fanfic hoarder

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

It was going to be just one month, one month to get your teacher out of your back. He was supposed to be your good deal of the year. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" he yells, and you quickly silence him by placing a hand over his mouth. His smile tickles your fingers.

"Be quiet!"

"You mean I could've just read the manga version, instead of the whole ass book?"

"No, reading the book is important for the test" you tell him, rolling your eyes. But then he's making a grabbing motion with his hands that actually makes him look like a toddler reaching for his parents, and you have to laugh and hand the manga to him "But I thought you would appreciate seeing the story like this as well"

"Oh, I appreciate it alright" he yells, grimacing when you scold him again, and actually making a quick bowing motion when he turns around to find the librarian glaring daggers at him from the front desk "Yeah, yeah, sorry. I'll keep my mouth shut"

"Good" you nod, grabing your books "I'll leave you to it then"

It's only two days before the test, and you want to do some studying alone in your bedroom, wich translates into frantically pacing back and forth and reading stuff out loud, but he really doesn't need to know that)

He calls your name when you're about to go out the door, and this time, it is you who apologizes to the librarian, who looks absolutely done with the two of you.

"Thanks for this" he smiles, and it's a sharp smile with a hint of fangs that has you blushing and praying he's too far away to notice how quickly the colour spreads from your cheeks to your neck "You ended up being way cooler than what I thought"

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

You were just meant to be the surprisingly cool nerd girl that helps him get a good grade, pass the subject, and then just becomes someone he casually smiles when he bumps you on the hallways.

"Why are you smiling?" he asks, and you smile grows even bigger.

"How do you know I'm smiling? Your eyes are closed"

He shrugs, and you snuggle even closer under the blankets "I just know it"

"How?"

"I just do. I have a super power"

"You're a dork, that's what you are"

At that he smiles as well, and he even opens one eye to look down at you, with your head on his chest.

"Yeah well, but I'm your dork"

"I guess that is true"

"You chose me, so no backtracking now"

"Wouldn't dream of it" you laugh.

"Yeah, well. Because you wouldn't be getting rid of me that easily anyway"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're totally stuck with me"

"Oh, I didn't knew you loved me that much" you say in a singsong voice, attempting to make a joke that clearly falls flat when Baji goes silent, and you have to actually look back up to see if he suddenly didn't just fell asleep.

"I mean" he starts, licking his lower lip in that nervous way that reminds you to your first kiss "I do love you"

One second passes.

Then two.

Then you're sitting down slowly and looking at him in bewilderment.

"I was just joking" you tell him, watching him immediately go from relaxed to surprised, then to defensive.

"Well, I'm not. You have a problem with that or what?"

Your mouth falls even more open, if possible.

"Ahm..."

"I love you and you're just gonna have to deal with that" he finishes, and then gets up in a flurry of blankets, and you just stay still and watch him quietly apologize to your cat for scaring her half to death on his way to angrily put his shirt back on and make a beeline straight for your window. The one he climbs almost every night when you're absolutely sure that your parents are sleeping already.

You only really realize he just confessed his love to you and immediately took off when you hear him start his motorcycle, and then you're running to the window he left carelessly open to shout his name, your parents be damned.

"I love you too!" you yell "So much!"

He flashes you that signature smile that you first saw that faithful afternoon at the library, and then disappears into the night.

You get scolded and grounded the next morning, but you still think it was totally worth it to see his blush right before he put his helmet on.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Because now... now you're going to have to spend your whole life getting over him.

You don't go to the funeral. Chifuyu tells you everyone was there. That his mother cried a lot. That a couple of them asked about you. You're only half listening.

Only when he places a hand on your shoulder you look up, to his stormy eyes that must look exactly like yours.

'Breathe in, breathe through. Breathe deep, breathe out'

The box with some of his stuff that his mother sent you stays under your bed until you move out of your parents apartment. You take it with you, because your chest still hurts even then, eight years later.

All because you fell in love.

In the great labyrinth of things that life is, you wonder if it was always meant to be like that.

...

It's the beginning of the year and you say yes when your teacher asks you about changing classrooms. You're going to miss studying with your friends, but you can still see them at lunch.

It's for the better. This is what's supposed to happen.

You graduate with flying colors. You go to college. The love you feel for the kitty you found starving on a side of the road and that has now become the queen of your bedroom and hogger of all your pillows, compels you to study veterinary science.

Life is good. Everything's like it's supposed to be.

Until one of your teachers asks you a tiny favour.

"You have to" you say, and the guy has the nerve to look all smug. As if he wasn't failing the class "It's the only way you're going to pass"

"Look, you don't have to be a little shit about it" he tells you, and you suddenly want to pick up the book he carelessly dropped on the table and smack him on the head with it "I know what I have to do. I don't need any bossy girl that thinks she's way cooler than she is telling me what to do"

"Okay fine! Whatever! Just do whatever the hell you want!" you yell, because you're 22, running low on caffeine and with a roommate that is going through the worst breakup ever, so you've been staying up all night doing your part in consoling her.

You don't have enough energy for this.

You're almost at the door when you hear him call your name, and a wave of emotions that surges seemingly out of nowhere threatens to topple you over, so you hold onto the door frame before slowly turning to look back at him.

He has apparently opened the book, and it's looking at whatever page he landed in with a furrowed brow.

"Fine" he relents, taking a quick look at you before closing the book back with a little more force than necessary, and plopping down on his chair "Let's just get this over with"

And you have a feeling, right in that moment, that this is exactly how things are supposed to happen.

This work belongs to my Midnights: Sleepless stories 🕰️ collection, a series of reader insert fics based on the album Midnight, by Taylor Swift, with characters from Haikyuu, Tokyo Revengers and Blue Lock. ✨

You can still send an ask if there's any character you would like to see in any particular song ✨

... some other things, are a bit harder to escape.

You're vaguely aware of your publicist shaking her head in disapproval out of the corner of your eye, but you smile and do your best to pretend this isn't the question you were expecting. Or the one you wanted, for that matter.

"Ahm... Mikey?" you ask, trying to win you some time.

