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Fragile Connection - Sakuatsu

{RED STRING OF FATE AU}
Genre: Angst
1287 Words
Happy New Year everyone!! Wishing us all a better year to come :D

Sakusa Kiyoomi, hates crowds, dislikes loud people, despises recklessness.
But what will he do when fate has connected him with the loud and reckless Atsumu Miya?

~~~

The ace spiker of Itachiyama Institute has a special ability. Sakusa has the ability to see the well-known "Red String of Fate" on other people. He can see them on everyone's pinkies as he passes by. He could tell anyone who they're connected to if he could. For someone who doesn't necessarily believe in these things, why has he been gifted with such capability?

Kiyoomi can't see his own string yet. He wonders if it's because he doesn't have a soulmate or he just hasn't met them yet. He secretly hopes it's the latter.

With joining in the MSBY Black Jackals, he was met with a few familiar faces. He was now an outside hitter for the team. He has met Atsumu Miya before, back at the All-Japan Youth training camp. Sakusa knew that the blond-haired setter was from Inarizaki, the powerhouse school that was dubbed as the "Ultimate Challengers". But meeting him now, Kiyoomi had taken notice of a change.
It isn't Atsumu's hair, nor his playing style, but rather a little something on his pinky.

Sakusa Kiyoomi had been connected to Atsumu Miya by fate.

~~~

After seeing how a single, red thread was connected between his and Atsumu's pinky, his brain started to race with questions.
'Why him out of everyone else?'
'I don't even like him.'
'He is everything I despise.'
Despite the setter being the absolute opposite of the outside hitter, Sakusa didn't really have a choice. He knew that the string can't change since they are soulmates that are bound together by fate.
He decided to just accept it. Soulmates don't have to be lovers, right?

That's what Kiyoomi thought.

~~~

Sakusa was out with his cousin, Komori, enjoying a walk in the park. The team had been given a few days' worth of break after the intensive training.

"So, how have you been?" Komori asks.
"I've been doing well." Sakusa replies.
"Well, have you met who you're connected to yet?" His cousin asks, spotting a bench and walking over to it.

Kiyoomi forgot for a bit that Motoya knew about his ability. Sitting down at the bench, he takes in a breath of air. Exhaling, he looks towards Komori who was grinning at him.

"Yes, I've found who I'm connected to." The germaphobe says, muffled a bit by the face mask. Komori's eyes lit up upon hearing his cousin's statement.

"Really?? Woahh, who is it then?"
"It's unexpected, even I didn't think it would be him." Kiyoomi answers, eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion.
"It's a him?" Motoya asks.
Sakusa realized he accidentally gave away the gender of his so-called "soulmate".
"That's alright honestly, but you haven't told me who it is yet!" Komori says excitedly.

Kiyoomi knows he can trust his cousin, they've been together since childhood.
"It's...Atsumu Miya." Sakusa says, leaning his head up to stare at the trees.
"Atsumu Miya? You're right, that's really unexpected. You're both polar opposites of each other." Motoya comments with a small chuckle.
"Oh well, what else can I do?" Kiyoomi questions as he heaves a sigh.

"Then, I guess you'll have to learn to love him." Komori advises.

That statement made something click inside of Sakusa. His cousin is right, he can learn how to love his soulmate.

~~~

Everyday since then, Kiyoomi made an effort to find things to love Atsumu about. Something that he doesn't do often, but has taken time to try it out since he was his soulmate.

His everyday findings were more rewarding than anything else.

Sakusa realized he loved Atsumu's loud, obnoxious laugh whenever he makes fun of his twin brother.

Sakusa realized he loved Atsumu's bright smile that played on his lips whenever he does a set gracefully.

Sakusa realized he adored how Atsumu would tease him, then acting like it annoyed him everytime he did.

Sakusa realized he liked being called "Omi-Omi", how he loved it when the nickname would roll off the setter's tongue, even if he acts like he's bothered by it.

Kiyoomi had ended up falling for Atsumu from afar.
He tells Komori,
"I've learned to love him as time passes on."

~~~

After a few months of admiring from a distance, Sakusa brings himself to confess. He finds the courage and bravery to spill his emotions out, for he was ready to finally allow himself to love and to let himself be loved.

The outside hitter asks if he could talk to the setter outside, to which the other had accepted.
It was starting to get cold, the wind had a frosty feeling to it.
Sakusa stands outside their court, hands in his jacket pockets, waiting for Atsumu.
This was the first time in years where Kiyoomi had felt himself shake, not from the cold, but from nervousness.

He hears the doors open, but he doesn't look up. Kiyoomi kept his eyes fixated on the ground below him as he senses a presence come up in front of him.

"So, Omi-Omi, whaddya need to talk about?"
Atsumu asks, his own hands in his jacket pockets.
"Atsumu, I have something to confess." Sakusa says as he looks up to meet the other's eyes. The setter's eyes widen upon hearing what the other has said.
"Omi-kun, are you alright?" Atsumu questions, his voice laced with concern.

"Atsumu, listen, I can see people's strings. Those threads, the red strings of fate." Sakusa explains.
Atsumu listens intently, because he can feel how serious the outside hitter is.
"And Atsumu, I....my string is connected to yours." Kiyoomi confesses.
"Huh?–"
"Atsumu, I'm in love with you."
With that confession, Sakusa's face was as pink as cherry blossoms and his heart was beating a hundres miles per hour.

Kiyoomi had expected to see the other's face light up with joy because, maybe, he had thought that the setter could be interested in him. Because if he wasn't, then why would Atsumu tease him in the first place? Why would Atsumu use that nickname?

But instead of seeing that smile Sakusa had learned to love, he saw a dejected look on Atsumu's face.
"Omi-kun, I'm so sorry Omi-kun."
Sakusa was confused.
"I...I got together with Shoyo yesterday..." Atsumu says, a sad look in his eyes.

And to Kiyoomi's horror, he watches as the red string that tied him together with Atsumu breaks off. He watches as Atsumu's end connect with Hinata's string, who was out looking for the setter.

"Atsumu-san, there you are!!" Shoyo exclaims as he runs up towards the taller male.
"Oh, hi Omi-san!" Hinata greets the other once he spotted him.
"Are you guys talking about something? I'm sorry if I interrupted!" Hinata says with the bright smile he always wore.
"Shoyo, wait for me inside. Let's practice more later." Atsumu tells the shorter male, who followed what the setter had said and ran back inside.

Atsumu turns back to face the outside hitter.
"I'm really sorry if I've given you mixed signals, Omi-kun. I hope you'll find a better soulmate." And with that last apology, the setter left to practice with Hinata inside the court, leaving Kiyoomi standing alone outside.

For the first time in a long time, he allows himself to shed tears over someone. It's been awhile since he last cried, his eyes and nose becoming red and puffy as sad tears stream down his face. He quickly wipes them away as he looks up towards the darkening sky. He takes a deep breath before whispering something to himself.

"I regret learning to love you."