Work Text:
Of all the things that a player had to care about during a match, a Spring Nationals one at that– Atsumu knew that being forced to care about audience members made play highly inefficient.
Nekoma weren't doing well with the audience practically booing them each time they made a clumsy error. Date Tech weren't at their best either, but it was hard to empathise with a team that frightened even this crowd.
Thank goodness he wasn't on the court right now.
He was glad he was in the bleachers instead, close enough to hear the cheering voice which was like an angel's, a smile like a beam of light. That's why she stood out to everyone else. And that was why his gaze kept returning to her.
His brother yammering in his ear changed from 'that was nasty, don't you just hate what they did there' to 'ooh are you going to ask her for her number? Go on, ask her out.'
'She's too far away now. Would probably lose sight of her after.'
'Oh, okay,' said Osamu, 'well, wouldja look at that, because I promise you I'd have taken the ball to the face. You'd have taken that ball the face too. Receiving reps after this, Tsumu.'
-
Receiving reps it were, but Atsumu was much more keen to improve himself, so it was also setter reps, blocking reps and general fitness training. He had trained himself to death since seeing Nekoma and Date Tech play yesterday. Date Tech had advanced to the next stage, and here they were, their cheering squad hectic and vibrant in all its glory. They didn't allow themselves to be drowned out by Kamomedai's cheer squad. Today's audience had a contagious enthusiasm that swept Atsumu off his feet.
'That went in!'
'That went out, Tsumu.'
'Well whatever! I'm a little sloppy and hungry from training.'
As he turned around, his shoulder bag swung onto the woman's waist.
'Oh, sorry,' he said. He stared as he recognised her.
She stared right back and cocked her head, 'oh my goodness, a Miya twin.'
Atsumu was especially pleased that it was the total cutie from before recognising him.
'Inarizaki?'
Atsumu puffed up his chest and tried to act casual with a hand behind his head, 'yeah I'm from Inarizaki High.
'So, I think I recall the one with grey hair being the spiker, and you have yellow hair.'
There was a snicker and Atsumu frowned at Osamu to shut up.
'Atsumu Miya?'
'Yes that's me.'
'Right. I'm Alisa.'
He engraved her name dizzily into his brain.
'So, do you enjoy being a setter?'
Atsumu’s heart ignited like a firecracker as he heard her mention his beloved position.
Atsumu waxed about how the setter was the foundation of the team. It was the setter's responsibility to give his hitters the best set possible. He can't stand lazy people if they can do better.
'I love that,' she noted his stone hard expression, 'you're so serious and passionate about it all.'
His eyes widened at the praise. He begged her to remember his matches as best as she could, and so she told him all the moments she recalled. Atsumu caught her every word like it was a spilling bag of candy.
They've both momentarily forgotten they're in the middle of a match, and lean backwards for someone to pass in front of them.
They both stared into each other's eyes.
There was a hint of something toxic to her in this proximity.
Atsumu wanted to know everything, 'Do you often watch matches? When else did you see me play? Do you play?'
'I don't play, I just watch my brother sometimes. The first time I saw you play was at…when Karasuno beat you guys last year. That was an exciting match to watch.'
Atsumu's mouth opened on instinct, but what could he say? His mouth clamped shut.
The woman might not have noticed Atsumu’s expression because she continued, 'My brother is a middle blocker. But as good as he is, he says Date Tech's defence are extremely good and that he can't match them.'
Atsumu hmphed at her praise for the other team. Osamu was unimpressed and a little surprised by his brother’s poor behaviour right in front of his 'crush'. Atsumu usually could accept defeat. He usually didn't have beads of sweat trailing down his face out of embarrassment.
The white haired blocker slammed down the ball, scoring a point. 'Let’s go, let's go Date Tech!' filled the court. Their cheers were so loud that it bashed at Atsumu’s sensitive eardrum and heart.
'We should make our own Iron Wall!' said Osamu.
'I want to destroy it,' Atsumu folded his arms.
She was laughing and Atsumu only barely caught it, her voice a song and everything alluring.
But Date Tech…
She flinched as he dragged his brother by the arm without a goodbye, although he did mutter an apology for his bag hitting her a second time, making her fall onto Lev who watched generally amused but increasingly concerned. Osamu meanwhile was telling off the person who had just passed 'hey I'm trying to watch the match so stand in one spot please and thanks!!'
'We're leaving!' Atsumu snapped at his brother.
'No way, let go off me.'
'Well, I don't want to watch anymore.'
Their bickering continued all the way outside.
'What's wrong with you?'
Osamu couldn't figure out a sensitive way to ask if his brother got rejected.