The interviewer smirks. If she can sense your hesitation, she's doing a great job of pretending she actually doesn't. "Yeah! I mean, at this point, we all know you live together. Are any songs in the new album about him? Are we going to get any hints about the future?" she moves even closer, and the way she wiggles her eyebrows as if she's actually being funny, has you forgetting all the nice things she said to you "About any... possible wedding?"

"I'm sorry, but we really need to leave" your publicist comes to your rescue, and you let her maneuver you away from the camera with a small push. "I'm going to talk with them, don't worry" she whispers in your ear once you made it far enough "They told me it was just going to be something quick about tonight's awards"

...

Your night is more or less ruined after that silly, seemingly harmless question. The interview leaves such a bad taste on your mouth, that not even four glasses of champagne are able to wash it away. You win three of your eight nominations, including Artist of the Year. The speech you're supposed to give during the last one comes out as a messy blurb, and you just want to get back to your table to finish your fifth glass of the night.

Finally back in your seat, you catch your phone buzzing on your purse.

You have eleven texts from Mikey, and three pictures.

mikey 💖🏍️: you look so hot i wanna cry

mikey 💖🏍️: not going to do that but still. draken says hi and good luck.

mikey 💖🏍️: you're the fucking best.

[Picture attached]

mikey 💖🏍️: you looked so cute here, i'm gonna send this picture to takemichi to brag

You hide your laugh behind your hand, and make a quick inspection of your surroundings. No one else on the table seems to be paying attention to you, their eyes glued to the stage for the next award, so you go back to read your boyfriend's apparent live commentary of your performance for the night.

mikey 💖🏍️: a guy in your table is looking at you too much this is two times the camera catches him i'm going to google him

[Picture attached]

mikey 💖🏍️: congrats babygirl i knew you would win this!!!

mikey 💖🏍️: wtf this one should have gone to you as well. this show is rigged

[Picture attached]

mikey 💖🏍️: you looked so good during your speech i need to get you out of that dress immediately

mikey 💖🏍️: i miss you

mikey 💖🏍️: yeah another win for my baby! you're fucking destroying them!!

mikey 💖🏍️: draken won't stop looking at me i already told him i'm busy rooting for my baby

You leave Mikey's chat to find that you also have a text from Draken, and chuckle a little too louder at your boyfriend's childhood friend desperate message about taking away Mikey's phone, because they're supposed to be working on his bike.

You place your phone back to where it was before as soon as you feel the girl sitting on your right leaning over to take a peak. She gives you a sheepish smile.

"Bored already, huh?" she adds, rolling her eyes. You've known her for two years now. She's a very prominent rock vocalist "Honestly, this things should be shorter. I just wanna go home already"

You nod, and can't help but let your mind wander back to the probing questions that made your publicist cut short your previous interview. Back to the flaming curiosity people feel about your relationship. Back to how everyone seems to have an opinion, a theory to share, something to add to a narrative that has become such a public topic.

You remember the first article to come out after your relationship went public. You had been dating for a couple of months by then, and you were really excited to share the news with your fans, so you didn't mind when some paparazzis found the two of you on a date.

The first article ever written about you and Mikey's relationship wasted four pages on a list of ways your relationship could go sour. Reading it was such a punch to the gut, such a blow to your happiness, that you had decided then and there that you would turn a blind eye to every possible gossip about the two of you.

You were going to protect what you two had, no matter what.

At the cost of not being there, close to the race, cheering your boyfriend on as he came first. At the cost of not feeling the weight of his hand on yours while you walked the red carpet. At the cost of not having a normal date night around town, where the two of you could just walk closely together, counting the stars and sharing laughs.

Your relationship was not meant to be picked apart. The two of you would not become a list. What you had, would stay yours. And no one else.

That's the main reason why you only put your engagement ring back once you're home, when the cat you got as an engagement present from Chifuyu comes to greet you at the door, rubbing against your legs. You bend down to carry him with you to the living room, walking with an excited bounce in your steps even tho is technically three in the morning, and you should be dying of sleep.

But your fiance is there, on the couch, passed out over his phone, the light from the television still on in front him making his face glow in the dark. They're playing some special moments from tonight's ceremony, but you couldn't care less anymore.

"Hey, Manji" you call him, gently shaking him by the shoulder "I'm home now"

He opens one eye to peak at you from under his long dark lashes "Welcome back. I missed you so much"

"So much that you fell asleep?" you tease him.

That gets you dragged to the sofa, into Mikey's arms.

"You're trapped now. Can't leave anymore" he tells you, his voice raspy from sleep "No more award shows for you" your cat, feeling left out on the floor, meows loudly at the two of you "No, I won't let her go. She's mine"

"Yes, I'm yours" you whisper, snuggling against his chest and ignoring the way your dress will be all wrinkly when you (or Mikey, most likely) take it off. "And I wouldn't want to go anywhere else"

You just want to stay in the haze of your love forever.

This work belongs to my Midnights: Sleepless stories 🕰️ collection, a series of reader insert fics based on the album Midnight, by Taylor Swift, with characters from Haikyuu, Tokyo Revengers and Blue Lock. ✨

You can still send an ask if there's any character you would like to see in any particular song ✨

It's five months until your actual first fight. It's messy, and the line cuts when you're in the middle of a screaming contest, so you do the only logical thing that you can actually think of: throw your phone to the other side of the room and bury yourself under your blankets. A day later, when the storm has passed, he tells you that it was just a connection problem, and that he didn't really meant to hang up on you. He also sends you money to buy a new phone. You instead save it for a surprise trip that never comes, because two months later he tells you he has to make a last minute travel, and that he'll be in Europe for the rest of the season.

You're thankful to your friends for helping you unpack, because your puffy eyes are not the best to sort through your clothes.

...

Life goes on. You quit your office job to chase after your own dreams. But being a freelance artist is not easy, and so you have to still work part time somewhere else in the meantime

At least is somewhere close to home. At least you still can get home just in time to have your goodnight call with Oikawa.

You make friends. You get good tips because you're nice, and because you seem to have a sad smile that makes you look vulnerable. Or at least that's what one of your regular patrons tells you one day before leaving.

