Work Text:
Adrift by BrokenAnchor
Shoyou was 6 when he first met Atsumu.
His old neighbors had moved out of the neighborhood ages ago. The house next door was barren with no life visible for an eternity. The flowers in the garden had begun to wilt and the weeds in the front yard became overgrown. Leaves fell onto the driveway, only being swept away by the wind. Overall, it was a depressing sight. Hinata hadn’t liked the neighbors who lived there and he didn’t interact with them. But, with the news that new people were arriving soon, Hinata couldn’t help but be excited at the possibility of a new experience: a new adventure.
Every day, Hinata Manami, Shoyou’s mother, had to deal with her son’s antics. Day after day, the boy waited by the window from sunup to sundown. He waited for the new neighbors that were nowhere to be seen. In anticipation, he watched the sun float across the sky, drowning every day in the shadows of the night. He stared at the trees that swayed in the breeze and he watched as the leaves piled up. He took note of each and every insect that buzzed past the yard and he watched as the grass grew taller and taller. One thought on his mind: Where are they?
He was beginning to grow restless and impatient. And with news that the first day of school was coming around the corner, he couldn’t help but feel hopeless. He sighed and pouted, staring at the raindrops racing down his window. The clouds were crying and the sky, gloomy.
And then, like the eye of a hurricane, the calm before a storm, he was given a reprieve. On a warm day nearing the end of summer, a truck rolled into the driveway, plowing through the maple leaves that had laid rest for weeks.
Hinata had just gotten home from school. Another average school day that consisted of him attempting to befriend his peers, but failing to do so. Another fruitless attempt on another ordinary day. Tossing his bag carelessly on the couch, he rushed upstairs in frustration, tears beginning to surge in the corners of his eyes. Pupils dilated and eyes wide, he stared out the window, optimism slowly beginning to fade away.
And like the end of a drought, his eyes burst with newly found excitement as he watched a gray car park in the driveway. With a jump of delight and a shout, he rushed downstairs, chattering.
“Kaa-san! They’re here! They’re here! They’re finally here!” he jubilantly exclaimed.
“I know, Shoyou,” she said, fondly. Reaching up to ruffle his hair, she smiled lightly.
See, the thing about Hinata Shoyou was that he didn’t have many friends at school. Actually, scratch that, ever since the first day of school, he wasn’t able to make any friends at all. Many kids found that he was too energetic, bouncing off the walls day after day like an untied balloon that had just been let go. Others found that he was plain annoying, with his chatter filling the classroom day after day. Some kids thought he was just plain weird, mainly due to the fact that his added sound effects in the middle of sentences just didn’t make sense, at all.
All his life, the boy wanted a friend. He was an only child (as of yet) and he wanted somebody to play in the yard with. His mother couldn’t afford a dog – a cat could be nice too, Kaa-san! He had said when the topic was brought up– and his father was always busy, working hard to bring a paycheck home. He wanted somebody that could bike around the neighborhood with, laughing and joking around. He wanted somebody who he could eat popsicles with on a hot summer day after a nice relaxing afternoon at the pool. Most of all, he wanted somebody to ease his sadness.
“Kaa-san?” he said, looking up at her. “Can I go meet the new neighbors?” he asked, tilting his head cutely with his eyes wide.
She nodded and he squeezed her into a tight hug. “Thank you! Thank you! I love you, Kaa-san!”
Ever since his mother had told him that 2 boys around his age were moving in next door, he was overjoyed. From the moment he woke up to the second he came home from school, his thoughts flashed to the thought of making new friends. He wondered what they looked like every day – Maybe they have black hair and red eyes! Oooo! Or maybe they have blond hair and blue eyes! Oooo! Or maybe they’re six feet tall and strong enough to lift trees! He giggled at the dinner table. His parents looked at the scene in adoration–
He jumped off the couch and ran to the hallway in a dead sprint, narrowly missing a flower pot. His feet pressed against the hardwood and he stumbled a few times, but he managed to catch himself before he could get seriously hurt.
A call of “Shoyou! Be careful!” reached his ears and he yelled out an “Ok!” before he continued on his way, still ignoring his mother’s warning. Banging his foot against the foot of the dinner table, he doubled over in pain before standing up soon afterward. No pain was worse than missing out on an adventure.
The pain subsided as he ran, like a wave rushing back into the ocean. He reached the front door and sat down, legs outstretched in front of him. Grabbing his sneakers, he tugged them onto his feet, left foot first. Tying the laces sloppily, he laced them up, tightening them so that they wouldn’t fall off.
With a nod of approval, he stood up, using his hand to push himself off the floor. He twisted the doorknob and shouted a quick farewell before stepping onto the ‘Welcome!’ mat. Running down the stairs and tripping on the last step, he stumbled across the yard, eager to meet the new neighbors.
Meanwhile, 2 curious boys popped out of the gray car and looked eagerly at the new house, oblivious to the ball of sunshine that was running towards them. Their curious brown eyes stared at the leaves in the driveway that acted as a blanket. Kicking over a pile, one of the boys yawned and rubbed his eyes. They had just woken up after a terribly long drive from the other end of the country.
“So this is Miyagi, huh?” the other boy wondered aloud, talking to himself. His hair was framed so that his hair flipped to the left. A small puddle of drool was beginning to dry from his shoulder, a sign that somebody had slept next to him, using his shoulder as a pillow.
The other boy hummed, his hair was flipped to the right. Two stray strands stuck up from the back of his head, a tell-tale sign that he had just woken up. His hand wiped his mouth, the remains of spit dampening the skin on his hand.
A cry cracked the peaceful atmosphere and their heads turned to the origin, a young boy that was trampling over flowers to reach them. A grin was present on his face and his hands swayed as he ran. The sound of grass being stepped on reached their ears.
