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“Woah, I got a soulmate mark!”
A menagerie of children crowded around one of Hinata’s classmates as she proudly showed off the doodles on her skin. They were scribbles at best but the girl wore her marks proudly, receiving an unwavering awe from the kids surrounding her.
Soulmates were a special phenomenon Hinata never quite understood. It was something he learned about quite early in school as stories of true love were commonplace in children’s books. The lucky few who had their marks as children could live full lives knowing who their soulmate was. In opposition, the unlucky few of the universe wound up never meeting their other half. It was an unfortunate but very real fact so many had to face.
Hinata considered himself among these unlucky few. At the ripe age of 9, he still hadn’t met his soulmate and despite his forced optimism he severely doubted he ever would. After all, soulmates had to touch to establish their bond. After that, any mark made on one’s skin would show up on the skin of their soulmate.
Soulmate marks were a badge of honor; a way to show the rest of the world just how happy you were with your true love. It was the connection and support so many hoped for but so few received. Some spent their days desperately grasping onto the people around them in the futile hopes they would meet The One. Others gave up on the concept completely, logically concluding it was near impossible to find a soulmate considering how many failed in their attempts. Those without soulmates could still find happiness and romance from a partner. Some even got matching tattoos as a sort of rebellion against one’s predetermined fate. But no matter how hard one tried, there was always the looming threat that one day your soulmate would appear.
“I hope I find my soulmate soon!” Yachi sighed, pulling Hinata’s attention from the rest of the class. Leaning over their pushed-together desks, she sketched out hearts on the margins of her notes. Hinata could practically see her lost in thought, imagining the moment she met her own soulmate. “Wouldn’t that be so cool? You wouldn’t even need to text you could just write to one another.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Kenma said, not even bothering to look up from his game. Of course Kenma would say that though, considering the fact he already knew his soulmate. The evidence was in the cat drawings Kenma attempted to hide with a big hoodie. Despite that, faded strokes of pen still littered his hands.
Yachi drooped down further, placing her chin on her arms. “You’re just lucky Kenma. What are the odds that someone’s soulmates with their next door neighbor?”
Kenma shrugged.
Hinata tilted back in his chair, balancing on two legs. “I want to find my soulmate soon. It would just make life so much easier!”
“It really doesn’t,” Kenma exhaled.
As if on cue, their classroom door flung open to reveal a gaggle of boys behind it. The leader, a boy with dark spiky hair, scanned the room until his gaze rested on Kenma.
“Kenma!” Kuroo shouted over the giggles of the 4th grade classroom. Unlike Kenma, Kuroo wore his soulmate marks proudly mainly because he was the one always drawing them. Hinata could see from his pushed up sleeves just how extensive Kuroo’s doodles were despite Kenma’s adamant concealment. “Let’s play volleyball!”
Kenma, barely registering his soulmate’s presence, gave him a cursory glance. “No thanks.”
Kuroo pouted, stomping over to their shared desks. “Hinata, Yachi, do you wanna come play with us?”
Hinata nodded excitedly while Yachi gave him a warm smile.
“Alright, let’s all go play together!”
For all of elementary school, this was how Hinata’s life went. He tried his best to hide it, but hanging around Kenma and Kuroo so much made him envious of their relationship. Even his own parents weren’t soulmates, something that didn’t bother them but definitely bothered Hinata. He wanted nothing more to know the identity of his soulmate.
As time passed, Hinata’s faith in finding his soulmate only faltered. He distracted himself from the unfortunate truth by putting all he could into volleyball. Even if Kuroo and Kenma were on his team, soulmates were seldom discussed during practice because there simply wasn’t time to talk about them. Hinata spent his afternoons and weekends at practice and tournaments, happy to simply be free from the chains that were soulmates.
Middle school soon came, which meant more intense volleyball practice and new teammates. He was grateful to still have Kenma and Kuroo on his team, but now a tall blond boy in Hinata’s year grated his nerves to their very end. In a way though the jeering taunts and rude snickers only pushed him further. His mind was less who’s my soulmate and more how can I beat Tsukishima?
