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Ladies and gentlemen, this is yer captain speaking. We’re gonna be landing shortly at Kobe City. The local time is 11:13 AM and the ground temperature is 16°C with clear skies. Flight staff will begin coming around one last time to connect any trash you may have. For yer safety and the safety of others, please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until we have come to a complete stop at the gate and the seatbelt sign is turned off. Thank ya for flying Kitsune Airlines. We hope to see you again soon.
“…-chan…”
“…sumu…”
“Atsumu-chan!”
Atsumu could feel Oikawa’s eyelashes fluttering against his skin if he blinked by the time he had snapped out of his reverie.
“What are you standing there all pretty for? Get your cute little butt moving down the next aisle before Suga-chan catches you daydreaming and tells on you again. I’m sure Keiji will be pleased enough to make sure you never get picked in the same crew as Captain.”
Pouting, Atsumu nudges his face away and adjusts the scarf around his neck before swivelling around and putting on his best customer service smile.
“Good job, Oikawa-kun,” Aran shakes his head and chuckles as he heads to the business class section.
“Works like a charm every single time.”
The rest of the flight ended without any qualms, their landing as smooth as butter and airport traffic barely busy to secure them the first slot in the queue to unload. Once they’ve come to a complete halt, Atsumu takes his cue from the marshall outside the aircraft and unhatches the door as Oikawa makes a final announcement through the interphone, and they send off the passengers with merry goodbyes.
“Toto! Tsum-Tsum!” A wild Bokuto appears from the cockpit moments later, less than a third of travellers remaining in line to the exit. “Hey, hey, hey!”
“Nice work today, Boku-chan!”
“Hey, Bokkun!” Atsumu tries to match the excitement of his two friends as if he wasn’t holding his breath in anticipation of who was about to come out of the cabin next, his heart stuck in his throat.
“Atsumu-kun. Oikawa-kun. Otsukare.”
“Otsukaresama, Kita-san!” Oikawa greets him with a chirpy tune.
Atsumu opens his mouth and makes a squeaky sound, his voice betraying him. Panicking, he bows his head low in lieu of a response, Oikawa about to burst into tears trying to hold his laughter beside him. He keeps his head down and wishes the ground would swallow him whole or he would just turn into a slime to make a swift escape in embarrassment—either of the two—until he feels a large hand on his head and a familiar scent of cologne hitting his nose—the smell, a mix of lavender and baby powder.
“You should take it easy and drink warm ginger tea if yer throat is sore,” Kita says as he playfully ruffles Atsumu’s hair.
It’s a stark difference from the first time Kita had told him off when they first met, truly. How Kita found out he had a minor sprain, he couldn’t imagine, but Kita had sent him back straight to his hotel room before he could even set foot on the plane during pre-boarding. At the time, Atsumu begrudgingly complied and swore to find out who snitched on him, but all the fight left his body when he arrived to a care package in front of his door with a small neon note that read:
Dear Atsumu-kun,
Take your time to recover and remember to RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
Sincerely,
Kita
Inside the paper bag were three ice packs, a rolled towel, and two glass jars of pudding—the deluxe kind. Call him a weak man but Atsumu was a hopeless romantic whose love language was a juxtaposition of giving and receiving—because with a tongue as sharp as a knife and a lack of sentimentality over material things, his affection is loudly expressed through his actions yet he crumbles at the idea of someone caring for him the same way as if he didn’t think he was deserving of such care or attention.
To Atsumu, falling in love wasn’t a crash landing. It was a slow and steady descent to the earth, one that leaves a sense of safety and soundness, more so a homecoming.
Over the years, his fleeting interactions with Kita have become more intentional, more frequent—though usually in larger groups of other crew members or their circle of friends. Still, he finds moments they share together meaningful whether they’re talking about childhood dreams or future hopes or nothing at all—for even sitting in silence with Kita brings Atsumu inexplicable comfort, replenishing his energy without words.
Now Atsumu thinks his little crush has turned into a tight contraction in his chest, a feeling he fears putting a name on realizing it was something beyond admiration.
“So, I’ll see ya both at lunch?”
“Y-Yes! See ya, Kita-san.” Atsumu manages to will his voice this time, but Oikawa still torments him about it after.
Two months have passed since the goddess of luck has smiled upon Atsumu. He usually bids trips between Hokkaido and Kansai route because it affords him some shopping time to stock up on his family’s favorite dairy products without hoarding too much that they end up getting spoiled. The fact that a certain Captain Kita is the pilot in command for 80% of the trips is an added bonus, but Atsumu would never confirm nor deny the case even though most of his fellow flight attendants are in on his secret by now.
When his phone buzzes with a notification from his work email, Atsumu hurriedly bites down on his toothbrush and lets it hang between his teeth as he unlocks the device in three attempts—his face ID unable to recognize him with the clay mask and the fluffy pink bow top headband on.
