memoryofapricity

[memoryofapricity]

aquamarine eyes. Viktuuri

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐘𝐮𝐮𝐫𝐢!!! 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐂𝐄

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 – 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐢 𝐘𝐮𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐱 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐯 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭

this fic is for the animanga secret santa exchange 2022 ! my giftee was @bl-astoise, hope you enjoy <3

Katsuki Yūri had always loved animals. most of his relatives thought he would grow out if it in his teenage years, but here he was; an animal lover in his twenties.

something else he'd always loved was baking. it was a shared activity that had brought him closer to his mother. the nostalgia from smelling cinnamon in the air, or brushing flour off of his hands took him back to the kitchen of his childhood home in a matter of seconds.

oh, and one more thing he loved was the holiday season. he loved the light hearted spirit that surrounded this time, but he also enjoyed the sense of rush it gave him in a customer service job. that's right, Katsuki Yūri had achieved his dream job. nothing could ever be a more perfect work environment for him than a cat café.

he'd managed to climb the ranks and gain the trust of his superiors. by now he was something of a manager in his little café.

that didn't mean he wouldn't get the normal tasks done himself, though.

he was just sweeping the floors and cleaning the tables during the last open hour, while jazzy Christmas songs played in the background, when he heard the door open.

"welcome! what can I get you?" he said his usual greeting while making his way back to the front.

only as he stood behind the counter he got a good look at the gentleman with a long trench coat and platinum hair. his prim appearance made him look out of place in a more relaxed environment like this one.

"may I have a cappuccino, please?" the customer requested.

"coming right up! would that be all?"

"that's all, thank you."

the platinum haired man gave Yūri a small, polite smile before stepping to the side to wait for his order.

the barista prepared the coffee, but he couldn't erase those light blue eyes from his mind. they looked like a pair of aquamarine gemstones.

Yūri looked at the milk foam sitting at the top of the glass mug, before deciding to draw a heart on this handsome customer's coffee. he took the mug to the cash register and pushed it across the counter carefully.

another small smile formed onto the other man's lips the moment he saw the heart.

"thank you kindly", was all he said after paying for his drink.

Yūri watched him walk across the room to an empty armchair and pull out a small book from the breast pocket of his jacket. the brown eyes were glued to him as he slipped the outside coat off and set it on the armrest carefully.

Yūri could feel his coworker's eyes on himself as he kept admiring the blue plaid vest paired with a simple, white button up.

"Yūri, you're staring", his friend Phichit noted.

"but... just look at him", Yūri sighed out, "he looks so... posh."

he leaned his elbow against the counter and kept his eyes on the stranger whose body language was the most graceful Yūri had ever seen.

Phichit nudged him forward.

"stop drooling and go talk to him!"

Yūri's face flushed and turned around to scold the younger man: "I am not drooling! I just admire people like him."

along with a "sure, sure", he was pushed out of hiding behind the counter and he stood awkwardly in the open. he took a deep breath and started walking towards the customer.

it was only then he noticed one of the cats curled up on the elegant man's lap.

"oh, she seems to really like you."

the light blue eyes looked up at him.

"why do you sound so surprised?" the customer questioned as his head tilted to the side slightly.

"she's usually not one to care about customers. she always takes a while to warm up to the staff too", the black haired one explained.

a chuckle was heard before the stranger spoke up again: "I must be special, then."

the next day Yūri couldn't get the strange customer out of his mind. the way he moved, the way he spoke...

"thank you for the coffee", he'd said, glancing at the nametag on the apron, "Yuuuuri~."

the way he'd dragged out the u in Yūri, made the barista's heart flutter.

"stop daydreaming", the youngest employee, another Yuri, - though everyone called him Yurio - said as he smacked the back of Yūri's head.

"ow", the older of the two mumbled out while rubbing the spot Yurio had hit.

"you're usually not like this. I'd expect this from Phichit, but not you. I thought you were sensible."

"hey!" was heard from the back.

Yūri chuckled.

"well, yes, this is the first time this has happened to me", he admitted.

Phichit chose to stop eavesdropping and join the conversation: "but you had a girlfriend in high school, didn't you?"

Yūri felt guilt flushing through him.

"yes, I did, but I don't think I was ever in love with her."

"because you're gay", Yurio retorted.

Phichit looked at him with his jaw dropped open, as if he just revealed a character death from a show they were watching.

"what? did he seriously not know?"

Yūri could only replay those words in his head. gay? now that someone said it out loud, it made a lot of sense. maybe he was gay. and just maybe, that gorgeous customer he knew nothing about was his gay awakening.

but, it wasn't like Yūri would ever see him again, unless he decided to visit the café again himself.

the next time he saw those aquamarine eyes was on a late night walk back home after closing the coffeeshop.

"Makkachin!" someone yelled, right before a strange force took Yūri down to the ground.

"I am so sorry, he doesn't usually do things like this", the stranger apologized.

Yūri opened his eyes to see the faces of a large poodle and that platinum haired customer from earlier the same week hanging over him.

"I must be special, then", he laughed out as the not-so-unfamiliar stranger helped him back up to his feet.

"yes, I suppose the tables have turned", the taller man said with a gentle smile.

before letting go of Yūri's hand, he breathed out a name: "Victor."

"Victor?"

"my name. I'm Victor."

"oh!" Yūri exclaimed as realization rolled over him, "nice to formally meet you, Victor."

"please, no need to be so polite, my dog did just knock you over."

they both chuckled softly before Victor started speaking again: "have you eaten yet?"

"ah, no, I'm going to eat once I get home."

"could I treat you to some nikuman?" Victor offered, "it's the least I can do."

a certain warm excitement filled Yūri's chest as he nodded with a smile.

"I'd like that."

the pair walked together, with their steaming meat buns in hand. Yūri could feel the awkwardness in the silence hanging between them, and he had to break it.

"so, do you usually use your dog to get closer to people like this?"

bad joke... not funny.

"only when they're adorable", Victor slipped out smoothly.

oh. oh. wasn't that a flirt?

and a good one at that.

Yūri could feel the heat rush to his cheeks as he bit into the bun again, trying to think of how he could possibly respond to that.

"I saw you looking at me, Yuuuri."

great, add in the embarrassment of getting caught staring at a customer, and what you have is Yūri turning into a mess.

after no replies from Yūri, Victor kept talking: "I wanted to see you again, but I didn't want to be your customer."

they both stopped walking and Victor turned Yūri's head towards himself.

Yūri felt his knees go weak as the sincere aquamarine eyes gazed into his soul.

"I must be lucky to run into you like this."

"m-me too", Yūri finally stammered out.

the gentle smile on Victor's face grew slightly wider.

"I know this might all come out of the blue, but would you want to go on a date with me?"

Yūri blinked once, twice, even thrice. a date? he must've been dreaming this.

"seriously?"

a snort escaped the other man.

"yes, I'm serious."

"uh, yes, I'd love to..."

Victor let go of Yūri and took a step further away from him.

"how about dinner after your shift on Saturday?"

Yūri only nodded enthusiastically. his voice was lost somewhere inside him due to the shock. he could only watch as Victor waved his goodbye and started walking away with his dog.

