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Kiyoomi doesn't like promises.
They remind him of the broken ones he was promised when he was younger, pinky promises, young hands against calloused ones intertwined and soft reassurances, but never granted. He stopped believing in promises when he was 10. He doesn’t want to be disappointed anymore. He hates that he can still vividly remember every broken promise like a trip to the park or the sea, as the urgent calls come for his parents, snatching away his childish dreams from his grasp.
Kiyoomi learns to grow up early. Promises are made only to be broken. I don’t need someone to break my heart and crush my spirit.
Trust, after all, is a fickle thing.
Isn’t it rather foolish to expect something from others? He believes he does things for himself, and only himself. He doesn’t need anyone to tell him what to do. It’s always good to strive and make goals for yourself. He grew up in a family where every promise was as good as soulless words, and he would never make the same mistake twice
Then comes Miya Atsumu, who loves making promises.
To Kiyoomi’s surprise, Atsumu keeps nearly all of his promises. He doesn’t know how Atsumu convinced the universe to always rule in his favor. Kiyoomi doesn’t have an answer.
Atsumu comes into his life blabbering about promises Kiyoomi knows are too bothersome to keep, or jokes at the very least. He doesn’t take Atsumu seriously. It starts when he first meets Miya Atsumu at the National Training Camp in 2012, when the annoying setter barges in on his conversation with his cousin, Komori.
“Omi-kun, why are ya always gloomy? I swear I’ll make ya smile soon. To turn yer frown upside down.” The cocky setter from Inarizaki gives him a boyish grin. “I promise."
He snickers at the mention of promises. But, more importantly, who is this boy to declare that he’ll make him smile? Even his relatives haven't seen him smile in years. Only his family does. Other than that, nobody has earned the right to see his teeth thank you very much.
Kiyoomi wears his mask for two reasons: to protect himself and his health, and to avoid social interactions. He rarely talks to people, unless needed. He supposes his mask is enough reason for the other person to rethink that maybe, this person doesn’t wanna talk and be disturbed at all, and it works every time.
Except for one person.
How fucking annoying.
He forgets the promise. Kiyoomi doesn’t expect someone he barely knew to fulfill a promise. That’s bullshit thinking in the first place if you ask him.
Within a week, Miya Atsumu makes him smile.
It is the last day of the training camp and Kiyoomi is itching to go home. Some people are exchanging email addresses and frankly, he isn't interested one bit. Well, at least Komori is having the time of his life, weaseling in the throng of people and socializing to get their email addresses.
He doesn’t expect anybody to approach him at all. Off the court, Kiyoomi has shown nothing but hostility toward casual conversations and small talk
Then Miya Atsumu waltzes up to him while typing, his phone case on display.
A red phone case with two dogs encased in stars.
Kiyoomi feels something warm inside him. I also like dogs. Maybe this guy isn’t so bad. Dog lovers are supposed to be kind people.
But this is Miya Atsumu.
He gives up.
“Omi-kun!” Atsumu looks up from typing. “Give me your email address!” He hands Kiyoomi his phone and, by instinct, he shakes his head.
No thanks. He doesn’t want anyone bothering him and his precious alone time.
But he is curious about the phone case; it looks customized. Before Kiyoomi can stop himself, he asks, “Are those your dogs?”
“Huh?” Atsumu cocks his head in confusion then realizes. “Oh yeah! They are. The white one’s name is Ichiro because he’s mine and the brown one is Samu’s and his name is Jiro. Wanna see pics of them? I have plenty.” He enthusiastically replies and he sounds so happy, his animated voice booms with radiance and love, it makes Kiyoomi curl his lips upward.
Miya Atsumu made him smile. He fulfilled his promise.
What the hell? Kiyoomi panics. Thank God Miya didn't see because he has a mask on.
“Do ya want ‘em or not?” Atsumu probes. “I can send lots and lots of pictures if you give me your email. Ya don’t wanna miss premium puppy pics! I promise to send ya a new one every day.”
He doesn’t want to give it to him, but the promise of puppy pictures makes him giddy. Maybe he owes Atsumu one.
For the first person to make him a promise and fulfill it.
“Okay. Get it from Motoya. Tell him I said so,” Kiyoomi says, and quickly sends Komori a message.
Give my email to Miya Atsumu. Don’t ask questions.
Komori probably laughed at him when he saw it, but the flurry of puppy pictures he now receives every day more than makes up for it.