“Woah! Calm down!” one of the boys rushed out.
“Yeah, we aren’t going anywhere. We just got here,” the other side, tone indifferent.
In an attempt to catch his breath, Hinata stood in a squat-like position, hands on his knees. Looking up with his eyes filled with delight, he sucked in a deep breath before smiling. “Hi! I’m your new neighbor. I’m 6 years old and I’m 3 feet and 3 inches tall. That doesn’t matter though, because when I get older I’m gonna be like a giant!”
The two boys glanced at each other, side-eyeing Hinata. With a wave and a bright smile, one of them spoke, breaking the silence, “Hi, there. I’m Miya Atsumu and the grouch next to me is my twin brother, Miya Osamu. We’re both 7 years old.”
The other boy, Osamu, narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to retort, “You can’t disrespect yer elders, ‘Tsumu,” he said, sticking out his tongue, “don’t forget that ‘m older by 12 minutes.”
Atsumu rolled his eyes and paid no attention. Instead, he chose to look at the boy in front of him, up and down, taking note of the white shirt that had the words ‘Shine!’ printed on the cotton fabric, right where the boy’s heart was. The shirt was big on him, he noted. It reached to the ends of his knees.
“I waited everyday for an entire month to meet you!” he grinned, emphasizing the word ‘entire’. “When you finally came I ran down the halls like Bam! and Whoosh! Because I was so excited! I hit my foot on a table, though,” he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Continuing, he looked up at Atsumu, “It’s fine, though! The pain went away while I was tying my shoes! Aren’t they cool? All white and shiny? Oh, Kaa-san is going to be mad at me because I trampled all over the flowers and-”
He was cut off by a snicker and a similar giggle, originating from the two boys in front of him. Atsumu, after composing himself, opened his mouth to talk to the confused boy, whose head was tilted to the side in confusion. “Oh, man! You sure talk a LOT! You got quite the yapper on you, dontcha?” he chuckled, tugging the corner of Hinata’s mouth, stretching the skin a bit.
A frown reached Hinata’s lips and his eyes became watery. One thought crossed his mind after hearing those words: They don’t like me…
This wasn’t the first time that he had heard that god-awful phrase. The other kids said the same thing as they laughed at him. However, this was an entirely different situation. At school, he paid no attention to the kids and instead, chose to laugh it off, putting on a brave face to hide the fact that he was crying inside.
“Shut up, ‘Tsumu,” Osamu said unamused, with his eyes rolling in a circle, “Yer making the little kid sad.”
The subject pouted and looked at his shiny white shoes. A lone tear escaping the prison that was his eyes, trailing down his puffy red cheeks. “ ‘m not sad!”
Atsumu, out of his breath from his laughing fit, stuttered, “H-Hey! Don’t cry! Oh my god! Osamu! What do I do?” he rushed out, eyes widening in panic. He turned to look at his brother in desperation.
“Oh my god, yer hopeless,” his twin sighed, “just apologize.”
“Um,” he started, looking at the kid, unsure. Finding his words, he continued, “I didn’t mean it like that! It’s a good thing! Yeah… uh… a good thing,” he nodded his head, affirmatively.
Hinata looked at Atsumu, wiping his tears away. His forehead wrinkled and his eyebrows knit together. Confused, he asked, “What’s that mean?”
“Uhh…I uh… I liked it, I guess?” Atsumu tried, “I don’t know how to word it, but I get like that, too, sometimes. Ya know? When you get so excited that words just fall out of yer mouth? Like you just ate some good food and sounds just burst out of yer mouth? Or when you see some cool animal?” Atsumu laughed, a carefree look replacing his previous panic. His brown eyes stared at the sky in wonder and a calm breeze flew past them, causing his hair to blow slightly in the wind.
“You do?” Hinata questioned, still unsure. Confusion etched onto his features, still.
“Yee-up!” Osamu hummed, popping the ‘p’. “ ‘Tsumu always does that. It’s a little annoying, but you get used to it. He’s still an idiot, though.”
A tick mark present on his face, Atsumu shouted, “Hey! That’s mean! If I’m an idiot, then yer even more of an idiot!”
“Is that the best ya got? That was terrible!” Osamu mocked, laughing at his brother’s attempt at a jab, “only an idiot can say something so stupid ! Yer an idiot! An idiot! Baka~” Osamu retorted, sticking his tongue out childishly, his hand at the top of his head, fingers outstretched, waving back and forth in a mocking manner.
“Don’t call me that!” Atsumu fought, eyebrows furrowed in anger. His lips narrowed in a thin frown and he glared at his brother, jaw clenching tight. “Yer stupid! Yeah, that’s right! I called you stupid!” he barked back. He crossed his arms and huffed, a confident look replacing his frown. Turning his head to the side, he looked away from Osamu as if he was a lowly peasant ( That’ll show him! He’s an idiot! Not me! I’m the better twin! Atsumu thought.)
Laughter broke them out of their argument and they stared at the source, confused. They had forgotten that the little guy was still in front of them. “You guys are funny!” Hinata giggled, eyes crinkling a bit as he laughed. A shit-eating grin plastered across his face as he watched the two arguing, firing insults back and forth.
The two couldn’t help but smile back. Afterall, Hinata’s smile was a bit contagious. Scratch that, it was very contagious. Soon enough, the bickering came to a close and the performance ended, altering into laughter.
Later that night, Atsumu whispered to his brother as he laid in bed, tucked in. His head turned so that it faced the window that was 5 feet away from his bed, looking outside of the slightly ajar window. A wind blew into the room and the curtains floated for a minute, before dropping back to their original position, unfazed. The moon shined, a dim light entering the room, illuminating his form. The lonely hoots of an owl echoed throughout the room. “Hey ‘Samu?”