"he asked you out!?" Phichit's exclamation filled the kitchen the next morning as they were rolling out dough.

"yes... he's taking me out tomorrow night", Yūri said quietly.

"what? where? when?"

the bombarding of questions made it seem like Phichit was more excited for the upcoming date than Yūri was himself.

"he's meeting me here after closing, and we'll go to dinner."

"ooh, how classy.... a dinner date. wonder where that'll end up~..."

the tone in Phichit's voice got the nerves in Yūri to wake up.

this would be his first proper date. how was he supposed to act? was he supposed to get something for his date? what would they even talk about?

maybe he should read a short guide on dating...

Phichit's voice cut through his thoughts: "you look like you're spiraling, Yūri... you okay?"

"...yes! I'm totally fine. I can go on a date with a crazy handsome guy who's clearly out of my league! no problem!"

the nervous laughter escaping his lips didn't help in convincing his friend. the pair of dark grey eyes only gave him a pitying look, as if to say he was thinking too deeply into this.

"you'll be fine. there's no need to think about it too hard, just act as you would normally."

the – without lying – almost dreaded Saturday evening drew close, and Yūri couldn't contain the butterflies in his stomach when the platinum haired gentleman stepped inside the café. his lips curled into a soft smile as his aquamarine eyes locked onto the man standing behind the counter.

Yūri felt like his knees might give out at any moment. somehow Victor's gaze on him was fierce and tender at the same time.

"Yuuuri", he spoke, and his voice was velvet against Yūri's ears, "are you ready to go?"

the black haired man could only nod as his heart was beating out of his chest. would Victor reach for his hand?

he didn't.

Yūri could feel disappointment settle into his chest as they walked side by side, with a gap in between.

Yūri felt as if he needed to close said gap. he couldn't stand feeling like he was too far to reach Victor even with the tip of his finger.

suddenly the other man stopped walking and their arms bumped into each other.

"we're here", Victor breathed out a small cloud of fog into the cold night air, "the best sushi in town."

the pair walked inside and were wrapped in the surprisingly warm ambience.

Victor led Yūri into a small table in a quiet corner, with a single candle and rose in the middle.

"I made us a reservation beforehand", he mentioned as if it was the most obvious thing to be done.

he even pulled out the other chair and motioned for Yūri to sit down.

the flutter returned to his heart as he took a seat and watched the graceful man sit down on the other side of the table. Yūri watched the flicker of candlelight dance on the flawless face as the blue eyes scanned through the menu.

the dinner date went on smoothly. conversation flowed naturally and the experience as a whole felt breezy to Yūri. he hadn't felt this exhilarated in possibly years – Victor really made him feel like there was a whole new world to be discovered.

to top the night off, Victor had offered to walk Yūri back to his own apartment.

"tonight was really lovely", the black haired man said quietly.

the taller one gazed into his eyes with a soft smile as they stood on the doorstep of the apartment building.

"yes, I had a wonderful time" the velvety voice sounded out as Yūri felt a gentle squeeze on his hands, "do you think I could take you out on another date?"

an exclamation was heard: "yes, absolutely!"

and a satisfied chuckle followed.

"get your skates ready for next weekend."

with that, Victor said goodbye, but his hands lingered on Yūri's for a moment longer before pulling away.

the barista stood still at the door. he could feel the cold air surround the skin on his hands again, without the warmth from Victor.

the days went by in a flash – Yūri tried to convince himself – when in reality this had felt like the longest week of his life. but like promised, on Friday afternoon, Victor took Yūri out to an ice skating rink.

"let me help you with those", he said before kneeling down and tying Yūri's skates.

"oh, thank you", Yūri mumbled while hiding his red cheeks into his wooly scarf, "it's been a while since I last went ice skating."

"that's okay. I'll help you", Victor assured, giving a gentle look to the other man while offering his hand.

Yūri took the hand, and he was lead to the ice. his knees felt weak, but the hands holding him up were like a strong force supporting him.

little by little, Yūri did get comfortable on the slippery surface. and by the time Victor finally let him go, he was able to skate smoothly without falling over.

"great job, Yuuuri, look at you go!" Victor encouraged him with the signature gentle smile.

and when Yūri looked at the smile, he could feel his heart melting away into a puddle, filling his whole chest with warmth.

it was a completely new feeling to Yūri. everytime he was with Victor, he could feel the excitement bubbling up inside.

that was until a vital piece of information was revealed.

maybe Yūri shouldn't have asked what Victor did for a living. he wasn't prepared to hear that Victor worked for the exact law firm, which had been tormenting the café and its owner for years. for some reason they'd been set on finding the slightest reason to get the café shut down.

was Victor just trying to get to close to him in hopes of making a new discovery? or obtaining some delicate information?

Yūri's head started brewing a storm of doubts and disbelief. he couldn't understand how good of an actor Victor had been.

and it seemed like the platinum haired man noticed something going on.

"Yuuuri, what's wrong?"

"I- I think I... I need to go", Yūri stammered out before stumbling off the ice.

he kicked the skates off as fast as he could, hoping Victor wouldn't be able to run after him.

but just as he was leaving, Victor grabbed his wrist.

"Yūri, please, talk to me. what happened back there? is my occupation a problem?"

Yūri took a few shaky breaths before replying: "don't pretend like you don't know... how could you just be using me? playing with my feelings? I really liked you, but knowing this was all fake breaks my heart."

he yanked his hand free and ran away, tears almost freezing on his cheeks as they escaped his eyes.

there was a pit in his chest, where there used to be warmth.

after that, Yūri didn't see Victor for another week. with each passing day, he did want to see the platinum haired man more.

it made him feel conflicted.

why would he want to see someone who was only messing around with him?

had he already lost all sense to being charmed by the gentleman?

yes, he had, Phichit had told him.

he'd also said Yūri needed something called closure. if things were to be left like this, it would be unsatisfying and Yūri would keep wondering about the what ifs even years later.

his friend was probably right, considering out of the two he had more experience with romance.

and as Christmas eve drew close, Yūri was as absorbed into his work as ever. the only thing he allowed himself to worry about were the cats of the café.

and as he was working at the counter, the bell tinged.

once he looked up to see the customer, he saw those painfully familiar aquamarine eyes. his heart almost stopped beating for a moment.

Victor stood at the doorstep, a bouquet of amaryllis, a couple poinsettias, cymbidium orchids, and to top it off; red roses.

and as if Phichit had changed the song of his own accord, one of the most well known American Christmas songs started playing.

the tall man took hefty steps, crossing the wooden plank floor to hand the bouquet to the barista.

"all I want for Christmas is you", Mariah Carey sang through the speakers.

"Yūri, will you please let me explain myself to you?"

after what felt like ages, but was only a few seconds in reality, Yūri gave Victor a nod. he couldn't help but feel curious about what the man had to say for himself.

and once they had stepped outside together, Victor began explaining.

he elaborated how he'd had no idea the firm he was employed by was fighting against this specific café, how he had been kept completely in the dark about everything related to it until he asked around about it.

"I wanted to get to the bottom of it, so I could understand your side, and I realize what it must have looked like to you now", Victor said carefully, "but I promise I've been serious this whole time."

