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It was easy for Osamu to tell something was up with his twin. Atsumu had the most disgustingly pleased expression on his face. The same one he told people they were trash. Whenever Osamu brought this up Atsumu just gave him a smarmy grin, eyes glittering with a ‘I know something you don’t’.
Well, whatever. Osamu could do his own investigations.
Mainly stealing the phone that Atsumu was on all the time.
He recruited Suna and Ginjima, both eager to dig up shit about Atsumu.
Flipping open the phone he didn’t even have to dig because a message popped up immediately.
Practice is starting for me! Bye Captain! <3
“What the fuck?” Osamu said, “All that for a girl?”
“Wait... Who’s the message from?” Ginjima asked.
Osamu clicked through the prompts to take him to the contact info.
“Oh, man...” Suna commented, voice lilting with humor.
Staring up at them was a selfie of Karasuno’s #10.
“No fucking way...”
Osamu could feel his face curl into a shit-eating grin.
Oh, Atsumu was going to get shit for this.
(Revelation 1: Atsumu was dating Karasuno’s #10)
“So… Karasuno’s #10, huh?”
Atsumu choked on the piece of chicken he had just taken a bite from.
Subtle, ‘Tsumu.
“I don’t - hurk - know what yer talking about,” he said, face flushed across his cheeks.
Osamu snorted.
“Practice is starting for me! Good luck Captain. Heart,” Osamu deadpanned.
He made a heart sign with his hands for effect.
Atsumu spluttered, “Ya went through mah phone?!”
“Don’t avoid the question, Tsumu.”
Atsumu clicked his tongue, “it ain’t none of yer business.”
Osamu rolled his eyes, “Jus’ surprising. Hyōgo is real far from Miyagi.”
Atsumu’s face twisted in what seemed like pain, “Ah know that dip.”
Osamu tilted his head. This wasn’t as… fun as he’d expected it to be. Atsumu, instead of raging was getting shy.
Osamu needed to reevaluate the situation.
Osamu sighed, “Alright.”
“Alright?”
“Tell me bout ‘im.”
Oh boy does Atsumu talk. Apparently, they are not quite dating. Mutually confessed admiration. Heart emojis and telling each other about their days.
“Sounds like dating.”
Atsumu sighed, “What would be the point in dating when we’re seven hours away by Shinkansen? Those tickets ain’t cheap either.”
Osamu shrugged, “I don’t know, do ya wanna date other people?”
“Huh?”
“I mean like, if it wasn’t Shouyou-kun would you be interested in dating at all?”
Atsumu and him had tried their hand at dating girls. Osamu didn’t like the inconvenience and effort. Atsumu had said he couldn’t stand the pointless squealing of those girls.
Osamu had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t the ‘squealing’ that was the problem.
Atsumu’s face scrunched up, “… No. Not at all.”
“Well, there ya go.”
“What if he’s interested? Ah can’t just tell him to wait for who knows how long.”
“Why not? If he doesn’t mind who cares? If he practices as much as ya he won’t got the time anyway. And what normie wants to listen to volleyball twenty-four seven?”
Atsumu looked upfronted, “We don’t just talk about volleyball!”
Osamu pressed X to doubt.
Atsumu made a noise and passed his phone over, clicking to the chat app aggressively.
Osamu took it and scrolled through.
Shouyou-kun was… Surprisingly charismatic. He sent pictures of cats he passed on the street. Food if it looked good. He talked about what his sister was doing and tutoring with Yachi (she’s, our manager! Townsperson B! Whatever that meant.) in addition to volleyball stuff like new equipment which ball brands he liked, and league games he caught on television.
“Hm… Yer right, maybe he’s too good fer ya.”
Atsumu sputtered but Osamu saw the wounded look on his brother’s face.
Osamu winced internally and reeled it back in, “Or maybe he’s just perfect for ya? Finally, someone who can get ya to talk about something other than volleyball. And I mean it sounds like he adores ya. Look at how excited he was when ya complimented his cookin’.”
Atsumu brightened. His smile was kind of goofy in an absolutely sickening lovesick way.
Osamu passed the phone back, “Just talk to him. Don’t decide things for him.”
“I wouldn’t!”
X.
(Revelation 2: Atsumu was serious about Hinata)
Inter-High came without Karasuno. Atsumu already spent about two weeks pouting when he heard the news straight for Shouyou-kun.