"He's true, you know" your boss admits to you that night. He's helping you clean after closing hours, covering for another waiter. He doesn't seems to mind. Osamu Miya, you've learned, it's just kind like that "If it's because there's something you don't like here, you can tell me"

"It's not work, don't worry"

He hums, eyeing you for a moment too long before looking back down at the table he's cleaning "I know this is just something temporary for you"

"Doesn't mean I haven't come to enjoy it"

You look at the time. You need to leave if you want to say goodnight to Oikawa. Osamu understands, or at least you think he does. He tells you he can finish everything up by himself and that you should hurry, but when you're almost at the door, he calls your name.

"I didn't knew you had a boyfriend"

"He's overseas" you say.

He nods, brows still furrowed.

You only really think about that small detail when Oikawa doesn't answers your call.

...

It becomes a regular ocurrence.

"I'm just really really really busy" reads the text he sends you. "I'll make it up to you, I swear"

You believe him. For some time, you really do. You still come home in time and you still make some effort. You get angry and cry and leave him texts that question everything you've build together for ten years.

He keeps apologizing. He sends you videos of his matches, and sneak pictures of all the presents he's going to bring you next time he's on vacation.

And another year passes.

You make enough money to quit Onigiri's Miya and start to make a living only with your art. Your coworkers throw you a goodbye party that has you tearing up and making you hug each and one of them. And you do. You even hug Osamu. It's a little too tight and a little too intense, and the way he holds onto your jacket makes you pause in front of your door once you're back home.

You check your pockets. He slipped a piece of paper with his number on them.

It's been two weeks since you've known anything about your boyfriend by then. You save the phone in your contact list.

...

Oikawa Tooru returns home one Christmas later. He hasn't changed, and you're scared for a second when he hugs you at the airport, because you're aware that you have. A lot.

Your roommate leaves you the apartment for the weekend. And you try to forget it's just a weekend. Only one. But time moves fast and he only brought one suitcase.

"I did told you I had a lot of gifts for you!" he chuckles when you open it and realize that it's almost full to the brim with stuff for you.

You don't leave your apartment. You order takeout, and watch movies you've talked about so much. He fucks you over the couch, when the credits are rolling. It's fast and agressive and he grabs you so hard that you know his fingerprints on your hips will still be there long after he leaves. He shows you a lot of pictures. There's so many faces you don't recognize, and it's sad that you only half listen to his explanations, trying to smile and nod when you feel you have to.

You make love on the floor the night before he leaves, and it's slow and sloppy and when he lets his head fall on your shoulder, you think he's crying. He blames the horrible wine your roommate had in the fridge, and promises to buy a better bottle next time.

...

Somehow, you talk even less after his visit. You start getting a lot of commissions. You do some networking. A small animation studio calls you, wanting to have you work for them.

You decline, but keep thinking about it. Turning to Osamu for advice seems the most logical thing to do, giving how good he seems to be with managing his own business.

"Only do it if you're willing to lose the perks of being your own boss" he tells you over a cup of coffee.

You nod "Being your own boss is kind of great"

He laughs, and you realize that he's even more handsome now that all the hair dye he used in high school has faded away completely.

"I know that"

You see him again after that, and again, and again, and everytime you leave your phone at home. It's not like Oikawa is going to call you anyway. You stick to texting lately. It's easier. It's quicker. It's the last straw.

You're not sure he knows that. He leaves you voice memos filled with love declarations, and still sends you pictures of the things he wants to buy for you. But things are different.

"How's your boyfriend?" Osamu asks you one day.

He's sitting cross legged on the floor, because it's been long now since your little coffee dates moved to your apartment, and you try not to linger too much on the word "date", but your friends won't stop teasing you.

You shrug without looking at him "I guess he's fine. We don't talk much this days"

Osamu snorts, shakes his head and takes another sip of his drink "I remember him from high school. He used to be a pain in the ass"

You don't laugh, but glance at your phone on the table.

"I think we're going to break up"

...

You're not sure if Oikawa knows you're not together anymore when he comes to visit that summer. You started getting used to the idea after that day in your living room with Osamu, and by now, it's like you've gone through the breakup alone.

You think about loneliness in your way back to your apartment, with Oikawa's arm draped over your shoulders. You've been lonely since the beginning. Long before the sea came to be between the two of you.

Oikawa always had a match. Some practice. Something he couldn't postpone. You don't blame him for following his dreams. You ended up doing the same. You honestly wish everyone did.

And that's exactly what you tell him, watching him bury his head on his hands, only little sobs managing to escape him.

"I think we both knew it would end this way" you say, giving a strained laugh "At least we tried"

Oikawa shakes his head with so much force that you think he's going to hurt himself "I thought we were going to make it"

"You're not going to come back, and I'm not going to move to Argentina. We were never going to make it"

"Do you really want to break up with me?" he asks, and you recognize the puffy eyes and the tear stained cheeks, so you spare him the pain of telling him you already did.

Instead you sit beside him, hold his hand until dusk, and then help him find a hotel to stay until his flight.

You still take him to the airport. After a long hug, you gift him a bouquet of carnations. You both laugh, and it sounds like goodbye.

A couple of days later, he writes to tell you the bouquet made it intact this time.

You smile, and finish getting ready for a date that this time, won't be accompanied by coffee.

Osamu gifts you a bouquet of roses. You have the feeling they're a different kind of scarlet.

This work belongs to my Midnights: Sleepless stories 🕰️ collection, a series of reader insert fics based on the album Midnight, by Taylor Swift, with characters from Haikyuu, Tokyo Revengers and Blue Lock. ✨

You can still send an ask if there's any character you would like to see in any particular song ✨

He's fifteen the first time he sees you, and you're shy and don't talk too much, and he has to take the time to explain that Oikawa's an idiot, but also harmless, when your reaction to his friend's joke is to look utterly horrified.

But you smile at his apology.

And he thinks that's the moment he just knows.

Then it's his second year and you three are friends. You're not as close as Iwaizumi would like, but with his volleyball practices and matches and the things that you do in art club, at least you still find the time to hang out a lot. And he really wishes he could be good at drawing. And he tries—secretely first, then reluctantly with a very cheery and not helpful at all Oikawa as his practice partner—, but his hands are not meant for drawing lines and complicated patterns.