Victor reached out to grab Yūri's hand, lifting his other one to the black haired man's cheek. the hands were cold, but still they managed to spread warmth onto Yūri's skin.

he had to admit he had been missing Victor's touch. maybe now he didn't need to long for it anymore.

"Yuuuri, will you give me another chance?" Victor spoke softly while leaning closer.

"yes, Victor, I'm sorry for judging you so fast..."

he really did feel guilty. Victor had been innocent the whole time, but Yūri had let his doubts get the best of him.

the aquamarine eyes were staring into his soul – or at least that's what it felt like – and Yūri felt the most vulnerable he ever had before.

that's when Victor said it: "I'm not going to wait for rain for me to kiss you."

instinctively Yūri leaned closer, he gazed back at Victor, before closing his eyes. he felt the other man holding the side of his face as their lips crashed into each other. their dance started slowly and delicately, but turned into what felt more needy than anything else.

once they pulled apart, they only kept staring at each other with shy smiles.

finally, Yūri broke the silence by asking: "why would you go to such lengths for me?"

"I really like you, if that wasn't clear already, and I want you in my life..."

Victor squeezed Yūri's hands.

"whenever you're ready for it, I'd like to make this official."

the barista was shocked. this person, who was clearly out of his league, wanted to date him?

"well, um", he stammered, "I do want that, but are you sure..?"

"yes, positive", Victor affirmed as he pulled Yūri into an embrace.

and as he was wrapped in the most comfortable warmth he'd ever felt, he sighed happily and whispered: "why me?"

"because you're special."

another thing he'd come to love, was going to be Victor.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3290

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 24th of December, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

grow up together. SakuAtsu & OsaSuna

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 – 𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐀𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐮 𝐱 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢 & 𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮 𝐱 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, !𝐯𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠!

when we were 7, I was swinging with my best friend. or more like he was pushing me in the swing.

"higher! I wanna go higher!"

the already exhausted boy kept pushing me, jumping up along with the swing so he could gain more force.

"Samu, can we leave soon?" he asked as he backed further away and sat on the swing next to mine.

"but Rin!"

I didn't have a reason to tell him. I just knew I didn't want this moment to end.

after a few minutes, Rin sighed and got up.

"I'm going home", he mumbled and started walking away.

I tried to jump down from the swing in midair, but lost my balance when my feet hit the gravel. I fell onto my knees and felt sharp stinging on them.

"ow! it hurts!"

Rin turned around to look at me and came back.

I sat down on the ground as tears burned my cheeks. I didn't want to cry in front of Rin, but I couldn't fight it.

"don't cry, Samu... we need to get you home... your knees need bandages", Rin said as he crouched down next to me and examined the scratches from the gravel.

"I can't walk", I sniffled.

Rin sighed.

"well you need to at least get to our bikes so I can give you a ride home."

he ended up giving me a piggyback ride to our bikes and then cycled to my house to drop me off before heading back to his home.

♡

when we were 10, I realized I was crushing on one of the boys I'd grown up with.

it was a warm summer day and I was sitting on the vivid green grass, holding a daisy in my left hand.

"he loves me,"

pluck a petal.

"he loves me not,"

pluck another one.

"he loves me..."

"who loves ya?"

I looked up to see a brunette boy with an expression full of curiosity.

"um, no one", I mumbled as I looked away, trying to hide my face from him.

"no secrets, Omi! ya promised!" he whined.

I stayed silent, hoping he would get the hint and not keep pressing further.

he took the flower out of my hand and I felt his pinkie wrap around mine.

"ya can't break a pinkie promise, that's mean!"

I looked at him to see a pout on his lips. I couldn't fight the small smile forming on my lips.

that's when he did it; he slid the daisy behind my ear, brushing my hair away with it.

he smiled down at me. it wasn't a wide grin, but a heartwarming, gentle smile I'd only ever seen him give to me.

this is exactly why I like him.

♡

when we were 13, I was sleeping over at the Miyas' house. Kiyoomi, the fourth member of our friend group was staying over as well.

while he slept in Atsumu's room, I chose to join Osamu in his.

it was the morning, I had just woken up and looked at the clock on the wall.

8 a.m.

I sat up on the futon and looked at the boy sleeping on the bed. the morning sun peeked through the blinds, creating yellow lines onto Osamu's face.

he looked so perfectly peaceful.

I rested my arms on the covers and leaned my head to the side against the right one, while stroking his brown hair a little.

don't let the sun kiss you before I do.

save your first kiss for me, please.

will you let me be your first as well as your last?

I smiled at myself a little. who would've thought I'd be like this one day?

it made sense the one I'd love would be Samu. he'd been my favorite person ever since we were little.

I stood up and placed a kiss on his forehead before walking out of the room.

♡

when we were 15, the four of us graduated middle school.

"Atsumu-kun!"

on that sunny spring day, a girl from my class confessed her feelings to me. I turned her down, of course. she smiled through her tears and bowed awkwardly before rushing away.

I turned to look the other way and saw a familiar figure disappear behind a corner.

I knew he, my brother, and Suna were all waiting for me, but there was an uneasy feeling in my stomach. for some reason Kiyoomi always seemed distant and cold whenever a confession for me was brought up.

I walked over to the corner and tapped his shoulder, making him flinch.

"Miya."

there it was. he only ever called me Miya when he didn't want to talk to me...

"are ya okay? ya seem a bit out of it..."

"I'm fine", he muttered and started walking.

I grabbed his wrist.

"tell me, Kiyoomi. don't push me away", I demanded.

if he wasn't going to call me by my first name, I wouldn't call him by his nickname.

he stayed silent, keeping his back turned to me.

"... is there a reason you always turn them down?"

my heart sank. did he want me to accept a confession?

"well, yea, kinda..."

I let go of him, but he still wouldn't turn to look at me.

I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to pull him against my chest and hold him tight, never letting go.

"I'm waitin' for a confession. waitin' for-"

I noticed how his shoulders tensed up.

"for the right one", he finished my thought.

I swallowed the words in my throat. if only I had the courage to tell you.

it's you, Kiyoomi; you're the one I'm in love with.

"... what if they never confess?"

"then", I paused, "then I'll gather my courage 'n tell 'im myself."

he finally turned to look at me. his black eyes looked watery.

"him..?"

I nodded.

"I think deep down... ya know who I'm savin' my feelings for."

I gave him a soft smile and took his hand into mine, squeezing it gently.

I could tell from his eyes, that there was a smile behind his black mask.

maybe I didn't need to say those words out loud after all.

♡

when we were 18, I had a fight with my brother. a bad one. we both threw around some nasty insults, and despite knowing we didn't mean any of them, we really needed to spend some time apart.

I sought out my place of comfort; the Suna household.

I knocked on the door and was greeted by Mrs. Suna, who let me know that Rin was up in his room.

as I walked up the stairs, I heard faint indie rock coming from speakers. I stopped in front of his room and knocked before turning the handle and opening the door.

Rin was sitting on his bed, back against the wall and head leaned back. his eyes were closed as he blew smoke out.

his room smelled like Fuji apple and vanilla. all the hoodies he left at my place smelled the exact same, until they lost their scent.

I sat on the edge of his bed before collapsing down onto my back.

