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The first time Atsumu had met Kiyoomi was in a training camp, but the first time he really noticed him was during a volleyball match. Itachiyama and Inarizaki were the last two teams at nationals, battling it out for the winning title. Atsumu remembers the game like this: they are fighting to win. Atsumu is on the top of his game, his serves and sets being unparalleled to previous matches. He's having a fun ass time with his brother and teammates. And to make it better, he notices a rather gorgeous outside hitter on the opposite team. He's tall, with broad shoulders and a mop of black curls around his head. On top of that, he has these freakily flexible wrists, and the setter in him is just dying to set to this man. Well, he actually knows who he is. How could he not? It's Sakusa Kiyoomi, one of the top three aces in Japan. So on top of playing one of the most exciting games in his career, he gets free eye candy? Sign him up. Except, the repeating thought of enemies to lovers, enemies to lovers rattling through his brain was quite distracting.
About five years later, Atsumu gets the news that no one other than Kiyoomi is joining the MSBY Black Jackals. After going to college, and becoming the collegiate leagues MVP, Kiyoomi was finally joining the V. League. Atsumu's skin was tingling at the news. As he walked into the gym that day, his brain was brimming with excitement. The player (the hottie) he'd been admiring for years, the one spiker he desperately wanted to set to was about to be his teammate! He'd been pestering his captain for more information about Kiyoomi throughout the week, desperately wanting to know his character. He'd even found videos of Kiyoomi's games while he was in college, and he spent the night before watching them to see the way he played. And if he got butterflies every time Kiyoomi smiled after a particularly satisfying spike, he wouldn't tell anyone.
The beginning was rough. Much to Atsumu's dismay, their personalities clashed. Often. They knew when to be professional of course, and they were quite the duo on the court, but outside of practices and games, Atsumu couldn't seem to click with Kiyoomi. He was stand-offish and never really liked going to bars with the other teammates. Atsumu had witnessed Kiyoomi's dismay towards germs, so he assumed that's why he didn't like bars. He couldn't blame the guy, but still, he felt bad.
It was one night, another of many when Kiyoomi said no to their weekly bar visits. The familiar feeling of guilt pooled in Atsumu's gut, and he remembers Bokuto's confused glance when Atsumu declined to go to the bar. He made up a weak excuse, something like "I have a headache", as he left the gym and clambered in his car. Instead of driving to his apartment, he made a stop at the grocery store. He planned to grab some stuff, make a gift basket of sorts to give to Kiyoomi.
The team never really made outings that fit with Kiyoomi's fear of germs. They always chose bars and camping trips, two things that Kiyoomi was very opposed to. Kiyoomi always went to team dinners and other activities that weren't too gross , so it was obvious that he made an effort to acclimate to the team. But, it was also obvious that he was kind of an outsider compared to everyone else. He couldn't go to many of the team outings and was left with only practices and dinners to try to make friendships. Atsumu realized that he needed to become that friend, to try to help him and make him fall into the social circle a bit more. Kiyoomi was never repulsed by him before, not minding slight touches if it was Atsumu. He cringed whenever other teammates reached for high fives and pats on the back. He always gave in though, probably not wanting to stand out any more than he already did.
When Atsumu asked one day why Kiyoomi never cringed when Atsumu gave him high fives, Kiyoomi simply said "You take special care of your hands. I've caught you washing your hands for longer and taking care of your nails better than the rest of the team."
Atsumu may or may not blush whenever he remembers that comment.
While in the grocery store, Atsumu picks up some shrimp chips and Yan Yans, snacks that Kiyoomi mentioned one time in a conversation they had with Hinata. Along with the snacks, he grabbed his favorite brand of green tea and a cinnamon scented hand sanitizer he found. Kiyoomi's guilty pleasure was sweet-smelling hand sanitizers. Atsumu noticed the small smile he would give young fans when they gave them to him and how he attached them to his bag. After checking out his items along with a gift bag, Atsumu gets into his car. He doesn't want to intrude on Kiyoomi's homespace without warning, so he calls Kiyoomi's cell.
When Kiyoomi answers, he hears a "Miya?"