Middle school tournaments were a whole new ordeal Hinata had to adjust to. Instead of friendly matches against small elementary schoolers, they faced overbearing teenagers who could spike the ball with the force of a comet. It should have been terrifying, sharing a court with guys like that, but instead they inspired Hinata to go even further.
The real fear occurred off the court in the slim chance he’d meet one of these horrifying players in the bathroom. It seemed like every time he needed to go, a new foe awaited him ready to put up a fight. His first tournament, however, was the worst as the guy he accidentally ran into gave him a look through dark blue eyes that silently said I’ll kill you.
Bathroom trips after that were done with a friend in tow.
Tournaments were all Hinata could look forward to. The thrill of having a perfect ball slam directly down onto the court was all he needed to take his mind off of his soulmate ordeal. Unfortunately, outside of practice that mindset didn’t last long. School after a tournament weekend was like sitting through hell. He fell asleep during most of his classes, only awoken by Yachi’s soft nudge.
However, one nap after his first middle school tournament was cut short by an odd tingling sensation at Hinata’s wrist. He opened his eyes slowly, noticing a small bit of writing just at the edge.
Milk
Hinata sat up a little bit, staring at the foreign marks. He didn’t even like milk, why would he remind himself about it on his arm? He couldn’t even remember writing it. He peered around the room, catching the eyes of a bored Kenma. There was a cat drawn on the back of his hand that, try as he might, Kenma couldn’t manage to cover.
It hit Hinata like a freight train.
“Oh my god!” He shouted, jumping up from his desk.
The class snickered as the teacher scolded his outburst. He apologized hastily, sitting back down but unable to contain his evident excitement. It had finally happened. After years of not-so-patient waiting Hinata could now talk with his soulmate.
The moment bell rang for lunch, Hinata ran over to Kenma and Yachi, proudly showing off his new discovery.
“Look, look, look,” he said, turning his wrist towards them. “I got one! I got a soulmate mark!”
Yachi’s face lit up in pure excitement while Kenma gave him a small “congratulations.” Tsukishima scoffed at it, putting on his headphones.
“What are they like?” Yachi asked, examining the marks. “What does milk mean?”
Hinata stopped dead in his tracks.
“Hinata?” Yachi asked, trying to gauge his reaction.
Hinata had no clue who his soulmate was. He thought back to the weekend before, trying to place any time he touched someone he didn’t know. But it dawned on him that at his tournament he was constantly being pushed around and bustled between complete strangers; one of which just happened to be the person Hinata was to fall in love with.
Of course this was Hinata’s luck. Of course he would be stuck with someone he never really met and possibly wouldn’t ever meet again. Some milk-loving freak who didn’t even know Hinata.
“W-why are you crying?” Yachi asked, voice full of worry.
Hinata reached towards his face shocked to find his fingers pull away wet.
“I’m so sorry!” yelped Yachi. “I didn’t mean to say anything wrong! You really don’t have to talk about it. I didn’t mean to make you all upset, honestly.”
Hinata wiped away the pooled tears with his jacket. “Sorry, it’s my fault. I… don’t know who they are.”
Hinata didn’t think Yachi could look more worried but somehow her face became even more warped with pain and confusion. “Oh Hinata.. I didn’t know…”
“No, no, Yachi I’m good really.” Hinata put on a big smile, exhaling to release all of the tension in his body. “It’s okay if I don’t know who my soulmate was. I never met them in the first place really.” He attempted a genuine laugh, but it came out more of a sad chuckle.
A tch pulled away Hinata’s attention towards the back of the classroom. Tsukishima, eyes flat but mouth pulled into a smirk, had been watching them this entire time. With a hmm he leaned back in his chair.
“Something funny to you Stingyshima?” Hinata growled.
“Yes, your complete and utter stupidity,” he replied matter-of-factly.
Hinata began to charge over but was held back by a scared Yachi.
Tsukishima let out a loud sigh, almost if he was acknowledging how tiring this interaction was for him. “You do realize that you have a direct line of communication with your soulmate, right? The whole reason you found out about them is because they happened to draw on their arm. Whatever you draw your soulmate gets as well. This is some pretty basic-level knowledge, even for you.” And with that, Tsukishima put on his headphones to block out the rest of the classroom.
