Attraction (Haikyuu One-shots)

Bouts of Sadness (SakuAtsu)

Atsumu is always seen with a smile on his face, his laughter always echoes in the four-cornered walls of the MSBYs locker room, he's a burst of beaming sunshine that brings happiness in other people's lives, he's always there to cheer them up with his ridiculous jokes and shenanigans, but no one knows Atsumu experiences bouts of sadness from time to time.

Sometimes, he'd go home, sit on his couch, stare at the wall as he lets the sadness he feels consume him, and when it gets too much, he pushes it down his chest and turns on the television to distract himself until he feels nothing. Sometimes watching could help him ignore the sadness, but he goes out for a jog when it doesn't. It doesn't matter if it's cold or if it's late at night. He'll still go out for a jog to exhaust himself, so when he arrives home, he'll pass out on his bed and ignore the sadness bubbling in his chest.

Sakusa was never aware of this, so when they got together and saw Atsumu being quiet for the first time, he didn't know what to do. He watched as Atsumu sits on the couch, eyes blankly staring at the wall. Sakusa sits down beside him and waits for Atsumu to turn to him and cuddle him, but it never came.

"Atsumu," Sakusa calls out as gently as he can. The blond didn't respond, and his eyes were still locked on the wall despite feeling the couch foam sink beside him when Sakusa sat down.

"Atsumu," Sakusa calls out a second time, then scoots towards Atsumu to wrap his arm around his boyfriend's shoulder.

Atsumu turns to him with a blank look on his face, eyes devoid of any emotion, and lips parted but no words slipping past it. Sakusa could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

"I need to go for a jog," Atsumu says as he stands up to take his hoodie, not Sakusa's, which made the raven feel even more anxious. He could sense that something was wrong. Atsumu doesn't look like that when they're sitting in comfortable silence, and it makes Sakusa feel uneasy.

"Atsumu," Sakusa calls out a third time, but Atsumu just walked out the door without saying anything.

The raven didn't know if he should follow him or leave Atsumu, but he opted for the second option. Sakusa waited in their shared apartment, thinking Atusmu would come back after thirty minutes, but when two hours had passed, and Atsumu hasn't come back yet, Sakusa stands up to pace inside their apartment. He reached for his phone and called Atsumu, but the latter wouldn't answer.

Sakusa was ready to leave the apartment to search for Atsumu when another hour had passed, and the blond hasn't returned. But just when Sakusa was ready to dash out the door, it opens, and a tired Atsumu comes in, eyes droopy, and fringe damp from sweat.

"Hey, you alright?" Sakusa asks and kneels down to remove Atsumu's shoes. The blond sighs and answers, "Yeah, I'm good, but I'm hitting the bed early. I'll sleep in the guest room, though, because I won't shower."

Sakusa raises his head and looks at Atsumu, "did I do something wrong?"

Atsumu shakes his head, "Nah, this happens to me a lot, even before we got together. Don't worry, and I'll wake up tomorrow feeling a lot better. I just need this to pass,"

Atsumu walks past Sakusa, and the raven grabs his wrist, "sleep beside me tonight,"

Atsumu shakes his head, "you don't like to sleep sweaty. Just let me sleep in the guest room tonight, okay? I promise I'll be back to normal tomorrow,"

"Then let's sleep in the guest room tonight," Sakusa insists. Atsumu just sighs and nods. He wasn't the same stubborn Atsumu who would always put Sakusa's needs and comforts first. He wasn't the same Atsumu who would be clingy and always jump at the chance to be beside Sakusa, and it scares him.

It scares Sakusa because he isn't used to this, and it feels like he did something wrong. So, he clings to Atsumu that night in fear that if he wakes up tomorrow, the blond wouldn't be there anymore.

The next day came, and Sakusa woke up without Atsumu in bed. He panics, but the smell of cooked food enters his nostrils, and it calms him down. Sakusa gets up and walks to the kitchen to see Atsumu cooking them breakfast. There was music playing from the blond's phone, and he was humming along with the tune.

Sakusa walks to him and wraps his arms around Atsumu. He notices how Atsumu's hair was damp and smells of their shampoo, "you took a bath," Sakusa says, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to deal with that," Atsumu apologies, his golden irises reflecting embarrassment.

Sakusa cups Atsumu's face in his palms and kisses his lips, "Hey, I'm fine with it, but at least tell me when you feel down. Talk to me, yeah?"

Atsumu nods, but his eyes won't meet Sakusa's, "Atsumu, promise me,"

The blond turns to him and nods, "I promise,"

Sakusa nods and kisses Atsumu as they continue with their daily lives. The bouts of sadness Atsumu feels continue to come and go, but he would always talk to Sakusa about it just as he promised.

Sakusa had to suffer seeing Atsumu that way multiple times before he learns how to comfort his boyfriend, and when he already knows what to do, the bouts of sadness Atsumu feels from time to time slowly decreased thanks to Sakusa's efforts of comforting him and cheering him up.

Sakusa learned that the best way to keep Atsumu happy when he feels sad was to wrap him in a blanket and cuddle him as they watch a cheesy rom-com they'll judge together. He'll also whisper random compliments and praises into Atsumu's ears and would make stupid jokes that will make Atsumu clutch his stomach in laughter.

Sakusa would smile every time he sees Atsumu's lifeless eyes shine bright, and pride rises in his chest, knowing he's the reason why Atsumu is smiling, and by the time Sakusa proposes to Atsumu, the bouts of sadness were gone and the four-cornered wall witnesses how the bouts of sadness Atsumu felt before are replaced with genuine happiness.