Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Osamu isn't interested in boys, girls, and the like. Not in the way his brother is, anyway; that's for sure.

"-and then Ryota took my hand and asked me out..." Atsumu is telling dreamily, for the seventh time in two days. Needless to say, Osamu isn't listening to him.

Maybe using Atsumu as a method of comparison wasn't the best—his brother had always been much more emotional than most people about anything, let alone love—but having a twin unfortunately also meant having to compare yourself to him about everything.

Ever since he'd gotten home the night before–after his first date with the boy he'd had a secret crush on for some time now–he hadn't stopped talking about how handsome, kind, and funny Ryota was, and how his skin was smooth and his hair was shiny and his voice was deep and–who asked, honestly?

Osamu was happy for him, really, but he would have been even happier if he had just shut up and let him read his book in peace. He wasn't interested, he never had been, and he certainly wouldn't be interested the next day, when Atsumu would start telling the whole story all over again for the millionth time.

He's certain that, if one day it'd be him the one to fall in love, his love would be more calm, shy and silent than his brother's. Osamu did not dream of great sentimental adventures or burning passions like those described by poets, but rather a small and familiar daily life with a person who would have made him feel understood. There would have been trust and friendship, at the base of their relationship; certainly not fleeting and passengers things like desire and attraction.

That was why Osamu didn't particularly care about the idea of ​dating right now. There was no one he was interested in in that way at the moment, so he didn't think about it. What was the point of forcing it? If he ever met the right person, then he would be happy to ask them out, but until that happened, it didn't bother him in the least. And Osamu was happy with that. He was only sixteen; there was plenty of time to think about it in the future.

⸻

"No."

“Come on, Samu!!!” his brother whines, “I already told Ryota you were coming! You can’t say no!”

"And whose fault is that?"

"What a drag you are! What does it cost you?"

"It's a matter of principle, Tsumu. You can't decide these things for me."

“It’s a matter of principle, Tsumu! ” his brother mimics, “Well, I’ve already decided, so you'll come.”

“If you had any chance of convincing me before, I’d say these are below zero now.”

"I don't care! I'll drag you by force if I have to. We've already arranged everything!"

Osamu clutches the bridge of his nose, exasperated. Why on earth had Atsumu thought a double date with his boyfriend and his friend was a good idea? Or better yet: why on earth was Osamu still surprised when his brother had shitty ideas?

“Okay.” He sighs, “I’m coming, but only–”

“Finally!” Atsumu exclaims, throwing an arm around him with enthusiasm. “I promise it’ll be so much fun, you won’t regret it–”

"Shut up, I wasn't done speaking."

“Oh. Sorry.”

“I was just saying. I’m coming, but only if you promise to never try to set me up on a date again,” he informs him, seriously. “And let me be clear: I’m not interested in dating this guy. I’m only agreeing because I want you to stop pestering me, nothing more.”

“Yes, yes…” Atsumu waves a hand, too happy about his victory to listen.

They had had this conversation a couple of times before, when his brother had tried to find him a girlfriend – and then a boyfriend – regardless of his protests about it. Which is why Osamu knows that it’s pretty useless to try to argue back or convince him to change his mind. If Atsumu was fixated on helping him, he would help him, regardless of what his twin actually wanted. It was pretty frustrating, but deep down he knew it was his somewhat childish way of telling him that he loved him and didn’t want to leave him behind now that he was dating someone. Osamu didn’t care, but that apparently didn’t matter much to Atsumu.

Boy or girl, whoever it was that he would eventually fall in love with, he was pretty sure that he wouldn't meet them on a blind date arranged by his overly confident twin brother. But watching the excitement overflow from Atsumu's expression at the idea of ​​spending an afternoon together, he finds himself sighing.

Maybe, even for this alone, it would be worth it a little.

⸻

They were late. Who would have expected that, huh?

Atsumu had changed at least ten times, pestering him about which color would make him look better and which jeans would flatter his ass. He had finally settled on the pair that Osamu was literally wearing at the moment; he still doesn't know whether to feel annoyed that he had to change as well or flattered, considering that they were actually twins and therefore had the same ass. Either way, they were late.

If it were something Osamu cared about, he would have been furious with his brother, but looking at things from a broader perspective, he realized that being late meant spending less time on the date, so he was fine with that.

He hadn't thought about it much in the past few days, after all he didn't have any particular expectations. He just hoped that the guy he had been paired with wasn't too pushy or particularly clingy, because he didn't think he would be able to pretend to enjoy himself at this point.

Luckily, of the various things Atsumu and Ryota could have chosen from, they had opted to go to the movies, which would have saved him from at least a million awkward conversations that he absolutely did not want to have. Plus, he could have gorged on popcorn. Maybe the evening wasn't ruined from the start.

He and Atsumu jump out of the automatic doors as soon as their train stops at the station in front of the mall, and hurry to the meeting place.

Osamu had met Ryota several times before, since he and his brother got together a few weeks ago, so he immediately recognizes him even from a distance. Next to him is another boy – brown hair and a bored expression – who waves at them as they approach.

Atsumu – as expected – runs towards his boyfriend and it takes about four seconds for the two of them to start making out without too many problems, in front of everyone.

"Tsumu, that's disgusting. Have some self-control-"

"Ryota, was it really necessary-?"

Osamu whips around to face the other boy and finds him already staring at him, eyebrows slightly raised and a knowing half-smile. Before he knows it, he finds himself smiling back.

“Oh yeah, sorry.” Ryota chuckles, finally breaking away from his twin’s face. Ew. “Suna, these are Atsumu and Osamu.” He introduces, pointing at them, “Guys, this is Suna.”

"Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you."

“Pleasure's mine,” Suna replies, tilting his head, “Which one of you is the boyfriend, exactly?” he then asks, serious, moving his gaze from one to the other.

The two lovers stare at him, speechless.

“I was joking,” he adds deadpan, after a moment.

Osamu can't hold it in any longer and starts laughing so hard that he's forced to double over. He doesn't think he'll forget the expression Atsumu had on his face when he asked that question so easily. He can't breathe.

“I see someone appreciates your humor,” Ryota’s voice comments from somewhere above him.

When he finally calms down, they all head inside the mall together to the movie theater, where they buy tickets to a shitty tearjerker that Osamu would never have willingly watched – needless to say, Atsumu had chosen it.

While they're waiting in line at the popcorn counter, Osamu finds himself once again disgustedly watching his brother and Ryota make out. Was that all they knew how to do? He begins to wonder if maybe he misjudged what the worst part of the evening would be, because he's already fed up with these two.

Suna clears his throat next to him. Osamu turns to the boy, grateful for the distraction.

"Just to be clear," he begins, looking at him sideways, “I’m not interested.”

"Huh?" Osamu frowns.

"In going out with you." Suna clarifies, "I’m not interested. I don’t know what those two told you but-"

"Oh, thank goodness!" he sighs, relieved. "Me neither, don’t worry."

"What?"

"What?"

“No, I mean… you’re not interested either?” Suna looks confused, “Ryota basically begged me to come because he said his boyfriend’s brother was also desperately looking for a boyfriend, so you know…”

“For fuck's sake,” Osamu mutters, running a hand over his face. “It’s not… It’s Atsumu who’s obsessed with this whole thing about having to find me a boyfriend at all costs. I don’t give a damn. I didn’t even want to come.”

He risks a glance in his direction and notices that Suna is doing the same. Their eyes meet.

“Good.” The boy smirks at him. “At least we’re on the same page. I’d hate to disappoint you, you seem like a chill guy.”

Osamu chuckles. “Thanks. You don’t seem that bad either.”

⸻

Strange but true, the film chosen by Atsumu turns out to be interesting - definitely more dramatic than necessary and a bit too cliché, but it could have been much worse, knowing his twin's taste. All in all, Osamu can consider himself satisfied.

He's so into the story that he doesn't realize he's finished his Coke until he tries to take another sip and finds nothing coming out of the straw. Yikes. He'd eaten so much popcorn that he was dying of thirst, but there was still over a half hour left before the movie ended. Was he going to make it?

“Tsumu, do you—” He turns to his twin to ask for his Coke, but he falls silent when he notices that he and Ryota are making out again. For fuck's sake. He slowly looks back to the screen.

Out of the corner of his eye he notices Suna – also sitting next to Osamu but on the opposite side of the two leeches – handing him something. He grabs it without thinking too much about it and discovers that it's his drink, still half full. He turns to the boy in surprise. In the dim light of the projector, he watches Suna as he glances at him, then shrugs nonchalantly, inviting him to drink it. Osamu takes a sip from the straw without taking his eyes off his profile. It's peach tea.

After a moment of staring at him in amazement, he comes to his senses and offers him the little popcorn he has left. Suna accepts it with a smile, and they both return their focus on the movie.

It all happened without either of them opening their mouths.

⸻

When it comes time to say goodbye, Osamu almost feels sorry. He and Suna had only exchanged a few words the entire evening, but he can't shake the feeling that some sort of silent understanding had formed between them. Or maybe he was just imagining things.

“Thank you.” He smiles at him, “For the tea. And for not leaving me alone with these two.” He casts a puzzled glance at Ryota and his brother, who are saying goodbye to each other like soldiers leaving for the front. Really?

“You're welcome.” Suna smiles back, amused. “Thanks for the popcorn.”

On the train back home, Atsumu looks at him with his usual smug expression that always makes him want to kick his butt.

“See, I told you,” he blurts out at one point, when he can no longer hold it back.

“Told what, exactly?” Osamu replies challengingly.

“That it would have been fun.” He lifts his chin.

“It wasn’t fun at all.” He frowns at him, “You and Ryota are insufferable.”

Atsumu opens his mouth, offended. “You’re just jealous!”

"Please. You're disgusting."

“Homophobe!” he exclaims, pointing his finger at him and making a couple of people turn around.

“Yes, if it's you,” he retorts with a glare.

Atsumu mutters something that Osamu pretends not to hear.

“But you liked Sunarin.” He doesn’t give up.

“Sunarin?” Osamu chuckles.

“Ryota calls him that.” His brother shrugs.

“He wasn’t that bad,” he admits, sincerely.

“Ah!” Atsumu exclaims at full volume.

"Can you manage not to be so loud?"

"I knew that sooner or later I would have found the right person for you!"

“What right person.” Osamu grimaces. “I met him less than four hours ago. I said he wasn’t that bad, not that I liked him. At least give me time to get to know him better.”

Atsumu, as usual, only understands what he wants. "You want to know him better?" he repeats enthusiastically, grabbing his phone and starting to quickly type something on the screen.

“Why are you like this?” Osamu huffs, “I’d like to see him again, but only if he wants that too.” he clarifies, remembering what Suna had told him about not being interested. Maybe he liked someone else.

Truth be told, he wasn't all that interested either. Not in the way Atsumu thought, at least. He'd realized by now that he and his brother had a completely different perception of love, and he didn't even try to explain to him how he felt anymore.

