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Sakusa Kiyoomi may seem like a cold, unfeeling person to the outside world. That is, after all, how he was raised by his uptight family. To be calm and collected always, to let none of his flaws slip through the cracks, to be no less than perfection.
But with one Miya Atsumu, he is a completely different person.
The person who always keeps his distance, speaking and doing things only when necessary, does not exist in his long-time boyfriend's presence.
Instead, you would see a very unexpected version of Kiyoomi. That is, one who acts on every childish whim that pops up in his brain (or just straight up bypasses the brain and goes into his body).
1. Kiyoomi is a clingy cat
Most people who interact with Kiyoomi think he's a germaphobe. He actually isn't, he just significantly prefers being clean.
The fact that he always stays away from human contact in the public eye only adds on to that theory.
But the moment he gets home, what is the concept of personal space?
Kiyoomi's first instinct is always to find Atsumu, and let his entire body weight fall on his boyfriend. And he will absolutely refuse to let go, at least for five to ten minutes.
Atsumu, of course, is used to it by now. He's mastered the art of continuing whatever he needs to do while an actual Olympian hangs off of him. Good thing he's an Olympian himself too.
He'll greet Kiyoomi, usually chin hooked on his shoulder, with a scruffle to the raven hair at his nape or a light peck to his temple. Maybe even both with an extra head nuzzle, if he's feeling particularly affectionate.
It gets even worse on their mornings off, not that the two of them are complaining.
Kiyoomi, used to the discipline ingrained into him since young, has a habit of waking up much earlier than his partner.
But on days without practice, he will refuse to leave the bed first, even if he can't fall back asleep.
Instead, he'll invade Atsumu's side of the bed, trapping him in a full body hug. It's probably too tight for Atsumu, but sleep-addled Kiyoomi doesn't care, if he even realises it in the first place.
Eventually, the blond will wake up from the heat radiating off of Kiyoomi. No matter how he tries to wrangle himself out of his boyfriend's clutches, the prickly sea urchin transforms into the clingiest starfish known to man, mumbling "five more minutes" as he nuzzles further into the crook of Atsumu's neck.
It's extremely endearing to see Kiyoomi act like this, so Atsumu gives him his five extra minutes (it usually goes up to twenty, but no one's really counting).
Physical contact was heavily looked down upon in the Sakusa household. Everyone stuck to their own bubble, and the house's sheer size widened the distance even further.
Kiyoomi never knew how good physical contact felt, until he started feeling Atsumu's tender touches. Even the smallest of touches sent a warmth through Kiyoomi's skin that he couldn't get enough of.
So yeah, sue a guy for wanting to cling on his boyfriend all the time. Kiyoomi holds himself back enough in public, no one can stop him in their safe haven of a home.
2. Kiyoomi is a T-rex
In public, Kiyoomi seems like the more mature one in the relationship. He's often seen reminding Atsumu about the people or cameras watching whenever they're in public, usually with a tap to the arm or a tug of the sleeve.
Yet when they get out of the public eye, Kiyoomi's hands retract and hang limply in front of his chest.
It makes his arms and hands look so disproportionately small, especially if you compare it to how long and large they seem when Kiyoomi's swinging his arm and smashing a volleyball across the net.
But more importantly, it makes him look like a damn T-rex. Hence the name, T-rex mode.
This, more often than not, is accompanied with a small little pout on Kiyoomi's face, his bottom lip jutting out as he tries to convince his boyfriend to get him his current craving.
Atsumu finds it ridiculous but oh so adorable when Kiyoomi falls into T-Rex mode.
One, he looks pretty stupid like this. Here is a man, standing tall at 192cm, body sculpted with lean muscles like a Greek sculpture, making the same expression a petulant 6-year-old kid might make.
Two, they both know damn well how weak Atsumu is to Kiyoomi's whims. He doesn't need to play up the dramatics to get what he wants, the blond will give it to him in the end.
But Atsumu knows better than to take this whimsy away from his partner.
Kiyoomi never had the freedom to act out like this as a kid. It was always "keep quiet and accept what's given to you". It had taken ages for him to really start asking for what he wanted, and Atsumu would never take that away from him. Even if he had an impossible request, the setter would always be there to support his spiker.
So with no resistance from Atsumu, Kiyoomi continues to become a T-rex every time he wants something.
3. Kiyoomi is a yapper
Kiyoomi doesn't talk much in public. He usually keeps his mouth shut as he lets others tank conversations for him, his mask functioning as an extra seal on his lips.
