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"Hey."
Kita could feel the whisper before it came. The faintest twitch of fingers inside his raincoat pocket. A gentle press of a thumb into skin. The soft flutter of waves lapping against the rocky shore. An exhale softened by the humidity. The scent of brine, seaweed, and the lingering too-sweet scent of fish.
He let his eyes open — coming face to face with the grey-blue sea. A calm marked by the gloomy threat of a rainstorm.
They'd planned on taking the boat tour that afternoon. Shake hands with the pretty, smiling captains in blue uniforms. Sit side by side, letting their thighs brush like shy teenagers. Gaze out the large window at the stunning rock formations and the peacock colored sea.
But then the granny at the front desk of the ryokan tut-tutted when they revealed their plans, shaking her head in disapproval. Yer gonna catch a cold!
Nevermind that it was early May — the air thick and balmy.
"Yes, Atsumu?" Kita gave his partner's hand a tiny squeeze.
"Do ya remember the first time we came here?" Atsumu smiled. Not at him, but at the horizon. Relaxed to the untrained eye, but Kita knew better.
"Of course I do." Kita let go — a silent request for Atsumu to pull his hand out of his raincoat. His partner obliged — letting his arm fall limp between them, brushing ever-so-slightly against Kita's own as they strolled along the shore.
He didn't want him to let go. Not really.
But there were certain unavoidable truths in the world. Ones that made Atsumu lie every time a nosy sports journalist asked about his bachelor status. Ones that made them stand five feet apart in the ryokan lobby, asking for a room with two beds instead of a single. Ones that meant their affection needed to stay far from wandering eyes.
"Things feel different now." Atsumu mused, letting out a lengthy sigh — releasing some of the pent-up tempest in his chest.
"I would hope so. It was a long time ago." A gust of wind caught them off guard — a hand meeting his lower back. Steady. He chuckled. "I ain't gonna blow away."
Atsumu sent him a honey-coated smile, all crooked canines and crescented crinkles. "Ya know I can't resist touchin' ya." The hand slipped away, returning to its society approved location between them.
"My dear, Atsumu." Kita stepped over the concrete ledge onto the natural rocks, careful not to slip in the slick puddles. "Somehow still a horny teenager at heart."
"Hey now!" Atsumu laughed, following him onto the rocks a little too fast. A sneakered foot slipped, followed by a yelp. He righted himself — not falling on his ass like Kita so secretly wished he would. "I ain't horny! Never been!"
Kita giggled as a gaggle of grannies on the nearby fishing pier sent dirty looks their way. "Maybe don't yell that in public, sweetheart."
As Atsumu's ears flushed pink in embarrassment, Kita let himself linger on the feeling he mentioned.
Things feel different now.
All those years ago, they were barely adults — Atsumu just graduated and Kita on break from university. Eager and nervous all the same to go on their real first trip together. Blushed cheeks as their pinkies curled inside the safety of a pocket. Shoulders pressed together as they leaned against the Shinkansen seats.
This year, Kita had driven. One hand comfortable against the worn leather wheel, the other resting on Atsumu's thigh and enveloped in warmth. A Rintarou-designed playlist played over the speakers — all acoustic guitar, gentle strings, and down to earth lyricists. Soft spoken conversations about everything they missed during the V.League season.
Instead of the raging hurricane he'd been in his youth, Atsumu had mellowed out into a rainstorm that rolled over the distant horizon. Yet, he's never lost his spark. Both a violent flash of lightning and a gentle, warming bonfire. The same spark Kita had fallen in love with all those years ago.
Kita wasn't arrogant enough to think he himself hadn't changed. With age came further understanding of the world and simultaneously more questions. Questions he came to realize he never needed answers to. That instead of analyzing, he can just feel. And as he watched the wind whip through Atsumu's pale blonde locks, he was glad for that realization.
Smaller details had shifted dramatically as well.