"Hey Omi-kun! I just wanted to check if you were home?"
The line is silent for a minute, but Kiyoomi finally says, "Are you trying to pull something? If you are, I'm not in the mood."
"No no no. I just want to give you something. I promise."
"Okay. I'll see you when you get here."
The call ends and Atsumu's heart starts racing. He's actually going to go to Kiyoomi's house! Kiyoomi is letting him come to his house!
Atsumu packs the gift in his car and speeds to Kiyoomi's apartment building. He's been there before, once for their monthly dinners. They alternate houses, and Atsumu remembers how well-decorated Kiyoomi's place was. It was spotlessly clean of course, with healthy plants and a photo collage, full of photos from vacations and family get-togethers. A few of them are photos of Kiyoomi and the team, specifically the ones they took when they celebrated New Years together. Atsumu noticed one of just the two of them, one Atsumu begged Kiyoomi to take with him. It was cute. They were both slightly tipsy, none of them being the type to get wasted, and their cheeks were rosy from the winter air. Kiyoomi wore a simple smile, while on the other hand, Atsumu was smiling wide, his tongue sticking out and his hand holding up a hang loose sign. Seeing it made Atsumu happy that Kiyoomi hung it up.
When he arrived at the building and got out of the car, he made his way to the elevator inside the lobby. Once he got to the third floor, he noticed the smell of banana bread floating throughout the level. It came from further down the hallway than Kiyoomi's apartment, but the smell made Atsumu slightly hungry.
Atsumu knocked on Kiyoomi's door, and about ten seconds later, Kiyoomi opened it. His hair was damp, and he was wearing a casual sweatpant with a black hoodie.
"Hey."
"Hey. You can come in if you want."
Atsumu followed Kiyoomi and noticed the interior was as nice as before. He even got a new plant, it was sitting near the television stand.
"Is that a zebra plant?"
Kiyoomi turned around to face Atsumu, a bewildered smile on his face. "You know your plants?"
Atsumu suddenly felt embarrassed under Kiyoomi's stare. "Yeah, my mom used to keep them around the house. Loved them a lot.”
"Do you have any of your own?" Kiyoomi looked a bit excited, his hands slightly strumming at his sides.
"I have a few, mostly succulents. It's the only thing I can keep alive."
Kiyoomi quietly chuckled at the comment, and then asked, "So what are you doing here Miya?"
Atsumu's heart started running marathons again. He didn't want to make this sound like a pity visit, but at the same time he did feel bad. "Well, I notice you don't like going on our weekly bar visits. I'm assuming it's about your germaphobia, but I also feel bad that we don't include you in a lot of stuff, so I skipped the bar visit today and I made you this gift basket and I was wondering if you would want to hang out or something."
Suddenly, embarrassment flooded Atsumu's system, each passing second in silence only making the feeling worse. Was Kiyoomi going to take this the wrong way? Why did Atsumu invite himself over? All the thoughts ran through his head, until Kiyoomi said, "You know Miya. You're not as much of an asshole as people say you are."
A deep breath of relief leaves Atsumu's lungs as he replies "Well I try."
Kiyoomi opens the gift bag, and his smile gets increasingly wider as he pulls the items out, a small 'thank you' being said every time he places them on his counter. "How did you know I liked all of this stuff?"
"It's my job to learn about my teammates. Sometimes I pay attention off the court too." Atsumu sends Kiyoomi a crooked smile when those dark eyes meet his. Actually, should he get his eyes checked? Because Atsumu did not just see a blush on Sakusa Kiyoomi's face. Satisfaction ran though his nerves like electricity, similar to the feeling he gets when his spikers get through opposing blockers, but this time it was scorching hot and only made his heart run faster.
"Actually, I was just about to start dinner. Stay." With that, Kiyoomi walks into his kitchen, leaving Atsumu to follow him, completely elated.
---//
A few months pass by. Atsumu and Kiyoomi were now dating for around a month when Atsumu asked during a breakfast date, "How would you like to try some new flavors with me for Osamu?"
