Thread by @VivaLaBratLife

#ushisakuatsu angst, (very) hopeful ending, royal au, omegaverse

"Are you meant to be here?"

Atsumu startled at the voice coming from somewhere behind him. He turned around to face King Ushijima, their royal guest for this moon cycle.

He hurried to offer the alpha a messy bow. Not even spending a decade in court could fix his posture.

"Your Grace, I- King Sakusa has requested me to bring you a note. I apologize for the intrusion."

He felt the need to say it, even though he was not even close to intruding.

He was wondering on the guest wing, sure. But he wasn't even close to the alpha's room when he almost gave him a heart attack.

"Hm," the King pondered his words, taking a step towards him. He extended his hand expectantly.

Atsumu stared at confusedly for half a beat. Oh, right.

The omega reached into one of his pockets and placed the folded paper on the alpha's hand, barely suppressing a shiver when he felt a slight brush of skin.

Royals were not meant to be touched.

But then again, they were also meant to be wearing fancy ass gloves, so.

"Council gathering running late. Won't make it to our ride." Ushijima read out loud. "Well, that is unfortunate. I was looking forward to seeing Kiyoomi."

Kiyoomi.

Not His Majesty, not King Sakusa.

Kiyoomi.

Atsumu fought to suppress the clench in his chest.

Kiyoomi had also been disappointed on having to cancel on the other alpha. Which by itself, was an unusual predicament.

The curly haired alpha was always looking for excuses to ditch his suitors when they visited. Not Ushijima.

The alpha hadn't even been there a fortnight, and yet, he was all Kiyoomi could talk about.

When Atsumu dressed him up in the mornings, he would ask whether he thought the visiting King would approve of the robe he chose for the day.

When he brought the King his supper, Kiyoomi would suggest he sent some of the wine to Ushijima as well, so he could ask about it the following day and get to know the man's taste in fine things.

Ushijima was all Kiyoomi could think about, and Atsumu had never felt this broken.

He knew his love for Kiyoomi was foolish, and that he never really had a chance.

But it didn't stop it from hurting.

He'd loved the alpha for as long as he could remember. He'd fallen as just a pup when they were fifteen, and the feeling only grew with the change of seasons.

And things hadn't been so bad. As soon as Kiyoomi rose to the throne, he'd made Atsumu his official companion.

A few eyes on court turned at it, but their King was adamant. He'd never seemed to mind Atsumu's status as an omega.

So he got to have Kiyoomi. In a way, at least. He got to be by his side.

And the alpha refused every suitor that came his way, barely sparing them a glance and focusing on actual ruling duties instead.

Until now.

He cleared his throat. "Of course, Your Grace. Our Majesty Kiyoomi was not pleased as well, but he counts on your understanding."

The alpha hummed again and shifted his weight, indicating he would not be walking away that soon.

"You would know, wouldn't you."

Atsumu felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"I supposed so, Your Grace. My purpose is to serve him, after all."

He cursed himself and his goddam tongue for not being careful of his tone.

Ushijima kept looking intently at him.

"And you seem very dedicated to it." The king tilted his head. "Tell me, would you consider yourself to be Kiyoomi's friend?"

Atsumu didn't like how he pronounced that last word. He didn't like where this conversation was headed at all.

The omega gulped.

"Um, I suppose so, Alpha. I don't believe I would have to be his friend to be able to see how much he cares for you, though."

Even if the words tasted like ash in his mouth, he hoped they were enough to appease the King.

"And are you just that?" Ushijima stepped closer to him.

Atsumu felt his back hit the castle's inner walls. The alpha was too close. "I'm not sure what you're asking, Your Grace."

"Are you and Kiyoomi really just friends?"

The omega saw his life flashing before his eyes.

Ushijima couldn't know of his feelings for the Alpha. Omegas were meant to bear children, not to forge foreign alliances.

Just the risk of omegas dying in childbirth was enough for royalty to consider them worthless of marriage.

Royal alphas married royal alphas.

The best hopes an omega had in court was to be chosen to bear one of their heirs, and that was it.

Atsumu had been lucky to be born a commoner and had hopes of at least finding a mate, but falling for Kiyoomi changed things.

He'd accepted his fate of dying alone, but he hadn't considered how painful it would be to watch Kiyoomi fall for someone else.

Well, at least that was the truth.

They were just friends. He told King Ushijima so.

"I don't believe you."

"I would never-" Ushijima cut him off by shushing him with a finger to his lips.

There was that touching again.

"One would have to be a blind man not to notice the way he looks at you."

A shiver ran through Atsumu's body.

"Our Majesty would never do something improper for his duties as King, Your Grace."

Ushijima hummed again. Atsumu wondered if it was possible for his tone to get graver each time.

"And I would accuse him of nothing of the sort. However," the alpha tilted his chin with a single finger. "I do not blame him for wanting."

Atsumu could do nothing but stare at the King, mouth agape.

"Did you know," Ushijima continued.

"That in my land there are whispers of a blessed union to come on a Spring not far from now?"

The omega was too stunned to do as much as nod.

"There are whispers of Omega gods, and how our people have upset them for centuries. The blessed union is supposed to redeem us all."

"'M not sure I follow, Yer Grace." Atsumu felt his accent slip through his nerves.

The King moved his hold from his chin to his cheek, a slight smile adorning his features.

"I think we have quite a special fate in our hands, Atsumu."

fin!

hopefully that was not toooo crazy?? i wanted to do something a lil different from your amazing thread for this same prompt @squidlywhiplash, so I really hope it delivered!