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build a home around you

Summary:

Atsumu decided long ago that honeymoon phases are a myth. When he loves something, he throws his whole heart in or he doesn’t play at all.

Or: Atsumu grapples with his relationship with Shouyou, where their passion for volleyball leads them, and everything in between.

Notes:

FINALLY a sequel to 'in gold daylight' :D this started with me listening to 'cornelia street' while thinking about atshn and having intense feelings about how their relationship could progress, be tested, and still withstand everything so i just turned this into a multichap installment.

this whole thing was also prompted by ErinNovelist.

special thanks to the usual suspects, gabi, priya, and boom for helping me with various things along the way throughout this fic :'))) and ana for helping me with portuguese!!! ily all and owe y'all my life

p.s. first lyrics are from the song "marry me" by train

p.p.s. also, LET’S JUST PRETEND COVID DOESN’T EXIST AND THE OLYMPICS WAS IN 2021 JUST BECAUSE IT WAS, SHALL WE

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: eyes like sinking ships

Chapter Text

Forever can never be long enough for me
To feel like I've had long enough with you

 

Honeymoon phases are a myth. Atsumu decided this ages ago even before he’d started dating. When he loves something, he throws himself all in or he doesn’t play at all. Why would he waste his time with someone with whom a honeymoon phase is just that— a phase? If he can’t find new things to be excited about with someone, then what’s the point?

Which is why when Samu asks him if he’ll ever stop staring dreamily off into the distance after every text he receives from Shouyou, he already knows he’s a lost cause.

“Quit askin’ me that, will ya?” Atsumu grumbles. “I’m tryna enjoy the food here!”

Samu stares at the tuna onigiri he made for Atsumu just five minutes ago, his face darkening. He probably has half a mind to pull the plate out from under him. Ha. Fat chance, Atsumu thinks as he picks the rice ball up in his hands. Atsumu can see right through him. He is prepared.

“Seriously,” Samu continues. “It’s been nearly five months.”

“Your point?”

“It’s disgusting, ya sap,” Samu says. “I just wiped the counters and you’re lettin’ your mushy goo-goo eyes drip all over the place.”

“Excuse you, I’m brightenin’ up your shop with happiness!” Atsumu protests. “You need at least one Miya with a cheerful mug around here.”

“Keep it,” Samu says. “It's not my brand.”

“All I’m hearin’ is ‘Be less in love, Tsumu,’ ” he replies, doing his best impression of a disgruntled Samu for his last sentence.

“And? What of it?”

“Hmph.”

Scowling, Atsumu takes a big bite of his onigiri.

“Whatssit toh you anyways?” he mumbles with his mouth full.

Samu gives him a disparaging look, eyes trailing down to the flecks of rice outside of his plate. “Again, Tsumu, I just cleaned the counters.”

Atsumu swallows. “Whatever. You’re just jealous ‘cos you’ve never been in love.”

Samu’s nose scrunches up in distaste.

“If those symptoms are genetic,” he says, pointing at Atsumu’s face, “then I don’t think I wanna be.”

“If ya hate it so much, then why’d you push me to it?”

“‘Cos I knew dealing with your depressed state if you kept pinin’ for the rest of yer life woulda been worse.”

Atsumu glares at his twin then stuffs the rest of the rice ball in his mouth. Samu’s jealous and he knows it. He’s got nothing to say to the envious bastard.

Instead, he lets his mind drift back to the text exchange he’d been having with Shouyou under the counter. After swallowing his last bite, he wipes his hands on a napkin and pulls his phone back out to revisit the last message that made him smile.

 

Aww I like when you use your baby voice though :)

      ➥ [You loved “Aww I like when you use your baby voice though :)”] ❤️ °•

- - - - - - - New Messages - - - - - - -

Are you still at Samu-san’s shop?

I just finished showering so I’ll swing by!

Yep I’ll order for u :)

<3

➥ •° ❤️ [Shouyou loved “Yep I’ll order for u :)”]

➥ •° ❤️ [Shouyou loved “<3”]

 

“Are you sending heart emojis again?” Samu asks, peering over the counter.

“None of yer business!” Atsumu cries, holding his phone closer to his chest.

Samu rolls his eyes, though he looks amused.

“I’ll go make him a tamagokake-giri,” Samu says automatically, turning away from the counter. “You owe me like a week’s worth of cleaning duties.”

“Yeah yeah,” Atsumu says with a wave of his hand. Samu throws a glare at him over his shoulder before disappearing into the kitchen.

Shouyou shows up ten minutes later with his backpack on and a water bottle in hand. Atsumu never gets tired of it: the way the sun frames his boyfriend’s outline behind the door of the building whenever he walks in to meet him, how even at the tail end of winter, his bright hair illuminates his smile. Atsumu’s lips curl in response. How did he get so damn lucky?

“Hi,” Shouyou says when he reaches him, sounding breathless from his quick jaunt to the restaurant.

“Hey,” Atsumu replies in a low voice. The store is mostly empty as lunch rush hasn’t hit yet, so Atsumu takes this chance to pull Shouyou in for a quick kiss before Samu comes back. “How was your workout?”

“Good,” he says, resting his chin on Atsumu’s shoulder and looking up at him. Atsumu’s heart melts at the sight of it. “Nothing new. Did you eat already?”

“Yeah. Tuna onigiri. Also nothin’ new.” Atsumu grins. “Woulda waited for ya if I knew you’d end up comin’.”

“I don’t mind!” Shouyou laughs. “I was going to heat up some leftovers and catch up on reading since we were already going to see each other later, but then after showering, I brushed my teeth and suddenly thought: Nah, I don’t wanna wait.”

A slight shiver runs up Atsumu’s spine. Shouyou wanted to see him. Four and a half months later and he still gets flutters in his belly over every little thing. He thought he could get used to it but he really can’t.

(He doesn’t want to anyway.)

“Good,” he mutters with a goofy smile. “ ‘Cos I feel the same.”

Fixing his gaze on Shouyou’s lips, he leans in and closes his eyes.

“Ahem.”

Atsumu’s eyes snap open just as Shouyou moves away.

“Samu-san!” Shouyou exclaims with no shame, bowing and greeting his twin with an enthusiasm Samu definitely doesn’t deserve. “How’s your weekend been?”

“Full of cleaning up this guy’s mess in the shop,” he answers with a jerk of his head towards Atsumu. “One tamago kake onigiri.”

He places the dish on the counter next to Atsumu’s empty plate and Shouyou quickly takes a seat. A bundle of pickled white ginger sits neatly on top of the rice, along with a dipping dish of soy sauce— just the way he likes it.

“Thank you, Samu-san!” Shouyou claps his hands together in prayer. “Itadakimasu!”

Picking up his rice ball, he takes a bite.

“Mmm!” he hums happily as hints of yellow yolk starts to ooze through the cracks between the rice. “Delicious as always.”

“Anything for our cutest customer,” Samu says with a sidelong smirk at Atsumu. Shouyou’s jaw drops with delight and Atsumu scowls. That fuckin’ drip.

“How’s everything going so far this year?” Shouyou asks in between his next bite. While Samu rambles on about typical boring business stuff, Atsumu contents himself with watching Shouyou eat. He’s told him this several times before already but his little spiker really does look adorable with puffed out cheeks. His eyes shine with awe and interest and he nods every once in a while as Samu keeps yammering. The way Shouyou finds everything fascinating even if they’re coming from someone as stupid as Samu is really inspiring. It always manages to make Atsumu see old things in a new light. Even if it’s something as simple as watching Shouyou eat, being with Shouyou just helps you approach the world with more wonder and curiosity and—

Fuck. He’s so in love.

“... well, then I’ll let ya two get to it, once Tsumu stops gazing at you like a lovesick idiot.”

“What?” Atsumu comes back to and glares at his twin. “S’not my fault you’re so boring .”

“Wanna push those cleaning duties to two weeks?” Samu threatens.

Atsumu squawks in disbelief. “I’m family!”

“If you’re bein’ an asshole you’ll be treated like one, family or not.”

Atsumu glares at Samu, who glares at him back. Neither of them move or budge while Shouyou calmly finishes his rice ball beside them completely unfazed.

Finally, with a roll of his eyes, Samu gestures for them to get going. “Just— go n’ be sappy somewhere else. Not you, Shouyou. You've never done anythin’ wrong in your life.”

Shouyou beams.

“Okay, fine ,” Atsumu grumbles, standing up from his seat. He grabs Shouyou by the hand and waits for him to stand up too. “I get the message. Let’s go, Shouyou. Thanks for nothin’, Samu.”

“See you later, Samu-san!” Shouyou says cheerfully.

“Have fun,” Samu says with a smile. Atsumu ignores it. Turning his nose up in the air, he whips around and pulls Shouyou along with him.

Once they’re out of Samu’s shop, he pauses by the entrance so he can interlock their fingers together. Raising their hands to his mouth, Atsumu presses his lips to Shouyou’s knuckles.

Flutters. In his belly. Every single time.

Atsumu grins.

“We still got a couple hours t’kill before the festival. Wanna catch a movie?” he asks.

“Yup.”

And with that, they head towards the bus stop hand in hand, a buoyant spring in their steps.

(And he wouldn’t change a thing.)

 


 

Being with Shouyou doesn’t require a honeymoon period. There is no before, middle, or after. There only exists the first moment Atsumu encountered Shouyou’s hunger for the game and the now , superimposed on every waking day they spend together, born anew in the mornings.

They fall into an easy routine not long after dating. They have practice when they have practice, they eat when they eat and sleep when they sleep. Occasionally, they work out, go on runs and practice yoga together. Whenever they have the next morning off, they watch a movie or fool around in bed so late that Shouyou often ends up spending the night. (All according to keikaku — not to mention, without fail, Atsumu always experiences a fresh flood of butterflies in his stomach when he wakes up in the morning and sees Shouyou’s toothbrush next to his.) Dating Shouyou feels like a waking dream he never wants to fall asleep in. Things are great. This feeling, these moments, this person : It’s perfect.

“Are you centering your thoughts, Tsumu?”

“Wha—?” Atsumu turns his head to see Shouyou still sitting calmly in a cross-legged, meditative position with one eye cracked open to peer over at him. “Oh! Right.”

Straightening up to face the ocean they’re seated in front of, Atsumu takes a deep breath and exhales, holding his hands closer to his chest in prayer. “Yeah… I am.”

