Archive of Our Own ^beta

Yaku can’t say that he was surprised when he walked into the gym to see Hoshiumi and Atsumu arguing.

“It’s only the first day of practice, jesus fucking christ.” He mumbles, not intending for anybody to hear him. Yaku didn’t expect it and yet, a voice from beside him spoke up.

“You’re telling me, I’m pretty sure they’ve been at it for at least ten minutes now.”

Yaku spun around so fast that he practically tripped over his own feet, stumbling closer to the person next to him. He reaches his hand out and puts it onto the person’s chest, steadying himself. A few seconds later, his breath evens out and he looks up, meeting the eyes of an equally shocked man. 

“Are you okay?!” The man asks, and Yaku nods quickly. He’s sure that his face is completely red by now, embarrassed that this is his first impression.

They stand there for a while, unsure of what to say or do next. Yaku realises that his hand is still resting on the man's chest, so he quickly retracts it and lets his arm fall to his side.

“Sorry” Yaku blurts out, blinking slowly. The man chuckles softly, shaking his head.

“It’s okay. My name’s Aran… Aran Ojiro.” Aran introduces himself, extending an arm for the smaller boy to take.

“Yaku Morisuke. It’s nice to meet you.” He says, taking the man’s hand and shaking it softly. They smile at each other for a second, before a loud yell can be heard from across the gym.

“How dare you?!” Hoshiumi screeches at Atsumu, practically leaping towards him. Aran quickly excused himself, running towards them and prying the blonde-haired setter away and saying something to him. Apparently whatever he said seemed to work, because Atsumu instantly went silent, eyes wide in fear.

Yaku is dumbstruck. Aran seemed so gentle when they were talking… is he really that terrifying? He finds himself thinking about the man’s kind and bright smile, and then quickly shakes his head. They just met, Yaku has no idea what this guy is like.

He looks over to see Aran looking at him, smiling gently at him. Yaku’s heart almost stops, and he has to force a small smile on his face. Okay so yeah, they just met, but Yaku isn’t blind. Of course he finds him attractive, because he is. Anybody can see that.

Yaku is startled by footsteps behind him, and he turns around to see Sakusa Kiyoomi standing there, mask covering half of his face. It is only then that he realises he’s still blocking the door. He mutters an apology and moves out of the way, letting Sakusa through.

This is going to be interesting.

After hours of practice, figuring out how well the team works together on court, the coach suggests that they also spend time outside of practice. Something about team bonding or whatever; Yaku isn’t exactly listening. Well, he’s trying to, but he feels… strange. Something about being on a new team with people that he barely knows is terrifying. 

Well okay, most of these people he at least knew of in high school, but he had never spoken to them before. Except for Hinata and Kageyama, and of course Bokuto. While catching up with them was nice, they all had so much energy. They really haven’t changed at all, their stamina seeming pretty much endless. Yaku couldn’t help but feel like he needed to catch up to them. Not to mention that he was exhausted after hours of volleyball.

As a libero, Yaku knows that he has to be in perfect sync with everybody. He has to build trust with each and every one of his teammates, so they know that they can rely on him. 

When he looks up, he notices Sakusa standing up and throwing his gym bag over his shoulder. 

“Come on Omi-Omi, ya hafta stay. Team bonding is important, ya know?” Asumu whines as the spiker glares at him. He’s about to walk out when the other libero, Komori Motoya, stops him.

“Kiyoomi, remember what we said?” He said in a sweet voice, and Sakusa stopped dead in his tracks. For a second, Yaku was scared that he was going to get angry, but instead he sighed and simply asked where they were going to go.

Everybody stared at them, looking between the two men, before finally speaking. 

“Uh… what about the restaurant across the street?” Hinata suggests, and a few people nod in agreement.

Yaku doesn’t really care about where they go, to be honest. And since the restaurant is right near them, it seems like a good idea. 

So that’s where they decide to go. As they arrive, Yaku doesn’t miss the relieved sigh from both Atsumu and Sakusa as they realise that it isn’t crowded. Luckily there is a table to fit all twelve of them. 

Yaku takes his seat after everybody else, next to Aran. The table is big enough to fit twelve people, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still cramped. They’re all pretty much pushed together. It seems that Sakusa must have anticipated this, because he is sitting at the end, only next to Atsumu. 

They chat for a while about what they were all doing before joining the National team, waiting for the waiter to come and take their orders. 