Yeah? What’s up ‘Tsumu?” the other twin whispered back, head turning to look at his brother.
“I think I’m in love,” Atsumu confessed, still looking out of the window that was slightly ajar. A dreamy look etched on his face and his thoughts flashed to the thoughts of the boy next store.
Osamu, from his own bed, grabbed a pillow and chucked it across the room, so that it hit Atsumu square in the face, knocking him out of his thoughts. “Yer an idiot,” he giggled, satisfied with the sound of the pillow hitting flesh.
Laughter and giggles followed soon afterward, as the two fought, smushing each other with fluffy pillows.
Atsumu was 7 when he fell in love with the sun.
+
Atsumu was 8 when he first picked up a volleyball.
“Kaa-san!” a voice rang out, cutting through the silence that had filled the house previously, “can we go and play with Sho-chan? His mom bought him a volleyball!” Atsumu shouted as he looked out the window. He was bouncing on the couch in anticipation, giddy with excitement.
Osamu, on the other hand, was nearing the front door, his shoes tied. Once he heard an ‘ok’ he was going to sprint out of the house, effectively reaching Sho-chan first and beating his brother in a race.
“Sure! Go have fun! Be safe!” a voice called in affirmation.
Osamu was ready. Twisting the knob, he raced across the yard in a dead sprint. Atsumu was going down.
Atsumu, having seen his brother running out, slipped his shoes on in record-speed and slammed the front door with a Bang! There was no way that Osamu was going to beat him. A few strides later and they were neck-and-neck, Osamu being ahead by a hair.
Huffing and puffing, ideas swarmed Osamu’s mind before he landed on one. Slowing down to let Atsumu in front of him, he waited before he pounced. Pushing his younger twin so that he fell into the grass, he snickered deviously. Winning is going to be a piece of cake, now.
However, what he didn’t notice was the hand that was snaking around his ankle. Before long, he was in a similar situation as Atsumu. Like an unstable tower, he collapsed, a few feet in front of his brother, who was slowly getting up. Burning with adrenaline, he, too, stood up. The race wasn’t over yet.
Over long strides and huffs of breath, Atsumu complained, “ ‘S not fair ‘Samu! Ya can’t just push me!”
Gasping, Osamu responded, “If I can’t push you, then ya can’t trip me,” he groaned, body still hurting from his inelegant fall. Pain burst from his hip, like a flower in bloom. He tried his best to ignore it. Instead, he focused on the current battle. 10 feet till the finish. 5 feet. 3. Almost there. And with a dive, Osamu won, successfully being the one to reach Hinata first, tapping him on his ankle to signify his finish.
In a similar situation, Atsumu’s hand tapped Hinata’s left shoulder, and with a shout, he rushed out a question, “Who won!”
A giggle rang out and the answer was evident.
Laughing, Atsumu puffed his chest out in confidence. “See that ‘Samu? I’m the better twin!”
Osamu rolled his eyes and looked up at Hinata, “tell him who the real winner is, Sho-chan,” he said.
“Sorry ‘Tsumu, but ‘Samu won,” he stated, tone light, as he bounced the volleyball up and down with his outstretched arms. He glanced every now and then at the ball, eyebrows knit in concentration and eyes narrowed, as if the ball offended him in some sort of way.
Jaw-dropped and gaping, Atsumu decided to voice his grievances, “Sho-can! You betrayed me!”
Osamu’s hand moved to his mouth and he faked a yawn, “See, yer no match for me! It wasn’t even hard to beat you,” he jeered.
Atsumu’s mouth opened to retort but was cut off by Hinata.
“If you’re going to keep fighting, we won’t have time to play,” Hinata said in a sing-song voice. He hummed as a bee whizzed past his ears with a woosh. The sound of a car rolling down the street and a lawnmower reached his ears, the smell of freshly cut grass filling his senses.
“Close yer mouth. Yer gonna catch flies and they’re gonna lay eggs in there,” Osamu warned with a sarcastic tone. A grin was plastered across his face and confidence was evident in his eyes.
Atsumu, having enough, tackled his brother, resulting in another fight. Osamu’s eyes widened and his grin disappeared. Eyes narrowed, he fought back. Limbs tangled together, the two pushed and shoved. The twins were in a pile, limbs tangled together as they fought, jabbing at each other with elbows and knees.
“ ‘Tsumu! Get off me! Yer so annoying!” a grumble was heard. Osamu’s face was pushed against the grass, a blade tickling his cheek as a palm forced his head into the grass.
“How am I annoying? Yer legs are all over my face!” Atsumu shouted, in a similar situation as Osamu. His eyes widened as an ant crawled across his face, right under his eye.
With a scream, he let go of Osamu and stood up. “Sho-chan! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off me!”
“Yer such a baby. It’s just an ant,” Osamu said, dusting his knees off.
Hinata, sighing, caught the volleyball with his hands. Looking at the two disappointed, he asked, “Are you guys done fighting? How am I going to be like the Little Giant if I can’t even practice for 2 minutes because you guys are too busy arguing to help me?” he huffed, irritation visible on his face. A pout formed on his lips.
“Awwww! Sho-chan! You look so cute when yer pouting!” Atsumu cooed, having finally gotten the ant off of him. A blush adorned Hinata’s features and his ears became singed with crimson, completely erasing the previous irritation.
He looked down, shuffling his feet, in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “Don’t say embarrassing stuff like that ‘Tsumu. You’re so weird,”
A laugh cut through the air with a knife, “ ‘Samu, look! His ears are bright red! Oh my god! He’s blushing!” Atsumu cackled, doubling over in the grass in laughter.
With a satisfying slap, a volleyball hit Atsumu’s face and left a bright red, circular mark. “Serves the idiot, right,” Osamu said after watching Hinata chuck the ball at his twin.