These days, Atsumu's phone background bore a picture of him and his brother with his eight-year-old niece, Akira, hoisted in the air and swinging from the twins' biceps. Somehow already looking like a Miya Triplet, despite the twenty-six year age difference and her sharp green eyes.
Their titles for one another had shifted from boyfriend to partner as their relationship crossed the decade mark and their laugh lines lingered. They weren't kids anymore.
Atsumu was the proud captain of the MSBY Black Jackals. Honored by the fans as eternally loyal to the team for the entirety of his career. But as a generation of younger and fresher setters joined the league, his role on the team had shifted to something all too familiar to Kita. A sideline mainstay — ready to support his team should they need the boost with powerful serves and consistent sets.
The last change was Kita's favorite. The ease of Atsumu's broad shoulders. The sleeveless shirt that revealed well-toned pectorals, underlined with scars from a battle won. They both had cried when Atsumu opened his eyes after the surgery — relief and joy and comfort, despite the pain. Now, it was all just a distant memory.
"I've been thinkin'." Atsumu mumbled as they walked along the rocks, stopping every few steps to look at the footprints preserved in the stone. Ancient animals that once traveled the land and swamps that formed today's coastline. "And I think ya might have an answer. Yer one of the smartest folks I know, after all."
"Just 'one of?'" Kita smiled to himself as they stood before an ancient rhino print.
"Shinsuke!" Atsumu bumped him with his elbow, laughing softly. "I just… I'm wonderin' how the world is gonna end."
"Ya never fail to surprise me, Atsumu." Kita eyed the fishing pier, seeing it devoid of grannies. Twining their fingers together, he tucked them back in his pocket. "What made ya think about such a thing?"
Atsumu nibbled on his lip, tugging him along to an elephant footprint. "All these animals. Livin' here forever ago, but never goin' away completely."
A bubble of understanding settled in Kita's heart. He didn't know what was bothering Atsumu, but something was. And it had nothing to do with prehistoric footprints.
Kita stared out over the water and the storm brewing on the horizon. It seemed more and more likely the day would be washed out completely. Not that he'd complain about the two of them climbing into their room's private hot spring bath — his back pressed against Atsumu's chest as they drifted away.
"Well…" He started, squeezing Atsumu's hand. "Most folks say that someday the sun's gonna explode and consume the Earth. Probably instantly. But I ain't an expert, 'course."
Atsumu sighed, something thick brewing within him. "That's not very romantic, is it?"
"I don't think the mass extinction of millions of life forms is meant to be romantic." Kita smiled, loving the twinge in his cheeks.
"Well not when ya put it that way." Atsumu led them to a rock tall enough to sit on, hidden from the road behind them. Damp enough that they'll have to hang their shorts out to dry when they return, but they didn't care. "I just think it'd be nice to face the end standin' side by side with the folks ya love. Knowin' ya might never see them again but at least ya can do this together."
Silence settled, though it was hardly uncomfortable. Kita let the statement grow and bloom in his own chest.
"That would be nice." He finally decided. "What do ya think it'd look like?"
Atsumu nibbled on the inside of his cheek — a bad habit he'd clung to for over three decades according to his brother. "Like the most beautiful sunset ya can imagine."
"I've seen many beautiful sunsets." Kita twined their fingers together, letting them rest in the divot between their joined thighs. "I'll look forward to this one, then. If you'll have me by yer side that is."
Atsumu rested his head on Kita's shoulder, huffing out a faint laugh. "Ya think I wanna die with just Samu with me? Hardly. 'Course I want ya there."
"Rintarou and Akira would be there too."
"They're just as obnoxious as Samu is." Atsumu grinned, fondness clear in his voice. Another gust of wind interrupted them, the thin material of Kita's jacket crinkling as it pressed against his back. "I bet Aran'd be there. He ain't family, but he's family."
"Someone has to keep you two in line." Kita reached between them to pinch at Atsumu's cheek — going softer as he grew older.