“Beach volleyball is actually really fun! The sand is like shwoom when you jump, and it’s harder to jump so it makes a louder whoosh noise!! And I ran into Oika- Tooru, and we played together most days. It was really good, but I did miss indoor volleyball a lot so I came back.” Hinata explains, and barely anybody understood what he was saying. Kageyama nodded along, but his face scrunched up slightly when he heard Oikawa’s name.

After Hinata finishes explaining what he was doing in Brazil, the waiter comes and they all order food. Except for Sakusa, who just mumbles that he doesn’t want anything.

As they eat, Yaku notices that Sakusa and Atsumu are just having their own conversation in the corner, completely ignoring everybody else. With Atsumu, Sakusa acts differently. He seems much more comfortable, which is strange to Yaku since they didn’t seem to get along earlier. 

Whatever, it’s none of his business. Yaku turns to Aran, deciding to strike up a conversation with him.

“You went to Inarizaki right?” He asks, not really knowing what else to talk about.

“Yeah I did! You’re from… Nekoma, right?” Aran answers, and Yaku is slightly surprised that he knows where he’s from.

“Yeah! I saw you guys at Nationals, against Karasuno. You were all really good, I’m not surprised that you went pro, actually.” Everything came out of his mouth quickly, and he realised that he was rambling.

Just as he was about to apologise, Sakusa and Atsumu stand up, grabbing their bags.

“We have to leave now.” Atsumu says, practically pushing Sakusa. They look at Komori, who smiles at them and waves. Yaku assumes that this has something to do with the deal that Sakusa and Komori supposedly made, and doesn’t question it any further.

After they leave, and everybody has finished eating, everybody else leaves. Some by themself, and some with other people. Yaku gets ready to leave when it’s only him and Aran left.

They pick up their things and leave the restaurant together. Aran offers to drive Yaku home, and of course, he accepts. He isn’t exactly fond of the idea of walking home by himself for an hour, so why would he refuse? 

So they get into Aran’s car, and Yaku tells the other man where he lives. They converse as they drive to Yaku’s apartment.

“So, how did you get into volleyball?” Aran asks, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him.

“Hmm, I guess it was just there? My parents wanted me to join a club in middle school, and I chose volleyball because it seemed interesting. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I do, it was mainly just to please my parents. I never imagined that I would be doing it as a career either, to be honest. I’m glad that I am though. It’s something that I enjoy, and I’m good at it so… it’s kinda perfect.” Yaku rarely ever talks this much, but for some reason he feels comfortable around Aran. It’s strange, really, since they only met today. However he has a feeling that they’re pretty similar.

Yaku asks Aran the same question, and his eyes seem to light up.

“Ah well, my parents played volleyball when they were younger. That’s actually how they met. When I was a kid they would tell me stories about their teams and going to Nationals and it just… clicked with me? I guess. I started playing when I was really young, and I’ve enjoyed it for as long as I can remember. Truthfully? I never saw myself doing anything else, all I wanted to do is play volleyball, which is why I trained so hard.” Aran told Yaku who nodded along in interest.

They continued to talk as they neared closer to Yaku’s apartment, and once they finally arrived, they said goodbye and Yaku grabbed his bag, thanking Aran for driving him home and getting out. He waves as the other man drives away, before entering his apartment building and going into his apartment.

Yaku sighs as he closes the door, completely exhausted. Sometimes interacting with people was so tiring, to say the least. And so many of his new teammates have so much energy too, he’s going to have to try his best to keep up.

Collapsing on his sofa, Yaku takes out his phone and sends a text to Aran, thanking him once again for driving him home. The team had exchanged numbers earlier at the restaurant, and they made a group chat and added everybody so they could discuss training.

Yaku doesn’t remember falling asleep, so he’s surprised when he wakes up somewhere that isn’t his bedroom. He groans as he sits up, his back stretching painfully. Realising that his phone is ringing, he picks it up and answers it.

“Hello?” Yaku mumbles sleepily, annoyed from being woken up.

“Yaku? This is Aran. Are you at practice yet?” Aran asks, and Yaku’s eyes widen in confusion.

“Hm? No, I'm still at home why?” He asks.

“You do realise that there’s only thirty minutes until practice starts right?”

Suddenly Yaku throws himself off of the sofa, falling to the ground and yelling in pain. His phone is somewhere on the floor, and he can faintly hear Aran’s voice coming from it. Yaku pushes himself up from the ground, grabbing his phone and putting it on speaker.

“Yaku?! Hello? Are you okay? What happened?” Aran is asking a series of questions through the phone, and Yaku almost laughs. Until he remembers that he’s going to be late to practice.

“Shit I’m gonna be late. Can you tell-” Yaku is cut off by Aran.