Maybe promises aren’t so bad at all. Kiyoomi realizes. Maybe there are someone's words worth holding onto.
Someone like a once-in-a-lifetime meteor crash. The blinding tail of a fallen star illuminating the skies with the sudden outburst of light and quickly disappears, all at once.
But it seems the meteorite he found did not quickly lose its luminescence.
The daily puppy messages turned to casual conversations about life and volleyball. When Kiyoomi was in university and Atsumu joined the Vleague, the text messages became midnight calls when the both of them couldn't sleep. Come Kiyoomi’s graduation, Atsumu was there waving a sunflower bouquet as he cheers when the dean announces his name in congratulations. And of course, their time with MSBY Black Jackals improved their relationship not just as Setter and Spiker, but as a couple.
Kiyoomi is happier than ever.
Atsumu learns to never promise words he cannot keep.
And the both of them shined brightly together.
Fast forward to nine years later, and the first person who ever fulfilled his promise is still by Kiyoomi’s side. Though he still doesn’t like promises, he believes every single one Atsumu makes to him. And today, he plans to propose to him.
Today, I’ll be the one making the promise, Kiyoomi smiles to himself, and feels the ring in his coat pocket. It’ll be okay, he breathes in.
Like every other person out there, he thought proposals were easy. Movies made them look easy. Isn’t he supposed to just pop the question on one knee and ask the magical question, per se? He orders the ring, organizes the venue, and makes sure Atsumu is there.
That should’ve been perfect already.
But he knows Atsumu would like the important people in his life to be there, and he understands how much they mean to Atsumu. So, he looks for help.
When he’d asked Rintarou to gather the Inarizaki team for him, he thought it would be a gathering, a quiet reunion with exchanged pleasantries.
That’s what he envisioned.
But no.
Their apartment looks like a fucking festival, and Kiyoomi doesn’t know how to react. When he realizes MSBY and the other members of the national team are also coming, he becomes terrified of what’s about to unfold.
Is this a proposal, or a V. League reunion? He doesn’t know anymore. Thank God Atsumu is too engrossed in his VR game to notice the influx of people into their moderately sized apartment.
Why did he invite so many people? Right — Motoya egged him on and enabled him.
He’s going to kill his cousin for giving him a permanent headache one of these days. He should pray to the Gods today will go well, or it’s his head on the guillotine next.
“No, you should scatter the rose petals in an even manner, not in clusters,” Kita scolds Akagi as he goes ham with rose petals laying on the floor.
“Love, I don’t think Atsumu isn’t going to notice it’s not properly segregated,” Aran points at Atsumu who’s very engrossed in his game of Beat Saber and followed by him suddenly doing a whole reverse shrimp posture like how he sets.
Probably not.
Kita surrenders on this one.
Akagi cheers with victory, seeing how Kita quickly loses an argument with Aran. But ah, maybe it’s Aran’s power as his husband. No doubt. Akagi is now an even bigger fan of Aran who is patting Kita’s hair in apology.
On the other side of the room, Rintarou snickers as he scrolls on his phone and rolls his eyes at Atsumu, who is enthusiastically ducking more than he needs to.
“Show off.”
Osamu comes behind him from the kitchen and envelops him with a back hug. “What’s making you upset, darling?” He kisses Rintarou’s hair.
“Your brother.”
Osamu laughs out loud and he is quickly shushed by Oomimi who is carefully arranging the picture frames on the floor.
“Not too loud.” Oomimi gestures by putting one finger in front of his mouth. “Atsumu might notice.”
Osamu takes one look at Atsumu who is now punching the air. “Nah.” Osamu disagrees fervently. “That dumbass,” he points at his brother, “will probably go through his game even in an apocalypse.” Osamu goes back to hugging Rintarou. “The hair bleach damaged his brain.”
“Agreed, darling. Your black hair is definitely superior to his.” Rintarou steals a kiss from Osamu.
“Are you two going to help or will you just stand there doing nothing?” Kita asks and both of them freezes in place.
“Yes, Kita-san.” They agree in unison. There is no winning in that battle, even if you were armed with a million excuses and another billion arguments.
They are 100 percent positive. No one wins against Kita, their mighty volleyball captain in high school.
“Shin, don’t hover over them too much, they’re adults. They’re going to be fine.” Aran calls out.
Well, except for Aran.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to put the candles on the corner of the cake, Hoshiumi-san," Hinata pipes in. Hoshiumi puts all the candles he can find on the counter next to the chocolate custard pudding cake Kiyoomi bought.
