Work Text:
December
If you asked Akaashi what time of the year he despised the most, he would - without missing a beat - reply, “The holiday season right before Christmas.” Sure, he still felt like it was a hassle, despite his birthday being at the very beginning of the month: one of the only perks that the Christmas season brought with it every year. He didn’t feel the all famous Christmas spirit that everyone, especially Bokuto-san, always ranted about. He was the one that had most pestered him about his dislike over the holiday, almost driving him insane with the amount of whining he had to hear from him over the course of the years they spent together.
“Hey, Akaashi~! You can’t tell me that you don’t like Christmas! It would be like saying that you hate happiness itself!”
“Bokuto-san, first of all I don’t hate Christmas in itself, I just don’t care. I don’t see the need to go out of one’s way to celebrate something when it’s mostly a couple’s holiday nowadays. I don’t see the necessity of it all, that’s all.”
“Akaashi~!!”
The raven haired man sighed. As he walked down the progressively emptying street, he lifted his head up. Every single shop was decorated completely in Christmas-themed decorations, making his already tired mind spin with annoyance. He watched as most of the shops started to turn off the lights, leaving the street in a spectral gloom that paired well with the striking cold of the night.
Akaashi became suddenly aware of how long he had remained inside the office, having stayed back inside late trying to fix some errors in a manuscript he was reviewing. A couple of months prior, he had been put in charge of more than one artist given his experience and skill set, and now he was being burdened with the thankless job of coordinating an entire section of the magazine’s Christmas special. As per usual, the special featured exclusive chapters and collaborations between existing series, and Akaashi knew that a project like that could only bring troubles to him and his colleagues. Nothing tired him out more than authors being insecure and riddled with art blocks.
At that moment, while he was lost in his thoughts, his stomach grumbled extremely loudly. He felt the embarrassment rise on his face, the blood rushing to his cheeks and making him self conscious, and turned around searching for anyone that could have heard that. He felt relieved to discover that no one had even stopped or noticed his presence, every single person passing by engrossed in their phones or listening to music, walking fast with their heads hung low.
‘I should get something to eat… Did I even eat lunch?’
Akaashi started to walk around, trying to find someplace that would at least accept his order despite the late hour. He knew that it was an almost impossible feat, the freezing cold making everyone walk a little faster and the shops closing earlier for the lack of customers in the quickly emptying streets of the big city. He tried to get to the kombini he used to sometimes pop in before going home, being the nearest to the train station. Akaashi definitely wasn’t looking forward to getting on a jam-packed train and being pushed to a corner, in which he would definitely feel uncomfortable, as his above average height made him fit awkwardly in the small space.
The raven haired man was about to enter the little market when his eye caught sight of a shop still open. He saw the lights coming from the glass, for a second wondering if it was just the konbini’s cheap neon lights tricking his tired eyes, before he caught wind of the delicious smell coming from that same place. The slightly open door that was being held by a worker definitely busy with the last closing touches was just enough for Akaashi to throw all his manners and shame to the wind, and his feet carried him faster than he could have thought possible in his exhausted condition. He quickly found himself in front of the worker, trying his best to catch his attention while desperately doing his best to compose himself.
“Excuse me, sir!”
“Sir, we are-”
“Please, are you still open? I would like to place an order, even a takeout one would be great.”
“Sir, I’m sorry but we are closing. I’m afraid we can’t help you as the kitchen is already about to close.”
“But it’s not closed yet, right!?”
Akaashi himself was a little surprised by his own outburst. It was enough to make the worker start to get annoyed, and he once again repeated to him that unfortunately he couldn’t help him. The circumstances made him obligated to deny the service to Akaashi, despite the many promises of payment the other could offer trying to convince him. As they were arguing back and forth, a voice came from behind the worker, a shadow looming over them as the brighter light from the inside shone brightly over them.
“Is something the matter here?”
They both immediately stopped arguing, turning their attention to the other person. Akaashi could barely make out the face of the man standing behind them, mostly making out only the outline of his broad shoulders and the height, making the other stand almost on par with him. Akaashi couldn’t quite put his finger around this man, standing there proudly and looking at them with a bored expression and a raised eyebrow. He was about to speak up, when he stumbled forward and he lost his glasses, cursing at his bad luck and the already loose screw that had been haunting his existence since he had accidentally bent his glasses lightly by leaving them under a pile of manuscripts and leaning on that with his full body. The moment he once again regained his sight, he saw that the other man was now standing straighter, an expression of disbelief now gracing his features. They stared at each other for a second, something telling both of them that they shouldn’t look away, when the complaining from the worker still in the middle could be heard.
“Oh, boss! Thankfully you’re still here! I’ve been trying to tell this kind customer that we are closing but he won’t listen. How should-”
“Enough. Thank you for your hard work, I will handle this now. Please finish your work and go home, and I will take care of this gentleman. I think that we might know each other actually.”
‘Do we?’ Akaashi quickly thought, his mind slowly starting to form links with his memory, searching somewhere for that strange parted to the side hairstyle and those bored grayish eyes. He couldn’t quite place where he had already seen the man, until he was invited inside and he caught a glimpse of the name standing proudly by the counter and on the walls.
ONIGIRI MIYA
‘Miya?’ Akaashi was in awe, his jaw dropping as his mind finally took that particular face from his memory, providing him not one, but two faces, all identical but for their hair colors. Standing behind a net in their younger days and in the adult form for only one of them, standing proudly by Bokuto-san as they played on the same team.
“Wait, are you Miya-san? One of the twins from Inarizaki’s volleyball team back in highschool? With your brother Atsumu-san?”
Akaashi’s face was the clear reflection of his shock, something that made the man in front of him start to laugh as he was walking behind the traditional looking counter and putting on his apron. The raven haired editor followed him, sitting down in front of him on the other side of the japanese style counter and staring in confusion at the chef when he started speaking again, a smile on his face.