“Hey, just get ready. I don’t live far, I can pick you up. Ah, I mean if that's what you want of course, It’s okay if-” 

“Yes okay thank you so much, I’ll get ready now. Thank you!” Yaku practically yells into the phone before throwing it down, running into the bathroom to shower and get ready.

After showering, he quickly puts clothes on and runs out of his apartment, grabbing his phone and gym bag on the way out. The last thing he wants to do is make Aran and himself late.

When he gets outside, Yaku stands against the wall of his apartment building for a while, waiting for Aran to arrive. He only has to wait for a minute before Aran comes, and he practically throws himself into the car.

“Thank you, honestly. You really saved my ass.” Yaku says, making Aran chuckle lightly.

“It’s nothing really, I was about to leave anyway. Also you looked exhausted yesterday, I had a feeling that you would oversleep.” Aran confesses, making Yaku’s face turn red in embarrassment. He mutters out a small “Oh.” and looks out the window, a small smile on his face.

They get to practice five minutes early, which seems like a miracle to Yaku, who only 25 minutes earlier was stressing out about being late. They head to the locker rooms and change quickly, before starting practice.

Today’s practice was as exhausting as the day before, and he excused himself from spending time with the team so he could go home and sleep early. Pretty much everybody agrees with him, all just as exhausted.

“Can I drive you home?” Aran offers, and Yaku accepts. He wouldn’t usually, but Aran did say that it was on his own journey home anyway so… what’s the harm in accepting?

The car ride is the same as the day before, talking about random things and simply enjoying each other’s company.

Aran drops Yaku off at his apartment and they part ways. Yaku makes sure to pass out on his bed this time, instead of the sofa. 

It’s been two weeks since Yaku joined the National team, and he has a problem.

Okay it’s not exactly a problem yet. Just because he can admire the way a teammate looks while he spikes a ball into the opposite side of the court, that doesn’t mean it’s a problem. And besides, what is he supposed to do while he’s taking a break from practicing? Of course he’s going to watch, it’s necessary for him to analyse the way his team plays, so that he can support them the best he can. 

“Bullshit.” Is what Atsumu says when Yaku tells him exactly that. “Sure, if ya were watching every teammate then I would believe that. But I can see the way ya look at Aran, and you obviously like him.”

“Atsumu shut the fuck up. We’re not in high school anymore, and you’re being ridiculous.” Yaku says angrily, watching Atsumu quickly close his mouth.

And when Yaku walks away, he doesn’t hear what Atsumu mutters under his breath; “But he looks at you the same way…”

Aran, Yaku thinks, is the most kind-hearted person he’s ever known. Not only has he been helping him during practice, but he also drives him there and back every day. Yaku has gotten closer to him than he has with any other person on the team, and he finds out that he and Aran are, in fact, very alike.

That’s probably why they ended up gravitating towards each other, and they quickly became friends. Even during practice, they tend to stick together. Whether they’re both taking a break, or yelling at Atsumu for some stupid shit that he’s doing, they’re practically always together. 

And so what if he feels more comfortable with Aran around? That doesn’t mean he likes him. And besides, it’s only been two weeks, they basically just met. “Yeah, but sometimes people ask literal strangers on dates.” His brain so helpfully provides, but he is quick to shut that thought down immediately. He does not like Aran.

This is hell for Atsumu. Sure, he’s seen the way that Yaku looks at Aran, but what about the other way around? Aran is one of his closest friends, and they’ve known each other for what, 16 years now? Of course Atsumu can tell how he feels about Yaku.

And yes, Aran is one of the smartest (and wisest) people Atsumu knows, but he’s also extremely oblivious. Hell, he was even the person to get Atsumu to confess to Sakusa, and yet he’s still completely oblivious to his own feelings. It’s ridiculous, in Atsumu’s opinion. He decided to talk to Yaku, tried to get him to admit that he liked Aran, but he was just as ignorant to his own feelings as Aran was.

“Omi~” Atsumu whines into Sakusa’s shoulder as he sits on the bench beside him, resting his head on the other man. Sakusa just mumbles a quiet “What?”, making Atsumu look up at him. The look in his eyes shows concern, as he probably worries that the other man is uncomfortable with his affection. Sakusa just puts one hand on his head and gently pushes it back down onto his shoulder, smiling softly.

“Omi, you’ve gotta help me-” Atsumu starts, but Sakusa instantly cuts him off.

“No.”

“But Omi~ You don’t even know what I was going to say!” Atsumu whines.

