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“EGOT isn’t a word, what the fuck is an EGOT?” Sakusa pulls his phone from his jacket pocket to Google it. His leftover English Bananagram letters are scattered across the table.
“Winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award,” says Komori, along with the definition on Sakusa’s phone. “Merriam-Webster added it in 2019.”
Sakusa points accusingly. “I don’t watch the American award shows. You don’t watch the American award shows.”
“To be fair, I did just learn it yesterday from a classmate. But I’m glad I was eavesdropping, ‘cause it means I won.”
Sakusa huffs. He won’t begrudge Komori the victory, but he personally thinks the Americans are always coming up with the oddest terms. Maybe he should get the Merriam-Webster app or something to really outdo himself the next time they play Bananagrams.
Komori tosses a letter piece up and down in one hand. “Penalty is what we agreed on; and in the spirit of America helping me win, you flip a coin for all your decisions for the rest of today. I’m pretty sure that’s how most western decisions are made? Starting with,” and he looks over his shoulder behind him. “Ask that guy over there on a date. You’ve been glancing at him since we came in and Hitomi-neesan wants me to help you to find a plus one for the wedding. Heads you ask, tails you don’t.”
“Did you try so hard at Bananagrams this time to get me a date?” Sakusa narrows his eyes. They make wagers every now and then when they play Bananagrams, but he’s not nearly that desperate. However, his sister’s been on his case about her wedding coming up in about six weeks, good naturedly pestering him about finding a date because she wants everyone she loves to also feel as incandescently happy as she does.
“Nah, EGOT was my secret weapon. The date's a bonus - for you! I’m just glad I can gloat about winning today.” Komori pulls a one yen coin from his coin purse and rolls it between his fingers. “Heads is the tree, and the side with the number is tails.”
Sakusa grumbles. “Just flip the coin.”
It’s a little embarrassing when Hitomi mentions his relationship status to the florist’s family or the caterers or to literally anyone who will listen. He reminds himself on these occasions as the blush climbs up his neck that she’s just worried about him, the baby of the family, not having someone.
Sakusa’s counterpoint: he’s a young university student and has time and people aplenty to meet on campus.
It’s also summer break and no one is really on campus anymore unless they’re taking summer classes. So, whoopsie – there’s not a lot of people, so that means probability wise there’s less people that would be even interesting; ergo, there’s no reason for himself to try so hard to find someone based on those odds. Maybe that’s good enough of an excuse for Hitomi when Sakusa appears at the reception without a date.
He’s not opposed to romance, per se. It’d be nice to have a partner, but it’s not the ultimate goal in life. Along with the little number people on campus right now, Sakusa hasn’t been very inclined either to use dating websites or apps for the sole purpose of meeting people. Perhaps it’s over romantic of him to want something – organic? Something built over time starting from friendly to the option of romantic. The expectation of romance from the get-go of meeting someone doesn’t really appeal. It puts the pressure on and Sakusa knows he’d have it on the back of his mind every time he would speak.
At least, that was the logic until Komori today. Now he’s being thrown into a maybe-date in the least organic fashion possible: a coin toss. They’re at one of the campus cafés for a late lunch after Komori’s class, Sakusa having been coaxed out of his nap at home to hang out and end Komori’s Friday on a good note. The café is lit brightly with the daylight streaming in from the large windows falling in wide strips across the bookcases stuffed with all different kinds of board games in alphabetical order. It would be a lot louder and bustling with students if this was during the school year, but now it’s nearly lazy with some students studying nearby or playing card games. The loudest table has to be the twins that are playing a really intense game of Jenga.
They insult and taunt each other when it’s one of their turns to make a move, and the clatter of wooden pieces on the oak of the table is almost blisteringly loud compared to the rest of the patrons. One twin is dark haired, and one is a pale blonde over a dark undercut.
Sakusa moves his eyes from the twins to Komori with a grimace. “What’s the verdict?”
Komori just raises his eyebrows, clearly amused at how intently Sakusa has been staring, and flips the coin. He catches it in one palm and slaps it over the back of his other hand, lifting off to reveal the tree on the back of the one yen coin. His face breaks out into a victorious grin just like the one where he won with ‘EGOT’ and Sakusa closes his eyes for a second to sigh.