Osamu didn't like other people, not at a first glance and not as expected. He didn't understand how someone could fall in love without knowing the other person well first. In his opinion, love was something that would come later, calmly, when he was sure he could completely trust the person in front of him. He had never fallen in love before, but every time he thought about it he imagined a friend first, and a lover second. He doubts that Atsumu, always so passionate and impulsive, could have understood.

So when Osamu said he would like to see Suna again, he didn't mean that he liked him, but rather that he could like him, in time. He had found him nice and had felt a certain harmony with him, but he was still a stranger about whom he knew almost nothing about.

“He wants it!” Atsumu’s shrill voice jolts him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

“Sunarin.” He looks at him with his eyebrows raised, “See you again. He wants it too. Ryota just wrote it to me.”

“Oh.” Osamu blinks, “Okay.”

And as Atsumu resumes typing furiously on his phone, Osamu unexpectedly finds himself smiling.

Chapter Text

"I've been told you couldn't wait to see me again," Suna greets him at the next double date.

Osamu glares at his brother – which is completely useless, since Atsumu already has his face glued to Ryota's and isn't paying him any attention. It's starting to get exasperating rather than annoying at this point.

“I figured.” Suna chuckles, seeing his reaction, “Which is why I agreed to come. I’m still not interested, for the record.”

He looks back at the boy in front of him and smiles. “Well, same goes for me.”

“We agree then.” He looks at him, pleased. “I think I’d like to be your friend, Osamu.”

And he can't help but agree.

The two lovebirds had chosen an amusement park on the outskirts of the city for their date.

They had decided to take the shuttle together first thing in the morning, so as not to waste any hour of the day. As expected, Atsumu and Ryota sit together on the bus without paying much attention to anyone else. So, inevitably, Osamu finds himself in the seat next to Suna. Not that he could complain; he had chosen to come precisely so that he could get to know him better. He racks his brain for a topic of conversation for the next forty minutes of the ride, but the boy beats him to it by pulling some headphones out of his pocket and offering him one.

“Oh, thanks.” He puts it on.

It’s a peaceful ride. Suna’s music is great — Osamu plans to ask him for the playlist once they arrive — and his company is really nice. Neither of them speaks, but they munch together on the bag of chips he’d brought from home, and Suna offers him a few sips of his drink in return. They don’t need words to understand each other; it really is a nice feeling.

He must have fallen asleep without realizing it, because he wakes up a little confused with his cheek pressed against Suna's shoulder and his brother's phone camera in front of his face.

"What the f-"

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Atsumu’s bright voice calls out, “We’ve arrived!”

Osamu blinks several times to clear his vision and looks around.

“I tried to stop him,” Suna lets him know.

He whips around to face the boy, suddenly remembering that he had fallen asleep against him. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” he says, mortified.

“Nah,” Suna shrugs, “No problem.”

Osamu runs a hand over his face, trying to recover.

“It would have been a problem if you had drooled on my shirt,” the boy continues, serious, “but luckily for you, you kept your mouth shut.”

Osamu finds himself chuckling; the embarrassment gone. “Piss off,” he grumbles.

“Is that how you thank me?” Suna replies, amused. “How ungrateful.”

⸻

They spend the morning on the rides that usually have the longest lines – before the park gets too crowded – running from one side of the amusement park to the other to get to the various attractions before everyone else.

Osamu is having so much fun; he and Suna are just on the same page. They keep giggling and secretly teasing the two sweethearts, who are so engrossed in each other that they don't notice anything. They sit next to each other on the roller coaster every time, and inevitably burst out laughing when Atsumu starts screaming as if they're all going to die, clinging to Ryota.

Time flies, and soon it’s late in the morning. Osamu realizes this when the lines start to get longer and more boring – made even more terrible by his brother and his boyfriend, who use that time to cling one onto the other as if it were just the two of them around. Osamu would seriously pretend not to know them, if only for the fact that he literally had the same face as Atsumu.

He feels a light tap on his shoulder. Suna leans in close to his ear.

“Shall we run away?” he asks him, careful not to be heard by the other two.

Osamu turns to him in surprise.

“I want to see how long it takes for them to notice that we’re gone,” the boy adds with a smirk.

He chuckles. “Okay,” he whispers, glancing at his brother, who is completely focused on Ryota.

He feels his arm being grabbed and Suna starts dragging him against the flow, to the back of the line. Once free from all that crowd they start running, unable to stop laughing like two idiots.

They stop in front of a churros stand, doubled over to catch their breath. Osamu barely registers Suna’s hand letting go of the arm that he'd been holding tightly. Once they’ve calmed down, they straighten up, look at each other, and burst out laughing again.

“How much…” Suna asks between laughs, “how much time do you give them?”

“That line looked pretty long,” Osamu reasons, breathing hard. “At least another twenty minutes. Not before that for sure.”

The other boy looks at him with a twinkle in his eye. “Then I'll say an hour.”

"An hour?!"

Suna shrugs and smirks at him. “Maybe I’m gifting you an easy win.”

"And what do I win if I'm right?" Osamu going along with it.

The boy looks around ans his gaze fixes on the stand in front of them. “Churros?” he asks, glancing at him.

“I want churros now, though,” Osamu complains; the smell had made his stomach growl. “I don’t want to wait twenty minutes.”

“Then I’ll buy you an encore, if you win.” Suna tilts his head, watching him. “Or you do, if I'm the one to win.”

“Agreed.” Osamu accepts, offering his hand. The other grabs it firmly.

They eat their first churros sitting on a nearby bench. It takes Osamu less than five minutes to gobble up his portion, and then he waits patiently for Suna to finish his. The boy – probably taking pity on him – offers him some, and in another couple of minutes they have completely wolfed those down as well. There was still quite a bit of time left before their timer ran out.