“Do I have to? I already know that I won’t want to do it.” Sakusa says, voice cold and blunt. 

“Omi it’s literally been weeks now, and don’t tell me that you haven’t noticed too. Yaku and Aran need our help. They’re clearly whipped for each other, and since Aran helped me confess to you….” Atsumu trails off, nudging Sakusa’s side.

“Yes, because you were too much of a coward to do it yourself. And their relationship is none of our business. Neither of them have asked for our help, and therefore we should keep out of it.” Sakusa explains, despite knowing that Atsumu will be annoying anyway.

However what Sakusa doesn’t expect is Atsumu actually agreeing with him.

“Yer right, Omi-kun. It’s none of our business.” He repeats, and Sakusa is shocked. Usually Atsumu is insistent when it comes to being annoying, but he just gave up that quickly?

Sakusa doesn’t have time to question that anymore, however, as he is called back to practice. He notes the way that Atsumu is looking at him, a smirk plastered on his face, and he wonders for a second about what the hell he’s planning. He also doesn’t miss the look that Yaku is giving Aran from across the room.

Finding somebody attractive doesn’t mean you like them, is what Yaku tells himself as his gaze falls upon Aran for the fifteenth time in the past twenty minutes. It’s not like he’s attracted to him, but he can see that Aran is, objectively, attractive. Anybody can see that. It’s not like he has feelings for the man, of course not. Yaku has no idea what Atsumu was talking about earlier.

He notices Atsumu smirking at him, and Yaku glares back at him. 

Practice ends pretty quickly, and Yaku doesn’t even notice that Aran is talking to him until a hand waves in front of his face.

“Are you okay?” Aran asks, voice full of concern. Yaku just nods half-heartedly, unable to process his thoughts. The rest goes by in a daze, Aran driving him home in silence, him collapsing onto his bed. He can’t stop thinking about what Atsumu said. 

Because maybe he wasn’t completely wrong. Yaku doesn’t think he likes Aran, but he wouldn’t mind… getting to know him better. No, he wants to get to know him better. Aran is much more compatible than anybody else Yaku has ever been even mildly interested in. He’s so much better, kinder. And they’re similar, they understand each other. Does that mean that he actually likes him? Interest? Yaku has no idea how to put the way he feels into words. He’s gonna need advice, but first; sleep.

The next morning at practice, the first thing he does is talk to Kageyama. There’s no way he’s giving Atsumu the satisfaction of knowing he might have been right, that sounds like a nightmare.

“Kageyama… how did you know that you were interested in Hinata?” Yaku asks, straight to the point. Kageyama thinks for a few seconds before replying.

“He was the only thing I cared about as much as volleyball.” Kageyama answers simply, shrugging as if it’s obvious. In hindsight, Yaku should have seen something like this coming. He thanks Kageyama and goes to Bokuto, who is adjusting his knee pads.

“Bokuto? How did you know that you liked Akaashi?” Yaku asks, and Bokuto lights up at the question.

“It was obvious! There was nobody but Akaashi. I mean, have you seen him? He’s so pretty and smart, who else could I fall in love with? He’s so incredible and beautiful and amazing and-”

“Thank you, Bokuto. I got it.” Yaku is quick to cut Bokuto off, before he rambles any more. Nothing can stop him when he starts talking about Akaashi, which is something that Yaku has gotten to realise over the past few weeks.

Before Bokuto can whine about cutting him off, Yaku moves on to talk to the most reliable person he knows. 

“Iwaizumi? Are you busy?” Yaku asks the dark-haired man sitting on the bench in front of him. Iwaizumi looks up at Yaku, a soft smile on his face as he shakes his head.

“I’m assuming this is about you and Aran, right?” He asks, and Yaku’s eyes widen. He shouldn’t be surprised really, even Atsumu noticed. Iwaizumi is smart, at least, so it makes sense.

Yaku nods, and Iwaizumi chuckles slightly.

“Listen, Yaku. Nobody else can tell you whether you like him or not. That’s something that you have to figure out yourself . Everybody experiences love differently. Think about it, okay?” As he’s speaking, Iwaizumi touches the ring on his left hand, gently brushing his fingertips over it with a fond smile on his face.

“I think I do… like him, I mean. Is that weird? I mean, we’ve only known each other for a few weeks…” Yaku asks him, and Iwaizumi stands up and places a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

“It isn’t weird, at all. Like I said, love is different for everybody. I’m not saying that you’re in love, but it’s the same concept. What you’re feeling is valid.” He says, patting Yaku’s shoulder before walking away.

“Yeah,” Yaku whispers, “I like him.”

