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It’s a stupid idea.
That’s all Shouyou can think about as he stops just short of the street corner and adjusts the collar of his shirt. It’s fancy, so fancy that he had to iron it. He hates that.
He hasn’t been on a date in ages. And the more he thinks about it, the more good reasons for that he remembers. For all his social skills, dating contexts always make him feel awkward. He doesn’t seem to quite say the right things or show the appropriate kind of interest, leading to offended date partners and disappointed goodbyes. Dating for Hinata Shouyou, in short, is always a clear recipe for disaster.
And yet, somehow, he's let Atsumu talk him into this. For all the love and care he has for his teammate and friend, he could serve a ball straight into his face at this very moment. Except he has no ball at hand, and instead is one mere corner away from the cozy little restaurant where he is about to meet his blind date. And Atsumu, well, he’s probably at home and eagerly waiting for him to make a move so he can hear the results of his genius meddling sometime within the next few hours.
Shouyou swallows around the lump in his throat and straightens his posture. He can do this. Whilst potentially awkward and disappointing for multiple parties involved, he has faced scarier things than this. A pissed off Daichi, for example. Or Tsukishima after he stepped on his glasses during their second year. Or the one time Shouyou got to witness Kenma’s 12 hour stream crashing and had to deal with the fallout of his best friend’s sleep deprived rage.
All in all, he’s faced worse than a simple date. It doesn’t quite stop the trembling of his legs, but it gives him enough courage to round the corner and make his final approach.
There’s a lone figure standing in front of the restaurant with his back turned to him, half obscured by the darkness of the night that the dim lights in front of the building can’t quite illuminate. The guy is twitching, seemingly fiddling with something he’s holding. Somewhat calmed by the mutual nervousness, Shouyou makes his way over, announcing his presence with a cheerful greeting that causes his mystery date to turn around.
Shouyou freezes on the spot, and stares.
“.....huh?”
For all he knows, Atsumu’s blind date mission starts two months prior, in no other place than the sanctity of their dorm.
“You’re single, right?”
Shouyou freezes mid stretch. An awkward twist of his torso reveals the setter standing in the doorframe of his room, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. Shouyou would be more startled by this sudden appearance of his teammate didn’t often show up in his room in the middle of his exercises, picking up a conversation or just watching. Shouyou figures he’s trying to work up his way to asking if he can join him during his morning yoga routine.
“Good morning to you too, Atsumu-san.” He replies lightly and turns on his mat to continue his stretches so he can hold this conversation face to face. Atsumu shifts and averts his gaze to the wall behind Shouyou.
“Morning, Shouyou-kun. So, are you single?”
“I am.” Shouyou confirms, and he can’t keep the curious tone out of his voice. Somehow, he can’t help but feel like this is only the start of an interrogation he doesn’t know the purpose of.
The setter relaxes further into the doorframe, nodding to himself like he’s confirmed a suspicion.
“Okay. Cool. Is there any reason for that?”
Ah.
Shouyou hums thoughtfully and places his hands on the mat, stretching into the next position that has him facing the ground and gives him some much needed time to think about a reply. It’s not the first time someone has asked him this. In fact, his dating lif, or lack thereof, seems to come up time and time again, and despite his usually carefree and open attitude, this topic always makes him squirm a little. If he were to honestly speak his mind, he’d say that there usually is no real reason for him to date. He’s happy with his life, his profession, his friends and his family. He’s also incredibly busy with it all, so busy that any more than what he already has would hardly find a spot in there. Sure, he has dated occasionally, has had short term partners and flings to satisfy his rare bouts of need, but beyond that, he has never quite deemed it necessary. Except that answer doesn’t seem to be the right one, judging by the looks on his friends’ faces anytime he tells them so.
“I haven’t found the right person yet, I think.” Shouyou settles on replying when he feels Atsumu’s impatience grow, and he swears he hears his friend scoff under his breath. He decides to ignore it. “Why do you ask?”
“Aren’t we friends, Shouyou-kun?” Atsumu asks, mock hurt dripping from his voice in a way that makes Shouyou grin despite himself. “I’m just deepening our bond. Or some shit like that.” Shouyou’s next exhale ends in a giggle, which makes him lose posture and causes him to abandon his routine in favour of sitting on his mat. Whilst most people don’t quite seem to appreciate Atsumu’s humour, it always hits a spot with him.