"Thought that was yer job, Kita-san."
"I retired from that a long time ago." Kita brought their hands to his face, pressing a kiss to Atsumu's skin. "I'm too biased now."
Pink bloomed on Atsumu's cheeks, like they were still pining teenagers with fat crushes and not already half a decade past thirty. "Always knew ya had a sweet spot for me."
"Hm? What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Kita allowed himself a crooked grin. "Clearly I was talkin' 'bout Osamu. He's always been my favorite."
"Waaaaah." Atsumu cried out, jokingly overdramatic. "The betrayal!"
In the distance — where rocky cliffs rose and disappeared into the fog — rain began to fall. A sudden squall or a lingering storm, Kita didn't know. They should probably head back soon, but he wagered they had a little bit longer.
"Hey, Shinsuke." Atsumu's head had settled back against his shoulder. "How do ya think I'd look with dark hair?"
Osamu had worn his natural color since they were twenty, finally deciding he was sick of constantly touching it up. The purplish grey always suited him, but the dark was even better. Brought out a sparkle in his eye that was missing before.
Atsumu had kept up the blonde — changing the cut, color, and tone — the entire time. Going from bathroom dye jobs to getting it professionally done. Kita liked running his fingers through the coarse texture at night when Atsumu settled his head on his chest. But he couldn't help but imagine it smooth and soft.
"Handsome." Kita pressed a tiny peck against Atsumu's forehead. "I think everythin' looks good on ya. Are ya going to go back?"
"I don't know if I will." Atsumu sighed. "But I won't lie and say I haven't been thinkin' 'bout it."
Kita brushed some of the blonde locks in question out of Atsumu's face, meeting his partner's honey brown eyes. Words remained unspoken in his irises. Thoughts swirling around.
"What's all this about, Atsumu?"
"Ya always see right through me, don'tcha?" He nestled in closer, cheek brushing against crinkly fabric. A sigh, warm against Kita's skin. "As ya know, my contract with MSBY is up this year. They offered an extension."
"That's great." Kita smiled, squeezing Atsumu's hand. He was getting up there in age, but he was still in good shape and it wasn't unheard of for a player to go until his forties. "I'm proud of ya."
"Well." Atsumu slipped off his shoulder, straightening himself up. Gaze settled on the greying sea — a bit of wake had kicked up from the distant storm, crashing against the rocks. "I told them I'd think about it."
"Oh."
"I wanted to come home first 'cause…" The corners of Atsumu's mouth twitched. "I'm not so sure I wanna play for the Jackals anymore."
Kita stayed silent, watching Atsumu work through his thoughts. He didn't need mindless platitudes — he needed someone to listen.
"I've had a good career. A great one. Fourteen seasons in the V.League. Three Olympics. And bein' captain has been everythin' I've dreamed of and more." A smile. "But I'm tired."
"Tired?"
Atsumu leaned back, one hand stretching back to support his body. "I don't think I wanna go to the Olympics next summer."
"What do ya wanna do next summer?"
"I wanna teach Akira how to set. Prove to her dads that the Miyas are natural setters." The image of the two of them in Kita's backyard tossing the ball back and forth brought a gentle ache to his heart. "I wanna play 2v2s in the field behind yer house. 3v3s if Aran visits and ya wanna jump in."
"I haven't played in a decade." Kita ran his fingers through the soft bristle of nape hair. "I'm rusty."
"We can put Akira and Samu on one team and ya on the other. It'll be fair."
"Ya think I'm better than Osamu?"
"Duh. Samu's shit."
"So." Kita exhaled. "Ya don't wanna go to the Olympics, fine. But… what about the season. What are ya thinkin'? Goin' to a second division team?"
"I… I think I wanna retire." At Kita's eyebrow raise, Atsumu huffed out a laugh. "I love volleyball, and I never want to quit. But, I think the parameters — is that the word — of what volleyball is to me have changed."
