Spray-paint and Skateboards (SakuAtsu Dancer AU)

Chapter 34: The Phoenix

"It seems like you guys do this often," Sakusa stated as he shook the spray-paint canister in his hand.

Atsumu shrugged, "I guess ya could say that," he replied before he stepped forward toward the wall to begin his artistry.

Sakusa chuckled, "You know, this is the most fun I think I've had in a while."

Atsumu raised an eyebrow and looked back at Sakusa, "Really?" He asked.

Sakusa chuckled weakly, "Yeah... Volleyball just takes up a lot of time, I guess," he said with a shrug.

Atsumu laughed, "Ain't that the truth..." He muttered.

"You guys seem to have a lot of fun when you're together," Sakusa pointed out, "The six of you are really close..." He added as he began putting an outline on Atsumu's art.

Atsumu smiled, "Yeah... They've always been there for me."

Sakusa sighed, "Must be nice..."

Atsumu paused his artistry at the underlying tone of Sakusa's voice and turned to look at Sakusa, who had a focused yet somber expression on his face, "Are ya okay?" He asked quietly.

Sakusa's attention snapped towards him, "What do you mean?" he asked and Atsumu looked away quickly.

"Y'know... Ya can talk to me..." Atsumu said softly, "I mean, ya said that I can talk to ya whenever I need, so I'll do the same for ya."

Sakusa blinked, his obsidian green eyes wide with surprise, before his facial features softened into a somewhat weak smirk.

He turned his back to the wall and sat down against it. Sakusa's gaze drifted up to the sky as he rested his head against the wall, and he sighed heavily. Sensing that this was a difficult topic, Atsumu sat down next to him and brought his knees to his chest to listen.

"When I was younger, my parents didn't have much time for me... I wasn't planned, so they treated me more like a burden than their son," Sakusa explained, "They wanted me to be this perfect little angel that could recite poetry and play the violin at their business meetings, but I just couldn't, and they hated that about me."

Sakusa pursed his lips before he continued, "Instead of the violin, I wanted to play the bass guitar. Instead of fencing, I wanted to play volleyball. I was an embarrassment to them, to the Sakusa name," he scoffed and let out a bitter huff of laughter, "The last straw was in my second year of high school when I decided to pursue a professional volleyball career and study music instead of taking over their business," he grinned, "They kicked me out of the house, but I'd already spoken with my aunt and uncle, Komori's parents, to ask if I could live with them, and, knowing what my parents put me through, they agreed."

Sakusa smiled, "I got my first tattoo not long after I graduated high school," he informed.

"Yer first tattoo?" Atsumu asked tentatively.

"Yeah. The one on my right shoulder," Sakusa replied.

Atsumu's brain immediately - and annoyingly - sparked with the realization that it was the phoenix tattoo.

"Can I see?" Atsumu asked.

Sakusa sucked in a sharp breath and nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Atsumu shifted so that he was now sitting on Sakusa's right instead of his left, and Sakusa rolled up his t-shirt sleeve to reveal the tattoo that Atsumu already knew - although embarrassingly - was there.

The tattoo was visible in the light of Atsumu's phone flashlight, and the blonde studied the details. He unconsciously reached out and Sakusa flinched at the cold ticklish sensation of Atsumu's fingertips of his skin.

Atsumu withdrew his hand instantly as if he had been burned, "S-sorry... I didn't realise-"

"It's fine," Sakusa cut him off, "You can touch it. Your hands are just cold."

Atsumu nodded slowly and he hesitantly reached out again. Sakusa took a shaky breath as Atsumu traced the swirling black lines of ink across his skin with his fingertips.

"Rebirth, hope, transformation..." Atsumu whispered, "To be reborn from ashes... The phoenix represents ya."

Sakusa's eyes widened and he looked up from where he was watching Atsumu trace his tattoo, only to fine that the blonde was already staring at him.

"I'm sorry..." Atsumu whispered before Sakusa could say anything.

Sakusa furrowed his brows, "About what?"

Atsumu looked down at the ground again, "Ya had to deal with all'o that an' that's probably why yer not that good at communicatin' like ya said, but my stupid trust issues an' my dumb PTSD wouldn't lemme see that, an' now that I know, I guess I jus' feel guilty for bein' so cold to ya an'–"

Sakusa turned fully to look at Atsumu and he reached up to cup his cheek in his right palm, effectively cutting Atsumu's rambling off, "Hey, don't say that... You didn't know."

Tears began to roll down Atsumu's cheeks as he leaned into Sakusa's touch, "But that still doesn't mean that I could treat ya like I did..."

Sakusa smiled softly at Atsumu, "It's okay, Atsu. We've both had a bit of a rough upbringing, so I can understand why you're scared to trust people, and it's not like I was the nicest person to you when we met either," he assured.

Atsumu huffed a short teary laugh, "I guess the phoenix represents both of us then?" He joked.

Sakusa laughed before he smiled and looked into Atsumu's eyes, "Yeah, I guess so..."

In the moment of silence that followed, Atsumu brought his hand up to Sakusa's that was still on his cheek and pressed it closer to his face, "Yer hands are warm," he pointed out.

Sakusa didn't answer, instead he just stared, transfixed, into Atsumu's eyes.
Layers upon layers of pretty honey-like brown drew Sakusa in and reminded him of the day they met – the day Sakusa had to rip his attention away from the gorgeous beauty of a setter that stood before him.

Without even realizing it, Sakusa had edged closer to Atsumu. Sakusa's left hand subconsciously planted itself on Atsumu's right thigh and drew a sharp inhale from the blonde when it slid up, slightly under his shorts, to grip at his hip.

They were so close now that they could feel each other's breath on their lips, but as they were about to close the gap, they heard the thumping of hurried footsteps getting nearer.

"Guys! We're busted! The security found us, let's go!"

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Hehe I'm evil

Anygays, bye!!
-CrackshotReaper

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