having a gigantic crush on.
He always seemed like the type he’d prefer at a friendly distance, lest anything either direction further land him in a too-tight spot, rather than someone he’d daydream about getting tangled in the volleyball net complete with locked lips and a tight hold.
Something with Kita lost momentum after a whole year and a half of dating. They had worked so well and it was easily the happiest Atsumu could have imagined himself in a relationship, visiting them once they graduated from third year to spend more time with them again and learning a bit of baking from their kind instructions. The two naturally broke off after the last months of their relationship began to feel more like a schedule than love - a mutual declaration of platonic love for each other had been easier to get out at that point. It was all on good and respectful terms and Atsumu patted himself on the back for having such a friendly break up.
Instead of his former captain occupying his thoughts, however, it was his skilled teammate who… always came off as someone who hated his guts (or at least revelled in his suffering). He thought momentarily what kind of a relationship would grow to be from something so mean and decided he’d just have to make Suna like him instead.
Surprisingly enough to everyone, it was very easy.
Atsumu had never thought about what he could have accomplished as the captain of the Inarizaki Volleyball Club, but rallying his team ( his team!) to victory at Nationals was unreal. They beat last year’s winners and stuffed’em for serving them the year before, they beat… everyone. The whole team was in wonderful celebration of their accomplishment, Atsumu, Osamu, and Hinata as the center of the team's hugs. Once the excitement died down and everyone was tired and headed back to where they were staying, the lobby of the hotel was buzzing with sleep-tinged conversations of the techniques.
The first years who had joined that year were more energetic than most, talking amongst themselves with more earnest laughter with jokes on their tongues. Their energy was only second to the way Hinata looked exactly like no energy had been drained from him since he stepped onto the court earlier that day. He was a little sweaty still, but the fervent conversation with Atsumu's brother - with his boyfriend, Atsumu mentally corrected himself after remembering the little ginger having been caught kissing Osamu at school (really which one thought that the supply room for the gym was a good place for a secret from anyone, especially the team) - showed no change in enthusiasm. It was a wonder how the kid did it, really.
Looking away from the small crowd of huddled groups, all clad in various forms of Inarizaki jersey, Atsumu was delightfully surprised to see Suna approaching him. It felt like a miraculous moment seeing him so caught up in the afterglow of such a great game rather than his typical lack of enthusiasm. The soft smile on his face and added posture to the usual slouch let Atsumu know his approach was something serious.
He looked really good. Maybe it made Atsumu a little stupid on feelings.
“That was a really nice victory, captain,” Suna’s voice was as if he forced himself to sound bored with the idea - like he was nonchalant about winning and not smiling and celebrating in his own way. “I think you might actually be kind of good luck. We lost last time, but you got the shrimp into shape and it really helped.”
Atsumu raised an eyebrow, smirk sliding onto his face at an angle, and brought an arm down around Suna’s shoulder’s with enough momentum to jerk him forward a little.
“Sunarin… was that a compliment I heard? Ya know the way to my heart-”
Suna simply rolled his eyes and elbowed the twin, but Atsumu could see some level of unreadable emotion in the way his platinum gold eyes darted around as their chattering teammates were slowly filtering to the stairs. Atsumu saw his brother’s hand in Hinata’s and made the mental note to not bother them. He scrunched his brow and slipped his elbow from around his teammate’s neck to a hand on his shoulder and softly spoke up.
“Y’know… yer welcome to come over next to my futon - seems like ya wanna talk.”
There was a hesitation - something like a debate between whether the blocker wanted to be vulnerable for just a moment or pass off a comeback like he always knew how to do. The out of the ordinary versus the little dynamic they’d built heckling each other. Even if they got on each other’s nerves, when they weren’t it was usually a sign there was something troubling them. It was actually kind of nice - something that didn’t really change… unless, of course-
“I’ll be there. Just don’t go anywhere, alright?”
And he didn’t.
