Archive of Our Own

It was one of those nights that he just needed to go perfect. After a whole week of bawling his eyes out on the couch scooping vanilla ice-cream by himself, while the most stupid chick flick was on perpetual running in the TV, he just really needed a mood lifter. A quick fling. Something really casual to pick himself up after being dumped by stupid Mr. Flexible wrists.

The lighting was fitting. The music was uplifting and trendy. Not too loud, not too quiet. The perfect balance for amicable conversation or to dance the night out if he wanted. He was even wearing his fitted jeans, the ones that shaped his butt and contoured his legs in all the correct places. 

So why? Why had all the previous confidence brimming from every ounce of his body when he made his way towards the bar, disappeared as soon as he saw the man himself sitting on the VIP section snuggling his way to another guy. And not any guy. Because that by itself wouldn’t have been hard enough for Atsumu, no. Sakusa had to be flirting with bloody Ushijima Wakatoshi. The man who had been a constant shadow in their relationship. The source of many jealousy disputes and the reason why Atsumu had been stupid enough to follow horrible internet advice and threatened his now ex-boyfriend, leaving him dumped on the spot. 

Stupid. Stupid Ushijima. Everything was his fault.

He banged his head against the bar’s table of his brother’s very popular and very niche club of sorts.

“I’ll have to kick you out if you keep sulking on my bar, ‘Tsumu.” The sound of his brother’s bothered tone came to his ears. “You are ruining the mood for everyone around you. It’s bad for business.”

Atsumu stopped his head banging. He sighed and rested his chin on the bar’s countertop, a childish pout on display as he kept on brooding all over.

“Yeesh.” Was his brother’s reaction. “At least with your face covered you didn’t look as miserable.” 

Atsumu saw how his brother kept on wiping a glass, without feeling sympathetic towards his current misery. He furrowed his eyebrows in anger and increased the saltiness in his pout.

“This is your fault you know!” Atsumu complained. “You shouldn’t have allowed him in!”

“And why would I have done that?”

“Sibling’s sympathy or whatever!” Atsumu groaned miserably. “Help your brother out ‘Samu!”

Osamu clicked his tongue in exasperation. “And hurt my business because said brother is a dense jealous excuse of a human being? Yeah. Sure.” Osamu rolled his eyes hard at the hurt expression his brother was making. He scoffed and placed the empty glass on the table. “Besides. This whole mess is your fault to begin with. You brought this upon yourself, so learn to live with it.” He turned to rummage the liquor display, completely ignoring the devastation caused by his last words. 

Osamu poured a mix of liquids in the glass he had left in the counter before sliding it towards his deflated brother.

“There. Sibling hospitality and shit.” He said nonchalantly as he tossed the towel he had been using over his shoulder. “You’re welcome.” He added as the final blow.

Atsumu groaned one more time before grabbing the glass and taking it to his nose. It smelled strong . Knowing better than to ask what was inside the cocktail, he just gestured it forwards, towards his brother, before gulping it in one go. He smacked the glass on the counter when the bitter and burning aftertaste came to linger in the back of his tongue.

“Shit! ‘Samu! What was that?” He hissed as the burning sensation was travelling now down his throat. 

“It’s called “stop whining and get your shit together”. He smirked before adding. “I made it specially for you.” Osamu roared in laughter as he made his way to a new sitting customer.

“That sounded strong.” A voice came from Atsumu’s side. “Are you sure you were supposed to just chug it like that?” 

Atsumu turned his head to the newcomer. It was a guy, he seemed younger than him, big brown eyes that shone in different hues as the lights of the club kept reflecting on them. A wicked flirting grin and hair than even with the dimming light, Atsumu could have been blinded by how bright it was. 

He may have been staring at the face of the boy for longer than he thought, as the shorter man fidgeted nervously.

“I’m sorry. It was meant as a joke.” He said scratching the back of his head. “You seemed in a bit of a bad mood, so I thought I could help you lift it a little.” He said with a little more confidence than before. “Sorry if it was inappropriate.” The smile still not as bright as before, clearly embarrassed about this whole situation.

Atsumu may have been angry and miserable, but he wasn’t blind . The boy in front of him was handsome, cute even. Very different from his usual taste, but he wasn’t in the lookout for a relationship, just, you know, a nail that could help him take out the previous one still embedded in his heart. He put on a lopsided grin as the need to comfort the other man popped in his mind, probably a side effect of the strong concoction his brother gave him.