“Juuuuust checking,” Shouyou says. “Just listen to the environment.”

Atsumu closes his eyes and continues to breathe, allowing his senses to sharpen. The wind blows across his face. He can hear waves crashing on the shore, followed by the distant sigh of seafoam as the water recedes before crescendoing into a loud rumble as the ocean rises once again and slams itself upon the sand. Somewhere above him, seagulls cry out to each other, their wings flapping as they survey the skies.

After another moment, Atsumu feels his attention start to slip again. Cracking open his right eye, he takes a peek at Shouyou. Shouyou’s eyes are closed and relaxed, a small smile resting upon his lips.

Now that Shouyou doesn’t live a five minute biking distance from the beach anymore, morning yoga by the ocean has become a bit of a rarity for him. During the past two winter months especially, Shouyou had been missing this sacred routine he’d honed during his time in Brazil. It’s not everyday they can make the drive out here in the daytime but since they didn’t have practice and it hasn’t been snowing lately, they decided to bring their usual yoga practice somewhere closer to that habitat. As such, Atsumu doesn’t want to ruin it for him. Morning yoga means a lot to Shouyou and offers Atsumu other positive benefits too, like calming his mind and training him to get even more familiar with the zone . So, closing his eyes, he mentally shakes himself and tries to refocus once again.

Unlike Brazil, the air is cold and biting in early March, but they’ve dressed as warmly as they can with the expectation that the whole workout will warm them up even more. Atsumu lets himself feel it all— the grains of sand beneath his feet, the ocean mist across his face, the steady pump of blood through his veins.

There’s a certain peace Shouyou exudes in the midst of yoga that bleeds into Atsumu’s state of being as well. Although they do regular yoga regularly every week, bringing their practice to the beach is a fairly different experience. The whistling breeze and gentle crashing of waves guides their rhythm and every sun salutation is directed at the main star herself. He follows Shouyou’s direction and movements, trying his best to let the energy flow through him.

Center your thoughts. Focus on the present. Send thanks.

At present, he’s with Shouyou. Not just physically with him by the shore, but in every way he can think of. This, then — the long stares and twin smiles, wandering hands and press of skin, fingers carding through ginger hair — this is his present.

 

*

 

The clouds start to gather in the afternoon. After they finish yoga, they bundle themselves back up in the warmth of Osamu’s truck, their water bottles and breakfast of fruits in hand. How lucky they managed to catch the sun during their whole practice, Atsumu thinks. The world certainly has a way of bending to Shouyou, or rather, Shouyou has a way of bending the world towards him. Atsumu, of course, has firsthand experience of that.

Despite the gray skies, Shouyou’s mood doesn’t seem to dampen. He still has that relaxed and contented expression on his face from yoga.

“You’re looking extra happy today,” Atsumu comments as he watches Shouyou scarf down a banana in the passenger’s seat.

“Of course!” Shouyou says after swallowing his bite. “Yoga on the beach always makes me happy. It’s almost like being back in my home away from home.”

Atsumu smiles. “If it makes ya that happy we should try to do it more often. ‘Specially now that it’s ‘bout time for spring. It’ll get warmer soon.”

“Yeah…”

Shouyou finishes the last of his banana and stares out at the beach view in front of them. There’s a look of longing and something else in his eyes that Atsumu can’t quite read. A home away from home, he thinks. Having lived in Osaka all his life, he wonders what that’s like.

“Didja wanna take a walk along the shore?” Atsumu offers. It isn’t Brazil but it’s the closest thing they have.

“Nah, I’m good,” Shouyou says. “It looks like it might rain any minute. We can’t afford to get sick.”

But Shouyou doesn’t take his eyes off the beach.

“You really miss it, don’t ya?” Atsumu asks.

“Hm?” Shouyou turns to look up at him. “Oh— yeah, but that’s to be expected. And besides, I like it here too! It’s fun being on a team with you and Bokuto-san. And Omi-san too, of course.”

He grins, setting off an echoed sunrise in Atsumu’s chest.

“Wish you could see the beach scene in Rio though,” Shouyou sighs, slumping back into his seat. “It’s something else.”

Atsumu slips his hand into Shouyou’s and intertwines their fingers together.

“Take me someday,” Atsumu says. “I'd love to see it.”

Eyes crinkling at the corners, he squeezes Atsumu’s hand and nods.

“I will!” he promises.

The genuine look on his face makes Atsumu’s chest ache with joy. He wants to kiss him right then and there so he leans in and wraps a hand around Shouyou’s neck.

“Tsumu…” Shouyou chuckles, his breath tickling Atsumu’s nose. “My breath smells right now.”

“Don’t care,” Atsumu replies as he presses his lips to Shouyou’s. “And it doesn’t,” he adds when he pulls back before going in for another kiss.

If anything, there’s just the slightest hint of the banana he’d just eaten, but Atsumu had just had one himself. Kisses don’t always have to be minty to be perfect. This is normal, this is them. 

Before Atsumu can make it to a fourth kiss, his phone buzzes in his pocket. He has half a mind to ignore it when it buzzes three more times in succession, as though the sender knows he’d need some convincing.

With great effort, Atsumu pulls away from Shouyou with a groan and draws out his phone. There’s only one person who’d be that inconsiderate.

In a rush of fury, he swipes open his notifications, ready to fight.

 

Tsumu it’s almost 1 you better be on your way back you promised my truck back by 2

Another text for good measure

‘Cos I don’t trust you

Hope I’m interrupting something

Send text.

 

His phone buzzes one final time in his hands with the last message right as he’s about to type a response back.

STOP IM ON THE WAY, Atsumu punches out. Then, for good measure, he adds, IT’S SHOUYOU ATSUMU TOLD ME TO USE ALL CAPS.

 

Samu’s response buzzes back.

 

Nice try. Get on the road before I charge you for the next five tuna onigiris

 

Atsumu lets out a groan of frustration and almost throws his phone before remembering he probably doesn’t want to see the aftermath of it colliding with the dashboard.

“It’s okay,” Shouyou says with a pat on his back. Judging by his tone, it’s clear that he’s trying not to laugh. “We can always make out later.”

“Shouyou,” Atsumu whines, draping himself dramatically over his much smaller boyfriend’s lap. “I love you, didja know that?”

Shouyou laughs. “Of course.”

Then he swoops down and kisses Atsumu on the forehead.

“Love you too.” He grins.

Atsumu sighs, his lips relaxing into a smile. “How did I get so lucky.”

“It’s not luck,” Shouyou says, brushing a loose strand of Atsumu’s hair out of his face. They smile at each other for a few more seconds before Atsumu sighs again.

“We should probably go,” he mutters. “Think Samu’s gotta meet a vendor or somethin’.”

“Yeah,” Shouyou agrees but he doesn’t move. It isn’t fair that he’s putting it all on Atsumu to take action first — he always has a hard time stopping something unless Shouyou makes the first move. Then again, neither of them have the best self-control. Maybe they really could let Omi-kun rub off on them a bit more.

“Okay, just one last kiss.”

Reaching up, Atsumu wraps a hand around Shouyou’s neck and pulls him down to meet him. After a brief couple seconds, he musters all the willpower he has, releases Shouyou and sits back up in his car seat. The two of them buckle up and Atsumu starts the engine.

“What’ll it be, DJ?” he asks, tossing the AUX cord to Shouyou, who plugs it into his phone at once. Seconds later, a cheerful, upbeat tune starts to play. Once they pull out of the lot, he drives onto the open road, the faint sun in their eyes and breezy song in their hearts.

 


 

After parking the truck in the lot, Atsumu and Shouyou walk into the kitchen from the back door of Samu’s shop. The two assistants Samu’s hired this past month greet them as they enter.

“Took ya long enough,” Samu says the second he sees Atsumu.

Atsumu huffs impatiently and tosses the keys at him.

“I made it in one piece, didn't I?”

Samu snorts. “If that’s how low you’re setting the bar now…”

“Shut up! I made good time.”

“Ah, is Atsumu back?” a familiar voice says, taking Atsumu by surprise. Atsumu’s ears perk up and he looks around to see Kita-san stepping through the curtained door between the kitchen and cash register.

“Kita-san!” Atsumu exclaims, then wacks Samu on the back. “Oi! Why didn’t ya tell me Kita-san was visiting?!”

“I thought it was implied when I said we were meeting other vendors today,” Samu grumbles, rubbing his back. “He won’t have time to hang out with ya anyway. Our schedule is packed.”

Kita chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m sure they can join us for dinner.”

“Yes!!” Atsumu yells at the same exact time Samu mumbles, “Such a hassle..”

“Wha—? Why am I a hassle?!”

“‘Cos we’re gonna be in Naniwa Ward already and you’d be makin’ us drive back for yer ass,” Samu retorts. 

“We can meet you there,” Shouyou suggests. “We’ll take a cab!”

Atsumu throws a smug smirk at Samu just as Samu purses his lips. If Shouyou wants to go, he won’t be able to protest outright.

“Sounds good,” Kita agrees. “Just meet us in town ‘round seven. And by the way—”

He turns to Shouyou and stretches out his hand. “I know we’ve met before, but I don’t think we’ve ever been properly introduced. I’m Kita Shinsuke.”

“Hinata Shouyou,” Shouyou replies, eagerly stepping forward to shake Kita’s hand. “It’s so good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you!”

“Likewise,” Kita says with a smile.

“Fine,” Samu sighs. Putting his Onigiri Miya hat on, he grabs a thick jacket and turns to leave. “I’ll text you the address later. Come at seven. Don’t be late. Let’s go, Kita-san.”

“We’ll catch up soon,” Kita assures. “It was good seeing ya.”

With a grin, he waves goodbye then turns to follow Samu out the back door.

“Wow, Kita-san is so cool,” Shouyou says once they’re out of earshot. “He supplies all the rice Samu serves, you said?”

“Yep,” Atsumu answers. “To tell ya the truth, I don’t know if Samu would’ve made it this far this fast without Kita-san. ‘S a good thing we already knew him right out of high school.” 

Shouyou giggles. “I heard Kita-san’s the only person who can get you to listen or do anything.”

“What!” Atsumu yelps. “I listen to other people— sometimes.”

When Shouyou continues to laugh instead of respond, Atsumu hooks him by the neck and drags him into his arms.

