Archive of Our Own

Tobio owned a cat. A cat who hated everyone except Tobio Kageyama. A cat that hated and stared at Atsumu like it was planning to murder him in his sleep, just because he dared to share a bed with its owner. A cat that literally attacked every single being who dared to walk into their home, including Atsumu, whenever the little spawn was just in the mood to bury its claws and fangs deep. That mood happened to be every day.

This phenomenon (it was one, since Tobio and animals just didn't get along, it's practically a law of nature) was thanks to Hinata Shouyou during his not-so-short Japan visit and training with the National Team. Sadly, Tobio was in the middle of the CEV Champions League, requiring him and Wakatoshi to train with them.

On his visit, Hinata was viciously attacked by a feral cat. A cat that he later found and captured, and kept for some weeks to check if said cat had rabies. Hinata, the poor guy, was in complete despair because he just couldn't handle the feral animal. Every day he arrived at practice with a new scratch or bite on his arms or legs. Even Iwaizumi was worried for Hinata.

No one knew why Hinata was keeping the wild cat in his house and not sending it to an animal shelter. To everyone's surprise the one who asked Hinata was Bokuto, after their Friday practice. Hinata, sporting a new scratch on his wrist, told them, "I tried to get rid of the cat a week ago. I took it to a shelter and it attacked all the volunteers, the vet and the other cats." He paused and sighed. "Then the vet told me that this cat couldn't stay there, too aggressive, and most importantly, this cat was never going to get adopted, so maybe the best solution was euthanizing it?"

Damn, this cat was so wild and violent that even the best option was putting him down? If anyone could tame a feral cat, it's Hinata , Atsumu thought.

Atsumu was wrong. The cat was still feral, though at least it didn't attack Hinata often now. It seemed that they agreed to share the apartment, so Hinata and the cat now had a weird roommate arrangement. The cat was a shitty roomie, though, because it did not pay rent and made you spend money on their food and vet visits. A horrible roommate.

Everything got better for Hinata and worse for Atsumu the day Tobio visited them in Osaka after his team lost in quarterfinals. As was now tradition, they would eat dinner with Hinata the first day Tobio spent in the city, since Atsumu, being the little shit he was, would hog Tobio's stay for himself. This brought the trio to the entrance of Hinata's home and him reciting the habitual warnings about entering his house: "Don't run," "If it bites and you move he will bite harder. So just don't move,” “Please, don't scream at it." Tobio, adorable as always, listened to Hinata thoroughly and nodded to all the indications.

So when the orange furball of evil made its appearance and laid its eyes on Tobio, and the cat practically surrendered on Tobio's feet and started to purr and made a special party just for Tobio, Atsumu's face fell. He knew what it meant: Tobio and him now owned a cat. 

Atsumu would, no, will live hell just for Tobio, so if hell meant live with a feral cat that would only accept Tobio's human existence; SO BE IT. This moment meant: finally one animal fully welcomed Tobio and god knew Atsumu's heart just melted the exact moment when he saw his life partner bending down to pet the cat, and the spawn throwing itself on the floor showing his belly, making Tobio smile with pure happiness.

Hinata's expression was a mix between awe, relief, and worry. Atsumu looked at him and Shouyo looked back with his eyes telling him, "This is so cute. Kageyama looks so happy. An animal likes Tobio, finally." The teammates nodded at each other and Hinata just got closer to Atsumu, whispering with a pleading tone, "It's ok if I offer him the cat, right? Atsumu-san."

Atsumu-san , motherfucker, for starters there was no need to use that tone and those puppy eyes. Why the hell did Shouyo think it was necessary to convince him to adopt the hellish cat. There was no need. The blond sighed deeply. "Yeah, Shouyo-kun. God it was enough being attacked by it when I visited you," he complained, defeated.

Kageyama Tobio's history with animals was well known by Atsumu and everyone around them. He could remember every time his boyfriend tried to approach an animal and they growled, hissed, barked, or just plain attacked him. This included all the times Atsumu rejected countless offers of pets from all his friends. One special mention was when Suna and Osamu's dog birthed little puppies and offered him and Tobio one; when they visited his brother and Suna to meet the potential pet it just hated Tobio, obviously it was an immediate no. The only good thing about the whole ordeal was his brother's stunned face seeing the puppy reacting negatively to Tobio. "Ya weren't joking, 'Tsumu," and Atsumu just shrugged and replied to him, seriously, "I never joke when it's about Tobio."

This was why Atsumu really did not care that this grumpy stupid cat hated him because it loved Tobio and that was enough.

They had dinner and were about to leave Hinata's place. Tobio petted the cat and was saying his goodbyes when Hinata just said, "Yamayama, take the cat with you. This little monster and I actually don't get along." Tobio tilted his head, trying to comprehend.

"Are you sure?" he asked, hiding his excitement and looking for Atsumu's approval. Atsumu just nodded to assure the raven head he was ok with them adopting the cat.

Hinata laughed and assured his best friend. "Yeah, take it with you. The vet and I are not sure about its sex so... maybe you will be able to find out. It seems this little furry monster and I have a lot in common." Hearing this, Atsumu just snorted. Hinata Shouyo admitting how he and the orange cat had in common an inexplicable affinity for Kageyama Tobio, please. Give him a break.

Actually, Shouyo, Atsumu and the cat had one thing in common: unconditional love for one Kageyama Tobio.

When they got to their place with Tobio's furious new pet, they practically threw everything into their living room, except the cat, which was freed with the utmost care.

Being in their home meant that Atsumu suddenly felt a Tobio Kageyama "urgency", they didn't even make it to their bedroom, they were kissing, biting, groping and moaning on the damn floor and minutes later Atsumu was just hugging Tobio, breathing him in and Tobio was caressing his hair and listening Atsumu's heartbeat. Neither of them could pinpoint exactly when they passed from passionate and needy to intimate and caring.

It felt as if they weren't able to breathe fully for two months, the exact time they hadn't seen each other in person, and now their lungs and body were finally able to breathe, freely, not contained. And it was in this moment of peace when the orange ball of fury attacked Atsumu and bit his leg.

⧫⧫⧫

Tobio and Tangerine, the cat's new name, were inseparable. In the weekend they all spent together the cat displayed its clinginess and it seems he (it's a he) had glued himself to Tobio--long story short, Atsumu real competition went from 0 to 1, and was a cat. To be honest he was happy it's a cat and not another human being, excuse him, he could be that possessive.

Second trait Tangerine and Atsumu had in common: possessive little shits. 

The irony.

After Tobio's short visit, it was clear Tangerine was going to move to Italy, however bureaucratic paperwork must be done, so the cat stayed some months with Atsumu until it was legal for the cat to travel inter-continents. He needed to register the cat, vaccinate, and neuter him, it was a complete nightmare more often than not.