"That's alright, Hajime" you tell him, and he doesn't know if you notice the way you're caressing his fingers, but he will remember it for weeks "This hands are meant for spikes, not for doodles"

By the time third year rolls in, he knows that you were wrong. His hands have always been meant to hold yours. But life starts getting faster, and everything moves to quick for his liking, and graduation is around the corner and he's still not sure. Not sure if his feelings will be reciprocated, not sure if it's worth to sacrifice your friendship in the name of something he has been holding close to his chest for three years now.

Oikawa knows, by now. Sometimes he openly jokes about it. Other times, he just looks at Iwaizumi in a way that makes him feel uncomfortable.

"You should tell her now" he tells him, the last day day of school. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, but his heart is beating so fast that he feels lightheaded "Before it's too late"

He doesn't tell you anything. He doesn't takes the leap. He stays, rooted in place, staring longingly at the abyss darkness.

And he remains there for the rest of his life. He catches up with you every Sunday. It's a tradition that starts when you go to college, and remains until you get a job in L.A, and you have that goodbye dinner where he ends up drinking too much, because what else is he supposed to do?

You have your share of boyfriends. He has one relationship that ends leaving everything in shambles, echoes of accusations that are too close to the truth still lingering in his ears even months after the disaster.

He doesn't try it again.

Oikawa still stares at him in that weird way in all of their video calls.

He still remembers the touch of your hand.

And he still doesn't takes the leap.

...

"And it would be okay if you didn't know" Oikawa continues, food growing cold on the table "I mean, not okay. But at least it would be understandable"

"Oikawa..."

"But you do know! You've known all this time that you love her and you still haven't said anything!"

"It's complicated, alright?" Iwaizumi yells, and Oikawa is genuinely startled by his reaction. He jumps in place and then frowns, and Iwaizumi doesn't know why he's getting upset. He's the one doing the pushing "I don't know how she feels. This isn't only about me"

A minute passes. Then two. Then Oikawa grips his fork again in a way that makes Iwaizumi think he's going to fling it at him.

"She came all the way from the States to wish you good luck in the Olympics" he says "Five thousand miles to wish you good luck in person"

"And?"

"Iwa-chan, are you stupid?"

...

He finds you at the beach because you told him you would be there. ("L.A has the best beaches" you had said, smiling "But the ones in Tokyo have my heart")

"It's too cold" he tells you as a greeting "You're going to get sick, and you have a flight tomorrow"

You look at him over your shoulder and pat the spot next to you "Come sit down with me"

He reluctantly does. You smile. He blushes, and thinks that he would jump in the freezing water if you told him too. The thought makes him pause, and take a peak at the dark abyss by his feet.

"I thought you were going to have dinner with Tooru and then we were going to see each other tomorrow morning"

"I ditched him"

"I'm not surprised" you laugh, bumping his shoulder. "Did he started talking about how Argentina will win in everything again?"

He's 27. He's 27 and about to have the biggest moment in his career. The woman he's loved all his life is siting right beside him, eyes curious and a frown starting to form on her face, because he still hasn't answered her question and it's been a whole minute now.

It's just that he's preparing to jump.

You'll be gone tomorrow, anyway.

Trying to repair your friendship will be easier by text. Less painful.

"Don't leave" it's the thing he says, however. And that's not what he was planning to say, not what Oikawa told him to say, but it is what it is and now you're looking at him as if he suddenly bursted into flames, so he has to keep going, feeling the wind on his back from the fall "Stay here"

"I have to get back to work, Hajime" you say, placing a hand on his shoulder that he quickly takes between his, not missing how the gesture makes you gasp.

"Yeah, well... you're the best one at your office. You deserve a vacation"

"But Hajime..."

"I need to invite you to a proper date and... and we need to celebrate, when our team wins" he gulps, and suddenly the fall feels a little more easier "I love you. I think I've loved you since we were in high school"

"You think?" you ask, and your voice is only a whisper that makes him look up from your hands holding yours, to realize that your eyes are glistening with tears.

"No, I don't think so. I'm sure of it"

"Then why now?"

He laughs, a strained sound that makes you laugh as well, and since you're both laughing, you don't even realize that snow has started to fall around you.

"Oikawa was being annoying about it"

"I know how that feels"

"You do?"

"He has been annoying me about it too. For a while now, actually" you say, smiling, and you furiously wipe the tears from your eyes and lean towards him, cheeks all flushed in a pretty shade of red "I love you too, Hajime. It's always been you"

And when he kisses you, he's happy to find that what awaited him at the bottom of the abyss, was a snowy beach.

This work belongs to my Midnights: Sleepless stories 🕰️ collection, a series of reader insert fics based on the album Midnight, by Taylor Swift, with characters from Haikyuu, Tokyo Revengers and Blue Lock. ✨

You can still send an ask if there's any character you would like to see in any particular song ✨

Still without turning around, you wave your hand at him in greeting and keep moving bottles to one side to another. Atsumu leans down against the bar and taps his fingers on the recently polished wood. He thinks it's oak, but he's not really sure. You aren't either. He remembers that time he asked you and you laughed and told him you weren't a tree expert.

Laughter.

That's right. He can catch your attention by making you laugh.

"Oh come on. Can't you spare like, five minutes?" he pouts, his head coming to rest on one of his hands "Is a bottle of whiskey really better to look at than me?"

That makes you pause. And you don't quite laugh, but you're smiling when you finally turn around and face him, and that's a small victory he will take with his arms wide open.

"What kind of drink are you going to want today?"

"Ouch, straight to business, huh?"

"Well" you say, and this time you do laugh. An airy laugh that he remembers very well from that time you were underneath him in bed, and he tickled you and you...

He clears his throat and pushes that train of thought aside, because you're still talking, because he's in public, and because his jeans are very tight.

"... so yeah, it's kind of my work" you finish, and he's vaguely aware that you basically just told him that he should order something, and so he does, and watches intently as you get to work in whatever his mouth decided it was a good choice of beverage, while his brain was busy conjuring images of you in his bed.