“I listen to you,” he says in a low voice. “And you’re someone who can get me to do anything.”

Shouyou grins up at him. Atsumu’s heart flutters.

“Think I could get you to lose to me at Mario Kart this time?” Shouyou asks. Atsumu’s smile shifts into a smirk.

“Only if you’ve improved.”

“You’re on!”

After leaving Onigiri Miya, they go back to Atsumu’s place to shower and spend the rest of the afternoon racing each other on the Wii. Atsumu, who had always been infuriatingly worse than Samu at most of the video games they’d played growing up, has by now logged an ungodly amount of hours practicing on various consoles throughout the last fifteen years. Shouyou, however, is a mere budding opponent. Apparently, until he roomed with Pedro in Brazil, he’d never played Mario Kart so seriously with anyone other than his little sister. That left Atsumu room to demolish him constantly in nearly every game when they first started playing.

He’d almost felt bad at first, unable to stop himself from laughing whenever Shouyou stares at the screen in shock or throws a pillow at his face. To make matters funnier, this almost always happens whenever Atsumu steals a win from right under his nose with a well-aimed shell. Sometimes, the frustration grips Shouyou hard enough for him to throw himself at Atsumu with threats of beating him up right here right now outside of the game— that feverish thirst for victory glinting in his amber eyes as his hands fists in Atsumu’s shirt— only for Atsumu to succumb as he always does to that determined spirit and pulls Shouyou down so he can meet his demanding mouth. Lately, their wins have been balancing out the more Shouyou plays, but they still end up in the bedroom just as often, their controllers and game forgotten on the living room floor.

The best part of all this of course, is that Atsumu gets to do this. He gets to play video games with Shouyou and be the object of Shouyou’s fury and to kiss him afterwards whenever he wants. It’s his reality now and he gets to have this and keep it. It’s the best.

About an hour later, Shouyou finally beats him for the first time in ten rounds.

“Yes!” he exclaims triumphantly, jumping up and punching his arms in the air. “Take that red shell, Tsumu! That’s what you get for stabbing me with lightning!”

“If you hadn’t knocked me off the course,” Atsumu snipes back, “then I wouldn’t have gotten that lightning!”

Shouyou laughs and sticks out his tongue at him. Atsumu tries not to smile.

“Alright, alright,” he says. “You win fair and square.”

Shouyou bares his teeth in a grin. “Soon I’ll get good enough to beat Pedro the next time I see him!”

Atsumu grins, reaching up to ruffle Shouyou’s hair. “I look forward to it.”

“Oh, right!” Shouyou sits back down next to him. “You could be there too. I’m sure Pedro will have a lot of fun playing you!”

“Even if I destroy both yer asses?” Atsumu smirks.

“I dunno,” Shouyou says. “Pedro’s pretty good too.”

“Well, then I definitely hafta come to Brazil and establish who’s boss,” Atsumu huffs.

Shouyou laughs. “Pedro won’t take that lying down.”

“What else didja guys do for fun in Brazil?” Atsumu asks, abandoning his controller in favor of conversation. He shifts to lean his elbow on the back of the couch. Shouyou turns to face him.

“Pedro was in school at the time so he had to study or do homework a lot, but occasionally we’d go out to eat!” he explains. “We actually didn’t hang out as much as outside of the flat, but we did play Mario Kart and watch a lot of Dragonball Z in Portuguese at home.”

“Whoaaa, DBZ in Portuguese? That sounds so weird!”

Shouyou laughs. “It was kinda funny at first to hear Frieza speak in such a smooth and mature-sounding womanly voice, but then I got used to it. Plus, it helped me a lot with Portuguese!”

“I have to see this someday,” Atsumu says. “Do you have the entire series dubbed?”

“No, they belong to Pedro… but I do have the first season of One Piece in Portuguese!”

“No way, we totally have to watch that!”

“Sure! Maybe next time we’re at my apartment.” Shouyou grins. “I can show you a few videos on Youtube first if you want.”

“Let’s do it.”

 

*

When the time comes to go to dinner, the two of them clean up the game controllers, get properly dressed, and head out.

They arrive at the barbecue place just a few minutes late. Since the restaurant is located on a busy street near Ebisu Bridge, their cab had to take a few detours to avoid pedestrian traffic. Upon opening the doors and stepping outside though, the tantalizing aroma of grilled meat greets them, causing their mouths to water at once.

Samu and Kita are already halfway through their first round of sake when the hostess shows them to their table. Kita sets down his cup and greets them as Atsumu pulls out the chair beside his old captain.

“How were the meetings?” Atsumu asks.

“Plain old,” Samu replies, shifting a little so Shouyou can squeeze into the seat next to him. “Nothin’ you’d find interesting.”

“Good, ‘cos that was just a courtesy ask,” Atsumu says, grabbing a cup so he can pour some sake for Shouyou and himself. “I don’t really care.”

Kita chuckles. “Don’t tell me you two are still having sibling quarrels over who’s the happier twin?”

Samu crosses his arms with a pout. “I ain’t the one who starts ‘em.”

“C’mon Tsumu,” Shouyou interjects. “Stop lying. I know you want to hear all about it!”

“Ah, it really is just nothin’,” Samu says as Shouyou raises his cup of sake to his lips. “My usual supplier for seafood is starting to raise prices and cut down on some essential fish like mackerel, so I thought about trying to build other connections and see what else we can get. Might be able to expand the menu to include uni or eel, or even branch out to takoyaki. Got lots of options to consider.”

“Ooh, I love uni!” Shouyou beams. “That reminds me, there’s this one place by the beach I played at in Brazil that served the best sea urchin carbonara ever. I wish you could try it, Samu-san!”

“Oh yeah?” he asks with a quick glance and smirk at Atsumu. “Can ya take me next time?”

Atsumu scowls and points an accusatory finger at his twin. “Oi. Yer not crashing me n’ Shouyou’s trip. Go on yer own time!”

“But Shouyou’s invitin’ me, ain’t that right, Shouyou-kun?” Samu smiles. He’s putting on a sweet and innocent look but Atsumu knows better. That bastard. “What would be the point of goin’ without an awesome tour guide like him anyway?”

“Hmph.”

Samu rolls his eyes. “Relax, Tsumu. I’d definitely stay at my own airbnb. Your sappy eyes are already unbearable in public. I’d rather not know what happens behind closed doors.”

Atsumu should be offended, he knows he should, but at Samu’s resignation, he can’t stop the corners of his lips from curling smugly. Shouyou, on the other hand, tries to act casual, but Atsumu can see the tips of his ears turning red.

“Kita-san could come too!” Shouyou suggests, steering the subject elsewhere.

“Oh?” Kita smiles. “Does this mean you already have dates for your trip?”

Shouyou opens his mouth to answer but has to pause as a waitress arrives with the menus.

“Good evening,” she says, handing one to each person. Shouyou opens his up excitedly as she starts listing off the weekend specials.

“Ah… actually—” Samu asserts after she finishes speaking. He flips his copy of the menu over to the first page with all the combo meals. “We’re ready to order.”

Atsumu yawns and sits back, familiar with the ritual. When it comes to barbeque restaurants with combo options, he lets Samu take it away. He already knows what he wants and always orders more than enough.

“…platter of pork belly, the short rib, and… how do you feel about scallops, Kita-san? … Yeah? Sounds like Shouyou-kun wants some. We’ll get that too then. And let’s add some tuna or else Tsumu will whine for the rest of the night— Ya heard me, Tsumu— sorry ma’am— Yes, we’ll have the salad too… Yeah… mhmm, yeah. Let’s start with that for now, thank you.”

The three of them fold up their menus and hand them back to the waitress. She bows and walks back towards the kitchen. Kita turns back to Shouyou.

“You were saying?”

“Oh! About Brazil,” Shouyou continues. “No, we’ve only just started talking about it actually, so no set dates.”

“I mean,” Atsumu interjects, “I was gonna go to Brazil with ya eventually one way or another. I wanna experience the place that made you Ninja Shouyou.”

“Ah, sounds like a pleasant trip, but I wouldn’t wanna impose,” Kita replies.

“Ya wouldn’t be, just by saying that,” Atsumu tells him. “Unlike someone .”

He turns to glare at Samu. Samu merely raises an eyebrow, unphased.

Kita chuckles upon looking between the two of them.

“I do appreciate the invite,” he says kindly to Shouyou, “but it would take alotta careful planning if I were to go, at least on my part. I would have to appoint someone to take care of the farm and my grandma in my absence and make sure everything can still run smoothly.”

“But you take breaks sometimes, don’t you, Kita-san?” Shouyou asks. “When was the last time you were on vacation?”

“Of course, breaks are important,” Kita agreed. “Though I haven’t gone on a real vacation in a while.”

He falls silent for a moment, looking deep in thought. As he stares off into space, a gentle, enigmatic smile spreads across his lips.

“I take breaks,” he says, “but I prefer to stay in the area when I do, or at least, in the part of Japan I’m most used to. Goin’ on a trip is nice, and it’s nice when someone can make that part of their routine of life. But for me, I’m content where I am. My routines on the farm, including my visits to the shop and any breaks I take — they really ground me. Maybe someday, I’ll venture out of the country for a brief vacation, but really, what I mean to say is that I very much enjoy the natural ebb and flow of it all.”

Atsumu shifts his gaze over to Shouyou, who looks awed and interested in everything Kita’s saying. It’s adorable. Atsumu can feel himself smile at the sight of it. Propping his elbow on the table, he leans against his hand and continues staring at the misty glimmer in those wide amber eyes.

“Whoa. That was beautiful,” Shouyou breathes. He looks up at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment, then continues, “I can relate! Although now that I think about it, I didn't used to like routine. I just wanted to do all the cool flashy stuff on the court and get good at volleyball as fast as possible. Kageyama always yelled at me for it, but I understood it later. He wasn’t just good at volleyball, he also kept up his daily routines. Hearing you say all this now — it reminds me of Brazil. I do have routines here too, but, well…”

Shouyou breaks off with a grin, his eyes crinkling.

“I just miss it, that’s all!”

Atsumu smiles. Seeing Shouyou’s love for Brazil makes him happy. There’s a certain dazzle about him that’s different from the exuberant joy he radiates when he scores a point.