“It’s fine! Don’t worry!” He quickly swayed his hands in the air in front of him. “I was surprised.” He gave the other man a smile before adding. “It was funny. I’m just in a pissy mood.”  

The ginger brightened even more, if that was even possible, as he relaxed into a more comfortable position. He sipped his equally orange drink before stretching his hand towards Atsumu.

“Hinata Shouyo. Nice to meet you.”

Atsumu grinned. This was going to be easy.

“Miya Atsumu. Just call me Atsumu.” 

They shook hands eagerly. Atsumu felt how soft the other man’s hand was, it was a nice feeling. Very different from the ones he had been so used to.

“So, Atsumu.” Hinata started. “What has gotten you in such a pissy mood ?”

Atsumu chuckled. It’s not like he cared that a stranger knew about his current sentimental struggles, but if it deterred him from actually scoring tonight, then maybe it wasn’t the best plan to start their chat with how miserable he was being at having his ex in the same room as him.

“You know, the usual.” He shrugged one shoulder as he whirled himself in the rotative pub stool to look at the dance floor, trying his hardest to look smug and mysterious.

“He got dumped and his ex is here, all over a new and hotter guy.” Osamu’s voice came to shatter all illusions of composure.

“‘Samu!!” Atsumu whirled back so fast that he lost his balance and fell to the floor. He rushed to his feet and stomped his hands on the countertop. “Why don’t you go and stab me instead?!” He whined with an even bigger pout. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and mumbled. “And he is not hotter, ok?”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Osamu chuckled.

Hinata laughed out loud at the twins' antics, reminding Atsumu of their little spectator. Great. Now he had blown his chance with Mr. Cute smile over here. Thank you very much Osamu. Way to earn his brother of the year award. Maybe he could start over with someone else? Make his escape and swallow his embarrassment? He was going to have to abandon the bar for the night though. Another Osamu tactic like that and he was sure to end going home alone.

He took a last look at the ginger. Man, he was SO going to get his revenge on Osamu. He was about to make an excuse to get out of there, when Hinata took a large swig of his glass and smacked his lips as he finished the remainder of his drink, probably to savor the sweetness of it.

“Do you want him to notice you?” The ginger’s voice came in a seductive whisper that got Atsumu and his brother gaping at the words.

The blond recovered faster than his twin, a smirk on his face at the idea that his night may not be completely ruined, furthermore, it had become quite interesting .    

“What do you have in mind?” He tried his best to sound as intrigued but casually disinterested, like if he still was in control of the situation and the way the ginger was looking at him didn’t make him as flustered as he actually did. 

“By the end of the night he is going to be crawling back to you.” The ginger winked.

Atsumu was intrigued, but his competitive self was demanding him to be a little bit of a dick.

“Hmm. You sound really confident about it.” He taunted. “And what if he doesn’t?” He just wanted to see how far the ginger was willing to play.

Hinata stared at him for a couple of seconds before an idea came to mind. He made a cute gesture with his hands and face, like if a literally light bulb had popped over his head. “If by the time this place closes he hasn’t made his move, I’ll pay for your drinks.” 

“Are you sure?” Atsumu smirked, leaning on the table counter as he got closer to the other man. “I’m a heavy drinker.”

The other didn’t back down, instead, a hooded leer and a lopsided smile caught Atsumu from even breathing. “And I’m an amazing dancer.” His words caused the other man chills as the ginger got a hold of his hand and dragged them both to the dance floor.

As soon as they hit the dance floor, the music changed. It became one of those spanish rap weird songs with big bass and rhythmic drums that just weren’t exactly Atsumu’s favorites, as he didn’t understand the lyrics and felt that all the songs were just more of the same. So he just sighed and started to bounce to the rhythm when he noticed the glittering eyes of his dancing partner. 

“I love this song!!” The ginger said, visibly vibrating in excitement. “I’m surprised they are even playing it here!” 

“Well, Osamu needs to keep on the trend of what is being played in other places, but really” Atsumu scrunched his nose in distaste.” … Do you like this? It’s so… tacky.”