Atsumu, once in the room with his futon sandwiched by Osamu and Ginjima’s - the former was busy with hushed whispers to the futon on the other side of him and the latter was furiously texting to send a message as quickly as possible (probably to Akagi, Atsumu thought, to tell him about their National win as if he hadn’t been probably watching it), waited patiently to hear the faint footsteps of his teammate coming to see him. He showed up dressed down to baggy sleepwear and his team jacket thrown haphazardly on to combat the chill let in from the spring night air. He looked… very nice. It wasn’t that much had changed about him or that there was anything added that was particularly something breathtaking , but it just sparked an image of being able to see Suna like this with less company; the ability to see Suna dressed down in something so comfortable and casual. He felt special despite the situation he was in.
“Lookin’ good, Sunarin.”
“Shut up, you look like you have bedhead and you haven’t even slept yet.”
About the reply with an indignant pout, the captain stopped in his tracks as Suna clicked his tongue and reached over to flatten apparent cowlicks. Atsumu wasn’t sure he had to come so close to do that, but seeing him merely just inches away made his thoughts blur into something less coherent and more… feelings in his gut. They sat and swirled and made his head spin with each little brush of Suna’s fingertips.
He didn’t even care that Osamu had glanced over his shoulder with a pair of curious amber eyes peering over him to see Atsumu become human soup - all he cared about was the fact that he really underestimated how beautiful Suna Rintaro was so close.
Once he was sure his brother and his boyfriend had stopped looking and that Suna had given him some space (not much in hindsight), Atsumu really didn’t mean to blurt it out. It just happened-
“So what did you-”
“I think we should go out.”
Suna stared at him, blinked, and then glanced at their teammates on either side of Atsumu who were staring at him. His cheeks became a little pink - sweet, sweet pink - and he insisted that they should go somewhere people can’t be too nosy so they can have any details ironed out. The way he grabbed his wrist made any coherent thought turn to peach fuzz when Atsumu followed Suna out of the room to suddenly find a dark hallway, only illuminated softly by vending machine lights for the time being. How he could manage to look so beautiful in vending machine lights also boggled Atsumu’s mind.
“Say it again,” Suna insisted, eyes sharp in the artificial light. He looked careful and serious rather than so laid back, “I need you to tell me… that you think we should go out again. Humor me.”
“Suna…” Atsumu opened his mouth and closed it, deciding to reach out and touch the other’s jaw briefly as if he didn’t know how else to be careful with such a delicate scenario, “I think you and I should… I think we should date. Be boyfriends. Kiss and hold hands or whatever ya wanna do.”
It looked like he gave it thought, eyes looking like a more pale yellow like this scanning him before…
Before…
Suna Rintaro’s lips were chapped, not super chapped, but pressed to his with a soft hesitance as if he didn’t want to decide right away. Unfortunately one of the slightest tastes made him pull back just to readjust from a distance Atsumu could feel before diving back in with a more resounding answer. He tasted like those jelly sticks he loved and toothpaste.
Once the kissing died down, the excitement of a rush of feelings tangled up in each other becoming less energetic, the two of them walked back to the room they were staying in, fingers so loosely linked as they talked soft enough to not disturb anything else in the quiet night.
“I wanted what your brother had with the shrimp,” Suna admitted, fingers squeezing whatever parts of the other’s he had in hand, “I wanted that kind of connection at least to try it before we were out in the real world. I think you’ll do fine, Atsumu.”
-~ 4 ~-
Apparently doing fine wasn’t the best he could do for Suna.
The two had gone out for the remainder of their third year of school and only began to be shaky after graduation. Unlike how Osamu and Shoyo could stay so easily invested in each other, it seemed that other things were stealing Suna’s attention. Going pro in volleyball put them on their last thread until they mutually decided to split. It never felt as fulfilling as his relationship with Suna or as helpful to himself as what he had with Aran, but it was certainly a very good time while it lasted and Atsumu would be glad for a long time that they stayed on mostly good terms and used their former relationship as just more ammo in their typical heckling of each other. It worked out.