Osamu rolled his eyes at his brother’s groans. Walking over to Hinata, he began, “Hey, don’t mind him. We can go practice together for the whole day without him,” Osamu reassured, “I’ll get to have you to myself ,” Osamu finished, emphasizing a couple of words.
In betrayal, Atsumu spluttered but was ignored.
“Hey ‘Samu? Can we go?” Hinata asked, looking up at the older boy.
“Yeah, let’s go. Yer gonna be the best player in the whole country after today!” Osamu teased. The two began walking to the backyard, volleyball in Hinata’s hand. “How do you play again?” Osamu asked.
Behind them, Atsumu was still standing there in shock, processing the fact that they left him there. His mind repeated the words over and over as he stared at the spot Hinata was just standing at. Noticing he was abandoned, Atsumu shook his head back and forth and looked around. His eye caught the color of orange and he ran over to the two.
“Well… uh... To set, you have to….” Hinata began explaining the rules, looking up from the volleyball every once in a while to see if the older boy understood. Meanwhile, Osamu nodded in understanding, listening intently as the ginger described the sport.
A voice shouted from behind the two. “Hey! Don’t just leave me here! I wanna play with Sho-chan, too!”
“Hmm? Hey, Sho-chan?” Osamu began.
“Yeah?” Hinata looked up expectantly at the older boy.
“Do you hear something?” Osamu asked, smirking a bit.
“Nope!” Hinata giggled, popping the ‘p’.
“So mean~” Atsumu whined. He was about 5 feet behind the duo, running full-speed. Noticing that they were oblivious that lay ahead, he lunged forward, tackling the two and forcing them to the ground. The grass bent at the weight of the three boys.
“Ack!” was the elegant sound that came from Hinata’s mouth. “ ‘Tsumu! Come on! You're wasting time! You have to set it for me and ‘Samu!” Hinata grumbled. In a teasing voice, he continued, “Maybe ‘Samu is right. He is the better twin. Neh~ Samu-nii-chan let’s just go.”
Blushing bright red, ‘Samu’s eyes widened. Nodding his head flustered, he avoided Hinata’s eyes and instead, chose to focus on his shoes, which suddenly became very interesting. No, seriously. Osamu was so embarrassed that he wanted to avoid Hinata so much at the moment that he was debating on starting a conversation with the white sneakers.
Atsumu’s eyes widened in disbelief and a frustrated look appeared on his face. Eyebrows knit together and forehead wrinkling, Atsumu complained, “Sho-chan! That’s unfair~ Come on, call me Tsumu-nii-chan!”
“I’m sorry? What was that Miya-san?” Hinata teased. On the side, Osamu giggled, embarrassment gone.
“Fine! Be that way!” Atsumu said, stubbornly. He walked towards the backyard silently, ignoring the conversation that his twin and neighbor were having. He stomped towards the volleyball net. The grass experiencing no mercy as he trudged onwards.
“ ‘Tsumu!” Hinata shouted.
A small smile reached Atsumu’s lips, but it quickly disappeared. ( Don’t answer him. Yer supposed to be mad . He thought). Stubbornly, he looked in a different direction, feigning indifference.
“Come on~ Talk to me!” Hinata tried once more.
No response was given.
Whispering between Osamu and Hinata began. Jealousy present in Atsumu’s eyes, he tried his best to ignore them. The chatter lasted for a moment, ending in a fit of giggles before Hinata spoke. “Neh~ Tsumu-nii-chan~ If I kiss you, will you talk to me?”
The reaction was immediate. Atsumu’s neck whipped around to stare at Hinata. He spluttered, cheeks adorning a crimson color. His ears were tinted pink and his eyes were wide, jaw dropped. “S-Sh-Sho-chan! What’d you just say?” He must’ve been hearing things. Yeah, that was definitely what was happening. He was hallucinating because that stupid ant from before had bitten him or something. Yep, that was definitely right.
“I didn’t say anything,” Hinata giggled.
Osamu’s hand flew to his mouth in a pitiful attempt to block out any noise that tried to escape.
Whispering to Osamu, Hinata snickered, “You were right, ‘Samu. Saying that made him soooo red! His face went all Gwah ! and Boom ! He’s a tomato!”
“Pssh! Let’s just play already!” Atsumu grumbled, embarrassed. He looked at the flowers, eyes burning holes in the petals.
A kiss to his left cheek was the response he was answered with, along with another fit of giggles. Of course, Atsumu, in mortification, turned into a stuttering mess.
Hinata was 7 when he first kissed Atsumu, on the cheek, that is.
+
Hinata was 9 when his heart was broken for the first time.
“Hey, Sho-chan?” Atsumu asked, sleepily. Blades of grass laid on his cheeks as he rested. His previously white shirt was stained green due to the amount of rough-housing that occurred before.
The two were currently lying in the grass together, side by side, near a leafy tree. Basking in the sun together, Hinata’s head rested on Atsumu’s chest. Atsumu’s left hand fingered Hinata’s fluffy hair. A volleyball laid to his right, untouched. A butterfly fluttered above them and Hinata stared at it distractedly. Nearby, Osamu was fast asleep, about 4 feet to the left of Hinata, small snores escaping his mouth every so often. It was exactly noon and the sun was directly above them, high in the sky. Not a single cloud was present and the hot summer air warmed them as they were cradled by the grass below.
“Hmm?” Hinata hummed, sleepily, “what’s up, Tsumu-nii-chan?” He turned his head to glance at the older boy.
It was currently summer and they had just finished eating popsicles together after a nice relaxing day at the pool. After an hour of rolling around in the grass and laughter, they had decided to lay in the grass together, to rest for a while. Once Osamu woke up, they were going to go ride their bikes around the neighborhood. By now, this was daily routine for them… Was daily routine, at least.