When he started to investigate all the steps and forms he had to fill, Hinata reached him after their last training session to let him know he had the registration papers, and had already started the paperwork for the permits to take the cat in and out of the country, since Shouyo-kun was in the process to return back again to Brazil he had started all the paperwork when the cat was rejected to stay in the shelter. He gave him the veterinary contact information and the vaccines Tangerine had as well, and other medical cat information was needed. 

Atsumu was shocked, mostly that Shouyo was going to take the cat with him and started the paperwork to take it to Brazil even when they barely tolerated each other.

His cat was always aggressive and his favorite hobby was terrorizing Atsumu's existence. The paperwork was nearly finalized, which meant they needed to neuter Tangerine soon. The vet went to his house to anesthetize Tangerine there and then take him to neutering. It was a tiring experience, the cat broke some of their lamps while he was running away from the vet and Atsumu.

In a twisted way Tangerine and he get along, all their interactions are hostile, at the same time the cat did not hurt him that much--scratches and bites were soft to him, of course in Tangerine levels; with others their cat went with full strength. Tangerine made all kinds of mischief in their flat, broke things, pissed in Atsumu's sneakers, woke him up almost every night with hissing or growling, vomited fur on his side of the bed, and insisted on sleeping on Tobio's side of the bed all the damn time.

When Tangerine's paperwork was ready (it took six solid months), Atsumu travelled to Italy solely to drop off their furry purring machine. He stayed there the whole weekend. The excessive hours in the plane and being harassed multiple times by their cat was worth it. When they arrived at their home, Tobio's excitement was palpable, he had everything ready to settle up with Tangerine, he had an Italian feline specialist vet contact, litter, food, the whole shebang.

In Rome, he went out with Tobio and his teammates. Italians are warm, touchy people, thanks to Italy Tobio became more tactile and Atsumu doesn't know why Italy makes Tobio look unfairly beautiful. Atsumu suspects it is the star's position. When they asked him why he took so long to visit them he just told them "We adopted a cat in Japan, and it's going to stay here with Tobs. Paperwork." Some of them found it adorable how Atsumu travelled 13 hours, each way, just to hand over their cat.

⧫⧫⧫

As anything else in partnership, owning a pet felt something akin to a step forward in their relationship, now they were responsible for an orange mad, furry being. He knew it was Tobio's, mostly, the fucking cat hated Atsumu 24/7, but in the end the animal was theirs. The step of sharing their apartments happened when Atsumu hit 25 years old. Yes, Atsumu Miya co-owned and shared an amazing loft in Rome, Italy, perks of winning a decent amount of money for playing the sport you love. Tobio also co-owned their flat in Osaka, their level of commitment was strong.

Maybe it was age, maybe it was time, or just maybe it was the draining fact that he was turning 30, who knew. Actually he did know, Atsumu Miya knew he loved Tobio Kageyama, and he was loved back in the same amount and dedication.

In conclusion, he was feeling the call. He really wanted to propose to Tobio and ask him to marry him.

He knew the feeling was mutual. They communicated, planned together, respected and supported each other's decisions, they were steady. In the beginning when they started dating/not dating, the younger man just would not talk to him , so their first year of whatever they had had been a complete nightmare. It hadn't been just due to Tobio lacking the ability to communicate, but also thanks to Atsumu's, as cliché as it sounded, nonsensical fear of compromise.

Kageyama was a simple man. While Atsumu drowned in overthinking and indecision, Tobio just went straight ahead and did whatever the fuck he wanted. This included: Tobio liked Atsumu, therefore he confessed to Atsumu with an adorable flushed face, fists clenched and screaming in the middle of the street, "I really like you Atsumu-san, please go out with me" on a Friday night after an official match; Tobio wanted to start a serious relationship, still, after one of Atsumu's biggest fuckups ever, and expressed sure with eyes red and swollen from crying, "I really want to give this a try, Atsumu. Let's be official," on a Monday's night in back then Atsumu's apartment; to Tobio wanting to share his house with Atsumu, whispering into his ear sweetly, "Come with me to Rome so we can choose our new flat" on a Sunday's lazy morning in their bed.

Tobio Kageyama and his pure heart. It made Atsumu's life full, and with so much love, and it pulled on Atsumu's core, to give more of this happiness and contentment to Tobio. Fuck, it was really damn amazing--perhaps pathetic, depended on the perspective--that he was so in love with his partner even after 8 years of being together.
All this love had never decreased, rather, it increased each day.

This inner calling made the better Miya ask the trashy Miya to accompany him to a fancy jewelry store to buy the r i n g . Of course the trashy Miya, did what he does best: trash his twin brother and not helping, at all, to choose the perfect ring to propose with. Useless bastard.

"Goddammit, Osamu, I really need help here," Atsumu complained, looking really anxious, obliging Osamu's facial expression to turn soft and smile at his twin.

"I don't really know why you're even bothering to buy a ring," Osamu commented tiredly. "You could give Tobio a volleyball or a curry pork bun as an engagement token and he will just say Yes, Atsumu-san. " Osamu started to trash Atsumu again and made an accurate imitation of Tobio's voice. He has a valid point, his partner does not care about or use jewelry. "I know... but I really want to buy him a ring," the older brother whined.

"You are a piece of work, 'Tsumu. Buy him whatever, he is a good looking man, so anything he wears will look fine," he sighed, exasperated. "He will wear the ring because it's from you for him. You're like... his only exception," he added.

"I am going to tell Suna you said Tobio is good looking" was his first reply. "What do you mean I'm his only exception?" This is an ego booster. One of his main sources of energy are ego boosters.

“Tell him," Osamu challenged him. "You know, he travels frequently to Japan just to see you, or that time when you got sick after eating that dubious seafood near the bus station all of us warned you not to eat ," Osamu punctuated and raised his eyebrows as he reminded Atsumu of the whole incident. "You ended up in the hospital, making Tobio Kageyama, the man himself, drop volleyball training and matches just to travel from Italy to Japan just to take care of you." There were more anecdotes of either of them sitting their asses for hours on a plane just to see each other; this included Tobio texting him more than monosyllabic words on a daily basis. "Suna and I agree Tobio is way out of your league and we can't figure out why he dates you," he added sardonically.

"Bullshit, you know, Tobio was the one who asked me to date him," the blond revealed as he walked out the jewelry store, forcing his twin to follow him. Atsumu barely talked about his relationship with Kageyama, so Osamu's astonishment was expected.

"You're for real 'Tsumu?" And then, this was unexpected, Osamu started to laugh loudly at his face. "You're telling me the one who started this was Kageyama and not you..." -unable to even finish the sentence- "Un-fucking-believable." The blond was aware how bizarre this sounded: the shy introvert asking the extrovert to venture themselves on the magical realm of monogamic, gay, romantic love.