Hinata turned towards Yachi and Kenma, face lit up.
“You should reach out to them,” Kenma said.
Hinata rushed back to his seat, immediately picking up a pen. There were a million things he wanted to tell his soulmate and a million more he wanted to know. This one person was supposed to be his perfect match, The One, the other half of Hinata he’d been missing his whole life. Whatever he wrote would be reciprocated warmly, right?
Hinata decided on what to write and began to make meticulous marks on the inside of his arm, right below his soulmate’s initial message. He threw in a small smiley face and showed off his handiwork to Yachi and Kenma.
Hi soulmate! I’m Shoyou :)
The minutes seemed to ache by while Hinata waited for a response. The whole day he was constantly checking his arms and legs in the futile hopes his soulmate would write back. Yachi gave him constant encouragement but as the day wore on he feared the entire thing was one sick joke.
When he got home, a small mark had finally appeared below his writing. Hinata grabbed his wrist and frowned at the single word now bedecked on him.
No.
“No?” Hinata shouted, making sure that was the only response he received. “No? What does that even mean? No?”
“Shoyou be quiet!” His sister yelled from the other room.
Hinata grunted and ran to his room, immediately picking up a pen and scripting out a message.
What does that mean? I’m your soulmate. What’s your name?
Surprisingly, they answered quickly this time around with a large NO that covered up most of the previous writing Hinata had done.
Hinata pursed his lips and got his marker ready. He scribbled questions all over his arm and worked his way down to his legs when he ran out of room. He threw in drawings and random designs, each of which his soulmate attempted to draw over until they made their own embarrassing drawings. They continually wrote idiot wherever there was room to which Hinata responded with his own insults.
Needless to say, Hinata came to school the next day covered in ink. Even after furiously scrubbing off all of his own writing, his dick of a soulmate decided they were fine being painted with scribbles and lines. If his class didn’t know about his soulmate before, they certainly knew now.
Tsukishima immediately snorted at the sight of Hinata. “Aw, trouble in paradise?” He cooed, examining each of the doodles that dotted Hinata’s skin.
Hinata slumped into his chair, resting his head on his desk. “At least I have a soulmate, Stingyshima.”
Tsukishima simply put on his headphones with a smirk. “Doesn’t count if they don’t like you back.”
Hinata pouted at the thought. “Wish I didn’t have one though,” he mumbled, turning his attention towards Yachi beside him.
“Don't say that,” she said with a sad smile. “You’re super lucky to have bonded with them.”
“Stingyshima’s right though,” Hinata admitted for the first and only time in his life. “How am I supposed to find out who they are if they don’t even like me and don’t want to talk! I thought soulmates were supposed to be all lovey-dovey and everything.” His gaze flicked towards Kenma who had been evidently listening in. He paused his game and turned towards Hinata, face cold.
“You know it doesn’t work like that,” he stated flatly. “Just because you’re soulmates with someone doesn’t automatically mean you’re a couple.”
“That’s right,” Yachi added. “Akari-chan from Class 2 and her soulmate barely get along at all.”
Hinata sighed, slumping even further down. “But it’s different when you actually know who your soulmate is. I’m basically connected to a stubborn asshole who doesn’t want to even acknowledge my existence unless it makes me suffer.”
Yachi scooted closer, placing a soft hand on Hinata’s back. “Don’t look at it like that,” she soothed. “Only about 10% of people nowadays find their soulmate. There’s so many people in the world who go about their normal, everyday lives without a soulmate. It’s sad that they’ll never truly be with the one they love, but they manage to make it work.”
Hinata grumbled.
Yachi let out a small sigh. “Hinata, if all of those people can make it work, even if they aren’t soulmates, then you can definitely make it work.”
Hinata severely doubted that was the case as the soulmate war of scribbles lasted for weeks. He at least tried to be creative with his marks, drawing little cartoons or things that could possibly peak his soulmate’s interests, but they continued to deny Hinata’s existence through any means possible.
It was tiring, to say the least. He’d go home at the end of the day and find himself full of scribbles to which he adamantly scribbled back. Whoever his stubborn soulmate was, Hinata wasn’t going to lose to them. He would rather die of ink poisoning before admitting defeat.