“ ’m sorry,” Atsumu said, staring at the leaves above him. He dropped his hand to the grass, no longer playing with Hinata’s hair. He fingered the grass beside them, unsure of where to put his hands, before finally, allowing them to clench into fists.
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault,” Hinata sighed.
This was the 5th time Atsumu had apologized during that afternoon alone and Hinata was getting tired of it. He just wanted to spend as much time with him, before things changed. After all, he was going to be alone again in a couple of days.
“But…” Atsumu tried.
“Nii-chan,” Hinata said, seriously. The ginger turned his head to look at the older (now-blond) boy. “It’s not your fault that you’re moving back.”
Atsumu nodded and his hands flew to the face. Burying his face in his hands, he mumbled out another apology. Peeking out of his fingers, Atsumu tilted his head to look at Hinata. He stared, lovingly. “I’ll call you. Everyday. And I’ll join the volleyball team in high school so I can see you again. And I’ll practice my hardest to see you at nationals. I’ll try to visit whenever I can and I’ll study hard at school so I can impress you. And I’ll-”
A breathless chuckle escaped Hinata’s lips. It held no joy. “Ya know. I’m going to miss you,” he said, a hint of sadness in his tone. “You and ‘Samu were my first friends, ya know?”
“Don’t miss me too much. I know ‘m awesome, but you don’t have to flatter me with those words, Sho-chan,” Atsumu teased.
Hinata sat up, abruptly. He stared down at Atsumu, his face indifferent. Confused, Atsumu frowned and stared at the boy. His confusion lasted a full 10 seconds because, almost immediately, grass was shoved in his mouth and down his throat. The sound of laughter reached his ears and his brain processed the actions.
“Oh, ‘Tsumu? There may have been a spider in that pile,” Hinata squeaked, cackling loudly at Atsumu’s face.
Atsumu’s eyes widened ten-fold and a betrayed look crossed his face. He sat up and leaned to the sound, spitting out the blades of grass. Grabbing his shirt, he rubbed his tongue over the fabric, trying to get the taste of grass out of his mouth. Paranoia and fear were present on his face as he tried to find the spider that Hinata had hinted about.
“Oh! Did you eat it?” Hinata laughed.
Face distorting into a grimace, he groaned loudly. “Oh my god, that’s so gross!”
A laugh was his only response.
As payback, he stood up and stretched his legs. Then, he lunged at the boy who squeaked in surprise before taking off like a bullet that was fired from a pistol. Laughing and giggling followed soon afterward as he tried to avoid Atsumu’s hands.
The chase didn’t last long.
Yelping, Hinata was tackled to the ground and the two rolled around in the grass, laughter ringing out. Atsumu grabbed a fistful of dirt and grass and threw it at Hinata’s hair.
Blinking owlishly and feigning innocence, Atsumu looked away immediately. Whistles escaped his mouth as he put up his poor act.
The sun’s rays shined down and Osamu woke to the yelling. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned and began stretching his arms, a groan escaping from his parted lips. Opening one half-lidded eye, he glanced at the two boys before finally deciding to go back to sleep. It was better off to not get involved at this point. After all, he really liked this shirt and didn’t want dirt balls thrown at it anytime soon.
Atsumu was 10 when they last saw each other.
+
Hinata was 14 when Atsumu confessed.
They were on the phone together, having spoken almost every day since the Miya family had moved away. It was 11 o’clock and Hinata had just played his first and last match of volleyball in his middle school career. Atsumu listened intently while he listened to Hinata’s rants about a rude black-haired “King” and the insults that jabbered out of his ( Kageyama Tobio , Atsumu noted.) mouth.
“Like who says that? I’ve worked so hard practicing as hard as I could and all he does is spit in my face and ask what I’ve been doing for the past 3 months?” Hinata ranted, “it pissed me off so much, ‘Tsumu. I should’ve punched him.”
Atsumu guffawed, “Sho-chan!”
Laughter followed suit from both ends of the phone.
And with a grin, Atsumu said, “And besides you couldn’t even reach his face if you tried to punch him.”
Hinata snickered over the phone, “Yeah, I know. It doesn’t hurt to try, though. Maybe I should’ve asked somebody to set the ball for me so I could spike a volleyball to his face.”
Atsumu smiled fondly and he stared at the ceiling. The only thing illuminating the room was the faint light coming from Osamu’s phone. The idiot had fallen asleep surfing the web again.
Even in their new house, they still shared the room. It was similar to their old one in the sense that the floor was spotless and that the furniture was the exact same. A photo stood proudly on the nightstand between the two beds, depicting an image of 3 boys, leaves stuck in their hair. The middle boy had 2 hands up in a peace sign, eyes closed and grinning. A hand was on his head, ruffling his hair a bit. The owner of the hand was a blond boy who was casually licking a popsicle. On the other side of the photo, another boy was pictured, laughing, dirt smeared across his cheek.
Atsumu sighed and stared at his brother’s sleeping form, “Hold up, Sho-chan. Gimme a minute. I gotta plug ‘Samu's phone in because he crashed without plugging it in. The idiot.”
“Isn’t ‘Samu-nii-chan doing better in school than you? Funny that you can call him an idiot,” Hinata said, a hint of sarcasm echoing out of the phone.
Atsumu pouted in the dark.
“You’re pouting aren’t you, ‘Tsum ‘Tsum ?” Hinata snickered.
“Shut up!” Atsumu fired back. He rolled his eyes and a fond smile appeared on his face. ( God I miss him , Atsumu thought).
“Mmh… I know you so well don’t I, ‘Tsumu,” Hinata murmured, sleepily. A yawn sounded from the other end of the phone. “ ‘m tired, ‘Tsumu. ‘m gonna go to sleep soon.”