For the first time since Atsumu spoke to him yesterday, his mind is clear. Of course, he still has to think about what to do about his newfound feelings but… at least he understands them now. 

Yaku tried to be less obvious while staring at Aran during practice, he really did. However it ended up being for nothing, he realised, when Atsumu smirked at him before turning to look at Sakusa, them seemingly having a silent conversation with their eyes. Yaku looks away from them and back at Aran. Not even a minute later, their coach gestures to Yaku and he is put back into the practice game.

The way that Aran looks at him whenever he saves the ball is one that makes Yaku’s heart skip a beat. He makes sure to not let that distract him, instead focusing on the practice game that he’s playing in right now. He watches as Aran spikes the ball into the opposite court, but Komori receives it. Kageyama gets into position to set the ball to Hinata, who jumps to spike. Yaku’s legs move before he can even think, but all that can be heard is the smack of the ball as it hits the space right next to Yaku.

Yaku tries not to let the disappointment show on his face, but it’s pretty obvious. Aran looks at him with a comforting smile, and Yaku tries to smile back but it probably looks distorted. He knows that it’s just a practice game, but that should have been easy to receive. If he had reacted just a second earlier, he could’ve stopped the ball from hitting the ground. 

Yaku isn’t able to dwell on those thoughts for any longer though, as he doesn’t want to mess up again.

Eventually the game ends, and Yaku is exhausted. He didn’t make any more big mistakes thankfully, but they still didn't win. He knows that it isn’t completely his fault, but he can’t help but blame himself slightly. Yaku feels a hand on his shoulder, and he turns to see Aran there, smiling at him reassuringly.

“You know that it was just a practice match right? Nothing to get worked up over.” He says gently, and Yaku nods.

Yaku isn’t usually somebody to dwell on mistakes. He always makes sure to keep his head in the game, not letting anything distract him. But maybe it’s the stress of the past few weeks catching up with him. 

After they change in the locker rooms, Aran and Yaku leave together. The drive home seems tense to Aran, even more so than the day before. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Aran asks Yaku, who turns to look at him.

“Yeah it’s just…” Yaku trails off. He usually isn’t one to talk about feelings, instead using them to fuel his ambition. But Aran glances at him, telling him to continue.

“It’s just, I wanted to impress everybody on the team, y’know? I mean, being on the National team is a big deal, and there’s so many amazing people here. And yet… and yet I couldn’t even manage a single receive. I know that it’s just a practice game but I feel like I need to prove myself, if that makes sense.” Yaku takes a deep breath after he explains his disappointment, and Aran hums.

“I understand that. However trust me, every single person on that team knows how skilled you are. Do you think they just accept everybody into the National team? No, of course not. It’s because you’re so amazing, that’s why you’re here. I can guarantee that nobody thinks less of you because of that one mistake.” Aran reassures him, and it helps a lot. 

“Thank you, Aran.” He says, and Aran smiles in response.

The rest of the drive is in silence, but this time it’s a comfortable one. Yaku doesn’t understand how, but thanks to Aran his chest suddenly feels so much lighter.

When he gets into his apartment, Yaku rests against the closed door. He feels a blush rising to his cheeks as he remembers what Aran said. ‘It’s because you’re amazing.’ He covers his face with his hands and smiles, thanking the universe for letting him exist in the same timeline as Aran Ojiro.

“He said I was amazing, and I felt like I was dying.” Yaku said excitedly to Hinata, who looked just as excited as him.

“Now that you know you like him, what are you gonna do?!” Hinata asks, and Yaku stops.

“What do you mean? I’m not going to do anything…?” He answers honestly, and Hinata whines.

“Yaku-san, you need to ask him out! Tell him how you-” Yaku slaps a hand over Hinata’s mouth, preventing him from saying any more. He looks around to make sure that Aran isn’t nearby, and hesitantly removes his hand from Hinata’s face.

“I’m not doing anything, okay?” Yaku whisper-shouts, “I can’t make it awkward between us. First and foremost, we are teammates and friends. I have no desire to change that.”

Hinata nods at Yaku, keeping his mouth shut to prevent angering him any more.

Sakusa, who unwillingly overheard their entire conversation, goes to Atsumu immediately.

“Yeah, we need to help them.” He says, and Atsumu gives him a knowing grin. 

After practice ends, Atsumu makes sure that Aran is alone before cornering him as he’s putting away equipment.

“I know ya like him.” Atsumu says to his best friend, crossing his arms and smirking. Aran just stares at him, unimpressed.