That was until Hinata took off his shirt one day to see a clear message written across his chest. Luckily, his soulmate had written it in the mirror so Hinata was able to read it without trouble.
Please don’t draw anywhere visible.
Without much thought, Hinata dashed back to his room and grabbed a pen; he wrote underneath the original inquiry, carefully watching his brushstrokes in the mirror.
Why?
Within a few seconds, he witnessed new lines appearing on his stomach.
Volleyball tournament.
Then, after a pause:
I don’t want to get distracted.
Hinata smiled at the scraggly words adorning his body. It was probably the longest conversation the two had, which was sad considering how long they were bonded.
His soulmate’s words soon faded off, prompting Hinata to wash his own as well. However, he put pen to skin once more, this time writing upside down so his soulmate would be able to look down and see the writing just for themselves.
Do your best!
He wasn’t expecting a response so he was shocked to find out the following morning that a small smiley face now accompanied his words of encouragement. For the first time, him and his soulmate were on the same track. It gave Hinata all the confidence he needed going into his own games.
However, there was still the flurry of emotions that came when Hinata considered what happened at his last tournament. It couldn’t be a coincidence they both had games today, right? Were they going to the same place? Would they simply bump into each other once again or would they actually be able to meet this time?
The heat and intensity of competition eventually consumed Hinata’s mind, pushing the whole soulmate thing out of focus. If his soulmate attended the competition, he had no idea. He simply played to the best of his ability and hoped somewhere deep down his soulmate could see him.
After a long day of wins, Hinata found himself seeking out his asshole of a soulmate despite their somewhat rocky relationship. He hoped, mostly in vain, that volleyball was the one thing that could bring them together. So he wrote out a solid message
How did you do?
His soulmate didn’t take very long, responding with:
We won both games.
Hinata marvelled at the response.
For the first time ever, really, his soulmate had ceded their war. The months of aggressive drawings, embarrassing fake mustaches, and not school-friendly artwork had stopped. Hinata now had an in.
It became their normal routine. While they still kept a bit of their playful drawings, it wasn’t nearly to the same devastating extent. His soulmate would kindly inform Hinata of an upcoming tournament and he would respond with the same three words. The tournaments always managed to line up with Hinata’s; he was glad for the lack of visible distractions as well.
Middle school came and went. Hinata’s team managed to make it to nationals his second year but failed in the preliminary semi-finals during his last year. Despite all of the wins and losses, Hinata became increasingly content with just being at a tournament. Each one brought the chance to meet his soulmate and it gave him a perfectly valid excuse to talk to them.
While he would have loved more frequent exchanges with them, he now just appreciated the little interactions they had because of volleyball. Hinata learned his soulmate was a setter for a relatively good team. They planned to go to a strong high school and they wanted to improve their serves most of all. They loved volleyball more than anything and couldn’t imagine their life without it.
With some coaxing, he also learned that his soulmate’s favorite food was pork curry with an egg on top. They didn’t get along well with animals, or their teammates for that matter. They liked milk quite a lot, which Hinata took as the prompt for their initial interaction. They were in the same year as Hinata but admitted to struggling in school. Ultimately, they were a complex and real human being that Hinata was dying to meet.
The years of their small interactions, once aggressive but now surprisingly pleasant, all culminated at the first tournament of Hinata’s second year. They managed to secure a victory on their first day, Hinata thanking the normal reassurement from his soulmate for the win. The second day, however, had his team up against a major powerhouse. Kuroo informed them the night before of their powerful wing spikers and particularly talented setter but Hinata didn’t realize just how captivating that setter was until he was on the other side of the court.
Hinata couldn’t take his eyes off of the setter. It was almost like they had met before. Throughout the game, he found his eyes drawn to the other man as he set up plays and executed them flawlessly. While he knew his team was suffering because of Hinata’s free running mind, he honestly couldn’t help himself.
Midway into the second set, both teams were left heaving after a particularly long rally. Hinata had been bounding all over the place so he used this precious time to catch his breath. His eyes involuntarily flicked to the other setter who was positioned along the net.