“Shall we go on a ride?” Osamu asks, getting up and wiping the sugar off his shirt.

“Better yet,” Suna replies, imitating him, “I saw a haunted house over there.”

He had always thought of himself as a very difficult person to scare, but today – faced with Suna's impassiveness – he is forced to change his mind. As they walk through the dark maze, neither of them screams in fear, but Osamu jumps a couple of times, taken by surprise by some masked figure that leaps out of the shadows.

“Should I hold your hand?” the other boy next to him sneers.

“Shut up.” He hisses, his pride hurt.

Once they step out into the daylight again, Osamu frowns.

“It’s usually more fun with Atsumu,” he comments, “All he does is scream.”

“I can just imagine that,” Suna replies amusedly, “By the way. It’s been half an hour.” he lets him know, checking his phone.

“Already?” Osamu does the same, “He didn’t text me anything. You think they haven’t noticed yet?”

The other looks at him with a little smirk. "An hour," he sings cheerfully.

“Oh, come on!” he exclaims, throwing up his arms, “I’m his twin! Something could have happened to me! How did he not notice that I’ve been gone for half an hour?!”

“Young loves?” Suna shrugs.

Osamu snorts, shaking his head. Fuck Atsumu and his young loves.

"Well, we've got another half an hour to kill. Where do you want to go now?"

⸻

Half an hour passes, and then an hour, and then two. By then it was pretty obvious that the sweethearts had realized that he and Suna were missing, but they hadn't cared much. Maybe they thought that they had gone off to have some time alone — Atsumu certainly would have hoped so — but Osamu still feels a little hurt that his twin hadn't even texted him to ask if everything was okay.

It’s late afternoon — near the parks's closing hour — and he and Suna have just gotten on the ferris wheel for their last ride of the day when his phone finally rings.

“It’s Atsumu.” he lets the boy sitting across from him in the booth know, before answering. “Yeah-?”

"Samu, where the hell are you?!" his brother's breathless voice exclaims, "I just turned around and you two were gone!"

Osamu is speechless. “Are you for real?”

“What? Why would I be joking?” He sounds genuinely concerned, “Did you go to the bathroom? We don’t see y'all anywhere.”

“Tsumu, we haven’t been with you since this morning,” he says deadpan, “How the fuck did you just notice?”

“What?! I don’t…” He exchanges a few words with someone on the other end of the phone – probably Ryota. “I was a little distracted,” he finally admits.

“No shit.” Osamu comments.

"Yeah well, you could have said something though!" his brother justifies himself, with his usual whining tone that makes him want to slap his face.

He finds himself clutching the phone in nervousness. “Yeah, sure,” he says, slowly, “I'll call you later.” Then he hangs up on him.

Atsumu calls him back immediately, but he silences everything and puts his phone in his pocket; he really doesn't want to hear his annoying voice right now. Fuck him and his shitty boyfriend. How could he pay so little attention to his own twin? He runs his hands over his face and tries to calm down.

“Is everything… okay?” Suna asks, uncertain.

Oh, right. Osamu had forgotten about his presence. He looks up at him.

“Is it normal to act like this when you fall in love?” he asks, instead of answering him.

Suna shrugs. “I’ve never been in love. I couldn’t tell you.”

Osamu looks at him, surprised.

“What’s so strange about it?” he asks confused, noticing his expression.

“Nothing. Sorry.” Osamu shakes his head, “You said you weren’t interested in dating me. I thought maybe it was because you liked someone else.”

“Why, is that the case with you?” Suna looks at him. “You said the same thing.”

“No. No, you’re right.” He gives him a crooked smile. “Stupid assumption.”

"Not stupid. Just wrong."

“Hm.” Osamu sighs, “I still can’t see myself acting like them. If I were to fall in love.”

The other boy chuckles. “No, me neither. They’re so… excessive.”

“Right? As if it were just the two of them.” Osamu shakes his head in disbelief. “I just can’t understand it.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m the weird one,” Suna admits after a moment. “They all seem so… eager to fall in love and lose their minds. It’s crazy.”

Osamu stares at him, surprised. It was the first time he'd ever talked to someone who understood exactly what he was feeling. It was... comforting. Knowing he wasn't alone.

“You’re not weird. I feel the same way,” he reassures him. “I feel like other kids our age don’t care about anything other than dating. How can they want to get together with someone they don’t even know? How can they be sure that they like that person? It… it doesn’t make sense.”

Suna nods thoughtfully. "Never understood that whole love at first sight and shit thing. I think it takes time to really fall in love with someone."

“That’s right!” Osamu exclaims, throwing his arms wide open, “Why can't Atsumu get it? There’s no point in him trying to set me up with random people. I’ll never fall in love like that!”

“I see I hit home,” Suna chuckles.

“Don't get me started,” he grumbles. “I’m just glad I found someone who understands what I mean, for once.”

“The more I talk to you, the more I think we really are made for each other,” Suna confesses, studying him. “I really want to get to know you better. Maybe I’ll actually fall in love with you. It would be fucking hilarious if those two were right from the beginning.”

"And who would be able to shut Atsumu up at that point?" Osamu sighs, but he actually agrees with him.

He had already thought about it; the idea of ​​falling in love with Suna after spending more time together. It was a really inviting possibility. He was a nice guy, funny and above all he made him feel understood. If there was anyone he could fall in love with, it was definitely Suna. At the moment he felt nothing but pleasantness for him, but with time... who knows.

“So, what do you say?” he asks him, “Can I have your number, Osamu?”

He smiles. “I thought you’d never ask,” he jokes.

