Read on Twitter
His first girlfriend breaks up with him in spring, and the raindrops pattering down on the concrete of the schoolyard almost drowns out the edge in her voice as she tells Kiyoomi that she can't be with someone who isn't as committed to a relationship as she is. +
"I'm really sorry," she says. "I admire how much you love your club. I really do. But I don't want to spend my life being second place to volleyball. "
Kiyoomi takes it with grace. He forgets her within a month. +
Kiyoomi takes it with grace. He forgets her within a month. +
"When are you going to stop doing that?" his college boyfriend asks tiredly, years later.
Kiyoomi freezes in the middle of wiping down the study chair in his room, and turns to find him, arms folded in the doorway of his room. +
Kiyoomi freezes in the middle of wiping down the study chair in his room, and turns to find him, arms folded in the doorway of his room. +
"Really, Kiyoomi," he says. "You can't expect me to live like this forever."
"Like what?" Kiyoomi asks, even though he already knows the answer. +
"Like what?" Kiyoomi asks, even though he already knows the answer. +
His boyfriend (soon to be ex) clicks his tongue in exasperation. "Are you really making me say it? You know I'll sound like the bad guy, Kiyoomi."
Kiyoomi has never hated the sound of his own name more. "Yes," he says brittlely. "Just so we're clear." +
Kiyoomi has never hated the sound of his own name more. "Yes," he says brittlely. "Just so we're clear." +
There is a pause, for a very long while. Kiyoomi flicks his gaze back to the stubborn stain on the seat of his chair, and scrubs a little harder than before. Then-
"Do you think you'll ever get better?" +
"Do you think you'll ever get better?" +
Kiyoomi turns away fully, then, so he can't see the angry tears gathering in his eyes.
"I don't know," he says. "But you won't be around to find out." +
"I don't know," he says. "But you won't be around to find out." +
Atsumu loves volleyball just as much as Kiyoomi does. He accepts gifts from Kiyoomi's fans on his behalf, and steadies Kiyoomi with a hand on the edge of his sleeve when Kiyoomi stumbles in a crowded bus because he refuses to grab on to the handlebars. +
So when Atsumu confesses to Kiyoomi with all the bashfulness of a 13 year old girl in the locker room after a big game, handwritten letter and all, Kiyoomi can't quite believe his luck. He accepts so eagerly that it might have been embarrassing if not for Atsumu's own flushed +
cheeks, pink with happiness.
Of course, being a staunch believer in Murphy's Law, Kiyoomi isn't the least bit surprised when Atsumu shows up one day with a giant bouquet of flowers. Which isn't a problem in and of itself, except-
Of course, being a staunch believer in Murphy's Law, Kiyoomi isn't the least bit surprised when Atsumu shows up one day with a giant bouquet of flowers. Which isn't a problem in and of itself, except-
"Aren't you allergic to flowers?" Motoya's laughter crackles down the line as Kiyoomi pans the camera to the two dozen roses sitting in his bathtub.
Kiyoomi doesn't own a vase large enough to store two dozen roses, and he doesn't think his lungs are big enough to contain +
Kiyoomi doesn't own a vase large enough to store two dozen roses, and he doesn't think his lungs are big enough to contain +
the sheer amount of love bursting through his veins.
"Yes," Kiyoomi replies. "But you're not to say a word of this to him."
"Oh my god," Motoya crows. "You have it so bad, Kiyoomi." +
"Yes," Kiyoomi replies. "But you're not to say a word of this to him."
"Oh my god," Motoya crows. "You have it so bad, Kiyoomi." +
No shit, Kiyoomi thinks, even as he vehemently rubs at his running nose and exits the bathroom hastily.
The problem, however, was that Atsumu had taken Kiyoomi's watery eyes as a sign that he was just extremely moved by Atsumu's grand gesture. +
The problem, however, was that Atsumu had taken Kiyoomi's watery eyes as a sign that he was just extremely moved by Atsumu's grand gesture. +
Which he was, but Kiyoomi's watery eyes was also, unfortunately, a sign of his allergic reaction. To his horror, Atsumu starts bringing him bouquets every day, giant sunflowers and tulips and forget-me-nots, just because "I love it when my prickly Omi-kun is touched! You +
look so adorable when you get all sniffly."
Kiyoomi can't bear to tell him the truth, not when Atsumu looks so pleased and endeared every time his eyes turn red whenever Atsumu presents him with a new bouquet. And deep down, he knows some part of him is afraid that +
Kiyoomi can't bear to tell him the truth, not when Atsumu looks so pleased and endeared every time his eyes turn red whenever Atsumu presents him with a new bouquet. And deep down, he knows some part of him is afraid that +
if he tells him, Atsumu might just decide that /this/ is the straw that breaks the camel's back. And Kiyoomi knows that for the second time in his life, he's found something he can't bear to lose.