“Heads. They seem nice,” Komori says, entirely unhelpful. “Go get him, Kiyoomi!” He tosses the coin towards Sakusa and Sakusa claps it between his hands so it doesn’t hit his face.
“Him? Which twin?”
Komori gives him an undignified snort as a reply. “Take your pick and ask the cashier out for good measure, so you can scandalize Nee-san by needing a plus two. I think she’s desperate enough to see you with someone she wouldn’t bat an eye. What’s the word again?”
“Polygamy,” Sakusa says, in English, and then narrows his eyes. “I shouldn’t have given you that. You’re going to use it next time to spite me.”
Komori ignores him. “The blond one. He’s the only one within your eyeline because the other one is directly behind me.” He moves his hand in a motion to shoo Sakusa away and Sakusa scowls, because of course Komori would be perceptive enough to triangulate which twin Sakusa was looking at over his shoulder.
“I’m going to win Bananagrams next time and make you lip sync to Baby Metal on this tabletop,” Sakusa says, and resigns himself to an embarrassing fate by striding over to the twins with more confidence than he feels like he truly possesses.
The twins seem to have given up on their Jenga war for building impossible structures out of Jenga blocks instead. The blond one glances up and makes eye contact with Sakusa first, lifting a questioning eyebrow at his sudden approach.
“Hey, I’m Sakusa Kiyoomi, and he,” and he points at Komori who gives an impish grin and wave, “won Bananagrams and now I’m stuck flipping a coin for all of my decisions today. He made me flip on asking you out on date.” Sakusa can feel a blush climbing the back of his neck to his ears. “Do – Would you like to go on a date with me?”
The blond blinks. “Now?” His twin is also now looking at Sakusa with amusement in the corners of his eyes.
Sakusa turns to Komori. “Do I need to flip for when the date is?”
“Every decision,” Komori calls back, his grin only getting bigger, and Sakusa flips him off (middle finger, not coin) before turning back to the blond twin. “When are you free?”
“’M just waiting with Osamu for the person he’s sellin' his textbook to, who’s late.” He raises an eyebrow at his twin, who doesn’t react because he’s clearly familiar at being blamed for circumstances out of his control. “After that I’m free for the rest of today. Do I have to flip for all of my decisions too? Sounds kinda fun.” He glances at the coin in Sakusa’s hand.
“You could also say no to spare my dignity and we can forget the weirdest way you’ve been asked out on a date,” Sakusa says, because he’s not gotten a clear yes or no.
“Weird, but not unwelcome. I also always turn down opportunities to spare dignity.”
Sakusa opens his mouth to say more until another stranger makes their way to the table, eyes flickering between everyone.
“I’m Suna Rintarou,” the stranger says. “I’m here to get that textbook. One of you’s Miya Osamu, I’m hopin’? Your message said twins, not twins and a third sibling.”
One Jenga structure crashes into the table, having been knocked over by Osamu dropping the Jenga piece he’d been holding over it to place it. Sakusa sees Osamu’s jaw go a little slack at Suna Rintarou.
The blond twin points. “That’s Osamu, I’m Atsumu.” Atsumu has also noticed his twin’s awed silence and stands up to face Sakusa.
“It’s a deal for the date. Get me outta here before I’m a third wheel,” Atsumu says, with laughter in his voice and a final glance towards Osamu and Suna. “Heads for the date to start now and tails to start later.”
Sakusa wordlessly flips.
“Tails. Sorry,” Sakusa replies, and then doesn’t say anything after. He isn’t sure how to navigate conversations now with the feature of flipping on all of his decisions. Atsumu shrugs again.
“Date tonight or tomorrow, Omi-kun?”
Sakusa raises an eyebrow at the new nickname and flips the coin. “Tonight.”
“We goin’ for dinner or a midnight snack?” Atsumu pats his stomach and gestures at the empty plates on the table from eating at the café. “Just had a pepper jelly and brie chicken sandwich. Haven’t seen you ‘round here often, so ‘m lettin’ ya know now I’d probably choose this as my last meal, it’s that good.”
“I haven’t tried it,” Sakusa says absentmindedly while flipping. “I’ve really only had their coffee. Dinner.”
“We could always come back here for dinner, make it easy on ya. Wardrobe change or no wardrobe change?” Sakusa sees Komori perk up from the corner of his eye and he squints at Atsumu, figuring out his gambit layered underneath flirting Sakusa isn’t sure what to do with.