This was plain cruel. Atsumu hated feeling exposed, and there was a small group of people who had that power over him, people that could make him feel raw, naked, vulnerable, Osamu was one of them. His hurt must have reflected in his features, since Osamu, for the second time today, softened and this time sighed guiltily.

"Ok, I am being mean. This is..." His brother interrupted himself. A strike was coming and most likely going to touch some of Atsumu's insecurities. "You have to understand, brother, you never talk about your and Tobio's relationship... you're extremely protective of it... possessive, even. So you talking about it, right now, is just... suspicious."

Yes, here was the blow. Atsumu had this primal need to protect the bubble of his romantic relationship. It's one of the most important human connections he has ever had in his life. This feeling just escalated when he started to know the real Tobio. Extremely innocent and with actually zero ill intentions at his core.

"I..." the blond tried to start, formulate a defense, something. Osamu was expecting and listening to him openly. Safe zone. He took in a bunch of air and thought Fuck it! and confessed. "Tobio has always been the one who's taken this relationship further. He asked me out first, he was the one asking for a serious relationship, he was, too, the one who asked for us to co-own our flats. He's the one who makes us take the next step." He paused, his brother was intently looking at him, telepathic twin bond, maybe, he knew he was not finished.

"Fuck," he exclaimed, frustrated. "He was the one who got us a pet, Osamu. I have to be the one making this step. God help me, I know Tobs wants this, he has vocally expressed it, but he refrains because of me. ME," he repeated and pointed at himself, to emphasize his frustration. "Our first year together I was so shitty, you have no idea. It's- It's--" --he stuttered-- "something I am still, after all this time, ashamed of. I was cruel, inconsiderate, pure shit, really immature to the point that I even fucked a random stranger because I was feeling suffocated..."

Atsumu knew he'd lost all filters and boundaries. He was vomiting everything. This was one of the main reasons he never spoke about his relationship, it was too personal. This, what he has with Tobio, was just Atsumu and him.

Their first shitty year. They overcame it, and both were sure, today, they could survive anything.

"He forgave me. It was the final straw, the wake up call. After that we learned to communicate, we improved so much, we are always improving. We are here, though." He raised his arms, indicating the entrance of the jewelry shop. "I am protective because I don't want to fuck this up, and I am possessive, yes, but that's a me thing," he finished and finally dared to look at his brother, to face him. Atsumu was standing outside a jewelry store, of all fucking places, feeling bare for the first time in years around his brother.

Osamu, emotionally, was far more intelligent than Atsumu. He was self aware of who he was, what he wanted and how to get it. He had always been more mature, independent, and in control of himself; while Atsumu was wild, sometimes aggressive and vicious, he shrugged off anyone who didn't rouse in him any interest or fed his hunger for competition, in their youth he was dependent on his twin, inside and outside the court. But they had grown up, together and separately. They're brothers and one thing was certain: their bond was unconditional.

He was waiting for Osamu's reaction, who was just standing, yeah, he was processing all this information. Maybe he finally achieved to make Osamu's speechless, ha ha, ok, this is how Atsumu copes with anxiousness and silence. He was feeling itchy, does Osamu think differently of him? He just said he virtually cheated, they were not official back then but that lame excuse never sat right in his mind. He wanted to break the silence but his brother spared him.

"Sometimes you can be such a piece of shit. Selfish motherfucker," Osamu stated stoically, trying to contain his anger. Deserved, one hundred percent deserved. He wasn't finished, not yet. "You know, Atsumu, this brings a whole new perspective about--" he paused and pointed at their surroundings with his hands "--everything. You really want this. Stop feeling ashamed, you did what you did, live with it. Grow the fuck up. You both talked it through, everything was settled. Shame is poison in a relationship. I get why you still feel it, but accept you failed and actively hurt him. You will fail again in the future, just make sure not in that way," he tried to clarify, and then assured him, "No one is perfect."

Osamu Fucking Miya, Atsumu thought and felt grateful for his mother's twin genes. His brother was amazing, he was not going to say that aloud. Never. His brother grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the store, murmuring, "Now let's get that fucking ring. Do you think maybe a tattoo is more suitable?..."

This time, it just took one hour for Atsumu to find the perfect ring.

⧫⧫⧫

Off season was closer each passing day. Atsumu felt extremely excited to finally meet Tobio. Their plans were so mundane, for example: being a lazy couple and waking up late, fuck or make sweet love to Tobio like there is no tomorrow, if Tobio was in the mood, if not he did own two healthy hands and a shower. Atsumu was always horny for Tobio, he needed to get a grip. No one can blame him, he is just a mere mortal.

He had months to plan the perfect date to bend the knee and propose to Tobio. He travelled to Tokyo and had some words with Miwa and told her his intentions. Of course, Miwa took in his plans with pure excitement and commented "Finally, dear god." She got up and hugged Atsumu. "About time. Tobio has been waiting years for you to make up your mind." Atsumu knew, and he was ready, Tobio had been ready for years, he was just being extremely patient, waiting for him to make this step alone, never pressuring him or making an ultimatum. Both were so sure about what they shared, they knew it was just a matter of time.

He prepared every little detail: tickets, reservations, who could take care of their hellish cat that weekend. He really needed to thank Bokuto and Akaashi for their bravery. He'd pay for a fancy dinner for them in an expensive restaurant or something. He was feeling hopeful, eager, not just for what he was about to do, but what it meant for their future. Atsumu was going to have a hubby and he was going to be a hubby, complete bliss.

Tobio's arrival was scheduled for the end of the week. It was Wednesday and Atsumu's nerves were just increasing. He started having literal nightmares where he proposed to Tobio in different scenarios, places, there was one time they were in an official National team match. The outcomes were varied and all of them were terrifying--in some Tobio blatantly answered him "No", other ones "I am not ready, 'Tsumu", the worst one "I actually want to break up". He had to deal with his intrusive thoughts too, the same brand of scary, ranging from him losing the ring to trying to propose and nothing coming out of his mouth. He was torn between the wish to make this happen and running away like a coward.

He needed some reassurance to maintain his sanity, hence, he reached Hinata Shouyo via video call. The moment Atsumu told his plans, Shouyo's first reaction was screaming his lungs out, causing Atsumu to almost drop his phone. He asked Hinata his opinion, since he wanted to make it special for Tobio and wanted to feel sure. The plan was proposing in their yearly Miyagi trip, in the familiarity of Tobio's favorite restaurant. He just wanted to be sure if the plan was fitting, and the best person to ask was Hinata. His ex-teammate and now friend listened to him and beamed.
"He is going to love it. Tsum-tsum, you could propose in your bathroom while he's brushing his teeth and he will adore it,' he' assured him. Hinata was so good at comforting, ugh. He really helped Atsumu to calm down and to mitigate his fears.