“I agree with Hinata, Hoshiumi.” Ushijima nods at him.
Hoshiumi screams in disbelief. “Why?” He questions. “Are we not supposed to put the candles on the cake because it makes them look shorter? Huh?”
Nobody reacts to his statement. They know it's gonna happen any minute now.
Three.
Two.
One.
“What’s wrong with being short?!” Hoshiumi gives them quite a loud scare. But Kageyama is unfazed, he’s seen this too many times to count.
“Nothing, Hoshiumi-san.” Kageyama responds with a blank face. “...Can I put the other candles on?” He carefully asks.
“Oooooo, Kageyama lemme put them on too!” Bokuto sprints to the kitchen counter from playing with the rose petals in the living room.
Meanwhile, Komori Motoya, Sakusa Kiyoomi’s greatest cousin, has been inconsolable for an hour, dramatically shedding tears and bawling on the sofa.
Kiyoomi wants to punch his cousin in the face so bad because he’s been crying and chanting, “Kiyoomi’s all grown up now,” as snot comes down from his nose. He's so embarrassing and Kiyoomi is so close to disowning him.
Oh, god. Why did I invite all of these people again? Kiyoomi asks himself for the nth time.
Oh yeah, it was all for Atsumu.
All for Atsumu.
To be frank, he wanted the proposal to be the two of them quietly in their home, not the rowdy barn their place has become right now, but he knows Atsumu would want people he loved to witness this special moment in their life.
With the Inarizaki team, who was the first team who fully loved him and respected the way he played volleyball, and the MSBY Black Jackals, who cared for him in his first flight in professional volleyball. And of course, to the new Japan Olympic Volleyball team who will be with them as they fly higher for Japan’s pride and honor.
If only both of their parents were here, it would have been completed already.
But he guesses that could wait. Once Atsumu says yes. Hopefully, he says yes. Kiyoomi begs the universe.
Maybe it'll be like that first time Atsumu made Kiyoomi smile.
Sakusa Kiyoomi never knew that he would be a Miya someday. He never thought that the annoying blonde cocky setter from Inarizaki would fulfill his promise and they would meet again in adulthood as teammates, and he'd still hold on to every word he promises.
Before Atsumu, he never knew he would be so willing to exchange the name he grew up with to his lover's name. But after spending almost a decade with Atsumu, and seeing how the Miyas are, he has decided.
I want to be part of this family. I want to carry their name.
Hopefully, it happens.
Atsumu is still completely engrossed with his game, now currently punching the air, Kiyoomi looks at the ring he bought again.
It's a ring made from a meteorite. A special ring that is only in his hands right now because of the gibeon meteorite found in Namibia in the 1930's, and Kiyoomi was able to pull strings to purchase one for Atsumu.
He takes the ring out of the box and carefully examines it again.
The Widmanstätten pattern is stellar, and figures of long nickel — iron crystals, found usually in octahedrite iron meteorites consist of fine interleaving of kamacite and taenite bands or ribbons called lamellae. Stellar, indeed. Like the chance of finding someone who was meant for him.
He imagines the meteor speeding in deep space, leaving stars for the watery green earth, burned and singed into the relief of nickel and iron, and as the meteorite interacts with the air Widmanstätten patterns are made. And now he holds this beauty in his hand, a human-made ring valued differently than the treasure of gold.
And to be the cherry on top, or should he say — to add more sparkle to the proposal, as if making a ring out of a dead celestial body isn't extra enough.
He's currently wearing his ruby Olympic jersey under his coat, but it isn't like the first jersey he wore to the Olympics.
This one has a different name. Miya. And the number is 28, a combination of their numbers in MSBY, 13, and 15.
Komori would probably laugh at him for choosing that number but it feels right to him.
Miya Kiyoomi, wearing the jersey Miya 28 at the Olympics.
He thinks it's perfect because it has the number eight on it, which in turn looks like the infinity.
An infinite number of promises to be made.
Of course, infinity is impossible to achieve and they'll probably perish at the age they were destined to rejoin the ashes of ground, but Atsumu taught him anything is possible if you believe and try hard enough. Atsumu has shown tenacity every day and puts his love and passion into everything he does.
But then Kiyoomi realizes that the best promise is Atsumu's existence. He's now ready to ask Atsumu if the Miya name is forever his to keep.
He would like to say everything is fine, but he's been standing in front of Atsumu for fifteen minutes now with the ring box in his hand and he's getting annoyed.
