It started the way most good things do. With a gentle push in the right direction and a leap of faith. Syusuke supposed that he had at least that much to be grateful for. If it hadn't been for his best friend's encouragement, he never would have made the first move. There was a lot in this life that Syusuke was confident about. The ways of love weren't one of them.
So, to his surprise, he snagged Tezuka off the market without falling on his face. Though what he didn't expect was that with Tezuka came Atobe. And with Atobe, Sanada. And with Sanada, Yukimura. Syusuke never thought that he'd end up in one of those relationships. The kind that you heard about in the back of your University ethics class.
"How can someone love more than one person with their whole heart?"
"Your attention is constantly divided."
"It can't be possible."
But it was possible. Syusuke experienced it every day from the moment he woke up, until the moment they all collapsed together into bed every night.
It was ingrained in their daily routine, throughout their entire lives.
Tea with Tezuka in the morning before they went to work. Lunch with Yukimura at that little cafe that only the two of them liked four times a week. Fancy company dinners that Atobe would take them to almost every weekend. Evenings spent reading and cuddling up with Sanada.
How could you love more than one person with your whole heart? It made Syusuke laugh to himself whenever he thought back on it.
Something he had learned though, was that it wasn't easy. It took work every single day, but it was worth it.
Much like that very day.
Tea and breakfast with Tezuka had gone well, but the day turned upside down the moment Syusuke arrived at work. The magazine that he photographed for lost track of one of the models and couldn't find her in the building. Someone had let her fall through the cracks and now everything was delayed.
He quickly messaged Seiichi that he would see him that night and that the world had caught on fire. As usual Seiichi was understanding of these kinds of circumstances but Syusuke didn't do well when his routine was interrupted.
Eventually they found the poor girl in one of the bathrooms on the fifth floor, three floors down from where she should have been. Everything went smoothly after that, but it took almost all day.
By the time Syusuke made it home that night his nerves were on the fritz. Atobe had messaged that he'd be late home from work, so he wouldn't get to see him at dinner.
It just seemed like the entire day was going to be a bad one. Yet, when he got home, Tezuka was waiting for him with dinner in hand and a glass of wine.
Moments like that, walking in to find someone he loved ready to help the rest of the day go better, were what Syusuke lived for.
"Did you get to see any of them today?" He asked Tezuka as they sat down to eat the greasiest burgers from that hole in the wall downtown.
"I saw Atobe off before you were up this morning, but Sanada was called in by Yukimura to help coach a tournament for Rikkaidai." Tezuka said around his glass. He still had a bad habit of calling them by their surnames.
Syusuke rolled his eyes at himself and trusted that Tezuka didn't think it was directed at any of them. "Of course, I forgot that that was today. Do we know how they're doing?"
"Last update I got, they won both doubles matches." It made Syusuke smile. Back when they were still in school, that was how they had all met. Through Tennis.
They were all phenomenal tennis players from different schools who fell in love at tournaments. After they graduated high school, they all went on their own paths as far as careers were concerned. But they all still came back to it once and a while.
Yukimura had taken over coaching for his alma mater and Sanada had taken over his family's dojo. Tezuka had become a history teacher for Seigaku. Atobe began working for his father's company right out of high school. Syusuke had taken his photography to the next level and now he was a freelancer.
"That's good to hear, you know how Seiichi gets when they lose," Syusuke said in jest and Tezuka cracked a smile. He didn't respond but Syusuke knew that he agreed.
The rest of their evening was spent greeting a victorious Seiichi and proud Sanada when they arrived home. Then, feeding them, getting cleaned up and then bed before they started a new day the next morning.
Syusuke kissed them each good night and at some point at some unknown time in the early morning, Atobe kissed him awake. Unable to help himself, they made out for a short amount of time before snuggling down together in the middle of the bed to fall into what little sleep they would get before their alarms would go off.
A week later Syusuke arrived home to find all of his lovers in the living room. It was a rare occurrence for them to all be in the same place at the same time. Sometimes it felt that they were just ships passing in the night.
It was a gift that he wasn't going to waste. He made the rounds, got caught by Atobe once more who had a thing for open mouthed kisses and then settled down next to Sanada on the couch. Sanada was reading his latest book but before Syusuke could ask how it was, Atobe spoke up.
"We have that wedding to attend this Saturday for your kouhai, right Seiichi? I've made sure that the office won't burn down while I'm gone for the weekend." He asked and Syusuke was amused by the look on Seiichi's face. Pure confusion.
As always, Sanada didn't even have to look up to read the room, "Kirihara is marrying the granddaughter from Seigaku this weekend." Syusuke snickered. He had heard through Tezuka that coach Ryuzaki had been none too pleased by the news.