"did somethin' happen?"

he still hadn't taken a look at me. but he recognized me from the way I moved. I guess that's what happens when you spend your whole lives together.

"mhm, Tsumu 'n I fought again..."

Rin stayed silent, as if he was thinking.

"it's just like any other fight; the two of ya will get over it."

he was right. I knew that myself. but that didn't mean I wasn't upset or didn't want to be comforted. I wasn't going to admit it though.

I'd also closed my eyes. something about the atmosphere in Rin's room, and the feel of his bed beneath my emotionally exhausted body drew me closer to slumber.

I felt a hot breath on my lips. it wasn't the first time Rin blew the smoke on my face; he knew I liked it.

after shuffling around a little, my head was on Rin's lap while his fingers ran through my hair. this was exactly what I needed.

I looked up at the boy I'd loved all these years. and I made a wish.

never leave me.

♡

when we were 19, we moved in together. it was the very first apartment of our own.

Atsumu wanted to make me feel as comfortable as possible, so the first thing we did before moving any boxes inside was to clean the place thoroughly.

after the first day, we only had the big pieces of furniture along with the most crucial items in place.

the two of us lied in bed together. I rested my head on Atsumu's chest, listening to his heartbeat while he had his arm wrapped around me.

"can ya believe it? we're really livin' together..."

I smiled softly. we'd both been waiting for this day all throughout high school, and it was finally here.

"yeah, it feels surreal."

we were both scanning the empty looking room we were in, imagining what it would possibly look like once we've settled in properly.

I was sure we would still go out and buy a lot of things for our shared home. just thinking about doing that with the love of my life made me smile.

"Omi."

I looked up to see a pair of hazel eyes already looking at me.

"yes?"

"I love ya so much."

"I love you too, Atsu."

he leaned closer so he could kiss my forehead, and smiled as he ran his fingers through my curls.

"ya really are perfect."

"oh shush..."

I looked away in embarrassment. I wasn't used to his compliments, and I might never be.

what I was used to though, was being close to him like this. it came naturally with him. probably had something to do with the fact that we grew up together.

I was sure he felt the same sense of security and comfort with me. if he didn't, we wouldn't be here.

it amazed me how we could still be together after all these years. I hoped it would never change.

"don't ever get tired of me", I said my thought out loud.

"I never could, Omi! if one of use would get tired of the other, it'd be ya", he grinned at me.

what he didn't realize was that I was willing to put up with any of his antics. that's how much I loved him.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1745

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 4th of August, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

the stranger with onigiri. OsaSuna

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 – 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮 𝐱 𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

the continuous rattle coming from the train tracks was surprisingly pleasant. it added up to the cozy ambience of the passenger car. 

Rintarō had never been on a train before, until now. to be honest, he didn't think it would be as enjoyable as everyone claimed. but now he was travelling to meet a potential employer. 

he had his messenger bag, along with a separate bag with his systems camera, tucked neatly to his right side on the window seat. 

he savored the soft chatter of others in the cart. it reminded him of the milieu of a café, but instead of people pausing to enjoy a cup of coffee, they were all on their way to a destination, and this was nothing but a transitory state to pass through.

Rintarō thought about closing his eyes, hopefully waking up right as the train neared his stop. but he didn't feel tired enough to fall asleep.

he'd always been an observer, looking at the world through the lens of a camera. when he was younger, his grandfather taught him the wonders of photography. ever since then, he aspired to build a career as a photographer. he hoped to make his grandpa proud.

the only thing left of the old Suna was a pocket watch his son had restored and put on a necklace chain, before giving it to Rintarō.

to this day, the young man wore it wherever he went.

while fiddling with the watch, he eyed the other passengers in the cart. he saw families, pairs of friends, a grandmother and her grandson... but his gaze stopped at a lone passenger.

the other young man was clutching onto a brown paper bag. Rintarō wondered what it could possibly contain. the stranger's hair was brown, with hints of silver that glistened in the warm lighting.

Rintarō had never seen an expression that looked so at peace, as the one on this passenger's face. 

he got the urge to sketch. he had to capture the essence of this person, but snapping a picture wouldn't go unnoticed.

he took out his notebook, flipped to a new, untouched page, and got to drawing.

minutes passed, yet the stranger remained still.

around the half an hour mark, Rintarō was working on the details of the hair, when he looked up from the drawing and was met with grey eyes staring at him.

he felt like a deer that got caught in the headlights of a car.

the stranger's lips curved into a sly smile before he stood up and made his way to the seat in front of Rintarō. 

he sat down before asking: "were ya drawin' me?"

"yes... I can throw it away if it makes you uncomfortable", Rintarō said hesitantly.

of course he didn't want to get rid of this drawing. he actually thought he'd succeeded at recreating the emotions behind the collected look. 

"nah, it's fine, but I wanna see it", the stranger said to the artist's surprise.

"well, it's still unfinished."

"oh, 'm sorry, did I ruin it by movin'?"

"no, not necessarily... it might be better to get a look at your features up close."

the stranger smiled lazily as Rintarō started analyzing his features. pointy nose, thick eyebrows and lashes, soft looking lips...

everything about this man was captivating; from the way he spoke to his body language. 

Rintarō was almost finished with the portrait when the stranger opened the paper bag and offered it to him.

"ya want onigiri?"

Rintarō looked at the rice balls. they seemed homemade instead of store bought. he took one and bit into it, flavors of duck and ginger filling his mouth instantaneously.

"this is really good", he mumbled out with some rice still left in his mouth.

"thanks. I made 'em myself", the man told him.

after a moment of silence and a couple onigiri, Rintarō handed his notebook across the seats.

the stranger's eyes widened in wonder.

"holy shit, this is good!"

Rintarō chuckled. people's reactions to seeing their portraits always amused him.

"I absolutely don't want ya to throw this away", the man added as he handed the pad back, "ya could earn money from drawin'."

"it's a side hustle", Rintarō admitted as he set the notebook onto his lap and crossed his hands over it.

"what do ya do for work, then?"

"I'm a photographer."

"ooh, well ya clearly have an artistic eye, so it makes sense."

Rintarō's lips tugged upwards, forming a small smile. he looked straight at the person sitting across him. those grey eyes looked like they held a calm before the storm in them.

"how about you?" he inquired.

"me 'n my brother run a bakery", the man answered, his sentence trailing off slightly as he turned to look out the window, "it's always been a family business."

Rintarō admired people who had their own businesses. it took a certain kind of bravery to run one; something he could only wish he had.

"don't move", he broke the silence as he took out his camera.

he readied the device, lifting it up against the side of his face, and zoomed out to make sure he got some of the surroundings as well.

the shutter was heard.

Rintarō looked at the display, seeing the photo he just took. the model was still looking through the window, longingly. perfect.

an announcement was heard before the train started braking.

"oh, this is my stop", the photographer said vaguely.

the silvered brunette cleared his throat: "well then, that means our time's comin' to an end."

Rintarō wanted to stay there; sit in this train until the end of the line, just talking with this mesmerizing stranger he'd come across.

instead, he admitted defeat.

"I suppose so."

"what's yer name?"

"Suna Rintarō."

