Music at 4 a.m. {SakuAtsu} [ON HOLD 12/7/22]

chapter 4

Again this is cringey af but yeah lo
Words: 708

⚠️ Possibly TW??? Idk but it's flashbacks so??? //of abusive mother ⚠️

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"Well... it's a kind of long story, I guess," Sakusa said softly, rubbing his bare arms to warm them.

Atsumu wiped his eyes, shaking a bit.

"I- I'm so sorry, Kiyoomi. All of a sudden ya just froze up and started breathin' all funny and it was like ya couldn't hear me-"

"It's okay, Atsumu." Atsumu shivered a bit when Sakusa said his name.

"If you don't want to tell me that's fine though," Atsumu added quickly when Sakusa didn't speak for a moment.

Sakusa shook his head.

"I'll tell you if you're willing to listen."

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And so he had a second heart-to-heart with the blond who was beginning to take up an irritatingly large amount of Sakusa's brain space.

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"Kiyoomi! Welcome home, sweetie!" Sakusa's mom chirped, straightening up from where she'd been bending over her garden.

"Hi, mom," young Sakusa said, hugging her around the legs. She laughed brightly, tangling her fingers in his messy hair.

In Sakusa's memory, the vision distorted a bit- flashing into a dark room with the same, sweet woman yanking Sakusa's hair and screaming at him, her pupils dilated.

The memory returned to the sunny day.

"How was school?" she asked, her voice almost sounding like a familiar tune to a song, as she asked this every day.

"It was good," Sakusa answered, then waved as he ran through their open front door, tossing his bag on the ground and slipping his shoes off before running into the kitchen.

"Yui! How do you always get home before me?!" Sakusa complained as he caught sight of his older sister. Her long, curly black hair was loose from it's bun, hanging down her back as she twirled around the kitchen.

"Kiyoo! Well of course I beat you, doofus," Yui crowed. "My school gets out fifteen minutes before yours."

She smoothly pulled a cupboard open grab the container of flour.

Sakusa scooted a barstool out from the island and hopped on it, sitting on his knees and putting his elbows on the counter.

"Whatcha makin'?"

"Cookies!"

"What kiiiiiiiind?"

"Ciiiiiiinamon."

Sakusa giggled at Yui as her eyes suddenly opened comically wide, and she "almost" dropped the flour.

"I love this song!" she cheered, lunging at her beat-up portable speaker and cranking the bejeweled knob all the way up.

There's a song that I love

you once played for me

It had all the right chords,

and a sweet melody

Sakusa watched Yui skip around the island, then she grabbed Sakusa's hands and yanked him off his seat to spin him around.

"It was back when we started,

when there was mystery

Now they've all erased my

music machine," Yui sang, making faces at Sakusa all the while.

"And it's all because of you

I've got a list of songs I can't listen to

And it's all because we're through

I've got a list of songs

I can't

Listen to..." Yui's voice trailed off as she waited for the next verse. Sakusa rolled his eyes dramatically at her, perching on his stool again and sneakily sticking a finger in the batter.

She continued to sing, voice sometimes harmonizing with the singer's.

That was the first time Sakusa had heard that song.

He still remembered the last time.

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"Omi-kun?" Sakusa glanced at Atsumu, pausing his story.

"How come I've never heard about yer sister until now?"

Sakusa's mouth went dry. The words that had easily flowed a moment ago had vanished.

"I-"

"Ah, sorry. It's fine, continue."

Atsumu patted Sakusa's leg, and then he flushed lightly. Slightly confused, Sakusa continued.

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If Sakusa could've frozen time, to stay in that moment with Yui forever, he most definitely would have.

That night was just like any other.
It happened after dinner.

Sakusa could feel the tension building as the small family of four (not counting their dog) ended their prayer and began to eat.

Sakusa's father seemed to be oblivious to the coming storm. Or maybe he wasn't.

Maybe he thought if he ignored it and acted naturally, it would go away.

Yui sensed it. And with an apologetic glance at Sakusa, she left. She left him.

That was only the first time.

Sakusa still remembered the last.