Osamu was glad he was there to manage Atsumu’s outburst before he sent Shouyou-kun a litany of verbal abuse asking how he could lose and how he was garbage. With platitudes of ‘they’ll be there in the spring.’
Still, when out of view of the cameras he was pouting.
“Osamu,” Kita asked, “Is Atsumu alright?”
Osamu sighed, “He’s jus’ mad Karasuno ain’t here.”
“Should have known. He that eager for a rematch?” Aran asked in fond exasperation.
Suna snorted, “Yeah… That’s why…”
Osamu shrugged. Gossiping about Atsumu’s… Thing with #10 felt weird. It wasn’t like it was a secret (to Osamu) but Atsumu was pretty tight-lipped about it. When he had had a girlfriend in their first year, he never shut up about it. How prettier and smarter she was than Osamu’s dates.
Then how annoying she was.
But with Hinata, Atsumu didn’t speak much besides that intense heart-to-heart they had, and sometimes he would share (just with Osamu, just when they were alone at home or on the isolated walk to and from school) things about ‘Shouyou-kun’.
Hinata made Atsumu vulnerable and Osamu, while always ready to pick apart his tool of a brother never wanted to strip him down in front of others.
Osamu glared over at Ginjima and Suna. Ginjima looked away and Suna glared back. They’d been good about being hush-hush after Osamu had warned them that this wasn’t a joke and they needed to mind their own business and keep their traps shut.
It had felt like closing ranks. The world shrinking down to Osamu&Atsumu but this was Kita and Aran. The captain they respected and adored and their longtime friend.
“Did something happen?” Kita asked.
His tone was placid but there was a twinge and Osamu couldn’t tell if it was worry or the readiness to scold the twins into behaving.
Suna clicked his tongue and turned to walk away. Ginjima looked nervously between their seniors and Osamu. He laughed nervously before following Suna.
“Osamu…” Kita pressed.
Osamu stared resolutely at his ex-captain.
“Oi! What are ya glaring at Kita for?”
Osamu’s eyes flickered to Atsumu as his twin slung an arm around Osamu.
“We were just talking about why you seemed so annoyed that Karasuno isn’t here.”
Atsumu flushed and looked away, “Well ah told them I’d whoop their buts at Inter-High and they ain’t even here.”
He retracted his arm and crossed them defensively across his chest.
“That’s the only reason?”
Atsumu hummed and then turned, “Oi! Riseki let’s talk strategy!”
Kita and Aran furrowed their brows. Osamu lifted his chin, “Was nice talking to ya.”
Then suddenly, “Oh! Uh... H-hey!”
Osamu looked around Kita to see Karasuno’s #10 in the flesh.
“What are ya doing here?” Osamu spat out before his brain fully caught up, “I mean, ugh, don’t ya have school or somethin’?”
Ah shit, I sound like a fucking dick.
Hinata’s cheeks lit up, “I - I came to see Nekoma. A-and then I saw you guys and you know I just wanted to congratulate you on making it to Nationals.”
Osamu gave out a shaky laugh, “Ya that close to a Tokyo team? Yeah sure. Atsumu’s over there.”
He jerked a fist with his thumb out back where Atsumu was ‘talking strategy with Riseki’.
Hinata’s blush spread from his cheeks to his ears and down his neck, “Wh-what? W-why would I...?”
Hinata’s eyes roved Osamu’s face then glanced at Kita and Aran who were watching the scene curiously.
Hinata sighed, shoulders slumping, “He looks busy...”
“Nah. He just wanted an excuse to avoid the third degree from our senpai. Ah’ll call him over. Tell him you’ll give him something nice if he gets ten service aces in a row.”
Hinata spluttered and Osamu couldn’t help but grin fondly.
“Y-yeah o-okay! I’ll just wait... Over there, yeah.”
Hinata bowed to Kita and then to Aran before trotting off to hide behind a corner, taking the first right-branching hallway.
“What was that about?” Aran asked.
Osamu looked at Aran and Kita appraisingly.
As much as he liked Aran and Kita, they weren’t a part of Osamu&Atsumu. Osamu felt that invisible line being drawn. The one separating Osamu and Atsumu from the rest of the world. Osamu wondered if that would change when they split off. If they would become just Osamu and Atsumu. If they would form deeper bonds with other people that circumvented their DNA deep, love-hate relationship.
