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Out of all the relationships Sakusa Kiyoomi was expecting to form when he joined the Black Jackals, a friendship with Akaashi Keiji was not one of them.
You can’t really blame him, though. He had only known Akaashi as a setter in high school that stayed in Tokyo, chasing a career path that had nothing to do with volleyball. He had no idea that he still talked to his old captain nor did he predict he would be seeing him twice a month when he brought down food for Bokuto, whom Kiyoomi was currently living with alongside Miya and Hinata.
Their friendship actually started with a shared annoyance with Bokuto’s antics. Akaashi had been over and Bokuto was being rambunctious when he and Kiyoomi shared a look of frustration with one another. That look somehow dissolved into them talking about book, sharing recipes, Kiyoomi addressing his growing crush on Miya, and Akaashi admitting he was in love with Bokuto over coffee.
Kiyoomi always wondered what was holding the omega back from confessing to Bokuto, especially because the two were so close that Akaashi’s heat synced up with Bokuto’s rut (even if they never actually spent them together), but it seemed to be a touchy subject, so Kiyoomi never asked. Either way, it was good to have someone like-minded around to give him a reprieve from the chaos of his teammates.
Which is how Kiyoomi found himself picking up a phone call from Akaashi during his lunch break on a Friday, something he never even thought would happen.
“Hello?” He asked, swatting Atsumu’s hands away from the food that Osamu had given him for free.
“Ah, Sakusa-kun. How are you doing?” Akaashi asked. Kiyoomi distantly wondered where he was at the moment, the background sounds not matching up with the usual silence of his office.
“I’m-“ he pulled on Atsumu’s fingers that had grasped his onigiri until it fell back onto his plate, “-good. Did you need to talk to me about something?”
“Oh, I just figured I’d give you a call since I’ll be down in Osaka after my shift today. Did you want me to get more of that wine you like?”
Akaashi was truly an angel. It really was no wonder why Bokuto was so obsessed with the kind omega. Sakusa himself was flattered by the bi-weekly wine deliveries he got of his favorite drink that was only made in that one winery in Tokyo. Considering how Akaashi easily doted on Bokuto ten times as much as his other friends, it was easy to see how that would have an alpha like Bokuto down on his knees.
“That’s not necessary,” Kiyoomi said, much like he always says when Akaashi asks. It was the polite thing to do.
“Nonsense, I know it’s your favorite,” Akaashi replied, like every other time they had this conversation, “Besides, I’m actually at the bank right now. It’s directly across the street from the winery.”
“Well, if it’s no trouble,” Kiyoomi easily conceded. Atsumu snorted from next to him, probably amused at the conversation he had definitely heard before. Kiyoomi glared at him.
Rather than exchanging quick goodbyes like normal, a loud bang came from Akaashi’s end. It was loud enough to make both Kiyoomi and Atsumu flinch. Atsumu opened his mouth, probably to ask what the noise was, when the sound of screaming began to fill their little space.
“Everybody on the ground, now!!!”
Kiyoomi dropped his phone onto the table, watching with a distinct sense of horror as the seconds on the timestamp of the call kept increasing. He could vaguely hear someone on the other end shouting something about hanging up a phone call and putting money in a bag. Then the line went dead. His ears were ringing and Atsumu was grasping at his shoulders, trying to say something. It wasn’t helping.
Akaashi was now a hostage in a bank robbery.
Atsumu demanded Osamu change the channel on the TV in the restaurant to the news and Kiyoomi shook his head to try to clear it. Akaashi would be fine. The great majority of bank robberies end with no injuries to any civilians.
“Akaashi should be honored,” Atsumu tried to joke, “you normally have real good control of your pheromones, but yer totally stinking up the shop right now.”
“That’s not helpful, Atsumu,” Kiyoomi growled, not taking his eyes off the TV.
Osamu finally found a news channel from Tokyo that was covering the robbery. The camera view was from a helicopter circling the building, showing a row of police cars and officers lined up. The reporter explained that no contact had yet been made with the robbers nor their hostages.
All three of them watched in relative silence, the combination of three worried alphas causing a potent smell to cover the room. It wasn’t everyday that someone you knew and cared about was in a life-threatening situation. The silence broke when the bell on the door rung. They all turned to an awkward looking beta shifting uncomfortably between his feet.