And then MSBY Black Jackal had dinner with EJP Raijin.
And then Atsumu officially met Komori Motoya, Sakusa’s cousin and charming, funny, and tall for a libero.
There was something that made it seem like Sakusa really hated the fact he showed interest in Komori, but Atsumu couldn’t see why it mattered. They were different people with different feelings. Maybe he just didn’t want to hear about me more than he had to , Atsumu thought as he pulled out his phone, I think that’s a good reason .
Suna got approached several times that night and only one of them was an approach from ex-boyfriend Miya Atsumu in order to ask him for Komori’s number. Your teammate. The one that’s related to Omi-kun , Atsumu sniffed, trying to sound casual. Do ya know if he’s got a number I could maybe text him at?
He simply got a fox-like smirk, laugh, and a phone number copied into his phone. Weirdly enough, for the rest of the dinner (of course they had gone to Onigiri Miya, how could he not take them all to Onigiri Miya when he knew the menu was something he loved - something with items his brother would customize just for his comfort) Suna had vanished momentarily. He thought nothing of it, shrugging it off in favor of shooting off a text to Komori with a rough introduction and where he got his contact.
Atsumu was easily charmed by seeing the libero across the restaurant as he pulled out his phone and chuckled a little reading the text. Somewhere in the message of Hey there, asked for ur number from Sunarin since I thought u looked cute all night ;) u should text back if ur interested - this is Miya Atsumu btw had charmed Komori, apparently. He received a reply, exactly what he asked for as a sign.
From: Toya-kun 😳
Oh? Kiyo’s teammate, right? Hey! :^) U seem pretty cute yourself so I think I’m gonna have to shoot u this text back ;P
To: Toya-kun 😳
Cute? Me? From the guy who does the nose wrinkle kind of laugh? Ur funny I like u already
From: Toya-kun 😳
U noticed all the way over there? So observant I feel so doted on already lol ;^) Anyways u down for hanging out after our match? Was gonna see about hanging w Suna and Kiyo but having a date w a guy who asked our mutual friend for my number like a high school romcom sounds WAY better actually
Atsumu u seem like a great guy actually that was a funny compliment I was told to clarify
Looking up from his phone, Atsumu could clearly see what he meant - someone else in the EJP jacket had taken Komori's phone to add to the text he received last, an intimidating looking guy he vaguely recognized as Fukurodani alumni. It really was cute. He didn't understand how Sakusa could look so grumpy about what was unfolding between them.
By the time Hinata came back from Brazil and tried out for a spot on MSBY (as his loving former captain cheered him on), Atsumu and Komori were a partially long distance item. They had gone on successful dates where they made each other laugh, they shared kisses and played with each other's hair laying in bed beside each other. It was good. Things were really good.
Komori invited him over for movie nights where he slipped his arms comfortably around Atsumu, chin finding his shoulder as he gave any fun facts he knew. Maybe , Atsumu thought as he slipped his fingers between the libero's as some movie droned in the background, I think this time will work out… because we hardly knew each other before we went out. Maybe it's the amount of feelings we had before that makes or breaks it…
They fall asleep not too long after and Atsumu almost started to really believe Komori was The One - they had fun jokes together and their kisses were just the right level of "too much," and the way Omi gave them the stink eye just for facetiming before practice was hilarious (until it made something in Atsumu's chest twist uncomfortably as if he could tell that it wasn't just that the fact it was his cousin made him uncomfortable). Key word being… almost.
They didn't really feel like they completed each other, more just… ended up having a lot of fun together. For the fourth time in his life ( Fourth , Atsumu thought with frustration and distress, I've done this four times ), Atsumu started to feel that maybe he should just stop jumping into relationships like this, but it wasn't like he regretted it, that wasn't it. He just felt that if he wanted to settle down in the future, play volleyball for someone or with someone, then he would need to look elsewhere. Motoya was sweet, he cared for him and made him smile when he felt like he couldn't again, but he couldn't see much of a future. Everything with Motoya felt in the moment - good , but just in the moment.
