Chapter Text
November 4th, 2018
I hope that you have been doing well, y/n. It's been ages since I last spoke to you. I went out of my way to ask Keiji how to get in contact with you because he's more close to you now because you both work together, he said a letter would be more romantic. Honestly I agree with him. It's less nerve-racking than talking to you face-to-face. I'm nervous to speak to you in person.
Please bear with me, you know I'm not good at these things.
Thank you.
Your short lessons and time has really helped me out with my new team, the Jackals. Although, sometimes I'm still a stickler. Like used to say I was.
I admired you a lot. You were always so different from me. While I couldn't give a damn about anyone, you cared about everyone. Of course only the people who deserved it. We shared that in common. But.. you made me want to be kind to people. You made me want to try not only for you but of myself.
I'd be lying if I didn't say other people's platonic company didn't remind me of our old bond.
Like a plum you were sweet and were my favorite thing.
y/n, I really hope you end up reading this but don't rush to respond to me. I'm patient.
I hope one day we'll meet again.
Your dearest, Kiyo
November 8th, 2018
Kiyo! It's about time you wrote to me :) I've missed you.
I'm sorry for responding four days later, Kashi had dropped the letter on my desk a couple days ago but I haven't gotten the chance to read your letter till today. The company is typically busy around this time of year cause we're usually trying to get stuff done before Christmas and New Years. Other than that I've been well. I love working here. They let me decorate our floor with holiday decorations, I usually go all out on Christmas and Halloween decorations.
How's the team? What are they like? I bet they are complete extroverts.
Keiji tells me about his boyfriend Bokuto all the time and how energetic he is. Sometimes Bo will deliver fresh baked sweets to the office. It's heartwarming that Kashi has a fiancé that loves him just as much as he loves them.
Speaking of sweets I KNOW YOU DIDN'T CALL ME PLUM~
Is that a new re-connection nickname?
If so then I have to make one up for you as well.
Your plum, y/n.
November 12, 2018
Y/n I'm glad you responded. I really was worried that my letter would have gotten mixed up with the rest of your files at work. To answer your question the team is a bit chaotic at times but there's nothing team I'd rather be stuck with.
I've also been busy with life, mostly team practices or practice games with other teams.
We've been working hard because we all want Japan to get to the Olympics.
Hopefully the Olympics won't be really crowded. I'm sure it will be but a guy can dream, right?
Since you brought up the holidays maybe we can go out for dinner sometime if you don't have work?
Your pick, since it's a meet up after not seeing you for so long.
Perhaps I'm getting too ahead of myself though.
Your friend, Kiyo.
November 13th,
Kiyo, of course we can go out for dinner together! Just give me a date after November 28th since I'm free from then till January 3rd. Can go to Samu's onigiri shop to visit before dinner though? I'm glad he'd be glad to see us both.
Also, I'm glad you found a team that you love to be around, I'm guessing you are way more social on the jackals than you were on Itachiyama.
Can we hang out on Christmas Eve too separate from our dinner hang out? I can't tell you why though since it's a surprise :)
From, plum <3
"Y/n you and Kiyoomi have been making me send letters back and forth for the past almost now. Do you look like Cupid to you?" Keiji whines while lightly shoving your cheek with his palm.
"You know I love you lots but you guys are practically in love yet you STILL are pinning each other. Have you ever just thought about just getting his phone number or maybe HIS ADDRESS SO I CAN STOP GOING BACK AND FORTH." You grasp his hand in both of yours and start laughing.
"Alright, Keiji. This is the last week you'll be sending our letters, and since my Cupid has been working sooo hard I'll buy you some ramen after work today huh?" You offer him. This made him smile a bit.
"Whattttt abouttt, we invite Bokuto and I'll ask Bokuto to bring Sakusa with him? That's killing two birds with one stone. So what about it?" He slyly suggests. "Unless you're too scared to see him yet~" he nudges you.
"Wha- I AM NOT SCARED. Do it! Go ahead!" You pout at him in an overdramatized manner. "Wait don't you have Kiyo's phone number?"
