#bare your heart to him and watch him laugh at you 😒

[ikemenomegas]

Just saw the leaks and this is the first time i ever considered opening a bottle of beer 😞

🤣🤣🤣 oh um well... I cannot as someone trained in public health encourage you to imbibe hahaha just a sip probably won't fry your nerves but won't have the effect you're going for... (I also don't drink but these last months of cliffhanger chapters leave me dizzy enough lol)

As someone who has not seen the leaks (I saw it last week and clearly threw a fit) I have feelings/guesses/propositions...

Gojo is alive? and the one-eyed cat has made fools of us all (the only way to kill him is off with his head? literally?)

It is one of those manga things like "the ghost of X" and it's because someone is embodying their form so well it's a mirage type thing, which seems a very low tease

Someone has an illusion type curse

This is somehow MeiMei's fault? I feel like she could illusion anything haha

Remember ages ago Kenjaku was like "i don't want to kill a six eyes user because another one just pops up at some point". That is happening? 5b. Maybe Yuuta has the six eyes now? Since they share an ancestor 5c. Eye stealing is a weirdly common manga trope, even though that's no way possible

Who cares (filled with vengeance and vinegar). I'm a fanfic writer. Our job description is to do whatever we want anyway. Now I have three more plausible options for He Lives

We'll get through it anon 🤭 it's almost over

and then no one ever has to care about canon again (<- a jesterly threat)

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 - Pix11 clip makes me so sad for Claudia

As a New Yorker, I caught second-hand embarrassment watching the latest clip promoting Game of Thrones Ann [sic] Rice's Interview with a [sic] Vampire. 😭 But Jacob did his thing, as usual! 👏

Anyways, the clip itself was VERY interesting, from what I could tell with the audio + accents + French + lack of subtitles.

Sweet precious baby Louis, always the optimist in denial that things were getting better, not progressively worse. Louis of all people should know a thing or two about scar-tissue: some wounds only heal on the surface, but the trauma & PTSD can last forever.

I love how while Louis' waxing poetic about them "healing," Claudia's counting change (a la Bricktop 2.0--Louis "letting a woman count his money"); visibly holding back her frustration with their reality.

They had to pickpocket!? 😨 Louis! Don't stash Lestat's useless arse in a dump before making sure the alimony & child support checks get cleared! Like, I can understand them losing all their NOLA luggage while running from bombs & revenants in WWII Europe, but what happened to all Les' Parisian bank accounts!? You know how LOADED that guy is?! Louis, you really let your man take care of all the finances like that!? 💀

Jfc, Lou, The First Wives Club ain't teach you NOTHIN. 😒

Lemme calm down.

Now here's where the clip lost me; I couldn't understand a word he was saying in French--same, Claudia. 😅

But this bit right here really gets to the heart of the matter: "Truth and reconciliation;" them looking for the truth about vampiric origins & history (and the truth about Lestat's past).

Then we get this remark from Claudia:

I couldn't tell if this meant that A) Claudia was correcting Louis' French (Truth versus Trust, and her going "What?" cuz he got the translation wrong); or if B) Louis was correcting hers (her going "What?" cuz she still doesn't know any French). And if so, that got me wondering--Claudia lived with Loustat for 20+ years--how could she NOT know any French by then? 🤨

Like, I don't mean just through casual exposure/immersion; I mean cuz we learn in TVL that vampires are (preter)natural mimics. Lestat never learned how to play violin or even how to read or speak English. He picked it all up passively with the Dark Gift; a vampire who (barely) passed as human by mimicking them.

Which makes me NERVOUS for Claudia, if her powers are so dang low that she doesn't speak French by now. 😰

As for Louis, I had to laugh here; him calling French the "mother-tongue." Like, book!Louis was the same way about going to Paris--he wasn't born in America; he was a settler/colonist from France who got rich off of his Louisiana purchases in slave labor & plantations. Going to Paris really was going back to the motherland for him, and Louis was APPALLED when the Theatre mocked him for his French having an accent.

But French is clearly not AMC!Louis' native language (the DPDLs spoke English at home, NOT French--not even when Monsieur Bouillabaisse de Lioncourt came to dinner). And we also know from the OG pilot script that Louis knew (at least some) Haitian Creole, too, when he'd chat with Oncle Vervain Mayfair (GOD I wish they'd kept all that in!). French is more what bougie Creoles would speak to be cultured & educated & show off; not to converse with regularly.

If anything, French is more Louis & Claudia's father-tongue; from Lou's French White great-great grandfather; to the MIA Papa DPDL we never see; to Claudia's biological father "whose daddy gave her away to a mean old auntie" (and who left her for dead to die of PLAGUE in the books); to Absentee Father/Maker of the Year Lestat himself. What's more, French is the language of ANGER, VIOLENCE & verbal ABUSE in the de Lioncourt household/family/coven--Loustat only ever spoke it when arguing around/about Claudia.