Hinata gave him a look. One that meant “you are one of those , huh?” But decided not to say anything and instead he got a little bit closer to Atsumu. The blonde decided this was a good opportunity to rile the ginger up. Atsumu wasn’t a very good dancer, and he kind of hoped Hinata would just give up on this weird “dance off” he had planned and just changed for a more… direct strategy. A kissing session? A way to direct Sakusa’s attention quicker? Maybe he wouldn’t end up going home with Hinata, but as sure as hell he was going to get as many free drinks as he could. 

“Honestly, it's just a bunch of very bad attempts at music. They all sound the same to me.”

This did the trick apparently. Hinata got as close to his face as to touch the other’s nose, and leaning into the blonde’s space, he grabbed his hands and scoffed.

“Just shut up and dance!” He gave Atsumu a playful smile as he tugged the blonde’s arm and forced him to move in place. “I’ll lead you.”

Atsumu groaned internally and just let himself be moved. Knowing how bad he was at anything that required coordination outside his volleyball skills, he just hoped that Sakusa wasn’t actually looking over and laughing at his lame attempt at “dancing” or whatever the human tangerine had decided to do with his body. 

While thinking of a new way of stopping the enthusiastic man, he decided to pay a little more attention to what was going on in front of him. He reopened his eyes and stopped. His brain went numb and as if the universe was pulling a prank on him, he saw how even the light shifted and traced and moved with the orange haired man. It was hypnotic, it was fascinating and Atsumu was dancing along. He didn’t know how, but apparently not only Hinata had not lied about being a good dancer, he was making Atsumu look good. No. Amazing at it as well. For anybody who was actually paying attention to the two figures moving, they would think that they were both in control of whatever was happening between him and the gingerman. He got into another twirl, a hand was placed on his shoulder suggestively and Hinata chuckled.

“Not so much resistance now, huh?”

Atsumu blinked.

“How are you doing this?” He asked, baffled at how fluidly the man moved. It was as if the rhythm and himself were one. Shifting position when the beat changed, making Atsumu to twirl and entangle when the chorus came, as if Atsumu was actually having some kind of input in it.

“I told you.” Hinata gave him that confident smile and hooded eye look. “I’m a great dancer.”

The song changed and Hinata gave a small squeal. “This song!” He moaned happily as the lyrics started. To Atsumu’s surprise, the ginger started to sing them. He wasn’t sure if they were the exact same, but Hinata was actually singing in spanish. Or something really close to.

“You know the lyrics?” He asked as Hinata made his way towards his back and started to sing them closer to Atsumu’s ear. He started to descend slowly and suggestively, making Atsumu to sway downwards as well. Hinata straightened himself up and hugged Atsumu from behind, preventing him from standing up.

“Perks of living abroad.” He smiled as he continued. “They are really suggestive, though.” Hinata replied with another one of his grins. “I’d love to sing them to you.” He finished as a whisper in the other man’s ear as he helped him stand up slowly, making it seem like a genuine dance step.

Atsumu laughed. Loudly. He was enjoying this. Certainly Sakusa would be green with envy. They had never enjoyed a night out like this, even though his ex would drag him to dance, Atsumu would just shift in place trying his best to follow whatever rhythm they were supposed to move to, always making Sakusa abandon his attempt to dance the night out and switch to drink and a make out session later. 

Atsumu turned his head excitedly, trying to look for Sakusa in the crowd. He needed to know that the man was looking at him. But a hand on the back of his head forced him to look at the ginger instead.

“Don’t you dare look back!” He warned. “Just keep your eyes on me.”

Atsumu lifted an eyebrow in suspicion. The ginger chuckled.

“You suck at this, don’t you?” He scoffed at the blonde’s clear indignation face. “If you want him to notice you, you can’t look at him. Ignore him. You are not dancing for him. You are having a great time despite not being with him.” Hinata got a little bit closer to the blonde’s face. He crossed an arm behind Atsumu’s nape and pressed his hand on the blonde’s chest, getting his face as close as to almost brush his lips against Atsumu’s. “If you look at him. He’ll know you are doing this because of him.”

Atsumu closed his eyes, expectant, waiting. He could feel the lean of the ginger. He imagined that he was probably on the tip of his toes trying to close the distance that their height differences forced on them. He waited. And waited. But the kiss never came. He opened his eyes slowly and saw a smirking Hinata just flat out taunting him . Atsumu snickered.