Across the table, Samu’s elbow comes into Atsumu’s line of sight to nudge Shouyou in the arm. Atsumu’s gaze shifts over to his twin and he catches, in the tiniest of milliseconds — ‘cos it’s impossible as each other’s carbon copies not to notice — a shadow passing in his brief sidelong glance at Atsumu before he turns to Shouyou and says, “I’m sure you’ll get to visit soon.”

Shouyou nods, but before Atsumu can wonder about the expression in Samu’s eyes, he looks directly at Atsumu and proclaims, “Yeah, and I’m definitely taking Tsumu with me!”

Atsumu’s heart skips a beat, all other thoughts forgotten in an instant. To hear Shouyou promise something in their future so earnestly and in front of other witnesses is like music to his ears.

Atsumu beams at him. “And I look forward to it.”

“God, Tsumu,” Samu groans, dragging a hand over his eyes. “This ain’t even my restaurant and you’re makin’ me wanna clean it.”

“What?” Atsumu gawks. “Ya never get mad at Shouyou for the same shit!”

“That’s ‘cos no matter how sappy he gets, he doesn’t look as disgusting as you.”

“I—! We have the same face!

“That’s exactly what makes it worse. I have never looked that sappy in my life.” Samu turns to Kita. “Kita, if ya ever see that embarrassin’ look on my face, please take me out immediately.”

“No promises,” Kita says with a light chuckle. “Though, I think it rather suits Atsumu, don’t you?”

Samu grumbles and mutters something under his breath.

“What was that?” Atsumu calls out, cupping a hand to his ear. “I couldn’t hear ya snivelling over there.”

“I said ‘Nothin’ cute ever suits Atsumu’!

“You—”

Kita claps a hand on Atsumu’s shoulder, giving him pause. He lets out a small cough and shakes his head.

Both Samu and Atsumu cross their arms and look away with a shared Hmph! at the same time.

“So… is this what you had to deal with in high school?” Shouyou asks, an amused smile playing on his lips as he looks back and forth between the two.

Kita laughs. “Oh, no. It was much worse back then. I hope they don’t give ya too hard of a time with their regular quarrels.”

Shouyou shakes his head. “No way. Witnessing their brotherly love? That’s the good stuff!”

Samu crinkles his nose. “Gross.”

YER gross!” Atsumu retaliates.

“You got siblings, Hinata?” Kita asks Shouyou before Samu can retort.

“Just one little sister,” he replies. “She’s a handful.”

“She’s a lot cuter than Samu, that’s for sure,” Atsumu adds. Samu throws him a dirty look.

Atsumu is saved in that moment by the waitress coming back with a few platters of their combo order. As she sets the pork belly in front of him, Atsumu feels a little tap on his feet. He looks up and sees Shouyou smiling coyly at him.

Lips curling, he returns the smile, then picks up his chopsticks in preparation to eat.

Kita claps his hands together and the rest of them follow suit.

“Itadakimasu!”

With the food here, Samu’s attention is fully taken by the meal, leaving Kita, Shouyou, and Atsumu to continue their discussion about life and work balance. Atsumu listens more than contributes to the conversation, content to hear what both of them have to say while he busies himself with cooking and eating meat.

After dinner, they decide to take a stroll through the city to walk off the food. Since Shouyou has only been to the iconic Glico man once, they start heading over there at once.

They’re strolling through the outdoor shopping center before the river when Shouyou asks, “Did you guys come here often back in high school?”

“The general area or the Glico man?” Samu replies.

“Both!”

“Ehh, yeah but not as often as ya think,” Atsumu says. “We sometimes hung out in the general area but the closer ya get to Glico, the more crowded and annoying it gets.”

“It’s funny how that works,” Kita smiles. “Local attractions tend to be less interesting for those who grew up in the place.”

“It’s a sight we grew up seeing pretty often,” Samu adds. “Often enough, anyway.”

“Ohh! Like Kenma and Nekoma with the Tokyo Tower,” Shouyou says, his face pinched as though troubled by a memory. The kitty cats must have made fun of him, Atsumu guesses.

“Well, I’ve never lived in Tokyo and I don’t care to see it,” Atsumu asserts. “So what if they have a tower? Osaka has towers too. We’re way cooler.”

“Oi, who was the one who lost their shit when we passed Tokyo Tower the first time we went to Tokyo for a game?” Samu interjects, elbowing Atsumu in the ribs.

“Ow! We were twelve!!” Atsumu shoves Samu’s shoulder with his own. “And anyway the main point is that Shouyou doesn’t need to feel bad about not growin’ up near it!”

“I appreciate you, Tsumu-san!” Shouyou chimes.

Atsumu’s chest tingles with delight. Wrapping an arm around Shouyou’s neck, he pulls him closer to him as they walk on. Stupid Samu. What does he know anyway?

“No worries,” Atsumu says, bringing his mouth closer to Shouyou’s ear. “I’ll show you all the cool spots in Osaka, but through a local’s eyes. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Shouyou grins. “Deal.”

“Gimme a sec,” Samu suddenly announces. Breaking away from the group, he walks forward towards a Family Mart up ahead, then turns back around. “I wanna grab a drink. Want anything?”

“I’m good, thank you,” Kita says, raising a hand. Shouyou shakes his head. Atsumu blurts out, “Get me a coke.”

Samu gives a lazy wave of his hand in acknowledgment before heading into the shop, leaving the three of them to stand by in wait.

“So what kinda things did you guys do in Osaka when you were growing up?” Shouyou asks.

“Hmm,” Kita ponders for a second. “I can't speak for the twins but I like taking walks by the river or going to the temple on special days and holidays—”

“Going on runs by the rice paddy fields and eating at the best ramen shop in town at the end of the road,” Atsumu continues. “We’d come to the city sometimes to eat and hang out, too. Plus, granny likes to do her shopping here sometimes.”

“It’s probably a lot less different from your own experiences in Sendai than you’d expect,” Kita adds.

A few minutes later, Samu comes back out with the drinks. He tosses the bottle of coke at Atsumu who catches it, and they move on.

“This was historically a theater district,” Kita tells Shouyou as they emerge from the indoor shopping strip and out into the plaza of neon lights and signs. As always, the giant crab animatronic above Kani Doraku’s restaurant greets them with its moving legs and the glowing pufferfish sign at Zuboraya looms over the crowds. Shouyou looks up at all the sights with wide-eyed wonder, an awed gasp on his lips as Kita continues to speak.

“There were several Kabuki and Bunraku theatres in the area before it was bombed during World War II. When Dontonburi was rebuilt, the main goal was to improve the water quality in the canal. Now, as you can see, it’s grown into a place full of good restaurants and high fashion.”

“Whoaaaaa.” Shouyou turns his head this way and that, trying to take in everything all at once. When they finally reach the Ebisu bridge where large crowds are gathered to take photos of every sign and angle around the canal, Kita starts listing off some facts about the Glico man. Eagerly listening, Shouyou sticks close to Kita as they push their way through the crowd to the front of the bridge.

Not wanting to fight with other people, Atsumu hangs back and smiles, watching Shouyou nodding along to Kita as he continues speaking. It occurs to him then that although he’s been dating Shouyou for a few months now, this is the first time Shouyou has gotten to interact with his life prior to MSBY.

Aside from hanging out with Samu and meeting their gran, Shouyou hasn’t really had a chance to interact with anyone else from their hometown. Now that he’s seeing Shouyou bond with other old school friends like Kita in some of Osaka’s popular hangout spots, Atsumu feels, for the first time, that Shouyou is finally traipsing further into his world. Whatever his life was before Shouyou, before Shouyou joined MSBY, before they started dating, and after — the threads of their lives are now truly starting to blend. Atsumu looks forward to witnessing the threads continue to intermix even more.

“It’s nice to see them gettin’ along well.”

Atsumu turns and sees Samu, who’s standing next to him with his arms crossed. He flashes Atsumu a quick side glance before staring back ahead at Shouyou and Kita. Samu’s usually trying to ruin these moments, but he’s.. saying something positive?

“Yeah,” Atsumu agrees. “Yeah, it is.”

And then, just when he thinks Samu is being reasonable for once, Samu sighs. (What could he possibly have to sigh about??)

“What?”

“Just… Don’t get too used to the way things are.”

Atsumu frowns. That was unexpected.

“The hell d’ya mean?”

“I don’t know,” Samu says, as infuriatingly vague and impassive as usual. “It’s just— life.”

“Oi.” Atsumu leans forward and twists his neck to glare at his twin. “Ya can’t just say ominous shit like that and not follow it up with an explanation! Are ya tryin’ta say Shouyou and Kita won’t get along forever??”

“No, ya drip.” Samu rolls his eyes. “I just know you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Samu tilts his head and gives him a pitying look. “Ya’ve got that look on yer face. Ya know, the one that’s all, ‘I’m on top of the world!’”

“What?” Atsumu sqwuaks. “Get outta here, yer jus’ pullin’ this shit outta yer ass!”

“I’m not,” Samu says calmly. “I’m sayin’ it based on experience.”

Atsumu’s huffs. “What do you know about me n’ Shouyou anyway?? Everything’s perfect. He’s not a traitor like you.”

Samu sighs once again. “That’s not what I— never mind.”

He promptly cuts off their conversation when he sees Kita and Shouyou making their way back to them. Atsumu narrows his eyes at Samu but says nothing more.

“Ready to go home?” Atsumu asks Shouyou, stretching an arm out so Shouyou can slot himself into place there.

“Yeah. Is Samu-san giving us a ride?”

“He better,” Atsumu scowls, glaring at his twin.

“Relax,” Samu says. “I ain’t that cold.”

“Shotgun,” Atsumu calls at once. “Twin privileges.”

“How old are ya?” Samu rolls his eyes. “And besides, Kita has visitation rights and elder privileges.”

Atsumu lets out a loud groan. “FINE. I’ll just be gross with Shouyou in the backseat.”

“Please don’t.”

“Kidding.  …Or am I?”

“He’s kidding,” Shouyou asserts with a toothy grin. Atsumu feels rough fingers squeezing him at his side. “He’s too scared of Kita-san to— AHHHAHA!”

In that moment Atsumu squeezes Shouyou back right beneath the ribs, causing him to break off with a yelp and a laugh.

“Ya wanna try sayin’ that again?” Atsumu threatens, without real heat. “Huh? Say it again to my face!”

Shouyou continues laughing and tries to break free from his grasp but Atsumu only tightens his arm around his neck, dragging Shouyou into him, and ruffles his hair.