“What are you talking about, Atsumu?” Aran asks, turning around to look at the other man directly.

“Yaku. You like him, don’t ya?” Aran is about to interrupt, but Atsumu continues, “That wasn’t a question. Ya like him, simple. Don’t even try to deny it, Aran-san, we both know I’m right.”

Aran looks taken aback, and Atsumu smirks at him.

“Okay, and so what if I do?” He asks, and now it’s his time to smirk as Atsumu’s eyes widen at his bluntness.

“Well, we just need to help ya out then~”

“We?”

Suddenly, Sakusa comes in and nods at him. Aran just looks between the two of them, confused. 

“Listen, I honestly couldn’t care less about your personal life but… I respect both of you, which is why it’s annoying to see you acting like this.” Sakusa says bluntly, and Aran is surprised at the fact that Sakusa just admitted his respect for him. 

“You… you think I have a chance with him?” Aran asks, and the couple sigh simultaneously.

“Yes, Aran-san, he clearly likes you too.” Sakusa says, and Aran’s heartbeat speeds up. He knows that Sakusa wouldn’t bother lying to him.

“Are ya gonna ask him out?” Atsumu asks, and Aran shakes his head. The two are about to protest, but Aran puts his hand out to stop them.

“Not yet. I have to be sure first.” He says, and Atsumu rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything, simply dragging his boyfriend along.

Aran sighs deeply, knowing that Atsumu is definitely going to do something. He always does. However Aran can’t even be concerned about that right now, instead focusing on the fact that Yaku actually likes him back… or there’s at least a high chance that he does. Aran feels his face heat up, and he quickly goes back to putting the equipment away, opting to not think about that until later when he isn’t busy.

That plan goes out of the window when Yaku walks in, holding a box of equipment. He tries to hide how flustered he is, turning back to the shelf and pretending the other man isn’t there at all. 

“Hey could you… could you help with this?” Yaku asks, getting Aran’s attention. 

“Yeah, sure.” He says, taking the box from him and putting it on a shelf. They work in silence, Yaku passing Aran equipment, and Aran putting it away. Twenty minutes later, they finally finish and leave.

They drive to Yaku’s apartment, making general light-hearted conversation as they do so. Everything is normal, but when they arrive outside of the apartment complex, Yaku asks him something.

“Hey Aran? Do you wanna hang out? You don’t have to of course, it’s just that I feel bad that I haven’t asked you yet, even though you’ve been driving me to and from practice for weeks now and I-”

“Yes, Yaku, I would love to.” Aran says, cutting off Yaku’s rambling. Yaku nods, taking a deep breath,  and they both get out of the car, heading towards his apartment.

When they get inside, they take their shoes off and Aran follows Yaku into the kitchen.

“Hmm… should we just order pizza? I really don’t feel like cooking.” Yaku offers, and Aran nods, not really minding what they eat. He’s more concerned about the fact that he has to get through this without doing something stupid and messing up. 

Yaku tells Aran to choose a movie for them to watch, so he goes into the living room while Yaku orders pizza, and chooses a movie he watched when he was younger.

When Yaku comes in, he sits down next to Aran and asks what he chose.

“Ah, it’s a movie I used to watch when I was younger. It’s really old so you might not know it but I think you’ll like it.” Aran says, and Yaku hums in response before pressing play and starting the movie.

Aran was right; Yaku did like the movie. So much so that he didn’t want to get up when the pizza arrived. Not taking his eyes from the screen, he swatted at Aran’s arm and told him to get it. Aran just laughed and answered the door, getting the pizza before going back to sit down. He puts the pizza between them and they eat while watching.

After that movie is over, they start another one, and Yaku didn’t realise until then just how close they were sitting. Yaku’s head is practically resting on Aran’s shoulder, and their sides are pressed together. He doesn’t say anything, turning back to the movie and trying not to think about how comfortable he feels while practically cuddling with Aran.

By the time the movie is over, Yaku is practically falling asleep on Aran’s shoulder, practically making Aran short-circuit. He has no idea whether to wake him up or just leave him be, but eventually decided to wake him up despite how peaceful (and pretty) he looked.

“Hey Yaku?” He whispers, gently shaking him awake. Slowly, Yaku opens his eyes, looking straight at Aran.

“Hm? What time is it?” Yaku asks, and Aran smiles fondly at him.

“It’s 8, the movie’s over.” Aran says quietly, and Yaku groans. Neither of them want to bring up the fact that Aran really should go home. Yaku really doesn’t want him to leave, and neither does Aran.