“Alright.” Shouyou concedes, leaning back on his elbows and mustering his friend with an open grin. “Anything else you want to ask to deepen our bond , Atsumu-san?”
“Wh– no .” Atsumu sputters, turning his face away in order to release a few coughs that are definitely faked. Much to his amusement, Shouyou is pretty sure he spots some redness on his cheeks as well.
“Does that mean I can go back to my routine?”
There’s a short moment of hesitation that spikes Shouyou’s curiosity again before Atsumu replies. “Yeah, if you really insist on torturing yourself. I don’t get you morning people.”
And with that, Atsumu turns on his heels, walking out of the room with a small wave of his hand.
“You’re always welcome to join!” Shouyou shouts after him, half genuine and half teasing, and laughs at the way Atsumu flips him off in his leave. Feeling rejuvenated, he gets back up on the mat, determined to finish his routine, and considers this talk the end of that topic.
A week later, Shouyou finds himself alone in the kitchen with Atsumu, doing the dishes in relative peace and quiet. He can faintly hear Bokuto and Sakusa cleaning up the living room after their board game night they all had miraculously found time for (and, even more miraculously, has resulted in no deaths - so far.). He knows Sakusa specifically sent him there to keep Atsumu in check and stop him from exacting his revenge for the lost games in the form of a full blown water fight, but he can’t resist returning the occasional splash of soapy water in his direction with a pointed flick of his own. Luckily enough, Atsumu seems to accept that low level chaos for now, merely giving a satisfied smirk every time Shouyou manages to splash him in the face instead of escalating his attacks.
A comfortable lull settles between them, harmless splashing and cleaning dishes blending into an effortless routine that has Shouyou relax against the kitchen counter, a softly hummed song escaping his lips. It’s Brazilian, as it often is when Shouyou gets in the mood for music, but his teammates have heard him hum often enough for the curious looks and questions to change into a quiet acceptance of his habits.
“You know.” Atsumu starts after a while, breaking the peaceful silence that has accumulated between them. He intently stares at the dishes in front of them, unwilling to look up even as Shouyou turns his face to direct his attention to him. “I’ve been thinking about what you told me. About finding the right person.”
Shouyou frowns, unable to recall what Atsumu is talking about for a brief moment. When he does, he suppresses the urge to sigh. He’s not off the hook just yet, then.
“You have?” He replies instead, intent to see this through as quickly as he can. “I thought you were satisfied with my answer last time.”
“It’s not about being satisfied , Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu mutters, sparing him a single glance before focusing back on their task. “I just wanna be a good friend, I told you. So I kinda owe it to you to offer good opportunities when I have them, right?”
This time, Shouyou does sigh. “Atsumu-san, I mean it when I say that I’m totally fine with the way things are, so–”
“I have the perfect guy for you.” Atsumu blurts out.
“...sorry?” Shouyou asks, for a lack of a better reply.
“I have the perfect guy for you.” Atsumu repeats, marginally more confident. “You said you didn’t find the right person yet but you and him, you’d be a great match. Trust me. I just know it.”
“It’s not that I doubt your belief, Atsumu-san.” Shouyou starts, clearly very doubtful. “But I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at here.”
“One date.” Atsumu puts the plate he’s been washing down into the sink, gripping the counter tightly and determined. “Give the guy one chance at a date, to prove to you that I’m right. That’s all I’m asking for, Shouyou-kun.”
It’s not the first time someone has tried to set him up. Hitoka had tried, more than once, to set him up with friends or acquaintances, either mentioning them in their conversations with a very pointed undertone or straight up bringing someone along to parties or hang outs in hopes of getting Shouyou to spend time with them. It never quite worked, and eventually, Hitoka had been sensitive enough to back off. Though she had never quite taken a blunt approach like Atsumu’s. It makes sense, Shouyou muses. Bold, confident, and straight to the point, all of it embodied Atsumu perfectly well. What he doesn’t get is why .
“I don’t like going on dates.” He eventually admits, a hint of softness creeping into his voice. He feels safe enough to be vulnerable around his friend, but this more mellow side of him barely comes out, so he isn’t surprised when Atsumu deflates at the sight, staring at him with wide round eyes. Silence settles between them, more tense and uncomfortable than just minutes before. Shouyou hates it. The natural ease between him and his friend is something he has always appreciated. There shouldn’t be any tension between them.