Tobio's arrival to Japan was anticlimactic. First Atsumu's agent called him to met him, since he needed to sign a contract with a sponsor, and Nike wanted to meet him that afternoon, it seemed he really was that good-looking and popular, so they wanted to contract him for modeling the brand. He really wanted to show this off to Osamu and irritate Tobio endlessly about it. So when he arrived to their home, it was late at night, and just when he was entering making his presence known...

“Babe, I am..." He was abruptly and violently interrupted by a hiss and claws on his leg "Tangerine, WHAT THE FUCK" he tried not to scream. Apparently their cat really missed destroying his skin--his fault, he forgot Tobio's cat had an agenda against him. The sting was uncomfortable, but he tried to shake off the cat carefully. He heard Tobio walk towards him hurriedly. "Tangerine, stop it," he commanded, and their bastard furry son left him alone and walked away.

Atsumu looked at Tobio. He was so beautiful, breathtaking. With a flirtatious voice he said "Hey handsome, long time no see" while with his hand he brought Tobio closer, just a little, enough to reach for Tobio's face, cupping his cheeks. Tobio rested his face on his palm.
"Hello." A whisper, waiting for Atsumu to kiss him. Atsumu was really tempted to just give in, but he just stayed close, teasingly, relearning Tobio's face all over again, detecting a new wrinkle in his forehead. He didn't realize when he started softly rubbing his thumb on his lips, making the pale setter breath heavier, balancing into Atsumu. "Kiss me," he commanded as his hands settled on Atsumu's torso, making the blond chuckle and finally give in. They kissed several times and Tangerine started to rub himself on Tobio's feet and attacking Atsumu with his little paws.
"You need to talk to our son. He hates me." Atsumu said, separating a bit from the other and watching their cat bite his sock.
"Our son? Yesterday you texted me ‘ How is your cat’ ?" Tobio commented, confused .
Atsumu laughed again at the phrasing. "Yes, ours. When he does wrong, which is often, he is just yours." Tobio looks tired, anyone after 13 plus hours of travelling feels that. "Tobs, you look tired, let's go to sleep.
" Tobio nodded. Yawning, he turned around and Atsumu just hugged him from behind and followed his lead.
"The cat is prohibited in our room. I want to sleep in peace." At the request Tobio pouted, since he shared the bed with Tangerine when he was alone in Italy. Atsumu had valid reasons to prohibit their cat from their room since Tangerine would just sit on Atsumu's nightstand or on the edge of his bed, staring at him menacingly and wagging his tail. There were times he would jump and wake Atsumu up just to hiss him.

Everything was swell, pretty good, actually, Atsumu was just living whole domesticity with Tobio. They travelled to Hyogo to visit Atsumu's parents, actually the Miya household was full as his brother and Suna were also visiting their parents. After that short visit they went to Tokyo and stayed with Miwa for a couple of days. The last stop was Miyagi, but they needed to get to Osaka first and leave Tangerine with Bokuto and Akaashi. 

For being such a pain in the ass, the cat was really calm and used to travelling. His behavior was not ideal most of the times, he actually bite his mother finger; scratched Osamu’s arm (hilarious, for real); hissed at Suna and threw up his paw menacingly; interestingly enough was pretty civil with Miwa, he would not let her to touch him but he wasn't aggressive towards her.

They arrived at their place in Osaka again to unpack, and once again pack clean clothes. Atsumu was packing his stuff when he got a text from Hinata asking him to bring him some food truck goodies he missed in Brazil. Atsumu was a good friend, ok, so he went to pay a quick visit to Shouyo's favorite food trucks and order in advance the dishes Hinata listed. Before going out, he let Tobio know he was going to order the food Shouyou wanted them to bring to Miyagi, forgetting that on their bed his suitcase was open and with a little red box on top of it.

Kageyama watched his partner leave the apartment, and followed how Tangerine chased him to their doorway and shook his head. He wanted Tangerine to accept Atsumu, but he was so damn territorial. “Tangerine, come here.” he ordered. His cat was obedient to Tobio's voice and went to where he sat writing in his journal. “Stop bothering Atsumu.”
He talked a lot with his cat. A part of him believed his pet understood what he was saying. The cat just stared at him, ignored his petition and went to their bedroom door to claw it. Tobio got up and before opening the door said, “Behave, I will open the door but behave, understood?” Tangerine's orange eyes looked at him and then the door, waiting for Tobio to open it.

He let Tangerine in and headed to their kitchen to cook their dinner. Some time later he got a text from Atsumu asking if he wanted anything before heading home. He checked their fridge and cupboard and replied Bring me milk .

It was time to get Tangerine out of their room. If Atsumu saw their cat there he would get mad because most likely one or more of his belongings will suffer their feline mayhem. Tobio called for Tangerine to get out, but he didn’t come over. Strange. He walked in and called again for Tangerine, then he heard movement under the bed. Tobio lay down on the floor and saw Tangerine playing with a little red box. He stretched to reach the box and throw it on their bed. Tangerine was visibly mad that Tobio took away his source of entertainment. Tobio was so focused on getting the cat out of their room he didn't even hear when Atsumu arrived.

"What are you doing, babe?" Atsumu asked curiously when he saw his partner lying on the floor, and with half his body under the bed. It was then when on the other side he saw Tangerine running out to their living room and Tobio stayed there, frozen, under the bed, in complete silence.

Atsumu saw the red box all bitten and mistreated. He grabbed the box, expecting the best outcome, but this is life and bad things happen, so when he opened it, there was no ring, the box was empty. Atsumu closed his eyes and started to breathe deeply, trying to calm down, counting from one to ten, no, one hundred. He was ready to commit feline murder right there.

As Tobio got up from the floor, he started to defend himself. "I know I shouldn't have let him in but..." he stopped, and saw his partner breathing heavily, face red with anger. Oh god, ‘Tsumu is counting? Tobio realized. "'Tsumu, he was just playing with a box..."

He tried to defend their cat, being clueless what a red box with golden ornaments usually meant. Atsumu choked at the comment.
"It's nothing important, right? Right?" Tobio was really trying to understand why Atsumu got so worked up over a box. Atsumu took a deep, really deep breath of air and saw that Tobio was getting anxious, he started to bite his under lip and his legs were shaking. He got like this when he didn't understand what Atsumu was feeling, he just knew it was something bad and maybe his fault.

"Did you see anything shiny, like a ring, under the bed?" asked Atsumu calmly.
Tobio shook his head. "No. I can look for it..." He started to look under the bed again when Atsumu stopped him by holding his arm.
"Don’t! Let me." Instead he lay down and searched in a desperate manner under the bed if the ring was there. There was no trace of it. Atsumu got up and went for the broom to check if it was under the night stands, cursing their cat.

Tobio was just standing in the middle of their room looking at how Atsumu was searching for something like a mad man, moving their furniture, sweeping the whole room. He went out of the bedroom, understanding nothing and completely frustrated.