“I should um… get going now. This was fun! We should do it again sometime?” Aran says, and Yaku nods, but he doesn’t move his head from the other man’s shoulder.

“Yaku, I can’t leave if you don’t move.” Aran laughs, and Yaku reluctantly lifts his head, pouting at him.

Aran gathers his things and leaves the apartment, thanking Yaku for having him over. It’s only when he’s walking back to his car that he realises; was that a date? He shakes his head, pushing that thought out of his mind. It couldn’t have been a date… right?

That night he calls Atsumu, telling him everything that happened and asking for his opinion. 

“Aran, ya already know the answer to that. Chances are that it was a date, not to mention that he clearly didn’t want you to leave. He was literally cuddling you, idiot.” Atsumu said, and Aran sighed.

“Yeah because he was asleep.” Aran says, despite knowing that Yaku didn’t even try to move when he woke up. 

“It seems like you already have the answers ya need, so I’m gonna go back to cuddling my boyfriend, thank you very much. G’night Aran.” Aran said goodnight back and hung up, putting his phone down and sitting on his bed.

Aran decides that tomorrow… tomorrow he’ll finally speak to Yaku. What’s stopping them from talking about their feelings like normal adults would? Well a lot actually, but still, he’s going to talk to Yaku and find out if he also feels the same.

And he does. The next morning there’s no practice, so Aran texts Yaku asking if he wants to meet. The latter agrees, and they meet at the park across the road from Yaku’s apartment.

Aran waves, spotting Yaku sitting on a bench in the park. He heads towards him, sitting next to him. Yaku waves back, smiling.

“So, why did you wanna meet?” Yaku asks curiously, and Aran stops for a second.

“I uh… wanted to ask you something.” Aran said, suddenly doubting his decision. 

Yaku nods at him to continue, and Aran takes a deep breath before speaking.

“Do you… like cats?” He says, and Yaku looks at him bewildered, as if he was expecting something else. 

“Yes… I do. Is that what you wanted to ask?” He asks, slightly disappointed.

“Yes but also, there’s a cat cafe that opened a few blocks away and I was wondering… do you wanna go there? As a date, I mean.” Aran asks, and Yaku’s eyes widen. For a second Aran thinks he completely misread their situation, but then Yaku’s face reddens and he looks down at his lap, nodding slightly. 

Aran breathes out a sigh of relief, a blush creeping up to his own face as he realises what just happened. He just asked Yaku on a date… and Yaku accepted? Aran makes a mental note to thank Atsumu and Sakusa for talking to him, as he probably wouldn’t have known about Yaku’s feelings if they didn’t.

“Do you wanna go now?” Yaku asks after a few minutes of silence. Aran nods his head in agreement, and they walk to the cafe together. Yaku wants nothing more than to reach over and intertwine their hands, but he thinks that might be a little awkward. He still hasn’t processed the fact that Aran feels the same way. This means he was stressed about nothing. Yaku looks over at Aran, and thinks “Yeah, it was worth it.”

“This was an amazing idea.” Aran thinks as he watches Yaku, who is smiling brightly as he strokes a cat that settled on his legs. He takes a sip of his coffee to hide his smile. It turns out that Yaku’s smile is really contagious. Either that or he’s just completely whipped, who knows?

“Thank you for bringing me here.” Yaku says, blushing lightly. Aran chuckles slightly.

“Thank you for agreeing to come with me.” He says, making Yaku blush even harder. Aran can’t help but think that Yaku looks really cute while blushing, and one noise makes him realise that he had said that out loud.

“Yaku… if it wasn’t already obvious, I really like you. And I think that you agreeing to go on a date with me means that you also feel the same? I hope, anyway.” Aran says, scratching the back of his neck as he suddenly gets nervous.

Yaku suddenly sits upright, completely forgetting about the cat on his lap until it suddenly gets up, jumping off of his lap. Aran and Yaku look at each other before bursting into simultaneous laughter.

“I like you too, Aran, a lot.” Yaku confesses, tone suddenly serious. 

“I’m glad then.” Aran smiles, and they go back to drinking their coffee in a comfortable silence.

When they finish their coffee (and playing with the cats), they leave the cafe. This time the air between them seems less tense, as they’re both much less nervous. Yaku decides to take the risk and reaches over, brushing his hand against the other man’s. Aran’s breath hitches, and Yaku retracts his hand before Aran gently grabs it, intertwining their fingers.

When they get to Yaku’s apartment, they stop outside for a moment, not wanting to let go of each other’s hand.

Aran steps closer to Yaku, letting go of his hand and instead resting it on his cheek. Yaku looks up at him expectantly.