"it was nice to meet ya, Sunarin. may we meet again when ya ride this train next time", the stranger spoke as he took his leave, returning back to his original seat.

Rintarō threw his messenger bag over his shoulder, hung the camera on his neck and clutched the notebook against his chest before stepping out of the train.

the brunette stood on the platform, turning to watch the train as it left again, heading towards the next station. he wondered which stop the stranger would get off at.

that's right, he never asked for a name.

he looked at the notebook in his arms. carefully, he opened it, flipping through the pages until he found the newest sketch. he took out a pencil once more, scribbling a few words to the bottom right corner of the page.

"Koi No Yokan; the stranger with onigiri"

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1107

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 5th of November, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

protect me. SakuAtsu

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 – 𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐀𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐮 𝐱 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭/𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

the streets were crowded with busy people hurrying to wherever they had to be at on a Tuesday afternoon.

two MSBY players were also trying to make their way back to their apartment.

they turned a corner and saw an even bigger crowd, one of them groaning in disgust and annoyance. he hadn't even brought his jacket as the weather was too warm.

"it's okay, Omi", the slightly shorter one looked at his boyfriend, "put on my jacket 'n zip it up tightly, then give me one of yer hands."

the dark haired one watched the blonde take a jacket out of his bag and hand it to him.

"here ya go."

Kiyoomi put the jacket on and zipped it up, sliding his other hand into the pocket while giving the other one to his boyfriend.

Atsumu took the hand and held it tightly as he gave a reassuring smile to the curly head.

"we're gonna be home soon, then ya can take a long bath and rinse off all the germs, okay?"

he started leading the germaphobe through the crowd, holding the bare hand close to his side so nothing can touch it. Kiyoomi shut his eyes and tightened his grip on Atsumu's hand. the blonde noticed this and smiled, knowing that focusing on him gave the other one comfort.

they got home sooner than Kiyoomi realized. he was taken aback by how well he was able to make it out of that crowd, eventhough it was thanks to his companion.

the blonde had already disappeared to prepare a bath while the curly head took off the jacket he had worn. it smelled just like Atsumu, which comforted him even more.

not too long after undressing, Kiyoomi was already in the bathtub, while Atsumu knelt down beside it and started shampooing the black locks.

"ya did so well today, I'm proud of ya", he whispered before placing a soft kiss on Kiyoomi's shoulder.

the curly head stayed silent, staring at the bubbles on the surface of the bathwater.

"Omi?"

after another moment of silence, he gave in and sighed.

"I'm so lucky to have you... you never think my phobia is a bother and always go out of your way to make sure I'm comfortable... it's like you always protect me. you do so much for me and I feel like I don't do nearly enough for you", Kiyoomi voiced his thoughts.

the sadness and doubt in his velvety voice pierced through Atsumu's heart.

"what're ya talkin' 'bout? ya do a ton for me!" the blonde started, "I mean, when we started datin' ya let me touch ya just 'cause I liked physical contact. ya pushed yerself to be comfortable with it despite yer phobia. and even now, if there's somethin' I need, it's like ya can drop everything right there 'n rush to my side. so, I'm the lucky one."

the younger man was speechless.

"I guess that's true..."

"yer teen self would freak out if ya told 'im I'd be this close to ya one day", Atsumu joked.

Kiyoomi chuckled: "well that depends on whether you tell him before or after meeting you."

that statement got Atsumu off guard.

"so when we first met, ya knew..?"

"yeah, the very first time we talked I knew I wanted to let you in, no matter how hard it might be, and here we are."

"Omi..."

Kiyoomi turned his head to look at Atsumu with a soft smile and said: "you know I've loved you from the very beginning."

it was like the blonde's cheeks were glowing as he cupped the more pale ones in front of him and kissed his partner affectionately.

"I've always loved ya too", he mumbled against the familiar lips.

when the two parted, Atsumu grinned.

"now let's get ya cleaned up so I can take a shower too."

after the bath Kiyoomi was drying himself up while waiting for his boyfriend to finish showering.

he walked to their shared closet and studied the clothes on his side. despite their builds being a little different, the two used the same exact size of clothes. Kiyoomi liked seeing how differently his clothes fit Atsumu. they were a slightly tighter fit on the blonde since the curly head was taller but slimmer.

the black eyes glanced at a hoodie Atsumu had offered him on a date a couple years back. it felt like they had always been together, but at the same time it felt like they hadn't been dating for that long.

Kiyoomi smiled as he took the hoodie and pulled it over his head, the sweet scent of his beloved surrounding him as he lied down on the double bed.

soon his train of thought was interrupted by a fresh out of the shower blonde walking into the room.

the setter smiled widely when he noticed what the other was wearing.

"seems like we're just gonna wear each other's clothes now", he commented as he walked to the closet.

"oh?" a black eyebrow was raised.

"yea, I was already plannin' to put on my favorite t-shirt of yers", Atsumu grinned at the wing spiker lying in bed as he grabbed a graphic t-shirt off the shelf.

after putting on clothes, the blonde walked over to the bed and leaned down, kissing the black haired boy slowly and sensually.

Atsumu was about to pull away when Kiyoomi pulled him closer.

"ya really love my lips, huh, Omi?" the older one smirked as he lied down next to his boyfriend.

"well they are for me only to enjoy, aren't they?"

"of course!"

the two kept kissing and showering each other with affection while cuddling together.

as the sun was setting, Kiyoomi rested his head on Atsumu's lap, while the other caressed the black curls.

"how are ya feelin' now, darlin'?" the blonde asked.

the wing spiker looked up at the love of his life and replied: "perfectly fine here with you."

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 993

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 29th of June, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

like-like. BokuAka

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 – 𝐁𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮 𝐱 𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐊𝐞𝐢𝐣𝐢

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

it was a warm Friday afternoon. Fukurōdani Academy's doors were flowing with students rushing home. the club activities were cancelled for that day due to a special training seminar all of the teachers had to take part in.

the volleyball team's captain wasn't his usual energetic self. he had been looking forward to practice, but since their coach couldn't be there, neither could the players.

he changed his shoes and closed the locker door, turning around to see the vice captain of his team.

"Bokuto-san", his black haired junior greeted with a small smile, "are you heading home too?"

"yes, Akaashi", the sulking senior sighed, "there's no practice today so I have no one to hangout with..."

"in that case", the quiet boy paused as his eyes drifted further away from Kōtarō's, "would you like to hangout with me, Bokuto-san?"

the ace's face lit up. spending time with his favorite junior? it wasn't unusual, but it didn't happen as often as he would've liked.

"I'd love to!" he exclaimed and rushed closer to the younger boy.

the two started walking side-by-side before Keiji offered: "I'll treat you to some yakiniku, if that cheers you up."

the blue eyes watched as the older boy's energy returned. he was visibly excited now. the whole way to the restaurant, the gray haired one was hopping with every step he took.

once they got to the restaurant, they ordered the meat and sat down at a table.

