Cherry Picking「SAKUATSU」✔

6: Miya Atsumu Interlude

A/n: Just to avoid confusion: this chapter is from Miya's perspective, and takes us through the story from the beginning up until the last chapter.

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It started at the beginning of the school year. Atsumu had forgotten his lunch as he had rushed out of the shower, hair still wet, and shoes on the wrong feet, because he was late. It was the one and only time he had forgotten his lunch, but it certainly wasn't the last time he brought nothing to eat to practice.

Hinata –like the angel he was– gave him some of his soup and half of his tamago kake gohan, even though it was his favourite, and he'd been talking about how excited he was to eat it.

Atsumu was almost positive that was the moment he realised how lovable Hinata Shouyou was. He didn't confess, though. Instead, he placed gentle kisses along his neck and jawline, and responded enthusiastically when the gestures were returned. He was happy, and even though he wasn't entirely sure Hinata felt as strongly for Atsumu as Atsumu did for Hinata, at least they had those moments.

Until they didn't.

It didn't stop abruptly, but gradually, like the slow halt of a train. Atsumu didn't even notice Hinata stopped coming to his dorm until it had been two weeks, and he was alone in his bed.

They still hung out. Atsumu still didn't bring lunch, and Hinata still gave him halfsies, but there were no more marks left by the ginger on Atsumu's neck, and his scent had left Atsumu's pillows.

After a few months Atsumu realised he was in way deeper that he'd initially thought, because his chest still ached whenever Hinata jumped to reach a ball that Atsumu had set, and his stomach dropped whenever he heard the happy sounds that Hinata made when he bantered back and forth with Kageyama.

And when Bokuto had decided to throw a party, Atsumu knew he would use it as an excuse to confess. He would be drinking, so he knew that if it went badly he would either forget about it, or he could blame whatever came out of his mouth on the vodka that Bokuto had been infusing with skittles.

"Why're ya so excited about this dumb party?" Osamu had asked, a few hours before they were planning on leaving. "Not like it's any different from any other party we've been to."

Atsumu should have known that Osamu would notice how eager he was. He was checking the time on his phone constantly, and his leg bounced up and down at a speed he hadn't known he was capable of.

"'M not," He said, and put a hand on his knee to stop the bouncing. "Just think it's good to get my mind offa my school work, and stuff."

"And stuff," Osamu repeated with a snort. "This about Hinata? Ya finally done moping about the place, cause he dumped ya?"

Atsumu shot his brother a glare, "He didn't dump me," He huffed. "We were never even together."

Osamu looked up at the ceiling like he was asking the gods themselves to strike him down with lightning. "Just please move on," Osamu looked back at Atsumu with a worried frown. "Yer makin' me feel depressed."

Atsumu stuck his tongue out, "Whatever, 'Samu," He said with a shrug. "I'm sure I'll be over it once I get some alcohol in my system."

Osamu gave him a look, which Atsumu didn't have to be his twin to figure out that that look meant 'I doubt that', but Atsumu shrugged it off. Because to an extent it was true. Once he'd drank his body weight in alcohol he wouldn't be worried about Hinata at all.

Oh, how wrong he had been.

As soon as they walked through the door Osamu split for the kitchen, muttering to himself about snacks and pulling out his phone to text Suna.