#and then he gets Benzai on the rebound so everyone is happy :D

[ridiasfangirlings]

Normal universe AU where Sarumi are exes who broke up because their relationship got a little too toxic; fast forward a few years, they both become better people (maybe therapy or getting out of bad situations), and they meet again but they never really stopped loving each other. Issue is: Saru's already got a partner, and he thinks there's no way Misaki would like him again, so he settles for that, and of course Yata isn't about to break a couple up, so he says nothing about how he still likes Saru. Angst ensues.

Even in no powers AU, they have angst :P Imagine Yata and Fushimi still meet in middle school and go to high school together and all that, but as they get closer to graduation things start to turn bad as all Fushimi's insecurities flare up and he basically begins his usual habit of sabotaging his own happiness in the most explosive way possible. Yata's not intending to go to college, instead planning on like learning a trade – maybe this is like AU where Yata gets a job as an apprentice welder working under Mikoto, who he thinks is the coolest and Fushimi feels like Yata chose working with Mikoto over going to college with him. Fushimi thinks that the long distance relationship will never work and that Misaki is leaving him behind. Things start getting tense between them and even though they still care for each other Fushimi starts deliberately being an asshole in order to get Yata to break up with him. When they finally separate Yata's probably still confused as to why Fushimi changed all of a sudden, while Fushimi thinks Misaki never understood him and it's better this way.

Fushimi goes to college while Yata starts working and say Fushimi's mental health takes something of a dive. He wants to reach out to Yata but feels like it's pointless, Yata won't come even if he calls, and basically just spirals downward until one of the teaching assistants at his college, Munakata, notices what's happening and is able to get Fushimi some help and some nice much-needed therapy. A few years later Fushimi's working in a government agency under Munakata and he even has a boyfriend, though really all this time he's still been quietly pining for Yata. One day he goes to get lunch from a vending machine during work and discovers that there's some construction happening in the next building over and who should be there but Yata, who's all happily chatting with his coworkers and seems really upbeat and content. Even though Fushimi's made all this progress he still feels a stab in his heart when he sees that, a Misaki who's perfectly happy without Fushimi around, and he probably tries to sneak back into his building without Yata seeing him. He goes to grab a cola from the vending machine first though and as he turns to go back he ends up face to face with none other than Yata, who also came over for a drink.

Fushimi's changed his hair since he and Yata broke up and he has this momentary hope that Yata won't recognize him, but then Yata's face just breaks into the brightest smile as he's like '….Saruhiko?'. Fushimi mumbles 'Misaki' and Yata almost hugs him, so excited to have finally met Fushimi again. Yata just wants to talk to Fushimi about everything, how he's been and how long has he been working over here and what's he doing now. Fushimi responds haltingly at first but he finds himself being drawn into Yata's rhythm unexpectedly, talking to Yata like it's old times and he keeps remembering how much he still loves Yata. Yata's about to ask Fushimi if he's seeing anyone when Fushimi's boyfriend shows up to see how he's doing. Yata's like '….um, be seeing you, I guess?', all awkward suddenly. Fushimi nods, letting his boyfriend lead him away and keeping himself from looking back at Yata.

They keep running into each other though and there's like mutual pining but neither one realizes it. Fushimi thinks there's no way Yata can fully forgive him for all the terrible things he did to Yata before they broke up, while Yata thinks that Fushimi has someone he loves now and there's no way Yata can take him away from that. Yata at least wants to become Fushimi's friend again though and it's rough, because he keeps like leaning in a little too close or his hand will brush Fushimi's and he feels his face getting red despite himself. Fushimi meanwhile is telling himself just to accept that he won't ever be the one for Yata and to try and be happy with his current boyfriend, but he can't deny that he doesn't really love his boyfriend the way he loved Yata and maybe he just shouldn't be with anyone at all since all he does is hurt people (and then maybe Fushimi's boyfriend is the one who realizes what's going on and kindly steps aside so that he can get these two idiots together so they'll be happy).