'I can't stand how loud the audience are today. Date Tech are something else. If they win against Kamomedai we'll be facing them in the semi finals.'
Osamu understood and shared the same look of resentment.
'Their defence is so good that it's been dubbed an "Iron Wall"'' Atsumu fumed.
'Don't worry Tsumu, we're better than them. We won't lose to any more 'rising successes'. Well, I'm staying to watch. Got to know if we're up against the famous Iron Wall.'
'Either way, you're all trying ten times harder like me!' Atsumu barged out of the stadium, thinking about how he had to win, that he'd stop at nothing except to win.
-
Atsumu trained every spare moment he could find.
After a lot of training and an especially heated practice match, Atsumu ate with his team but he was still famished and craving more. While everyone went home for rest, he went to the supermarket to scour for some ingredients so that Osamu could cook him a second meal.
Atsumu’s guilty pleasure was eating fatty foods. He hardly ate any because of his strict dieting to keep himself fit, but he craved them an extraordinary amount lately.
'Hey Samu,' he called him on the phone, 'I'm starving. Let's go out to eat.'
Food travelled on a conveyor belt all around the place, mingling with steam that rose from hot plates, a comforting sight. He hadn't expected Alisa to be in plain view, and his gaze was magnetic to her figure. Her hair was in a neat bun with a strand of hair left free to caress her vibrant cheeks. His eyes traced her lips and how they moved as she spoke to the man next to her.
Alisa's green eyes met his and she waved lightly. Her attention returned to the brunet man next to her. Wary of the ex-Seijoh setter, Atsumu examined his every movement.
It was Lev, the white-blonde from Nekoma who waved them over.
Atsumu’s eyes didn't leave Alisa's direction even as he responded to her brother Lev. Her smile was directed at the man, not him. As he ate, the food became hotter until he felt like his lungs were burning.
'You should wait until the food cools down,' said Lev with a helpful smile. Osamu gave him a lingering look of concern.
His eyes found Alisa again, looking at her behind the soft steam. The other setter touched her hand. Atsumu left his seat.
'Heyy Alisa. Let's step out for a bit.'
Alisa's eyebrows arced up taken by surprise at Atsumu’s appearance in front of her, but she smiled in interest.
'Right, I didn't even talk to you yet Atsumu.'
Her voice became shy, 'so. Any reason you interrupted my conversation?'
Atsumu's voice was cracked and heavy at first, but she made him laugh and called him cute and bumped her arm on his and his voice became more sure. He thought that she was like water, because every thought of her crashed onto him like waves.
They walked to the cafe's balcony where there were several candles, five blown out with scattered ashes, two still strong despite the wind.
Atsumu was filled with a marshmallow-like feeling inside him when their elbows knocked on each other's and Alisa brushed up his hair with her fingers.
'Sorry for interrupting the conversation.'
'Don’t be silly, I wanted to talk to you again,' said Alisa. Atsumu’s heart squeezed.
Her cheeks turned red as she noticed his eyes darkening, his smile curving into a languorous one.
He tried to hold her hands waiting for her to notice his movement, then pulled them away because she said, 'first I'll pay.'
Alisa walked off, but the entire way to the cashier she was dazed with the lingering of his warmth.
Her hands shook as she passed her card over the card reader. She noticed her neck becoming warmer since cuddling up next to Atsumu on the veranda. He probably hadn't meant it, but his arm completely slipped as they stood outside and stayed pressed against hers, his biceps rumbling as his eyes went darker.
'You're back.'
Even his voice, everything was mesmerising tonight.
She felt his breath on her cheeks before she saw him come closer.
'You're gorgeous Alisa.'
Her eyes widened as his closed. His lips fell on hers and immediately passion rang in the air between them like the aftermath of fireworks.
She watched his serious eyes open and close, they were dreamy and concentrated, not breaking eye contact except to close and hold their kiss tighter, a sensation she sank right into. His fingers clutched onto her shoulders, dripping with yearning.
He drew her in for a kiss on her darkening cheeks, her skin like fairy floss melting under his fiery lips. They both felt a gravitational pull drawing each other together and felt wrapped up in the dark of night. Her lips pressed on his with a new fervour, inviting him to kiss back, ready to continue this pattern until they merged into one.
They both drank in the sight of each other's eyes fluttering open.
She leans for another kiss, wanting to learn how far Atsumu's passion extends, wanting to kiss until she's addicted.
He felt her hands on his cheeks and he's never before felt so treasured. Never before felt so ready to stand in the same spot for hours basking against and craving another person's skin and breath.