“Jeez, quit makin’ a scene,” Samu drones from behind. Kita merely chuckles.

After a few more half-hearted attempts to escape, Shouyou stops struggling and relaxes against Atsumu. As Atsumu loosens his grip, Shouyou looks up at him, cheeks flushed and pure mirth twinkling in his eyes. It’s a look that never fails to get Atsumu’s heart racing fast, his spirits high— the feeling that anything in the world is possible.

Atsumu’s convinced. There’s no greater feeling.

What the hell does Samu know? he thinks to himself when they get in the car. Enveloped in darkness save for the faint glow of street lights from the dashboard window, Shouyou interlaces their fingers together and rests his head on Atsumu’s shoulder.

Things with Shouyou are perfect. He couldn’t ask for anything better.


*

They arrive back at Atsumu’s apartment just a few minutes before ten. Shouyou blinks and opens his eyes as the dim lights overhead turn on with Atsumu opening the car door.

“We’re here,” Atsumu says, nudging Shouyou’s side.

He yawns and stretches, then undoes his seatbelt.

“You tired already?” Atsumu grins. “It’s only ten.”

“That’s why I wanted to power nap!” Shouyou answers.

“Oh — Are you gonna be okay driving home later, Kita?” Atsumu asks, realizing that for him, the time is probably considered late. “Isn't it like, almost a two hour drive?”

“I was gonna ask that,” Samu interjects, sounding sullen — though for what, Atsumu has no idea why.

“Big deal, I asked first,” Atsumu scowls. Then with a small smirk, he adds, “Guess I’m just a more considerate friend!”

Samu hmphs and looks away. With a light chuckle, Kita holds a courteous hand up and replies, “I’ll be fine. I’ve got nothin’ going on tomorrow. One late night won’t kill me.”

Samu considers this for a moment. “You can always stay over and drive home in the morning if you’d like.”

“Ah, thank you for the offer, but I wouldn’t wanna put any of you out,” Kita tells them.

“It’s no trouble at all!” Atsumu and Samu both speak at once.

Kita laughs. “Atsumu, you should go on up with Hinata; don’t worry ‘bout me. I’ll figure it out.”

“Well, okay, if yer sure,” Atsumu says, sliding out of his seat. Once Shouyou follows him out, he shuts the car door behind him.

Kita rolls down his window. “I’m sure I’ll see you both around the next time I visit.”

“Come as often as ya’d like!” Atsumu waves.

“Ooh, can we visit you at your farm sometime, Kita-san?” Shouyou asks eagerly, hovering close to his car door.

“Sure,” Kita smiles. “That would be great. You’re certainly more than welcome anytime. Just come on out the next time Osamu drives up.”

“Yeah, Tsumu owes me more than a week’s worth of labor anyway,” Samu calls out from the driver’s seat. “Put him to work in the sun!”

“Shut up!” Atsumu growls. “I said I’d make it up to ya!”

“Ya have to admit, a little farm work would do ya some—”

Samu falls silent at once with a sharp glance from Kita.

“Just come out next time, you two,” Kita says, turning back to Atsumu and Shouyou. “I’ll look forward to seeing you both then.”

“Yosh!!” Shouyou exclaims before bowing and waving goodbye. “Thank you, Kita-san!!”

“See ya later, then,” Atsumu says with a smile.

After a final wave, Kita and Samu drive off. Atsumu turns to unlock the door to his apartment complex.

“It’s still only ten,” Atsumu tells Shouyou as he holds the door open for him. “Didja wanna stay a bit?”

“‘Course,” Shouyou replies, walking in. They get in the elevator and Atsumu punches the number for their way up.

“Had fun today?” Atsumu asks. Leaning against the elevator wall, he looms over Shouyou and smiles down at him.

“Mhmm!” Shouyou nods. “Kita-san is so cool! It was fun talking to him.”

Atsumu chuckles and lifts a hand to brush his knuckles over Shouyou’s cheek.

“Good. I’m glad.”

Shouyou grins and leans into his touch. It makes Atsumu so happy to see Shouyou so genuinely content like this. If he could take mental pictures, he’d be filling his film rolls to the brim with every one of these moments. 

Shouyou seems to sense his thoughts. His eyes lock onto Atsumu’s, holding his gaze. Reaching out, he grabs onto Atsumu’s jacket and wets his lips.

The elevator doors swing open. Shouyou backs out into the hallway, tugging Atsumu forward as he goes. He doesn’t stop until his back touches the door to Atsumu’s apartment, until Atsumu’s elbow is pressed against the wall next to him. The darkening amber of his eyes causes Atsumu’s breath to hitch. The air grows warm and heavy between them. Whatever small amount of sake they had at the restaurant, it certainly pales in comparison to how intoxicated Atsumu feels now.

All other thoughts leave his mind. Cupping Shouyou by the jaw, Atsumu leans in and presses his open mouth to his.

It takes him a while of fumbling with his keys while Shouyou hangs onto his neck before Atsumu finally unlocks his door and pulls Shouyou inside. Much quicker is their route to the bedroom, wherein Atsumu scoops Shouyou up in his arms with ease and clumsily navigates a path through the living room.

Plopping him down on his bed, Atsumu pauses, his nose a few inches away from Shouyou’s.

“No practice tomorrow,” he murmurs. As if to prove his point that they can take their time, he slows his pace and dips down for a deeper but gentler kiss. Shouyou breathes him in and wraps his arms around Atsumu’s shoulders.

“No practice tomorrow,” Shouyou repeats, smiling against Atsumu’s lips as he pulls him closer.

Shouyou is achingly beautiful in every way. It takes everything in Atsumu not to come apart when Shouyou runs a finger down his spine and folds his legs around Atsumu’s hips until they drop and he finds himself up against Shouyou’s matching hardness.

Going slow be damned. Shouyou always has a way of making Atsumu impatient. Before long, clothes are shed and sheets are wrinkled. Shouyou’s grip on him never loosens until the very end. After they are spent, Atsumu rolls onto his back dragging Shouyou with him and wraps them both under his blanket. Together, they fall asleep to the sound of their deep, steady breathing.

 


 

The first time Shouyou sleeps over happens by accident.

About a month into their relationship, they had come back from an izakaya after having a few drinks and ended up cuddling in bed while chatting about volleyball and life. Before either of them had realized it, they’d already talked themselves past midnight and were too exhausted to do the whole Good night, I’ll see you tomorrow thing. Atsumu had told Shouyou he was free to stay over if he likes, and so he had.

From that day forward, even though Shouyou doesn’t sleep over every single night, or even every single week, there is always a spare toothbrush in Atsumu’s bathroom just for him. Occasionally, a sweater one size too small pops up in his laundry. The kitchen cupboards begin to fill with ingredients and snacks from two people’s diets. Before long, Shouyou more or less starts living here part-time. There’s no conversation or plan to it; it just happens, the same way Shouyou had effortlessly carved his way into Atsumu’s life seven years ago and lingered in his mind ever since.

Presently, Atsumu opens his eyes and is once again treated to a peaceful albeit sideways view of Shouyou sleeping with his cheek pressed up against his pillow. The sight of him as always makes him smile, and he reaches a hand out to brush a lock of ginger hair aside from Shouyou’s forehead.

They’ve been dating for a little over four months now. Shouyou already spends half his time when they’re not doing volleyball stuff here. They spend almost every part of their daily lives together. How soon is too soon?

Atsumu moves his hand and slides his arm down to rest upon Shouyou’s bare shoulders. Shouyou (bless his soul) remains asleep.

Would it be selfish for him to ask? It’s not like they’ve ever followed the same conventions or standards as other couples do, and he’s sure neither him and Shouyou could care less about what a ‘normal pace’ is anyway, but somehow, asking to move in together officially still feels like a big step. He’s not sure why.

Shouyou wrinkles his nose, then yawns. He gives a few bleary blink of his eyes before opening them halfway. Atsumu’s heart squeezes. It’s adorable.

“Mornin,’” Atsumu says in a low voice.

“Hi,” Shouyou greets back.

It could be like this every morning, everyday, with no end in sight.

What happened to no honeymoon period, huh? a voice that sounds suspiciously like Samu’s suddenly speaks up in his mind.

Atsumu tries not to scowl outwardly, but even as Samu’s voice enters his thoughts, his mind becomes suddenly clear.

Yeah, that’s exactly it, Samu, he thinks. It’s because the honeymoon period doesn’t exist that he doesn’t need to ask Shouyou outright. He and Shouyou love each other, there’s no doubt about that. Even after four-plus months, Atsumu is still just as smitten with Shouyou as he was after their first match all those years ago and, if possible, even more now. They’ll progress naturally the way they will. There’s no need to put start dates or end dates on anything because everyday is like a ‘honeymoon phase’. That’s the beauty of it all.

And besides, Shouyou’s own apartment lease isn’t up yet. Atsumu is sure that by then, things will work itself out the way they should. No need to worry about it now.

Something in his face must show despite his efforts to remain impassive because after a moment, Shouyou raises an eyebrow and asks “What’re you thinking about?”

Atsumu smiles and pulls him closer. “Nothin’. Just thinkin’ about how much I love waking up to you next to me.”

Shouyou lets out a cute little chuckle as Atsumu moves forward for a kiss. “You say that every time I sleep over.”

“‘Cause it’s true,” Atsumu mutters against his lips. Shouyou opens his mouth and rolls over onto Atsumu’s chest.

It’s a slow and sleepy kiss. Atsumu relaxes his jaw as Shouyou’s tongue pushes its way in, taking its sweet time to circle back before doing it again. Atsumu can’t get enough of him.

“Whaddya want for breakfast?” Shouyou asks after a minute, pulling back to look down at him.

“You,” Atsumu replies without hesitation.

“Tsumu…” Shouyou laughs as Atsumu lifts his head up to try and kiss him again.

“Are you objectin’?”

“Nooo…” Shouyou says, leaning in to oblige him with another kiss. “Just— maybe later.”

Atsumu knows he’s right and it’d be sensible to get up and do something else for the day, but he couldn’t help but tease him anyway.

“Mmkay. What do you want?” Atsumu asks. “Wanna cook or go out?”

Shouyou thinks about it for a second, then: “I’ll make some eggs!”

Untangling himself from Atsumu’s arms, he leaps out of bed and starts putting his clothes on.