“Are…you open right now?”
Osamu nodded and quickly got his pheromones under control. He focused on the customer while Atsumu and Sakusa turned back to their own onigiri, appetites long gone.
“Oh, God,” Atsumu groaned, looking like he was about to be sick to his stomach, “How are we gonna tell Bokkun?”
Well, fuck.
Bokuto was standing in the kitchen when they arrived back at their apartment, actually washing his dishes from lunch. The moment he looked at Atsumu and Kiyoomi, he immediately picked up on their tension.
“Bokkun, you might wanna sit down. We need to tell you something.” Atsumu gently said, coercing him into the living room and onto the sofa. He grabbed the remote and shot Kiyoomi a look. Great, it was up to him to break the news then.
“Is it that you guys are friends with benefits?” Bokuto asked. Kiyoomi would have strangled him if there weren’t more pressing matters to attend to. “Because I really don’t care,” he continued as if it was something he was hoping would be brought up, “you two aren’t exactly sneaky about it. Oh! Or are you actually dating now? That would be-“
“It’s about Akaashi,” Kiyoomi interrupted, sitting down next to Bokuto. Atsumu was on Bokuto’s other side, still flipping through the channels trying to find the one covering the robbery.
Bokuto went ramrod straight, sobering up in record time and turning his full attention to Kiyoomi. His eyebrows oh-so-slightly pinched together and a subtle frown formed on his face. For all the flack Kiyoomi has always given him about how he needs to take things more seriously, the topic of Akaashi Keiji was one Bokuto discussed with utmost sincerity, no matter how ridiculous he sounded when he gushed about how pretty he was.
“What happened with Akaashi?” He asked, then sharply inhaled. Shit, he was beginning to panic and he didn’t even know what was happening.
“He’s being held hostage in a bank robbery,” Kiyoomi hurried to say, nearly meshing all the words into one. He’s typically blunt, so he figured the best way to tell him was ripping off the bandaid, right? Looking at the blank expression on Bokuto’s face, Kiyoomi wondered if maybe it would’ve been better if he padded his words a bit.
Bokuto’s lack of response was concerning, to say the least. For several seconds, his face remained scarily devoid of all emotions. Atsumu found the correct channel and had to physically turn Bokuto’s head from Kiyoomi to the screen, where a reporter was explaining the demands the robbers were making. Bokuto’s mouth fell open and he let out the loudest, most shrill shriek Kiyoomi had ever witnessed.
He tried to jump from the couch, but Kiyoomi and Atsumu had planned for this on their way back. They both grabbed one of his arms and used their combined body weight to throw him back on the couch.
“Let me go!” Bokuto growled, almost successfully getting to his feet before being pulled down again, “I have to go to him! He’s probably so stressed right now, I need to make sure he’s safe!”
“Bokkun,” Atsumu tried to reason, “the police are the only ones that can handle this right now. I’m sure he’s gonna be fine. He’ll take the same train he always does and will be here like clockwork.”
Kiyoomi agreed, gradually loosening his hold on Bokuto as he went slack in their arms. He was still tense, obviously racking his brain for any ideas on how to get to Akaashi as soon as possible.
“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” Atsumu began explaining as gently as possible, “Me and Omi are gonna go to practice and explain why you can’t be there. You stay here and keep an eye on the news for any updates. We’re gonna take your keys and wallet when we leave so you can’t just hop on a train as soon as we aren’t in yer way. Got it?”
Bokuto’s nose twitched like he was trying to hold back a snarl and his jaw was clenched tight, but he still nodded. Atsumu handed him the remote and they both relinquished their hold on the alpha. When it came close to time to get back to practice, both Kiyoomi and Atsumu were hesitant to leave Bokuto by himself, so Atsumu ended up shooting Aran, who had the day off, a text. He was there within 15 minutes.
Aran awkwardly sat down on the sofa next to Bokuto, giving a few helpless glances to Atsumu. He hadn’t ever really interacted with Bokuto one-on-one before and this was probably not the best time to chance that, but Kiyoomi and Atsumu really didn’t have any other choice. If they left Bokuto alone, he was sure to rush down the street, leave the door unlocked, and jump in a fountain to gather enough change to get on a train to Tokyo.