The setter lifted up his shirt, wiping away the sweat collected at his brow to reveal his lower torso. Plainly evident on the smooth abdomen of the setter were the three little words Hinata had written so many times before.
Do your best!
It even had the accompanying smiley face positioned exactly the same on Hinata’s body. Hinata let out a screech, freezing the setter in his motions. They locked eyes, confusion filling up the setter’s face.
“It’s you!” Hinata screamed, pointing a finger under the net.
The setter dropped his shirt and looked around as if to confirm the tiny man across the court was actually addressing him. He gave Hinata a confused “Huh?” as his teammates started to take notice of the odd situation unfurling.
Hinata felt a hand at his shoulder, turning to see Kuroo give him a stern look. “What’s going on?”
Hinata couldn’t contain his smile as he raised his own shirt to reveal his soulmate marks. “I found him!” He glanced back at his soulmate, voice full of undeniable bliss. “That’s my soulmate!”
The setter blinked a few times, mouth agape. Both teams erupted into a state of confusion and chaos as the two soulmates stared at one another. While Hinata had seen his soulmate all day, this was the first time he truly looked at him. The way his dark hair swept over deep, blue eyes, the sharp curve of his jaw, the long line created by his nose, the way he held himself proudly, the rising and falling of his chest. Hinata could now clearly see it all.
Distantly, a whistle was blown and Hinata could feel himself being dragged away by unknown forces until he was huddled around by his teammates. Hinata’s lack of height had always been a disadvantage but now he was really struggling as Kuroo and Tsukishima formed a wall, blocking Hinata’s view of the other team.
“What are you doing?” Hinata asked, still trying to peek beyond his team. “That’s my soulmate, I need to go talk to him.”
“Hinata, I completely support you and your soulmate getting to know each other considering how long you’ve wanted to meet him, but right now we’re in a game.” Kuroo’s words were sharp and precise, each one leaving a small inflection of pain on Hinata.
“But-”
“Shoyou,” Kenma said, drawing Hinata’s attention away. “Soulmates are a special thing, but your team is too.”
Hinata stared at the body in front of him. Was this really Kenma? Or had someone replaced him with a body double during their last set?
“It’s going to be okay Hinata,” Yachi assured, handing him a water bottle. “That’s some luck though. I mean I knew you didn’t get along very well but I never figured that you guys would be opponents.”
Hinata managed to catch a glance at his soulmate despite Kuroo and Tsukishima’s height. He was talking casually with his respective team, not appearing to falter in the slightest. After years of wanting and waiting, his soulmate was finally there, just a few feet away from Hinata. And yet deep down he knew Kenma’s words were true. He could spend the rest of his life with his soulmate; right here, right now, he wanted to spend the most time he could with his team.
“Alright,” Hinata said, warming his legs up. “Let’s do this.”
They ended up losing the second set. It was hard for Hinata not to blame himself, but a well-timed back slap from Kuroo had him thinking otherwise. His mind was swirling from the rush of the game and the looming presence of his soulmate. It was all too much to handle.
Walking over to the other side of the court, Hinata covered his head in an attempt to consolidate his scattered thoughts. He felt a reassuring pat on the back, presumably from Yachi, but everything was overwhelming. The sporadic shouts from the stands, the high-pitched squeak of various shoes, the smell of salon-pas mixing with sweat, the harsh lights above… he couldn’t manage to take it all in.
“Hey.”
Hinata stopped in his tracks and slowly lifted his head. His soulmate was standing in front of him, really in front of him to the point where they were mere inches away. Hinata hadn’t seen how tall he was before but now he was dwarfed in the setter’s overwhelming presence. It only made his head swirl even more.
Then, before he could register the action, he felt a pair of warm lips press onto his own. An arm slipped around his torso and he felt himself melting into the weight of his soulmate. Involuntarily, Hinata closed his eyes and relished in the moment.
He then pulled back quickly, retrieving his arm from Hinata and giving him a small nod before jogging off to join his team. Hinata witnessed the utter shock from his soulmate’s team as the setter made his way over. One guy with a shaved head screamed out some profanity, pointing in the direction of Hinata. Another slapped his hand away before the team huddled up.