Comfortable silence filled the room for a brief moment.
“Hey, Shoyou?” Atsumu whispered, nervously.
“Hmm?” Hinata responded. Another yawn reached Atsumu’s ears.
“Be my boyfriend?” Atsumu asked. A faint blush splattered across his cheeks like red paint and a smile tugged at his lips. His eyes were half-lidded from sleepiness and his hair was tousled and messy, having tossed and turned around in bed whilst talking to Hinata with wet hair. He stared up at the ceiling, his heart beating quickly.
“Mmh. I’d like that,” Hinata responded, lovingly, “but I guess that doesn’t make you my nii-chan anymore, right?”
“I guess,” Atsumu commented, unsure how to reply.
“How about ‘Tsumu-chan?” he contemplated with a light laugh.
“Haha very funny,” Atsumu said sarcastically. Even though he said that his stomach was fluttering with butterflies and his heart skipped a beat. Thoughts filled his head as he dozed off. An emotion he was all too familiar with roamed his mind: happiness.
Snores echoed from the call on both ends, the two had fallen asleep on FaceTime together.
Atsumu was 15 when he got a boyfriend.
+
Osamu was 15 when he found out about the two.
“It’s too early for this,” Osamu groaned as he listened to his brother recite the story again. He rubbed his temples in an attempt to soothe the headache that was appearing. The chatter of the surrounding classmates filled his ears, worsening the oncoming migraine.
The two were at school, eating lunch together. A large bento box sat between them as they ate from it. The contents of said bento box held onigiri, made from scratch by Osamu.
“It’s literally 11 AM, ‘Samu,” Atsumu shook his head at his brother’s over-dramatic behavior.
“Yer telling me that you actually confessed to the kid?” Osamu asked in disbelief.
“Yup. I think I told you I did about 3 times already,” Atsumu stated, without much thought.
“And my cute little Sho-chan agreed to be yer boyfriend?” Osamu said, shock still evident on his face.
“Yes. I told you this already,” Atsumu sighed. Was his brother always this dumb?
Osamu whipped out his phone and dialed Hinata’s number. Calling him, he was relieved to hear Hinata’s voice almost immediately.
“Hi, nii-chan,” Hinata’s voice said gently. In the background, 2 voices could be hurt. Osamu assumed that they were Hinata’s friends.
“Uhh… Sho-chan? Ya know that ‘Tsumu attracts roaches, right? I can’t believe you agreed! Ya shoulda said no so I could film him crying himself to sleep at night, Sho-chan~ Yer not allowed to date him. As yer nii-chan I forbid it. It’s unbelievable. Unacceptable,” Osamu ranted, distress visible on his face. He rubbed his temple with his left hand. His right hand held the phone to his ear.
“Mmh maybe I should’ve rejected him. I kinda want to see him cry on video,” Hinata chuckled.
“HUH! Sho-chan no! You can’t just do that!” Atsumu cried, desperately.
“Hmm… ‘Samu you’re kinda cute. Wanna be my boyfriend?” Hinata joked. “Oh and ‘Tsumu, consider us ex-boyfriends.”
Osamu laughed and agreed.
“Sho-chan!” he rushed out, “Shoyou? Hina-chan? Hello? You can’t just do that!” Atsumu exclaimed. He faked a tone of distress.
“You know we’re just messing around ‘Tsumu. You’re the only one I’d ever date,” Hinata began, “you’re the only one who makes my heart go GWAHHH! and makes it go super duper fast.”
“Awwww, Sho-chan! Ya always say the sweetest things, dontcha?” Atsumu cooed.
Hinata’s ears singed with a red tint and blood rushed to his cheeks. “S-Stop saying stuff like that ‘Tsumu! It’s embarrassing!” he explained, exasperated. Hinata’s free hand fumbled with his shirt, in an attempt to distract himself from Atsumu’s previous comment. A pout formed on his lips and his friends beside him giggled. The sound of laughter also echoed on Osamu’s side of the call.
“Ya love it. Yer a sap and we both know it.”
Osamu was 15 when he realized that Atsumu and Shoyou were insufferable together.
+
Hinata was 15 when his team accepted him for who he was.
They were on the bus, going home from a practice match that they had won. The snores of his sleeping teammates pulsated throughout the bus. Hinata’s eyes were glued to his phone, excitement in his eyes, crackling like lightning.
It was unusual for Hinata to be so focused on his phone. Normally, he sent a quick message and put his phone away. Tanaka paid no attention to this, but instead, focused on the smile that rested on Hinata’s face.
“Ooooo! Who are you texting, Hinata?” Tanaka’s voice broke through the calming atmosphere. His words caught the attention of his teammates. The ones who weren’t sleeping, that is.
“No one,” Hinata stuttered out, flushing. His amber eyes glanced out the window, shyly. He quickly pocketed his phone.
“You’re blushing! Who are you texting!” Nishinoya shouted, curiously.
“Guys! Leave him alone. If he doesn’t want to tell you guys about his secret girlfriend then he doesn’t want to,” Sugawara lectured. He glared at the two and they visibly shivered, sweat dripping from their foreheads.
A sound broke the tension: a notification. Without thinking, Hinata buried his hand in his pocket, fishing the phone out. A smile appeared on his face and he quickly typed a message, oblivious to the 4 teens staring at him. A giggle escaped his lips.
“Hey, Boke. Who’s distracting you?” Kageyama asked. His tone was indifferent. The only sign that he was even remotely interested was the slight raise of his eyebrows.
“Uhh…” he started, “Um… how do I word this?” he wondered aloud. A finger tapped his chin, a sign that he was thinking. His eyebrows furrowed.