He thought about where Hinata fell in that divide.
Osamu shrugged, “Nothing much,” he said before turning to wave down Atsumu.
On their way home from Nationals (in the privacy of their shared room Atsumu would admit that Hinata and him had kissed for the first time because of his service aces) Osamu swiped Hinata’s phone number from a sleeping Atsumu’s phone.
Sending his first ‘hey it’s Osamu’, Osamu decided where Hinata was in the standing of Osamu&Atsumu and the rest of the world.
(Revelation 3: Hinata fell on their side of the divide.)
Osamu glanced over from his bottom bunk where Atsumu was doing homework at their desk. Atsumu’s phone rang. It was his ringtone to Hinata, an adorable chime that Hinata had picked out for himself at Nationals.
Osamu sighed internally. He didn’t want to leave the comfort of his bunk so the couple could talk in private.
If he needs space, he can go phone sex his boyfriend in the bathroom.
Instead, Osamu watched as Atsumu’s face went from that lovesick goofy smile to twisting in rage. Osamu practically lunged from the bed to wrench the phone out of Atsumu’s hand. He snapped the phone shut, ending the call.
“What the fuck, Osamu?!”
“Say it.”
Atsumu’s face screwed up.
“Whatever you were going to say to Hinata, say it to me.”
Atsumu’s brow furrowed again then his lips pulled back into a sneer, “He’s fucking leaving!”
“You?” Osamu asked alarmed.
“Everyone! Japan! He wants to go to fucking Brazil!”
Osamu blinked, “Wha-? Brazil? Why?”
“He said to train in volleyball.”
Osamu sighed.
What a pair of volleyball idiots.
“Okay. Okay. Tell me why this makes ya angry.”
“Because he’s leaving!”
“Do ya know how long?”
“N-no.”
“Okay,” Osamu flipped open the phone to see Hinata had tapped out a, ‘I’m sorry’.
Osamu tapped out, ‘When do you go? How long?’
He waited a moment for the reply, “He said two years. But he’s going to wait to leave a year after graduation.”
Atsumu blinked, his face smoothing.
Then he started pouting, “He didn’t talk about it to me.”
“He’s doing that now. Right now.”
“But he didn’t ask-! He didn’t ask what ah think!”
“He’s doing that now.”
“I mean like, he didn’t ask what ah thought before he decided.”
Osamu felt his face screw up in frustration. God, how did his brother manage to keep Hinata for as long as did? Oh that’s right, Hinata was a creature with amazing social skills and Osamu was there to help smooth Atsumu over when the two stubborn shits started getting caught up in drama.
He brought a hand up to drag it through his hair, “Did you ask him which team ya should play fer after high school?”
Atsumu’s face flushed; he looked bashfully to the side, “... No...”
Osamu sighed, “Well there ya go.”
Osamu looked down and typed out, ‘What does that mean for us?’
“Oi, what are you typing?” Atsumu made a bid for his phone.
‘ I want to stay with you, of course!!! Can we talk on the phone?’
“He said he wants to stay with ya.”
Atsumu’s brow shot up, “Oh that’s...”
“It’s jus’ two years ‘Tsumu. Ya could even live together in that gap year,” Osamu said as he texted Hinata not to worry, that he (Atsumu) just needed a moment to think.
Osamu, really got all the brains in the womb huh?
“’Samu! Give me my fucking phone back!”
“Are ya calm?” Osamu looked his brother straight in the eyes.
“Huh?”
“Have ya calmed down? Yer not gonna yell at him are ya?”
Atsumu blinked, “I - no of course not.”
Osamu scowled, “Ya were. You were gonna accuse him of not thinking about how ya felt and ya might of even told him the two of ya should just break up or somethin’. Ah’m not just gonna watch you ruin yer relationship. Okay?”
Atsumu’s face went through a range of emotions. In order: anger, denial, surprise, and then teary-eyed tenderness.
“’Samu...”
Osamu sighed and handed the phone over, “Call ‘im. This is the conversation where he’s talking to ya and considering yer feelings. Talk to him. Okay?”
“I - yeah. Okay.”
“And please. Please... If this happens again just... Don’t explode on him. Just hang up. Walk away. And call me I’ll help ya through it. Ya could lose him if ya don’t.”
Atsumu looked at Osamu, eyes vulnerable and scared. Slowly he nodded.
“I will.”
“Promise?”