Osamu tended to use his brother when it came to testing new onigiri flavors. Atsumu was brutally honest when he needed to be, and Osamu trusted that more than anyone else. And, Atsumu wanted Kiyoomi to meet his twin, formally, as his boyfriend.
Kiyoomi froze at the question. He wants to go for Atsumu, but also, he doesn't want Atsumu to realize that Osamu and him... have met before.
Here's how that game in high school went for Kiyoomi: He saw Inarizaki enter the court. He immediately noticed Atsumu, the way he held himself, full of confidence. Kiyoomi admired it, but also really really hated him . Then he noticed Osamu, because how could you not? He was a literal twin. Osamu seemed.. chiller than his brother. Maybe someone Kiyoomi would get along with. Once the game started, he was on the top of his performance, and so was his team. Atsumu's sets were spectacular, and all Kiyoomi could think of was that he wanted to hit those. He couldn't fully trust the sets his setter gave him, but he felt like he could trust the sets the blonde gave. And the more Kiyoomi noticed him, the more he realized how attractive his cockiness was. He was cocky for a reason, this guy was brilliant. Motoya might've caught him staring one time. Maybe he noticed the way Kiyoomi shook the setter's hand for a bit longer than the rest. But, because of this, the interaction happened.
After the game was over, Kiyoomi was standing in a corridor of the gym with his cousin. He wasn't really listening, but he caught on to one thing. "You like Miya Atsumu eh?"
Kiyoomi swore he almost choked on his water. "What?!"
Motoya gave him a knowing look as he said, "I caught you staring. You even hit a spike a bit further than you usually do."
Kiyoomi was so embarrassed, his cheeks were flaming. Thank god he was wearing a mask. "That- was on purpose!"
"Yeah sure."
"I wouldn't like him anyway! Atsumu is a cocky bastard, he thinks he's the shit when he really isn't, and his hair is ugly as hell!"
The air between them is silent until Motoya's eyes go wide, and just as Kiyoomi realizes that he isn't looking at him but behind him , a hand gets firmly placed on his shoulder. Alarm bells ring in his brain, screaming getoffmegetoffmegetoffmegetoffmegetoffme.
But, when he turns around to see who placed their hand on his shoulder, he sees Osamu and their middle blocker, Suna Rintarou looking at him, their eyes piercing daggers through his body.
Osamu sneers as he says, "Want to repeat that scrub?"
Kiyoomi was about to reply when Suna butted in. "You might not want to do that, Atsumu is about to round the corner and he might hear you."
He can feel his palms sweat up as he mumbles out "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
Suna grinned, and said, "Wouldn't want to make lover boy upset huh?"
Kiyoomi wished that the floor would eat him open. But no mysterious floor creature is coming so he says, "It isn't like that."
Osamu speaks up. "Don't worry, that dumbass has been ogling you all day," Kiyoomi's heart stutters as his fists clench and unclench at his sides, "but if I ever see you or your cousin around him, I won't hesitate to beat your ass."
Kiyoomi says nothing more. He just throws Osamu's hand off his shoulder and turns on his heel to walk away, grabbing his hand sanitizer on the way out. Motoya is laughing his ass off, so close to falling to the floor. "Shut the fuck up Motoya."
Before Kiyoomi walks out, he spots Atsumu. He notices the way the setter sends over his signature smile with a wave. He bounces past them quickly though, and practically hops over to his brother and friend.
Now that Kiyoomi remembers this incident happening, he immediately clams up. He really doesn't want to go to Osamu's. But before he can explain to Atsumu, his boyfriend simply asks, "Omi are you okay? You really don't need to be afraid of my brother, he's too nice for his own good." You really don't know, do you?
How could Kiyoomi say no? If he truly cared about his boyfriend, he would do it. Just for him. So, he took a deep breath and replied, "Yeah you're right. When do I need to meet you?"
"Friday, 6pm."
Kiyoomi had 4 days to prepare. 4 days to prepare emotionally. Maybe a bit physically if Osamu was serious about the "beating your ass" thing. He can do this.
---//
The four days go by in a flash, and now Kiyoomi is in the car with Atsumu, driving to Osamu's Tokyo branch of Onigiri Miya. His hands are shaking and he feels so stupid because, they're adults right? That past is the past and Osamu won't hold it against him. Right?