“Yes, that’s me. I’m Osamu, the better twin. I knew I remembered you from high school. The glasses had thrown me off at first, but I remember your face. You were captain in your third year, weren’t you? Quite the good setter and strategist if I may, nothing to do with that idiot that’s my brother. He and Bokuto-san come often here and your friend never fails to talk about you. Pleased to finally meet you in person.”
“Uh- It’s a pleasure…”
As Osamu was talking, he had already started to work, some rice finding its way in his hands while he expertly shaped it. He stopped only for a second as he reached for some ingredients and glanced at Akaashi, as if to ask for his permission. Akaashi could only nod from the place he had been sitting and let the other do his magic with the food. He stared, his eyes never leaving the skillful fingers that shaped and made simple ingredients into something worthy of a restaurant of the caliber Onigiri Miya was. Akaashi had been pretty embarrassed, knowing well the increasingly famous restaurant, one that had just opened after years of being affirmed as one of the best places in Osaka.
Akaashi almost didn’t realize Osamu’s hand putting a plate full of freshly made onigiris in front of him, his mind unable to properly work after the day he had just gone through. He devoured the food in front of him, a quick “thanks” being the only thing escaping his lips before biting into the kind offering given by the chef in front of him. As soon as he finished he realized how embarrassing his behavior had been, apologizing immediately to Osamu.
“Miya-san, I’m extremely sorry. You were being such a gracious host, but I couldn’t hold myself back from eating immediately. I don’t know how to repay such kindness.”
“You don’t need to.”
“What?”
Osamu smiled lightly, pointing to the empty plate in front of the other. Akaashi felt the blush starting to rise high on his face making him feel hot while his ears were already probably turning red. He turned his head away as he heard Osamu starting to laugh joyfully.
“I don’t see anything funny, Miya-san.”
“I’m sorry, Akaashi-kun. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, really. It’s just, you entered this place with such a desperate expression on your face and I’m a chef. My job is literally made to make people enjoy what they are eating. And nothing puts my heart in a better mood than seeing someone that was struggling in a way being so happy about my cooking.”
“Miya-san…”
Akaashi started to feel more relaxed, the idea of not having been in some way a bother to his old high school acquaintance making him sit a little more comfortably in the high rise chair by the counter. He was about to speak up again when he was interrupted by the other.
“Also, it’s the Christmas season! What better way to celebrate the spirit if not by sharing and making others feel a bit better? Our mother always told us that during this time we had to do some good actions to get our presents… Hey, Akaashi-kun, everything alright?”
Osamu stopped his rambling to look at Akaashi, whose expression had immediately stiffened. He thought he had been doing quite the good job at making him feel more relaxed but noticed the sudden change in attitude as soon as Christmas was mentioned. He silently berated himself, the tiredness catching up on him and making his usually keen observation skills worse, making the man in front of him feel uncomfortable. After some time, the man spoke up, a somber but almost apologetic expression on his face.
“I’m sorry Miya-san… I’m not particularly fond of Christmas, neither as a kid and even less now as a working adult. Christmas is usually a time full of stress and sleepless nights for me, as you can see since I’m still here despite this late hour. I’m not even sure there are still trains running at this time of the night. I’m just-” He paused for a second, a deep breath filling his lungs before he once again spoke up. “I feel like this is just an overwhelming time of the year, and I have difficulties seeing it differently. Doing anything in this season just feels like a chore, and I don’t even want to think about what mess is gonna be awaiting me at my own apartment. I think I might need a break, in all honesty."
Osamu was speechless, fighting back a deeply rooted instinct to comfort him, seeing how much the other in front of him was actually deeply tired and stressed. His heart was in pain, thinking how his favorite holiday could bring such hurt to someone like Akaashi, someone that had always looked like the most put together person in the whole universe.
“I could see that, Akaashi-kun.”
“Oh really? I’m sorry Miya-san.”
“No, don’t apologize, please. You deserve a moment of rest too-”
Osamu stopped for a second, an idea flashing through his mind. He quickly turned around and grabbed a folder of paper that had been in the back of the kitchen, as he was about to take it to the front and work on it before Akaashi’s arrival. He looked back at Akaashi, who was looking at him with big, curious eyes. His glasses were long gone inside his bag as he had started to complain about a headache, only to accentuate the bags under his eyes. Osamu stood there for a second, contemplating his idea before taking courage and speaking up again.
“Akaashi-kun.”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to be good with numbers?”
“I- I do know my way around some simple management as per my college classes. Why?”
“I have a deal for you.”
Osamu looked as Akaashi lifted one of his eyebrows, the greenish eyes shining under the bright lights that came from over the counter. He couldn’t help but feel a childish glee at Akaashi’s interest, wondering how he would react to his idea.
“I want to help you in whatever way I can, Akaashi-kun. So I’m gonna ask you this. If I can provide the two of us with food and company, would you mind coming by and helping me out? Not even extensively, but just helping me review a couple of things so I don’t make mistakes. I’m planning to open up more branches, but I need to set everything straight. You can come and work on your things too, so you’re not in that office of yours that made you look like hell right now.”
“I don’t look that bad!” was the only weak protest that Akaashi could put up. He knew how bad he was looking, especially as he was feeling even more drained than what he looked like.
“Yes, you do. Please get out of that place at a better time and I will help you make this period a little less stressful. Leave the resting time to me; I want to be your support. After all, this is what the real Christmas is about, and I won’t have you go around being the Grinch anymore!”
After Osamu finished, he turned around towards Akaashi, who was lightly giggling this time. He wondered for a second if he might have broken him, given his reaction to being called a grumpy Christmas hater, but he quickly changed his mind as he saw his mirthful eyes. He was now standing up, picking up his bag when he stopped and turned around to Osamu.