“...who is it?” Shouyou eventually relents, after it becomes clear that Atsumu’s usual bravado has vanished to the point of speechlessness. Atsumu stares at him, contemplative, uncertain , entirely unlike himself.
“A friend of mine. He’s a good guy, and I know you’ll like him if you just give him a chance.” Atsumu insists, looking more sincere than Shouyou has ever seen him. “Promise me you’ll think about it, at least?”
The wide and pleading look hits Shouyou with full force, and he knows he lost this fight before it even truly started.
“I’ll think about it.” He agrees half heartedly. It seems to be enough to appease Atsumu, who turns back to finish the dishes with an approving grunt. The light ease doesn’t quite return, but with a few gentle splashes in his direction and the promise of his favourite onigiri the next time the team visits Osamu, Shouyou finds himself relaxing.
He hopes that he bought time with this, at the very least.
Unsurprisingly, Atsumu stays relentless. No matter how artfully Shouyou tries to dodge the topic, Atsumu’s mystery blind date candidate sneaks their way into most of their conversations. Through that, Shouyou unwillingly gathers some information about him. He’s around their age, tall, and a volleyball player. Quite handsome, which Atsumu can’t seem to overstate, even though Shouyou doesn’t care all too much about that. He’s social and shares some of Shouyou’s interests, too, and at this point Shouyou can’t help but wonder whether he knows the guy. That seems to be the only question Atsumu dodges in the process, brushing him off with vague statements and allusions to Shouyou “knowing every player on this planet by now anyway”. It’s a ridiculous exaggeration, but Shouyou doesn’t dare to push the answer in fear of actually appearing interested in the blind date. For all his promises to think about it, Shouyou is still highly determined to avoid it.
Unfortunately, this also puts a strain on the time he spends with Atsumu. That part honestly frustrates him the most, because Shouyou really likes spending time with the setter. It’s fun and exciting and so easy, the way they fall into rhythm and can talk about everything and nothing at the same time. He knows Atsumu has a reputation for being a little obnoxious and arrogant, but to Shouyou, that has bothered him much. He can laugh at his friend’s jokes and fondly roll his eyes at his quips without any offence being taken, which Atsumu seems to not only notice but also deeply appreciate, seeing how his eyes get this gleam and his smile softens every time he talks to Shouyou. All in all, their companionship has always been effortless, up until now.
Now, Shouyou finds himself avoiding being alone with Atsumu in a room. He feels a little bad about it, especially since he can tell Atsumu is catching on, but he figures Atsumu could also simply take the hint and leave his dating life safe and unbothered as it always has been.
Instead, Atsumu takes it a step further: by hijacking their dorm time.
Thursday evening tends to be the one day in the week all four of them eat together. Not so coincidentally, it’s also the one day in the week Shouyou is cooking for everyone. Much to his own initial surprise, the dishes he learnt to make in Brazil seem to appease everyone’s taste buds. It’s a small miracle, really, considering just how difficult it tends to be to make the four of them agree on anything . So naturally, Shouyou takes great pleasure in doing this for his teammates, and he basks in their praise every time. Tonight is no different.
“Man, I don’t know how you do it, Shouyou, but this hits the spot every single time. Your food is the best!” Bokuto chimes enthusiastically, cheeks still full with the second portion he’d gotten for the night. Beside him, Sakusa is mustering their teammate with mild disgust, eyes focusing on the small specks of food landing on the table every time Bokuto speaks.
“It is pretty good, yes.”
Shouyou beams with pride. Compliments from Sakusa, rare as they are, always hold a special meaning to him.
“Thank you, Bokuto-san! Omi-san!”
“Delicious as always, Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu agrees. There’s a tilt to his voice that tells Shouyou exactly what’s going to come next. “You could always take a break from cooking, though. Take one Thursday night off, and go out to dinner with someone. Y’know, to wind down a little.”
“Go out for dinner?” Bokuto asks, brows furrowed. “Why would Shouyou do that when he makes the best dishes at home?”
“It’s not about the food , Bokkun.” Atsumu sighs in exasperation, like that should be obvious. “It’s about the company. Say, don’t you think it’s time for Hinata to go on a date or two?”
“Uh…if he wants to, I guess?” Bokuto looks over to Shouyou, seeming both lost and curious. “ Do you want to, Shouyou?”