While he sat on the sofa waiting for Atsumu to calm down and to explain to him what was going on, his phone screen lit up, a message from Hinata saying Yamayama, are you going to stay for the Karasuno reunion? Tobio hates texting, any other day he would ignore Hinata. Instead of replying to Hinata's question, he wrote, I let Tangerine into our bedroom and he played with a red box... and Atsumu is turning our bedroom upside down looking for I don't know what . Ten seconds later, he heard Atsumu's cell phone ring, just adding to Tobio's discomfort.

Atsumu answered his phone and immediately yelled, "Hinata! This is not the best moment, I swear I ordered the food you asked me for.
" Hinata cut him off quickly. "Kageyama sent me a message telling me Tangerine played with a red box and you are looking for something."
Shit, he completely forgot Tobio was here. "Fuck! Shouyo, call Tobs right now and tell him to come to your house, that Natsu wants to play volleyball or fucking something, please."
The other side of the line was in complete silence. "Atsumu, I'm at my parents' house in Miyagi..." He then understood what Atsumu was asking for. "Oh... I'm calling him." Shouyou ended the call.

Forty minutes later, their bedroom was a complete mess. Tobio knocked on the door and Atsumu just answered a low "Come in". Atsumu needed to clean up and organize everything again.

"'Tsumu," the younger started, "Hinata asked me to come to his house today.” Tobio saw their furniture, shoes and all that touched the floor out of place. ”I think I'm going, I can catch the last train," he decided, finally facing Atsumu, who looked disheveled and sweaty.
The older one only smiled at him and said, "Yeah, it's ok babe. I will see you in two days there. I will pick you up at Hinata's.”

Tobio wanted to ask what was going on. He was not stupid, Hinata calling him to come to Miyagi to play volleyball and see who could score more points was a diversion. He would let it pass, he was good at waiting for Atsumu to open up, he would give him space. His suitcase was already prepared, he just needed to get Tangerine into his carrier. When he started to call for the cat, Atsumu hurried and screamed a big “NO! TANGERINE STAYS HERE.” Atsumu grabbed the cat carrier out of his hands. Blue met brown eyes trying to understand the latter's actions. Atsumu was acting erratically. Tobio bowed his head, looking down at his own hands, then Atsumu held him, reached for Tobio, making him look at him.

“I love you,” the older proclaimed. “I know I'm acting crazy, and I am so sorry for it. But I need you to trust me, nothing bad happened and maybe I will have to take Tangerine to the vet to make sure he didn’t swallow the thing that was inside the box,” he finally explained.

Realization hit him, there was something inside the box, of course! Atsumu had asked if there was a shiny thing under the bed. He was going to ask Hinata to take him to a jewelry store and buy Atsumu something in compensation. Tobio visibly relaxed and kissed Atsumu, smiling. “I was getting frustrated and worried.” He grabbed his luggage and saw Atsumu following him to the entrance. “I'll leave now. Order our room. Keep me informed if Tangerine ate your box thing and what the veterinarian says,” Tobio instructed Atsumu. Suddenly his mood changed when he remembered why he was going to Hinata's. “I am gonna show Hinata that I am still better than him and score tons of points this time.”

Tobio smiled mischievously and Atsumu kissed him goodbye, he then laughed when Tobio left. Hinata Shouyou was a damn genius. 

Atsumu did not stop his searching. He expanded it to the whole damn apartment. He was that desperate, he searched his phone for Osamu’s number, and on the second dial he heard his brother’s groggy voice. “What do you want? You know, it’s 3:00 am, fucker.” The hell, 3:00 am? He checked the hour and holy shit, it’s 03:00 am. 

“Sorry. You’re in Tokyo?” Atsumu asked quickly. His tone must be off because Osamu’s next words sound fully awake.
“Yes, what happened? Everything is alright? Where are you?” the younger twin questioned frantically. Atsumu could hear Suna’s voice too, alert and asking if Atsumu and Tobio were ok. Shit, he should have checked the hour first.

“Calm down. Everything is alright-ish,” he said, trying to calm his brother's nerves. “I believe Tangerine ate the ring we bought some months ago, yeah. Just that.” 
Osamu did not deign to comment further and hung up. Fair. 

He fell asleep on the couch. The bed was stacked with things and Atsumu was just drained physically and emotionally. Hours later he was rudely woken up by someone clapping near his face, making him jump and fall off the couch. "What the hell happened here?", and, "Where is Tobio?" Shouting from a really familiar voice… Osamu is here. That means Tangerine is going to…

“FUCKING CAT. Leave Suna alone. Don’t move, Rin. Atsumu come here and control your fucking beast!”
And there he was, seriously this cat never disappointed or missed one. Atsumu got up, still exhausted, and went to catch the feline. Tangerine started to force Atsumu to let him go, he complied and watched the cat run somewhere in the house to hide. 

“Where is Tobio, Atsumu?” Osamu repeated his previous question, he must have thought things went south. For real, man, show more faith in me was Atsumu's first thought. Clearing his throat, he began with “He is in Miyagi, staying at Hinata’s. No biggie.” The brunette was about to implode, clearly he needed more context. 

“Breathe,” Suna reminded Osamu and sat on the couch. “So Hinata did you the big favor to lure Kageyama to Miyagi so you can freely freak out because your cat ate the engagement ring.” Oh, this was why Atsumu was afraid of Suna Rintarou, 110% of the time. “Before you ask ‘How do you know’" --mocking Atsumu-- “Hinata texted me on our way here.” Suna didn’t tell Osamu, he was listening to this for the first time, Atsumu could tell from his expression. His bastard brother wanted to laugh.
Go on, ‘Samu, laugh at my miserable luck .
“Ah, Hinata requested me to tell you that Kageyama is clueless, he thinks Tangerine lost your new bling and asked Hinata to take him to a jewelry store to buy you a new one. He is truly a keeper,” Suna expressed honestly, it was clear how fond Suna was of Kageyama. 

“Get your beast into its cage and let’s go to the vet.” Osamu ordered.
Suna looked around, inspecting. “I am going to stay here, gonna tidy up this place.”
Atsumu did as he was told, got the cat carrier, and searched for his cat to take him to the veterinarian.

When they arrived at the veterinarian's office, she welcomed them and listened to what happened. She laughed, saying “It’s pretty common.” The doc performed an ultrasound, of course, with Atsumu's limited help, and she confirmed that Tangerine swallowed the ring and it was in its stomach. Best case scenario was giving it laxatives and waiting for Tangerine to expel it; if it showed symptoms of vomiting and dehydration, she would have to perform a surgery.

When they got back to Atsumu's place, Suna had finished with the kitchen and living room. He freed his cat into the house and the both of them helped Suna with the rest of the apartment. When they finished, Atsumu’s house seemed to return to normalcy. He phoned Tobio to let him know what the veterinarian said, he knew Tobio's first reaction would be wanting to return, but Atsumu convinced him he could handle it and the only thing to do, with or without Tobio, was to wait.