“Miya-san…”
“Stop it with the Miya name, you’re making me feel like I’m hearing those annoying interviewers hunting down my brother after a match. My name is Osamu, and I would much prefer it if you used it like everyone else. You’re my friend now, whether you like it or not, and you have to call me by a name that will make me different from ‘Tsumu.”
Akaashi laughed once again. He was wearing his coat again, definitely about to head out and leave him to close the restaurant for the night. Osamu couldn’t help but notice how he would hide his smile inside the big scarf he was wearing around his neck.
‘Cute’ was the thought that went through Osamu’s mind before he realized he was calling a tall, grown man cute. He blessed his conscience to have stopped himself from accidentally blurting it out loud, not wanting to embarrass his new friend, making him completely blow his chances to foster this growing relationship between them.
When Osamu finally got to make sure Akaashi was going to be okay going back by himself and that he didn’t need him to accompany him with the restaurant’s truck, he watched as the other man stepped outside the door, bowing in his direction to signal a silent thanks to his generosity. As he was about to completely close the door, he noticed how the other man made a strange gesture with his hands, almost as if he was telling the man to look back at the counter. Osamu turned immediately around after closing the door, seeing a piece of paper where the raven haired man was sitting just minutes before.
It was a quickly scribbled down note, and the handwriting was so bad that he almost laughed out loud.
‘Your idea of relaxing together while eating this incredible food is not that bad of a deal. I think we will see each other often from now on, Osamu-kun. Call me.’
Osamu couldn’t decide if what he felt was his heart skipping a beat or simply his imagination playing tricks on him.
After that first meeting, Akaashi was quite positive that he had found a little corner of paradise. He would have never admitted that out loud in front of Osamu, but he couldn’t help the feeling of happiness and peace that would overcome him every time he had the chance to spend his evening inside the cozy restaurant. He would enter and tuck himself away at the furthest table, one that was hidden by big separators and that was far enough to not be disturbed by the frenesy of the dinner service. He loved those moments; the warmth that came from the steaming cup of tea and the freshly made onigiri made him forget all the tiredness of the day and the troubles that came with dealing with inconsistent and easily demotivated authors. Akaashi would wait, working and sometimes just relaxing while gazing out of the window while he waited for Osamu to join him, so that they could spend some moments together.
It had been almost a natural transition, going from being barely acquainted to each other to enjoying some quiet moments of silence without feeling any awkwardness between them. Akaashi had started to come regularly to Onigiri Miya, partially motivated by the constantly empty fridge that awaited for him at home since he was too busy to actually go grocery shopping, and partially wanting to be in the company of someone - anyone - that wouldn’t make him feel like he had to be always at his best. He had quickly caught onto the quiet but strong presence that Osamu had, making him be both extremely cordial and extroverted with customers, but still someone that knew how to enjoy the time he spent with him.
Akaashi was lost in his thoughts, gazing outside the window, when a shadow came over him and sat down at the other end of the table. He took a moment before he looked back, the mischievous grin of the restaurant owner making him blush a little in embarrassment.
“Hey there, are you still with us?”
“Osamu-san, I didn’t hear you coming over here. Has the crowd of customers finally quieted down?”
Osamu smiled, his cheek resting in his palm as he leaned forward and placed his elbow on the table. He looked for a second at the plate Akaashi had been eating off of, the food already long gone as the raven haired man in front of him had demonstrated himself to be quite the glutton and had eaten almost every single variety of onigiri on the menu. He was almost contemplating if it was a good idea to make him taste some new combinations he planned on making when Akaashi spoke up.
“Osamu-san, would you please look over this? I need a second opinion. Is this page festive enough? Unfortunately, I’m not particularly good at telling this kind of thing, and this Christmas special we are preparing has proven to be quite the challenge for me.”
The chef took the page out of the editor’s hand, just to direct his attention back at Akaashi, who had leaned back in his seat with an audible sigh. Osamu was hesitant, wanting to ask him something - anything - in regard to his complete detachment from the holiday. He pitied that sentiment deep down in his heart, as he had always considered Christmas festivities to be some of the most joyous moments of his life. He could clearly remember the nights he had promised together with his brother to stay awake long enough to see Santa Claus, or the many cookies he was allowed to eat only on that special day, on the premise that he wouldn’t fight with his brother. He missed feeling that childish glee and excitement, to the point that he thought how unfair it was that growing up had taken that away from him.
He had tried to talk to Akaashi during the many times they had met, trying his best to make the other see a better way to see the holidays, one that didn’t involve tedious gift shopping or stuffy meaningless congratulations, but rather the side that involved a much kinder side. He had tried many times to sneak into their conversations talks of his Christmas memories, those that always lifted his spirits to reminisce about. Akaashi had always listened, a smile on his face and a sad hue in his eyes, sometimes taking notes for what Osamu thought could be material for his authors and always just nodding along to whatever memory the chef was talking about.
He had been many times on the verge of asking the other for a reason for his distance from the holiday, a deeper meaning to this sentiment, words almost spilling from his mouth but always holding himself back with the terror of sounding rude and driving the raven haired former setter away from him. It was a feeling he couldn’t explain, the fear of seeing the other disappearing from his life as easily and suddenly as he had appeared at first, almost as if he was some kind of Christmas miracle that would reveal his fragility as midnight struck in their little fairytale. He loathed the idea that the man in front of him could easily exit from his life and never come back, leaving him behind, longing and knowing that his time had come and gone without him being able to do anything.
“It looks… quite okay for Udai-sensei to be honest. Don’t you always complain that he’s the least oriented to making side stories?”Osamu choked out, holding the page in the middle between them on the table.