“Uh, hi, Bokkun. I heard you’re in a bit of a tense situation. Anything I can do to help?”
Bokuto sent Atsumu a look that definitely said ‘what is this guy doing here?’ Kiyoomi kinda wondered the same question, but he trusted Atsumu’s judgement that Aran was the right person to call. He would never say that out loud, though.
Watching Atsumu fret about Bokuto was far more entertaining than Kiyoomi expected. He got him a glass of water and pulled his favorite blanket from his room to drape it over the man-child as if he was deathly ill rather than just emotionally volatile. Aran seemed pretty entertained, too. When Atsumu had rushed off to get Bokuto’s phone charger, Aran leaned to Kiyoomi and whispered that he was the same way about Osamu whenever he was upset, no matter how much he denied it the next day.
Once Atsumu was finally satisfied with the state he was leaving Bokuto in, he and Kiyoomi cautiously walked out the door, watching Bokuto until they couldn’t anymore. Once Aran had gotten there, Bokuto had been surprisingly docile, which freaked Kiyoomi out more than he liked to admit. When the door closed behind them, they both let out a huge sigh.
“It’s ‘Omi and I’ not ‘me and Omi,’” Kiyoomi said to Atsumu as they followed the familiar route to practice, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them.
“That’s what yer worked up about right now? A grammar mistake from like, 20 minutes ago and not that Akaashi is in danger and Bokuto is a stubbed toe away from a breakdown?”
Kiyoomi glared at him. Atsumu knew well and good that the best way for him to deal with stress is to maintain his routine. A very significant part of his routine just so happened to be mocking and correcting Atsumu.
“Not even gonna complain about me calling ya ‘Omi’? Just my grammar?” Atsumu poked again, a smirk making its way onto his lips. Kiyoomi wanted to argue back so, so much, but Atsumu interrupted before he could get a word in.
“Or how about the fact that Bokkun apparently knew this whole time that we’ve been getting down and dirty?”
Kiyoomi grimaced. It really was something he hoped would never be brought up again.
“Do we really have to talk about that right now?” He asked.
“Okay, fine.” Atsumu conceded, “didja notice how Bokkun said Akaashi was probably stressed? Like I would’ve used the word terrified.”
Kiyoomi hummed thoughtfully. He hadn’t noticed, but it was an interesting choice of words, “I suppose stressed is the right word, though. Akaashi isn’t one to spook easily.”
“Yeah. I’m sure he’s fine.” Atsumu chuckled in a way that was obviously fake. Maybe Atsumu was more stressed about this whole thing than he was letting on. He’d been reassuring Bokuto this whole time, but it seemed like he needed some reassurance too.
“Definitely. Akaashi will be here by the end of the day without a scratch.”
“Okay, Bokkun, we’re gonna go pick Akaashi up from the train station. We’ll be back soon, got it?” Atsumu explained like he was talking to a toddler. Kiyoomi rolled his eyes.
They had been right. Akaashi got out of the bank without any issues after the police stormed the building through a rooftop exit that was left unlocked. The news reached Kiyoomi and Atsumu when they got back from practice and Bokuto was shaking Aran in his excitement that Akaashi was okay.
“I still don’t see why I can’t go with you guys,” Bokuto pouted, childishly folding his arms over his chest. Aran was gone, having left after making a mess of the kitchen with Bokuto but otherwise promising that he was on his best behavior.
Kiyoomi rolled his eyes, “Remember that time you went to pick him up when he told you an alpha was hitting on him?” He found it a little amusing, though he would never say it aloud. It had been one of the hottest days of the year and Bokuto still brought the longest coat he could find, using it to shield Akaashi from everyone’s eyes because he was convinced that this alpha would be just the first of many.
Not that Kiyoomi would ever say anything to Bokuto about it, but that alpha was certainly not the only one that had taken an interest in Akaashi. Akaashi had simply stopped mentioning it to Bokuto because he knew how much it worried him. Seriously, how either of them could mistake the other’s feelings as platonic was beyond Kiyoomi.