If he does have to talk, such as for post-game interviews, he speaks as if every word had been drafted in his mind, cautious with every syllable that slips from his tongue.
No one would believe Atsumu if he told anyone about how his beloved would talk his ear off the moment they're alone.
As a kid, Kiyoomi was never allowed to voice his opinions on his own terms, being restricted to only speak when spoken to. But that didn't mean that he wasn't opinionated. Hell, if he had a say he would have gone off non-stop with whatever he was thinking of.
Years of keeping quiet had led him to continue this habit long into adulthood.
But when Atsumu started talking to him constantly, always having something to say about everything, Kiyoomi also felt the urge to talk bubbling inside him. And finally, after the cracks accumulated the longer the two got closer, the floodgates burst and Yapper-omi was born.
Each time Kiyoomi and Atsumu have a day alone, Kiyoomi would say more words than his entire first 12 years of living. Be it bantering, gossiping or just catching up on each other's happenings, he would have so much to talk about, and Atsumu would be right there to match the energy.
Not long after the couple got together did Kiyoomi unleash his yapper side on the entire Miya family too.
Kiyoomi hates going back to the Sakusa residence for family reunions, but he would never miss a visit to the Miyas' childhood home.
His favourite moments are the conversations with Mama Miya in her room. He would lay down on the tatami floors next to Atsumu while Mama Miya sits leaned back against the wall, her glasses and crochet hook glinting in the soft orange light as she works on her latest crochet project. Some visits they're joined by Osamu, Rintarou and Motoya, 5 grown men laying on top of each other but leaving enough space for Mama Miya's comfort.
Words flow especially easy for Kiyoomi when he feels the homey atmosphere and warm motherly presence that he's craved since childhood. Conversations in Mama Miya's room are endless, ranging from life updates to the Miyas' childhood stories (as much as Atsumu gets embarrassed by his mother's retelling, he would never get sick of the dopey smile Kiyoomi gets picturing the stories in his head).
Nights like these, Kiyoomi looks radiant, the sparkle in his eyes coming through as he lets his thoughts out, and Atsumu can't help but admire his boyfriend.
While he would love it if Kiyoomi wasn't afraid to speak his mind like this in public, he also feels a sense of pride knowing that Kiyoomi trusts the Miya family to see this side of him.
And if Atsumu were completely honest? He loves how Kiyoomi's voice is now exclusively his life's soundtrack.
4. Kiyoomi is a biter
Kiyoomi is very particular about cleanliness in every aspect of his life.
Food is obviously no exception.
Every piece of food that enters Kiyoomi's mouth would have had a background check done to the best of his ability. Got takeout from an eatery with a B rating from its cleanliness check? Best believe it's going nowhere near his lips.
Yet you will often see the raven chomping down on his favourite setter, his pearly whites contrasting with Atsumu's sun-kissed skin.
To an outsider, it might seem like Atsumu's just an exception to Kiyoomi's strict consumption regulation. But really, this is no exception.
Atsumu had always been a clean person, even as a kid. Even with him and Osamu being a whirlwind of chaos, covering themselves with sand from the park's sandpit or mud from a puddle on a rainy day, Mama Miya made sure they learned to clean themselves up when they were done with their fun.
This too continued as they got older, in the form of making sure their room was clean and having a designated "dirty zone" in the house to make sure the outside dirt didn't cross-contaminate into the rest of the house.
So Atsumu has always been clean. But after meeting Kiyoomi and getting closer to him, knowing how particular the masked beauty is with hygiene, he's upped his cleanliness and hygiene routines tenfold.
Meanwhile, Kiyoomi's always had this urge of wanting something to bite. Not in a "I want to tear off your arm" kind of way, but more of a "I want to lightly have my mouth on you" kind of way. Something like a teething baby chewing on things. He doesn't even know why he has this urge, it's just kind of there.
Even as a kid he'd feel himself get the case of the "nommies". But the best he could do was lightly chew on his forearm when he was alone in his room. It's not like his family members would let him casually walk up to them and nom them when he felt like it.
But as Kiyoomi joined the Black Jackals and the distance between him and Atsumu got closer, seeing and feeling the setter's muscles, toned from years of playing, he suddenly had the urge for a new chew toy.
Observing how Atsumu continuously kept himself as clean as possible for Kiyoomi's sake did not help his urges, knowing that his beautiful tanned skin is safe to put in his mouth.
So one night, when the couple was cuddling and watching a documentary about wolves, seeing them nibble each other affectionately broke Kiyoomi's self-restraint. He turned his head to the side, where Atsumu's arm rested on his shoulder, and just slowly laid his teeth on it.