Akaashi had been sipping his tea, one that let out such a pleasant fragrance, so strong that Osamu found it strange that he couldn’t remember even ordering such a brew for his own restaurant. He felt as if it was completely enveloping him in the tiny space they used for their work, making him feel a little dizzy. It reminded him strongly of all the times he used to spend his holidays with his parents, a strong scent that made his heart fill even more with sadness for the man in front of him. He felt such pity for the beautiful man, as he didn’t know the warmth and joy that Christmas always brought him during his whole life and realizing that for once, he could be the one giving that joy to someone else.
He watched as the papers on the table from both of them mixed, the confusion not making neither of their hands hesitate, as they could still find their way in that situation as if it were a well practiced dance between the two of them. He stopped for a second, his hand trembling and almost touching Akaashi’s when he heard him speak up.
“Hey Osamu-san. Are you okay?”
“I- I don’t know. I think I might be a little too tired now. I just got reminded of something.”
“Uhm? Is it something sad perhaps? You look quite distraught; would you like some tea?”
“No, I’m fine… I just… I was thinking about how this year I won’t be able to go back for the holidays. It’s such a random thought, but… I can’t help but miss that feeling. I know that my family will be as sad as I am, but I can’t do anything about it.”
Akaashi looked at him, an expression of worry making its way onto his beautiful features. He watched as he delicately brought a hand to the side of his arm, trying to comfort him the best he could with the table in the middle. He couldn’t quite relate to the sadness the other felt but knew that it must have been something really important to the other. He quietly set aside the papers they were working on, his eyes dropping to the content on one of the papers in Osamu’s folder. It contained the budget project to open another shop of his chain franchise up in the north, trying to target Hokkaido as his next place. That would have brought him even further from home, adding on the stress of being somewhere in which he knew no one and starting a new business up from scratch in a place in which his brand was far less known. Akaashi felt something akin to pity burning low inside his chest. He wanted to do something for Osamu, realizing that his presence in the restaurant wasn’t quite enough to fill the hole left by the absence of something so dear to him. Akaashi felt at a loss for words, but still gathered all the courage he had to speak.
“Are… Are they gonna do something in particular?”
Osamu chuckled, a spark of glee running through his eyes for a split second, as if he had remembered something particularly funny.
“No… we don’t have any particular tradition, but I guess I’m gonna miss sleeping in my old tiny bedroom in the bunk bed with my brother, waking up to find all my relatives having breakfast in the kitchen and all the gifts wrapped up prettily waiting for us in the living room. I still remember that time when I was little when my grandma tried to convince me that it hadn’t been them giving us the gift, despite me hearing them wrapping up the presents in a hurry the night before.”
The light laugh that left Osamu’s lips was enough to make Akaashi grip his cup a little tighter. He really wished to lift the other’s spirits, despite not knowing what would be the best for that. As he was thinking, his attention got caught by a flash of white, something light and silent, small enough that it could have gone unnoticed by most.
Snow.
He was speechless, looking outside the window with his eyes wide in surprise and in childish excitement. His eyes went wide as he felt unable to tear his gaze away from the scenery outside. He watched the white fluffy little snowflakes falling down at an increasing pace, and the sidewalk outside the restaurant was quickly covered in that soft white. Akaashi stood there, his face almost attached to the window while his hands acted as if he wanted to reach for the beautiful icy drops and catch them with his hands. He looked as if he had never seen snow in his whole life, and Osamu found it so endearing - so precious - that he regretted that he didn’t have the chance to immortalize that moment.
Osamu couldn’t keep himself from staring at the beautiful man. His eyes were shining with such sincere admiration and surprise that he couldn’t help but remain silent, the only thing he could hear being an insistent beating sound from deep inside his chest.
‘It can’t be…”
“How… Just how long has it been since it snowed here in Tokyo? Osamu-san! Look! It’s snowing!”
‘Please, no… I can’t… ’
The little ‘thumps’ that he could hear so clearly in his ears couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. The moment Osamu’s eyes met Akaashi’s, he knew that he was a goner. The joyful expression made the other look so happy - happier than he had ever seen the man in the whole time they had known each other - and it made his heart squeeze uncontrollably. He felt his stomach turn upside down and give him the same feeling that he hadn’t felt since he had been in high school. Osamu couldn’t think straight, the realization hitting him so deep and so suddenly, that he only basked in the light of his new-found sentiment.
He loved Akaashi.
So much that it hurt and he knew that from that moment onwards, his mind would be filled to the brim with the gentle smile of the editor in front of him.
And his heart was already okay with that.
“Hey ‘Samu, what’s wrong with you? Why are you calling me at this hour?! You know I go to sleep early even if I don’t have matches coming up, the coaches are trying to run us to the bone with the training, and I need to rest!”
“‘Tsumu, I’m an idiot.”
“Well, glad you finally noticed it. What makes you say that? Not that I wouldn’t agree, but you know.”
“I think I fell for Akaashi.”
“For who?!”
Osamu grimaced at the shout, his earphones connected to his phone boosting the volume to the maximum as his brother screamed without any regard for the late hour. He knew that it would cost his brother quite a few annoyed bangs on his dorm door. He had been staying in the team’s dorm for quite some time now, making close friendships and getting to know his teammates better. Osamu wasn’t surprised when following the loud bangs he could hear in the background of his brother’s room the voices of Hinata and Bokuto asking him loudly why he was still awake and hadn’t told them. He could hear many complaints about a supposed party taking place in Hinata’s room to feast on the prohibited snacks to have a little early Christmas celebration while the coaches couldn’t reprimand them. Surprisingly - or not so, as Osamu quickly corrected his own thought - he heard a softer voice in the middle of the chaos, and his mind immediately went to the undoubtable blush that would have appeared on his twin’s face as he spoke with the owner of said voice. He almost wanted to snap him out of his crush-induced little conversation with Sakusa when Atsumu himself shouted at everyone to shut up and resumed speaking with Osamu.
“Sorry ‘bout that, where were we?”
“My crush?”
“Ah yeah, your crush.”