“For someone with so much experience, you sure are holding back.” Atsumu taunted back.

Hinata laughed earnestly and Atsumu stopped hearing the music. He was no longer sure if the pumping in his chest was either the drums of the song or his own beating heart. He started to come back to his senses when Hinata’s hands grabbed his shoulders and slid them all across his arms up to his hands, bristling each and every single arm hair as he did. He gave Atsumu a little tug as he spun himself into Atsumu’s hold and locked himself up with the blonde’s arms. The ginger turned his head up with the most provocative look Atsumu had yet to see on him and with a playful tone he reached the blonde’s ear.

“Shut up and dance with me.”

The way Hinata untangled himself and kept on moving and placing and playing with Atsumu like putty on his hands, gave the blonde all kinds of goosebumps as the night started to move along. One song ended and the next started and Atsumu wasn’t sure anymore how many songs they had devoured in their match of stamina and philandery. He was completely and utterly lost in the way Hinata swayed his hips. It was the perfect balance between sensuality, teasing and flirting. While the couples at his sides were just grinding in trashy sloppy filled with sex-like movements, Hinata was floating. Moving. Shifting. Dancing . Never crossing the line. Just daring to step close enough to Atsumu and Atsumu just wishing internally that the other would just close the gap between them.

At some point in the night Atsumu became sure that the man in front of him wasn’t human. The boy was certainly a nymph disguised as a mortal just to taunt him and drive him insane. He was fire incarnate, that was the only explanation that Atsumu could fathom for the boy to burn his presence so intensely in Atsumu’s mind. 

The blonde could only gape and follow and stare and enjoy the other boy’s movements. This was probably the most fired up Atsumu had been in his life, and he had barely touched the man in front of him. Heck. He had barely spoken to him. Barely a warning and a plea of keeping his eyes on him, and, oh! How Atsumu had followed. As if cursed, the blonde wasn’t sure if he had even blinked at all, so deeply enthralled on the other’s movement. It was a burning fire, and Atsumu was the dumb, dumb moth that had crashed head first against it.

A new song started and the ginger suddenly stopped. Atsumu noticed the sweat, the heavy breathing, the exhaustion on his face. He started to notice his own too, too distracted to have perceived it before. 

He held his breath as Hinata stepped closer and closer… and closer. 

The ginger slid his hand up to the other man’s shoulder and leaned into Atsumu’s space. With one free hand, Hinata got hold of the back of Atsumu’s head, caressing the sweaty undercut of the blonde. Atsumu felt the need to close his eyes again as Hinata made his way to the other’s face, a ghostly breath brushing the blonde’s face as Hinata stopped just inches away from him. He closed his fists in anticipation.

“Good luck tonight.” He said in what seemed to be a cheerful tone as he stepped away as fast as he had come close.

Atsumu snapped his eyes open and followed in total bewilderment at the little sun that was just leaving him in place. Stiff, alone and confused. He turned to make sense of the actions from the ginger when a hand came to tap his shoulder. He turned almost as violently as surprised towards the newcomer, making him look at Atsumu as equally confused.

“I didn’t know you could dance like that.” 

It was Sakusa. In the flesh. Hinata had been right all along.

“I didn’t know it either.” Was all Atsumu could come up with.

It was Sakusa! In the flesh! He had come back to him! Sakusa, his ex who he had been sulking and crying and pinning on for a whole week was right there! Freaking. Right. There.

“Want to dance?” Sakusa asked with a shy smile.

“I- …” 

Why the hell was he hesitating? Why the hell was he still looking for the orange mop of hair that clearly had been swallowed by whatever universe he had come from. Why had he felt more in less than a day dancing with a man that he barely knew than in a whole year with the other one standing right in front of him. 

“I -...” 

Why had Hinata just disappeared? Why didn’t he give him his number? Why didn’t he ask for it?

Why did Atsumu think that the night would go on forever? Why was he still doubting about getting back with his ex? 

“Why don’t we go talk instead?” Sakusa offered him a way out. 

“Yeah… talking would be nice.”

That night Atsumu went home alone. He couldn’t stop thinking nor searching for Hinata. When he and Sakusa said their goodbyes, he didn’t feel as devastated as he thought he would. He had his head filled with other things to think and feel instead. 