“Just spit it out,” Tsukishima snapped, uncaringly. “You’re disrupting my sleep so can you just get it out already?”
“Fine. I’m texting my boyfriend,” Hinata spilled. His face was bright red and he looked down, twiddling his thumbs like a shy school-girl. Staring at his shoes, he braced himself for the words that he knew would come out, “ That’s gross!” “A boyfriend!” in a disgusted tone.
But none of that came.
“A BOYFRIEND!” Nishinoya cried out in betrayal. He crumpled in his seat, defeated. One thought rang through his mind: There’s no way that Hinata Shoyou, the oblivious little kid, had a boyfriend.
“MY CUTE LITTLE KOUHAI HAS A BOYFRIEND! OH! THE BETRAYAL! THE INJUSTICE! THE AUDACITY!” Tanaka shouted. His hands were placed on his head and he was keeled over in his chair.
“Oh? What’s his name?” Yachi pressed, wanting more information.
“Atsumu. Miya Atsumu. He’s a second year,” Hinata said, a dreamy look on his face. “We’ve known each other since we were kids and we’ve been dating for a year now.”
Hinata was 15 when he told his team he had a boyfriend. They were terribly overdramatic about it, but Hinata still laughed about it.
+
Atsumu was 17 when he met his boyfriend again.
He watched as Karasuno entered the building, swinging the door open with a bang! They trudged in confidently, well, some of them at least. He took note of each player, names coming to his mind as his eyes glanced at each person. They were easy to recognize, especially with Hinata’s extensive descriptions.
His attention turned to the two loud second years that were serenading the pretty manager. ( Tanaka, the baldie, Nishinoya, the short boy, and Kiyoko, the manager with glasses. He noted.) Looking back and forth, he noticed Kageyama, who he had trained with prior to Nationals. He was sipping on a small box of Meiji Milk. The boy pissed him off, terribly.
Behind him, stood a short boy, who was looking to his left and right at light-speed, searching for something… for somebody. His lips were tight, pursed together. Wrinkles formed as his eyebrows crinkled in concentration. He looked at every person on the side of the room, before landing on two almost-identical people, one with blond hair and the other with gray.
Recognition crossed his eyes and he grinned, running forward with a shout of “Nii-chan! ‘Tsumu!”
As his voice cut through the air like a pirates’ cutlass, the eyes of the crowd around him landed on the boy. Atsumu’s team stared at him in confusion, one thought crossing their minds: Who was this kid?
With a giggle and a soft smile, Osamu stretched his arms out as if he was waiting for a hug. At the sight, Hinata jumped at the sight, embracing the older teen. They stood there, hugging for a bit, Osamu twirling the boy for a bit before deciding to let him go.
Immediately, his head turned in Atsumu’s direction and he pounced, jumping on the blond boy. Atsumu steadies himself after almost falling over. His hands were placed under Hinata’s butt while the boy straddled his body, legs around his waist. Hinata’s arms were wrapped loosely around Atsumu’s neck, resting on the boy’s shoulder. He stared down at his boyfriend and whispered, “I missed you, ‘Tsumu.”
Karasuno blushed heavily at the scene. Meanwhile, in a similar situation, Inarizaki was in the same predicament, faces aflame and ears tinged with a scarlet hue.
“ ‘Tsumu, couldn’t you wait?” Osamu sighed, “You aren’t going to take my little brother right here in front of all these people, are you?”
His face turned bright red and his boyfriend laughed.
“Mmh,” Hinata hummed, “I wouldn’t mind,” he finished with a wink.
If it were possible, Karasuno’s blushes deepened a hundred-fold.
“W-What! Osamu, don’t say stuff like that,” Atsumu mumbled, face hot. Turning his head to look at his lover, he whispered, “And you,” he said, giving a pointed look, “don’t agree with him!”
“Oh god!” Osamu laughed, “it’s just like when we were kids! Yer blushing like crazy again!”
Hinata chuckled, “Hey ‘Samu-nii-chan?”
A hum was his response.
“Remember that time he got so mad at us because we were going to practice without him? And then he wouldn’t even talk to us until I called him “ ‘Tsumu-nii-chan” and kissed him on the cheek?” He asked, a wistful look masking his face.
Osamu laughed, “Oh! Those were the days!”
Atsumu groaned, burying his head in Hinata’s shoulder. “I thought you would’ve forgotten about that by now,”
“How could we? You had the biggest crush on Sho-chan ever since the day we first met him,” Osamu grinned.
“Now hold up,” a voice from his team called out, ( Kita-san, Atsumu noted.) “How do you even know him?”
“Oh!” Hinata brightened, “ ‘Samu is my nii-chan and ‘Tsumu is my boyfriend, but we aren’t actually related, we’re just really close. I think we met when I was 6 so that was, uh, 10-ish years ago? Woah, time sure flies by,” he said, “But anyways, we were neighbors when they lived in Miyagi and when we met Atsumu was all Bang! and Gwahhh! like you wouldn’t even know. He was so cool. Samu, too. And uh-”
“Sho-chan, you don’t have to say your whole life story,” Osamu shook his head, exasperated.
“Yeah, I think you overshared a little bit,” Atsumu agreed.
They were met with a pout.
Kita responded, “No no no,” he said, shaking his head and waving his hand, “it’s all good, no harm done.”
Hinata, still in Hinata’s arms, ordered Atsumu to carry him to the bathroom with an “Onward!”
The two walked to their destination, with Osamu not far behind him. Hinata listened intently, a look of pure adoration in his amber eyes, as he watched the two converse..
“I wouldn’t change this for the world,” he mumbled, voicing his thoughts out loud. A smile graced his lips as he hugged Atsumu, burying his head in his lover’s shoulders. Hinata enjoyed the scent of his lover, enjoying the touch.