“Can I… can I kiss you?” Aran asks and Yaku nods, closing his eyes.

Aran hesitates for a second before leaning down, closing the gap between them. The kiss is soft, gentle, and Yaku wraps his arms around Aran’s neck, kissing him back slowly. Aran’s arms settle around Yaku’s waist, pulling him closer. 

Eventually they part, and they gaze into each other's eyes. Both of them have been longing for this for weeks, and they finally have it. Suddenly Yaku giggles, quickly kissing him again before resting his head on Aran’s chest. The taller man’s arms tighten, and he rests his chin on top of Yaku’s head.

After standing in the hallway for what seems like hours, just enjoying the tender moment between them, they finally part. 

As soon as Yaku gets into his apartment, he slides down with his back against the door, his head in his hands as he tries to calm down his speeding heart because holy shit. Yaku can’t believe that actually happened. Aran feels the same way. Aran kissed him.  

Yaku spends the entire afternoon thinking about it, replaying it in his head. Eventually though, the annoying question at the back of his mind hits him.

What does this mean? Are they dating? It was just one date, unless you count the movie but even then it’s only two. Where do they go from here?

It’s fine, He thinks, I can just ask him tomorrow.

“Atsumu? Hey. You said you wanted me to update you…” Aran says into the phone, and he can hear Atsumu call Sakusa over and put the phone on speaker.

“Yes! What happened?” He asks excitedly, and Sakusa can just be heard sighing heavily.

“He agreed to go to the cafe, and it seems like he enjoyed it a lot, so thank you for recommending that. Also… he said he likes me back. And we held hands on the way back to his apartment. And we um… we kissed.” Aran said the last part quietly, and heard a loud gasp from Atsumu.

“Oh my God, holy shit, um h-” Atsumu is cut off by Sakusa smacking him in the arm to shut him up.

“That’s great, Aran-san.” Sakusa says, and Aran thanks him.

“Hey um… does this mean we’re together?” Aran asks, and Atsumu laughs loudly.

“We can’t tell ya that, ya gotta ask him y’know?” He says, and Aran curses him under his breath.

They talk for a bit longer before hanging up, leaving Aran with the questions swirling around in his head.

Ask him? He wonders how he’s supposed to bring something like that up. Won’t it be awkward? 

He decides that he’ll just think about that when the time comes.

The next morning when he picks Yaku up on the way to practice, Aran is pondering over what to say. He decides to just speak though, before he ends up backing out.

“Um-”

“Hey-”

They look at each other for a second before laughing. Yaku tells Aran to continue, and he suddenly gets nervous. Is this a good idea?

“Does- What are we? I like you a lot so I was just... wondering…” He trails off at the end, awkwardness seeping into his voice. When he looks at Yaku though, he’s surprised to see that he looks relieved.

“Honestly, I was gonna ask the same thing.” Yaku says, and they stay silent for a while.

“I think I would like to y’know, keep going on dates and stuff…” Yaku continues, and Aran nods in agreement, smiling. 

“We should probably get going now or we’ll be late.” 

When they arrive, they walk into the gym with their hands intertwined,  and Atsumu is immediately dragging an irritated-looking Sakusa behind him.

“Did ya ask? Are you guys together? What’s the deal?” Atsumu asks, completely ignoring the glare that Sakusa is giving him.

They look at each other for a few seconds and smile in amusement, and that answers Atsumu’s question immediately.

“Yeah, I think we are.” Aran says, and Yaku squeezes his hand in agreement.

Suddenly, Hinata runs up to the couple excitedly and cheers loudly, startling everyone in the room. 

Each team member congratulates them before the coach tells them to get changed and start warming up for a practice game.

Later that evening, the two of them are cuddled up on the sofa watching old movies like last time.

“Hey Aran?” Yaku asked, turning to face his boyfriend.

“Yeah?”

“How did you figure out that I liked you? I mean, I’m assuming you knew since you asked me out first.” He asks, and Aran laughs at the question.

“Honestly? I didn’t know until Atsumu and Sakusa cornered me after practice a while ago. It was Sakusa that convinced me.” Aran explains, and Yaku seems confused.

“Sakusa…? He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would get involved with this kind of stuff.” 

“Ah well usually he wouldn’t but he felt like he had to repay me for helping him and Atsumu get together…”

“Wait, they're dating?!” Yaku asks, surprised.

Aran just laughs and kisses his head as Yaku leans on his chest.

Yaku has never felt more at home than he does right now, wrapped up in Aran’s arms. He hopes that it can stay like this forever.