Osamu and Suna decided to stay with him until Tangerine’s body expelled the ring. Osamu made some calls and let his employers know they would be in charge for a couple of days. Atsumu, typical of him, was suffering from his usual self-pity party, thinking only awful possible future events , such as “‘Samu, what happens if Tangerine dies?”, “Tobio would definitely dump me.”, “What if the ring ends in Tangerine’s brain?”. After listening to how it was possible for objects to travel, somehow, through the beast's little body, Osamu took Atsumu's phone away, enough Google search. 

Logically, Atsumu’s only job was to check the litter, he was being useless most of the time and he would run to the litter box every time he heard any movement near it and check the cat’s well-being all the damn time. Osamu wanted to tell his twin It’s only a ring, ‘Tsumu .  But this stopped being about the ring for Atsumu, now it was about the stupid beast because it was Tobio’s cat. Love, indeed. 

Sometimes he would watch his brother talk to the beast and his comments sometimes were too much information. “You know Tangerine, I do have a humiliation kink but this is literal utter shit and it’s definitely a red light here,” or just complain, “You have a vendetta against me. I know, Tangerine”. To be fair, Osamu was sure the beast did have something against Atsumu. 

When Atsumu was cleaning and inspecting the beast’s litter with gloves on, Osamu listened to a deep sigh from his brother that only meant defeat, so no ring yet. In his distressed state of mind, his twin forgot two days had passed already, therefore the scheduled but not expected presence of Bokuto and Akaashi outside the doorway.
“'Tsum, we came for Tangerine!” Bokuto’s excited voice, almost screaming, outside. Atsumu got up fast, got rid of his gloves and asked Osamu, “Wait, what day is today?”
“Today is Friday,” Osamu replied. “Are you still going to Miyagi? You told Tobio you weren't going, right?” he asked, now confused. 

“Yeah, I told him I am staying with Tangerine and kept him informed, when he was insisting on coming back. I forgot to tell Bokuto and Akaashi,” Atsumu informed, clenching his face in frustration “Going!” He screamed to the pair outside. He ran to open the door, facing an always excited Bokuto and an always serious Akaashi. Sometimes he wonders if he and Tobio give a similar image than they do. 

Atsumu welcomed the couple inside and invited them to get comfortable. Osamu greeted Akaashi excitedly, making Atsumu wonder if they knew each other, which was confirmed when Suna came out of the guest room and saluted the new visitors. They definitely hang out, and Atsumu didn’t have any idea, somehow he felt excluded, not a bad excluded. Just a reminder of adulthood and how, even your own brother, has his own social circle, separated from you. Seeing all the interactions was nostalgic. 

Tobio's ability to make friends, and interest in making some, was close to none, so their spare time was always spent together, or with Hinata and his current fling, his Adlers team, of course Karasuno, but all of Tobio’s social circle had one thing in common, including himself: volleyball. Volleyball was Tobio’s principal human connection, he may not be good with words, or reading people, or in any interaction, really, but he was really good at volleyball, and somehow that was enough. 

Bokuto made Atsumu break his mental trance, and started to interrogate him if Tangerine really ate the ring, and how the hell it happened. He answered, “Yes, kid you not. Tangerine ate the ring. ”
Bokuto and Akaashi laughed at all the details of the whole incident. Akaashi, in tears, grabbed his phone and giggled, “Sugawara is gonna love this.” Suna asked who Sugawara was and the three of them answered, at the same time, “Tobio’s senpai.” 

Five minutes after Akaashi's intense texting with Sugawara, Atsumu’s phone buzzed. It seemed it wasn't the only phone that got a notification, since Bokuto and Osamu were checking their phones too. Atsumu watched with dread Tobio’s 😈 Senpai added you to the group chat 😾💍 . Hell no, is this real? Osamu's snort was proof enough it was real. Koushi's first message was a stupid meme and the message: Atsumu trying to propose to Tobio. Tangerine: YOU SHALL NOT PASS . Ok, points for creativity because both tragedies involved a stupid ring. 

His brother quickly added Suna to the group. Everyone was adding people, it seemed. This was getting ridiculous, the amount of people in this group chat was getting ridiculous, and who the hell just added Oikawa Tooru? Oh god, they added Iwaizumi. Fucking Miyagi’s volleyball idiots and how stupidly close the Japanese volleyball social group was. Atsumu really hated his life at this moment.

A flood of messages, and Lord of the Rings memes, four points for Tooru who did the very bad photoshop of Atsumu saying One does not simply propose to Tobio . The totally expected Sakusa’s traitorous ass saying “Let Tangerine know I am his no. 1 fan. I am going to send him the best brand of canned cat food. What’s his favorite flavor?” to Tsukishima’s sarcastic message “The Royal cat thinks your peasant ass is not worthy of the King's heart”. None of this was helping Atsumu. 

“Hey, not a single congratulations. Nothing. Just fucking memes and all of these people roasting me and taking sides with the wild cat. I am going to throw Tangerine at them when they come, and I won’t let Tobio stop it,” Atsumu commented, really offended.
Suna rolled his eyes and looked at Osamu and then Akaashi. Even Bokuto just directed a condescending look directly at him and just said, “You’ve been together and steady for ages, like, we are happy for you and worried for Tobio, because he chose you but...” he paused “Atsumu, it was bound to happen.” Bokuto has a point, but there was no need for all this roasting, and zero words of compassion, Atsumu needed it, he was a fragile being. 

Bokuto and Akaashi left some hours later, they even had dinner together, thanks to Atsumu who also forgot to cancel the food that was originally for Hinata. He sent some photos to Tobio, specially the one of Tangerine sitting close to Akaashi. The cat was becoming social, finally. Tobio’s response was “I miss my cat :(” and Atsumu replied “and me?”, logically, he got no response. He went to get some sleep and took Tangerine with him, leaving Osamu and Suna alone in his living room chatting.

⧫⧫⧫

Atsumu got up thanks to his phone's incessant message notifications and Tangerine's loud meowing. When he finally felt awake he decided to first feed the orange demon, and then check his cell phone. He got up, fed his cat, and started to prepare some coffee. He was that kind of person--to function in the morning he needed coffee.
Today was the third day after Tangerine had the wonderful idea to swallow a piece of jewelry, Atsumu sighed and saw the cat eating his food. “You need to poop that ring today, Tangerine. I am serious.” He heard, again, his phone ring, a new message. Atsumu was sure he muted the group chat he was rudely added to the day before. 

He grabbed his phone from his room, and went back to pour his coffee. When he checked his messages he saw Hinata’s name and fifty plus unread messages. Hurriedly he read all the messages and spat his coffee and immediately called Hinata. Not even letting the redhead say anything on the other side of the line he screamed, “Don’t let him buy that ring.”