[Subject: Reserve schedule notice for Flight ATSKT071 on July 5, 2025…]
Atsumu’s shoulders sag when he reads the content of the message. That was the single flight of the year he didn’t want to miss knowing one pilot delights in the routine of flying on his birthday for good luck. But, hey, at least he’s on the waitlist for now, so all hope is not lost.
Atsumu spits out the toothpaste on the sink and rinses his mask off. Looks like he’ll need to be on standby on the 4th of July.
[Text messages with Oikawa Tooru]
>> ATSU-CHAN
>> ATSU-CHAN R U THERE
>> did you hear the news about your shin-chan??????
<< kawa pls it’s too early for this
<< what news??
>> ok promise me you won’t cry?
<< KAWA
<< just tell me!!!!
>> well
>> apparently shin-chan is taking an indefinite leave of absence after his birthday flight
>> to take care of a woman from his hometown
>> and it might take several months to a year
>> you know what it sounds like right???? 😣
Oh.
Oh.
Atsumu does, much to his dismay.
>> want me to come over with a tub of ice cream and turtle chips?
<< yes
<< thank ya, kawa
>> atsu-chan 🥺
>> i’ll be there in 30
For better or for worse, Atsumu gets called in to report for duty for Flight ATSKT071, Kita’s birthday flight and what may be his last trip of the year until his ambiguous return—if he ever will return. Atsumu laments over the possibility of him opting to go straight to an early retirement but quickly reins himself back in as he heads to the boarding gate with his horizontal luggage in tow. Kita has invited him to dinner in Sapporo with the other crew members where he’ll also likely make the official announcement about his unexpected hiatus, disclosing only the bare minimum because that’s the kind of man Kita is—always keeps Atsumu on his toes, always keeps him wanting to know more.
Whatever happens, Atsumu has decided to send him off with well wishes and to hand him what would be his first and last gift without chickening out. You got this, he hypes himself up.
“You look like the walking dead, Miya.”
“Well, hello to ya too, Omi-Omi.”
Sakusa clicks his tongue, a scowl forming on his face. Atsumu is much aware the nickname displeases him tremendously, so of course he wouldn’t miss a chance calling him the moniker.
“Geez, yer still as prickly as ever! Can’t ya be a little nicer today, it’s Kita-san’s day, ya know?”
“Don’t worry, I treat people amiably when they’re not menaces like you.”
“Oh, what an honor to be Sakusa Kiyoomi’s special annoyance,” Atsumu crosses his legs and bends them slightly, gesturing a curtsy to which Sakusa merely rolls his eyes.
“Of course Atsumu is already getting on Sakusa’s nerves before we even board the plane,” Suna pops out of nowhere, chugging a tall jug of what Atsumu guesses to be filled with plain black coffee in hand.
“Hiya, Atsumu! It’s been a while!”
“Komo-kun! Finally a decent human being who gives a proper greeting! No, actually yer an angel. Are ya sure yer related to this devil spawn?” The blonde says in a fake whisper, Sakusa clearly catching every word.
Komori chortles, shaking his head. “Now, now. Get along, you two. You don’t want ‘Kaashi to catch you locking horns and making you wear our get-along-shirt.”
“Or do, so I can be there to record it this time,” Suna snickers.
“Anyway, do you have plans tonight? How about you join us for dinner at the beer garden so you and Kiyo can learn to be friendlier with each other?” Komori suggests.
“Eh, aren’t you all going to Kita-san’s party?” Atsumu’s brows furrow in bewilderment.
Three heads tilt in unrehearsed synchrony.
“Oh, right. It’s Captain’s birthday flight.”
“I know Daichi-san is planning to give him a cake at the office after we land, but I don’t think there’s a huge get-together with most of the crew in between shifts,” Komori shrugs, looking towards Suna and Sakusa who nod in agreement.
“They’ll probably share news about his upcoming leave too.”
“Yeah, I figured,” Atsumu schools his expression, careful not to let on he’s forlorn. “But didn’t Kita-san invite ya to dinner? I’m pretty sure he said it’s a restaurant in the city. Mo- something. Molir?”
Komori gasps. “Moliere?”
“Yes? Yes, I think that’s it!”
Komori fiddles with his phone with gaping eyes, promptly turning over his screen to the two peeking over his shoulder. Atsumu guesses he was showing them the place. “I don’t think he invited everyone, Atsu.”
“What do you mean? Kita-san won’t leave you guys out purposely, he’ll probably ask ya to come now.”
“Dumb idiot.”
“What did ya call me, Omi-Omi!”
“Deserved,” Suna mumbles, earning a deadly glare from Atsumu.