“Wardrobe change. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You’re doing this on purpose.”
“I am,” Atsumu confirms, with a nod and smile. “How often d’you get a cute guy flippin’ a coin of all things to get a date?”
Sakusa’s mouth twists in displeasure. “Komori should’ve chosen Osamu. You’re already insufferable.”
“Now that’s a decision you made about me without flippin’. I don’t take you as someone who breaks rules. You gotta flip.”
“Seriously?”
Atsumu nods towards the coin. “Am I a dick or not a dick?”
Sakusa does not flip. “I don’t need chance to decide whether or not you’re a dick, it’s unequivocal.”
“Damn straight. N' me bein' a dick means I can say this: it wasn’t Osamu you were lookin’ at,” Atsumu says with a smug tilt of his head, and Sakusa feels his eye twitch in mortification at being caught by not only Komori but Atsumu himself.
Sakusa flips the coin again. “I’ll give you my phone so we can figure what time today works. Never mind, it’s tails. Heads was yes. I’m not going to give you my phone.” He sighs and throws a glare at Komori, who’s slurping his iced coffee obnoxiously loud to emphasize that he’s enjoying Sakusa’s annoyance.
Atsumu’s mouth is pursed with the effort not to laugh and it makes Sakusa scowl more.
Atsumu pulls his phone out of his pocket. “How ‘bout I give you my phone?”
“Let’s see if I take it first,” Sakusa says, and flips. “Tails. I don’t take it.”
The phone goes back into Atsumu’s pocket. “’Kay, when are you free today? We’ll go out whatever time that is.”
“Despite being a dick, I think I love you already, if you’re so willing to deal with this,” Sakusa mutters, as he also sees Komori coming over to either fish him out of this or make it exponentially worse in the way only siblings – Komori’s basically another one as far as Sakusa is concerned – can. Osamu and Suna are off in their own world on the other side of the table.
Atsumu’s smile is easy and charming, curling across his face as quickly as a flame. “Just for the rest of th’ day, right? It’ll be nearly over by the time we’re on our date. Either you’re having a great time or ready to murder your friend.” He nods hello at Komori slinging an arm around Sakusa’s shoulders.
“I’m always ready to murder Komori, coin or no coin.”
Komori gives them a wide grin. “You can’t, we’re going to do a movie montage thing to pick an outfit for you with coin flips!”
Sakusa levels a look at Atsumu that emphasizes his proclivity for murder threats, to which Atsumu responds with a laugh.
“So you’ll be back here in an hour or so?” Atsumu directs this question at Komori and Sakusa is internally grateful that he doesn’t have to flip or something.
“Yessir,” Komori salutes, and begins bodily dragging Sakusa out of the café. “Just stay right there, lover boy!” Atsumu waves with another laugh and Sakusa mutters angrily at Komori nearly all the way back to his closet in his apartment.
Komori bursts into Sakusa’s room and closet with the force of a hurricane and pulls out tops, pants, socks, shoes, and various accessories. After a quick shower, Sakusa flips the coin – heads for one option, tails for the other option. The first couple outfits are literally unwearable, matching pyjama pants with jean jackets or Komori making him flip between tying the ends of his button up shirt as a crop top or not.
Sakusa lets Komori have his fun and bickers with him until they’ve settled on a loose tank top Sakusa made by chopping off the sleeves from a large white university t-shirt, paired with a pale grey blazer with its sleeves folded up to the elbow, and lightwashed skinny jeans torn at the knee. Sakusa literally has only one pair of sneakers and blessedly does not have to flip between going barefoot or not – all black Converse Chuck Taylors, which are opposite to Komori’s white pair when they went shopping together. His socks do not match; one is orange and one is green, taken from Komori’s sock drawer. Sakusa has to stop Komori from shoving a pair of round sunglasses with white rims into his hair lest the nosepieces tangle into his curls.
“Done fussing? The hour’s almost up,” Sakusa says. Komori laughs and starts pushing him out the door.
“So eager! Have fun on your date!” Sakusa catches himself with one hand on the door frame and looks back at the mess they’ve made of his room.
“I’ve got it,” Komori reassures him. “You also have really good snacks in your pantry.”
Sakusa rolls his eyes before grabbing his wallet and keys. “I knew you wouldn’t stay out of the good of your heart.”