Kōtarō was watching the meat intensely, waiting for it to be done. Keiji chuckled at the impatience; he had always been patient with everything, but maybe the differences were exactly what drew him close to the senior.

despite the occasional dramatic antics, Keiji really enjoyed being around Kōtarō. maybe it was because the boy's bursting excitement and lively persona easily caught on to others around him. or maybe it was because the setter admired the ace as a player.

no. it was something more. it was because of the sensation he got around the grey haired boy. the way his heart skipped a beat when he was met with those sparkling golden eyes and happy grin.

he had known it for a while; he wanted to be the one who brought Kōtarō that happiness. Keiji wanted to be the one he smiled at.

"Agaashi, I loav mead."

the setter looked at the boy who had his mouth stuffed with barbecue meat.

"Bokuto-san, don't speak with your mouth full."

"sofhy, Agaashi."

the black haired boy shook his head with a small smile on his lips. sometimes it seemed like he was the older one of the two, but he didn't mind.

after the meat lover had eaten one too many pieces of yakiniku, the pair left the restaurant and started walking to the Bokutos' place.

"Akaashi!" Kōtarō exclaimed.

"what is it, Bokuto-san?" the calm boy turned to look at the other one.

"you're the best!"

the larger boy swung his arms around the smaller one and squeezed him. Keiji loved the bear hugs his senior gave. they were warm and tight, but the arms weren't too strong to make him feel suffocated.

"thank you for cheering me up, like always, Kaashi."

the junior's heart fluttered at the nickname.

"you're welcome, Bokuto-san", he said softly.

"I don't want this to end yeeeet", the taller one whined as he pulled away.

"we can hang out at the park, if you'd like?"

Kōtarō nodded enthusiastically, and so the pair kept walking until they reached a familiar park. they sat on a white bench and the older one pulled something out of his pocket.

"do you wanna listen to music?" he asked, offering one of the earphones to the younger.

Keiji nodded and took the earpiece. soon he heard upbeat music fill his ear. he felt the other's leg rub against his as they sat together.

the setter felt like he could burst. he wanted to grab the hand on Kōtarō's thigh and hold onto it tightly. he thought this would be the perfect time to confess. it was now or never.

"can I put on one song that reminds me of you?" Keiji asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite his heart beating out of his chest.

"of course, Kaashi!" the captain answered before handing the phone over.

the trembling hands typed in the song and added it next into the queue. the song that came on was Everlasting Light by The Black Keys.

Kōtarō listened intently. this was a love song, wasn't it? so what did the black haired boy mean when he said it reminded him of the other?

the golden eyes looked at the boy who was humming along to the song's melody. the older one had always thought Keiji was the prettiest boy he had ever seen, and right now he looked perfect as ever.

as the song's lyrics ended and the postlude played, Keiji started speaking: "Bokuto-san, I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time..."

he took a deep breath and finally looked at the confused boy next to him.

"I like you, Bokuto-san."

Kōtarō felt like his heart was about to explode. his whole body was bubbling with excitement. but wait, what if he misunderstood Keiji's words?

"you mean, like-like, right?" he had to confirm.

a soft chuckle escaped Keiji's lips before he answered: "yes, like-like."

the captain had never expected his junior to feel that way about him of all people. it felt like a dream come true, and he couldn't hold his emotions back any longer.

"Agaashi", he was sniffling already as tears filled his eyes, "I- I like you too!"

"really..?"

neither of the two boys could believe how perfectly things had turned out; it was like something straight out of a romance anime.

the black haired boy grabbed the open hand resting on Kōtarō's leg. he intertwined their fingers and wiped the tears away from the crying boy's face.

"can I kiss you, Akaashi?"

"yes, but it's Keiji to you."

"okay, Keiji, then you should call me Kōtarō", the gray haired boy said as he cupped the other's cheek before leaning in and kissing the soft lips.

as the two pulled away, they were smiling softly and kept their foreheads pressed together.

"Kōtarō-san, will you be my boyfriend?"

the older boy chuckled at the question.

"I should be the one asking you! so, obviously I will!"

the couple stayed at the park for a while longer, until the sun started to set. they had lost track of time as they were lost in each other's presence and affection.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1101

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 26th of June, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

feverish. SakuAtsu

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 – 𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐀𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐮 𝐱 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐟𝐢𝐜, 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

in the morning, this day seemed ordinary. but as Atsumu made it to the practice of the Black Jackals, he realized there was something wrong; a certain wing spiker was missing.

throughout the whole practice, the sets were off and their coach was getting worried.

"Atsumu", he called the blonde over, "what's on your mind?"

"nothin'", was all the man said.

"if it's nothing, don't let it affect your game."

the setter just nodded and returned to his position.

where was Sakusa Kiyoomi? had something happened to him? it wasn't like him to just skip practice...

Atsumu couldn't shake this feeling of worry off, so he decided to visit the wing spiker once training ended. before going to his apartment though, the blonde stopped by a store to pick up a few things.

he was standing in front of the door leading to Kiyoomi's apartment. he knocked softly, wondering what was happening on the other side. after no answer, the setter picked up the spare key hidden underneath the doormat and unlocked the door, letting himself in.

"Omi-kun?" he called out.

still no answer. maybe the apartment was empty?

the setter took his shoes off before wandering around the apartment. there was no sign of his teammate.

Atsumu opened the bedroom door slightly, peeking in to see someone under the blanket on the bed.

"Omi-Omi", he said softly as he approached the bed.

the person turned to look at him with red cheeks and feverish looking eyes.

"what are you doing here?" the hoarse voice spoke.

"I came to check up on ya, 'course!"

"go away, Miya, I don't want to get you sick too", the moody patient said.

a small smile formed onto Atsumu's lips, knowing Kiyoomi did care about his health after all.

"don't be so cold, Omi! I'm here to take care of ya now!"

the black eyes kept glaring at the stubborn setter.

"fine. guess I'll take the umeboshi I bought for ya with me then..." the blonde said as he turned around to leave.

the wing spiker was a little surprised. he had always been very private, so someone knowing what he liked wasn't common. it meant the guy in front of him  must have actually taken the time to get to know him and didn't just forget about everything he learned.

"wait", the curly head said as he sat up slowly, "maybe you can stay after all..."

a wide grin was on the pink lips as the setter turned back towards the bed.

"how 'bout I go get the umeboshi 'n some water for ya?"

Kiyoomi just nodded, not daring to get out of bed due to his high fever.

soon the blonde returned to the bedroom, holding a jar and chopsticks in one hand, and a glass of water in the other one. he handed the umeboshi along with the chopsticks to his sick teammate, and set the glass down onto the bedside table.

"how are ya feelin'? is yer fever high?" he asked, moving closer to the black haired.

a hand was raised to Kiyoomi's forehead, but he didn't flinch or swat it away like he usually would. maybe his guard was down because of the fever, or perhaps he just liked someone caring for him.

"yer forehead's burnin' hot... when's the last time ya took a painkiller?"

"I don't remember..."

concern laced the hazel eyes as they looked into the black ones.

"I'll go get ya one", Atsumu said as he was about to get up.

to his surprise, a hand grabbed his. he looked back to the curly head leaning against the headboard.

"don't go, stay here..."

the setter blinked. was he dreaming? did the cold hearted wing spiker just ask him to stay in bed with him? just how sick was he?

"but ya need yer meds."