He scoffs mimicking your last response "WhA- I dO nOt!?? Of course I do but I'm not giving it to you. Ask him. I don't give peoples phone numbers out with their spoken permission."
"Damn you Kashi. Just tell Bokuto. But don't get mad at me if I barely talk at the table. I'm complicated with these things." Keiji ruffles your hair and smiles
"of course sunshine."
After the next couple of hours The two of you get the majority of your work done and Akaashi makes the call to Bokuto.
There are two spaced out rings then his fiancé quickly picks up the phone on the other side. "KAASHI!! Did you get the lilacs that I sent you today?" You can feel the buttery feeling of his passion for Keiji just from listening to him through the phone. You weren't trying to eavesdrop, Bokuto's voice was typically more projected but also sweet like honey. His face on the FaceTime grinning ear to ear.
"Yes Bo, I did get your flowers. They're lovely" Akaashi responded, his face fluttering into a bright red. "Thank you.." he mumbles, embarrassed about his current state. He tends to be more timid with showing this side of himself to others. Keiji let's it slide though because he's comfortable with your company. As Bokuto and Keiji ramble on about their days it makes you yearn for a love like there's.
Not perfect but real enough.
"Bokuto, can I ask you for a favor? Y/n and I are going out for ramen and were wondering if you would like to tag along." Bokuto nods at the screen "You know I never turn down an opportunity at going out for food" Bokuto was a very big foodie and not picky about it either. His stomach is like a bottomless pit when at events like Buffets, Cook outs, or barbecues. Akaashi continues on, "Could you also ask Kiyoomi if he'd like to come?"
Bokuto starts to walk over to the other side of the court. Akaashi grabs your arm lightly, hinting that you can look at the screen. "Omi-omi!!" Bokuto gasps the curly raven haired man's attention. He wiped his face with his shirt giving your perfect view of his stomach. You've seen pictures of him but on the call it felt.. like your heart was overheating with nervous fluid in replacement of your usually confident and calm blood.
"Keiji... do we have to invite him?" You whispers enough for the mic to not pick up your comment. "Yes. It'll be nice. Trust me." Akaashi replies, squeezing your hand in assurance.
"L/n wants to know if you want to go to get ramen with us. Me, Keiji and l/n. What do you think." Sakusa, realizing that Bokuto had the camera facing him, Kiyoomi internally starts to panic. Though on his face he's plastered a deadpan face, internally he was trying to process his question.
"What? Today?" Bokuto laughs "nooo~ next month." He teased "yes today. Like once we get out of practice." He explained to the raven.
"U-uh sure. Ramen would be nice cause it's getting colder." He smiles ever so slightly. Cute, you think to yourself.
About an hour later both you and Akaashi are out of work and now sitting at a booth close by the door at the ramen place patiently waiting for Bokuto and Sakusa to arrive.
While waiting the nervousness in your mind starts to catch up with the rest of your body and you grab Keiji's arm with a light squeeze. "Y/n, what's up? You seem uneasy." He turns to look at you, even though you are wearing a face mask, your eyes still give off an uneasy expression. "What if I embarrass myself? I mean I haven't seen him in years since we graduated. What if he's completely different in person compared to over the letters we wrote." You start to ramble on. "What if I'm unsure of what to say to him."
Keiji chuckle at your unthinking. "Y/n I don't think a guy who didn't like you would make me send letters back and forth for a couple months." He grins, you can tell because when Keiji smiles, he smiles with his eyes closed. Bokuto would find it cute. "I can assure you he cares about you a lot. Before you both started this whole thing, he'd always ask about you when he found out we worked together. I guess Bokuto told him."
You both hear the doorbell chime as the door swings open. Your thoughts were interrupted by a loud familiar aura "KASHIII, I MISSED YOU." Bokuto speed walks over to Akaashi, and Akaashi gets up from his seat in the booth and pulls Bokuto into a long embrace. "Ko, you saw me this morning before you left for practice." Akaashi mumbled into his shoulder while hugging him back.