Sakusa makes his way back to the café, checking his phone to keep track of time. He re-enters the café and glances around for Atsumu’s blond hair.
He doesn’t recognize Atsumu immediately because he’s unconsciously looking for the maroon hoodie he saw Atsumu in earlier today. Instead, it seems as though Atsumu took the time to clean up and change as well, because he’s in a baseball jersey with the embellishment of the Hanshin Tigers across the front, open at the center to reveal a dark shirt underneath. Knobby knees poke out of the holes in his dark jeans as well. He’s flopped over on a couch, feet dangling off the armrest, and scrolling on his phone until he sees Sakusa in his peripheral vision and sits up.
“Welcome back, Omi-kun.” Atsumu flicks his gaze up and down at Sakusa’s figure and Sakusa can feel another blush climbing his neck.
“You’re lucky you haven’t seen the jean-on-pyjama abomination,” he says instead of hello, and Atsumu chuckles and stands.
“Unlucky, y’mean. The fashion show must’ve been loads of fun – almost sad I missed it.”
Sakusa squints at Atsumu and he raises his hands in defeat.
“Y’look great, Omi-Omi, relax. Got any ideas for tonight? You know, if y'don’t want to follow through with the flippin' or even the date, I wouldn’t blame ya.”
“Thanks. So do you,” Sakusa says, and tries not to fumble the sentence on its way out of his mouth. He can’t really look Atsumu in the eye with his sudden nerves. Earlier during Bananagrams, he only subconsciously registered that Atsumu was handsome, glancing subtly enough (or not subtly enough for Komori to notice). Now he’s up close with broad shoulders, tan skin, and a strong jaw. No wonder Hitomi and Komori have been so insistent lately; Sakusa’s out of practice with this dating thing. He taps on his phone screen to show Atsumu a list of ideas for their date instead, familiar with what’s nearby the campus.
“Komori will know if I chicken out on a bet. We can flip between these options to make the decision making easier.”
Atsumu makes an impressed noise and leans in to peer at his phone. “Prepared, are ya?”
“Always have to be, with Komori.” Sakusa takes the coin out. Atsumu rocks back on his heels, hands back into his pockets with an expectant look on his face.
“You’re being surprisingly cooperative,” Sakusa says. “Feel free to override any of these decisions if you don’t like them or present other choices to flip between. Or back out of the date. You’ve been gracious enough to give me an out - it’s only fair I give you one.” Atsumu smiles with another chuckle and a wave of his hand.
“I think it’s hilarious, what you’ve gotten yourself roped into; y’might as well see it through. It’s almost nice to let chance make a buncha' decisions for us ‘cause I’d probably think too hard t’make a good impression or whatever. If today’s a success, I might actually make coin flippin' for a day a punishment for ‘Samu if I win a bet with him sometime.”
“Glad one of us is amused,” Sakusa mutters.
“’M amused at everythin’, Omi-Omi,” Atsumu says, and nods at Sakusa to get him to flip the coin. His smile still lurks at the corners of his mouth and Sakusa wants to be annoyed until he realizes he’s staring at Atsumu’s mouth and looks back to his phone screen.
“Heads for the street market a few blocks over or tails for the board games here.” He flips, and the coin is tree side up. “Street market it is.”
“What’s next?” Atsumu holds his hand out and Sakusa places his phone into his palm.
Atsumu reads the next line. “Breakfast for dinner, or dinner for dinner?”
They both laugh a little at the phrasing and watch Sakusa flip. It’s heads again – “God, I love breakfast food,” is what Atsumu says to the result. Atsumu ticks off on Sakusa’s phone notes which option has been chosen as they go along.
“Dessert next. Heads for ice cream, tails for a bakery.” Sakusa flips and winces at the result. He’d put bakery because it’s a good, generic date location, but:
“Tails. We have to find the least sweet thing on the menu.”
Atsumu mock gasps. “No way, Omi-kun, I’ve got the biggest sweet tooth. Sweet teeth, even.”
“Your poor dentist.”
“Never had a cavity in my life,” Atsumu says, hand to his chest as if he’s swearing an oath. Sakusa shakes his head and they exit the café. They stroll through the stalls set up in the street market, passing food or arts and crafts vendors, and get to know each other better while browsing.