⸻

When they finally get back on the ground, Osamu has completely forgotten about his irritation with his twin. At least, that's what he thinks until he finds his stupid face in front of his nose.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he blurts out, glaring at him.

“I tracked your location, and then we saw you on the ferris wheel,” he explains, waving his cell phone open to the GPS.

“You’re such an asshole, Tsumu,” he lets him know. “Something could have happened to me and you wouldn’t have even noticed.”

At least, he has the decency to look sorry.

"You should have told me that you wanted to go somewhere else!"

“I wanted to see how long it would take for you to notice,” Osamu snaps. “Quite too long, if you ask me.”

“I’m sorry, okay?!” Atsumu exclaims, “Had you been alone I would have paid more attention to you, but I knew you were with Sunarin! You weren’t alone alone!”

Osamu snorts. There was no point in reasoning with him. "Let's drop it, or we'll end up fighting for real and I don't want to make a scene here in front of everyone." He says, glaring at him. "The park is about to close." he then adds, grabbing Suna by the arm and striding towards the exit, where there was the shuttle stop that would take them home.

“Wo, you’re already mistreating me,” Suna comments, feeling himself being dragged away.

Osamu immediately lets him go, although he doesn't slow down, not wanting to be caught up by Atsumu.

“Sorry,” he mutters, “He fucking pisses me off.”

"Nah, I was just kidding. Drag me all you want, if it makes you feel better."

Osamu snorts in amusement and glances at him. Suna smiles at him, while keeping his pace easily.

“No need, thanks anyway.”

"Whenever you want."

Chapter Text

Osamu and Suna spend the next few days texting each other from morning till later in the night. They discover they have a lot in common; they talk about music, books, school,  annoying siblings... The sense of familiarity he felt before when having to do with him becomes more and more intense, and now he often finds himself smiling absentmindedly while looking at his phone, waiting for his response.

Atsumu doesn't leave him alone for a second, gloating around the house and telling everyone that he was the one who introduced the two of them. He even decides to plan a third double date for the following weekend – this time out for dinner – without asking anyone's opinion on the matter. Osamu can't stand him anymore.

The week passes quickly and, before they know it, he and Suna are standing outside the restaurant waiting for Ryota and his brother, who had spent the afternoon together doing who knows what and said they would be here any minute.

“Any minute, my ass…” Osamu grumbles, “Why is Atsumu always late?”

"If you didn't have the same face, I would never say you were twins," Suna comments thoughtfully.

“Thank you.” It was nice to feel appreciated, every now and then.

Suna chuckles.

“Wait, aren’t those two them?” He squints, but before Osamu can turn to check, “No, no. My bad. They’re just two old ladies.”

"How the hell do you confuse them with two old ladies?"

"I can't see very well from far away."

“Have you ever thought that— Oh, Atsumu just texted me.” Osamu picks up his phone, reads the message, and gapes.

Suna frowns and leans over his shoulder to see what's going on. He starts giggling.

"ryota and i can't make in time. have fun without us ❤️"

He had them set up. Now he understands why he spent all morning acting so strange.

"I'll fucking kill him as soon as I get home."

“Well look at the bright side,” Suna reasons, “We won’t have to eat dinner with the two of them making out in front of our food.”

“It makes me feel sick just thinking about it,” Osamu shivers.

Once inside they discover that – in addition to having tactically stood them up – Atsumu had even booked a private boot for the two of them, recommending the waiters to make everything super romantic. Osamu's jaw is on the floor and Suna can't stop snickering.

"If it weren't for the fact that my stomach is growling, I would have left already."

“Why? Am I not enough to make you decide to stay?” Suna blinks at him.

"Oh, piss off."

All in all, the dinner is pleasant. Certainly not because of the atmosphere, nor the rose petals scattered all around – Osamu has decided that he hates them – but because of Suna’s presence (and the food). They talk all the time, and how  nice it is to have found someone who finally understands him. He feels like he’s finally discovered what it means to breathe – as if he’s been doing it the wrong way up until that moment. It’s not love, Osamu is sure of that – there are no butterflies or anything Atsumu has ever told him – but he doesn’t doubt that he’s on the right track to becoming it.

When it's time to go home, he's sorry that he has to say goodbye so soon

"I'll walk you home." he decides, just to spend a little more time with him.

“Ah, what a gentleman.” Suna smiles at him, “This way then.”

They walk in silence, each lost in his own thoughts in the quiet of the evening, but it's peaceful. Osamu is at ease, there with him.

"Can I hold your hand?" Suna asks out of nowhere.

Osamu glances at the boy next to him. “Why?”

Suna shrugs. “I want to try something.” He looks at him expectantly.

He offers it to him then, and their fingers intertwine in the space between them. Suna’s hand is warm, in the spring breeze. His grip is firm and his skin is soft; it doesn’t feel bad. He’s not sure how it should feel, holding someone’s hand, but he finds himself not wanting to let it go. He likes it, the feeling of being tied to him like this.

“Mh.” comments Suna.

"What?"

“I don’t understand what I’m supposed to feel,” he admits, voicing Osamu’s same thoughts.

"You don't like it?"

Suna shrugs. “I don’t even mind it.”

“Same goes for me.” He smiles to himself. “That’s something, isn’t it?”

“I guess so.”

They continue walking in silence, without stopping holding hands.

When Suna eventually stops in front of a house and lets him go, Osamu is surprised to feel the lack of his familiar warmth on his palm.

“We’re here,” he informs, turning to face him.

"Well, then... see ya?" Osamu replies, not knowing what to do.

Suna watches him for a moment. “Do you want to… come inside?”

He looks at him surprised.

“That book I was telling you about before,” the boy begins, “I have it. I can lend it to you, if you want.”

