kiyoomi who has trouble falling asleep unless he's hugging something receives a giant atsumu plushie from motoya as a prank gift. he swears he's not going to use it—no way.

but why is the plushie so soft, warm, and cuddly? how can kiyoomi just leave it in the closet to rot now?

he manages to get away with it for so long because they have their own rooms in the jackals' apartment complex and the team always books individual hotel rooms for away games as well.

kiyoomi can hug the giant atsumu plushie all he wants without anyone making fun of him for it.

well, that was until a hotel they booked makes a huge error.

"everyone's fine with sharing a room for the weekend, right?" meian asks with heavy sigh. a chorus of 'yes' answers him and even though kiyoomi wants to protest, it's not like he has any choice in the matter now.

it's like the world has a vendetta against kiyoomi because he ends up getting the short end of the stick—literally.

"omi-kun! we're roommates!" atsumu declares with a grin, waving a short stick identical to the one in kiyoomi's hand.

oh dear. this is going to be a long weekend.

the first night goes like this.

it's common knowledge that atsumu often stay up late. he likes lying on the bed while scrolling through his phone—reading articles, watching tournament replays, or playing random mobile games.

kiyoomi, on the other hand, prefers to sleep early.

his dilemma right now is that no matter how much kiyoomi wants to rest after a long day, he can't possibly just take out the giant atsumu plushie hidden inside his suitcase and cuddle it to sleep like usual—not when the real atsumu is in the vicinity and still wide awake.

a sleep deprived kiyoomi is what greets the jackals' the next morning.

"yikes. seems like someone here didn't like the new room arrangements," inunaki wrinkles his nose as soon as he steps out. kiyoomi groans and dismisses him with a wave.

"i'll sleep when we go back to osaka."

hinata gasps and looks at kiyoomi as if he had just grown a third head. "omi-san, no! that's not good for your body!"

"that's right!" bokuto adds. "athletes like us need at least eight hours of sleep per day!"

"i appreciate the concern," kiyoomi sighs. "but i'll be fine."

but several hours later and kiyoomi finds himself to be totally not fine at all.

by the second night, he has only managed to take a few short naps in between breaks the entire day, still unable to sleep without the usual comfort of that annoyingly soft giant atsumu plushie.

it's late and his body is too tired just like how his lids are getting too heavy. kiyoomi is on the verge of just saying fuck it and taking the plushie out in the open regardless of whether atsumu will see it or not—he can always just blame the whole thing on motoya anyway.

but just when he's about to open his suitcase, the real atsumu who was sitting on the bed across him clears his throat.

"uhm, so i heard that you didn't get to sleep last night," he starts and kiyoomi doesn't need to ask to know that atsumu is worried. "was it because of me?"

and kiyoomi almost spills everything right then and there.

yes, he did lose sleep because of atsumu—but not in the way he's probably thinking of. there is simply no one who could have predicted the real reason. not past kiyoomi. maybe not even motoya who gave him that gift.

nevertheless, he knows he can't say it—not now.

so settles with half the truth.

"it's not your fault," kiyoomi reassures him. "i just have some trouble sleeping. that's all."

"oh, i see," atsumu sighs in relief and then his eyes light up. "is there anything i can do to help?"

the remaining rational part within kiyoomi is telling him to keep quiet but the stronger sleep deprived side of him is roaring for a solution.

it doesn't take long for the latter to win.

"well, there is one thing," kiyoomi purses his lips.

"i'd be glad to help in any way."

"you see," kiyoomi pauses. "i kind of can't sleep unless i'm hugging something."

he can do it. he can use the plushie tonight and then ask atsumu to pretend he didn't see a thing the next morning. after all, he wants to help and kiyoomi is a little bit more desperate than usual.

"so you need to hug something?"

kiyoomi nods. "yeah so i—"

"that's not a problem then," atsumu suddenly interrupts, taking big strides to close the distance between them. "i used to cuddle samu all the time. we can cuddle to help you sleep tonight, omi-kun."

uhm. wait, what?

there are a lot of things kiyoomi wants to say to that statement and his tired brain goes into overdrive.

no way

kiyoomi can cuddle the plushie but he doesn't think he can handle the real atsumu

why would he even suggest that?

yes please

he can't

but he's kind of desperate

his mouth betrays him before he can even think.

"okay," kiyoomi hears himself reply. "that sounds great, miya."

"alright," atsumu beams at him. "i'll just take another shower and hop on the bed next to you later, okay omi-kun?"

"sure. be quick."

"got it, sir! be right back!"

and when atsumu comes back thirty minutes later, newly showered and eager to get in bed with him, kiyoomi thinks nothing could have ever prepared him for the feeling of being in the arms of the real miya atsumu.

it's a different kind of warmth—a much more satisfying comfort.

the giant plushie is nice and all but it doesn't card its fingers through kiyoomi's curls nor does it hum a sweet tune to lull him to sleep. the plushie may be soft and the real atsumu may be way more muscly, but kiyoomi kinda likes the feeling of being caged in his embrace.

and just before he finally succumbs to the call of sleep, kiyoomi smiles and mutters under his breath, "i think i really like this, atsumu."

he doesn't get to hear the whispered reply nor feel the gentle press of lips on top of his hair.

"i think like this a lot too, omi-kun."

(atsumu finds out about the giant plushie soon after they start dating and instead of making fun of kiyoomi like he thought he would, atsumu only whines about how he could have been cuddling his boyfriend sooner and then glares at the poor plushie for stealing kiyoomi's hugs.)