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“Smile!”
“I am.” Sakusa stared at the camera, hands stuffed in his pockets.
Atsumu lowered his hands. “Omi, that’s not a smile.”
“What do you expect? You’re making me pose with a tree.”
“I’m makin’ ya pose in nature,” Atsumu clarified. “Try to look, ya know, natural.”
There couldn’t have been a nicer setting for a photoshoot; they were hours outside of Tokyo and halfway up a mountain. The trees above them obscured the sun, dappled light filtering through the leaves. A few had already turned and fallen, covering the dirt path they followed and making Atsumu trip over hidden roots. Sakusa had laughed at him mercilessly.
“This is how I naturally look when I’m being bothered,” Sakusa said, rolling his eyes.
“Omiiii.” Atsumu checked that there was no one around. “I told ya, if yer gonna be my boyfriend, ya gotta have a better profile picture.” Sakusa's current one was a blurry snap of him receiving an award at university, mask obscuring most of his face. “C’mon, I’ll make it worth yer—”
A branch cracked nearby. Atsumu took a step back and arranged his face into a less-horny expression.
Bokuto and Akaashi appeared, hand in hand, Hinata running in front of them. “Ooh, pictures!” Bokuto shouted. “Can I be in one?”
The entire team, plus their families, were staying at a cabin for the weekend for “team bonding.” Most of the guys were spending the afternoon fishing, but the monsters had chosen to hike the nearby mountain instead. Atsumu and Sakusa snuck away from the others when they reached the summit, but he should have known they would catch up. Hinata was too bloody fast.
“You can take my place,” Sakusa said quickly. Bokuto sprung up onto a log and posed in a squat. Resigned, Atsumu took a picture.
“I can take one of the four of you, if you’d like,” Akaashi volunteered.
“Yeah, okay.” Atsumu went to join Bokuto, not offering up his phone. He had incriminating pictures of Sakusa on it that no one needed to see.
Hinata sprawled on the ground in front of them; Atsumu joined Bokuto on the log. Sakusa leaned against a nearby tree, looking bored. Akaashi took the picture.
“Lemme see!” Hinata demanded. “Oh, we look so cool, like a boy band!”
“How is that cool?” Sakusa sneered.
Hinata ignored him. “Let me take one of you guys!” He shoved Akaashi towards Bokuto, making him trip into his fiancé’s arms. “Cute! Now kiss!”
Aaand that was why no one knew Atsumu and Sakusa were dating. Their team was full of embarrassing romantics who made a huge deal out of everyone’s relationships. When Bokuto and Akaashi got engaged, at least three of the senior players cried. Coach Foster asked if he could officiate. It was madness. Sakusa hated nothing more than being in the spotlight, and Atsumu, attention-seeker though he was, was happy to keep their relationship secret a little longer. That way, if he screwed things up and Sakusa dumped his ass, no one would have to know.
They hadn’t been found out yet; their teammates, though passionate, were not the most observant. But it wasn’t them Atsumu was worried about.
Akaashi sidled up beside him, his photoshoot with Bokuto over. “Want me to take a picture of you and Sakusa-san?”
“God no,” Sakusa cut in, before Atsumu could shove his foot in his mouth. Akaashi shrugged and wandered off, Bokuto and Hinata following. They’d have to watch out for him.
“Hey, Omi.” Atsumu whipped the camera out in front of them. “Smile!”
Sakusa was mid-drink when the shutter clicked, his face was caught between surprise and disgust.
Atsumu cackled. “That’s one for the grandkids.”
*
They arrived back at the cabin at three and crawled into bed. They’d need a nap if they were going to enjoy the rest of the night.
Atsumu woke to the smell of barbecue wafting in the windows. Sakusa was still asleep on the futon beside him. Atsumu poked his cheeks until he woke up.
“Go away,” he mumbled, rolling over. Atsumu hadn’t been surprised to find out his boyfriend was a grump when he woke up. It was adorable.
“Nuh-uh. I don’t wantcha to sleep through dinner!”
“Don’t care,” Sakusa whined.