“Didn’t it ever cross your mind that he might’ve invited you and only you?”
Atsumu was about to retort when Sakusa’s words belatedly registered in his brain and he let himself ponder for a second—two, three, four. His mouth falling agape, then closing again. Why would Kita invite only him to spend the special occasion with him? He’s just… Atsumu. “Whatever do ya mean?”
Sakusa stares at him blankly then shifts his gaze behind him, the entirety of his expression hidden from view by his mask. “I’m not the one you should ask that.”
“Kita-san, happy birthday!”
Atsumu stiffens as he hears the growing clamor behind him.
“Congratulations, Captain!”
“Thank ya, Hinata, Kageyama.”
Shortly, Atsumu turns around to wish him a happy birthday along with Sakusa, Suna, and Komori. They say curiosity killed the cat, Atsumu wonders if satisfaction would truly bring it back. And so-
“Kita-san, do ya have a minute?” He approaches Kita with a wavering determination and trembling knees, pointing at the VIP lounge where there’s a little more privacy for a conversation.
“Is everything alright?”
“I- Yeah, everything is fine! I just- I just wanted to check in about the party? Yer party, I mean. For yer birthday. Tonight, with everyone?” Atsumu is a stuttering mess, palms sweating.
Kita blinks at him twice before his cheeks flush the lightest tinge of pink and Atsumu wonders if this was real life or one of his fantasies. Maybe he had been suddenly teleported to a parallel universe or an isekai.
“Not really. I thought we could spend it together, just you and me,” Kita doesn’t avert his gaze when he answers, but he’s rubbing the back of his neck and wearing a soft smile, almost shy.
“Like a-”
“I should’ve been more clear, shouldn’t I?” Kita huffs, the same sound he makes when he indulges Atsumu’s corny jokes. “Atsumu, will ya go on a date with me?”
“Yer not fair, Kita-san. How am I supposed to say no when it’s yer birthday?”
“So are ya gonna reject me if I asked on any other day?”
“Of course not! Wait- But yer leaving! For a woman!” Atsumu runs his hands through his hair, arms raised in surrender. “Her name is Yumie-san or something,” he says as he looks down, slumping against the railing. “I-I don’t want to be yer side piece.”
Kita laughs, loud, bright and true. Is Atsumu’s heartbreak truly something comical? He can’t even get mad at him because Atsumu would give anything to hear the sound of his laughter.
“I don’t know what ya heard, but yer right. I’m taking a leave of absence for Yumie-san. Yumie-san is my ‘baa-chan who recently broke her hip at the farm. She has to undergo surgery, and I’ll be staying with her through her recovery.”
Atsumu ignores his heart skipping a beat when he hears the fondness in Kita’s voice referring to his grandmother. He’s learned to pick up on the nuances in his tone and he could tell when Kita is excited or worried or chagrined—he can’t wait to find out more.
“Does that clear the misunderstanding now?”
Atsumu sniffles, tears welling up in his eyes. Whether it was of joy or relief, he isn’t sure. Perhaps both.
Kita reaches for his pocket hankie to wipe his face. “May I take this as a ‘yes’ to my invitation?”
“Wasn’t gonna reject ya, anyway,” Atsumu pouts.
“Good boy,” Kita pats his head softly. “I’ll see ya in the cockpit after we land then, I have something for ya.”
Atsumu clenches his fist over his heart and squeezes his chest. “Wait, wait… please let me process everything from this conversation before ya drop another bomb on me.”
“Better be quick then. I haven’t even gotten to my real question,” Kita winks at him, and it’s the most endearing sight Atsumu has ever witnessed in nearly three decades of his life.
When they hear Hinata’s enthusiastic announcement calling the start of pre-boarding, they return to the gate to report for duty, preparing to assist the boarding passengers and demonstrating safety instructions but not without linking each other’s pinkies as they bid each other a short goodbye and head to their respective posts—nevermind the fact that they’ll be separated by a mere 8-inch thick door.
From there, it takes approximately 43 minutes before the travelers settle down and the air marshals clear them for takeoff.
Good evening, passengers. This is yer captain speaking. I would like to welcome everyone on board to Flight ATSKT071, inbound to Sapporo. This trip is special to me because today is my birthday, and I have a date with someone special tonight. (A soft chuckle is followed by a second voice murmuring ‘finally’ in the background)
(Clears throat) The cabin crew will be coming around in about twenty minutes time with some light snacks and beverages to accompany the journey. Inflight movies will also begin shortly after.
On behalf of all crew members onboard, we would like to thank ya for flying with us today. Please sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight.
Howls and cheers fill the cabin, one flight attendant in particular blushing like a peach while the other crew members spur him on as they take their seats and buckle up.
And with that, Flight ATSKT071 is finally taking off.