“Promise ‘Samu… And thanks.”
“… Of course, ya nut.”
(Revelation 4: Atsumu was willing to try and be better for Hinata.)
In the spring, Osamu caught sight of Karasuno before Atsumu. He was too busy talking to the first-years like the ‘good’ captain he was. Osamu snuck off to see Hinata surrounded by a couple of first-years and Karasuno’s pinch server with the nasty jump float. Osamu wondered if he would play this year with the third years gone.
“Oi,” Osamu called.
The first years squared up. A couple even seemed to have popped up from nowhere. Their black jackets and glares gave Osamu the impression of being eaten alive.
He heard the pinch server whisper, “Hinata, what does a Miya Twin want with you?”
“Oi? What are you looking at?” One of the first years asked, puffing out his chest.
“You think you can mess with Hinata-senpai just because he’s short?” Another chimed in.
Osamu blinked and glanced over to see Hinata’s face worryingly blank. It was like the calm before a storm.
Yamaguchi was frowning at them, but his lip twitched in amusement at the comment.
“Hey…” Hinata said, voice dipping into a low (well as low as his small frame could manage) timber, “You guys can talk about me being short when you can jump higher than me. Maybe we can all do jumping squats together? Hm? We’ll keep going until I’m tired.”
The first-years froze, faces aghast.
Yamaguchi looked between Osamu and Hinata, “You good Hinata?”
Hinata laughed, “Yeah, yeah! Go take the kids.”
Yamaguchi snickered and herded the horrified first-years away.
Osamu overheard an eager, “I love it when Hinata-senpai gets mad at me! Do you think he’ll actually make us do that?!”
“Shut up!” One responded.
“You’re so fucking weird,” Another said.
Hinata sighed then grinned. Osamu winced at how bright it was. Like looking right into the sun. Really... Did Atsumu deserve a boy like this?
“Sorry about that,” Hinata chuckled, “They’re a bit overprotective.”
Osamu quirked a brow in amusement, “S’fine. Ya as hush about yer two’s thing as ‘Tsumu is?”
Hinata looked up at Osamu, “Atsumu is important to me. I like to keep him close to the heart.”
Osamu blinked, mouth parting.
Hinata smiled, “I’ll talk to Atsumu after our match. He’s got important captain duties,” Hinata said this a bit dreamily and Osamu is really glad Hinata didn’t live closer, “And I need to be a good senpai.”
“Hinata!” Osamu looked to see Kageyama calling after the boy.
“Ah, looks like I gotta go! It was nice seeing you Osamu-san!”
As Osamu turned to walk back to his team he froze as he realized something. We’ll keep going until I’m tired? How much stamina did that monster have?
Osamu was suddenly really glad Hinata lived so far away. He liked not getting kicked out of his room and who knows how many rounds they would have.
(Revelation 4.5: Hinata was just as into Atsumu as Atsumu was into him.)
Osamu hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, he just wanted to stand guard. They didn’t need some nosy reporter or annoying fangirls to catch his brother in a compromising position with a rival player.
So, when Atsumu checked his phone then slinked away, Osamu followed.
“It was a good game,” Atsumu said, “Playing against ya is like nothing else.”
“… I feel the same but I wanted to win.”
“Everyone wants to win.”
“I’ll win next year but… You won’t be playing.”
Osamu heard a rustling of fabric, “I know… This is the last time ‘fate’ will bring us together so… Our next meeting is gonna have to be intentional.”
“Is that -? Atsumu! Is this your second button?!”
Osamu’s eyes widened. Atsumu's second button?
“Please accept this.”
“I – of course!”
Then Osamu heard the thud of bodies, probably Hinata crashing into Atsumu for a hug, he seemed the type. It was quiet for a beat and then a wet sound an intake of breath, fabric shifting --
Ew, gross they’re kissing, Osamu cringed.
Osamu looked down at his shoes. Sounds of gross teenage necking fell to the background as Osamu thought about the meaning behind the second button.
It was surprisingly thoughtful. Especially with the two years in Brazil looming in the future. Who knew if they would even live together for that interim year? Was this Atsumu’s way of promising the future or was this a thoughtless reenactment of a romantic anecdote?
Either way, Osamu should have brought his headphones.
(Revelation 5: Hinata might just be it for Atsumu.)