"How's the night goin'?"

"Not so bad"

"But you just said ..."

"I'm busy because we had a new shipment today, so I have to rearrange everything around" you explain, shaking your head while you turn the blender on "But this is an onigiri restaurant. Almost no one comes for the bar" then you pause, waiting for the blender to finish before continuing "Well, except for you that is"

"I don't come for the bar, I come for you"

"Are you saying my drinks are shitty, by any chance?"

Ah, your good old friend, deflection. Atsumu knows her quite well.

You finish everything and hand him what appears to be a Margarita, and the look of surprise on his face only makes you laugh more than before, and offer him a complimentary umbrella. He wants to reach for your hand but instead he takes a sip of the cold, fruity liquid, mindful of not poking himself in the eye in front of the girl he's been trying to date for two months.

For two entire months.

"I have to go to the back now and bring another box of supplies, so I guess I'll see you later?"

"You and me, Saturday"

Honestly at this point, he has tried to ask you out so many times that he doesn't even know how to phrase the invitation anymore. And right on cue, you once again roll your eyes at him and shake your head, pieces of your hair falling messily against your neck in a way that seriously puts Atsumu to the test.

"You know the answer to that"

"Yes?"

"No" you deadpan "Atsumu, I'm not going to go out with you"

"But can you please tell me why?" he gets desperate easily, and that's also pretty common. He's been desperate since day one, imagine now that it's been two months of this sweet, sweet torture. "We had great, amazing sex" he says, and waits for your response. When you just stare at him, he feels one of his eyebrows begin to twitch "Right?"

You bite your lip and it's so ridiculously unfair that Atsumu feels that he could scream, throw his baseball cap to the ground and stomp on it, even fight that smug Kageyama if the bastard was around. It's unfair, because he should be the one doing the biting.

He's fine if you do it too, of course. He will let you do anything to him.

"Yes, the sex was great Atsumu"

"Both times"

"It should have been just one night"

"But it was two and both of them were great"

"Yes, they were"

He grunts, straightening his back and pushing back his sunglasses over the bridge of his nose, Margarita long forgotten on the table.

"Then why do you keep saying no? Why are we havin' this conversation when we could be doin' somethin' much more fun like, I don't know, makingl' some good use of the employees only area?"

You sigh, and you look mildly annoyed and kind of tired, but your pink cheeks and you lip still between your lips gives Atsumu enough confidence to try and reach for your arm over the counter.

He grasps the same damn space that you've been putting between the two of you since the last time you were in his bedroom.

"I'm not going to go out with you, Atsumu" you tell him quietly "And there's more to dating than sex, by the way"

"Look, that's not ..."

"Also" you add, quickly turning back to your usual cheery, kind of snarky self and pointing at his face "You really shouldn't be wearing sunglasses indoor"

"That's exactly what I told him before he came to bother you" Osamu's voice says from behind him, and Atsumu can't just turn around and scowl at his brother, because he's busy watching you disappear through the back door, taking with you all his hopes for the night.

...

To be fair, it's not like anyone can blame Atsumu for not knowing what to do. He has never played the role of the heartbroken, unable to move on lover before. And he has a cementery of ghosted lovers to prove his claim. What is he meant to do when the tables turn on him?

A warning would have been nice.

"But I did warn you" Kita reminds him, a couple of days after the first time you two sleep together. Atsumu's complaining about something Kiyoomi said, something that made him so mad because it actually reminded him of you (and he has this epiphany while talking with his former Capitan over the phone about how yes, he hasn't stopped thinking about you at all), and then all just goes down hill from there.

"What do you mean you warned me? No you didn't!"

"Yes, I did" Kita remains unfazed under the damn of emotions Atsumu seems to have become "I told you not to sleep with one of your brother's employees"

"That's not a fuckin' warnin'. That's a challenge!" Atsumu stands up from the sofa to frantically pace around the living room, and settles for glaring at the wall, since Kita is on the other side of the country "A warnin' would have been: Hey! Don't mess around with this girl or she's gonna trap you forever"

"That's..." Kita pauses, and Atsumu can hear him standing up as well "Actually the most romantic thing I've ever heard you say"

...

It was supposed to be just one night. You were cute and funny and he was slightly annoyed at the fact that you didn't immediately gushed about his volleyball career when you two first met, wich only served to fuel his interest on you.

It was supposed to be just one single night of fun, because you had casually bumped into each other in a bar and hey, you were even cuter when you were away from the bar and all those liquor bottles.

It was supposed to be just one night... but then it was two, and now Atsumu's sitting at the back of that same bar, completely mistified by how you dance and laugh and say something to a guy that's too close to you.

He takes an aggresive sip of his beer.

"Are you okay?" Hinata yells at him, trying to make himself heard over the music. When Atsumu doesn't even acknowledges him, the Spiker turns to Adrian for help. "Is he okay?"

Atsumu ignores the exchange, wich gets interrumpted by something Kiyoomi says but it's impossible to hear due to the music and his mask, tightly secured over his lips. But Atsumu doesn't cares. He instead slides closer to the edge of his seat, grabbing onto his beer bottle for dear life.

"Wait, you're spying her?" Hinata yells again, and Atsumu finally looks at him "That's why we're here?"

"Who are you even talkin' about?"

"You'd have to be stupid to not know. Everyone can see that you've been obsessively fixated on the same person since we arrived" Kiyoomi says, even tho Atsumu can only catch some words "Anyway, I'm leaving"

Kiyoomi stands and so does the rest of the group, Atsumu included. But in his case, to move straight to the dance floor and not to the nearest exit. He's vaguely aware of Bokuto telling him something, but he's too busy trying to avoid bumping into other people as he makes a beeline towards you.

You look less surprised than what you should.

"Hey! Are you following me?" you ask, smiling at him. The mascara on your right eye is a bit smudged and your hair is a mess but he still thinks you look so gorgeous he could cry.