Still, though, it wasn’t really his business so he didn’t ask no matter how desperate he was to know. Kiyoomi retrieved his wallet and keys, giving a pointed look to Hinata, who was now filling Aran’s shoes in making sure Bokuto didn’t do anything stupid while they were retrieving his precious Akaashi.
By the time they got to the train station, Akaashi was already waiting outside for them, awkwardly looking around and toying with his fingers. He was quick to see them approaching him in the crowd, offering a subdued wave. Saying that he looked utterly exhausted wouldn’t be strong enough of a phrase to describe the deep bags hanging under his eyes.
“Is he alright?” Was the first thing Akaashi asked after politely greeting Kiyoomi and Atsumu. Of course he was worried about the guy who sat around all day after he was trapped at gunpoint for over an hour.
“He’s real anxious to see ya,” Atsumu piped up, a smug look on his face. Kiyoomi was 90% sure he had made some sort of bet with the others on the team about whether or not Akaashi and Bokuto’s relationship status would change after the events of this afternoon.
Akaashi got this look on his face that Kiyoomi had long become acquainted with. “Then I suppose I shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer,” he said, already heading in the direction of the MSBY dorm complex. That look on his face, the one that said I need to make Bokuto happy again was still there. Kiyoomi and Atsumu had to trot to catch up to Akaashi’s brisk walking pace.
As they walked, Kiyoomi realized why Bokuto was so adamant on making sure Akaashi didn’t make the walk back to the dorms alone, especially today. While he was sure Akaashi had taken a shower, Kiyoomi could still smell the faint sent of a distressed omega lingering on his skin. He got some head turns, but that very well could also be that it was because flanked on either side by well-known professional volleyball players.
Honestly, Kiyoomi couldn’t remember the last time he smelled a distressed omega, but it was a smell that tended to shock all alphas to their core. It was a sign that they needed protection and typically alphas jumped at the opportunity to provide it, especially if there was a possibility of the omega expressing their gratitude via sexual favors.
Akaashi was nowhere near weak, Kiyoomi and the rest of MSBY knew this well after he told off an alpha for hitting on him (also effectively preventing Bokuto from getting into a bar fight). He was strong-willed and largely independent, which was why Kiyoomi was a little taken aback by the fact he was putting off that scent.
“Are you alright, Akaashi?” He asked, largely unsure of what he could really do.
“Yes, I’m alright. I guess I really just want to see Bokuto-san as soon as possible.”
Atsumu snorted and Akaashi glared at him, daring him to explain what he thought was so funny.
It seemed the bleach must’ve seeped into his brain because Atsumu had no qualms about opening his mouth and loudly explaining that of course Akaashi wanted to see Bokuto, a distressed omega will always seek out their alpha for comfort!
Kiyoomi tried to gesture at him to stop talking, but Atsumu completely ignored him, “I mean, come on! This is the fastest I’ve seen you move since high school. Bokkun’s heart rate hasn’t dropped below, like, 120 bpm since he got the news. How are you two not together yet?”
Akaashi slowed to a stop, causing both alphas to stop with him. It was only then that Atsumu looked like he was worried he crossed a line. Akaashi stomped on Atsumu’s foot, then picked up walking again, ignoring the way Atsumu was hopping around on one foot, cradling the damaged one between his hands.
If it were any other time, Kiyoomi would’ve stayed there and mocked Atsumu, pointing out how he was a piece of shit with no filter. Maybe jab at him for acting so worried earlier. Unfortunately, Akaashi was now both distressed and mad, which meant he really shouldn’t be walking the streets alone. Luckily, though, with Atsumu limping (exaggeratedly) behind them, the rest of the walk home was much smoother without the offensive yapping. They once again had to fight to keep up with Akaashi’s brisk pace.
Kiyoomi could tell before they were even back in the dorm that Bokuto was making a fuss. From down the hall, they could hear the muffled shouts of he’s here, I can smell him! and come on, I just wanna open the door. I won’t go anywhere! Poor Hinata was probably fighting for his life trying to keep Bokuto from busting the door down and rushing to Akaashi.