Osamu chose a school in Tokyo and Atsumu signed onto V.C. Tokyo. He wasn’t a starter – not yet, but Osamu knew it would just be a matter of time. He had taken it for his first two-year contract, and it just so happened that Osamu had chosen a culinary school in Tokyo as well.
Osamu would say that didn’t have to do with Atsumu’s decision, just like Atsumu being that much closer to Hinata didn’t have anything to do with Atsumu’s decision either but Osamu wasn’t gonna lie to himself.
He wasn’t going to admit it either.
Hinata didn’t bring a lot of stuff when he moved in with Osamu and Atsumu. He had one box of clothes, another box of sports stuff, and then a last box of books and other assorted knickknacks.
To be fair Atsumu and him didn’t have a ton of things either. Okay, maybe Osamu had a litany of cookbooks, cooking supplies and had stuffed his closet full of clothes but he had a room to himself.
For the most part, living with Hinata wasn’t bad. Sure, it was creepy seeing his brother all soft and shit but maybe Hinata made anyone soft. Osamu may or may not be guilty of finding himself doting on the kid himself.
It also took a bit of working out a system. Fortunately, Atsumu’s volleyball schedule was pretty consistent and Hinata worked obscenely early mornings at his part-time job while Osamu took classes and worked into the evenings.
Still, there were a few times that Osamu would get an unfortunate eyeful.
Like when Osamu had walked through the door to find Hinata red-faced and sans clothes staring at him in shock. Atsumu’s head had popped up from the couch where he had been hidden by the back of it. Hinata had teeter-totted for one second but avoided falling over by pure athleticism.
“Fuck both of ya’ll put some fucking clothes on,” Osamu had said as he stormed into his room, pointedly avoiding eye contact.
Osamu even got to spend some time with Hinata, just the two of them. There was a sweet spot where Atsumu would still be training and Hinata would be back from his part-time job and Osamu would be waking up hours before his classes or work.
It had been a bit awkward at first but Hinata was easy to talk to and Osamu actually cared about the little guy liking him. Hinata was, surprisingly in tune with other people's feelings so he always seemed to know when to back off, when to offer help, when to engage, and when to really press; even when he got it wrong, he was a quick learner.
There was just one thing that needed to be amended.
“Hey, Shouyou-kun...”
Hinata looked up from his Portuguese study book, “What's up, Osamu-san?”
“... Call me Osamu-niisan.”
“O-Osamu-niisan?!”
Osamu lowered the brim of the hat to hide his grin.
Fuck if Atsumu didn’t marry him Osamu was disowning Atsumu and taking Hinata as his new brother.
(Revelation 6: Hinata Shouyou needed to become Miya Shouyou. Don’t fuck this up Atsumu!)
They don't know where you’re living?”
Hinata looked over, “Oh yeah no I haven't told them.”
Osamu squinted, “Yer not ashamed of him are ya?”
Osamu understood being ashamed of Atsumu, he regularly made a fool of himself but…
Hinata’s face went shift and solemn, “I just don't want anything getting in the way of Atsumu's happiness.”
“Maybe once we're both established and respected in volleyball but right now but if it got it that we’re together and Atsumu lost his contact or never got to play?”
Osamu wanted to deny it. He really really did. But Hinata was right.
Hinata turned and smiled, “Maybe after we win a gold medal.”
“Ya sure are thinking into the future.”
Hinata blinked, “why wouldn't I? The only things in my future are volleyball and Atsumu.”
(Revelation 7: Hinata put Atsumu's well-being over everything. Except for volleyball. Which is well... To be expected from anyone who could match Atsumu.)
Hinata only packed two boxes when he left for Brazil. He was picky about what he packed and had told Atsumu he would send the rest home before Atsumu had harshly insisted that he leave them with him; that Atsumu would take care of the pieces of Hinata that Hinata left for him.
Gag, if someone had told Osamu before their third year that Atsumu could be this gentle and tender, Osamu would have snorted in amusement.
Despite the tenderness between the two of them, Osamu never heard an offer nor a request to stay.
He did hear a lot of praise – Atsumu apparently gung-ho about how cool Hinata’s volleyball journey was and Hinata’s equally loud praise of Atsumu’s first game as a starter and little whispers from both about how one day they would play together when they were both at their best.
Osamu went with them to the airport and Atsumu’s goodbye to Hinata was a plaintive ‘I’ll miss you, so you better come back and show me that Brazil was worth it’.