Atsumu stiffened for a moment, taking 5 whole seconds to process what happened, before relaxing with a chuckle and threading his free hand in his boyfriend's curls, all while admiring how cute Kiyoomi was being.
Since then, Atsumu would often find himself in the clutches of Kiyoomi's teeth. Sometimes his ears get nibbled on as Kiyoomi wraps him in a backhug while he's cooking dinner. Some other times it's a chomp to blond hair when Kiyoomi walks past behind Atsumu who's reading on the couch.
Kiyoomi does feel guilty about it sometimes, asking his partner if he should stop being annoying and chomping him. But Atsumu always reassures him that he can bite whenever and however he wants. So he keeps nibbling Atsumu. It feels way too soothing to stop anyways.
5. Kiyoomi is a Vabo-chan addict
Collecting character toys isn't uncommon these days. From the fluffy Labubus hanging on gym bags to the Smiskis and Sonny's Angels peeking over phone screens, almost everyone on the Black Jackals has a little guy accompanying them.
Everyone except Kiyoomi, whose personal belongings reflect his seemingly all-serious personality.
Not many people know that Kiyoomi does in fact have a collection of his own. Not even a little one, but one that covers his entire living space with round guys.
Kiyoomi is actually a Vabo-chan addict.
While most parents would give their children plushies or soft toys, cuddly companions for comfort, the Sakusa parents refused. Partially to prevent their children from becoming unnecessarily attached, partially to keep the sleek aesthetic in their home.
The best they gave their children were boring bolsters. With grey bolster covers, obviously, to match the rest of the house.
So Kiyoomi had never known the joys of having a plushie, or getting attached to a certain character or animal. Never really understood it after he got past a certain age, either.
But he finally understood when he first saw Vabo-chan. There was something about those big eyes staring at him dumbly, looking like there's nothing in Vabo-chan's head except a volleyball bouncing around like the DVD logo on a television screen. Or maybe it was something about how the mascot was so round and looked so huggable.
If Kiyoomi had his way, he would be carrying Vabo-chan merchandise everywhere with him. But still, he needs to keep up his public persona, one that doesn't get swayed by "useless" trinkets (but how dare anyone call Vabo-chan useless?).
Atsumu noticed this long before they started dating. The spiker's gaze would linger just a split second longer on Vabo-chan entertaining the crowd in between sets, and his fingers would twitch slightly when the mascot came near.
He continued to notice even after they got together.
Once, Atsumu had found his old photo album when cleaning his room before inviting his boyfriend over, and decided to look through it together. Flipping through the pages, Kiyoomi paused much longer at a picture of the twins watching a volleyball match on television, Atsumu wearing a Vabo-chan sweater. His fingers hovered over it for a moment, a flash in his eyes of something Atsumu couldn't really put a finger on. Sadness? Longing? Pained acceptance? Atsumu wasn't sure what it was, but his heart broke a little, seeing his love with that emotion in his eyes.
So Atsumu decided that one of his first gifts as a boyfriend would be a small Vabo-chan plushie. It was the Volleyball World Cup, and the JNT had a couple of days with no matches to play. While the rest of the team were watching the other ongoing matches, he had managed to sneak away to the merchandise booth and get the gift. It was not too big yet not too small, just a little bit smaller than an actual volleyball. And since classic is best, the setter decided to get his partner the original red Vabo-chan.
Later that day, Atsumu giddily presented his gift to his boyfriend in their hotel room, though not without a little twitch of his eyebrow betraying his anxiousness. The fact that Kiyoomi stood frozen in place holding up the plushie did not help. That is, until he started tearing up, a soft and wavering "It's Vabo-chan" escaping his lips.
Receiving this gift from his beloved, Kiyoomi realised that Atsumu wouldn't judge him for his love for the little round guy, and would actually encourage it. And for once, he would allow himself to look unserious, holding this plushie in his hands and keeping it for himself.
Now, in the couple's shared home, Vabo-chan can be seen in every corner. They have Vabo-chan plushies in all sorts of colours and sizes on their bed, Vabo-chan hand towels in the kitchen, alphabet Vabo-chan keychains with their initials hanging on the wall, and even a Vabo-chan scorebook on the living room table for their private game analysis sessions.
+1. Atsumu is a giver, not a taker
All things considered, Atsumu had an extremely happy childhood. With Osamu by his side, a caring mother who loved them dearly, and a warm roof above his head, he never had anything to complain about.