As the club closed and Atsumu stayed longer to help Osamu clean -out of his need to get more information the twin could provide about a certain orange haired customer- he kept on repeating how he needed the information as it was Osamu’s fault he had become a victim of the night. 

“And that’s my fault how?” Osamu asked in his bored tone.

“It was that stupid music you decided to play! It made all his dancing hypnotic! I was virtually helpless against the bass and the fading lights!” He cried out. He still had the smile, the laughter, the smirking face of the ginger on repeat inside his head. The ever pressing idea that he needed to see him again. Almost as a pull, a desire. He noticed how his brother was not as amused as he was about this stranger. “I tell you ‘Samu… I’m sure! We were bound to get together! I was destined to meet him”

Osamu just scoffed as he finished cleaning up. 

“I’m sorry mr. destiny. I don’t have any info on him.” He gave his twin another look before sighing in defeat. “But since he made you forget about your obsession with Sakusa I guess -he strained the word as he rolled his eyes- I can give you a heads up if I see him in the club again.

Atsumu squealed and hugged his brother, while the other just remained as still as possible with a scrunched up face. He started hitting the blonde after a couple of seconds.

As the days became weeks, Atsumu was starting to have second thoughts about having cut clean things with Sakusa. His discotheque Juliet had yet to make a reappearance in his life and the fact that Atsumu was not a very patient man was starting to make him second guess his decisions. But. Atsumu knew that he had to be crazy, insane even to try to be satisfied by the warmth of a flickering flame when he had felt the heat and burn of the sun. He had felt it. He knew it. They were bound to get together.

His phone rang early in the night. With not a second to waste, he dressed up in his best jeans and leather jacket. He combed his hair just right and made his way to Osamu’s club.

There. In the bar. Like a bloody teenage dream, sipping at his glass with cautious eyes was Hinata.

He made his way shaking in excitement and sat by the ginger’s side. Osamu rolled his eyes when he saw him rest an elbow on the counter and turned towards Hinata.

“So what’s gotten you in such a pissy mood ?” He asked the ginger with a toothy smirk that let out his canines.   

Hinata jolted at the voice, swallowing wrong and started to cough at his drink. Atsumu panicked, his plan completely backfiring and fretted trying to pat the back of the other man to help.

“What?” Hinata croaked when he managed to get his breathing in order.

“I-...” Atsumu was crumbling at the pressure. Did the other not recognize him? “It’s me?” He asked without knowing how to proceed. 

The ginger looked at Atsumu as if the other had grown a second head before just bursting out in laughter.

“Are you asking me?” Hinata gave him the smile he had been missing.

“I- I mean. No! It’s me, Atsumu. We met the other day.”

“Yes. I know who you are.” Hinata chuckled and put the glass on the table, leaning on his now free hand. “So how was the outcome of the night? Didn’t I tell you he was going to get back to you?” Atsumu noticed the strain on his smile. The pulling at the corners. The nervousness in the question.

“Yeah, you did, but…” Atsumu scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I didn’t end up getting back together with him. I realized I just didn’t feel the same anymore.”

Hinata raised an eyebrow. A much more genuine smile spreaded on his lips. 

“Augh!” Hinata groaned mockingly. “See! That’s what’s gotten me in a terrible mood.”

Atsumu cocked his head in confusion. Had he read the other man’s face wrong?

“I worked so hard for this guy to get back with his ex and then he goes and falls in love with someone else.” Hinata looked up at him. His big brown eyes expectant and glittering. Awaiting for the other man’s answer. 

Atsumu felt it. All too hard and all too fast. His chest swollen at the realization of the other man’s words and struggles. He scoffed humorously and brought back his smirk.

“What if I can help you get over that horrible mood?”

“You sound really confident.” Hinata teased him back. “What’s in for me?”

Atsumu laughed out loud. He was certain. This nymph, this sun, this creature was going to be the end of him. He was too far gone now. He just wanted more.

“I’ll buy you the drinks tonight.”

“I have to warn you though.” Hinata smirked, a hungry and equally playful smile. “I’m a terrible drinker.”

“Don’t worry.” Atsumu grabbed Hinata’s glass and emptied it in one gulp, smacking his lips to savor the sugary taste. “I’m a horrible dancer.”