And Hinata told Atsumu that he better make due on his promise to set for him, so he needed to take care of himself while Hinata was gone.
In the car on the way back, Atsumu pulled something out.
Osamu glanced over, “Is that a button?”
Atsumu blinked and laughed, “It’s the second button off his gakuran. Ahhh, it’s a promise, Shouyou-kun.”
Osamu couldn’t help the soft smile.
(Revelation 8: Even with all the kilometers that were between them, Atsumu and Hinata’s relationship was going to be just fine.)
“Are ya sure about this? Atsumu would love to have ya back in the apartment.”
Osamu heard Hinata chirp into the phone, “But I want to surprise him! Besides, I think Kenma is still on the fence about the fact that no one knows where lived for that first year and it would kind of suck if he like put a tracker on me or something.”
Osamu chuckled, “I’m surprised ya kept it so hush-hush.”
“Ah well,” Hinata paused, “We hadn’t been dating that long and I wouldn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize his career. Besides, it’s like you know, a private affair.”
Osamu cringed at all the times he had walked into a ‘private affair’.
“Ya know Shouyou-kun, you can be an awfully private person.”
Hinata laughed breathily in the phone, “Do I come off as an open person, ‘Samu-niisan?”
Osamu grinned stupidly, heart warmed at the honorific, “I think it’s the smile and yer general Shouyou-kun-ness.”
Hinata squawked in embarrassment.
“Ya’ve definitely matured. Brazil did ya good. Ya know I’m real proud of ya. It’s… it’s real cool to see ya grow into all those hints of maturity and thoughtfulness that were always with ya.”
“’Samu-niisan…”
“Ah, gomen, gomen. Look at me getting’ sentimental. Ya better hurry it back before I turn into an old man saying back in my day.”
Hinata laughed but, it had the weight of tenderness.
“So… When are ya tryouts? I wanna bring something for ya.”
They had a get-together after the Adler’s game. Old friends coming together to celebrate Shouyou’s first appearance on the Japanese Indoor Volleyball circuit. It was quite the reunion. Osamu recognized most of Karasuno from that first year at Nationals. Then Bokuto’s Akaashi, and Nekoma’s old captain who was some sort of big wig in the Volleyball Association now.
It was at their apartment – meaning the Black Jackal’s one that Bokuto, Sakusa, and Atsumu shared.
“Hey, hey hey! You’re gonna move in with us, right? We still have the spare room from when Inunaki lived here! Won’t it be cool? You’ll get to live with me, Omi-kun and ‘Sumu-kun!”
Atsumu cleared his throat, “Actually, ah’ll be moving out once the lease is up.”
“Eh??? Sumu-kun!!! Where are you going?”
Hinata cleared his throat this time, “Bokuto-san, me and ‘Sumu are moving in together.”
“Whaaaat?!” Bokuto exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table, “But why?! You guys should just move in here! Do you not like it?” Bokuto leaned in and (attempted) to whisper, “Is it because of Omi-kun?”
“Oi,” Sakusa grunted.
“Well,” Hinata smiled sheepishly, “I mean wouldn’t it be weird?”
Bokuto tilted his head, “Weird? Why? Did you have a fight with Omi-kun?”
“Why is it always me?” Sakusa complained, glaring daggers at the man.
Hinata looked over at Atsumu, “Should we tell them?”
Atsumu smiled at him softly, “Ah mean we can’t hide it forever.”
“Okay. Should I? Or…”
“Why don’t you tell yer friends now and when we tell my team from high school ah’ll tell ‘em?”
“What about the other Jackals?”
“We don’t need tah rush that.”
“What’s going on?” Kageyama demanded.
Hinata sat up straight, “Well… Me and Atsumu are engaged.
Osamu smiled. After picking out a ring he still wasn’t sure if Atsumu would have the guts to do it, but this was it. Osamu was officially gonna get the brother he always wished he had.
Bokuto blinked.
Sakusa dropped his chopsticks. Then, silence.
“I – I’m sorry, what?” Yachi stuttered nervously, wringing her hands.
“Haha, Hinata that’s not funny,” the bald guy with the pretty wife said.
“We’re not joking,” Atsumu said, his soft smile sliding off his face.
He wrapped an arm around Hinata as if he could physically shield his fiancé away from any negative reactions.