"I just need you."

the black eyes averted the hazel ones. Kiyoomi was beyond embarrassed by his words and actions. he always knew he had a thing for the loud setter, but had refused to admit it. now with the high fever gnawing away at his functions, he couldn't keep lying anymore. he gave in.

once he looked back at the person who'd come to check up on him, he was met with a warm smile that could melt his heart.

"okay, I'll stay with ya as long as ya want."

the blonde wasn't bothered by the sudden clingy side showing. he enjoyed seeing this side of the usually standoffish germaphobe.

the two huddled close together, as if it was a natural thing for them to do. Atsumu's arm was wrapped around Kiyoomi, whose head rested on his shoulder as he happily ate his plums.

a soft gaze turned to the black haired as words escaped his lips: "thank you for staying and taking care of me..."

the blonde smiled.

"of course, Omi, I'm always here for whatever ya need!"

Kiyoomi hadn't felt this blissful in ages. maybe his feverish brain was playing tricks on him... or maybe he had been afraid to let Atsumu close and now that he did, he realized just how nice his company was.

not long after the setter had convinced his teammate to take a painkiller, said teammate was sleeping in his arms.

he stroked the black curls gently. they felt soft like velvet on his fingers. if you had told him this morning that he'd end up cuddling with his crush later the same day, he would've laughed.

the blonde leaned down, placing a quick kiss on the warm forehead hidden underneath those thick black locks. he blushed, thinking back on what he just did.

"I love ya, Kiyoomi..." he whispered to the sleeping sweetheart in his arms.

a mumble was heard: "I love you too, Atsumu."

the hazel eyes shot wide open as the cheeks below them turned red.

"I- I thought ya were asleep..."

the younger man opened his eyes and chuckled at the stammering.

"so you wouldn't have told me your true feelings if I was awake?"he teased the flustered one.

"w-wait... ya said..."

"yeah, what about it?"

Atsumu turned his blushing face away, knowing Kiyoomi was staring at him. he felt a hand on his cheek before his head was turned to the direction of his loved one.

"I meant what I said. I've been interested in you for years, and now that we're on the same team and I got to know you better, I realized I was falling for you", the calm explanation made no sense to the one hearing it.

"but ya always-"

"yes, I know. I'm not great at handling or showing my feelings."

now it was the wing spiker's turn to feel embarrassed. he looked away and scratched the back of his neck. he glanced at the blonde once more, as he felt a hand cup his cheek.

Atsumu leaned closer, closing the gap between them as their lips met. the kiss they shared was soft and delicate, yet filled with affection.

as they pulled away, the setter was grinning.

"great, now you're gonna get sick for sure..."

"'twas damn worth it!" the blonde exclaimed happily, making his companion smile genuinely.

"you're an idiot, Miya."

"maybe, but I'm yer idiot now~."

the pale cheeks flushed pink as the younger man heard the word your.

"is that so..?" he asked shyly.

"yep", the confident one held the other's hands in his own, "or do ya not want me?"

the black eyes saw the smirk on that perfect face.

"oh, I want you to be mine, alright", Kiyoomi said, surprisingly cockily.

"I am yers, and ya are mine, finally."

the couple held each other tightly. at last they had both come clean about their feelings and achieved what they desired.

Atsumu ended up spending the night with his new boyfriend, so they could cuddle and share plenty of kisses more.

yes, he did end up catching the same disease Kiyoomi had, but they didn't mind staying in bed together for a little longer.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1257

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 5𝗍𝗁 𝗈𝖿 𝖩𝗎𝗇𝖾, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

not like this. DaiSuga

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 – 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐊ō𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐱 𝐒𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 – 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬

Sawamura Daichi. captain of Karasuno High's boys' volleyball club, a responsible student, and a reliable friend.

a friend.

that's all I am to him.

some might even say we're best friends, since we're in the same class and club, live close by, and spend a lot of time together.

he is my closest friend.

he's always been there for me throughout high school. whenever I needed comfort, he'd come running, regardless of the situation. ..how could I not love him?

I'm in love with my best friend.

it's not necessarily a problem on its own...

the problem is the lively ex-captain of the girls' volleyball team; Michimiya Yui. also known as Daichi's girlfriend.

I can't stand her. she's perfect in every way. unsurprisingly good at many different sports, but somehow she's also at the top of her class.

they're a good match, obviously. perfect on paper; a text book example of a compatible couple in theory.

they'll both grow up to achieve something great in their lives, like having stable careers and a beautiful family.

and I have to sit in silence, watching them from the sidelines. I have to see the smile on her face whenever he kisses her cheek. I have to see his tense shoulders relax every single time she hugs him.

I have to watch the love of my life loving someone else.

I've tried everything to get rid of these feelings.

I tried taking space. I really did try staying away from Daichi, but it's impossible when we see each constantly in school. the moment he'd look at me and say my name, all of the love I was trying to conceal deep inside, came bubbling back to the surface.

all it took was one "Suga!" from him...

I even tried going on blind dates.

I still remember this one light brunette boy. he had very faint freckles on his cheeks. they even spread over his nose. if I'm being honest, he was quite cute.

his eyes sparkled with excitement when he looked into mine. so very different from Daichi's determined, serious gaze.

we hit it off, actually. he was really sweet and easy to talk to, clearly a good listener.

he's boyfriend material, I thought, but something felt wrong.

at the end of the date I told him: "I can't do this."

he smiled and nodded sadly.

"I knew something was off."

"I'm sorry..."

"don't be. I hope it works out with the one your heart belongs to."

hah, I wish.

I'm not sure how much longer I can take it.

but then, Daichi asked me to help him with shopping.

"your gifts are always so appropriate and fitting, no matter who you're giving it to", he reasoned.

that's because my love language is gift giving.

so there I was, walking around Sendai, helping Daichi find a present.

"I can't help you if I don't know who this gift is for", I told him.

"it's for Michimiya", he replied, unwavered.

of course it's for the girlfriend. is their one year anniversary coming up? or maybe her birthday..?

why should I care...

because I just want to do the right thing and help Daichi.

"what's the occasion?"

"um. I'm actually breaking up with her..."

it felt like time, along with my heart, stopped.

what could drive him to break the heart of a girl like her?

it seemed like Daichi read my mind, since he answered the question: "I think I'm in love with someone else."

of course his heart was set on someone else already. when would my turn be? after I've finally moved on and am getting married to someone else? is that when he's going to realize he could've been with me all these years?

"who could be better than Michimiya?" I asked without thinking about what came out of my mouth.

only afterwards did I think about how much nicer I could've sounded.

Daichi was silent and stopped walking.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you", he whispered, "not like this."

it hurt. he wouldn't even tell me the whole story. I thought he considered me someone he trusts, but I guess I was wrong.

"okay, I'll help you find a gift... for breaking up", I chuckled bittersweetly.

we ended up getting her a generic self-care gift basket with lotions and candles.

"this is very traditional, but I don't think you need anything exceptional for... a breakup", I said, a little uncertain.

I've never thought of getting a gift for someone I'm breaking up with.

Daichi was even going to take her out to eat something before doing it. it sounded bizarre to me, but I guess that's what he thought a considerate partner would do.

I wished him luck on the day of the break up.