“No, Bokuto-san. I’m quite fine right where I am.” Shouyou replies, unable to hold back the pointed look he sends Atsumu. Maybe he should have sprinkled some more spices on his plate before he served it to him. “But Atsumu-san seems dead set on setting me up with a friend of his. While that’s very considerate of him, I’m not interested.”
Sakusa stops eating, mustering Atsumu with a disbelieving squint.
“ You are trying to set up Hinata with someone?”
“Well, yeah.” Atsumu shrugs, eyes trained back on his food. “I’m just a great guy like that. He’d be good for him. Which is what I’m trying to get Shouyou-kun over here to understand. Some support would be appreciated, guys.”
Please don’t, Shouyou thinks, giving the other two a miserable smile.
“I’m a little surprised too, Tsum-Tsum. I didn’t think you’d be the one to push Hinata onto someone else, considering— OUCH! ” Bokuto cuts himself off with a loud yelp, clutching his shin under the table. Judging by the way Atsumu is glaring at him, the pointed kick was on him.
“Like I said, I only want what’s best for Shouyou. He’s quite the cool guy, you know.”
“Is that so.” Sakusa says, suspicious. Atsumu scoffs.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that, Omi-kun?”
“I have one question, mostly. Just who is that guy?”
“Atsumu-san won’t tell me.” Shouyou interrupts, redirecting the attention to him. For a conversation that’s centred around him, he feels remarkably out of the loop. “Just that he’s tall, our age, and a volleyball player.”
“And handsome.” Atsumu adds, indignant. “Don’t forget about that part, Shouyou-kun.”
“And that, I guess. And I might know him? But I honestly have no clue who it could be.” Shouyou admits.
“A handsome volleyball player who’s our age.” Sakusa deadpans. If possible, he looks more disgusted than usual. Besides him, Bokuto’s face lights up with wonder. “And you have no clue who it is that Miya is praising so highly.”
“...yes?”
“Shouyou–”
“Don’t bother, Bokuto.” Sakusa interrupts him, returning his attention back to his food. “This is on Hinata to figure out, if you ask me.”
“ Thank you , Omi.” Atsumu says, appearing satisfied. “So is one of you gonna be in support of this date or what?”
“I couldn’t possibly dislike Hinata that much.”
“Now what is that supposed to mean?” Atsumu sputters, jumping up from his seat and pointing at an unimpressed Sakusa before launching into a very one sided fight.
“I for one think you should totally go for it, Shouyou!” Bokuto shouts over the riot, though his interest is sidetracked pretty quickly in favour of loading the rest of Shouyou’s meal onto his plate.
Shouyou sighs and gets up from the table, taking his own dishes over towards the sink.
So much for a peaceful dorm dinner.
Atsumu’s blind date agenda quickly makes the rounds in their team and social circles after that. Thankfully, most of them choose to stay out of that matter, and Meian shuts Atsumu down every time he tries to bring it up during practice in order to rope their team members into joining his efforts. But regardless of their neutrality, they all give Shouyou a look every time the topic comes up. Like Shouyou knows or should know something unspoken about this whole thing.
Evidently, he doesn’t. And whilst he is still wholly uninterested in going on the date, he’s starting to get a little curious. Mostly about the identity of this mystery guy, seeing how everyone seems to have a rather strong opinion on him. What he’s also curious about is the looks Atsumu is getting every time he brings it up. It’s not pure annoyance, or even amusement at his antics. There’s something weird there that Shouyou can’t quite place and Atsumu plainly doesn’t seem to care about enough to react to.
All in all, this whole thing is turning into a riddle Shouyou wants to get to the bottom of. Atsumu proves to be entirely unhelpful, redirecting the conversation to getting Shouyou to agree every time Shouyou tries to get any more information out of him. His teammates, too, seem dead set on keeping their mouths shut.
“You’ll figure it out yourself, Shouyou.” Barnes offers consolingly, giving Shouyou a pat on the shoulder as he makes his way through the changing room. Shouyou frowns.
“I’m not figuring it out, though! I don’t know what it is that you all are seeing.”
“Well then.” Inunaki chimes in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “The only way out of this seems to be agreeing to the date, don’t you think? You’ll find out who it is and get all the answers you could possibly hope for.”
“ Don’t go there.” Tomas warns from the corner of the room, causing Inunaki to raise his hands in mock surrender.
“I’m just saying!”