"Ah, yes, we're still attending that," Yukimura played off like he had known exactly what they were talking about. That was something Syusuke loved about Seiichi. No matter how forgetful he was, it didn't stop him from acting like he had all the answers.
All that mattered was that Yukimura didn't let his forgetfulness harm anyone.
"Is Ryuzaki-sensei expecting us, Tezuka?" Syusuke asked and Tezuka nodded without looking up from his newspaper.
"Does anyone want to have a quickie before dinner?" Atobe offered and that was the end of the conversation.
Syusuke, Atobe and Yukimura disappeared upstairs leaving Tezuka and Sanada to read.
It was the night of the wedding, they were dressed to the nines. Everything was stunning, from the pink tulle that layered the church pews to the darling peonies that adorned every vase. Even Atobe was impressed by such a low-budget wedding to look so nice. This would be the first time that their teams would all be in the same room since Atobe's last birthday bash.
It was very beautiful though and made Syusuke a little forlorn. He would never have a wedding under his circumstances. When he was a child, he watched his sister get married in a shower of silver and gold and it made him dream of one day doing the same. Even so, he wouldn't give up his life just for the chance to walk down an aisle.
Not when what he had was so much better.
The church was packed and they were fortunate to have the third pew on the bride's side. They could see everything and Syusuke would hold Seiichi's hand through the tears. He and Sanada really did see Kirihara as a younger brother, so the emotions were warranted.
They were chatting with Ryuzaki-sensei who sat in front of them and then the music changed and everyone was hushed into their seats. The look on her face immediately went sorrowful, but not in a bad way. She was watching the girl she raised get married, so she was allowed to have feelings about it.
Kirihara stood beside the priest, with Marui and Niou by his side. Yukimura and Sanada had taken their seats after walking him down the aisle.
Seiichi held Syusuke's hand which made him smile.
As the music grew, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle, Ann and then Tomoka.
And that was when Syusuke's breath was taken away. As if all the oxygen was vacuumed out of the room.
Syusuke squeezed Seiichi's hand.
There walking Sakuno down the aisle was someone that Syusuke didn't recognize. A young man that must have been somewhat around their age. Taller than Syusuke yet shorter than the others, with vibrant emerald hair and gorgeous golden eyes. His face was chiseled and soft at the same time and it made Syusuke melt. He hadn't felt this way since seeing Tezuka for the first time.
Then the priest was speaking, the music quieted down and then the man was giving Sakuno away to Kirihara.
Who was this man to give Sakuno away? That Syusuke had never heard mention of.
It would have been so rude for Syusuke to lean forward and demand that Ryuzaki-sensei tell him who he was; but God that's all Syusuke wanted to do.
He needed to know who he was.
Seiichi squeezed his hand back and just like that, Syusuke knew that he wasn't alone. They held fast to each other, reading each other's minds like it was so easy to do and it made Syusuke wonder. Did the other three feel the same?
It would have been rude to look at their faces, to see if they felt the same need that he and Seiichi felt. Yet he couldn't have cared less. He looked to Tezuka first, who was already looking back at him. Leave it to Tezuka to read him like a book every time. Tezuka gave him a slight nod of something, which Syusuke wasn't sure about.
Atobe wrapped his arm around Syusuke's shoulders and held on for what felt like dear life. Then he leaned close and whispered lowly and quietly in his ear, "Who is that?"
Syusuke could only shrug before Sanada sat up straighter in his seat. A signal if there ever was one. They immediately focused their attention back on the vows that Syusuke only caught the end of. They must have been moving because Ryuzaki-sensei was struggling to hide her tears.
And then it was happening.
"I, now introduce, Mr. and Mrs. Kirihara," the Priest all but bellowed across the church and the entire room erupted in applause as a happy and excited Kirihara and Sakuno walked hand in hand back down the aisle.
The ushers of the wedding quickly began to guide the guests out of the room and Syusuke damned whoever was up there that the mysterious man disappeared with the first pew. They stopped on the way out of the building to bid well wishes to the newly weds and yet his attention was split elsewhere.
"Will you be joining us at the reception?" Kirihara's voice asked Seiichi, and Syusuke felt the need to interrupt.
"Of course we will, we'll meet you there," Sanada said in a way that made Syusuke more attracted to him than he ever had been before.
Atobe's car pulled up and they clammered in. Before Syusuke could say anything Atobe was addressing Tezuka.
"Who was that?" Atobe demanded in a loving tone.
"I do not know, I've never seen him before," Tezuka admitted honestly.
"We'll find out," Seiichi said and Syusuke couldn't have agreed more.
"I'm not the only one?" Syusuke asked almost unsurely, suddenly doubting himself.
"We'll find out," Sanada repeated as he squeezed Syusuke's knee.
Syusuke sighed in frustrated relief. He was glad that he wasn't alone on this.