I was confused. I wasn't sure what I was feeling exactly. I'd always despised Michimiya, eventhough she'd never been nothing but nice towards me. but now, hearing that Daichi was going to leave her out of the blue, I started feeling bad.

at first I was happy to hear that Daichi would be single, but after hearing the reason, it turned into guilt.

it was as if I'd taken a step forward, towards the possibility of a romantic relationship with Daichi, and immediately got knocked down, stumbling two steps backwards.

I hadn't heard of Daichi for a couple hours. I was a little worried, in all honesty. did it go badly?

suddenly I heard the doorbell.

"Kōshi! go open the door", my dad yelled.

I groaned as I got up. they're closer to the door, so why can't they get it?

I opened the door to see none other than Sawamura Daichi, standing at the front porch.

"Daichi? why are you here?"

he looked like he'd run here, with his cheeks red and puffed.

"can we.. can we talk?" he breathed out.

"sure", I said, worry lacing my tone before I grabbed a hoodie to pull on and slipped outside.

"is everything alright?" I had to ask.

"yeah, everything's fine. I did it. I'm no longer together with Michimiya", he announced proudly, as if it was something to gloat over.

"good for you", I sounded harsher than I meant to, "are you going to go after that new crush, then?"

"I wouldn't say new... I feel like it's always been there, I just now realized it..."

I just sat on the stairs without saying a word. my chest hurt, and I knew if I opened my mouth, Daichi would be able to hear the heartbreak from my voice.

"I feel like I took too long. I've been completely blind", he kept rambling, "I've made you wait for so long."

... what..?

"me?"

"yes, Suga", his tone turned softer as he took my hands into his, holding them firmly.

his hands were cold, but I didn't mind. I looked into the fierce brown eyes, so full of certainty.

"it's you... it was you, this whole time."

...

am I dreaming?

I pinched myself. I touched Daichi's cheek.

it was all real. this was happening.

"you're the one I love, Kōshi."

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1103

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 29th of October, 2022

[memoryofapricity]

cold winter night. AsaNoya

𝐅𝐀𝐍���𝐎𝐌 – 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!!

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 — 𝐀𝐳𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐡𝐢 𝐱 𝐍𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐚 𝐘ū

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 — 𝐬𝐟𝐰, 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

a usually energetic libero was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. for some reason, he had had an off day. we all have days like that, even the people who seem like balls of unlimited energy.

the boy sighed, turning over to his side before his eyes locked onto the phone lying face up on his bedside table. as if Yū had mind powers, the phone lit up, showcasing an incoming call.

the boy grabbed his phone. seeing the name of his favorite person on the screen brought a smile to his lips.

"heya, Sahi!" his voice was suddenly filled with energy.

"hi, Nishi... um, I know it's a bit late, but I was wondering... would you want to meet up?"

Asahi's voice was like velvet in Yū's ears. he couldn't contain his excitement and almost hung up before Asahi could say "see you soon".

the libero was back to his energetic self, pulling on a hoodie and glancing into the mirror to make sure he was presentable. he was out of the door already when he realized he didn't grab his keys.

after fetching the bunch of keys, he started walking swiftly towards the familiar house the ace lived in.

soon enough his eyes focused on a tall silhouette nearing him with each second.

"Asahi!" the spikey haired boy yelled out before starting to run towards the other person.

the two hugged, and with Yū's face buried into Asahi's jacket, the taller boy chuckled: "missed me?"

"always!" the shorter replied, looking up at the boy who was holding him close.

they both smiled, before the ace's face turned serious.

"Nishi... you're only wearing a hoodie, you'll freeze..."

the libero shook his head and insisted: "I'm fine! I did leave in a rush 'cause you sounded troubled on the phone so I didn't want to make you wait."

the long haired boy smiled softly, a warm feeling filling his chest.

"I just missed you and wanted to see you", he explained.

"O-oh... I see", the flustered boy stuttered out before turning his face away in a poor attempt to hide his red cheeks.

he heard his boyfriend chuckle before a zipper was opened. Yū looked back at the tall boy, only to be met with him standing closer than anticipated as he wrapped his jacket around the smaller boy.

he saw Asahi's wide smile while the dark brown eyes wandered. a giggle escaped the cold lips. even if they were cold, the lovestruck libero believed they were as soft as ever. 

"I love how big it is on you", the tall boy muttered as he leaned in before placing a soft kiss on the shorter one's forehead.

Yū felt his face burning up. he wasn't used to the affection from Asahi still, after all, it had only been a couple months since they confessed to each other.

then he realized: "wait! now you'll get cold!"

the ace still had a warm sweater, mittens and scarf on, trying to convince his boyfriend that he was the one who needed the jacket more.

"fine! but we should go to a café or something to warm up", the libero pouted.

"hot chocolate with you does sound nice", the taller boy hummed as he took the smaller boy's hand into his, holding it tightly as they walked together.

the couple reached their favorite café in town. as they stepped in, a bell chimed softly above the door.

Yū went to sit down at the same corner table they always sat at, while Asahi ordered two mugs of hot chocolate. they had been coming to this place even before they got together. you could say this café held a special place in both of their hearts.

coming here was a way to remember nothing but the good memories.

the taller boy walked to the table, placing a mug on each side of it, before sitting down. he sighed happily as he gazed out the window, holding the warm cup in his hands.

the smaller boy watched as his boyfriend tucked a strand of hair behind his own ear and lifted the mug up, taking a sip carefully.

"Sahi, you got some whipped cream on your nose", the boy snickered.

he reached out to wipe the nose of his loved one, almost instinctively.

the dark brown eyes stared into the lighter ones as the lips underneath them curved into a smile with pink blush visible on the cheeks.

Asahi had no idea of the effect he had on his poor boyfriend. it was as if the younger boy's heart had been shot.

"I love you, Yū."

those words echoed between the two boys. their hearts fluttering from the pure love and affection they felt in each other's company.

"I love you too, Asahi!"

the energetic exclamation made the older boy laugh. the fact that it was a very Yū way of saying the phrase, made hearing it feel that much more special.

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧: 3rd of June, 2022

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 829

[memoryofapricity]

welcome // masterpost

if you stumbled into my writing blog, welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay <3

so far I've only written Haikyuu!! ship fics, but I'm planning to expand this to other (mostly animanga) fandoms. and I'm more than open to suggestions for what to write and/or read!

~ here's a little masterlist I'll update as I go

〈 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!! 〉

✦ 𝑨𝒔𝒂𝑵𝒐𝒚𝒂

cold winter night (fluff)

✦ 𝑩𝒐𝒌𝒖𝑨𝒌𝒂

like-like (fluff)

✦ 𝑫𝒂𝒊𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂

not like this (angst with happy ending)

✦ 𝑶𝒔𝒂𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒂

the stranger with onigiri (alternative meeting)

grow up together (friends to lovers, feat. SakuAtsu)

✦ 𝑺𝒂𝒌𝒖𝑨𝒕𝒔𝒖

feverish (sickfic)

protect me (hurt/comfort)

grow up together (friends to lovers, feat. OsaSuna)

〈 𝐘𝐮𝐫𝐢!!! 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐜𝐞 〉

✦ 𝑽𝒊𝒌𝒕𝒖𝒖𝒓𝒊

aquamarine eyes (strangers to lovers)