Why the hell isn't he stopping at this game? Atsumu has been playing for two hours now, what the hell? Where did he get all the stamina? He's also playing the level Expert plus no less. Probably the perks of being a professional volleyball player, but today isn't the day Atsumu should be showing off his athletic prowess.
Okay, he just wants to get over this so everybody can leave and he'll be at peace.
But of course his boyfriend, well, soon-to-be fiancé, had to be a fucking clown at this crucial moment.
Kiyoomi points at Rintarou and signals, "Plan fucking B." Thank God he has alternatives.
Rintarou pulls up an okay sign and pushes Kita to Atsumu, who is in the middle of punching the air in multiple directions.
That should do the trick and get him back to his senses. Kiyoomi knows Atsumu knows his former captain's grip in a heartbeat.
Kita grabs his shoulders, while Aran and Osamu take away his controllers.
"What the hell, I was winnin'!" He complains as he takes off the VR headset and is met by Kiyoomi's waiting eyes in front of him.
"Omi-kun?" He asks, with eyes wide in confusion.
Kiyoomi takes a deep breath. I can’t believe I’m about to propose. What the fuck. He feels his heart beating faster and then when he counts to ten, he takes the leap.
“Say for instance, if I said I want to marry you, would you say yes?” he says, voice a second from cracking, and Kiyoomi can’t believe he’s being vulnerable right now.
Atsumu stays silent, and it feels like an eternity.
“Ask me again, without the probabilities.”
“Atsumu, I--,” Kiyoomi stammers. “So I bought you a ring and I know you like meteorites because you always make fun of me making references to it but you're actually a child inside and you’re a fan of it. But yeah I bought you one and I was trying to ask if maybe I could marry you?” He stares at Atsumu’s eyes, drops on one knee and opens the ring box.
“I can’t promise you forever, but I promise I'll make it last.” Kiyoomi gives him a smile, and it was the same one he gave when Atsumu first fulfilled his promise.
“What the fuck?” Atsumu says. “Omi-kun, are you joking? Like for real? Yes? Why? Me?” he asks in a flurry.
Kiyoomi nods and reveals the jersey under his coat. “Will you let me officially be a Miya? This isn't just for show, you know."
“I do, Omi-kun!” Atsumu cups his face and Kiyoomi slides the ring on his ring finger. Kiyoomi feels tears pooling in his eyes, as if the stars aligned for him to be happy.
He can hear distinct cheering from the crowd, subtle excited Kansai-ben accents, with Komori and Osamu bawling in the background as the highlight.
This is where his happiness lies. In this room. With Atsumu.
“I love you, Atsumu,” he whispers in between cries.
Atsumu responds, “I love you too.”
Kiyoomi leans in to kiss him on his temple. He’s happy and content.
"Oh my god, I'm getting hitched!" Atsumu cheers while he shows off his new engagement ring and Kiyoomi turns to glare at him.
"Don't say it that way, it sounds bad. What the hell."
"Suck it fuckers, I'm getting married to Omi-kun!" He throws a fuck you sign at his brother and Osamu doesn't miss the beat to respond,
"Well then, let's settle who’s getting married first, ya mustard-dressing Miya!" And shows him the onigiri ring on his ring finger.
Everybody cheers for the newly engaged couple.
Kiyoomi rolls his eyes. Of course, this day would come down to the Miya competition.
Well, he chuckles to himself, welcome to the family, Kiyoomi.
He wipes the tears that were streaming on his face, as he looks at Atsumu.
Finally. After years of searching blindly in the vast universe, Meteor Kiyoomi has finally reached home.
(“Last one for the best of three. Osamu-2, Atsumu-1. No cheating. The committee will be checking who wins.”, Komori repeats the rules for the third time.
"Rock, papers, scissors, shoot!" Atsumu and Osamu chants, the representatives for both currently engaged Miyas.
Atsumu throws out rock. Osamu picks paper.
Osamu wins.
“Guess we’ll be getting married first, twin brother,” Osamu says smugly as he reaches for Rintarou’s waist to kiss him on the cheek.
Atsumu looks at Kiyoomi, who wasn’t surprised at his loss.
“I didn’t count on you winning anyway,” he shrugs, honest.
“Omi-kun~" Atsumu whines and Kiyoomi kisses him to shut him up.
Atsumu still wins in the end.)
If you're curious about how the meteorite ring looks like, here have a peek! Isn't it beautiful...