Luckily for Bokuto, Akaashi also was very keen to get there as soon as possible. He tried the handle and a noise came from the back of his throat that sounded suspiciously like a whine because the door was locked. He looked to Atsumu and Kiyoomi with wide eyes as if this was some surprising new concept that some doors might just be locked.
“Just how far into his hindbrain do you think Akaashi has gotten?” Atsumu asked Kiyoomi in a hushed whisper as he pulled his keys from his pocket and threw them to the omega.
With a shrug, Kiyoomi responded, “he just experienced something pretty damn scary. And we don’t even know what happened inside that building other than the vague descriptions from the news. My guess would be pretty far into his hindbrain. Even someone as strong-willed as Akaashi can have moments of weakness where he just needs his alpha.”
Atsumu rolled his eyes, but fondly looked on as the door finally opened and Bokuto barreled into Akaashi, sweeping him off his feet and burring his nose in his neck. Unlike other times where Akaashi seemed more conservative about showing his affections in front of other people, he clung right back, hooking his chin over Bokuto’s shoulder and wrapping his legs around his waist.
“Bokuto’s not his alpha, though,”
That was maybe the most ridiculous thing Kiyoomi had ever heard from Atsumu, “Bokuto is his alpha in every way that counts. I’m pretty sure it’s been that way since they were in high school.”
“You’ve still got time to place bets for when they’re officially gonna start courting. Better make it quick, though.” Atsumu laughed and elbowed him. It made Kiyoomi grimace and rub the spot on his arm where he was just jabbed.
Kiyoomi almost missed how Bokuto wordlessly turned back into the dorm, leaving the door wide open behind him and Akaashi. He shushes Atsumu and followed into their place. Atsumu complained, but he was still hot on his heels.
As soon as the door was shut and locked behind them, Hinata laughed and pointed in the direction of Bokuto’s room, the door shut for the first time since they moved in.
Atsumu chuckled and ruffled Hinata’s hair, thanking him for taking care of Bokuto while they were out. Then he grabbed a glass cup from the kitchen and pressed the lip of it to Bokuto’s door, holding the base against his ear.
“What the hell are you doing, Miya?” Kiyoomi asked, even if he already knew the answer.
“Listenin’. Duh.”
“Seriously? You are such a nosy piece of crap. This is an invasion of privacy and-“
‘Oh my god, Bokkun just called him ‘my Keiji.”
“Okay, move over.” Kiyoomi heard Hinata snort from where he was sitting on the sofa, but he would deal with that later. If Bokuto was finally getting together with Akaashi and Miya Atsumu was the only witness, he was sure there would be some sort of exaggeration that would make Miya the undoubted winner of whatever stupid bet he managed to place with the older team members.
Really, he was just listening in on Bokuto’s conversation to keep Atsumu in line. It certainly wasn’t because he wasn’t invested in their relationship and hoping Akaashi would get the happy ending he deserved (even if he had just horrid taste in men).
Kiyoomi shoved Atsumu to the side, forgoing getting his own glass and pressing his ear to the door like a normal person. He could hear the conversation perfectly fine without the cup.
“…I really did almost lose it, Keiji. I haven’t been able to catch my breath since Omi and Tsum-Tsum told me and even now my heart is beating super fast. The idea of you being in danger when I should have been protecting you this whole time nearly killed me.”
“I’m here now, though. See? There’s nothing to worry about anymore. I’m okay now that I’m with you.” It seemed like Akaashi recovered from his hindbrain moment shockingly fast. It probably had something to do with him prioritizing calming Bokuto down. Or maybe Bokuto really did have just that much of an influence on Akaashi’s mood.
“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have been away from me at all! Keiji, I need you here. I need to know you’re okay.”
“So what would you say if I did come here. Permanently?”
Kiyoomi huffed out a breath of irritation. How were these two not together yet? Akaashi told him about a month ago that he had begun applying to literature companies in Tokyo and submitted his resume to a couple of openings in Osaka. Because he wanted to be closer to his “best friend.”
“Wanna share with the class what you think is so funny?” Atsumu asked, doing a surprisingly good job of being quiet.
“Nothing is funny, I’m pissed. These two have to be the most emotionally repressed people on the planet. Now shut up and keep listening.”