They’re both in the same year of their university undergraduate degrees albeit in different programs. Sakusa is finishing up requirements to apply for the pharmacy program whereas Atsumu is aiming to apply to law school. They both like savory foods albeit Atsumu’s sweet teeth, Sakusa likes first person video games more than Atsumu does, who really only plays group ones or ones where he’s up against Osamu, and both do not like pulp in their fruit juice. Sakusa explains how Komori got them roped into this date and his sister’s wedding and he watches Atsumu type out and send several texts to Osamu to pester him about Suna.
Sakusa is much more organized “with like, your entire life, Omi-kun,” in contrast to Atsumu, who wings things a lot more but also has ambition and passion in spades. Both have a secret affection for scented candles and only find this out about each other when they linger a bit too long at the homemade candle stand and get excited about scents. Sakusa likes lighting them after cooking or cleaning; Atsumu claims he uses candles as part of an extremely elaborate studying routine to get himself properly concentrated.
“D’you like the scent of beeswax?” Atsumu asks. He points at a cute candle in the shape of a beehive.
“I think it’s a clean scent. Do you?” Sakusa leans in to sniff at a different candle. Atsumu gets close to smell it as well and jostles Sakusa, who huffs and nudges back, and Atsumu snickers until Sakusa gives him a look that says stop before we break this whole stall by accident.
Atsumu only laughs properly and instead lifts another candle to Sakusa’s face.
“Beeswax is nice, but this? Cedar wood and oak, with top notes of lavender and geranium.”
Sakusa looks at him questioningly. “Top notes?”
“Only an artisan such as I would know the terminology for scentage,” Atsumu replies with a lofty tone, and Sakusa’s face drops into an unamused expression as he grabs the candle out of Atsumu’s hand to look at the label where Atsumu has read off the description.
“I knew it was bullshit because of scentage,” Sakusa says. Atsumu opens his mouth to retort, but the stall owner gets their attention with, “There’s a couple’s deal for candles,” and points at a sign. “Buying two three-wick candles will get you a single wick one free.”
Both of them freeze, but Sakusa recovers faster and thanks the stall owner before pretending to smell another candle.
“How’re we supposed to split custody of the single wick one?” Atsumu murmurs, suddenly close in Sakusa’s left ear. Sakusa turns to face him.
“We’ll just use the single wick one tonight at the dinner table. Set the scene.” Atsumu snorts with laughter and steps back; Sakusa is glad for it, feeling like his head’s been muddled with the scent of Atsumu’s cologne mixed with the heady candle.
“I meant flip a coin, Omi-Omi, like you’ve been doin’ all day. You seriously think the restaurant’s gonna let us light a candle at the table? Y'don't even have a lighter.”
“Let’s find out.” Sakusa reaches for the cedar wood and oak one Atsumu had earlier. “I like this one. You pick one for yourself and we’ll decide on the defining scent for dinner. Top notes of lemon, or whatever artisanal words you’ll pull out of your ass.”
Atsumu stares at him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, long enough that Sakusa fidgets and says, “Unless you don’t want a candle. It seemed like you did.”
“I like candles,” Atsumu says. “Just a little surprised you’d do somethin’ as spontaneous as lighting one at a restaurant table. Which, by th’ way, we’re still not sure they’d allow us to do.” The amusement in his eyes at Sakusa possibly breaking rules shifts to something appreciative.
Sakusa looks down at his candle. “Maybe it’s the company,” he says, and thinks he enjoys the way Atsumu’s smile widens.
Atsumu, revealing his full affection for candles now that Sakusa has mentioned them, takes the longest time known to man deciding on which one he wants to take home. He debates with Sakusa about sandalwood against sage and so on.
Sakusa is going to get a headache from either indecision or the birthday cake candle Atsumu just made him smell. “You should flip a coin. I can’t believe you told me to flip on who gets the free candle. For someone who likes ‘winging it’, you’re really taking your time.”
“You took just as long! I think you were lyin’ about ‘kind of’ liking candles, Omi-Omi.”
“Candles are nice,” Sakusa says, and then immediately contradicts his feigned nonchalance about candles. “You also like candles as much as I do, I’ve learned. You and your scentage.”
“We just keep learnin’ about each other, huh? That’s pretty nice,” Atsumu replies, like that’s a sufficient rebuttal. Sakusa just raises his eyebrows because he’s too flustered to think of anything to say to that and takes the candle that looks like a beehive as the free single wick one.
