He hurried to offer the alpha a messy bow. Not even spending a decade in court could fix his posture.
"Your Grace, I- King Sakusa has requested me to bring you a note. I apologize for the intrusion."
He felt the need to say it, even though he was not even close to intruding.
He was wondering on the guest wing, sure. But he wasn't even close to the alpha's room when he almost gave him a heart attack.
"Hm," the King pondered his words, taking a step towards him. He extended his hand expectantly.
Atsumu stared at confusedly for half a beat. Oh, right.
The omega reached into one of his pockets and placed the folded paper on the alpha's hand, barely suppressing a shiver when he felt a slight brush of skin.
Royals were not meant to be touched.
But then again, they were also meant to be wearing fancy ass gloves, so.
"Council gathering running late. Won't make it to our ride." Ushijima read out loud. "Well, that is unfortunate. I was looking forward to seeing Kiyoomi."
Kiyoomi.
Not His Majesty, not King Sakusa.
Kiyoomi.
Atsumu fought to suppress the clench in his chest.
Kiyoomi had also been disappointed on having to cancel on the other alpha. Which by itself, was an unusual predicament.
The curly haired alpha was always looking for excuses to ditch his suitors when they visited. Not Ushijima.
The alpha hadn't even been there a fortnight, and yet, he was all Kiyoomi could talk about.
When Atsumu dressed him up in the mornings, he would ask whether he thought the visiting King would approve of the robe he chose for the day.
When he brought the King his supper, Kiyoomi would suggest he sent some of the wine to Ushijima as well, so he could ask about it the following day and get to know the man's taste in fine things.
Ushijima was all Kiyoomi could think about, and Atsumu had never felt this broken.
He knew his love for Kiyoomi was foolish, and that he never really had a chance.
But it didn't stop it from hurting.
He'd loved the alpha for as long as he could remember. He'd fallen as just a pup when they were fifteen, and the feeling only grew with the change of seasons.
And things hadn't been so bad. As soon as Kiyoomi rose to the throne, he'd made Atsumu his official companion.
A few eyes on court turned at it, but their King was adamant. He'd never seemed to mind Atsumu's status as an omega.
So he got to have Kiyoomi. In a way, at least. He got to be by his side.
And the alpha refused every suitor that came his way, barely sparing them a glance and focusing on actual ruling duties instead.
Until now.
He cleared his throat. "Of course, Your Grace. Our Majesty Kiyoomi was not pleased as well, but he counts on your understanding."
The alpha hummed again and shifted his weight, indicating he would not be walking away that soon.
"You would know, wouldn't you."
Atsumu felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
"I supposed so, Your Grace. My purpose is to serve him, after all."
He cursed himself and his goddam tongue for not being careful of his tone.
Ushijima kept looking intently at him.
"And you seem very dedicated to it." The king tilted his head. "Tell me, would you consider yourself to be Kiyoomi's friend?"
Atsumu didn't like how he pronounced that last word. He didn't like where this conversation was headed at all.
The omega gulped.
"Um, I suppose so, Alpha. I don't believe I would have to be his friend to be able to see how much he cares for you, though."
Even if the words tasted like ash in his mouth, he hoped they were enough to appease the King.
"And are you just that?" Ushijima stepped closer to him.
Atsumu felt his back hit the castle's inner walls. The alpha was too close. "I'm not sure what you're asking, Your Grace."
"Are you and Kiyoomi really just friends?"
The omega saw his life flashing before his eyes.
Ushijima couldn't know of his feelings for the Alpha. Omegas were meant to bear children, not to forge foreign alliances.
Just the risk of omegas dying in childbirth was enough for royalty to consider them worthless of marriage.
Royal alphas married royal alphas.
The best hopes an omega had in court was to be chosen to bear one of their heirs, and that was it.
Atsumu had been lucky to be born a commoner and had hopes of at least finding a mate, but falling for Kiyoomi changed things.
He'd accepted his fate of dying alone, but he hadn't considered how painful it would be to watch Kiyoomi fall for someone else.
Well, at least that was the truth.
They were just friends. He told King Ushijima so.