And like the parents that they are, Sugawara and Daichi silenced Tanaka and Nishinoya, who were about to shout at Atsumu for ‘defiling their kouhai.’ Shaking their heads at the scene, they led the team to the gym, in order to stretch out their limbs before the upcoming match against Tsubakihara.
“We don’t have all day ‘Tsumu. Yer being gross,” Osamu says, a lazy smile on his face.
“Hey! Gimme a break!” Atsumu puffed out his lips in a pout.
“You’re cute, ‘Tsum ‘Tsum,” Hinata drawls out, head looking up to look at his boyfriend.
And with a blush and splutter, Atsumu looks away, suddenly mortified and humiliated.
“You shut him up good, Sho-chan! The guy is so whipped,” Osamu starts.
And with a thought, Osamu decided to add, “Hey, Sho-chan? Did you know that ‘Tsumu talks about you in his sleep?” The hair on Atsumu’s neck stands straight and he shivers at the shit-eating tone of his twin’s voice.
“Shhhh! ‘Samu! You can’t say stuff like that! Yer going ta ruin my reputation!” he says, in a half-whisper.
“Too late, ‘Tsum ‘Tsum ,” his team calls out mockingly from a few feet away, having followed them. And with a snicker, Hinata joins in their laughter.
Hinata was 16 when he was reunited with the love of his life.
+
At age 22, Hinata was met with a promise.
“I’m going to set for you, one day,” Atsumu’s voice proclaimed.
“You’re silly ‘Tsumu” he giggled, “we’re on the same team. You set for me. Everyday.”
“Mmh, I know. But I still like saying it,” Atsumu hums, at peace.
They were nestled together, cuddling in Hinata’s bed, watching a movie together. Their legs were tangled together and blankets were draped over their bodies. Osamu and Hinata Manami were currently cooking dinner together, their chatter loud enough to spill into the room
“Onigiri!” Osamu’s voice echoed, “I’m gonna make a Miya Osamu special! Something Onigiri Miya has never seen!”
And with a nod of her head, Hinata Manami agreed.
“Hey, Sho-chan?” Atsumu asked, ignoring the conversation right outside the door.
“What’s up?”
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, unsure but hopeful.
Hinata looks up to make eye contact with Atsumu. He stares, for a long time.
An awkward silence fills the room, the only noise being the sounds escaping from the TV.
“Can you say something, please?” Atsumu begged, “Yer kind’ve scarin’ me.”
“Yes, Atsumu. You can kiss me. God, yes.” was his sole response. And, as if he had been thrown overboard, Hinata was adrift at sea, lost in Atsumu's eyes.
Atsumu was 17 when he first kissed his boyfriend.
+
(Mentions of Things after Chapter 377)
And when Atsumu was 23, the whole world knew.
It was unknown at first. The team had thought that they were just really affectionate to each other. But with each head pat and hair-ruffle, they slowly came to the conclusion that the two were something more. Nonetheless, Hinata and Atsumu neither confirmed nor denied it.
It got to the point where the MSBY Black Jackals had to go and make a separate group chat to talk about the two.
Bokuto whined, crouched drawing circles on the floor, “How could he betray me like this~”
Sakusa, with an eye roll, responded, “He didn’t do anything. Give Hinata a break.”
Bokuto, wailing, continued, “That’s the whole point! He’s my #1 Pupil. He’s supposed to tell me this stuff!”
Oliver, having enough, offered, “Why don’t we just ask them?”
Bokuto looked at him as if he just ran over his dog.
Oliver stared, “I mean it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
This was how they had gotten in their current predicament.
“What?” Hinata said, tilting his head in confusion. He wiped his neck with a towel, catching the sweat.
“Are you and ‘Tsum ‘Tsum dating?” Bokuto whispered, loudly. He looked around the room paranoid, as if something was going to pop out at any minute, ready to possess him. He was hyper-aware of the blond setter standing near them, stretching by the wall.
“Yeah, why?” He asked, his tone confused.
“Oya?” Bokuto asked in shock. Turning to look at his Number One Pupil, his head moved side to side, like a hyper owl.
Hinata nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell us~”
“I mean you never asked, Bokuto-san. So I didn’t think it was anything important,” Hinata explained, still confused.
Atsumu, eavesdropping, feigned shock and put a hand to his forehead. Overdramatic, he fell to his side, catching himself on the wall behind him with a gasp, “Sho-kun! You wound me! To think I’m not important!”
“Stop being dramatic,” Sakusa frowned.
Atsumu’s eyes flashed open and he shouted, “Omi-kun~ That’s ru-”
He was cut off by Sakusa, who was currently spraying insecticide… In Atsumu’s mouth.
“Sorry, there was a roach,” he said in a monotone voice, unfazed.
Mouth opening and closing like a fish, Atsumu gagged. “W-W-Water,” he cried out, gagging in a trash can.
And with the sound of hard plastic hitting his skull, Atsumu groaned and looked at his boyfriend in betrayal. Hinata offered a bright smile as if he hadn’t just chucked a bottle of water at Atsumu’s skull. Laughter filled the gymnasium and at age 22, Hinata finally felt at peace.
+
That same day, on Twitter
Sunshine @ninjashoyou • 12 minutes ago
Can I keep him? @onigirimiya
[An image is attached depicting Sakusa Kiyoomi spraying Raid at a gaping Miya Atsumu. In the corner, Bokuto is seen, doubled over in laughter, while Meian shakes his head at the sight. The background shows the gymnasium, a few volleyballs littering the floor.]
6.306 comments | 3.126 retweets | 8.734 likes | share
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Not Miya Atsumu @onigirimiya • 10 minutes ago
Ew.
1.218 comments | 2.503 retweets | 4.217 likes | share