So to have Louis talking in French to Claudia about mother-tongues is just hysterical, like boyyyyy if you don't stop--get Lestat's thumb out of your mouth for ONCE. 🤣

[jordyn-degas]

What We Have Become

characters: Atsumu Miya x fem! reader

warnings: characters are 18+; time skips; sexual connotations but barely; angst; fluff; cheating mentioned;

notes: wrote this in like 2 hrs and it came out of nowhere; i want to deeply thank you @iamthepotato my incredible beta reader and the Watson to my Sherlock 💞💞 for giving me the green light into posting this when i wasn't really sure of it 😒 she has her chaotic ways

Mood 🎧 Britton - Happy Being Me

Slender fingers ghosted over the softness of your cheeks, carefully tangling themselves into a loose hair strand, guiding it behind the ear in a slow motion. Lips parted to reveal that all too familiar pearly white smile that had the ability to daze every single living soul in a room, turning heads wherever it was seen and breaking hearts through its innocence. Your faintly blushing cheek pressed into his touch, eyes closed to absorb all the warmth and care provided in a tender moment, both slightly leaned in over the wooden table, yearning for closeness. Steamy mugs were witnesses to two people caught into the sweet spell of love, his eyes bearing nothing but adoration for the woman sitting before him.

“Tsumu!” you laughed, hand landing a slap on his ass. “Put me down!”

“No can do, pretty.” Atsumu clicked his tongue, arm locked around your waist to prevent you from falling off his shoulder. “You are officially grounded.”

“What?” you asked, a gasp bouncing off the walls as he threw you on the bed with an unreadable expression. “I’m not 10!”

“You wore Samu’s shirt to the match!” Atsumu accused, arms crossed against the chest, holding back a pout that threatened to appear. “Last time I checked, WE were dating! Or did you get the twins mixed up?”

“I spilled coffee on yours!” you explained exasperated for the 12th time today, arm waving in the air to accentuate the annoyance lacing your tone. “Not my fault that Shoyo bumped into me. What would you’ve done in my place? Cheer in nothing but a bra?”

“Still grounded. No more matches for you.” Atsumu huffed, knowing he had absolutely nothing to counter the obvious logic at this point, not that he had in the first place - he wouldn’t put it past you to walk out there with the number 7 written on the chest as if an entire arena wasn’t able to see. “Until you learn which twin you’re actually in a relationship with.”

“Maybe I really do have the wrong twin.” you sighed, watching through lidded eyes how your boyfriend stiffened at the subtle implication. “Does your mother accept returns?”

“ALRIGHT, THAT’S IT!” Atsumu barked in annoyance, shirt flying off his body in the blink of an eye. “We’re settling this right now.”

Before any words could leave your lips yet again, an unwilling yelp made its way out as his hands wrapped around your ankles, feeling being yanked to the edge of the bed in a swift motion. Sculpted figure towered over you, blonde hair strands hanging loosely over Atsumu’s forehead, brown hooded eyes filled with mischievousness and lust that matched almost too perfectly his signature smirk, watching how his lovable girlfriend seemed to crumble under him.

“Let’s see if you still think I’m the wrong twin ..” Atsumu whispered, lowering enough for his lips to brush over yours. “.. by the time I’m done with you.”

That’s the thing.

Atsumu Miya has always been the one to easily get under people’s skin without too much of an effort, his simple presence being enough to earn all types of reactions. Men would hate or praise, women ready to throw themselves at his feet for a bit of attention, amateur players begging to be taught, scouts and press raving about his performance - everything around Atsumu screamed perfection.

Until you walked into his life.

There you were.

Quietly sitting near the court, white towel around the shoulders while thoroughly searching through a medical bag, hair tied into a ponytail, a few strands messily out of place from the humidity built up into the arena. Busying himself with a bottle of water, Atsumu’s glance trailed from the neatly tied shoelaces, upwards along the smoothness of your legs that went further under the pair of black sport shorts while an all too familiar shirt was resting on the upper body, oversized in its nature yet molding around your chest in a way that had his cheeks flare up faintly. He had not seen you before when playing a match, the confusion and wonder wearing off quickly seeing the number imprinted on the shirt.

Number 10 - Shoyo Hinata.

Ah! You were with Karasuno.

However, in which capacity? Before he could catch a glimpse of your face, Atsumu’s view was obstructed by the team’s coach. The setter quietly watched Inarizaki’s rival team interact with you and none of them seemed to be more than just simple friends. What came at shock value to Atsumu Miya was the way in which his heart jumped into the throat when hearing your laugh, goosebumps filling up his skin at the sound coming in a wave of sweet notes bound to reach deeper than others tried before. Trying to get a better look at the girl that managed to do so little without actually putting a face to the laugh, he noticed their Libero, Yū Nishinoya, and Wing Spiker, Ryūnosuke Tanaka, playing with a bandage roll - what a waste of energy before the second set, Atsumu thought.

“Noya!!” your voice snapped across the court, loudly enough for the Inarizaki team to turn around confused.