Bokuto slammed his hands on the table, pushing himself to his feet with the motion. Osamu shot to his feet as a physical show of support for Hinata and his brother. Osamu didn’t think he could take Bokuto in a fight, he didn’t know many who could, (maybe Ushijima who looked ready to intervene).
“You can’t get married! Hinata, you’ve only known him for a few months, and like don’t get me wrong Atsumu’s great but I mean he didn’t even ask me for permission! And, and, and how did this even happen?”
“Ah proposed,” Atsumu said simply.
Hinata flushed and looked up adoringly at Atsumu.
“But why?” Sakusa groused, “And Hinata… Why would you say yes?”
“Well… I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
Their audience blinked.
Sakusa shook off the shock from Hinata’s blunt assertion, “And you decided this after what? Three months of dating? That’s not enough time. For either of you. I know Atsumu is impulsive but Hinata you -.” Sakusa stopped suddenly. Then, “I suppose I don’t know you very well. You’re hard to read.”
“How about five years?” Hinata asked.
“Five years?” Bokuto and Sakusa echoed.
“Me and Atsumu have been dating for five years,” Hinata said.
“Oh!” Kuroo leaned in, “Is this who you were living with after you graduated? Man, you had Kenma wrapped in that for ages. I can’t tell if he hated it or was entertained…”
“Haha, probably both,” Hinata said.
“Why keep it a secret?” Tsukishima asked, his eyes narrowed.
(Osamu never forgot the blond middle blocker. His height, blocking ability and general attitude stuck with Osamu almost as much as Hinata.)
Hinata settled his hands on the table, “If it had gotten out the rumors would have been devastating. You understand that, right Bokuto?”
Akaashi rested a hand delicately on Bokuto’s shoulder.
Bokuto wilted, “I mean, yeah but we didn’t keep it from everyone. Did anyone know about you?”
“Osamu-niisan, did!”
“Niisan?!” Bokuto echoed.
(A bit jealously to Osamu’s ears. Actually, a couple of the older Karasuno alum looked envious.)
“I’ve known since the beginning. Found out with two of mah teammates. Made sure they stayed quiet though,” Osamu tried to inject as much menace into the last part as he could.
Bokuto gulped and sunk back down into his seat.
Osamu did as well.
“Ah, actually. I knew,” Yamaguchi said, raising a hand.
His girlfriend and best friend, the two blondes on either side of him, turned to look.
“Y-you did?”
Yamaguchi laughed, “Yeah. Although I thought he was dating Osamu-san. Remember, Kageyama? When Osamu came to talk to Hinata in our second year?”
Kageyama pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, “… No…”
Yamaguchi chuckled, “It was a long time ago. It just looked like you were waiting for him and then you disappeared after. You’re just usually not shy about friends and you get nervous… or do that thing when it’s a rival. So, I thought it might be something like that.”
Hinata grinned at him, “Ah, that’s our captain for you!”
Yachi giggled and bumped shoulders with her boyfriend who laughed good-naturedly.
“Atsumu makes more sense though. I know you get along with Kenma but I can’t imagine you dating someone as low-key as Osamu-san.”
“So when’s the wedding?” Kageyama cut in, asking.
Hinata and Atsumu looked at each other, grinning.
“After we win gold, of course!”
(Revelation 9: All his efforts in keeping Atsumu and Shouyou together had paid off.)
They didn’t win gold but that doesn’t stop them from flying to Rio to get married.
Neither change names, much to Osamu’s disappointment but Shouyou promises that once they retire, he’ll legally change his name to Miya, even if he can’t officially join the family registry.
Atsumu had butt in that he would be changing his name to Hinata and the two had good-naturedly bickered over it.
Osamu had fought to make the best man’s speech because who else had been there for Atsumu and Shouyou? Yamaguchi was hard competition to fight out (Osamu almost cowed to Yamaguchi’s ‘captain glare’) but Osamu won by brother’s rights.
The newly married couple leaned into each other as Osamu stood, tapping his champagne glass.
He cleared his throat.
Revelation 10: “Atsumu, remember in high school when ya told me you were gonna be the happier twin? I think I made the right choice with my life but that’s not the only reason I’m happy.
I’m happy because, I think, without a doubt, yer the happier twin.
But us being happy isn’t mutually exclusive. When yer happy, I’m happy as well. Thank you Shouyou for making the Miya family a happier family. I hope you will continue making my brother a happy man with the future you two will build together.”