Osamu smiles at him. “Okay.”

Suna smiles back, before pulling a key out of his pocket and opening the gate. He follows. They barely make it up the front steps before the door swings open.

“Rin! You’re back!” says a high-pitched voice coming from a girl who looks about ten. “I heard the keys. How was the date?”

“Hello, Aya.” Suna sighs, then turning to Osamu, “My sister.”

“Ooooh,” she says, putting a hand over her mouth, “Mom! Mom!” She runs into the house, “Rintaro brought his boyfriend home!”

“He's not—” Suna begins, then sighs. “Sorry. I wish I could tell you that she's not always like this, but she is.”

“Don’t worry,” Osamu chuckles, “I have Atsumu. At least your sister is actually ten. He’s just a lost cause.”

He smiles amusedly and invites him in. They pop into the living room to say hello to his parents; they both seem chill, like their son, and they don't seem to care that much whether Osamu really is his boyfriend or not. His sister, on the other hand, doesn't stop pestering them with questions.

“Aya, honey. Leave them alone.” They hear her mother scolding her as the two of them walk up the stairs to Suna’s room.

It's a nice one; full of objects scattered here and there but in a way that doesn't seem messy, just lived in. The walls are covered in posters and on his bookshelf there are a lot of books that Osamu himself has read and loved. It's the kind of room he might have had, if he hadn't been forced to share it with that pain in the ass of a twin. He likes it.

He sits down on the bed and Suna joins him, passing him the volume he had promised him. He reads the plot and then the two begin to discuss it, bringing up other books and writers. Osamu is over the moon; the few times he had tried to talk to Atsumu about something like this, he had felt like he was dealing with an illiterate. Suna, on the other hand, follows his reasonings, or better yet: he shows him points of view he hadn't thought of, he tells him his opinion, and in some cases he even corrects him. Osamu is having so much fun that he doesn't notice the hours passing.

They are both lying on the bed, shoulder to shoulder, noses buried in a book reading a particularly interesting passage that Suna was keen to point out, when they hear a light knock at the door.

“Are you guys dressed?” comes his mother’s muffled voice from the other end.

“Why shouldn’t we?” Suna complains.

“You never know,” she says, opening the door and peering inside. Seeing that yes, they are indeed dressed, she opens it completely. “Oh, you’re reading. Nice.”

"What's up, Mom?"

"It's getting late, honey. Is your friend staying over for the night?"

The two of them look at each other. They hadn't noticed the time passing, but it really was late. Osamu is surprised that his own mother hadn't called him worried yet. Atsumu probably had something to do with it.

“Are you staying over?” Suna asks him.

“Can I?” he says, looking between the two of them.

“Of course you can, honey,” she reassures him. “I’ll get you Rintaro’s old futon. And he can lend you one of his pajamas.”

“Oh, okay then.” He smiles, “Thanks.”

Suna's mother waves a hand and starts rummaging through a closet. Meanwhile, Osamu writes a message to his brother.

"I'm staying over at Suna's. Tell Mom for me."

The answer is immediate.

"oh my god???? remember to use protections 😉🍆"

Osamu leaves him on read.

⸻

About twenty minutes later, they are both lying in their respective blankets, in the dark. To tell the truth, Osamu doesn't feel sleepy at all. He finds himself staring at the ceiling of the room, wondering if Suna is doing the same.

“Do you want to come here?” Suna’s whispered voice reaches him.

“Mh?” He turns to him.

“I know you’re awake. Do you want to come here with me?” He repeats, staring at him in the dim light.

“Okay,” Osamu whispers, getting up and slipping into his sheets. It’s nice and warm there.

The bed is quite small, so much so that the two of them can barely fit in, lying on their backs. Osamu turns on his side and Suna soon follows suit. They look at each other in silence for a long moment.

"Can I kiss you?"

The question catches Osamu off guard. It’s not like he hadn’t thought of it himself — they were so close at the moment, it had been inevitable — but he didn’t think Suna would actually ask.

"Why?"

He takes his time answering. “I want to know what it feels like,” he admits. “I think someone else might misunderstand, but you get me, Osamu. You know what I mean.”

They stare at each other in the dark, then Osamu finally nods. “Okay,” he whispers; he’s a little curious, too, in fact.

Suna leans in and their lips collide. Osamu wasn't expecting to feel much, but he's still a little disappointed when nothing happens. Where were the fireworks, trumpets, and angelic choirs that Atsumu kept talking about? How could anyone possibly lose their mind over a kiss, when it was just a normal skin-on-skin sensation? What was it about all of this that Osamu couldn't grasp, but everyone else seemed to feel?

Suna moves away and watches him warily.

“How was it?” he asks him.

“I don’t know,” Osamu replies, honestly. “How was it for you? Was it what you expected?”

Suna is silent for a moment, then, “No.” He sounds bitter.

“Yeah,” he sighs,turning again on his back, his gaze once more fixed on the ceiling. “How the hell do Atsumu and Ryota base their entire relationship on this?”

"Maybe you have to be in love."

“Mh,” says Osamu, “Maybe.”

"Or maybe I don't like guys. Maybe I'm straight," Suna reasons out loud.

"What if we were both straight? That would be pretty hilarious."

He feels Suna next to him, chuckling silently.

“You like girls?” he asks him then.

“As much as I like boys, I guess.” Osamu glances at him.

“Not much, then.” Suna guesses.

“Not much, then.” he echoes, “What about you?”

“Same thing.”

They remain silent for a long moment.

“I'm glad I met you, Suna.”

He feels him turn over in the bed, next to him.