With Nishinoya and Tanaka exuding a bit too much energy than they should have in the first place, the Libero countered the Wing Spiker’s throw with the force one would usually use in the match, causing for the bandage roll to fly farther than needed. Without too much fuss, Atsumu caught it with one hand, gaze moving to the soft material in his palm, thumb smoothing carefully over its seal in order to not come undone.

“Sorry!” you said frantically, slaps being heard across the polished floor as they seemed rushed. “I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t wo-” Atsumu began, words dying in his throat when your eyes finally met as all the confidence the Miya would usually exude vanished into thin air. “-rry.”

When thinking of putting a face to the most beautiful laugh that had ever graced his ears, Atsumu certainly did not expect this. A small, sheepish smile curved your puffy lips just right, plump cheeks pinched with a rosy blush that had him swallow harder than ever in his life, doe-like eyes flashed with embarrassment and curiosity, all while looking at him from under a pair of thick, long lashes that fanned in a timed rhythm awaiting a response. Atsumu’s posture turned hunched, not wanting to tower over you more than needed when noticing how your height reached the level of his chest.

“Are you alright?” you asked softly, head a bit cocked to the side seeing how he kept staring.

“Hm?” Atsumu blinked twice before realizing, a low chuckle escaping. “Oh, yeah!”

“The roll, please?” you grinned, pearly white beaming into the bright lights of the arena, palm wide open. “I would let you keep it but it’s the last one.”

“It’s fine.” he replied, not understanding why the sudden clumsiness in conversation. “Here.”

“Thanks.” you quipped, fingers brushing against each other and he did not fail to notice the way you flinched a bit before taking a step back. “I’m sorry for them. Noya tends to get a bit too excited when in a competition.”

“Oh, trust me, I noticed.” Atsumu laughed and you followed, proudness coursing through his body hearing the sound that had his heart skip multiple beats.

“I should get back.” you followed, tucking the bandage roll inside the pocket. “The second set is about to start.”

“Atsumu.” he blurted quickly, arm stretching out. “Atsumu Miya.”

“So you’re Atsumu ..” you trailed off slowly hearing it, arm stopping mid-way before retracting to intertwine with the other behind the back, something of a disappointed smile stretching across the face. “Thank you for catching this and .. good luck in the match.” 

Atsumu stood there completely shocked at the interaction, arm falling defeated next to his body while catching you taking a quick look over the shoulder. The way your entire demeanor changed upon hearing his name made the setter wonder if he did something wrong, if you two met before, if maybe you were at some point the target of his rudeness and usual arrogance. A hand gripped Atsumu’s shoulder, fingers pressing lightly into the skin to bring him back to reality.

“Did you hear?” he asked, surprise laced with disbelief coating the question.

“I did.” Osamu Miya, the other twin, replied trying to hide the much too obvious amusement that came from the whole ordeal. “Reputation, Tsumu.”

“You mean ..” Atsumu’s body turned around in the blink of an eye, frowning at his brother. “Can’t be!”

“Why?” Osamu raised an eyebrow. “Just because you haven’t encountered a girl that won’t fall to your feet before, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t exist. Case in point.”

“Whatever.” Atsumu scoffed, walking past him with a scowl on his face, towel being thrown back on the bench.

“I know what you’re going to do after this match ends.” Osamu sighed, already tired to even follow his brother. “She is a good one, Tsumu. Not your usual .. kind.”

“You know her?” Atsumu stilled, another shock being served today. “Samu, why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I know OF her.” Osamu answered while walking on the court, a minute away from the second set. “And no, you can’t know. She doesn’t deserve what you usually do to others.”

That day, Atsumu felt as if Osamu already knew how the entire story was going to develop, how every twist and every turn would intertwine, tying even tighter together the two main characters at the epicenter of it. Indeed, the reputation that preceded the setter sent him into an 8 months long mission of trying to get your number, being at Karasuno making it fairly harder. Then university happened where both bumped into each other on the hallway, one walking towards the library while the other to class. Another six months passed until he convinced you to accept a date.

Yes, suddenly, the number one heartbreaker was dating, much to the dismay of the horde of girls that have been trying to obtain such honor since his steps graced the halls of Inarizaki. Osamu reached an all time high in his pride regarding Atsumu - he not once lost interest in you, truly working into convincing you he was worth it.

Witty, a tad bit arrogant and with a sharp tongue that did not give Atsumu much room to go toe to toe with you. But that was only a small part of the person he grew incredibly comfortable with, grew to care, finding himself on numerous occasions in a state of pure happiness and peace, simply watching how peacefully you would read from one of the books that was going to be finished by the end of the week. The calmness, kindness and dedication you exuded were going to work hand in hand when achieving the dream of becoming a Sports Medicine Physician - something Atsumu learned on the second date and was in awe for days after. He realized it was more to the way he was enjoying your presence, heart skipping a beat whenever you would notice him looking, reaching out with a soft, loving smile and brushing a wandering hair strand off his forehead, Atsumu leaning into the faint touch more with each passing day. 