“And I’m telling you all to finish up here and go home. Practice tomorrow won’t be any easier if you fail to get enough sleep.” Meian intervenes, putting the conversation to a swift end. Shouyou resigns and goes back to packing his bag, and on the way out, he can’t help but notice their captain giving him another look . It’s just as confusing and non-telling as everyone else’s input today.
Traitors, his team. Every single one of them.
The final straw comes two weeks later.
To say that Shouyou is moody at this point would be an understatement. Whilst Atsumu doesn’t bring up the blind date 24/7, the threat always looms silently over them every time they are together. Which, considering that Atsumu is his teammate, his dormmate and his friend, is almost always. The fact that Shouyou is increasingly feeling like he’s the butt of some huge inside joke isn’t helping his mood, either.
In short, his patience is wearing thin, and whilst he doesn’t outright snap at anyone, he knows they can feel it brewing. Maybe that’s what has Atsumu approaching him one day after practice, wide eyed and a little guilty, with the peace offering of treating him to his favourite onigiris at his brother’s place. The offer seems genuine enough, and, well. It has been a while since he got a taste of them.
As per their silent agreement, the setter doesn’t mention his blind date pursuit on their way to Onigiri Miya, instead settling on talking about their upcoming matches and the next season of the show he and Shouyou have been watching together on Netflix. It’s familiar, nice, and Shouyou realises he genuinely missed this. Missed spending time with his friend, without any pressure or confusion between them. So he soaks up every bit of it, lets himself fall into their usual routine, and by the time they arrive at Onigiri Miya, he feels lighter than he has in weeks.
Once inside, he lets himself be ushered to one of the corner tables which Shouyou knows by now is Atsumu’s favourite spot. It’s somewhat secluded but close to the kitchen, giving the setter ample opportunity to pester his twin from a distance. Atsumu doesn’t waste the chance this time, either, and Shouyou watches in amusement as Miya Osamu is dragged out of the kitchen to their table.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Hinata-kun.” Osamu says as a greeting, shoving his twin brother off of him in the process.
“It’s nice to see you too, Osamu-san!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Atsumu interrupts. “I promised Shouyou-kun here some A-grade Onigiri so I just wanted to make sure you’re not slacking off, you get me?”
“I never slack off, you jerk.” Osamu snaps back, whacking his twin brother with the kitchen towel hanging over his shoulder. Shouyou can’t help but grin at their interaction. The Miya twins bickering never fails to serve as a top source of entertainment.
“Speaking of slacking off, though, how about you make yourself useful for once?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. I got a new order today that my assistant is unpacking right now. Even your idiot hands would help there.”
“But Samu, I’m here with Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu whines, clearly not amused by the idea of helping out. “It’s rude to leave him here.”
“I’m sure Hinata-kun won’t mind waiting for ten minutes.” Osamu retorts, giving Shouyou a quick glance.
“I really don’t! I’ll be fine without you for a few minutes, Atsumu-san. Go and help your brother, yes?”
Atsumu deflates at that, giving a brief nod before making his way to the kitchen. Once he’s gone, Osamu fully turns his attention to Shouyou. There’s an intense look on his face that takes Shouyou aback.
“Is everything alright?”
“You tell me, Hinata-kun. Is Tsumu still on your ass about that whole blind date thing?”
Shouyou grimaces. So much for not talking about this tonight.
“Yes, but I think he’s backing off. For now, at least. I’m hoping it stays that way, though. Truthfully, Osamu-san, I don’t quite get what’s going on.”
Osamu scoffs.
“You don’t need to play dumb for me, Hinata-kun. I know you’re nice and all, but Tsumu is dense and stubborn. You’d fare better just outright saying no.”
“But I did say no?” Shouyou frowns. “I just don’t want to be too harsh about it. Atsumu-san means well, I can tell, and I don’t want to offend his friend. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, after all! It’s not his fault I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”
“His friend .” Osamu repeats flatly. He musters Shouyou with so much scrutiny that the spiker starts squirming in his seat, until finally, his face breaks out into a disbelieving smirk, followed by a chuckle.
“My god, you’re serious.”
“Of course I am! Why does everyone think I know more than I do?” Shouyou cries, exasperated. Osamu just starts laughing harder.
“Nevermind, Hinata-kun. I think I was wrong. You two would be the perfect match.”
“So you know him too?” Shouyou can’t help but ask. “Nobody will tell me who it is, but everyone seems to know him. I only know that he’s also a player, around my age, and shares some of my interests. And, ah, handsome, I guess? Atsumu-san is very intent on that.”