"It's just for fun now?" Kita probed.
"Yeah." Atsumu smiled. "I don't need to be runnin' suicides or practicin' for hours every day no more. I just wanna hit the ball around."
"What will ya do if ya retire?"
Atsumu was quiet for a long time. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by a rumble of thunder.
"I've got money saved up. I can take a break for a while."
"And after that?"
"Y'know, Shinsuke. If I've learned anythin' from ya, it's that it's never too late to figure out who ya are." Atsumu sighed, one of relief instead of pain. "Maybe I'll become a manager or a coach. Go to college and get a degree. Work for the handsomest rice farmer in all of Hyogo!"
Atsumu brought their hands to his lips, maintaining his crinkled eye contact as he kissed the back of Kita's hand.
"I followed the path I was s'posed to." A broad palm met Kita's cheek, tilting it ever so slightly up. "But I think it's time for a new journey."
"Look atcha." Kita leaned into the touch, resting his own hand on top. "Yer becomin' quite a philosopher in yer old age."
"Learned from the best." Atsumu leaned in, pressing a gentle peck to Kita's lips. Just the faintest of touches, but enough to summon a subtle warmth in his chest.
Foreheads met as they basked in the proximity. The loud lap of waves on the shore. The distant sound of rain on the ocean. The thick, humid air caressing their skin. The absent-minded brush of a thumb over his bottom lip.
"And…" Atsumu paused, searching for words as Kita's eyes opened. "If I retire, we don't gotta hide anymore. We… we can tell the world."
"Ya really want to tell them?" Kita blinked, meeting Atsumu's resolute gaze. "Ya were still a pro athlete. The backlash is gonna be…"
He remembered the kerfuffle in the news and online when Rintarou came out. The less tolerant folks bombarded him with hatred and vitriol. Called for boycotts and for EJP to sack him.
And that was just for being — at the time — engaged to another man. The public had no clue about his gender.
"I don't care anymore." Atsumu grinned. "I'm tired of journos askin' me if I'm datin' anyone and not bein' able to tell them about my divine partner."
"Yer always exaggeratin'." Kita huffed out a laugh. "I ain't that special."
"I don't just wanna call ya my partner anymore." A gentle flutter echoed in Kita's chest as Atsumu pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I wanna tell them, this is my husband, Shinsuke."
Kita blinked. This is the first time Atsumu had ever mentioned marriage. They'd discussed that one day Atsumu would move into the farmhouse fully but never anything more.
"If that's... somethin' ya want, of course."
"Are ya proposin' to me, Atsumu?" Kita grinned, squeezing Atsumu's hand. "Ya got a ring in yer pocket or somethin'?"
Atsumu's eyes grew wide, mouth opening and closing like a beached fish. "Well. I… don't have a ring but I… Shinsuke..." He took a comically large inhale before continuing. "Will ya mar—"
He was cut off by a sudden torrent — hard, sharp rain splattering everywhere. Drenching their light locks. Bouncing off the sleeves of Kita's rain jacket. Trailing down Atsumu's cheeks.
"We gotta go!" Kita shouted, pulling Atsumu to his feet. He couldn't help but smile — bigger than he's ever managed before — as they ran through the rocks and through the street like teenagers.
"Shin… Shin… wait." Atsumu panted the entire time they ran.
Shelter was found under the ledge of someone's front stoop. They couldn't stay here for long and the downpour still sent splashes on their skin, but at least they could regain their bearings.
"About earlier—" Atsumu exhaled, eyes wild.
Kita laughed, pulling his partner in to press a kiss to his lips. "We can discuss it later. Right now, I wanna get back to the ryokan and take a nice long warm bath in the hot spring tub with my fiance."
"Yer what!" Atsumu half-said, half-yelped as Kita tugged him along once more into the torrential rain.
As his cheeks were strained from his laughter and stained from the rain, Kita couldn't help but be grateful.
Things really do feel different now.