Or maybe he's already crying, because you stop dancing and give him a worried look.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really, no"

"Hey love, is this guy bothering you?" the guy you were dancing with suddenly asks, and Atsumu would swell with pride at the simple fact that not only he's taller but also much more handsome, but standing up and practically running to the dance floor has only served to suddenly and painstakingly remind him that he's had twelve beers, so he only manages to feel a slight twinge of drunken happiness.

"We've talked about this, Kai" you say, and he's so grateful for the fact that you to take a step towards him, away from this Kai, that he could, once again, start weeping for real this time. He can faintly hear his brother's voice in the back of his head, telling someone else that Atsumu's actually a very big, blonde crybaby "Don't call me love, or any of that. It makes me uncomfortable"

"Yeah, Kai" Atsumu adds, thinking he's shaking his head to clear his thoughts, when in reality he's moving his entire body, and spilling the beer he dragged with him all over "Don't fuckin' call her that"

"Or what?"

There's a split of a second in wich Atsumu thinks this random guy is actually going to fight him, and he gets into what he feels is an adequate fight stance, never mind the frantic voice of Hinata coming from somewhere behind him, or the fact that his PR team tends to become an actual nightmare every time he does something that can remotely compromise his brand.

Fuck it all. It's been two months and if he has to fight a guy to defend your honor and get you to look at him (actually look at him, like you did that night where he kissed every inch of your body), then so be it.

But then the guy called Kai takes one big step towards him, then a smaller one, and then his face changes from angry to surprised and then to childish glee.

"Oh my god, dude!" he yells, making Atsumu blink out of his stupor "You're Atsumu Miya! From the MSBY Black Jackals!"

"What?" Atsumu asks, and then someone is tugging him from behind, and he sees you moving out of the corner of his eye and tries to reach you, but only manages to grab your jacket, spilling the rest of his beer on the fabric as well.

"I think I'm in love with you, you know?" he slurs, and your eyes widen in surprise. He's not sure if it's because of his confession, or because of the drink all over your jacket, so he tries to salvage the situation by letting go of your clothes and smiling a little "It's alright. I have a lot of money, I can send it to clean for you"

"Here! Sign here!" his newfound fan insists, pulling up his shirt to reveal an MSBY Jackals t-shirt "Oh man. This is amazing! I'm such a big fan! I don't go anywhere without my MSBY Black Jackals t-shirt!"

But it's not like Atsumu would have signed anything anyway. Even if he hadn't passed out at that exact same moment.

...

"You threw up on him" Hinata is explaining to him as he enters his brother's restaurant, sunglasses off this time "Twice. And then you also threw up on the taxi we put you on. The driver called us from your phone and told us. We had to pay him"

"I'll pay you all back" Atsumu says, lingering by the door. He soon has to make some space for a couple to come inside, and so he ends up standing on one side, nervously scanning the room "It's not that big of a deal anyway. This things just happen"

"Sakusa says that you're dead to him"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever" he sees his brother coming out of the kitchen and clears his throat, debating if talking to him first, but then quickly deciding that it's better if he just stops being such a coward and goes straight to where he knows you are "I'll talk to Omi later"

"He doesn't wants to talk to you"

... Except that you're not there. The bar is empty and the blender is not even where you always put it. He leans over the counter and doesn't see any glasses, and all the bottles on the wall seem to be half empty, and there's not enough of them to give a proper service.

Osamu arrives by his side at the same time that dread starts to slowly consume him.

"She doesn't work here anymore, so you can just stop pesterin' me around here"

"What?"

"Are you deaf? I said she doesn't work here anymore"

Atsumu whips around in a flash to glare at his brother, standing by his side, and very much unimpressed by his reaction.

"Why? What happened?"

Osamu shrugs. He takes a quick look at the bar and then at the towel in his hands "She found another job. It's goin' to be hard without her, not gonna lie. She was very good. And responsable"

"She was the damn best!" Atsumu yells, and after getting a couple of surprised looks, switches to aggresive whispering "Why did you let her go?"

"What did you even wanted me to do? Tell her that she had to stay to keep dealin' with my dumb brother?"

Atsumu feels as if he's letting all the air he has in his body go with the sigh he gives after his brother's question. He's tired and hangover and worst of all, very much kind of in love with a woman he slept with two times. Two months ago.

He racks his brain for answers as his brother turns around to leave him to his missery. The easy answer to his feelings could be the sex, but it's been two months and you haven't been together again.

And somehow, that would be totally fine, if he could at least spent more time with you.

Because you're funny, and you crack the best jokes when you're busy polishing glasses that don't really need to be polished. And you're pretty, and your eyes shine in a way that does serious stuffs to the way he perceives the world.

You're also hot, of course, and he would snicker to himself if the wet smack of his brother's towel against his face wouldn't have him spluttering.

"The hell was that for?" he asks, confused, and now smelling like a wet rice ball.

"Do you want her number?"

...

He would have liked to rehears something, but his life is a chaotic mess since you're around, and he might as well start to deal with that fact. So when you (miraculously) agree to meet and actually invite him to your house, he's so excited and nervous at the same time that he starts talking as soon as you open the door, and doesn't stops even when you move to let him pass and he doesn't bulges, rooted to his place and focused on his unrehearsed apology.

"And I wasn't followin' you! I've just bein' goin' to that bar every weekend for a while now. We met there, so I've been goin' to drink and hang with the guys"

"Because we met there?" you ask, expression unreadable, and Atsumu has to use every amount of strength he has inside him to resist the urge to slam his head against the open door.

"Yes but also because it's a nice bar. I wasn't goin' there only because it's the place where we..." he tries to sigh and take some air at the same time, so he only manages to get himself in a coughing fit "Look" he speaks again, now teary eyed and with a sore throat "I'm really sorry, alright? I'll get out of your hair and just leave you alone. I just... well... you don't have to quit your job"

At that you laugh, and you start small but suddenly you're laughing out loud and Atsumu thinks that you would probably bent down holding your stomach and cackling like a mad woman if you hadn't caught sight of his horrified and confused look.

"I didn't quit Onigiri's Miya because of you, Atsumu" you say once you're calmer, but still having to wipe some wetness around your eyes "I've been saving money to open my own coffee shop for a while, and now I can finally do it. I want to be a barista, not a bartender"

Oh.