“Good morning, sunshine.” Hinata saluted him. “You know, he really wants to buy it, though.”
Fuck his life, a headache was coming. “Please, don’t let him buy that ring,” Atsumu hissed desperately to Hinata. Do Tobio and he share a telepathic bond now? Why the hell did he like exactly the same ring he bought for Tobio. Atsumu just knows a god, an entity, must be having a blast at his misery at this point. What the fuck. “I am serious Shouyou, don’t let him buy that ring. And why does he want to buy a ring? OH MY GOD! No. I am going to fucking kill Tangerine right now.” He searched for his cat, fuck consequences. 

“Don’t tell me it's the same ring you chose?” Hinata asked and it seemed he was restraining his laugh. Atsumu could hear Tobio’s voice asking if he could engrave the ring and how long it would take.
Atsumu groaned and answered. “Yes, it is exactly that ring, and I engraved it too.” He listened to Hinata cooing at this brand new information.
“You know, this is disgustingly cute. You both are made for each other.” 

Hinata is right, they are cute, but it’s not the perfect moment to state the obvious. “Shouyou-kun, please, convince him to buy me some other thing,” he finally begged. Atsumu was not going to let the opportunity to get a fancy gift from Tobio pass, but who the hell gives a ring? For real Tobio, why?
Hinata giggled and promised him that he would persuade Tobio to buy something different and hung up. Atsumu then saw his brother and Suna laughing at him, in his face. Great. 

Atsumu and his annoying, but supportive, guests spent the day normally. He and Suna went for a run and the gym--being off-season did not mean they could stop training. They talked about their respective teams, and others, their favorite matches in the last season, and the National Team. Everything felt so familiar, it was like being back at high school, the slight difference was there was no Osamu in their training. He was cooking or exploring the city trying to find new goodies in Osaka’s gastronomy.

When they arrived at Atsumu's flat, Osamu had already returned with food he bought from a new place a chef had recommended. Having Osamu near always meant good food, made by him or others. They were eating when Atsumu heard Tangerine scraping his litter, making him run to the litter box, put on a pair of gloves and search for the ring. Osamu made a displeased sound and shouted, “We are fucking eating, you pig.” 

“Shut the fuck up, you scrub,” Atsumu screamed back. He searched the litter until he felt a round solid object, the ring. “Tangerine pooped the ring,” he said excitedly. He got up to clean it and washed it immediately to disinfect. He texted Tobio and the veterinarian to let them know the cat finally expelled his jewelry.

“Finally at ease, bro?” Osamu asked him when Atsumu sat in his chair.
“Yeah, thanks for staying, Suna, ‘Samu” he expressed with gratitude.
“And miss the free entertainment?” the brunette replied mockingly.
“At least my life is not boring, scrub.” Atsumu rebutted with a grin at his brother. 

Osamu and Suna left the next day. His brother had to work and attend his restaurant, run the business. He got anxious when he was apart from his restaurant. Actually Osamu was a pretty decent boss. He checked in with his employees but was not hovering over them, he listened to them, took their opinions into consideration, and most importantly he paid them well. Atsumu was not lying when he thanked his brother for staying with him, his presence grounds him. 

Atsumu remembered the stupid ass group chat and just wrote his first message on the chat Got the ring, cat is fine. If anyone was dying to know. Not long passed when the group chat name changed to Group chat that will let you know when Atsumu finally proposes . Seriously, Sugawara is a complete danger to society--and principally Atsumu. 

Atsumu finally calmed down, and for the first time in a long time he felt alone in his apartment, making him miss Tobio immensely, who was only four hours away. Now, he felt stupid for asking Hinata to make Tobio travel to Miyagi. For the limited handful of times they could enjoy each other's presence and company, it felt like precious time wasted. Atsumu groaned, when he felt Tangerine on the bed and watched him lay on Tobio’s side. “Yeah, I miss him too. He is coming back after Karasuno's reunion. Two more days, little demon.”

Third trait Tangerine and Atsumu had in common: life felt mundane without Tobio Kageyama. 

⧫⧫⧫

Tobio surprised Atsumu (and Tangerine) by arriving the next day. Yes, he went to Karasuno’s annual reunion, but he really missed Tangerine, not Atsumu, so he left early to take the last train. Atsumu welcomed him with some curry pork, he can cook the dish with eyes closed. They had dinner and Tobio gave him an amazing Rolex, blue details and it had an engraving in the back that said With love, Tobio . Hinata was completely right, they were disgusting and cheesy. Atsumu really did not care, he fucking loved it.

Off-season passed quickly and Atsumu was waiting for the perfect moment to propose. He carried the mauled box everywhere. Even when they ran, because one never knows when that magical moment is going to happen. They had dinners at restaurants, they went to a park to lay down and drink some milkshakes. Tobio was leading Atsumu to be lactose intolerant with the amount of dairy they consumed.

The penultimate day of Tobio’s staying, Atsumu really needed to talk to him about a job offer he got mid-off-season. It meant a huge change for him, and them. So after having their breakfast, and before Tobio started to write in his journal, a daily habit of his, he said, serious, “Tobio, we need to talk.”

At the words Tobio pouted, not liking his partner's tone and most of all the sentence, no one liked being at the receiving end of a we need to talk .
“It's nothing bad, don’t worry,” Atsumu clarified quickly to stop Tobio’s train of thought. “I received a job offer from the Tours Volley-Ball, some weeks ago.”
“They are really good, ‘Tsumu.” Tobio replied, raising his head to face Atsumu, excitement in his voice. “Are you…? Wait, you’re going to accept?” 
“Maybe I will, I'm still thinking. If I accept, this will be my last season in Japan and the MSBY.” Change was something Atsumu really did not embrace well. Leaving Japan meant being far from his family, his brother and friends. But this opportunity came, the team was one of the best in the league, it’s a huge shot and Atsumu would not let fear stop him.

“What language is spoken in France?” Tobio asked curiously.
“They speak French, love,” Atsumu answered, touched by the sincere question.
“Do I need to learn French?” This was normal, Tobio asked the most random questions, but all of them had a purpose, and usually involved Atsumu losing his shit for the damn cuteness of them. “No, Tobs, you don’t have to.”
“But you learnt Italian, ‘Tsum.”
True, he could speak Italian, and read it, on a very basic level. Atsumu had met Tobio’s teammates and hung out with them. Well, they were friends now. They had all invited them to their personal events, wedding, baby showers, Catholic weird rituals. Atsumu had the suspicion that Tobio, if Atsumu accepted the offer, would enroll to French classes, the moment he told him his decision. 

“So we are going to play again, against each other. We are going to compete.” Amazement and raw excitement hit Tobio. He was giving Atsumu that weird grin he always gave Hinata before a match or whatever silly competition they were starting. Atsumu was really not used to the creepy smile being directed at him.
“Yeah, if I accept, you’re going to be the first to know, and I will contact our lawyers for them to figure out the new flat thing and what will happen to this apartment. Whatever we decided to do.” Atsumu started to plan. 