“Me too, Osamu.” Then, “We just kissed. You can call me Rintaro if you want.”

“Okay.” He smiles in the dark, “Rintaro.”

⸻

They are awakened by a door swinging open and a high-pitched screaming voice.

"Mom! Mom! They're in the same bed!"

“For fuck's sake.” He hears Suna grumble.

Osamu opens his eyes and finds his face in front of him. They must have ended up on top of each other during the night — the bed really was small — because they are a tangle of arms and legs. It doesn’t bother him at all; in fact, he has to admit that it feels good, the warmth of his body pressed against him. It’s comforting; it stabilizes him.

Suna probably thinks the same, because he rests his head unceremoniously on his shoulder and goes back to sleep with a sigh. Osamu does the same.

Then, a few hours later, when he opens the door to his apartment and is practically attacked by Atsumu who starts bombarding him with questions, he regrets not having decided to stay in that cocoon of bliss longer.

"So, how was it?"

“What?” He snorts in annoyance.

“What do you mean, what?!” he screams, “Your first time!”

Osamu glares at him. Why was his brother like this?

“Come on!” he complains, “I told you everything about mine!”

“And I still shudder whenever I think about it,” comments Osamu.

"What a pain in the ass you are! You never tell me anything!"

“Because nothing happened, Tsumu.”

"I don't believe it! You stayed over at his place!"

Osamu looks at him and sighs. He wasn't going to get out of this so easily, was he?

“We kissed.” He concedes. Not in the way Atsumu thought, but anything to shut him up.

He immediately realizes his mistake.

“You two kissed???!! ” he exclaims, at full volume. “Oh my God, I have to tell Ryota!”

“Don’t-” He runs a hand over his face, “You know what? Do whatever the fuck you want. I’m going to take a shower.”

“What?! Wait!” Atsumu’s breathless voice reaches him, “You haven’t told me everything! Are you guys together? Can we go on more double dates?? Samu wait-”

He slams the bathroom door in his face. What kind of mess had he gotten himself into? He was never going to leave him alone about this, now.

Chapter Text

“Atsumu keeps bugging me because he wants to know when I’m going to ask you out,” he tells him one afternoon, while they’re both sitting on the floor of Suna’s room, studying.

“Hm,” he comments, “What’s about siblings and how they need to know if we’re dating?” he asks, referring to his sister.

“If we hadn’t already talked about this, I’d ask you to be my boyfriend just to shut him up.”

Suna stops and looks up at him.

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

“What?” Osamu is confused.

“To pretend to be together so that people leave us alone.”

Osamu stares at him, thinking about it.

“No more dates set up by your brother or people asking you out and not knowing how to reject them,” Suna continues, more and more convinced.

"What if we actually fall in love in the meantime?"

"With who? With each other or with someone else?"

Osamu shrugs.

"If we fall in love with each other, even better. If we fall in love with someone else, then we break up. It's not like you're going to break my heart or something if we're just pretending."

"Makes sense."

“So?” Suna asks him.

“Yeah, sure.” Osamu smiles at him.

⸻

When he tells Atsumu, the boy celebrates as if he himself had just found a boyfriend. His good mood is short-lived, however, because within a week Ryota dumps him.

On Osamu falls the hard task of dealing with him – which is exhausting, because his twin is a real wreck. He cries from morning till night, shouting against that bastard and then weeping because he misses him and can't live without him.

Of course, he never misses an opportunity to complain that they were the ones who introduced Osamu and Suna and that it's not fair that the two of them are now together and happy while he and Ryota aren't. The only reason Osamu doesn't tell him that they're just pretending is that he knows his brother and is certain that that would make him cry even harder, instead of comforting him.

Little by little, thankfully, he recovers and goes back to being his usual Atsumu. He spends a few months third wheeling – and complaining about it – Osamu and Suna, then he starts seeing someone else and forgets about Ryota completely. Now that he's lost his mind over his new boyfriend, he doesn't seem to care about anything else anymore. He even tries to convince them to go on double dates again a couple of times, but Osamu and Suna have learned their lesson and don't even think about it. If he wants to spend his time making out with his boyfriend, then he should do it far far away from them.

Osamu would never tell him this, but he's glad that Atsumu is doing well. His brother was definitely a romantic person — perhaps a little too annoying and emotional — but he still deserved to have someone who made him happy.

As for him and Suna, they were happy in their own way. Their friends had started calling them "the perfect couple" because they had been together for almost a year now and had never gotten into a fight or threatened to break up – in fact, they always seemed to be getting along super well. Which always made them laugh when they thought about it, because the two of them were actually the least typical and perfect couple that could exist.

Between them, things continue to be as they were at the beginning. They had not kissed again, nor had they tried anything else. Osamu has now come to the conclusion that, if it were meant to be that the two of them would fall in love with each other, it would have happened by now; but it hadn't. They hadn't fallen in love with anyone else, either, and Osamu is seriously starting to wonder if that would ever happen – at least, as far as he was concerned.

He was terrified that one day Suna would suddenly tell him 'I found someone else, let's break up.' He had grown accustomed to his company, to their little routines and to the feeling of having him by his side. Maybe it wasn't love, but he certainly felt an immense affection for Suna. He was the boy who made him feel understood, who reminded him that he wasn't alone or even strange. By now, he couldn't imagine a life without him. Maybe that's what love was all about. Osamu has no idea.

⸻

That afternoon, Suna was acting strange. There was nothing Osamu could point his finger at, but he knew something was bothering him. He also knew that if the boy wanted to talk about it, he would do it on his own. So, he says nothing and waits.

He almost gives up, when Suna finally calls him back, just as he is about to leave his room to return home.