“I’m sure he is.” Osamu snorts. “I don’t know about the handsome part, but hey. Everything’s in the eye of the beholder, I guess.”
“So can you tell me more? Maybe his name? Please, I just want to know what I’m missing here.”
Osamu’s face sombers.
“Sorry, I don’t think it’s my place. But you trust Tsumu, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.” Shouyou sighs. “Dating just isn’t…my thing.”
“In general?” Osamu probes. “Are you not interested in anyone ?”
Shouyou shrugs.
“I guess? It’s not totally out of the question but I’m not very good at that whole romance thing. People tend to expect more from me and then it gets awkward. I want someone who it naturally clicks with, you know? Without me having to do anything special.” The spiker runs a hand over his face, feeling exceptionally tired. Hell, he isn’t even sure why he’s telling all this to Osamu, out of all people.
“I see.” Osamu hums. Silence settles over them for a brief minute before he starts speaking again. “I guess it’s none of my business, in the end, but you could reject Atsumu’s proposal more firmly. He’d back off. He’d sulk a bit maybe, sure, but he’s not that much of an ass to be angry at you for it. Just dumb. Overeager. You name it. I do think you’d be surprised by what might happen if you do say yes, though.”
Shouyou glances at the other man between his fingers. Much to his surprise, Osamu is smiling.
“I think my dumbass twin is right this time, this might really be a good thing for you.” Osamu slings his towel back over his shoulder. “But as I said, it’s none of my business. I’ll go back and send Tsumu out to bring you your order. Enjoy your meal, Hinata-kun.”
Shouyou bids him goodbye with a small wave, and then, he’s alone. He sinks back into the booth with a sigh, his eyes falling on the table in front of him.
The conversation with Osamu is another one of many during this whole ordeal that makes him feel clueless and out of the loop, but something about this is different. Whilst Osamu hasn’t told him anything new that would help him answer all the questions he has, there was something so genuine about his words that it makes Shouyou reconsider.
He could tell Atsumu no. So far, he has made it very clear that he doesn’t want to do it, but he hasn’t found the heart for an outright and final objection. Maybe it’s because he hates disappointing people, or because Atsumu in particular has something that he finds very hard to deny. Instead, he in part has allowed this thing to go on for this long, even though it very clearly put a strain on his daily life. So why?
Does a part of him maybe want to say yes?
Shouyou shakes his head, frowning. It makes no sense. If there’s one thing he’s sure about it’s that he truly has no interest in a blind date.
In that case, only one explanation remains: he doesn’t want to disappoint Atsumu. Atsumu, who despite all his usual cockiness always has a sense of sincerity when he asks Shouyou, again and again, with that look in his eyes he always gets when he’s truly passionate about something. As wrong as Shouyou feels he is about this, it’s hard not to be swayed by that force.
Besides, Atsumu doesn’t seem to be the only one who thinks this blind date could go well. Whilst most of the team have stayed out of this, Shouyou is sure that they’d get serious if they didn’t see some potential in Atsumu’s plan. And now there’s Osamu, Atsumu’s twin who knows him better than anyone, who outright encouraged him to agree to the offer, as well.
The kitchen door opens, and out of the corner of his eye, Shouyou sees Atsumu approaching the table with his hands loaded full of food.
“Hope I didn’t make you wait too long, Shouyou-kun. At least we got some decent food in return. I quality checked.”
Shouyou meets Atsumu’s grin with one of his own, and as he watches Atsumu set the table for him, he makes a decision.
“I’ll do it.”
“Do what, Shouyou-kun?”
“I’m saying yes to the blind date.”
Atsumu almost drops the final plate on his hand before he freezes, eyes trained on the table in front of him.
“Atsumu-san…?”
“You will?” Atsumu asks, and oh, he’s smiling. The joy radiates from his face, pure and wide and so elating that Shouyou can’t bring himself to regret it.
“Yes, I will.” Shouyou says softly. “One date only, though! And if I don’t like him, please don’t take it personally and accept it.”
“Alright.” Atsumu rushes to agree. There’s a delighted swing to his movement as he takes the place in front of Shouyou. “But trust me, Shouyou-kun. This date will go well.”
Shouyou chooses not to reply to that. Instead, he soaks up Atsumu’s good mood, and decides to simply enjoy the rest of the day with good food and better company.
He’ll have plenty of time to regret his decision in the future.