“What would be even nicer is if we get a move on and pick that dinner candle. We’re only on the fifth stall of this entire street.”
Atsumu and Sakusa get to a stalemate between the plain beeswax candle and a eucalyptus candle and involve the stall owner in their debate for a scent that won’t overpower food. She’s so entertained by them that despite agreeing with Sakusa, she tosses in a few tea lights of the eucalyptus scent for Atsumu.
Candles aside, Sakusa learns Atsumu is easygoing and truly always amused at something, brown eyes alight with an inside joke no one else seems to know but him. His witty comments are nearly endless, but when Sakusa matches him quip for quip it only makes Atsumu more delighted.
Sakusa also learns – rather, confirms – Atsumu is kind of a pest.
The narrow street filled with stalls of the market opens up into a large circular field just off the university campus. Even more tables fill the grass, and there is statistically a lot more white tulle in this area than Sakusa thinks there would be if they were just normal stalls.
His hunch is proven right when they pass a few chalkboards sitting on the sidewalk that point towards the field and say, “OUTDOOR WEDDING SHOWCASE – COME SAMPLE CAKES AND CATERERS”. Atsumu stops at the sign and grasps at Sakusa’s wrist. The light touch stops Sakusa in his tracks.
“Y’hungry? Don’t flip, it’s an actual question.” Atsumu is looking towards the stalls and not at Sakusa when he asks. It’s clear Atsumu is ready to enter the wedding exhibition on the sole promise of free food – that’s how you get college students to pay attention to anything.
Sakusa wonders briefly if his sister has mentioned anything about wedding showcases today, because he might disintegrate on sight in embarrassment if she’s there, but remembers her saying about 95% of the wedding is already planned. He suspects the final 5% is making sure he has a date.
“Screw the bakery, Omi-Omi. Let’s get in on whatever this is, yeah?”
“Did you even read the sign? It’s for weddings. Engaged people.”
Atsumu raises a brow and gestures vaguely between them with one hand. “No one’s gonna ask questions.”
“They absolutely are. I went to one with my sister last year when she started planning her wedding and she told her life story approximately twelve times.”
“We’re engaged and in love or whatever and I’m really interested in tastin’ cake. Done,” Atsumu says, and secures his grip on Sakusa’s wrist to tug him towards the stalls.
Sakusa digs his heels into the grass. “We need to come up with a story before you gorge yourself on sweets. I’m going to be the one forced to do the small talk if you’re so intent on stuffing your face, and I refuse to flip coins in front of the poor vendors to figure out our fake love story in front of them.”
Atsumu turns with an impressed whistle, eyebrows raised. “You’re really committed, huh?”
Sakusa snorts. “You’re on a date with someone who’s flipping coins to determine all of his decisions for a day, a fake relationship is not nearly as weird.”
“So let’s say it’s a test run. I don't mind, and your sister’s probably gonna like it even more.”
Sakusa actively decides to not think about taking Atsumu to the wedding; Atsumu distracts them both by pointing to a set of rusty toy dispensers tucked next to the stairs of a daycare building across the street. Atsumu’s hand curves around Sakusa’s bicep to tug him across the street, and the warmth of his palm effectively stops any protests in Sakusa’s throat.
“Let’s see if those ancient things got some fake jewellery, fiancé.”
The dispensers do have some plastic rings airbrushed with paint to look gold alongside other little trinkets. Sakusa fishes out his wallet and contemplates the different ring designs available in varying prices. They’re all ugly.
“50 yen or 100 yen?” He gets ready to flip before Atsumu stops him with, “Wait, who proposed to who?”
Sakusa’s heads and Atsumu is tails, and after a coin flip, Sakusa is the one who ends up proposing.
Atsumu points at one of the dispensers. “’Kay, if you’re proposin’, I want the 500 yen ring.”
“I don’t think that’s how proposals work.”
“This doesn’t bode well for our marriage, Omi-Omi. 100 yen or 500 yen.”
“If that’s the case, you’re paying. Spoiling me already, are you?”
Atsumu opens his mouth but blinks and narrows his eyes at Sakusa without speaking, then opts to give Sakusa an incredibly fake pout. Sakusa compromises.
“Heads for 50 yen, tails for 500 yen.”
It’s tails.