“Osamu-san has a crush?” The shocked and excited voices coming from the background made Osamu realize that he was done for, as there was no way two big mouthed idiots like Hinata and Bokuto would be able to keep the secret for him. It was particularly dangerous as everyone was well aware of the tight friendship between the former Fukurodani ace and setter. Osamu knew that if Bokuto got to know about his little crush, Akaashi would hear about it in a matter of hours, and the chef could kiss his chance goodbye with the editor.
“He does, now everyone shut up! Sooo, a crush huh? Oh, this is gonna be so fun…”
Osamu felt a little ticked off by the cocky attitude that his brother was putting on, so much that he decided to take his revenge. He wouldn’t let his idiotic’s already big head get even bigger, wishing to wipe the smug expression he could definitely feel on his face at that moment.
“Hey ‘Tsumu, are you on speaker phone?”
“No, I’m not, and you better be grateful, you asshole. I have Bokkun hanging from my arm begging me to put you on speaker right now.”
“Good. Now listen here, you little demon. Don’t get too smug before I yell about your little swooning sessions you subject me to almost weekly for your little crush, a’right? Now shut up and listen to me if you don’t want your beloved Omi-Omi to hear how much you like his trashy neon colored jerseys. You hear me?”
Osamu could hear his brother gasp in surprise on the other side of the line, not expecting Osamu to resort to that kind of tactic to get back at him. He emitted a sound that sounded like something between a squeaking duck and a crying dog, something that made everyone around him start to laugh loud enough for Osamu to take out one earbud from his ear to avoid being deafened by it. He waited a couple of seconds as the laughter lost intensity, for his brother was walking away from his teammates to complain and finish their conversation. As soon as he heard silence in the background, Atsumu’s whiny voice came out, complaining as if they were kids once again.
“YOU’RE SO MEAN, ‘SAMU!”
“You deserved it.”
“DID NOT!”
“You did. Anyway, I don’t think I’m gonna do anything about my thing for Akaashi.”
“Why!? ‘Samu, this is the perfect time of the year to confess! With Christmas and all, you’re sure to get a fantastic and memorable date! You’re just being a wimp and chickening out, be honest.”
“That’s kinda part of my problem. Akaashi hates Christmas as a holiday. He doesn’t want to celebrate it and doesn’t enjoy even talking about it. I think he said that he wants to spend the whole day on the 24th and the 25th working and maybe eating some cake, but nothing more. He gets this really distant expression when I speak about our parties and all. He doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas time for sure. So definitely a date is out of the question, and I’m not even sure he sees me as something more than a friend. Heck, I think I’m barely a friend to him! We only met a couple of weeks ago, and now here I am, troubled with definitely unrequited feelings!”
Osamu stayed silent for a second, waiting for his brother to blow up at him and convince him otherwise, but the screaming he expected never came. Instead, a little calm voice came from the other side of the phone, something pretty unusual for his brother. He spoke calmly, something akin to sadness transpiring from his voice.
“Oh… that’s… not something I would have expected. He doesn’t look the type to enjoy mundane holidays, but still, since he’s friends with Bokkun and he’s the biggest Christmas freak I’ve ever seen, I couldn’t help but feel a bit taken aback. I want to say that I’m sorry man, but honestly it’s just a bit sad for Akaashi. Also, dude, why wouldn’t he like you? You might be annoying, but you’re a great person and there shouldn’t be any reason for Akaashi to not think of you at the very least as a friend!”
“‘Tsumu, did I just hear you use the term ‘mundane holidays’? Do you even know what that means?”
The laugh that left Atsumu’s mouth was enough to dissipate the serious tone of the conversation. Osamu really wished to be comforted by his brother, but he definitely didn’t want to have Atsumu pity his situation either.
“You’re an asshole ‘Samu.”
“Yeah, love you too, ‘Tsumu. Thank you for your words, they definitely lifted up my mood.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget to call mom and grandma when you have time; the two of them are worried sick that you will skip your meals while you work at your restaurant. Show the both of them that you can both make incredible food and still be the less-in-shape twin.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Osamu ended the call. He felt a little more at ease, his heart a little bit lighter after hearing his brother’s voice.
On the other side of the phone call, Atsumu was conflicted once his brother hung up. He wanted to be supportive and let his brother have his own pace when dealing with such matters, but he also wanted for him to be happy. The difficulty of having a Christmas away from his loved one for the first time in his whole life was something that was definitely weighing on Osamu’s mind, unlike him that was able to spend the holidays with his family.
He returned to his room, only to find Bokuto and Hinata lounging on his bed, while Sakusa sat in a chair near his desk looking over the two spikers, definitely judging them silently for their messy behavior. As soon as he entered, both Hinata and Bokuto jumped at him, screaming incoherently about his phone call.
“Hey, Tsum-Tsum! Is it real that Myaa-san has a crush?!”
“Atsumu-san! Who is it? Who is Osamu-san crushing on?”
Atsumu fended off both of them, shaking them off of him and plopping down on his own bed with Bokuto and Hinata following suit. He stared at the ceiling for a second, before he loudly sighed. All his teammates looked at him curiously, the defeated attitude not being something they were used to seeing from the usually loud and confident setter. Atsumu rolled over, a loud complaint being heard from Hinata as he was pushed off the bed.
“Tsum-Tsum, are you sure you are okay?”
They tried to prod him for an answer, when he suddenly sat up and looked at everyone with a pointed glare.
“Can you guys promise me that you will keep your mouth shut and you will help me find a solution?”
They all nodded, especially Bokuto, over eager to find a way to help his teammate with his problem that was so evidently troubling him. Atsumu knew that Bokuto was definitely not the type of person to leave behind or ignore someone struggling, so he also knew that it was useless to try to hide it from him. He would just end up being bribed by the sad puppy eyes he so often had when anything happened.