“There’s natto and leftover rice in the fridge,” Atsumu tells him. Ingredients he makes certain to have a lot of on hand now that Shouyou stays over so often.

“Got it,” he replies before heading out of the bedroom.

A few moments later, Atsumu hears the bathroom sink running water as Shouyou brushes his teeth. He supposes he ought to get dressed too.

The smell of eggs frying on a pan fills his senses when Atsumu emerges from the bedroom. Walking up to Shouyou from behind, Atsumu wraps an arm around his waist and plants a kiss on the crown of his head.

“Want me to heat up the rice?” Atsumu asks.

“Yeah, could you?”

“On it.”

Quiet mornings like these are the best. It’s nothing more than preparing breakfast together, but as Atsumu scoops out two bowls of rice to microwave, he can’t help but think it’s the greatest feeling in the world to be able to share that with Shouyou.

Once the bowls of rice and natto are ready, Shouyou slides two over-easy eggs onto Atsumu’s bowl, then cracks another raw one over his own and pours in a generous serving of soy sauce to top it off.

“Mmm, ya always know how to cook mine just right,” Atsumu says, ruffling Shouyou’s hair. The two of them take their bowls and go sit down on the couch.

“Itadakimasu!!”

The eggs, though simple, are cooked exactly to his liking. They both chew their food in utter bliss. They’ve got each other’s habits down by heart. He loves when eggs are over-easy and Shouyou’s favorite dish ever is Tamago Kake Gohan, often with natto for good measure. Their preferences, and by extension, the way they fit together, make everything easy.

Shouyou is easy to love; that’s all there is to it.

Halfway through their meal, Shouyou’s phone rings. Shouyou pauses his eating and cranes his neck around to look at it. His face brightens.

“It’s Heitor!” he exclaims, picking his phone up from beside him on the couch. “I wonder what he’s up to.”

With a quick glance at Atsumu, he swipes to answer the FaceTime call.

“Alô?”

“Alô, Shoyo?!”

“Heitor! Nice!! Como vão as coisas?”

“Vão bem! E ai?”

“Bem, também!”

As they continue to jabber on in Portuguese, Atsumu listens to the exchange in silence, not understanding a word beyond the initial greetings. He slows down his chewing so that he’s less disruptive while they talk.

“O que vocês estão fazendo acordados tão tarde?” he hears Shouyou ask.

Heitor replies and continues speaking in rapid Portuguese. Shouyou answers as best as he can, though Atsumu can tell some of the words sound a bit clumsy on his lips. He’s probably gotten rustier over the last few months, which makes sense. Atsumu catches a few random words in English here and there, presumably because they know Shouyou’s vocabulary might still be limited. From what he can gather based on the tone in their voices and occasional English, it sounds like they are expressing how long it’s been since they’ve last talked or seen each other.

In the middle of one of Nice’s sentences however, Shouyou gasps and exclaims with delight, startling Atsumu and causing him to almost drop his bowl of rice.

“Oh, wow!! That’s awesome!” he cries out in Japanese, forgetting himself completely in the heat of excitement. “I mean— Que legal!

“Hm?” Atsumu looks over at him and tilts his head in confusion as Shouyou asks a follow up question.

“Oh! Uhh— Wait!” he quickly inserts, turning his phone just enough to catch both him and Atsumu in the frame. “Este é Atsumu!”

Caught off guard by this sudden introduction, Atsumu does his best to sit up and rearrange himself, holding up a hand to give them an awkward wave. Inside the screen, two drop-dead gorgeous people are sitting together on a couch in what looks like a fairly colorful room in casual nighttime lighting.

“Olá!” they say, waving up at Atsumu.

“Olá,” Atsumu tries to echo back, hoping he isn’t butchering such a simple word too badly. His English isn’t the best either but he tries anyway to ask, Umm, how’re you?”

“Good, good!” they reply. Then turning to Shouyou, they ask, “Seu amigo?”

“Ah— heh heh…” Shouyou chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Namorado.”

Nice lets out a sweet gushing noise at this word and beams at both of them. “Ele é tão bonito quanto você!”

“Sim!” Shouyou laughs. He turns to Atsumu and grins. “Hee. I told them you’re my boyfriend and they said you're as handsome as me.”

“Oh.” Atsumu’s brain short circuits. Holy shit holy shit Shouyou just introduced me as the boyfriend .

Squeezing himself closer against Shouyou’s shoulders, he leans further into the frame and says, “Noooo, Shouyou’s way more handsome!”

Shouyou translates these words in broken Portuguese for their benefit, then adds, “Não é verdade.”

Heitor and Nice laugh and make some more jokes, possibly at Atsumu’s expense, or maybe Shouyou’s, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s really neat to be able to meet Shouyou’s partner in Brazil and he couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity and this moment.

After a few moments, Shouyou changes the subject and asks them a question.

“Oh, right!” he whips around to Atsumu, as though remembering something. “They were just saying earlier that Nice is pregnant again! That’s child number three!”

“Ohhh, wow!” Atsumu nods, now understanding Shouyou’s initial outburst. “Congratulations!” he tells them in English.

“Thank you, thank you!”

The three of them continue to converse in Portuguese. Atsumu pulls away and out of the frame to allow them space to talk and catch up. In the meantime, he collects their mostly empty bowls and returns to the kitchen to do the dishes.

Once he’s done, he decides to occupy himself with some Mario Kart while Shouyou is still on call. Taking a seat on the floor, he leans back against Shouyou’s legs and starts up the game.

In the middle of his fourth round, he starts hearing the flow of the conversation dwindle to an end. Based on the random Japanese tics Shouyou includes in his speech as he talks himself into saying the next few phrases properly, Atsumu guesses that he’s expressing how excited he is to see them again. Then, with a final shared “Tchau!” Shouyou hangs up and sinks back into the couch with a happy sigh.

“Had fun?” Atsumu asks with a smile.

“It’s so nice catching up with them,” he responds. Atsumu exits out of his current race and sets the controller on the coffee table.

“They seem really cool,” Atsumu tells him. “And they’re both super gorgeous.”

“Aren’t they?” Shouyou grins. “And a third kid! I'm so happy for them! And to think how I was there when they— Oh! Did I ever tell you how they got engaged?”

“I don’t think so, no.”

Ready to hear the tale, Atsumu’s twists around and rests his chin on Shouyou’s knee.

“So when we teamed up for my last tournament in Brazil, Heitor said to me at the beginning of our final game that if we won, he’d propose to Nice!”

“Oh, shit. No pressure.”

“Right? Like playing volleyball with your life on the line!”

“Huh…” Atsumu considers this for a moment. He imagines telling Samu that he’ll ask Shouyou to move in together if they win their last game of the season two weeks from now. The idea fills him with a strange thrill. “Ya know, that’s not a bad idea. It’s like a self-motivator. A way to kick yer own ass whether ya win or lose.”

“I thought he was pretty brave,” Shouyou says in an awed voice, “‘cause I’d never thought of it before! I’m always motivated to win.”

Atsumu smiles and pushes himself up so he can give Shouyou a swift kiss on the lips. “I know ya are. And that’s why I love you so much.”

Shouyou grins sheepishly, then continues.

“So then of course, we’re both super fired up and eager to win. Things were looking really good for us at first too, because we started on the wind’s good side of the court and racked up a ton of points! But then, it turns out the guys we were up against had it all planned out. After our first two sets, they decided to let us have the good side first so that at the very, very end, they could be the ones starting on the good side. They did all that just to make sure they’d have the advantage before the finish line!”

“Whaaaaat. Beach volleyball is intense .”

“Right?” Shouyou emphasizes, growing more and more excited from his own story.

“But wait, that means ya both lost?” Atsumu asks, confused. “Didn’t you say Heitor promised himself he’d—?”

“Yep! He was definitely a bit disappointed in himself and even apologized to me too… but then! When Nice came up to us, he started apologizing to her too, saying all this stuff about how he promises he’ll work harder and all, but before he could finish, guess what happened? Nice predicted what he was going to say, and then she proposed to him !”

Atsumu lets out a low whistle. “Wow. Now that’s a helluva woman.”

Shouyou laughs. “Definitely. And of course, he said yes.”

“No kiddin’,” Atsumu says. “He’d be an idiot not to.”

“Their wedding was beautiful— and it was the first friend-wedding I've ever been to,” Shouyou continues with far-off nostalgia in his eyes.

Atsumu watches as Shouyou loses himself in the memory for a moment. Whenever he falls into a spell of reminiscence like this, Shouyou’s face seems to take on this ethereal and transient quality. It’s beautiful and sweet and makes Atsumu himself feel homesick for places he’s never known. Out of nowhere, a strong burning desire to understand, to catch a glimpse of all the other lives Shouyou has lived, to be even closer to him, fires up in his chest. There’s still a lot he doesn’t know about Shouyou.

“That must’ve been special,” Atsumu says softly.

“Yeah… Yeah, it was.” The corner of Shouyou’s lips raise as he absentmindedly slides a hand through Atsumu’s hair. It feels nice and cozy; Atsumu would wag his tail if he had one.

“Anyways!” Shouyou beams, coming back out of his reverie. “I can’t wait to meet their kids!”

“I hope I can meet all of them someday,” Atsumu says.

“Soon,” Shouyou tells him, bringing a hand up to stroke along Atsumu’s jaw. “Maybe this summer, even.”

Atsumu smiles. “Mmkay.”

It sounds like a promise. Atsumu wants to hold onto it.

“Wait… it’s already March. Shouldn’t we start looking into flights?” Atsumu asks.

“Oh! Well, we still have time,” Shouyou assured him. “A lot of flight deals come up about two months beforehand. I can always keep an eye on it though!”

“Sounds good.”

“Yep, I was thinking of looking out for August or September flights, before next season picks up.”

“Shit, yeah, and we have the Olympics to think about too…” Atsumu trails off, frowning as he considers their overall timeline. There isn’t going to be a lot of room for breaks, let alone vacations.

Shouyou suddenly sits up at the mention of the Olympics, fully alert and serious.

“Speaking of the Olympics, we need to do our daily exercises today!”

“Right, right.”

Atsumu lets out a great exhale and stands up so he can stretch out his arms and torso. He reaches a hand out to Shouyou, who takes it, and pulls him up off the couch.