“Why do you keep squirming?” you frowned, pausing the movie and moving away from his chest. “You’ve been doing this for the past 40 minutes.”

“I have a question.” Atsumu groaned, hand pulling at your arm until he made sure you were straddling him, eyes at the same level - something he needed in order to see the immediate reaction. “We’ve been dating for a while now and ..”

“Yes, I’m a virgin.” you blurted, shifting a bit at the answer while playing with the material of his shirt. “If that’s an inconvenience, I-..”

“Wh-” Atsumu cut the rest of the sentence off, eyes blew wide open, lips parted in shock with fingers digging into the flesh of your waist. “That’s not .. well, I figured.”

“You did?” you whispered, a bright blush hugging the cheeks, eyes avoiding his.

“Not that hard to figure it out when your head looks as if about to explode every single time I take my shirt off after practice.” Atsumu grinned, fingers finding your chin and pushing it up softly to look into your eyes. “Also, you always try to hide the fact that you’re enjoying it.”

“Well, you look really good.” you pouted, face of such redness he believed you were about to faint. “I have a hot boyf .. date.”

“What was that?” Atsumu asked, leaning in with a playful smirk, knowing exactly what you were about to say. “A hot what?”

“Date.” you answered, nose scrunching up in discomfort. “A hot date that gives me headaches.”

“You said boyfriend.” he leaned even closer, wearing the grin that always had your anger bubble to the surface.

“I didn’t.” you frowned, noses ghosting over each other.

“You did.” Atsumu pushed, knowing the point he wanted to reach. “You wanted to say boyfriend.”

“I couldn’t have said that because you are not my boyfriend.” the reply came almost instantly, that signature sharpness you carried around tickling his satisfaction. “We are dating. That’s it. You’re not my boyfriend.”

“Then let me be.” he whispered, lips hovering over yours, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down your spine. “Would you?”

“Are you ..” you swallowed the sudden knot obstructing the airway, slight surprise taking over, knowing better than to hope for anything from Atsumu Miya. “ .. sure?”

“Never been so sure ‘f something in my life.” Atsumu confidently replied, words muffled by his lips brushing yours ever so softly, the yearning pulling you in almost mindlessly. “Let me be yours.”

“Yes.” you breathed with a short nod. “I would like that.”

Fingers ghosted over the lips, heart fluttering at the memory of lips melting into each other with a newfound sense of a feeling both were already familiar with but feared expressing it out loud. Another thread locked around the story of two people that silently decided to give each other everything, all they held and all they felt. A searing kiss sealing their fates into a conjoined destiny that promised a future neither of them had expected. All the fear of who Atsumu Miya was vanished into thin air, replaced by that sweet, consuming feeling everyone desires at some point in their lives - being in love.

“Is it just me or Kuroo has been calling too much lately?” Atsumu frowned at the phone vibrating on the table. 

“He’s been calling the same way since high school.” you chuckled, head shaking slowly while handing him a napkin. “Chin, baby.”

“It’s different lately.” he remarked, eyes focused on the phone as the call stopped only to be followed by a message. “You don’t answer when I’m around, whisper when talking to him and replying to messages from the bathroom.”

“What are you getting at?” you instantly got defensive, stiff posture taking over.

“Interesting.” Atsumu cocked his head to the side, watching carefully for each gesture while on the subject. “Is your best friend getting too close for comfort?”

“Did Samu pissed you off again?” you laughed, stopping abruptly seeing a pair of hooded eyes staring right back, darkness flashing into them. “Oh God ..”

“Mhm.” he nodded, teeth nipping at the inner cheek.

“You’re jealous.” you whispered, trying to hold back another laugh, wide eyes studying with curiosity. “Atsumu Miya is jealous?”

“There’s nothing to be jealous of.” Atsumu scoffed, annoyed at the audacity you brought to the dinner in his apartment. “I don’t like how you hide to talk to him.”

“I am not hiding.” you rolled your eyes, pushing back the chair and standing up to clean the table.

“I’ll meet you after he leaves for practice.” Atsumu began quoting yesterday’s conversation with Kuroo. “That way it’s easier to avoid him. I’ll be at your place in 30.”

“What the hell, Atsumu?” you gasped, not being able to believe what was coming out of his mouth. “You’re listening in now?”

“When you’re being so fucking weird, I do!” Atsumu snapped while standing up as well, palms slamming against the table. “Why the hell are you supposed to avoid me?”

“Drop it.” you sighed, too tired to have an argument that made no sense.

“Are you fucking Kuroo?” Atsumu bluntly asked, nails digging into the wood, jaw clenching and unclenching at the prospect of such possibility.

“We’re done.” you threw the dishcloth on the table, features hardening at the hurtful words being thrown before slipping right past him. “We’re so fucking done.”

“You can’t even give me a simple yes or no answer!” he followed suit, both stepping into the living room where your bag was settled, planning on staying over for a few days. “At least spare me the theatrics!”

“There is nothing to say, Atsumu!” you pinched the bridge of your nose in annoyance. “You’re fucking delusional!”