Atsumu barks out a laugh that’s nearly a cackle while Sakusa aggressively shoves the 500 yen coin into the machine and it spits out a plastic container. Atsumu wears a ring with a black plastic stone proudly as they walk pointedly towards the cake and sweets stalls.
They hash out a ridiculous meet-cute story through more coin flips: they met when Sakusa was mopping floors at the Starbucks on campus and Atsumu slipped and Sakusa caught him, the resulting momentum and slippery floors spinning them into a chair where somehow Sakusa ended up in Atsumu’s lap. All of it is untrue; Atsumu nags Sakusa to embellish and try to act lovestruck to the vendors while he deep throats a cupcake.
“I’d even take a 500 yen ring,” Atsumu proclaims, and the employee at the stall gushes while Sakusa rolls his eyes and brushes the icing from Atsumu’s upper lip. Atsumu flushes and needs the miniature flute of champagne to make sure he swallows the cupcake fully.
In what seems to be an act of revenge, Atsumu the Pest emerges when he starts to goad Sakusa into flipping the coin in front of everyone even when they’ve composed an entire backstory to avoid more coin flipping.
Atsumu knows it, too, swinging their linked hands and cooing at Sakusa at each stall. “Which cake are ya’ gonna try, love? The one with lemon or sweet berry compote? Hayasaki-sensei really worked hard on these.”
“Shithead,” Sakusa mutters, after turning away to fake a cough and flip the coin. Atsumu only grins and somehow that smile cons the stall owner into thinking he’s being considerate. “The lemon compote for me, thank you. I know sweet things are more your taste, love.”
“Reflects my sweet nature, darlin’,” Atsumu says, and Sakusa has to resist smashing his tiny slice of cake into that smug look.
Atsumu continues adding onto their already ridiculous fake love story with an equally outrageous proposal story. Sakusa knows it’s just to get more cake.
“— and I thought he would’ve hidden the ring in the champagne, but by dessert it was nowhere to be found, so I was free to stick my ring for him into his cake slice when he went to the bathroom. Turns out his bathroom trip was actually to get my other favourite flavour of cake from the chef herself and put the ring in that, so by the end of the night we’d both proposed, and that’s why my favourite flavours of cake are both red velvet n’ chocolate fudge, which you so happen to have here.”
Sakusa’s smile is more narrowed eyes than anything when they feed each other bites of cake (also upon Atsumu’s insistence to make him squirm) and Atsumu shoots him a wink before heartily complimenting the stall owners. By the time they make it to the end of the stalls, Sakusa isn’t even feeling awkward or annoyed anymore, outright laughing at the theatrics Atsumu pulls to convince each stall they stop at that their wedding is one for the century.
“Fireworks! You can’t miss it!” Atsumu is shouting back at the last stall and waving goodbye as Sakusa tugs him away. Atsumu swivels almost drunkenly towards Sakusa, the sugar rush evident in his bright eyes.
“Oh my god, we need to walk off these calories, that was so much sugar. We’re gonna hafta’ miss breakfast for dinner, but I told ya it’d be worth it, Omi-kun — that cheesecake was heavenly.”
Sakusa stumbles when Atsumu leans into him. They're still holding hands - Sakusa can feel the calluses on Atsumu's fingers slide against his knuckles - and Sakusa isn’t sure what to make of that, so he deflects instead. “I hate you. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
“Flip for it?”
“Involuntary bodily mechanisms do not count in coin flips, asshole.”
They stroll a few blocks away from campus towards the local zoo after Sakusa flips and it’s in favour of taking a walk in the zoo instead of the park across from it.
“I’m glad it’s walking in the zoo,” Sakusa sighs. “The park rents tandem bikes, and you’re exactly the type to goad me into riding one, and I don’t know how to ride a bike.”
Atsumu rears back in shock. “Omi-kun. You don’t know how to ride a bike?”
Sakusa bristles. “I need to learn how to ride a bike effective immediately, just so you stop looking at me like that.”
“We’ll save that for the next date. Right now I’m really lookin’ forward to carnivorous flowers and a panda,” Atsumu says absentmindedly, already moving further into the zoo, and then blushes a bit because he’s assumed so easily.
The assumption makes Sakusa also blush, too caught up in the hilarity of the fake engagement to remember they’re actually on a date still. He finds himself looking forward to another date and steels himself to reply. He thinks he can hear Komori and his sister egging him on.