“Remember, it’s Sunday, so let’s take it easy, ‘kay?” Atsumu says, clapping Shouyou on the back. He can almost feel Kita’s eyes looking on with approval at these words. “Can’t hurt ourselves or get sick before our last few games.”

“I know, I know.” Shouyou walks past him excitedly back towards the bedroom, eager to get dressed and hit the gym. “We’ll work out and practice for a few hours, then have dinner at Samu’s!”

Atsumu follows him, chuckling to himself as Shouyou starts singing into some silly song about beef while he changes (“Niiku, niku, niku! We gotta eat our niku!”).

 


 

Their final volleyball match ends on a high note. They close out the season in first place, winning championships for the second year in the running. To top it all off, Atsumu receives both the best setter and best server award — (“To nobody’s surprise!” says Shouyou), although Samu makes some joke about how ‘it’s probably ‘cos Tobio-kun’s in Italy’, completely ignoring the fact that Atsumu got the best server award last year too. (Yeah, who’s the happier twin, huh?)

Outside, the first hints of spring finally begin to liven up the city. Whatever icy chill that had been clinging to the air melts away, replaced overnight by a warmer breeze. The cherry blossoms are almost in bloom, blue skies full of promise and new beginnings.

Being the volleyball nerds that they are, a couple members on the team celebrate their victory and the nicer weather the only way they know how: by playing even more volleyball. Now that their season is over, Shouyou convinces Bokkun and Omi-kun to incorporate the occasional beach volleyball into their training regime for the Olympics (—not that Bokkun needed any convincing; it was all Sakusa who had to be goaded, mostly by Atsumu’s snide remarks that he was probably too afraid to look like an idiot when he eats the sand).

Inunaki and Adriah Tomas, out of curiosity, end up joining their first outing. Shouyou explains some of the beach-specific rules on the car ride there. Atsumu tries his best to listen but is thoroughly distracted by the dri-fit his boyfriend is wearing. It hugs Shouyou’s arms in all the right places and its dark color makes his entire body appear all the more sleeker. Indeed, when Shouyou had first come out of his apartment that morning, Atsumu’s throat dried up fast and his brain short circuited. Beach volleyball is better than indoor volleyball, he decided at once. It’s really such a shame that dri-fit isn’t needed during their regular practice sessions, though it’s probably for the best. It’s also a hella good thing he ain’t driving today.

Once they arrive, they head out to one of the nets by the shore and start setting up and applying sunscreen on themselves. Since they have six people present, Shouyou suggests they switch off between rounds of 2-on-2’s. Inunaki and Adriah decide to sit the first one out, leaving Atsumu and Shouyou to team up against Bokkun and Omi-kun. Excited to start, Atsumu gives Shouyou a double handed high five, then sprints across the beach to take his place on the other side of the net.

“Is it fair to let them be a team?” Omi-kun frowns, gazing skeptically at Atsumu and Shouyou while he continues stretching his arms. “They’re dating.”

“It’s okay, Omi-san!!” Shouyou reassures him, taking his place by Atsumu’s side. “That’s why we’re switching off! You can be my partner next!”

“Greeaat. Looking forward to it,” he deadpans in response, looking as enthused as a dead fish.

“Oi! Anyone would be lucky to pair up with Shouyou!” Atsumu says, pointing at Sakusa with the volleyball in his hand. “Just wait. I’ll be servin’ up sand to yer face!”

Omi-kun snorts. “I’d like to see you try.”

“You will!” Atsumu shouts before walking up to the boundary line for his serve.

Of course, because the gods always seem to enjoy giving Atsumu a hard time (most likely for testing them so often), Atsumu is the one who eats sand first.

“Ow— FUCK,” he curses, spitting the unpleasant and grainy mess out from his mouth. He had dived for a ball that Bokuto had sent — and really, after years of playing with Bokkun, Atsumu should’ve definitely seen that feint coming — and found himself falling face-first to the ground. Somewhere along the way, his foot had been absorbed by the sand and sucked in, causing whatever sense of balance he usually has on the court to fly out into the ocean.

“The sand EATS you!!” he squawks, horrified as he stares at the ground before him. He can hear the rest of the team laughing around him. “It’s like a monster! It just grabbed my ankle!”

“It does that sometimes,” Shouyou laughs, reaching a hand out to help him up. “You’ll get used to it. Promise.”

“You’re the real monster,” Atsumu says in an awed voice as he gazes up at Shouyou. Now that he’s experiencing the sand for himself, it’s like he’s suddenly seeing Shouyou in a new light. This isn’t just the little crow from Karasuno who chases the high of volleyball like it’s grub. This is truly Ninja Shouyou, the beast full of unexpected surprises who was crazy enough to travel all the way to Brazil to train for two years on the beach.

“It’s amazing how incredible you are,” he breathes, taking his hand.

Shouyou merely grins and wraps an arm around his shoulder so he can pull him up.

“I love you, by the way, have I told you that?” Atsumu murmurs. He’s sure everyone can see the expression on his face right now — the kind of soppy and gross expression that would make Samu gag — but he can’t be bothered to hide it. Shouyou is the hottest man ever and he’s dating him. It’s awesome.

“Tsum-Tsum!!” Bokuto calls out, interrupting their moment. (God, his voice is loud.) “Give us the ball! It’s our serve!!”

“Yeah, quit dawdling, you lovebirds,” Adriah adds.

“Yeah, yeah,” Atsumu grumbles, dusting himself off before grabbing the ball and throwing it over the net towards Bokuto. “I hope all of ya eat dirt!”

Unfortunately for Atsumu, neither Sakusa nor Bokuto ever fall face-first into the sand. Bokuto nearly slips once, but he quickly recovers like the abnormally sure-footed guy he is. Omi-kun, on the other hand, is simply too careful and deliberate with all his movements. Atsumu can see the gears in his head turning as he attempts to calculate the wind driftage before setting the ball to Bokkun. Atsumu himself has a tricky time tossing the ball. The first three tries end in huge frustrating failures, with Shouyou telling him Don’t mind! and offering some advice for how to bend to the ways of the wind. Bokkun eats up every word out of Shouyou’s mouth with an awed and excited look on his face while Omi-kun’s scowl simply deepens in thought.

Before any of them can even begin to understand the true nature of the wind, Shouyou tells them it’s time to switch sides.

“Beach volleyball is super cool! ” Bokuto declares, both of his fists punching the air. “I can’t believe you did this for two years, Hinata!!”

“Oh!!” Shouyou reacts, his eyes becoming large and round as he’s thrilled to be praised by Bokkun at all. “Thank you, Bokuto-san!!”

“I can see now how Brazil has made you as a player,” Bokuto continues. He pauses in his tracks then lights up, an idea hitting him. “Maybe if we all train together on the beach for the whole summer, we’ll also improve at ten times the speed as normal!”

“That’s not how it works,” Sakusa mutters. Bokuto ignores him, or perhaps he couldn’t hear— he and Shouyou are now bouncing up and down on the sand in agreement after all.

Atsumu smirks as he watches them. They’ve been so focused on winning the past season as a team that it’s been a while since he’s felt this exhilarating, competitive spirit among the four of them. It feels good. Invigorating. He can’t wait for the Olympics.

It takes a while for the three of them to adjust to outdoor beach conditions, but after a few more turns, they start to get the hang of things.

With the advantage of Shouyou on his side, he and Atsumu win the first two sets. The two of them high five once again as Inunaki announces their win in a bored voice. When Atsumu turns around to retrieve his water bottle, he finds himself face to face with Sakusa, who’s now staring intensely down at Shouyou with a serious expression.

“You said we would pair up next, right?” Omi-kun asks him. “I need to work on my balance. And tossing.”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Atsumu interjects, stretching his arms out to block Shouyou’s form. “If ya wanna improve on tossin’, wouldn’t ya ask to partner with me?”

Sakusa spares him one glance of disgust before saying, “No.”

“What?!” Atsumu squawks, offended. “Don’t forget yer talkin’ to the man who won Best Setter of the year!”

“Oh no,” Inunaki says, completely ignoring Atsumu. “You got Omi started on something, Hinata. Now he’s never gonna quit.”

“Ha!” Bokuto jumps in with a laugh. “That makes Hinata sound like a drug!”

Sakusa scowls. “There’s nothing addictive about this scenario. And even if there was, Hinata wouldn’t be the substance.”

“It’s okay, you can admit you’re addicted to bettering yourself in volleyball,” Adriah adds.

In the midst of all this, Atsumu’s quip about being the best setter to partner with lies forgotten. He sighs audibly and mutters, “I really did take ya for granted, Aran-kun.”

Somewhere in Tokyo, he imagines Aran sneezing and chuckles to himself.

“Alright, it’s decided then,” Inunaki calls out after a few moments. “Adriah and I will play with Hinata and Sakusa next. Atsumu, keep score. Bokuto— keep him company.”

“Whaa—?”

But before Atsumu can protest, Bokuto pounces on him and hooks an arm around his shoulder.

“Looks like it’s you and me again!” he yells cheerfully.

“Whoopee,” Atsumu intones in a sullen voice. “Hope Omi-kun eats sand this time.”

The two of them take a seat by the side of the court. Now that Atsumu is officially on the spectator side, he realizes it will be a laugh watching Inunaki, a libero, play all different sorts of roles on the beach. Adriah serves first. He puts a finger up to the sky, gauging the strength and direction of the wind, before stepping a few paces back for the run-up and going for it.

“Hey, Tsum-Tsum,” Bokkun says, looking unusually thoughtful as he watches the game. “Have you ever thought about going abroad?”

“Huh?” Atsumu whips around to look at him. The question seems to have come out of nowhere. “What, like on vacation?”

“When I was young, I thought it would be cool to play volleyball for Poland or Brazil,” Bokuto continues. His fingers are absentmindedly tracing circles around in the sand. The reason for this being on Bokuto’s mind suddenly makes sense to Atsumu. “And Hinata sort of had a taste of that, but lucky Ushiwaka got to go for real!”

Atsumu raises a brow. He was under the impression that Bokuto had received at least one call by the end of last season but that he didn’t take them, given that he is clearly still around. “Didn’t ya get scouted?”

Bokuto frowns, though it looks more like a pout. “Not by Poland. But I did just get an offer from France—”

“Whoa, congrats!” Atsumu says. “They’re not doing too bad these days. Are ya gonna go for it?”