“Okay, so… My brother called to talk about a recent love problem he had. Apparently he’s scared to ask out this guy and he would rather prefer to spend a lonely Christmas rather than taking the leap and asking him out.”
“Wow, I would have never thought that Osamu-san could be this indecisive! Not in a bad way, I can understand not wanting to ruin a relationship, but why not ask him? It’s Christmas, everyone definitely feels more festive and happy during this time!”
“That’s the problem, Shouyou-kun,” Atsumu continued, a hand ruffling his own hair as he sighed once more. “This guy is not a normal person excited for Christmas. Turns out this guy hates Christmas or something. Or was it that he doesn’t like the holiday period? I don’t know, something like that.”
They stayed in silence for a second, before Bokuto - who had been deep in thought since Atsumu had started talking - spoke up excitedly.
“That sounds like the same thing Akaashi thinks! Maybe they could have a talk to know how to deal with that kind of problem! Isn’t your brother also in Tokyo right now? They should totally meet up and figure out a way to ask this guy out without upsetting him with the Christmas stuff!”
Sakusa stayed in his corner, a pensive expression on his face, when he suddenly spoke up. He was wearing his black mask, so it was harder than usual for anyone to read his face, but Atsumu knew that he was definitely listening and connecting the dots in his story. Once he raised an eyebrow, Atsumu knew that Sakusa had finally reached the conclusion and definitely already suspected what was going on.
“You know…” he started, his hand pushing his black curls away from his face as he sat back comfortably on the chair. “Bokuto-san, didn’t you say that Akaashi is recently frequenting a popular Onigiri restaurant?”
“He is!”
Bokuto exclaimed excitedly, remembering the past conversations he had with his best friend in the prior weeks. He had excitedly shared the news with everyone, telling how happy he was that for the first time since he had known him, Akaashi was finally showing some emotions other than annoyance regarding any activity during the month of December that wasn’t his birthday or New Year’s eve party.
“Bokuto-san, don’t you think that’s quite the coincidence? Isn’t it a bit strange that suddenly Akaashi frequents an Onigiri restaurant at the same time Osamu falls for a Christmas-hating man?”
“What do you… OH.”
They both turned to Atsumu, waiting for some kind of confirmation from him about their suspicions. He sighed and nodded, leveling them both with a hard gaze that meant to tell them about not letting anyone know about that. Bokuto immediately roared in excitement, his hyper mode immediately taking over and starting to speak, burying Atsumu in questions.
“That’s insane! I always knew Akaashi and Myaa-san would get along if they met, but this is even better! Are we going to do something about it? Tell me we are, please! We should definitely make them confess on Christmas Eve or something! I can even dress up as Santa Claus if it helps!”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Bo-”
Sakusa’s protest was barely heard as Hinata jumped up screaming. They all turned to him, eager to know what had prompted him to react in such a way. The red-haired player immediately started explaining his idea, a way to get Akaashi and Osamu to at least spend some time together on Christmas Eve, hoping and praying for the situation and their feelings to give them a good time.
“This is genius, Shouyou-kun!”
Atsumu’s eyes lit up, a renewed hope in his mind as he heard Hinata’s plan. He wanted his brother to be happy and he knew that if someone could make him at least feel a little less lonely, in the times in which everyone deserved to be loved a little more. Atsumu decided to throw all kinds of cautions out of the window, making the decision on the spot to prioritize his brother’s happiness over Osamu’s insecurities. After all, the person that had always been by his side was him, wasn’t he?
Atsumu’s smile didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates and they all agreed, Bokuto and Hinata more enthusiastically than Sakusa, but the sparkle of curiosity that flashed through his eyes didn’t escape Atsumu’s attention. He knew that deep down, even Sakusa was excited to know more about this story. The setter stood up and stretched, before sighing in mocked annoyance and loudly speaking up.
“Ah~, my brother is such a pain, has always been since day one. Now, shall we prepare our plan for when we go back to Tokyo?”
Osamu was working as usual at the dinner service, watching as the customers moved in and out frantically trying to get something to eat before it got too late. He stood behind the counter, his attention never shifting from his work. He knew that it was already Christmas Eve, and he couldn’t help but feel a little lonely knowing he was going to spend it alone submerging himself in work.
He sighed as he heard his phone buzzing in his pocket, quickly taking a break to reply to it. Osamu was expecting his brother to visit him: something about a present from their grandparents that for some godforsaken reason couldn’t be mailed or even wait a day more, as Atsumu had put it. He was partially glad to at least be able to see his twin’s face once during the holidays, but he couldn’t help but find it a little annoying, considering the timing. He just wanted to bury himself in work, even going as far as giving some of his employees the day off in order to take their shifts upon himself. He didn’t even make it in time to go to the back to check his phone, when he heard his brother’s annoying voice come from the front, calling out to him.
“Hey, ‘Samu!”
Osamu turned around, only to find his brother at the door of the restaurant with Sakusa in tow. He really wanted to tease Atsumu for it, but the annoyance of being interrupted during his pity party at work really rubbed him the wrong way, making him instead snap at him.
“Why are you here, ‘Tsumu? This ain’t where you said we would be meeting, you were supposed to come in way later. Did you harass the poor train workers to make it go faster or something?”
“Woah there, ‘Samu, happy to see you too. I know I’m early, but it’s because I have to ask you something.”
“What is it? Be quick, I’m a little busy right now. Come to the back before you scare my customers away with your ugly smug face.”
As soon as they were in the back, Osamu spoke up, trying his best to not lose his patience too much in regards to Sakusa’s presence. He was annoyed, but he wasn’t that much of an awful brother to embarrass his twin in front of his longtime crush.
“So? What’s the deal? Do you have an actual reason to bother me while I’m working on one of the busiest nights of the year?”
Atsumu chuckled, a smug look on his face that only made Osamu want to slap him, making him look like an idiot as he came closer to his twin.