Luckily, Motoya understood when they decided to break up. Atsumu worried for just a minute if he was going to be fine with seeing him, but that was quelled with an offer to hang out together. There was no guilt or pity, just someone genuinely wanting to spend time as his friend. It was nice to make a new one of those after such a vague connection prior to dating.
-~ + 1 ~-
Sakusa Kiyoomi. Omi-kun. Omi-Omi. He was a different circumstance in Atsumu's love life. Where he seemed unhappy with the revelation that he had been seeing his cousin, it looked like he was almost relieved to see him single again. Apparently Motoya forgot to text him about their breakup because a week later Sakusa asked awkwardly if Atsumu could remind him of something if he was going to spend his days off taking a train to see him that weekend.
"Nah," Atsumu told him. They were in the locker room, the setter with deodorant in hand and his jersey on the bench behind him, "Toya-kun and I broke up so we don't see each other that much anymore. We've just been hangin' out. Not this weekend though."
Sakusa looked almost surprised, eyes widening just a little bit before he turned back to his locker. His shoulders seemed a little less tense at the news, but he still read as rigid. Weird.
"He didn't tell me that you two ended things. I'm… sorry for assuming then."
Atsumu blinked, one arm freezing in the air and the other holding his deodorant still against that armpit. Sakusa apologizing? For what? Assuming something he didn't know was false?
"Omi-kun it's really nothin' to worry about. He didn't say anything, I didn't say anything - ya don't need to apologize for assuming."
"Right…" There was a stutter of hesitation, Sakusa's hand on his locker door as if he was contemplating closing it. He looked at Atsumu who was pulling his jersey overhead and closed the door, cracking his knuckles and beginning to step out of the locker room. "I'll see you out there. Hurry up, Atsu."
Atsu. Atsu… Atsu Atsu Atsu…
The nickname clung to his brain. A nickname from Sakusa… oh that was something special. Nobody else received a nickname - the closest that happened to that was when he simply called Hinata without an honorific. Ignoring the whistle from Inunaki paired with the chuckle from Tomas behind him, Atsumu clapped his palms to his cheeks to focus again before joining the others in the gym.
If he wasn't mistaken, Sakusa almost seemed a little nicer with him. Usually they would have a back and forth during practice that would stoke the fire between them, something of a foundation to their friendship, and Atsumu would get on Sakusa's nerves while Sakusa would put Atsumu in his place for it. It seemed the typically expected comebacks had faded, in a way, to a more diluted version as if he was being careful.
After practice was over and it was the two of them alone in the locker room, Hinata immediately taking off to meet Osamu outside and head home with him with Bokuto splitting off to see Akaashi as per usual on night Akaashi could make it out to meet up. Meian had left with a simple goodnight, Inunaki arranged a small gathering of the remaining Jackals to go drinking once he was waving him off and left the duo behind once Atsumu followed Sakusa's curt decline with his own refusal.
Sakusa has looked at him funny for declining as well, but seemed pleased to offer a more solitary space… Omi offered bringing Atsumu home with the implication of visiting longer or possibly with less restriction than he had before… he'd need a second to recover from that. Where was this coming from?
The setter followed Sakusa back to his place, mind racing through thoughts as to why there was such a soft change in his behavior. Pity? Pity because he broke up with his cousin? Maybe it was the connection to his cousin in all this, like he felt responsible for another failed relationship? That must be it. The only thing to outweigh Sakusa's exhaustion with Atsumu could be his exhaustion with Motoya, in theory.
After all, what other explanation could there be?
"Omi-" Atsumu spoke up from where the spiker left him to nestle in his couch (a very soft couch with a handknit blanket thrown over the back that he let Atsumu drape over his lap). "Omi I can't figure it out."
Sakusa poked his head in sight from the kitchen where he had promised a fresh post-practice meal. Really it was all too much, too kind.