Before Bokuto can respond, a voice interrupts them from the net.

“Oi, Miya. Are you paying attention?” comes Omi-kun’s voice.

“Tsumu!! We got the first point!” Shouyou exclaims.

“Huh?” Atsumu turns back to them. “Oh, right. I’ll make note of it!”

He pulls out his phone and quickly types in their two teams and the current score. Bokuto cheers for them and Atsumu watches as Shouyou shakes the sand off the ball and prepares for his serve.

As Shouyou tosses the ball into the air and jumps up to meet it, Bokuto lets out a mild hum beside him.

“Would you go?” he asks.

“Wha—?” It takes Atsumu a few seconds to remember what Bokkun is replying to. “Oh — er — to France? It seems nice,  but I dunno—”

“Not France, necessarily,” Bokkun amends. “I mean, anywhere.’

“Well…” Atsumu’s eyes trail back to Shouyou. He’s diving for the ball while Omi-kun prepares himself to follow up with a set. In all honesty, it’s a no, though he’d never given much thought to it or anything in the first place. Visiting abroad sounds fantastic, of course, but he’s never actually considered what it would be like to suddenly live in a totally different country long term. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t know why it’s always been a no-brainer. “Prob’ly not.”

“Did you get called up, too?” Bokkun asks.

“Yeah,” Atsumu replies. There was the one from Bulgaria last year, and then the U.S. this past year. “Just a few here and there. I said no, obviously.”

“Why ‘obviously’?”

“‘Cause I’m here, aren’t I?”

“No, no, no — what was obvious about it?”

“What?”

A cheer arises from Inunaki and Adriah’s side. Atsumu jots down their point.

“What was obvious about saying no,” Bokkun clarifies, raising his eyebrows.

“I didn’t— well—” Atsumu frowns. He really hadn’t meant to say that his choice to stay had been obvious, but now that Bokkun brings it up, he supposes it’s not wholly inaccurate either. Bokkun sure does have a way with carrying nonlinear conversations. “Dunno… I guess I never really thought about leavin’ Japan.”

It isn’t something he needs to think about, nor is it something he’s unsure of either. He’s not particularly that patriotic either. Perhaps because he’d grown up being so competitive with Samu, the idea of going pro abroad had just never occurred to him. Not even when he first heard word of Shouyou embarking on his self-development journey to Brazil.

“Huh? Really? Why not?” Bokkun asks. “Is it ‘cos of family?”

Atsumu considers for a moment, then shrugs. He supposes the desire simply never appealed directly to him.

“Dunno.”

“Point!” he hears Shouyou shout. He quickly bumps the number under ‘Sakusa / Hinata’ on his phone.

The two of them fall silent as they continue watching the game. Inunaki falls face first in the sand after trying to dive for the ball, most likely attempting one of his usual amazing libero saves, except, as expected, it doesn’t quite translate as well. Omi-kun stares between him and the rest of the court with a concentrated look as though he’s trying to solve a difficult math problem. The look on his face alone gives Atsumu hives. His fingers itch with a sudden need to get back on the court. It ain’t fair. Omi-kun gets extra practice ahead of him with Shouyou. Atsumu refuses to fall behind.

After the point goes to Shouyou and Omi-kun once again, Atsumu suddenly remembers that Bokkun hadn’t finished telling him about France.

“So are ya going or not?” he asks, turning to look at Bokuto. “Ya never said.”

“Oh! Yeah!” Bokkun replies.

“Ya are??”

“Oh! No.”

“Wha—?” Atsumu furrows his brows, confused. “So which is it?”

“I meant: ‘Oh, yeah! No,’ ” Bokkun explains, with feeling. “No… The timing just doesn’t feel right.”

“Timing?” Atsumu laughs. “Is that what yer basin’ these decisions on?”

“Sorta?” Bokuto tilts his head, looking confused himself. “I was going back and forth in my head but so far, everything I’m getting from the universe makes going abroad feel wrong. It could change in the future, of course! Who knows? But right now, it doesn’t feel right. I think, for now… I’m happy where I am.”

“Happy,” Atsumu repeats, turning the word over in his head. “ Happy…

His eyes shift back to the game, snapping easily into place onto one particular head of bright orange hair. Atsumu’s lips curl. Yeah, he can understand what Bokkun is saying. He’s happy where he is now. Sure, he can always improve and get better until he’s really one of the best men’s volleyball players ever in Japan, but at this point, what would he have to gain when he already feels like he’s at the top of the world?

Noticing where Atsumu’s attention has gone, Bokkun scrutinizes him thoughtfully and says, “Although I’m sure if you ever did want to go abroad, Hinata will understand!”

“What?” Atsumu turns back to him. “Oh— well, yeah, I s’pose he would. I really haven’t even thought about leavin’ though. My gran would prob’ly be the saddest actually.”

Bokuto laughs. “Mine too!”

“Aaaaaughh!” Shouyou’s voice calls out from the net. Atsumu looks up and has to suppress a laugh. He’s bent over with his hands and knees in the sand, apologizing profusely to Omi-kun for fumbling the last toss. Omi-kun doesn’t seem too fussed though, but he seems reluctant to help him up, as that involves touching another human being. Guess that’s a point for ‘Inunaki / Tomas.’

Atsumu and Bokkun spend the rest of the game watching and cheering both teams on. In the end, Shouyou and Omi-kun win (— though Atsumu is quick to note that as a team, he and Shouyou scored higher by two points).

Having played two rounds and possessing a greater advantage by default of his experience in Brazil, Shouyou decides to sit out for the next game and sends Atsumu into the fray.

“You’ve been adjusting to the environment really fast!” Shouyou tells him as he starts pushing Atsumu forward into the sandy court. “I was watching you closely during our first round.”

It’s a simple compliment but it fills Atsumu with a surge of pleasure. His cheeks flush and he looks away from the rest of the team — he already gives them enough fodder to use against him as it is without becoming a red-faced mess in front of them — and focuses instead of Shouyou.

“R-really?” he stammers. Internally, he cringes at how high his voice sounds.

“Yeah!” Shouyou beams, giving him a thumbs up.

Atsumu can’t help himself. Reaching out, he tugs on Shouyou’s wrist and pulls him in, just close enough to whisper in his ear, “We’ll circle back to this later.”

Shouyou gives him an enigmatic smile when Atsumu loosens his grip and backs away. Omi-kun gives him a disgusted expression as he walks towards the net with a stupid grin on his face. So much for not giving the team more fodder.

Still determined to better himself at beach volleyball, Omi-kun silently refuses to leave the court. The others get the message quick, so Bokuto and Adriah pair up, leaving Atsumu no choice but to partner with his prickly ole porcupine of a teammate.

“Didn’t you say you could teach us a thing or two as the ‘Best Setter in Japan’?” Omi-kun reminds him with a flat tone.

“SHUT UP, OMI-OMI.”

They play game after game for the rest of the afternoon, rotating and mixing teams every round. Indeed, Atsumu does find opportunities to give Omi-kun and Bokkun advice about setting. Atsumu starts to really grow accustomed to the wind and the sand. Coupled with the cry of seagulls and the crashing of waves, he finds himself shifting easily into the calm, meditative state of mind he’s developed from all the yoga sessions with Shouyou by the beach. Gratitude, peace, going with the flow, becoming one with nature — all of them are practices that he’s built into his very being, the way food converts to muscle converts to subconscious memories. So much of what he’s learned now is Shouyou’s influence. Atsumu makes a mental note to tell him later.

Exhausted and spent, the six of them finally call it a day before the sun starts to set. Atsumu and Bokuto collapse onto the sand with their arms outstretched, sighing happily. This is an important part of any volleyball activity that Atsumu has learned to love: the rewarding come-down at the end of a hard day’s work when their bodies seek relaxation.

“I could go for some barbecue right now,” Bokkun mumbles, sounding dreamy and blissed out from a day of practice under the sun. “Niku-mon… I’m coming for you.”

“I wanna go to an all-you-can-eat buffet myself,” Atsumu drones, his mouth starting to water the second he mentions it. “Everything sounds so good right now.”

Atsumu stares up at the sky. A touch of purple has already begun to tinge its canvas. Out of nowhere, a wisp of orange pops into view— followed by the rest of Shouyou’s upside down face.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Shouoyu grins.

“Shouyou,” Atsumu breathes, a slow smile spreading across his face. “C’mere, beautiful.”

Reaching a hand up, he cups Shouyou’s cheek and pulls him down to meet him. His lips taste chapped and sunkissed — just the way he likes them.

“So tell me,” Atsumu murmurs, loosening his grip on Shouyou’s neck. “What were you sayin’ about watchin’ me earlier?”

“Mmm, just that…” Shouyou flips onto his back and rolls over until he’s pressed up against Atsumu’s chest. “Your skills translate over to beach so well, you’re always aware and thinking about all the moving pieces around you…”

Atsumu turns his head to him with a lazy smile. “Go on.”

“I like how attentive you are, how adaptable you are… the way your tongue sticks out a bit when you set… oh, and you look really good playing volleyball in a tank top and sunglasses.”

Atsumu lets out a quiet chuckle and slides a finger across Shouyou’s jaw. “Ya know… I think I could say the same about you.”

He leans in and is barely touching noses with Shouyou when he’s interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat.

“When you three have finished fooling around, you can help us load Inunaki’s car,” Sakusa’s voice speaks.

Shouyou pulls away and sits up, shouting, “Yes, Omi-san! Will do!” while Bokuto protests, “Wha—? I wasn’t fooling around!” from Atsumu’s other side.

Atsumu scowls as both Shouyou and Bokkun scramble up to their feet. If only Omi-kun could have left them alone for just another minute…

“C’mon, let’s help clean up,” Shouyou says, offering a hand to Atsumu. With great reluctance, he takes it and allows Shouyou to pull him up. Before he releases his hand, however, Shouyou squeezes his palm and winks, mouthing, Later , setting Atsumu’s indignation to rest.

“Fine,” Atsumu huffs, though he returns Shouyou’s smile with a dopey one of his own.

Later, Shouyou’s voice echoes in his mind. With all his earlier compliments about Atsumu replaying continuously like an audio tape through his head, Atsumu holds onto this last word, given in silence. They’re going to have future beach practice and many more opportunities to continue whatever is left unfinished. Shouyou is right; there is always later.