“Whispering on the phone when you think I’m asleep, leaving the room whenever he calls, texts in the bathroom or covering the screen, leaving for an hour to come in four and the late night fucking dinners.” Atsumu seethed, skin flushed with anger as tears started pooling into your eyes - an image that was preparing him for the worst. “Just please come out with it so we can be done before we get even further.”

“It’s not what you think.” you countered, trying to keep it together seeing how easily he was ready to give up. “Can you really not trust me?”

“It’s HIM I don’t trust!” he threw his hands in the air, exasperated at how you so easily glided through his words. “What I don’t understand is if there’s nothing to hide, why are you even doing it?”

“Just trust me!” you snapped, wanting for the subject to end then and there.

“WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I TRUST YOU WHEN YOU WON’T EVEN GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER?” Atsumu raged and you flinched, over the course of a year in which you had been together never seeing him raise his tone more than to yell at Osamu.

“Because I ..” tears streamed down your cheeks, Atsumu’s guard dropping instantly, blatant sincerity on your face. “I love you, Atsumu.”

“Wh-” his voice faltered, freezing, faced with the words he had been waiting to hear and yet was afraid to say them first. “You love .. me?”

“I do, so fucking much.” you nodded, allowing him to get closer, to reach for you and wipe away the tears he caused. “You were complaining about how you cannot find a new roommate since the last one bailed and that it’ll be easier to share with someone from university rather than living alone. Since it’s our last year of studies, I .. uhm .. thought that I could maybe move in with you and then keep living together. It was supposed to be a surprise and Kuroo helped me with finding the perfect apartment. He knows a couple of good realtors and we’ve been meeting with them to view different spaces, Kuroo acting more like a discount coupon since they’re his friends. So .. there is nothing .. absolutely nothing going on with ..”

“I love you too.” Atsumu cut in, warm palms cupping your feverish cheeks as he leaned in, foreheads resting against each other. “I am so fucking sorry, so .. so sorry that I hurt you this way. Should’ve kept my mouth shut and simply trust that whatever you are doing is nothing wrong. I got afraid .. panicked .. knowing who I used to be, knowing that you are aware as well .. even after this year together .. the rumors and my reputation with women are still out there .. it scared me into waiting to say how much I love you and it probably scared you too and I understand and I am sorry and I want for us to live together and I love you .. and ..”

“Kiss me, you stupid Miya twin.” you simply smiled - soft, full of the love you had been hiding out of fear of him hurting you at some point, radiating with a warmth and beauty he thought he did not deserve. “And then show me just how much you love me.”

And so he did. Sounds of broken moans and pleas filled with pleasure dancing around the synapses of a man that always had an unsatiated hunger for the woman he loved so deeply. Fingertips pinching with the warmth of your body, the perfect curvature of a spine that arched into his touch, puffy lips asking to be devoured until the only word coming out of them being his name, your voice begging for more, begging to be ravaged beyond repair, beyond the simple existence of two intertwined bodies. You had become the electrifying presence that shocked a wild heart into craving commitment, a lifetime of it if possible.

Atsumu Miya loved you with a desperate fervor, unable to think without having at least one thought a day about you, unable to breathe when he would wake up to not find you next to him. There was a certain beautiful pain that followed whenever his arms would find solace around your body, soft skin soothing the morning grumpiness while cooking breakfast with him flushed against you. He absolutely adored seeing your naked form while brewing coffee, hips swaying on the rhythm of a tune hummed at 7 am.

There were not enough moments in the 4 years in which you had been together - laughing quietly while the completely untalented voice of the woman he loved came from the bathroom when singing under the shower. Surprising him at practice where every single one of his teammates was over the moon to have you there, always bringing their favorite snacks, and even the coach found your presence soothing, talking for hours on end about athletic injuries and how to protect the boys as much as possible. Falling asleep on the couch in an attempt to wait for him when out with his friends, a place where you would join if not too tired from the internship you scored in order to achieve the set in stone dream of becoming a Sports Medicine Physician.

Atsumu felt safe in the arms of the only woman he had ever loved, cheek pressed to your chest, the calm thumping of your heart always sending him into the best sleep he has ever had. Osamu absolutely adored you and there was no one in this world that could be better in his eyes, going out of your way to help at Onigiri Miya as much as possible, promoting it everywhere life carried you, people from work starting to come out of habit. Atsumu sat there, watching in wonder and amazement how well you could fit into their family.

When Osamu deemed you officially a Miya, the flare up of your cheeks had Atsumu raise his eyebrows in surprise. Were you ..

“T-tsumu ..” you whispered, surprise and tears shaking completely the confident expression you always wore, a bit of mascara threatening to be smeared with every droplet that fell from the prettiest eyes he had ever witnessed. “Wh- are you - wh-”

“Marry me.” Atsumu barely said, voice coming out in shaky waves, chest heaving with anticipation as his knee was digging into hardwood floors, not a single breath being heard as everyone held it in. “I suck at speeches about feelings in front of others but I swear I love you so much it’s unbearable sometimes. God .. I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life. I want to see you dance naked in the kitchen every single morning until I give my last breath. I want to hear your laugh whenever I make a bad joke that makes no sense. I could have an entire arena empty at a match but if you’re there cheering for me I know I can conquer the world. I want a fucking family with you. Only you and nothing else for the rest of my entire life.”