Oh well, that's nice. At least he didn't drive you out of your own job. That's a half win.

"That's... great for you"

"It's not a millionaire contract that would allow me to clean my jacket of any spilled drink" you teasingly add, wiggling your eyebrows in a way that shouldn't be considered as sexy as Atsumu actually thinks it looks "But it's a start. A small place of my own. A place where I can chase my own dream. Your brother started small as well, and look at him now"

"You know, I actually love coffee" Atsumu says, immediately forgetting his previous words "I drink coffee a lot. I could be like, your first client"

"Oh, really? I thought you were going to get out of my hair"

"Yeah... well..."

You laugh again, and the way you stand up on your tiptoes and leave a kiss on his cheek feels almost surreal.

Because it's been two months of poorly disguised and one sided longing.

Or at least that's what Atsumu thought.

"I wasn't going to date you while working for your brother, you idiot" you tell him, playfully smacking him on the chest "It's bad enough that I slept with you"

"Twice" he feels the need to add, just to say something that makes him feel like this is actually happening, and it's not just his still intoxicated brain playing tricks on him.

"Yeah, twice"

"So you were just..." he starts, has to stop to process everything right and then speak again, a mix of emotions (and beer from the night before) making him a bit light headed "Did you actually liked me back all this time and didn't said anythin'?"

"I'm a professional" you say, trying to look serious, but completely failing "And you also have kind of a reputation. I had to make sure..."

"Who told you that?"

"Osamu" you admit, and take a step back as he takes one forward, finally moving away from the door "And the magazines. Everyone knows you're a heartbreaker"

"Oh, yeah? Well..." Atsumu licks his lips, pausing for a moment to quickly locate what he thinks is the open door to your bedroom. He can carry you there no problem. Then he closes the entrance door with his left foot "I'm gonna show you exactly what I am"

The answer is yours. But you made him wait two months. Maybe this time, he will be the one holding himself back.

(He tells you the next morning)

This work belongs to my Midnights: Sleepless stories 🕰️ collection, a series of reader insert fics based on the album Midnight, by Taylor Swift, with characters from Haikyuu, Tokyo Revengers and Blue Lock. ✨

You can still send an ask if there's any character you would like to see in any particular song ✨

🍼 When Hoshiumi finally gives the signal, only his little girl moves. A small, little bolt of energy with a puff of white hair on top of her little head. She starts crawling forward with all her might, only to stop short, look back at his father, and automatically turn back around.

🍼 They all decide it's best to use something that can motivate the babies to crawl forward, and so go looking for their toys.

🍼 All the babies are, of course, dressed in miniature versions of their teams shirts.

🍼 Once the toys are in place, the parents get their kids in position again.

🍼 When Hoshiumi gives the signal this time, all the babies start moving forward, except Kageyama's boy, who's already sleeping against his father's leg.

🍼 "Hah! Your kid is so gonna lose!" Hinata screams, pointing at the sleeping toddler, and the clapping at his little girl "You go princess!"

🍼 "Shut up you stupid idiot!" Kageyama yells back, bending down "You're gonna wake him up!" then he gently picks up his kid, moving his head so it can rest on his shoulder "Hey, are you that tired? Maybe I should take you to your mom..."

🍼 Atsumu's boy suddenly stops in the middle of the mini race, and looks back at his father, just as Hoshiumi's girl had done before. Suddenly finding himself too far away from him, his eyes fill with tears and he starts crying uncontrollably.

🍼 Atsumu tries to encourage him to keep crawling forward, suddenly panicking a bit.

"Don't cry! Don't cry!" he says, slowly walking towards his kid.

"It doesn't counts if you help him move!" Hoshiumi tells him, keeping a close eye to his girl "Come on! Let's beat this guys!"

Atsumu kisses his little boy cheeks and ruffles his hair, trying to calm him down a bit "Come on, come on, please stop cryin'. Your mom will kill me if she sees you cryin'"

"Maybe he's hungry" Hinata pipes up, making Kageyama snort.

"Hey, go feed your kid or something"

🍼Both Hinata and Hoshiumi's girls are the only ones that keep pushing forward by then, on a clear intent to reach their favorite plushies, while both dads cheer them on excitedly, hoping to bring victory home for their team.

🍼 It's a close race, with Hinata's baby girl giggling as she moves, and Hoshiumi's daughter crawling forward with the same energy his father always has.

🍼 Then, when they're almost about to reach their respective toys, a side door opens, and both Ushijima and Kiyoomi emerge from it, making the toddlers stop short.

🍼 "What is this?" Ushijima asks, looking down at the babies, and then at the parents.

Kiyoomi makes a face behind him "You shouldn't let your kids crawl on the floor. What kind of parents are you?"

"Ignore them, baby girl!" Hoshiumi yells "Go get that teddy bear!"

🍼 But it's in vain, as both girls start crawling again, but this time towards the two men that just entered the room. Ushijima looks at them with the curiosity of someone who still doesn't has kids, while Kiyoomi slowly retreats back.

"I have a child too" he says, trying to keep his facemask in place "I shouldn't be getting near other kids, so I don't get their germs and infect mine"

"What the hell is your problem?" Kageyama angrily whispers "My child doesn't have any germs!"

🍼 Both babies end up being picked by Ushijima, and the race ends with no winners whatsoever.

"Babies are...interesting" Ushijima says, juggling one on each arm. "And this small t-shirts of our teams..."

"Aren't they so cute?" Atsumu asks, having finally managed to calm his baby "Mine is the cutest tho, of course. But still"

But it's imposible to concentrate like this, in total silence. That's not how you're used to practice your archery. Where's the yelling? Where's the sarcasm, and the thin veiled comptent? You miss the target and click your tongue, looking at Noritoshi out of the corner of your eye, and preparing yourself for some scolding.

"Try again" it's the only thing he says instead.

'Seriously, what's happening?'

You've known Noritoshi since the two of you were nothing but toddlers. As the sole heir to a minor subject clan to the Kamo family, you were practically forced by your parents to be friends with Noritoshi. A stuck up, always serious little kid who's first words to you were:

"If you're not going to be useful, then don't bother me, please"

Yes, fun times.