The door opens again, chime quieter this time around. You look up and your throat becomes tight. He's taller than you remember him to be and his presence is much more nerve wracking than when you see him in the interview that Bokuto shows you and Akaashi at your hang outs. His hair is a bit shorter than it was in highschool, and his build was more muscular. Kiyoomi has also managed to pick up some nice style after your time apart. God this is gonna kill me.
"Uh.. hi, it's been a while." He raises his hand slightly to wave to you. I've been staring too long.
"Kiyo, hey." you wave back at him. The tension between you two was colder than ice. "Are they always like that?" Kiyoomi points at the two lovers, squinting in confusion. You nod at him. "Yeah, they act like this a lot. Don't worry they aren't too mushy. It's kinda heart warming." Sakusa smiles "you're fond of them, aren't you?" "Of course I am Kiyo, they're like family."
Your words hit Sakusa right in the heart. That could've been him, but he made the decision to go on a separate path. He wanted to confess when he had his life together. So he left. He finished college and went into the pro world of volleyball after graduating college. But while doing all that he missed out on spending time with you. Bokuto being two years older and Akaashi being one year older than you and Sakusa they both got to see you grow up. While Bokuto and Akaashi were there for your birthdays, holidays with you, your college graduation, moving out, he missed it. The guilt ate him alive.
"Kiyo.. you're still family too. You know that right?" You smile at him. You can tell he was overthinking it. You've known him since you were little. You hoped your words would help him relax, and they did. He sighed in relief."I'm glad I am. I missed you." "Let's go sit Kiyo." You gesture towards the booth where the two love birds have been chit chatting while patiently waiting for you.
Keiji could notice your tension by the way you kept looking down at your phone to distract yourself. Grabbing your hand and leading you out of the booth he turns towards Koutarou and Kiyoomi "Excuse us. We'll be right back." he says softly, bowing like the gentleman he is. You both start walking towards the bathroom hallways where the other two can't spot you.
"Y/n... what was that." he let out a heavy sigh. "Keiji I have no idea what you are talking about" you say sarcastically, trying to lighten up your way out of a very obvious lecture. He raises one eyebrow and crosses his arms in disappointment. Great here it comes.
"Y/n why aren't you talking to him? While me and Kou have been chatting it up and trying to get some conversations out of the two of you, you've been as stiff as a rock!" You study his face hoping he won't continue. "I don't want to mother you but hell, even Sakusa has been talking more than you today. What's wrong?"
"I didn't know what to talk about, it's been years since I've seen him. Keiji, I know damn well if you and Bokuto went without seeing each other for at least 2 months you'd be awkward too." you know are pushing it, he's only trying to help you but you've run out of explanations for your quiet behavior.
"What did you talk about while writing letters to him? You can just speak to him the way you would in letters. Sakusa isn't going to judge you for how you hold a conversation." He holds your hand in his and smiles. "Plus, I see the way he eyes you. Just give it a chance, okay?" You nod and pull him in for a hug.
Once you get back to the table you sit in front of Kiyoomi and smile. "Sorry for earlier, I was a little in my head." He nods, taking a bite out of the gyoza he had ordered previously. "That's fine" he pauses and looks you in the eye.
" I know we talked about this before but uhh.. since Christmas vacation is coming up would you like to tell me the place you had in mind?" you looked at him confused for a couple of seconds then you understood what he meant. You had invited him to hang out with you during the holidays through a letter but you had never told him the place.
"I was thinking Dotonbori or maybe Shinsekai because it's less crowded than Dotonbori? I know you aren't really fond of crowded places, especially because it'll be during the holidays." he cuts you off and starts laughing "That's really cute Plum.. I really thought you'd say universal. It seems like your kind of thing, I hope you aren't picking these just because of me." your breath hitches and a feeling of heat rises to your face.
"No... okay maybe? I thought the food there would be nice too." you mumble across the table. "Y/n we can do a mix of both if you want, there's no need to be ashamed. Plus most people will be in Tokyo at home for the holidays so it won't be too bad either way."
Your eyes shine at this proposal, it was heartwarming that he still had the ability to read you like a book. "that'd be perfect." The thought of you two together alone still left you on edge but perhaps that edge will be worth it.