“We were thinking… Why don’t you leave us in charge for the last hour of the service? You definitely would like a break, wouldn’t you? It’s not fair that you’re basically the only one working tonight. You can trust us.”
Osamu looked at the both of them for a second, leveling his brother with a harsh glare and Sakusa with an unimpressed one.
“Listen, you two. I’m not sure what’s going on in your heads, especially since I expected Sakusa-san to be the one with the most brain cells between you guys, but have you gone completely insane? How am I supposed to leave my spot as the head chef to you for one whole hour? You guys are volleyball players, not chefs. I bet you still can’t even boil water, ‘Tsumu, and I bet he can’t either. No offense, Sakusa-san."
“No offense taken. It is indeed the truth.”
Osamu then turned around towards his brother, a look of impatience on his face. Atsumu knew that it was a crazy request, but he couldn’t pass up this chance. They had a very limited time to convince him to take the last hour before midnight off and make him meet with Akaashi, and he wasn’t going to let his brother feel miserable on such an important day of the year. He thought for a second before looking straight at his brother’s eyes and speaking slowly.
“Osamu. I won’t let you act all miserable on Christmas’s Eve. I refuse to let you do that. So now, do me a favor and go back home to change into something that’s not stained with condiments and rice. It’s 10 PM, and I assure you there won’t be so many customers that your staff won’t be able to handle it by themselves. We will be here to wait for you once you come back. I swear upon the everlasting spirit of Christmas that grandma used to tell us about to scare us that it will be worth your time.”
Osamu was taken aback by the seriousness in his brother’s voice and before he could even realize it, he had already been kicked out of the restaurant. Atsumu had taken his “Onigiri Miya” hat and had put it onto his own head, acting as if he was Osamu himself. Defeated, Osamu started walking back to his house a few blocks away, muttering under his breath meaningless curses towards his brother and wishing that he wouldn’t do anything as dumb as impersonating him.
Once he got to his house, he stopped for a second, looking at himself in the mirror. He was feeling worse for wear and definitely also looked like it. Osamu thought for a second to just give up and stay home instead of going back, but something told him that he shouldn’t lose hope.
‘This is ridiculous. Have I watched too many cheesy Christmas movies recently?’
He washed his face, chuckling a little at the thoughts that were going through his mind. He knew that watching Christmas movies exclusively made him be a little nostalgic and sappy, going back to when he was a little kid wishing for a bright future with the perfect love, giving him the most heartfelt and warm holiday ever. He thought it was a little ironic that he had fallen for someone that saw Christmas in the polar opposite way that he did, but he guessed that love is really indeed blind.
When he finally got out of his house, he rushed back to the restaurant, a bit apprehensive about whatever his brother could have done during his absence. It was almost the end of the dinner shift, and as per usual the restaurant was starting to serve their latest customers before closing. He was met at the entrance by Sakusa, as he was standing there as if he was waiting for him to come back. With a grimace on his face and without as much as a greeting, he dragged him towards the back. There was a room, usually used for private parties and staff meetings at times and at the door there was Atsumu smiling. He looked at him with a raised eyebrow when he felt Sakusa push him into the room, making him stumble and almost fall. He stood for a second in the center of the room, feeling dumbfounded. He was starting to notice all the decorations hanging around the room and the incredibly delicious looking cake in the center of the table when suddenly his phone rang from the pocket of his jeans. He immediately took it only to see a text from his brother.
“Don’t mess it up, you idiot! Merry Christmas from your personal Santas.”
He stared at the text for a minute when another one appeared in the chat.
“Also, remember that you owe me for everything, cake included. I accept only payment in food and gifts.”
Osamu decided that he should start thinking of ways to make his brother beg for forgiveness.
“Akaashi~!! Where are you?”
Bokuto’s loud voice came from the other side of the phone. Akaashi had stayed back at the office, desperately trying to finish the last details of the Christmas special for the manga magazine. He had gotten held back from a terrible mistake that had arisen at the very last minute, something that could seriously mess up the whole printing. Akaashi had just finished the file and sent it to print when he got the call, and he picked it up thinking that it was the usual drunken call that Bokuto would make when he got a bit too tipsy at parties. It was something that happened pretty frequently considering Bokuto’s cheery spirit and tendency to go overboard with everything.
“Bokuto-san, I’m at work. I’m almost done. Are you perhaps drunk? You know I’m not in Osaka and I can’t come to pick you up.”
“I’m not! I’m already back in Tokyo! I wanted to see you, and Hinata is also here with me!”
“Hello, Akaashi-san!”
“See? Akaashi~! Please let’s go out to eat tonight! Please!”
Akaashi sighed, looking at the big clock that was on the wall. ‘ 10.30PM,’ Akaashi quickly thought, ‘ maybe Onigiri Miya is still open… Osamu-san had said that he was going to work all night tonight.’
“Alright, Bokuto-san. I will be out in a few minutes and we could go eat at Onigiri Miya. I tried it and it’s pretty good. Is it okay with you?”
As soon as he said that, he heard Hinata and Bokuto go into a frenetic hyper mode, something about a perfect opportunity leaving Hinata’s lips. He was already suspicious about Bokuto’s early return to Tokyo, something that he would have never done without first checking in with him to coerce him into going to eat something with him the very same day he comes back, calling days in advance to make sure that Akaashi left the evening free for him.
He decided to let it go, more curious about Bokuto’s strange plan than anything else. Akaashi had noticed that he had started to feel less stressed during the whole time he had gone to hang out at Onigiri Miya, something about that place making him feel more at ease than he had ever been in that particular period of time. It felt as if he could finally breathe once he sat down at that little table in the very back of the restaurant. He felt at home. Sometimes he wondered if the fact that he had started to think again and again about Osamu was a sign that the handsome chef had finally managed to make him enjoy even his most hated days. Something about those eyes looking at him made Akaashi want to laugh, to be happy and to share that feeling with him more than anyone else.