“Does it bother you?” Tobio wondered.
The question was weird. “What? A lot of things bother me. For example, Tangerine gets more cuddles and shares our bed with you more times than I get in a year,” Atsumu said jokingly.
“Are you jealous of our cat?” Tobio inquired, obviously judging Atsumu. “I meant, if it bothers you that I always come out with something and you end up doing it or dealing with it.” He stopped and took a breath. “When I told you about our flats, you handled the lawyers, broker, and the negotiations. When we got Tangerine, you did all the paperwork, the adult stuff. ‘Tsumu, you’re the one who declares our taxes and talks more to my accountant than I do. You even know my social number by heart.”

Oh , thought Atsumu. “I don’t mind. Someone has to do it, and I like to do it, for us, for you,” he affirmed. “Don’t worry about it. And you also know my number by heart, babe.” Tobio nodded and visibly relaxed. Love included shit like knowing the individual number of your partner. 

“Atsumu, maybe I don’t really need to say this, but I am going to say it.” Tobio began, and thought about his words. “Whatever you decide about the offer of Tours Volley-Ball, I am going to support you and follow you wherever you decide to go or do.” Another pause. And Tobio smiled. “ Because you always support me. That’s what we do.” Atsumu stared at Tobio, waiting to see if there was more coming. All of this was making his stomach feel a weird sensation, affection. He was feeling adored.
“I know I am not good with words but when we talk at the end of the day, until then, I feel my day is finally complete. When you don’t know what happened or when I am at a match and there’s a beautiful play I think I wish Atsumu was here with me .” This was a kind of confession Atsumu was not expecting but was welcoming with full delight. “As…”--Tobio bit his under lip-- “If you’re not there all is incomplete. It is weird.” He hesitated one second and saw his partner's huge grin, enjoying this way too much. 
“I can live without you,” Tobio added quickly, trying not to feed more Atsumu’s stupid ego. “But I chose not to,” he finished nervously and peered at Atsumu.

“Marry me?” Atsumu blurted, no fear, this was the moment he was waiting for. Tobio looked at him, perplexed, making sure if he really heard what Atsumu just proposed. Tobio’s face flushed, a light tint of pink, he was feeling ecstatic, and nodded with pure delight and screamed a loud “I DO,” smiling and moving his legs trying to contain his emotion. Oh, that smile, every time Atsumu got that smile from Tobio, he felt love running through his veins just and only for Tobio Kageyama. 

Then, seconds later, Atsumu remembered the godforsaken ring . “Wait, forget what I just asked!” the older exclaimed, making Tobio face contort with extreme betrayal.
“You don’t want to marry me?” 
“No!” Atsumu screamed. “Yes! I want to get marry, fuck! Wait here, ten seconds.” He ran hurriedly to their bedroom for the mauled red box and went back to where Tobio was sitting. 
“Tobio, would you…” The blond inclined and couldn’t even finish this time when Tobio interrupted him with another “I do.” Atsumu shook his head laughing, he was feeling pure happiness.

“Should I give you my hand for you to put the ring or should I? Because I don’t know how…” the blue eyed inquired, bringing his hand closer and farther from Atsumu, not sure of what to do.
“Let me,” said Atsumu, taking Tobio’s hand and sliding the ring into his finger. Perfect fit. “It has an engraving.”

“Really? Please, tell me it is in hiragana because if you used a kanji I can’t read I am going to kill you after we get married.” Tobio threatened him as he started to inspect the ring. “Hold up, this is what Tangerine swallowed?”

Atsumu nodded and shrugged at the question and sat beside Tobio.
“This is why you were acting crazy,” said Tobio, realizing the whole situation. “You know, I was about to buy this exact ring in Miyagi and engrave Love in it, but Hinata didn’t let me…” --Tobio didn’t finish because he had another realization-- “Hinata knew.”
Atsumu nodded once again and rested his elbow on the table watching how Tobio was reading what the ring said. Trust . “For letting me love you every day, Tobio,” Atsumu declared, beaming at him.

Tobio jumped and kissed him hard, making them fall off to the floor.

⧫⧫⧫

Tobio was waiting for Atsumu at the Paris airport. The season was about to end, meaning that Atsumu had to sign his contract with his new team. Tobio was now familiar with the airport since he had some matches in the city and mostly thanks to the fact that he and Atsumu had come to check some apartments and sign the papers, legal residence and other legal boring stuff. 

In the end they chose a small flat with two bedrooms, a tiny living room and two bathrooms. It was perfect for them, and for receiving their siblings and friends whenever they wanted to visit. They had already bought all the furniture and their new place was practically ready. 

When Tobio saw Atsumu arrive, he raised his hand to draw his attention. It was not difficult, both of them were ridiculously tall. Atsumu saw him and his features went from tired of being in a plane for over fourteen hours, please someone kill me to I love my life, I am blessed . Atsumu walked towards him, excusing himself to everyone who was in his way and dropping his belongings to hug Tobio and kiss him as a hello.

When Atsumu finally signed the final draft, approved by him and his legal team, of his contract with his new team, life was more than he could ask for. He was in love, and loved, owned a pet with the love of his life and just signed a contract with one of the most important European volleyball clubs. He felt he could beat god at that moment.

Since Tendou lived in Paris, they invited him to celebrate the new contract, and Ushijima practically invited himself to the mini celebration. They were on their way to the bistro Tendou chose when Atsumu whispered in Tobio’s ear.

“Let’s elope, today. Fuck planning and logistics of our wedding. We never wanted a huge party, anyway.” Tobio laughed pleasantly at the plan.

After their lunch, Tobio and Atsumu dragged Tendou and Ushijima to the town hall, and asked them to be their witness, since they were getting married. The other pair just shared a short look and shrugged and said, “Sure.” Ushijima commented that neither of them were wearing decent clothes for the occasion. 

It was a simple but very happy ceremony, and yes, all of them were dressed in casual clothes, and it couldn’t have been better. Tendou was taking pictures every five seconds, and Ushijima was beside them and smiling proudly, as if he were watching his son getting married.

Tendou sent all the photos to Atsumu, and Atsumu just forwarded the 100 plus photos Tendou took at the now infamous Group chat that let you know when Atsumu and Tobio set a date for their wedding . Ha, in their face. Atsumu Miya was now married to Tobio Kageyama.

The real winner here is Tangerine. He is a really fat, spoiled cat that still enjoys making Atsumu’s life miserable in three different countries. However Atsumu really doesn’t mind, since he is really fond of the orange demon and now it’s too chubby and adorable to hate it. 

Fourth trait Atsumu and Tangerine have in common: They will live until the end of their days with Tobio Kageyama.