"Figure what out?" He asked flatly with a raised brow.
"Why yer doin' all of this for me. Letting me come over, letting me use this real nice - obviously decorative, by the way - blanket, cooking for me ." As Atsumu went down the line even further mentally, he felt his mouth dry a little. He couldn't figure it out and it was driving him crazy - especially when the weird thought that maybe… just maybe it was because-
"Atsu… you can't be serious."
"Huh?"
Sakusa sighed and shook his head, stirring whatever was on the stove before setting the spoon in his hand down. He took the moment to face Atsumu from over the small section of countertop, an unamused yet nervous expression showing on his features.
"You idiot," Sakusa huffed and shut his eyes, running his fingers through his hair, "I like you. I want to kiss you - maybe even be able to convince you that I've basically brought you on a date ."
It's like the longer he spoke about it, the more Atsumu was left reeling in surprise. Sakusa… it was feelings for him. Holy shit he just got confessed to by Sakusa Kiyoomi - he didn't initiate anything, it wasn't just thinking it was an alright idea… he genuinely liked Atsumu. He first wanted to ask Why? He bit it back though, staring with wide eyes as his thoughts travelled on.
"You… really?" It came out like a squeak that immediately made him slap his palm to his forehead. Sounds like an idiot.
"Yes. I- why is that so hard to believe?" Sakusa scowled suddenly, words turning to a protective bristling. "If you're just going to find it weird or you're not interested you can leave it alone."
"No no! No not that at all I just… really ?"
"I'm going to smack you-"
"Omi-Omi have mercy! It's tough finding out the cutest guy on yer team likes ya!"
That one stopped Sakusa in his tracks and Atsumu got to watch in amused wonder as pink infiltrated his cheeks. Oh. Oh . He really liked that sight…
Slowly and carefully, Atsumu got to his feet and put the blanket back where it was on the back of the couch. He smoothed out the front of his shirt and stepped into the kitchen to stand face to face with Sakusa again. Closer. He slipped his hands, slightly clammy with nerves, to rest on his hips. Staring into his dark eyes helped him picture it; it was like watching his future flash before his eyes.
Unlike anyone he'd ever been with before, of all the eyes he'd lovingly stared into, of all the lips he'd kiss or cheeks he'd caressed, Sakusa felt like his future. Not something to help figure himself out, not a short-lived crush, not based solely in beauty and friendship, not something fun - the whole shebang. Everything. Sakusa made him see everything. First kiss, living together, dating, arguments, make ups, volleyball, marriage even (possibly???) and it was exhilarating. He'd really like that. He'd really like that with Kiyoomi .
" You -" Atsumu's voice lowered so something teasing and soft, full of the spontaneous fondness he'd just uncovered after being present for so long without him knowing. His hands trailed up from Kiyoomi's hips to pink behind his neck - the look on his face was priceless, "-are gonna be the death of me, Omi."
"Miya that doesn't-"
"I want it."
"It?"
"Who's playin' stupid now? Us , Om- Kiyoomi , I want us . As long as ya wanna keep me. As long as you'll have me and take care of me. Hundred percent serious here."
Sakusa looked suddenly overcome with visible emotion, eyes softening and hands moving to hold onto Atsumu's hips with a slight tremble like he couldn't believe it. His thumbs pushed his shirt up just enough to rub little circles and his lips twitched.
"Atsu, I-"
"I think I love you, Omi. Sorry it took a second to realize."
Atsumu couldn't add anything else with Kiyoomi's lips on his, tender and soft and well cared for, but he couldn't think of a reason to really care. Instead, he thrust his fingers into the soft curls of his hair and kissed with all of the affection he didn't realize he’d held. The idea of doing that every morning or every night maybe (whenever they felt like it, really) made warmth bloom in his chest, the idea of how they could curl up and watch a movie after this with dinner in their laps and thighs pressed together.
Lucky for Atsumu, he was right in his hunch about how long they'd last this time.