Atsumu saw no other choice. He crawled out of his own futon and threw himself on Sakusa, knocking the air from his lungs. “Get up, Omi!” He wrestled Sakusa’s hands over his head and pinned them, grinning ferally. This was a position he quite enjoyed.
“What are you doing?”
Tomas stood in the doorway, frowning down at them.
“He’s murdering me,” Sakusa said. “Call the police.”
“If I wanted to murder ya, ya’d be dead already.” He smiled innocently at Tomas. “I was just wakin’ him up.”
“Please never wake me up like that,” Tomas said seriously. “Anyway, dinner is almost done.” He turned and left without whatever he came for.
“See?” Atsumu said. “Dinner.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Sakusa shoved him off. “Gonna shower quick.”
“Can I come?”
“No.”
“Aww.”
*
Atsumu emerged from his own lonely shower to find Sakusa waiting for him, fully dressed in a red plaid button-down and jeans, his hair drying fluffy and curly. Atsumu whistled. “Ya look good, Omi.” He tugged a tattered Itachiyama hoodie from his bag. “Would it be too obvious if I wore this?”
“It’s too obvious that you even brought it,” Sakusa snapped.
“I know, but I like sleepin’ in it.” He finally got a smile out of Sakusa, a soft, shy one that Atsumu was one of the few people to ever see.
It disappeared quickly. “You’re not wearing it.”
“Ugh, fine.” He shoved it back in and pulled out a green cashmere sweater of his own.
Outside, they found the rest of the team setting up a long, family-style dinner table. Atsumu had gotten himself out of food duty by providing enough Miya Onigiri for two days of lunches, graciously requesting furlough for Sakusa as well. They helped out now, Atsumu and Hinata, clad in one of his signature puffy vests, serving plates to Meian’s tiny kids and Sakusa bringing drinks to the wives and girlfriends. He made Akaashi get his own, as payback for the photos.
When everything was ready, they sat at the table, Atsumu sitting closer to Sakusa than necessary. They passed food around, a mixed bag of cuisines: Inunaki and Meian had grilled the fish they’d caught that afternoon, Bokuto and Akaashi made yakiniku, and Barnes, determined to show everyone real American barbecue, made hot dogs and hamburgers. It was a good thing none of them were vegetarians. Atsumu gave Sakusa’s hand a quick squeeze under the table before stuffing his face.
He couldn’t get completely full, though, because there was still dessert — cheesecake, daifuku, and, the best part, marshmallows roasted over the fire. Barnes was horrified that none of them had heard of s’mores.
They moved over to the campfire, which was surrounded by low log benches. Atsumu, after returning from the bathroom, found that Hinata had taken the seat next to Sakusa on one of them. Not on his watch. He squished himself between them.
Hinata’s butt hit the ground. “Ow! Atsumu-san!”
Atsumu grinned. “Sorry, Shou-kun. I’ll make room.” He squirmed until he was practically sitting in Sakusa’s lap, patting the bench beside him for Hinata to sit.
“We had plenty of room until you shoved your giant ass between us,” Sakusa said.
“Omi.” Atsumu lowered his voice. “Don’t be mean. Ya love my ass.”
Barnes demonstrated s’more-making, giving his first creation to Meian’s daughter. She gave them a thumbs-up. “‘S really good!”
Everyone clambered to make their own. Atsumu took advantage of the distraction to slip his arm around Sakusa’s waist and cuddle against him, head on his shoulder. His shirt was so cozy; Atsumu could have fallen asleep.
“Your marshmallow’s on fire,” Sakusa pointed out.
“Ah fuck!” Atsumu yanked it back. “I mean, I meant to do that.”
“Sure you did.” Sakusa wrapped his hand around Atsumu’s and switched their sticks. “Here, you can have mine.” It took everything in Atsumu not to kiss him right there.
Bokuto, meanwhile, had roped the kids into helping him make a five-storey s’more. He proceeded, to everyone’s horror, to shove the entire thing in his mouth.
“Yer a lucky man, Keiji-kun!” Atsumu called out.
“Miya,” Sakusa said. “There are children.”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Akaashi winked at him across the fire.
