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It isn't a special day. They aren't playing any tournaments, it's not Olympics, it isn't Christmas nor New Years Eve, they haven't won any medal recently, it's nobody's birthday and it's not their anniversary. Atsumu is in São Paulo making breakfast in Shoyou's apartment while his boyfriend is doing yoga in the balcony. Soon they'd be out for a morning jog together.
It's 6 a.m. Shoyou listens Atsumu loudly yawn in the kitchen and a smile scapes his lips. Damn, it's hard to focus on the warrior pose he's doing. Also, his pleasant sored muscles made him remember the previous delightful night.
It wasn't a special night. Just a romantic dinner in a cozy vegan restaurant where they could see the sky and the moon above them, shining big and bright on their stolen kisses and promises of love. They've been together for 5 years now, since Shoyou's tenth month of MSBY.
People might say time flies but not when a piece of your heart lives in the other side of the world. Whenever they could spend a little time together they would grab the chance like their lives depended on it. And nothing is taken for granted. Any kiss or hug weren't enough. Talking to each other, exchanging laughs and smiles weren't enough. Making love or wild rough sex every night weren't enough.
They once laughed they were on the verge of a toxic dependency whenever they met because they both felt like they couldn't breath anymore if they spent more than 5 minutes away from each other, their chest would hurt from longing and missing. They miss each other in the intesity that only lovers deprived of each other's presence would know. Like a sunflower waiting and waiting too long for the sun to come rising through the horizon, and the sun waiting months until the sunflower blooms again in the spring.
The morning is chill, but not enough to wear a jacket. After breakfast, Shoyou and Atsumu take the subway and head to Villa-Lobos Park. Shoyou holds a little his pace to stay at Atsumu's side. There aren't many people there yet, and the birds chirping is a good sound filling in their comfortable silence.
Shoyou's been thinking since Atsumu arrived a few days ago. When he laid eyes on Atsumu at the airport, this time felt different. Shoyou sensed his heart tingle. His chest tightens.
In the beginning, his promises of eternal love were because he was madly in love. But now, he felt almost desperate to commit to every single promise he's made in the past 5 years. He knows every second together counts. However, Shoyou wants more. He's always wanted more.
Shoyou overthinks his feelings and stays quiet most of the day. It doesn't pass unnoticed by Atsumu.
"I can hear the gears of your brain turning since yesterday, Shoyou-kun".
They're having dinner at home. Shoyou made them pastel, tapioca and fried polenta, Atsumu's favorite.
Shoyou rises his eyes to meet Atsumu's, who's calm and grinning at him. Shoyou inhales sharp.
"Let's go to Peru".
"What?!" Atsumu's immediate response is utter confusion. He blinks twice. "What?"
"Let's go to Peru. It's close, only 5 hours of flight, the food is great, the cities are beautiful, the nature is out of this world, and the country has lots, lots of historical sites we can visit!"
Shoyou remembers Atsumu's interest in archeology and mythology. He's very curious about ancient peoples and believes, and one of his favorite places in Japan is the Fushimi Inari temple. Atsumu gets bored fairly easy with anything that doesn't relate to volleyball, but mysterious old stuff intrigued him enough.
Atsumu gives a second thought, humming. "Why this, so sudden? And, uhm, we have a flight to Japan next week…"
"I don't want to be stuck in São Paulo while you're here with me. We've seen it all here, I already took you to Rio, Ilhabela, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, anyway, I've known some parts of Brazil with you, but I want to know Peru. With you, too. Please? We come back before our flight to Japan".
Atsumu squints his eyes, a bit suspiscious. But Shoyou's heart was all genuine impulsiveness and he knows him well to tell it's the truth. Or a major part of it.
"Alright, then. Let's go to Peru! Uhm… When…"
"Let's pack after dinner!", Shoyou's ecstatic, almost jumping from his chair. Atsumu let's out a laugh. "I'll book our flight for tomorrow morning and find us hostels to stay at! Don't worry! I've already done this before" Shoyou adds after Atsumu opens his mouth with a concerned look. Atsumu then takes a bite at the polenta, nodding.
Atsumu grabs his phone. "Peru, huh…?"
Shoyou sits beside him and they start to look some places up.
Everything happens too fast and they get too busy packing their backpacks, careful to not forget anything essential. Shoyou takes care of flights and hostels as he said he would before they go to sleep. Shoyou's actually too excited to be able to rest. So Atsumu gives him the best medicine: intense workout in bed. Always works. They shower before sleep, and they really sleep now, snores and everything.
Their flight is really early, at 8h30. They are used to wakeup at 5h30 for their morning jogs, so it wasn't a sacrifice. They were at the airport by 7h. Atsumu seems very sleepy, but is all smiles whenever Shoyou looks at him.
The flight is smooth and they land in Lima. They go straight to Miraflores to have lunch, a cozy neighbouhood close to the sea. Shoyou knows their route without stuttering: after a day and half in Lima, they'd go to Huancayo, Paracas, Ica, Nazca and Cusco. He wish they had time to visit the north and south of Peru, maybe next time.
Atsumu is enjoying himself a lot. He tells Shoyou every meal how much he loves the food and all the dishes they try and how rich they are. His favourite dish so far is Pollo Chi Jau Kay from a restaurant in the top of a cliff where they could see the sea below from a glass window in Lima. He gets marveled at Plaza de Armas in every city they stop, it's big and a lot of people from all ages and gender gather to just talk and eats ice cream or some other snack. Peruvian people are all very friendly and kind. It's easy to find themselves and travel through the country since Shoyou speaks a little of spanish thanks to Oikawa. They also took a lot of pictures together due to Shoyou's ability to befriend literally anyone, and there's a lot of brazilian tourists as well.