“Yes.” the words flew out of your mouth instantly, not even a second passing since his last word. “Yes, Tsumu! God! Fucking yes!”

What a beautiful thing, right? Love that is. Comes rushing into one’s life, sweeps them off their feet and drives the car that leads hearts into the greatest adventure of their lives. Two souls intertwining into a dance of laughter, caring touches, soft kisses and deep desire, two hearts becoming one in a never ending stream of happiness. And to think that life would be easier if things would always turn the way we plan them. Why can’t fate carve itself out into stone and melt its existence into the perfect equation formed out of two people simply loving each other for who they are?

“I fucking hate you!” the scream bounced off the walls, crashing painfully on top of the broken pieces of a heart that stopped beating.

 What would fate truly be if not a simple consumption for lonely hearts in search of a deeper, bigger meaning to life itself? What would happiness be if not a soothing touch when the tears had stopped falling? What would trust be if not the willingness to renounce loneliness? What would love be if not for all its majestic build up of twist and turns that makes up a heart?

The bright shine of the engagement ring perfectly fitting your finger was dimmed in comparison with the dark undereye bags. A year had passed since the night in which Atsumu Miya so proudly opened up his heart and accepted that you were the love of his life. A year, a span of time that was more than enough for life to unfold, for events to take place and for things to change. He defied anyone who ever said that he was unable to hold down a relationship, to fall in love, to love and be loved, to grow next to a woman and be his entire universe. Atsumu exceeded everyone’s expectations when he decided to marry you, to change your last name and plan for a future in which you would both grow old and wrinkly, pranking each other on your deathbeds. However, if it would ever be that simple, right?

Fame and money started following even more after becoming one of the top three Setters in the country, one of the few best volleyball players that was filling arenas to the brim, the name Miya falling out of everyone’s lips. There was no longer the same privacy from years back, photographed or followed at every corner, being called out on the street and adored by fans. Atsumu would’ve been lying saying he did not enjoy being in the spotlight. He always loved the feeling, all eyes on him and on no one else, recognized for all the hard work he had put the time in for. Your job as a Physician became even more demanding as soon as it was revealed that you were going to be Mrs. Miya. Trips, longer hours, projects, awards recipient. Name one and you probably were doing it.

Stress pressed heavily on both people absolutely mad in love with each other while unable to communicate anymore. It hurt and it brought nothing but frustration.

“Fucking talk to me!” the roar of a painful anger slashed through skins that were no longer as thicker as they used to be. “You can talk to him but not ME!”

The house became emptier, the bed colder and the silence heavier.

Atsumu found himself staring at the quiet kitchen in which you used to dance naked every single morning as, by now, you were long gone to work. Frustration bubbled to the surface, not knowing what to do anymore at this point. The overwhelming love that used to warm his heart was now burning, ravaging the insides of a man he did not recognize.

You were sitting on the comfy armchair that took the corner of your shared bedroom, chin resting on the knees while eyeing the bed in which you no longer wished to sleep. It was too empty, cold and foreign as if it never belonged to you and Atsumu. How much you hated what you two had become. Unable to talk to each other anymore, being constantly on different levels, disgustingly out of sync - him adoring the fame, you being proud of him for achieving it but despising it at the same time for the way it made Atsumu be, not capable of finding the same connection you so desperately clung to. The love that was having your soul hum a year ago was now screeching in pain inside your tired heart.

Atsumu was coming home at 4 am completely wasted every two days from being out with his boys or surfing through crowds of desperate fans, absorbing every bit of attention he could not get at home.

You were leaving for work at 5 am every single day, tears stinging a pair of hollow eyes that wanted nothing but the attention of the person that was almost never home.

Oh, how much you both hated what you have become.

“How could you?” you asked, trembling with anger and pain. “The old Atsumu Miya finally hits big. His greatest con.”

“Love ..” Atsumu whispered, completely ashamed out of his mind.

“HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?” you roared in such a broken voice that had him drop to his knees, throwing the phone into his lap.

“Please ..” Atsumu begged quietly, unable to bring himself to look at the photograph that was brightly burning his face.

“LOOK AT IT!” you cried with desperation. “LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO US!”

There it was. The old Atsumu Miya. Lips wrapped around another’s while leaving a nightclub.

“I know, Atsumu!” he winced hearing you call him by the full name that hasn’t graced the walls of this house for years. “We had a hard year, we could not find the sync we used to have, we were unable to talk as before but .. BUT I NEVER EVEN BATTED AN EYELASH IN THE DIRECTION OF ANOTHER MAN! NOT ONCE!”

“I’m sorry ..” Atsumu said, tears streaming down his face, not moving an inch from the kneeling position - he had to beg for it, he had to show you that he was still yours despite everything. “I’m so fucking sorry! Please .. please ..”