*
The fire was extinguished and the children put to bed, though how they were going to sleep hopped up on sugar, Atsumu didn’t know. The adults moved to the edge of the lake, pulling out picnic blankets to watch the stars, which were supposed to be bright here. With everyone facing the same direction, it was easy to snag a spot where no one could see them, like sitting in the back of a movie theatre. Atsumu put his arm around Sakusa, dropping all pretenses that he wasn’t in love with him.
He buried his face in Sakusa’s curls. “Missed ya.”
A hand came up to rub his back. “Me too.”
Atsumu leaned in to peck Sakusa’s cheek but caught his lips instead, and then they were kissing, all the tension from keeping their distance seeping out in lip bites and pulled hair. Atsumu had eaten more at dinner than he usually did in a day, but for Kiyoomi, he was starving. He pressed him into the ground, leaning over him and slipping a hand under his soft shirt to even softer skin—
“Gotta pee! Bathroom, bathroom, gotta go— OH MY GOD, ATSUMU-SAN AND SAKUSA-SAN ARE KISSING!”
Atsumu jolted upright like they’d been caught by the school principal instead of Hinata. When he came back to his senses — Sakusa was a really good kisser, okay? — the whole team was staring at them. “Uh, so like— Omi-kun had somethin’ stuck in his teeth, and— and—”
Sakusa covered Atsumu's mouth and rolled his eyes so hard Atsumu thought they’d get stuck. “We’re dating," he said flatly.
Atsumu waited for the screaming and weeping to start. The only sound was the waves on the lake.
“Congratulations,” Tomas said.
“We’re happy for you,” Meian said. “Provided it doesn’t affect your games.”
“Barnes,” Inunaki hissed. “You owe me a thousand yen.”
“Hold up,” Atsumu said. “You were bettin’ on if we were datin’?”
“We were betting on whether or not you’d announce it this weekend,” Inunaki said. “We all knew you were dating.”
“Technically,” Barnes said, “they didn’t announce anything—”
“Oh, pay up, Oliver!”
“How did you know?” Sakusa asked. “We were— I thought we were discreet.”
“You were,” Meian assured him. “It’s just…”
“It’s the way you look at each other,” his wife finished. “It’s clear that you care for each other very much.”
Atsumu gaped at her. “Even you knew!?” Sakusa had only met her this weekend, for god's sake.
“Even I figured it out!” Bokuto yelled. “Keiji didn’t even have to tell me! He did know before I did, though.”
“Well, I didn’t know!” Hinata stamped his foot. “Does anyone else have a secret boyfriend I should know about?”
“I think it’s just us, Shou-kun,” Atsumu muttered.
“Oh.” His frown became a smile. “Then I’m really happy for you guys! This is great!”
“Thanks,” Atsumu said. “Uh, didn’t ya have to pee?”
“Right!” He took off running towards the cabin.
“Speaking of secret boyfriends, is he not dating Kageyama?” Inunaki asked. “Yo, Barnes, bet you a thousand yen he is.”
The rest of the team turned back to the lake, ignoring Inunaki’s bets and the newly-public couple. “Wow,” Atsumu said. “They totally knew.”
“Apparently.”
“Hmmph.” Atsumu tugged a chunk of grass from the ground.
“You better not be pissed that they didn’t make a big deal about it—”
“Well, a little surprise woulda been nice!”
“Miya—”
“Lovebirds!” Tomas called out. “Keep it down.”
Atsumu threw himself on his back. Now that he’d bothered to look at them, the stars did look really bright.
Black curls eclipsed them. “Don’t be pouty,” Sakusa said.
“M’not,” Atsumu said. “Just— yer not gonna break up with me now, are ya? Now that the thrill of sneakin’ around is gone.”
“Of course not. Wait, were you actually worried?”
“No,” Atsumu grumbled.
Sakusa smirked. He saw right through him. “Dummy,” he said, brushing the hair from Atsumu’s forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Atsumu tugged him down by the collar and kissed him hard. If the team or the stars above saw, he hoped they enjoyed the show.