Thank you for requesting! Sorry this took so long, I've been busy with college. But requests are open once again!
I hope this is okay! Enjoy <3
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
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"Tch. You just had to show up, didn't you."
It came out more of a statement than a question, emphasised with a hot glare that Ichimatsu shot your way. You sat down heavily beside him on the bench, keeping your distance.
"Shut up. I really don't want to deal with your pissy attitude right now..." You muttered. Mumbling your order to Chibita, you leaned a hand against your forehead, rubbing your temple with a grimace.
"Then why are you here? Go back home or something," Ichimatsu retorted, raising a brow.
"Just shut. Up."
Chibita remained silent, hesitantly placing a bowl of Udon in front of you as he glanced quickly between you both. He prayed that you both wouldn't start fighting and tear his stand to bits.
"... Rough day?" Ichimatsu surprised himself, a rare occurrence for the fourth eldest Matsuno. His breath caught in his throat as he mentally yelled at himself. Why did he care? Why should he care? You both hated each other. Why did he suddenly feel so... sympathetic? He visibly cringed at the word.
You didn't reply for a while, occupying yourself by chewing away at your warm dinner. You sighed again.
"If you had a job as a receptionist in the only hospital in Akatsuka, you would know that it's more than 'rough'..." you rubbed a hand down your face, feeling your skin warm up from the friction.
Ichimatsu hummed, silently fiddling with his chopsticks. An awkward silence hung over the stand. Taking a deep breath, he knew he was going to regret this.
"...Do you... wanna... talk about it...?"
The reluctance in his voice was visible. You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, the corners of your lips twitching slightly.
"Am I actually talking to Matsuno Ichimatsu? Or is this one of your brothers in disguise?"
"Shut up." was his only answer, facing away from you entirely. You chuckled, although you were confused. This was... different. Usually, you both would've started arguing by now yet, here you were, opening your mouth to spill your troubles onto the table for the one person you hated most.
Was that a good or bad thing? Nobody would know the answer in that moment. Not even Chibita, who had taken refuge under his stand, sweating profusely at the sudden turn of events.
"... Soulmates." You started. Ichimatsu winced, slouching further in his seat. "It's hard not to think about that sort of stuff when I have to see them everywhere at work... And considering my own situation with it, I just..."
You worried your bottom lip between your teeth. Should you say it? Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you should stop.
"It just hurts, y'know?"
'Stop..!'
"Knowing that I'll never find anyone to care for me like everyone else..."
'That's enough!'
"I'll never know what it's like to love someone, romantically, or to have them love me back..."
The silence was different this time. Heavy, full of melancholy, full of heartache. Even so, you continued with a hollow smile stretched forcefully across your cheeks.
"But I guess that's how life works. Some get it lucky, and some... don't."
You didn't want to look over at him, knowing that his heavy lidded eyes were staring at you, burning holes into your skin. You couldn't tell what he was thinking. You didn't know why you said all that, to Ichimatsu of all people. However, there was no going back. You waited for the humiliation t be thrown your way.
"... I guess we're not so different, huh?"
"Wha-?"
"I still hate you, don't get me wrong," You stared in bewilderment at the back of his head, mouth wide open. "But... Life was never fair to begin with. If there was anyone who didn't deserve this kind of life with no red string, it would probably be you."
"...Ichima-"
"Put this on my tab, Chibita. I'm outta here..."
He swiftly stood up from his seat, pulling his hood tightly over his head before practically running away from you into the dark streets. Leaving you (and Chibita) dumbfounded.
You wouldn't be seeing him until two days later, when you woke up from your slumber with a scream.
You had rushed to get dressed, an ugly scowl permanently resting on your features, scaring people away from you as you ran frantically through the streets of Akatsuka, stopping heavily in your tracks the moment you spotted purple in an alleyway.
"You bastard!" You yelled, not caring about the cats scampering past you. Ichimatsu stood silently, his dark aura multiplying ten fold.
"I could say the same to you," he muttered.
"What the fuck did you do?" You stalked towards him, raising your hand in front of his face. "How did you do this?"
The red string of fate dangled with a faint glow in front of Ichimatsu's eyes, tied neatly around your pinkie finger. He didn't respond, although his own suspicions were confirmed.
"Why you?" you whispered, tears forming in the corners of your eyes.
"Why you, of all people...!" you grabbed fistfuls of his hoodie, leaning into him with a shaky sob.
"I don't... understand... I-I've been horrible to you.." you were bawling now, sinking to your knees, dragging the wide-eyed man down with you.
"I don't deserve any of this...! I should've just stayed alone for the rest of my life!"
You continued to mumble despair into his shoulder, your body racked with sobs and heavy breaths. Neither of you knew how long you had sat there on the dirty alleyway floor. Neither of you knew when Ichimatsu began rubbing your back, holding you closer.
Eventually, your cries died down to sniffles and hiccups, but you didn't want to move away just yet. You just wanted to stay there, not wanting to think about what kind of future that awaited the both of you.
»»----- ♔ -----««
"Ichimatsu? Are you okay?"
He blinked, turning towards you.
"Were you thinking about something?"
"...Yeah." He smiled softly, wrapping an arm around your waist, nuzzling his face into the top of your head. You giggled, leaning into him.
"Oh yeah? What was it?" You linked your fingers with his, bringing them up so plant soft kisses across his knuckles. Ichimatsu locked onto the red string connecting you both together, watching as it began to glow, beating in sync with your heartbeats.
"...We really used to hate each other, didn't we?"