“Please what?” you choked on the tears, back hitting the wall and sliding down on it as your legs could not support the heavy pain pressing on the shoulders. “I gave you absolutely everything I had. What did I did wrong? I pulled away from you when you were doing the same. That is my one fault. I should’ve reached for you.”

“No.” Atsumu sobbed, fists slamming against the floor. “You did everything as perfectly as always. I was weak, desperate for attention and cruel. Reveling in my own fame while you couldn’t breathe next to me.”

“I could’ve endured another year of this rather than ..” hoarse voice ripping from your throat while eyeing the phone. “.. that.”

“It didn’t mean a single thing.” he tried justifying something there was no point in even trying, knowing you already were aware of what he was about to say. “It didn’t felt the same, it didn’t gave me anything, it was a stranger and it did not mean a single fucking thing. I love you. Only you and no one else.”

“Don’t, please.” you crumbled again, dried up tears being washed away by the new hot and painful ones. “Don’t say you love me when no longer than 24 hours ago you were in between someone else’s legs .. and .. GOD! YOU CAME HOME IN BETWEEN MINE!”

“I love you.” Atsumu pushed, despite feeling how abruptly his life came to a stop right in that moment. “I love you! I love you! I FUCKING LOVE YOU!”

“I FUCKING LOVE YOU TOO!” you screamed, head hitting the wall with a never seen before anger. “I FUCKING LOVE YOU SO MUCH I WANT TO FORGIVE YOU!”

“Please .. please .. don’t ..” Atsumu winced, pool of tears gathered on the hardwood floor beneath him. “Don’t leave me.”

Twelve hours later and one month before the wedding, you moved out of the house bought in anticipation of being married and starting a family.

Thirteen hours later you were wrapped up in a blanket on Kuroo’s couch, eyes focused on the steam leaving the cup of tea he brewed for you.

Fifteen hours later Atsumu trashed the entire house and smashed against the wall your favorite mug.

Twenty-four hours later Shimizu, Kuroo, Kenma and Kageyama were handling phone calls to cancel the wedding while Noya boarded a plane with Shoyo.

Thirty hours later Osamu kept the restaurant closed for the day while he cooked for Meian, Kita, Sakusa and Suna while Atsumu was slumped on a bag of rice. Bokuto declined to come as he headed to see you.

Forty-eight hours later you fell asleep in Oikawa’s arms as he made a surprise appearance - genuine happiness graced your tired, pained features that lasted only 3 minutes.

“Keep it, lovely.” Osamu said on the phone, happy to see you chuckle at the adorable name, urging you to keep the ring that would’ve never looked good on someone else’s finger ever again. “Don’t be a stranger, yeah?”

“Never for you, Samu.” your voice cracked, him choosing to end the call before hearing the tears threatened to be spilled - promising himself to treat you to an amazing dinner he will personally deliver when Kuroo confirms you felt better and able to see the person that resembled Atsumu too much to be bearable.

A month later, on the day when the wedding was supposed to happen, you fell to your knees in the hallway, a scream of unbearable pain rupturing from your lungs. That night you fell asleep in Kuroo’s bed, safely protected by your best friend’s arms.

Two months later, Osamu came to visit, treating you and Kuroo to an amazing dinner where three simple friends laughed reminiscing about high school and discussing work - you started laughing sincerely again.

Four months later Atsumu could be seen bar hopping and leaving with different women every single night. The next never the same as the previous. He gave up commitment when you left his life.

Six months later you were smiling, working and finally becoming the Sports Medicine Physician every team wanted while apartment hunting in order to get out of Kuroo’s hair.

Seven months later Kuroo realized he never wanted for you to leave, your presence in his house being something he had wished for since high school. Yes, Atsumu Miya was right at some point in time - Tetsurō Kuroo had feelings for you. Yes, Tetsurō Kuroo never believed that Atsumu was the right man for you - wishful thinking I presume.

Eight months later, when you came with an apartment listing, he pleaded for you not to leave, asking to let him take care of you without anything else in between. You accepted.

Ten months later Atsumu was worse while you were flourishing. Still top of his game as never before, rage channeled into the sport he loved. After all, this was the only thing left for him to love. Full bed at night, empty in the morning. Unknown bodies piling up as he did not remember a single name but yours.

A year later Kuroo asked you out on a date after getting drunk one night out of pure fun and ending up kissing when he challenged you to prove that there were absolutely no feelings for him. Case in point, you failed.

A year and a half later your heart was mended, filled with love yet again, one more powerful than any felt before. A love that came up like fresh air when you felt like drowning. At the same time, Atsumu entered a hiatus and flew out of the country to find himself, to try and build himself back up to the man you taught him to be.

Two years later, while you and Kuroo were bickering over which color should the bedroom be painted in, Atsumu met someone new.