To Kiyoomi’s chagrin, Atsumu sent him that smirk that always made his stomach roll, “aye aye, captain,” he joked before listening back into the conversation.
“…But I can’t just ask you to pick up and move for me! Even if it’s something you want, I would feel too guilty. Your whole life is in Tokyo and I’ve been dragging my feet on courting you for years. You deserve someone far more brave than me!”
“Boku- Koutarou. You know I haven’t exactly been happy as a manga editor. Honestly? My life in Tokyo is a little miserable, especially because you don’t live there anymore. Everything is just so stagnant until I see you again, and only then do I feel alive for the first time since my previous visit.”
There was a brief silence. Atsumu snorted and said something idiotic about how Bokuto was probably internally losing it because Akaashi called him by his first name.
“Don’t stop me from coming here,” Akaashi begged, desperation clear in his voice, “If I knew you wanted to court me, I would have quit my job ages ago to come here, even if I couldn’t find anything for a while.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t be listening to this,” Atsumu said, apparently just now considering why he shouldn’t eavesdropping on private conversations. Kiyoomi smacked him upside the head.
Atsumu let out a yelp far too loud for someone standing right next to a door and trying not to be caught.
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” He hissed.
Before either of them knew it, the door creaked open a few inches. To Kiyoomi’s horror, he was standing face to face with Bokuto, well, with the sliver of bokuto the door permitted him to see. Somewhere from further into the room, Akaashi called for Bokuto to calm down.
“What do you to think you’re doing?” Bokuto asked in a voice Kiyoomi didn’t even know he possessed. It was far too threatening for a man that chronically cried whenever Atsumu hit bugs with his shoes.
Without thinking, Kiyoomi pointed an accusatory finger at Atsumu, “It’s his fault,” he deadpanned, not feeling guilty in the slightest for throwing him under the bus.
Bokuto’s eyes slid from Kiyoomi to Atsumu, flashing down to look at the glass in his hands. He hid the cup behind his back as if Bokuto would forget about the evidence of Atsumu’s crimes as soon as it was out of sight. Honestly, it was a miracle that Atsumu hadn’t dropped the glass to send the shattered pieces everywhere. Then again, the cleanup would’ve given them a nice excuse to end the conversation…
“Why were you listening to my private conversation with my omega?”
Kiyoomi panicked for a moment. Bokuto had only ever referred to Akaashi as his omega when he was nearing his rut and from what he heard of their conversation, Akaashi still wasn’t his omega. When was his next rut?
When they all had moved in together, Bokuto explained that he was one of the few alphas who experienced such intense ruts that they practically became a danger to themselves. They had a muzzle and chains for him, he would get that aggressive. Luckily it only ever put him out of commission for a few days, but Akaashi had never been there when he started his rut. As a matter of fact, they tried to keep Akaashi as far away from Bokuto as possible during his ruts for his safety. Bokuto had never told him how bad they got, always too embarrassed.
No, that couldn’t be right. Even if a highly emotional situation can trigger early ruts and heats, Bokuto’s last one was far too recent for his next one to be triggered. He was just very deep in his own hindbrain right now.
“Did I hear that right? Is Akaashi your omega now, Bokuto-san?” Hinata called from the other room. Kiyoomi really wished he lived with at least one person that paid attention to context clues before opening their big mouths.
Bokuto’s eyes flashed as if he just realized he was in the middle of a very important conversation before poking his head out to yell at his teammates. He turned his head to look further into the room, accidentally giving Kiyoomi a view of Akaashi sitting cross-legged on his bed, his cheeks pink and eyes hooded.
This damn couple and their stupid pheromones controlling them.
“We won’t listen anymore,” Kiyoomi promised, fully aware that it was probably a lie, “you should get back to your omega,” He internally cringed even just saying that. He never liked the possessiveness of alphas claiming omegas as objects, even if he knew that it wasn’t really what Bokuto was trying to imply when he called Akaashi mine.
Bokuto slowly nodded, hesitating for only a second before closing the door, this time locking it. Atsumu grinned and put the cup back to the door, resuming his initial position.
Kiyoomi rolled his eyes and retreated to the living room, where Hinata was playing a game on his phone. Whatever. If Bokuto poked his head out again, Atsumu would be the only one getting mauled. Atsumu was probably the most expendable one here, anyways.