It's the end of their 3rd day and they're heading to Paracas at night by bus. It's 8 hours of traveling, so they take a sleeping pill to try to rest until they arrive their destination.
Atsumu sleeps first, his head dropped heavy on Shoyou's shoulder. Shoyou missed this so much. He's always enjoyed sleeping after him on bus rides because he'd remember his time at MSBY. Shoyou usually sat with Bokuto in the beginning and some other team members too, but after he started dating Atsumu officially, they were inseparable. Sakusa once sat next to him and Atsumu almost growled at him hissing "Move". Sakusa hasn't moved though, he wanted to talk to Shoyou about Ushijima and apparently he couldn't do it later. But it was only this time they haven't traveled side by side, and Atsumu almost died of "I miss Shoyou-kun". Actually, he almost killed Bokuto of how much he whined about it the entire trip.
Shoyou's heart pulses, almost exploding in a million pieces from love. He inhales and closes his eyes, feeling Atsumu's fresh cologne and shampoo's nice smell, and soon falls asleep.
They arrived in Paracas and rested (slept) in their hotel room for 2 hours before heading to the travel agency at 10a.m. They would be grouped with 5 more people, 3 brazilian group of friends and a couple from China, and the minivan driver would take them to the main places through Paracas.
First, the Ballestas Islands. It's not only them on the boat, there are 2 boats with 10 tourists each. Atsumu's tense at first when the guide puts the life vest on him, so Shoyou takes his hand as soon as they sit on the boat. It doesn't take long until they reach the giant rocks full of sea lions lying at the sun, seagulls and other birds. The smell is strong. Shoyou gets worried about Atsumu, but when he looks at him, he's in awe like a child seeing animals for the first time in their life.
"Wow look at that sea lion, Sho!", Atsumu points at one that is on the tip of a rock in the middle of a cliff impossibly steep, and it looked so chilled, the end of its tail swaying lazily.
The boats moves very slowly so everyone can appreciate the view and takes pictures. At some point the boat starts moving fast again and they only stop to see the Candelabro, a giant historical drawing on highland that looked like a candlestick. The guide, who's peruvian, is explaining in english about it, when Shoyou feels Atsumu's grabbing his hand to kiss its back.
"Thanks for bringing me here", Atsumu smiles, leaving Shoyou breathless. His hair is so disheveled by the wind, but he never looked so gorgeous before under the sun like that.
"Thank you. For everything", Shoyou manages to respond. Barely. His heart beats too loud in his own ears.
They smile at each other. But it's not special yet.
After eating the best ceviche they ever had in a local restaurant, they go to Paracas National Reserve. It's the most beautiful place Shoyou has ever been. It seems a desolate place, they only see the light ochre solid rock beneath their feet, the wind whistling in their ears and the smell of the sea.
After taking pictures and enjoying the sea waves at some of the beaches, they walk apart from their group and go to the top of the nearest cliff, where they could see the ocean from above.
The scenery is marvelous. They're very high, with just a giant rock desert from one direction and the immense sea in the other. Atsumu hugs Shoyou from behind, kissing his neck for a brief moment. The wind is so strong and never gives a break.
"What are we doing here, Shoyou-kun?"
Shoyou inhales deeply, smelling the salty air from the sea below. He'd usually joke and would say something obvious like "Travelling" and Atsumu would snort and tickle his belly and sides of his waist retorting "You know what I mean" and wouldn't stop until Shoyou tells him what he's really thinking.
Shoyou looks at the infinite sea in front of him, birds flying happy. He senses the magnitude of that splendorous view crushing him, the force of nature telling him everything and nothing at the same time.
"Eloping". Shoyou says with a soft smile on his lips, his voice is peaceful, not low but not quite high to break through the merciless wind either. He feels Atsumu's arms faltering a little and the touch of his head pressed into his disappears. Shoyou could be dreaming but he's sure now he's feeling Atsumu's heart beating so hard and fast since his chest is pressed tight to Shouyou's back.
"What?" Atsumu takes almost a minute to ask, his voice failing.
Shoyou turns without breaking Atsumu's arms around his waist, and reaches his own to put them on Atsumu's shoulders. Shoyou grins, feeling giddy. Atsumu's eyes are impossibly wide, his mouth slightly open in confusion.
"This place makes me feel so small. I feel insignificant, tiny. I'm nothing compared to the vastness of the world. But it's so so beautiful I can't help but feel this overwhelming happiness." Shoyou softens his eyes, and cups Atsumu's cheek. "And even though I'm nothing, I'm no one, I realize that being with you right here right now, I feel like I have the whole world right in front of me within my reach. And it's easy, it's soft, it's lively, it's wonderful and full of love. You're everything to me. I love you, Tsumu".
Atsumu is crying, and he can't take his eyes off Shoyou's, like this moment would vanish in an instant if he blinks, if he looks away. Shoyou wants to clean his tears. Instead, he reaches his pocket and take a small white box and opens it. Atsumu lets a small gasp escape his throat. Shoyou takes one ring and Atsumu's left hand, putting the ring gently on his ring finger. It's delicate and gold, with a phrase carved inside.
Shoyou kisses the ring, and then reaches to kiss Atsumu's lips. It tastes like salt, but it's sweet on Shoyou's tongue.
They're not special. They're tiny meaningless men kissing in the middle of an eerie desolated nature swallowing them. It's all desert and yellow ochre meeting blue around them. Yet, Shoyou felt special. It's their day, it's their moment, it's their lives. Their hearts beating in perfect sync. Wind carrying their words for only gods to hear.
"I love you so much, Shoyou-kun", Atsumu whispers against Shoyou's lips. His eyes are finally shut.
Shoyou hums, blissful. They kiss again.