Now here they were, five years later, two hearts separated by the window of a coffee shop as the snow quietly coated Tokyo with its peaceful beauty. Atsumu made his way towards Onigiri Miya when the corners of his eyes caught sight of a familiar face. Heart jumped into his throat seeing the woman he never stopped loving sitting alone at a table while pushing a hair strand behind her ear.

You. You as beautiful as ever. You as light in your movements as all those years ago. You with shoulder-length hair and no makeup. Simply you.

Blood ran cold in Atsumu’s veins as he watched Tetsurō Kuroo bring two mugs and placing them on the table before sitting at it. His lips moved and you laughed.

Ah, that ever so musical laugh he adored hearing when you danced naked into the kitchen.

What came next caused a rush of pain to travel throughout Atsumu’s body, fingers clenching the material of the jacket covering his chest as a stinging sensation took hold of his heart.

Slender fingers ghosted over the softness of your cheeks, carefully tangling themselves into a loose haistrand, guiding it behind the ear in a slow motion. Lips parted to reveal that all too familiar pearly white smile that had the ability to daze every single living soul in a room, turning heads wherever it was seen and breaking hearts through its innocence. Your faintly blushing cheek leaned into his touch, eyes closed to absorb all the warmth and care provided in a tender moment, both slightly leaned in over the wooden table, yearning for closeness. Steamy mugs were witnesses to two people caught into the sweet spell of love, his eyes bearing nothing but adoration to the woman sitting before him.

Your own hand reached up to settle on top of his and that is when Atsumu noticed the failure of his entire life - two golden wedding rings, gleaming into the dimmed lights of the coffee shop. Tears pooled into his eyes, watching how lovingly you pressed a kiss into Kuroo’s palm as he smiled. Atsumu recognized the man’s gaze and smile all too well from the times he gave them out to you - pure love.

The ringing of a phone pulled him out of the trance, quickly answering the call.

“What?” Atsumu asked, annoyed, watching Kuroo placing his lips right on top of your wedding ring.

“You’re late.” Osamu sighed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m watching something.” Atsumu replied, voice almost cracking.

“What’s that?” his brother asked, obviously confused at the statement.

“My own failure as a man.” the reply came, broken and with disbelief.

Ending the call, Atsumu watched you and your husband laugh before pulling each other into a small, soft kiss. Kuroo stood, mugs empty, as he grabbed the jacket resting on the backrest of your chair and held it open. When you stood, that is when Atsumu realized how long he had been standing there, carefully watching a present that could have been his future. 

There is nothing in life that fate leaves up to chance, a perfectly developed system that souls are yet to comprehend, as your eyes found his through the window. Past and present meshed together in between the two pairs of familiar eyes that found each other yet again. Memories rushed before them, laughter toning down the world surrounding the two, pure laughter as they danced into the living room on a music of their own. 

Not a single flinch in sight, head cocked slightly to the side as a soft smile vibrated along the puffiness of your lips while Kuroo took the mugs to the wooden counter in the corner of the shop. There was no pain or anger, yearning or desire, sadness or frustration but there was something else left.

The all too familiar love both held for each other. Not the feverish, desperate and passionate love from all those years ago.

No. Not at all.

A love that was at peace, quiet even, tied into the threads of their own being and memorable beyond comprehension. It was about two hearts walking a path that was never going to lead them towards the same end.

That is the thing about life and how fate works behind the curtain - a mere string of events invisible to the innocent eye of a pure being, tossed and turned into a circle of life that is meant to be spent together, two halves of the same whole. However, not always the same two halves are meant to become one. That is what you and Atsumu came to realize while staring lovingly at each other through a glass that separated the past from the present. No erratic heartbeats in sight, no heaviness or pain, a simple yet swift closure came only five years later, managing to bring their hearts back into the sync that had been lost on that fateful day. 

Atsumu was not him.

You were not her.

And despite all of that, despite everything that had happened, you were bound to each other for life, unable to forget the years and life that were shared. Two souls intertwined into a story where they had learned who they truly were, where they grew up together, walking hand in hand towards the futures that fit them better.

You both knew what everything had meant, even now while so close, yet so far, even with other people in your lives - you were the love of Atsumu’s life and he was yours.

Kuroo’s hands found their way on your shoulders, squeezing softly as a sign it was time to leave. You did not move right away and neither did Atsumu. Warmth, pride and genuine happiness pooled into the same eyes he used to adore, oh, so deeply. The corners of your mouth stretched a bit more upwards, fingers intertwining with your husband’s and a silent thank you was offered through the simplicity of your eyes - forever grateful to the man that taught you how to love.

Atsumu nodded briefly and took a step back, shoved his hands into the pockets of the jacket and smiled, a playful wink being returned - thank you for everything, he silently spoke. As you nodded once right back, both understanding each other without the need of a single word, a genuine smile stretched out the features of Atsumu Miya, turning around and making his way towards Osamu’s restaurant.

After all this time in which he had felt completely lost, Atsumu became himself again - the man you taught him to be.

Both of you were loved and, despite not sleeping in each other’s arms tonight, an undeniable peace embraced your hearts.