Since then, your relationship had pretty much consisted in trading insults and mocking each other, usually during archery practice. It was an unspoken tradition between the two of you: go to the practice field every day at dawn, stay there for around three hours practicing your aim and honeying your ability to withstand barbed coments if you missed, and then calling it a day, not before discretely —and of course, trying to not making it sound as if you cared— giving each other some piece of advice.

You miss again, and the arrow ends up falling directly to the ground, a couple of feet away from the target. You huff, cheeks burning. A shot like that is embarrassing, especially for someone that is supposed to have mastered the bow by now, and so you turn and wait for Noritoshi to tell you exactly that.

"Let's call it a day" he says instead, without even looking at you.

"You must be joking" you half yell, and he stops in his tracks and turns slowly towards you, clearly surprised at the tone in your voice "That's all you have to say to me?"

"Pardon?"

"Oh don't pardon me!" you say, throwing your bow to the ground and marching straight towards him. He watches you closely, and doesn't says anything as you jammer a finger to his chest "You know that was the worst shot ever! It was embarrassing! It was lame!"

Noritoshi's left eye trembles "I suppose it was bad, yes"

"You suppose?" you ask, eyes widening "You were paying attention, right?"

"Yes I was"

"Then?" you yell again, and then take a deep, angry breath before opening your eyes and crossing your arms in defiance "Tell me it was embarrassing"

"What?"

You insist again, stomping your foot like a little toddler "Tell me it was embarrassing. I want to hear it"

"I won't say anything of the sort"

"Why? What's wrong with you?" Noritoshi watches you complain, and you're too busy getting all worked up to notice the amusement dancing on his features "Tell me I suck!"

"This is ridiculous" he tells you, trying to take a step back from you, but you caught him by the hand before he can move, shaking your head wildly.

"No it's not! You've been acting like this since you came from Tokyo!" you continue, your hand firmly holding his wrist "All... distant and like you don't really care! It's not like you've ever been particularly warm but...but..." Noritoshi calls your name, softly, but you shake your head again, lowering your eyes to the floor "Did Tokyo...?"

"Tokyo what?" he asks, and you bite your lips and let go of his wrist, taking a couple of steps back yourself.

"Did Tokyo make you realize that you suddenly don't really care enough to practice with me?"

"That's not..."

You laugh, interrupting him and making him sigh in annoyance "You've always had a stick up your ass but I guess this is it, huh?" then you roll your eyes, and try to laugh even more to hide the sudden wave of pain that rises from your throat "The mighty heir to the head of the Kamo Clan has finally had enough of some low...!"

"Can you please shut your mouth?" Noritoshi hisses at you, being the one to grab you by the arm this time, and slightly shaking you around "You're as insufferable as ever, I see. And I was hoping for this to be easy"

You gape at him, and then look behind him to find a servant girl, quietly peaking at you both from around the corner. She must have heard the yelling. Noritoshi turns around and follows your gaze, before giving a curt nod to the girl.

"Leave us be. Everything's fine" he orders her, turning back to you.

"Are you sure my lord?" the girl still asks, confused eyes traveling from the back of Noritoshi's head, to his grip on your arm.

"I said leave!" he says again, louder this time, and it's enough to make the girl run away scared.

Then he's dragging you across the practice field and into the corner where you stack the bows and the quivers, and where no prying eyes can see him push you against the wall and cage you between his arms.

"What are you doing?" you ask, suddenly regretting asking him to be mean to you. This is maybe too much. "Let me go right now"

"Stop talking and let me speak" he says, and keeps talking over you as soon as you start interrupting him "You're insufferable"

"You told me that already you ..." you try, but one of Noritoshi's hands quickly covers your mouth, muffling your words. You're so surprised, that you stop talking all together, watching him wide eyed.

"You've always thought that you know everything when you don't, you think that you're the best in archery when you're not, and you have the strangest ability to make my blood boil as no one else"

You almost want to sigh in relief. This is the Noritoshi Kamo you remember from before he went to Tokyo. Your... (friend?) since you were kids. But then he takes a deep breath, and pushes his forehead against yours, and you're in complete shock again.

"And yet ...going to Tokyo made me realize...made me realize that my mother is not the only one I've been striving to keep safe all this time" he adds, and the warm of his hand and his forehead against yours are starting to make your heart beat faster than ever before "I- ... I appreciate you"

He moves away before you can start trashing, looking at you with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Is this a joke?"

"You don't care about me?" he asks, and you huff and laugh, looking at him like a mad woman.

"What is happening? What is this? This isn't you!"

"Going to Tokyo helped me put my priorities in order" he explains, as if it's obvious "Now I see everything more clearly"

"And you suddenly what? Like me?"

Noritoshi chuckles "I think is time for us to leave"

"Wait!" you call to his back, when he starts to walk away from you "Answer me!"

"If what you want me to tell you is that you're getting sloppy, then yes, you are" he says without stoping "That was embarrassing indeed"

You huff, annoyed, and run to stop him, pulling him back by the hand. That's when in a flash he turns, and you can't do anything but stay in place as he leans down and gently caresses your forehead with his lips.

"Noritoshi..."

"I'll see you later" he whispers against your skin, and quickly disappears around the corner.

You sputter, head about to explode, and probably stay longer than usual around, trying to calm yourself.

Noritoshi leans against the wall, a hand covering his mouth and trying to control his breathing, and the rapid beating of his heart. Eyes wide and a furious blush covering his cheeks and down his neck, he tries in vain to reign on his emotions. Maybe trying to establish a more amicably relationship with you that can one day lead to something else, is not the way. Maybe he just needs to keep treating you the same way as always.

Then he remembers Itadori's words, and the feel of your skin against his, and the thought of how your lips could feel against his,— and he groans, and punches the wall behind him.

The same servant from before jumps and squeals in fear, and he looks to his right to find her staring at him in terror.

"What?" he barks, straightening his back and fixing his clothes "There's nothing to see here"

When he walks away, trying to regain his composure, the servant girl gulps.