"I don't believe you."
"I would never-" Ushijima cut him off by shushing him with a finger to his lips.
There was that touching again.
"One would have to be a blind man not to notice the way he looks at you."
A shiver ran through Atsumu's body.
"Our Majesty would never do something improper for his duties as King, Your Grace."
Ushijima hummed again. Atsumu wondered if it was possible for his tone to get graver each time.
"And I would accuse him of nothing of the sort. However," the alpha tilted his chin with a single finger. "I do not blame him for wanting."
Atsumu could do nothing but stare at the King, mouth agape.
"Did you know," Ushijima continued.
"That in my land there are whispers of a blessed union to come on a Spring not far from now?"
The omega was too stunned to do as much as nod.
"There are whispers of Omega gods, and how our people have upset them for centuries. The blessed union is supposed to redeem us all."
"'M not sure I follow, Yer Grace." Atsumu felt his accent slip through his nerves.
The King moved his hold from his chin to his cheek, a slight smile adorning his features.
"I think we have quite a special fate in our hands, Atsumu."
fin!
hopefully that was not toooo crazy?? i wanted to do something a lil different from your amazing thread for this same prompt @squidlywhiplash, so I really hope it delivered!
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
"'M happy fer Samu, Ma. I really am," Atsumu plays with the dessert on his plate with his spoon. "But he's insufferable now tha' he's hitched! Can't have a conversation with the loser without feelin' like shit 'bout my own love life."
"Hm," his Ma has her "you don't wanna hear what I have to say about this" face on.
"What?"
And like the godless woman she is, she says "Ya know thas' yer own fault, dear."
"Ma!" Atsumu whines.
Her hands raise up in surrender.
"'M sorry, baby, but 's true. Ya keep waiting fer things ta happen ta ya, but ya never actually do anything about it."
"Yer terrible at the pep talk thing," Atsumu deadpans.
"When have I ever coddled ya?" Mama Miya scoffed. "Ya know 'm right, like tha' time with the bartender-"
Miya Twins, Osamu is a good dad, Atsumu is a good brother
The twins had always been competitive, that's no secret. So it was only natural that when Osamu had little Kane, the two would jab about who the kid loved more.
It was all fun and games, and it mostly just amused the kid
He would giggle at their bickering, and oscillate in who he wanted to hug first when asked.
But today was different.
Kane was upset with Osamu. Really, truly upset.
And in the fashion of any four-year-old who didn't know better, he hurt his dad back.
Kane was going through a bit of a rioting phase, and getting frustrated with the amount of times his dad was telling him "no."
Or worse, telling him what to do.
Kane was a big boy now, so why did his dad insist on telling him when to eat, when to shower, when to everything?
Kiyoomi jerks his head to look at the guy sitting next to him on the train.
The guy is holding out a half-eaten chocolate bar.
He scowls. "If this is your way of saying I look like shit and probably need that more than you, no thank you."
"Wow," the guy pulls the sweet offering back, biting into the chocolate. "Tha' was actually me sayin' yer so hot I'm willing to share my I-had-a-really-bad-fuckin'-day treat with ya. But fuck ya too, I guess."
"Oh," Kiyoomi gives the guy a once over.
He looks like he had just as shit of a day as him.
"Sorry," he mumbles.
The guy is already facing away from Kiyoomi, but shrugs acknowledgingly.
Kiyoomi catches a glimpse of the chocolate wrap. "Are those the ones with rice crisps?"
The twin's 17th birthday was spent in the hospital.
The memory might have become lighter as they grew older, but it was easily the most stressful day of Osamu's life.
Because you see, he had a plan.
Osamu was going to make their dinner, as he did most often than not these days, get them some moshi cake, and make sure Atsumu was in the best of moods.
The next day, he would tell him.
He doesn't even think it will be that hard. Contrary to popular belief, Atsumu isn't stupid.
He noticed how much time Osamu spent in the kitchen.
He noticed him doing less on the court, and called him out on it.
He asked him what was going on. Multiple times.
Osamu told him the truth, that he wasn't ready to talk about it.