“Osamu, wait.”

He turns; Suna is handing him a book. He takes it and looks at the cover: Loveless, Alice Oseman.

“Read it. Then tell me what you think about it.” He sounds nervous. Was that really all it was about?

“Yes, of course.” He smiles encouragingly, “See you tomorrow.”

As he walks home, he curiously reads the plot by the light of the street lamps.

Oh.

As soon as he arrives in the room he shares with Atsumu, he throws himself on his bed and puts on his headphones, ignoring his brother's protests that he absolutely has to tell him what he has found out today. Osamu couldn't have cared less, at the moment.

He spends the whole night reading. He devours the pages, curious but at the same time scared of finding everything he had ever felt printed on paper. It's a strange feeling; up until that point the only one who had ever truly understood him, had been Suna. A part of Osamu had always had the feeling that they were different from other people, but now reading those words confirms it. However, this meant that they were not the only ones either.

The next morning at school, with terrifying dark circles under his eyes, he rushes into the boy's classroom and stands in front of him.

"We need to talk."

All around them there is a chorus of 'oooh, someone's in trouble'. Suna ignores all of them and stares into his eyes.

"You've read the book."

"I've read the book."

They look at each other for a moment longer; a thousand words that do not need to be spoken out loud hover between them.

“Let's skip?” Suna suggests.

Osamu nods.

They take refuge in the courtyard, sitting on the front steps of some unused storage room, hidden from view. Their shoulders touch, and Osamu is grateful for the comforting touch; he really needed Suna's stabilizing presence at his side.

“So…” the boy begins, without looking at him, “The book. What do you think about it?”

“It was terrible.”

Suna chuckles. “Right? The characters were insufferable. They kept arguing every two pages.”

"And what's this obsession the English have with theatres and Shakespeare?" Osamu agrees, amused.

“But that’s not why I had you read it.” He turns serious.

“I know,” he admits.

They begin to silently observe the clouds above them.

“Aromanticism, huh?” Osamu sighs. “To be honest… I had a feeling about it.”

"What? That I was or you were?"

Osamu shrugs. “Me. You too, maybe. I don’t know.”

"I didn't," Suna admits.

“Really?” Osamu is surprised.

The boy gives him a crooked smile. “I'd convinced myself I was in love with you.”

“You never told me.” His mouth drops open.

“I was afraid I'd scare you off if you knew.” Suna admits.

"What's changed now?"

"I realized it wasn't true."

Osamu thinks about it. “I think I’ve heard Atsumu talk about how it feels to be in love too many times to mistake what I feel for you for love. But I’ve thought about it a few times.”

“It’s very similar,” Suna says. “Loving someone romantically and platonically. I don’t think I’ve quite figured out the difference yet. But I know how I feel about you is not what other people feel.”

Osamu takes his hand.

“See?” says the other boy, with a slightly bitter half-smile, “I like this, but not kissing you. I don’t understand anything about it.”

“Do we have to understand it, though?” Osamu asks, lost in thought.

"I guess not. We have time."

They remain silent for a while.

"You know that meme that goes 'me and my best friend made a deal that if we're not married by the time we're thirty, we'll marry each other'?" Osamu asks him at one point, "I always thought we'd end up like that, the two of us. But now..."

Suna whirls around to face him. “You're breaking up with me?” He looks worried.

“What? No.” He shakes his head, “If I ever try to break up with you call the police, Rin, because that means I’ve been kidnapped by aliens and the one you’re talking to is a clone.” He tilts his head, watching him. “I like being with you. Why would I break up with you?”

He sighs. “The hell I know. You freaked the shit out of me.” He smirks at him. “I like being with you, too, for the record.”

“There, then,” Osamu reassures him, “I was just saying that now we don’t have to wait until we’re thirty anymore.”

“Are you… asking me to marry you?” He's perplexed.

“Not now.” Osamu rolls his eyes, “Sooner or later.”

The other bursts out laughing, doubling over. “Okay,” he replies, amused.

“Thanks, it would have been a little embarrassing if you had said no.”

“Nah,” Suna replies with a smirk, “You’re stuck with me for life. I really wish to own a useless piece of paper to prove it.”

"How romantic."

"Right? It's a shame you don't feel these things, or you would have fallen for me for sure."

"Keep thinking that."

Suna chuckles, then rests his head on his shoulder. Together they watch the sky and the passing clouds. Somewhere in the distance the break bell rings.

At one point they hear hurried footsteps approaching, then Atsumu appears from behind a building, breathing heavily.

“I…” He takes a breath, “I found you… finally.”

“Is everything okay, Tsumu?” asks Osamu, puzzled, and also slightly alarmed.

His twin stares at them in confusion for a moment. “You’re not breaking up?”

"Why on earth would we be breaking up?"

“Sunarin’s classmates told me… I mean, I thought…”

Osamu and the other boy look at each other, then burst out laughing, leaning onto one another.

"Come on, don't laugh! I was really worried!"

"We're not breaking up, Atsumu. Don't worry," Suna reassures him between laughs.

"Why are you two here alone, then?"

The two boys look at each other. They would tell him, eventually, but this wasn't the time. For now, this little discovery would remain only theirs, until they were ready to let the others know.

Osamu opens his mouth to say something, but Suna beats him to it.

"He asked me to marry him."

“Rin!” he hisses in shock, elbowing him. The boy smirks.

Atsumu yellps, then starts peppering them with questions until the end of the break. Who knows how many weeks it would take him now to let this go.

As they head back to their respective classrooms, Osamu gives Suna one last glare.

The boy winks at him in return, before turning in the opposite direction and walking off down the hallway.