“Yeah, when I’m not flipping a coin,” he says, carefully looking away from Atsumu and at the fish of the aquarium instead. “If you’re falling while teaching me, I’d have to flip to see if I’d help or let you fall. And by then you’d be dead.”
A beat passes; the suspense is too much. Sakusa gives in and flicks his gaze to the corner of his eye.
Atsumu quirks a soft smile, tiny and pleased that Sakusa is on the same page, before the smile widens into his usual teasing one. “Life or death seems like a fifty-fifty anyway, Omi-Omi.” Atsumu wiggles his hand in a so-so gesture.
“Statistically, the miracle of life is incredibly low.”
“Statistically, NASA says alien life is likely.”
“Not as likely as death by a shark,” Sakusa says, and points at the great white shark that floats by in the aquarium.
“Jaws created a disproportionate fear of sharks and y’know that.”
The zoo — like the entire day so far — is fun. They pet stingrays and feed alpacas and Atsumu has to be stopped from plucking pieces off the giant succulents to propagate because it’s maybe stealing, and Sakusa has fun, more fun than he’s allowed himself to have in a while. He absolutely cannot deal with Komori being right. He’s currently ignoring the multiple texts from him asking if he’s having a good time.
The day slides into dusk before they know it, and they’re exiting the zoo just as the horizon blushes pink. It makes Atsumu glow a little across his cheekbones, catches in his blond hair; before Sakusa can get too distracted by that, he recognizes tiredness in the slow way Atsumu blinks when he turns to face Sakusa.
“‘M ready for the next coin flip, Omi-kun. What’s next?”
Sakusa shakes his head. “It doesn’t actually have to go until midnight. It’s been a long day.” He’s tired, too, but he doesn’t really want this to end, not really. He thinks it’d be nice to see Atsumu again. But with the bet being over, there isn’t really a reason for Atsumu to stick around. Atsumu had agreed because he’d found it funny that Sakusa was flipping a coin.
“Thanks for enduring this,” he says instead, and shuffles on his feet because wow, he really could've said something better than that.
“Omi-kun.” Sakusa looks up. Atsumu’s expression is intent, more serious than he’s been all day. “Y’keep making it sound like I was sufferin’. I’ll remind you I wasn’t the one who needed to flip a coin to say yes or no. I said yes, no coin needed, to a cute guy I was checkin’ out who asked me on a date.
“I had a good time,” Atsumu continues, unaware Sakusa’s heart is now pounding in his ears. “Y’think your sister would approve of me?”
For all the bluster Sakusa made about having all his choices determined by a coin, he’s somewhat glad it took the responsibility out of his hands to make choices. He knows what he wants to do next; but it isn’t midnight yet, so he pulls the coin out of his pocket one more time.
Atsumu raises his eyebrows. “Omi-Omi?”
In a show of dexterity he’ll never be able to repeat again, Sakusa manages to snatch the coin out of the air mid-flip and press his mouth against Atsumu’s, whose breath catches his in throat in a funny hiccup sound because he’d been ready to shoot a quip about rigging the odds to get Hitomi to like him.
Atsumu’s hands curl around the sides of Sakusa’s face to tilt their heads properly, tipping Sakusa’s head to counter his momentum so their teeth don’t clack together.
It’s a good kiss - Sakusa dares himself to brush the tip of his tongue against the swell of Atsumu’s bottom lip, coin be damned. He tastes sugar and smells eucalyptus, all-encompassing, and wonders if he can concentrate this kiss into a candle too.
They break apart gently with blushes riding high on their faces. Atsumu looks dazed.
Sakusa huffs through a smile, triumphant and shy. “I’ll take my chances.”
“I’m so thankful and grateful for your love and support,” Hitomi is saying to her family, through no small amount of tears into her microphone at the reception. Sakusa’s mouth twists in love and amusement at his sister and he presses his lips together not to laugh when she lets out a laugh-snort at her own crying. Atsumu, seated next to him in a sleek grey suit, nudges him to get him to do a finger heart or blow a kiss to Hitomi like his parents are doing. Sakusa kicks him back under the table.
He really should’ve listened to Atsumu to make some gesture — he’s too late when Hitomi’s eyes narrow on him and says, “You’re next, Kiyoomi! Atsumu, we love you already,” and the room erupts in whoops.
Atsumu’s laugh is loud in his ears as Sakusa buries his face in his hands.