He chuckled and finally spoke up, after the noise coming from Bokuto and Hinata quieted down for a second.
“I will see you soon, okay?”
Akaashi immediately stood up and grabbed his bag, no longer weighted down by the weight of the manuscripts and all the documents he had needed until that day. He sprinted down the stairs of his office, stopping only one second to check his own appearance. He was tired and looked as much, but there was something that made him smile, no matter what the reflection told him. He was excited, just thinking of seeing Osamu once again.
He ran along the street, trying to not look desperate, but definitely going as fast as he could down the busy road. As soon as Akaashi saw the figure of the two volleyball players in front of the restaurant, he slowed down, trying to regain some kind of composure before greeting the two of them.
“Akaashi~~!! I haven’t seen you in forever!!”
Bokuto’s enthusiastic hug was more than welcomed by Akaashi; it had almost become something of a tradition for them. He also greeted Hinata, who looked at him with a not out of character but suspiciously large smile. He led the both of them inside the restaurant, trying his best to calm his rapidly beating heart. He almost feared the idea of seeing Osamu working behind the counter, something deep inside him both wanting to see him and not wanting to. He felt as if his heart was in his throat, but he also felt it immediately drop when he was met with the sight of no broad shoulders and slicked back black hair behind the counter.
What he noticed however, was the presence of someone completely identical to Osamu, but sporting dyed blond hair. Bokuto hung from his arm, almost as if he wanted to prevent him from running away and they all came closer to the man, Akaashi speaking first.
“Atsumu-san? What are you doing here? Did you all come together from Osaka on the same train? And where is Osamu-san?”
Atsumu grinned widely, his face looking as proud as it did when a particularly successful tactic had taken the point home during a match. He took Akaashi’s other hand, gently but insistently pushing him towards the back. He knew that it was a little strange, but before he could open his mouth, he got pushed into a room, falling on the floor, while the door closed behind him. He stood up with a sigh in time to hear Bokuto’s joyful cheers coming from the other side of the door.
“Are you okay?”
A voice came from behind him, when he turned around and was met with big, tired gray eyes that belonged only to one person he knew, someone that was extremely dear to his now once again beating furiously heart. Osamu was looking at him, concern clear in his eyes as he held a hand out to help him stand up. Akaashi bashfully took it, feeling his face starting to flush red, even if he couldn't decide if it was because of the embarrassment of tripping right in front of Osamu, or because he couldn't stop his beating heart from going wild just by a simple touch from him.
"Yeah… I'm fine. Don't worry."
The silence that came after lasted for only a couple of seconds. As soon as their eyes met, a loud scream was heard outside. They were about to turn towards the door in worry, when they heard Bokuto and Hinata once again screaming, not in pain as they had initially feared, but in excitement.
"It's a cake, Hinata! We can also have a party!"
"Yes, Bokuto-San!"
Akaashi and Osamu immediately burst out laughing, their eyes almost filling with tears as they finally stopped to catch a breath. Osamu couldn't help but get lost in those bright eyes, displaying such a different glow from the tired and lifeless one that he wore the first time they had met. Akaashi's eyes now shone with the same intensity as the stars, making the chef lose his breath for how incredibly beautiful they were.
"Osamu-San?"
Akaashi's voice made him snap out of his thoughts, quickly composing himself. He immediately realized that he should probably be apologizing to him, considering it had been some kind of dumb plan made by his brother that had trapped the two of them in there.
"Akaashi-kun, I'm so sorry about all of this. I swear I had no idea my idiotic brother and his friends would do anything like this, I have no clue how they even got this stupid idea in their heads, I'm so sorry-"
As Osamu started to apologize, Akaashi let out a small chuckle, trying to touch the chef's shoulder as he was almost bowing in front of him in order to properly apologize. Osamu stopped, the extended hand reaching him and sending a shiver down his spine. He missed feeling Akaashi's gentle hand somehow comforting him and he felt so pathetic for how much he needed it.
"Osamu-San, there's no need to apologize to me. I knew that there was something going on when Bokuto-San called me over. I must admit, I got a little curious and I wished to see what he would have planned, considering that it was pretty obvious he had a plan from the very beginning. I might have been the one that used to know him better than anyone else, but even I can't tell for sure what's going on in that head of his most of the time. I went along voluntarily, I guess curiosity got the best of me."
"But… What about your work?"
"I was done just before they called me," Akaashi spoke, walking a little forward towards the table and looking at the cake, prettily decorated with whipped cream. "I was done and I figured I would have spent Christmas' Eve with one of my best friends and…"
"And?"
Akaashi blushed, so hard that he could feel even his ears go up in flames. He never knew how difficult those last words could be, those little words that carried all the heavy meaning of his intentions and his true feelings.
"And… you. I couldn't think of anyone else I would have wanted to spend this holiday with. You made me see the magic of this time once again, something that I was sure I would have never felt again since I last felt it as a child. Your presence made me realize that maybe, maybe there's a chance of this time of the year being the most special of them all."
As Osamu was about to reply, in the distance they heard a clock going off, twelve chimes to signal midnight and the start of the next day.
Christmas Day.
Osamu stood there for a second, before he felt Akaashi come in front of him and lightly kiss him, their lips briefly making contact, timidly, almost as if it was a trial of some sort. As soon as the kiss ended, Akaashi brought his hand up and smeared some whipped cream from the cake on Osamu's face. He tried to run away, giggling like a child as the chef caught him by the wrist and back into his arms. There, he kissed him again, drinking in the beauty of Akaashi's joyful smile. Osamu would have gladly looked at that incredible smile for his whole life, he decided at that very moment.
Once they had settled down, Akaashi finally took Osamu's face in his hands and sweetly whispered to his ear.
"Thank you for making this time magical for me once again."