They arrive at the shop, a cute corner store with black and white tiles. It's pretty, Kiyoomi might add. They walk through the door, the store already having been closed. The door triggers a small welcoming bell, and that is when Kiyoomi sees him. Osamu walks through these wide kitchen doors and Atsumu speeds ahead of Kiyoomi to his brother. They immediately go in for a hug, and once Atsumu pulls away, he turns to face Kiyoomi. "'Samu! I brought Omi along. I think it's time you met my boyfriend!"
Kiyoomi's knees feel weak as he walks over to the pair. Osamu has since gotten rid of his grey hair from high school, growing it out to its natural color. He has a few more muscles too, less lean than he was back then. Shit he could probably beat Kiyoomi up .
"Hi I'm Sakusa Kiyoomi, nice to meet you." Pretend you don't know this man.
"Osamu. Nice to meet you too." Is he pretending too? Did he just forget about the incident in high school?
Osamu leads them to some barstools before he goes in the back to grab his new flavors. Atsumu notices how Kiyoomi is shaking in his seat. "Omi babe are you ok?"
"Yeah yeah yeah totally fine, don't worry about me Atsumu." He is not fine, but Atsumu didn't need to know about everything that happened.
"Are you cold? Oh my god are you sick? You are a bit pale." Atsumu raises his hand to Kiyoomi's forehead to check for a fever, and of course there is none.
Kiyoomi has to calm down. For his boyfriend and his sanity. "Love, I'm fine. Just a bit worked up."
Atsumu giggles as he places his hand over Kiyoomi's. Surprisingly, it helps a lot with his nerves. When Osamu comes out with the new flavors, the couple tries them out. They are both brutally honest people, and Osamu even thanks Kiyoomi for his constructive criticism. The night is genuinely kind of fun if Kiyoomi ignores the incident scratching at the back of his brain. He needs to apologize to Osamu again. He gets his chance when Atsumu leaves to go to the restroom.
The pair sit in silence for a moment until Osamu says, "Sakusa? Are you alright?"
"Are you just pretending that thing in high school never happened or what? Please tell me but again, I am so so so sorry." Kiyoomi's words leave his mouth like word vomit and he's about to ramble more when Osamu starts laughing, loud and boisterous.
What.
the.
hell.
"Jesus Christ I forgot that happened! Is that why you've been on edge? I can't- oh my god..." He turns towards the directions of the bathrooms,".. .TSUMU YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS."
Osamu's losing his mind, fists hitting the table as he explains while slightly out of breath, "Rin and I were just pulling your leg. Like yeah, it was irritating to hear you say that shit, but it was so obvious you liked him, we just HAD to make fun of you. The stuff you said wasn't even false either." Osamu keeps laughing, eventually losing his ability to breathe before Atsumu comes back.
"What the fuck was so funny 'Samu?"
Kiyoomi is mortified. He's been afraid this whole time over nothing, and now Atsumu is going to know all the shit he said about him back in high school. "Osamu please please please don't tell him oh my god."
Once Osamu gains the slightest bit of composure he says, "Nah, I'm telling him Sakusa."
Osamu explains the story of how they actually met. How Kiyoomi was an embarrassed teenager, who was trying to cover his own ass but got confronted. That's why he's been on edge all of today. Atsumu's facial responses start off confused, to shocked, and finally he too starts laughing, tears clinging to his eyes.
"That's why Omi looked like he was going to die after he saw me in the hallway that day. You scared the living shit out of him dude!"
This only brought out another round of laughter, and another wave of hot embarrassment through Kiyoomi.
It's another excruciating hour until they finally leave. While they are driving home, Atsumu suddenly asks, "Do you seriously think my hair is ugly?"
"Yeah."
"Liar."
"It's not that ugly."
"Thanks babe. Also 'Samu is totally going to call Rin about this."
"Fuck."
A minute later, Kiyoomi adds, "Also, Osamu agrees with all the things I said."
"I'm going to kill him."
"Take me with you."