But he also knew not to take anything he had for granted. Seeing his mother working endlessly and tirelessly to singlehandedly raise him and his brother, he didn't want to make things any more difficult for her.
So he never asked for anything more than he needed. Never spent more beyond his means. Never indulged in his impulsive wants.
The only time he went against this ideal was when he decided to pursue volleyball as a professional career, though Mama Miya would have supported him no matter the circumstances.
This then turned into a habit that continued far into adulthood. He only ever got the essentials for himself, and while he might get swayed by all the useless stuff he sees on his TikTok feed, he would never get them for himself. No matter how much he really wanted something and expressed his desire for it, he would mentally restrain himself from opening up his wallet.
The thing is, he would happily spend a little more on luxuries for the people around him, like the massage chair he got for his mother when he got his first bonus and the knife set that Osamu had been eyeing when he finally opened Onigiri Miya. He just never extended that to himself.
Something that Kiyoomi noticed and decided he had to change.
Once, Kiyoomi overheard Atsumu watching a TikTok on repeat. Peeking over the blond's shoulder, he saw a couple building the Lego Mini Bonsai Trees set together.
A quick Google search and his suspicions were definitely confirmed – as much as Atsumu might want them, he would never get it for himself. I mean, over 9,000 yen for 3 small plastic trees? He would never allow himself to spend so much on non-essentials.
And so Kiyoomi added it straight to cart, hoping it would make Atsumu's day when it arrived.
And make his day it did, if Atsumu's teary eyes were anything to go by. As much as he would stop himself from getting it, he would never refuse a present from his boyfriend. Even though he would keep telling Kiyoomi that "ya really didn't have to get it for me, aren't these super expensive?"
But to Kiyoomi, you could never put monetary value on the smile on the blond's face that grew with each completed tree.
Another time, the couple were eating dinner at Onigiri Miya after practice, a weekly habit at this point. You could never keep the twins away from each other for too long, after all.
Osamu had just recently come back from a short trip to visit his boyfriends over in Shizuoka, and was raving about some high-end sashimi place that they went to for a romantic dinner date. Apparently, Rintarou happened to see the restaurant on his Instagram feed and had the post saved for months before Osamu finally made it to their city.
"Ya'll love the fatty tuna there, Tsumu, I swear on Ma's curry." And if Osamu dares to make such a bold declaration, it must be true.
But Atsumu clearly started to tune out once he heard "high-end restaurant".
And Kiyoomi had predicted what he would say in reply, "why would I needa go ta some fancy restaurant ta get fatty tuna when I can eat yer fatty tuna onigiri instead?"
Which on one hand was sweet, the brothers always insisting that what each other do is the best. But on the other hand, Kiyoomi also knew it was his habit kicking in. Always shutting down any mention of anything that seems way too expensive, not allowing himself to splurge on himself.
And so when the Black Jackals confirmed their travel plans to play against EJP Raijin in their home arena, Kiyoomi knew what he had to do.
He dropped Motoya a text asking for the restaurant details. Which he almost immediately got, sent with a string of texts teasing him for his efforts in wooing his boyfriend. (Kiyoomi promptly replied, "Shut up, not like you and Rintarou didn't do the same for your Miya.")
Once they got to Shizuoka, reservation booked, car rented, outfits packed, Kiyoomi just had to convince Atsumu to go to the restaurant with him.
So he prepared a whole speech, reciting it from the heart before his lover even had the chance to question the date.
Consider it Kiyoomi's practice for his wedding vows, too.
And you know what, maybe Kiyoomi could thank his parents (for once) for making him attend debate classes, because he made a killer argument that Atsumu had no choice but to accept.
One that included him pleading his case that "you've put everyone before yourself pretty much your whole life, so let me put you first."
So the couple went on that dinner date, and it was one of the best damn meals Atsumu had ever eaten. As much as he might hate to admit it, Osamu was totally right, he did love their fatty tuna.
And after who knows how many times Kiyoomi lovingly forced Atsumu to put himself first, Atsumu finally started to get himself the things he had always held himself back from getting.
For the first time, Atsumu bought himself a Smiski hipper to put on his phone, after years of wanting a funky little green man of his own.
For the first time, Atsumu booked a reservation at a fancy restaurant specialising in wagyu beef that had raving reviews on TikTok.
For the first time, Atsumu didn't feel the need to keep his littlest desires in check.
And seeing the blinding smile on Atsumu's face each and every time? Kiyoomi was thankful that he finally got through to his partner.
For as much as Atsumu helped him heal his inner child, he got to do the same for Atsumu, even if just a bit.