It took less than 10 minutes for Atsumu to follow Kiyoomi and take a spot next to him on the couch,
“So?” Hinata asked, abandoning his game to stare directly at Atsumu.
“I left when they started makin’ out. They’re together. Actually, I think they might be engaged and moving in together? The last few minutes of their conversation was very confusing.”
Kiyoomi knew he should’ve stayed. Leave it to Atsumu to not be able to pick up on the crucial details of a conversation.
It wasn’t until hours later that they saw Bokuto again. He was heading to the kitchen for some water, sporting very obvious hickeys on his neck.
“Way to get some, Bokkun!” Atsumu jeered and whistled. Kiyoomi slapped the back of his head again.
Bokuto flushed at the insinuation. He shyly raised a hand to thumb at the redish patch of skin that would surely turn purple in the next few hours, “we, uh, haven’t done that yet,” he muttered, “I wanna take him on a real date first, y’know? Show him that I’m in for the long haul and not just for his body,”
Atsumu hummed in approval. For as much as he joked, Kiyoomi had discovered he was very opinionated on how omegas should be treated. If Kiyoomi were to guess, he would probably credit the twins’ single omega mother. A strong woman who raised them right, even if half the outcome was still a shithead.
Bokuto was quick to scurry back to his room, knocking on the door twice before entering, quietly calling out Akaashi’s given name as he closed it behind him. It was kind of sweet, seeing just how much care was rooted in all of Bokuto’s actions. As if Akaashi was the most precious thing in the world. Kiyoomi couldn’t wait to tease Akaashi about it.
Hinata leaned over into Kiyoomi’s space, “so they aren’t having sex but they’re engaged and gonna live together?”
“I think that’s a question for Mr. Eavesdrop over there.”
TWO WEEKS LATER
Kiyoomi sat across from Keiji in the little tea shop, happily accepting the wine that he had gone a full month without. As it was being passed to him, he couldn’t help but notice the shiny diamond embedded in a gold ring around Akaashi’s finger.
“Wow, Bokuto got that awfully fast,” Kiyoomi commented. Akaashi’s last visit was a blur, but Kiyoomi was certain that he and Bokuto didn’t have enough time to go ring shopping and to get it sized. They were awfully busy on romantic walks and apartment hunting apparently. If his sources (Atsumu) were correct, Akaashi submitted his resume to 12 local literature companies before he even took the train back to Tokyo and had several interviews scheduled this weekend.
“He’s had it for a while,” Akaashi explained, twisting the ring on his finger, “apparently it’s been sized and hiding in his closet for years as a promise to himself that he would ask me out one day,”
The look of pure love and adoration in Akaashi’s eyes nearly made Kiyoomi gag, especially when he remembered that that look was for Bokuto of all people. Then again, the heart can’t help who it longs for. If it could, Kiyoomi certainly wouldn’t have a crush on an idiot like Atsumu.
“How did he know how to size it?”
Akaashi flushed, “he, uh, knew exactly how spaced out his fingers were whenever we held hands and had the employee at the ring shop help from there.”
“And it seriously took you this long to be official? How many years were you two uselessly pining?”
“I’ll take the wine back if you’re not careful,” Akaashi threatened, the blush on his cheeks an even deeper shade of red. Kiyoomi smiled to himself. It really wasn’t often that he got to see Akaashi flustered like this.
“Seriously, though, I am very happy for you. I don’t think I could imagine a more perfect match if I tried.”
Akaashi smiled and looked down at his lap where his hands now rested. He looked at the ring as if he was still in awe that he was really getting married to Bokuto. Kiyoomi would’ve said something snarky about agreeing to marriage before agreeing to a date, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth and interrupt Akaashi’s train of thought when he just looked so radiant.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, only interrupted by the soft sound of sips from their respective coffee cups. It made the corners of Kiyoomi’s lips tick up. Enjoying peace and quiet like this was amazing and he couldn’t deny he was excited that Akaashi would be living here full time.
“So now that Koutarou and I are getting hitched, does that mean you and Atsumu are next?”
Kiyoomi’s smile immediately shifted into a scowl.