And that’s what’s led him to this Friday, just a week after their fateful conversation at Onigiri Miya, standing in front of a small restaurant to meet his blind date.
Except –
“Atsumu-san?” Shouyou stutters, confused. “What are you doing here?”
“Shouyou-kun.” Atsumu fumbles out, nervously arranging the flower bouquet in his hand. He’s dressed in a dress shirt similar to Shouyou’s, and his hair is combed back more neatly than usual. He looks good, Shouyou can’t help but note.
“Are you here to introduce us?” Shouyou presses on. “Or could your friend not make it?”
“No, he could. He’s there, actually. Uhm.” Atsumu licks his lips, a tint of red forming on his cheeks. “It’s me. I’m the friend.”
Oh .
Within a second, all the puzzle pieces fall together. Atsumu’s persistence. His description of the guy, but his secretiveness around his identity. The way everyone else reacted to it. Everyone assuming Shouyou knows more than he does. The conversation with Osamu.
“Oh.” Shouyou repeats out loud.
“I know it’s weird.” Atsumu rushes out, flustered. “I know, but hear me out. I really, really like you, and I wanted to ask you out for some time, but you seemed so against any of it, so I thought maybe this would…help?”
“Help how?” Shouyou can’t help but ask. Atsumu winces in response, his shoulders dropping.
“I don’t know.” He admits. “I chickened out and everything just went downhill from there. I know it wasn’t the best approach.”
“It’s a confusing one.” Shouyou can’t help but agree. Atsumu sighs in defeat, the hand holding the bouquet falling limply to his side.
“It was stupid. Sorry for that, Shouyou-kun. I just thought – nevermind.” The setter kicks the floor in front of him, a closed off expression settling on his face. “Let’s forget about this, alright?”
“But I didn’t say no.” Shouyou blurts out. Atsumu’s head snaps up, the surprise in his eyes mirroring the one Shouyou is feeling.
“I…didn’t expect this, clearly. In hindsight, I probably should have. It was obvious to everyone but me, it seems.” Shouyou scratches the back of his neck, feeling warmth settle on his face as well. “But now that I’m here…why let the reservation go to waste? Besides–” Shouyou continues, feeling warmth well up inside him. “You were right. My date is quite handsome tonight.”
He watches the way Atsumu’s face flushes in silent pleasure, which only seems to grow stronger when the setter offers him the flower bouquet in his hand. Shouyou is still not entirely sure how he’s feeling when they make their way inside the restaurant, but then again, he’s famously never been good with these situations. Judging by the way Atsumu can’t stop smiling through the evening and the tiny spark of something kindling in his chest, he can’t help but think that he’s doing the right thing.
And if he ends up kissing Atsumu at the end of their date, then, well. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
The story of their first date and subsequent beginning of their relationship becomes somewhat famous within their friend group.
People are usually torn between finding it very cute and very, very disgusting, but at least everyone agrees on them being a match made either in hell or in heaven.
Neither Shouyou nor Atsumu mind the reactions much. In fact, Atsumu can’t seem to stop being smug about it, tugging Shouyou close to him at every given opportunity and gloating about his genius pursuit of thee Hinata Shouyou, a phrase Shouyou can only laugh at every time he hears it. It’s endearing to watch, honestly, but as he learnt over time, he finds a lot of things endearing about Atsumu that most don’t seem to quite classify in the same way.
“Whatever.” Osamu mutters after Atsumu’s third round of bragging of the day. Shouyou hasn’t told his boyfriend just how big of a role his twin played in getting them here, but he figures that this is just one of these things that doesn’t need to be said out loud. “I get it, you’re a genius matchmaker or something. Now shut up about it, or I’ll make you pay thrice the amount for your food.”
“Fuck off, Samu.” Atsumu replies, cheerily. “You’re just jealous.”
“Jealous, huh?” Osamu asks, amused. “You wish. I, for one, could have played a better matchmaker for your Shouyou-kun. So how about it, Shouyou, can I interest you in a shot at a less annoying boyfriend?”
“Fuck off.” Atsumu repeats, more indignant and slightly offended this time, the light twitch of his bottom lip betraying the pout he’s suppressing.
“Thanks, Osamu-san.” Shouyou replies then, giving the twin a knowing look as he presses a kiss to the corner of Atsumu’s mouth and intertwines their fingers below the table. Atsumu melts into his side, appeased. “I think I’m more than good right now.”