"You could always throw the flowers away, you know," Motoya points out amusedly. +
"You could always throw the flowers away, you know," Motoya points out amusedly. +
Kiyoomi presses his lips together stubbornly, even as he curls up in his couch, a tissue pressed to his nose, the apartment behind him painted with a sea of floral hues.
"'M not going to," Kiyoomi says thickly. "It'd be a waste of his money." +
"'M not going to," Kiyoomi says thickly. "It'd be a waste of his money." +
Motoya mutters something that sounds a lot like "sap", and Kiyoomi graciously pretends not to hear him.
Of course, just as Motoya predicted, he is forced to call sick from practice one day, his stuffy nose finally getting the better of him. +
Of course, just as Motoya predicted, he is forced to call sick from practice one day, his stuffy nose finally getting the better of him. +
He's steeling himself to finally clear the flowers from his apartment when his doorbell rings. Kiyoomi feels a sense of foreboding immediately creep up his spine.
"Omi-kun!" Atsumu calls cheerfully as he pushes past him into the apartment the moment Kiyoomi opens the door. +
"Omi-kun!" Atsumu calls cheerfully as he pushes past him into the apartment the moment Kiyoomi opens the door. +
"I brought ya soup for yer flu, and-"
Atsumu stops, his gaze landing on the giant pile of flowers sitting in the trash bag in the middle of the living room.
"I can explain," Kiyoomi says, feeling almost lightheaded. +
Atsumu stops, his gaze landing on the giant pile of flowers sitting in the trash bag in the middle of the living room.
"I can explain," Kiyoomi says, feeling almost lightheaded. +
Atsumu holds up a hand, and Kiyoomi cuts himself off. He prepares himself for the worst, and curses himself for forgetting Murphy's damn law.
"Omi-kun." Against all odds, somehow Atsumu's eyes are the ones that are filling with tears. "Do you not love me anymore?" +
"Omi-kun." Against all odds, somehow Atsumu's eyes are the ones that are filling with tears. "Do you not love me anymore?" +
Of all the things he'd been expecting, Kiyoomi is completely unprepared for /this/. "What?" he manages to choke out.
"Y-you're throwin' away all the flowers I gave ya, and ya called sick from practice- oh my god, are ya breakin' up with me and transferrin' to another team?" +
"Y-you're throwin' away all the flowers I gave ya, and ya called sick from practice- oh my god, are ya breakin' up with me and transferrin' to another team?" +
"What the hell," Kiyoomi says in disbelief, and then bursts into laughter.
Atsumu blinks at him in confusion, tears still running down his cheeks. "B-but-" +
Atsumu blinks at him in confusion, tears still running down his cheeks. "B-but-" +
"I'm allergic to pollen," Kiyoomi confesses, the words tumbling out from his mouth in a rush. "I didn't want to tell you because you were so excited about them, and I know you put up with a lot from me already, and I just didn't want to give you something else to deal with." +
"What?" Atsumu looks angry now. "Why the hell would I think that?"
"Because," Kiyoomi says, suddenly feeling very uncertain. "I don't know," he finishes lamely.
Atsumu jabs a finger aggressively at his chest. +
"Because," Kiyoomi says, suddenly feeling very uncertain. "I don't know," he finishes lamely.
Atsumu jabs a finger aggressively at his chest. +
"Sakusa Kiyoomi," Atsumu starts. His brows are scrunched together furiously and his cheeks are still ruddy with emotion, but Kiyoomi has never loved the sound of his own name more. +
"I dare you," he continues, "I double dare you. I triple dare you. To ever find something about yourself that I wouldn't want to put up with."
Kiyoomi nearly chokes on his own spit. "What?" +
Kiyoomi nearly chokes on his own spit. "What?" +
"Ya heard me," Atsumu says, crossing his arms stubbornly. His cheeks redden even more, but his voice is unwavering. "Yer not getting rid of me that easily, ya hear?" +
Kiyoomi is too stunned to speak for a moment, and Atsumu takes his silence for disbelief.
"Fine," Atsumu huffs. "I'll prove it to you." +
"Fine," Atsumu huffs. "I'll prove it to you." +
The next day, Kiyoomi finds a giant bouquet of plastic roses waiting on top of his locker.
"Bit tacky, don't you think?" Inunaki remarks as he passes. "Think Atsumu finally went broke from all the real flowers?"
"Bit tacky, don't you think?" Inunaki remarks as he passes. "Think Atsumu finally went broke from all the real flowers?"
"No," Kiyoomi says, and shoots a smile at Atsumu's back, where he definitely isn't eavesdropping on their conversation. "I think it's perfect."
- end -
this is also known as- i am INCAPABLE of writing anything serious anything i touch turns into clownery
this is also known as- i am INCAPABLE of writing anything serious anything i touch turns into clownery
