REMINDER // whenever, on ao3, i choose not to use archive warning, it means there might or might not be content such as arguments, injuries, character death and so on.

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A loud exuberant shout echoed in the whole neighborhood, Akaashi was displeased by all the attention drawn on the newcomer and him.
The setter was tackled in a hug, he tried his best not to fall - fortunately succeeding.
Normally, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to be angry at him, Terushima’s cheerful eyes would make him melt, and he'd feel as if he met him for the first time again... but for a while by now he couldn't look at him the same way as before. 

-

When he first met him, he didn't really give a good first impression.

He had just gotten out from a police station, accompanied by an officer. Their eyes met, and the world colored. Both of them felt shivers through all their bodies.
Keiji's feelings were mixed, he felt butterflies in his stomach, and at the same time he was surprised to find out his soulmate was probably a delinquent, also judging by his appearance. It made him quite nervous, Akaashi wanted to run away.
However, he heard the police officer apologizing to the blonde for "the misunderstanding".
He let out a breath. At least he wasn't a delinquent, maybe. 

And when the blonde was finally dismissed, he ran towards him, greeting him and calling him soulmate.
He introduced himself.
Terushima Yuuji. That was his name, hearing it was refreshing, it made Keiji feel at ease.

They talked all evening. Akaashi quickly learned that, despite acting like a delinquent sometimes, Yuuji wasn't really a bad person.
Sure, he could be really childish, but Keiji himself concluded he was a "dumbass with no self-control". However he knew he loved him from the first time already, maybe it was just because they were soulmates, maybe it was because Terushima was exactly his type. Whatever the reason was, Keiji was smitten from the beginning.

Akaashi also learned that he wouldn't get to see him often, he lived far from him.
It saddened him, however they'd make multiple calls everyday.
This caused Akaashi's classmates and teammates to tease him each time he was using his phone, as it was unusual, and it only could mean he had met his soulmate.

After they started living together, both in their third year of college, Akaashi was pleased to see Terushima everyday. He loved him and all the colors he brought with himself: his bright colored clothes, the posters he put all around the house, the magazines he’d bring home, his hair, which he dyed with crazy colors sometimes.
All those colors were a reminder that he had a soulmate he cherished with all his heart.

But then, everything changed when Keiji noticed the world's brightness started to dull.
For a few weeks he pretended not to notice anything, maybe it was some weird joke his mind was making, maybe it wasn't real.
Those were only delusions. Deep inside Akaashi knew, when colors started fading away, it meant your soulmate was falling out of love. It was so rare, but still possible.
He looked at all those things that used to be so bright, and he would ask himself “ why us? ”
He’d keep all his bad thoughts to himself, as always he’d try to suppress them.

-

Terushima was oblivious to what was happening for a while, until that night.
After picking him up from work, they walked together. Akaashi was silent. Even more than usual.
Once at home Keiji, overwhelmed, broke down. Terushima rushed at his side, his eyes were watering too, he had no idea what was happening.
He begged Yuuji to leave, without explaining why. The blonde wouldn’t listen to him, he kept reassuring him it was alright, he asked him to explain what was happening.
However Akaashi kept insisting, and soon his words became sharper. It escalated quickly into an argument.
They weren’t yelling, however the words they were throwing at each other were so venomous they doubted their relationship would ever be the same.
In the span of an hour, Terushima was packing his stuff, and asking Bobata if he could stay at his place for a while.

The next day, the apartment was silent. It was the first time after so many years, it made Keiji feel so empty. He felt so guilty, angry at himself for making assumptions.
But it was too late. Their relationship couldn’t be repaired, besides Yuuji no longer loved him romantically.

In two months, the world became monochromatic. Keiji was sure every trace of feelings for him dissipated from Terushima’s heart.

B

ut oh… he was so wrong.
A soulmate’s world becomes gray when death is tearing their other half apart, and the world knew Akaashi's soulmate would've been separated from him soon.

That night he got a call: it was Terushima’s number. He reluctantly answered the call, and was surprised to hear that from the other side of the phone there wasn’t Yuuji. The person presented himself as “Bobata”.
Keiji recognized that name, it was Terushima’s best friend.
His voice was unstable, as if he had been crying.
Then he told him: Yuuji died because of an illness that got untreated and got diagnosed to late, around a week before dying.
Akaashi could barely respond, he asked Kazuma if he could give him some time, and hung up.
Yuuji was gone, he probably still loved Keiji, but he left him alone, he assumed his feelings and didn’t stay by his side until the end of his life.
The world lost its colors, but for Akaashi it lost its light too.