Hinata turned to his own team in a state of confused hysteria as he shrugged away their small connection.
“Did you really think making out with the other team was a good idea?” Tsukishima quipped, readjusting his goggles.
Hinata pouted, unable to keep a rising blush away from his face. Hopefully his teammates would think it was just heat or exhaustion, not the utter embarrassment that came from his tiny moment of euphoria. “It’s not my fault I have a soulmate,” Hinata said, trying to keep his voice from trembling. “You wouldn’t know about it though, Stingyshima.”
Tsukishima let out a tch. “You really don’t think I know who my soulmate is?”
“I don’t think you even have a soulmate,” Hinata growled back. “Who would ever want to spend their life with you?”
A strong hand on his shoulder pulled away his pointed gaze. “This is not the time to be talking about soulmates,” Kuroo instructed, tightening his hand. “If the two of you don’t shut the hell up I will bench you both and then we’ll lose the game. Do you want that?”
Hinata gave a strong “No!” while Tsukishima shrugged a “I don’t care.”
Kuroo sighed and released them from his death grasp. “Honestly, take it from someone who’s had a soulmate pretty much all their life: it’s just another person.” Hinata tried to see if Kenma would react negatively, but he ended up just nodding with Kuroo’s statement. “Our team is what matters right now. I couldn’t give less of a damn the actual identity of our opponents. What we need to focus on is winning this game, alright?”
The team echoed back in agreement as they returned to the court, but Hinata’s mind wasn’t focused on the game at all. Instead, the only thing he could think of was the warm touch of his soulmate’s lips. The way he grabbed him and held him close. The way his arms wrapped around his torso as Hinata gripped his shirt. His hot breath against Hinata’s mouth.
“Hinata!”
Hinata returned back to reality too late. The ball had already connected with his face, flying off his cheek and into the air. It forced him onto his back, pain rippling through his entire face. The light feeling that sank into Hinata’s chest with the kiss had been replaced with a heavy dread as blood filled his mouth.
Across the court, his soulmate gawked at his own doing.
Kuroo managed to connect the ball and Tsukishima sent it over the net to secure them the first point of the set. Kenma helped him up while Yachi ran over with their coach.
“Hinata, are you okay?” Yachi asked, eyes searching all over.
Hinata swallowed the blood in his mouth, regretting the metallic taste as it slid down his throat. He gladly accepted a water bottle and swished the rest of it down. “I’ll be fine.”
“You have the rest of your life to think about your soulmate,” Kenma said quietly. “Can you think about the game for right now?”
Kenma’s words stang more than his mouth.
Hinata just nodded, albeit defeated, and readied himself for the rest of the game. The pain subsided with adrenaline and soon Hinata forgot about it in the first place. It was one of the most intense matches he’d ever been a part of, soulmate drama aside. Although his soulmate’s presence certainly didn’t make things any easier. Hinata got lost in those dark eyes on multiple occasions much to the dismay of his teammates.
However, they managed to pull out a win at the last second. With the final drop of the ball, Hinata was surrounded by his teammates to relish in their victory. They got the opportunity to play more volleyball with one another and that’s what mattered most.
Hinata walked out of the venue, light as air. He noticed Kenma a little ahead of him actually smiling for once with Kuroo at his side. Yachi was eagerly discussing the game with some of the other first years, her radiance practically blinding. Hinata even saw Tsukishima sneak away to talk with a tall freckled boy; the boy’s shirt hung loose, revealing a doodle of a heart peeking out beneath his collarbone. Maybe even Stingyshima had a soulmate after all.
Hinata relished in the cool breeze, heart racing as he saw a familiar tall figure standing at the bottom of the steps. His eyes were nervously tracking each passerby until they eventually met Hinata’s and melted into relief.
Hinata gave him a warm smile and skipped down the stairs and right up to his soulmate. After all this time, after everything these two had been through, they were finally meeting. A strange mix of anxiety and fear made Hinata’s heart pound against his ribcage but he ignored all of it just to get a better look at his soulmate.
He was mesmerizing in a way. Off the court, he didn’t carry the same powerful aura of a king but instead carried himself like a fledgling crow. He could barely meet Hinata’s gaze but when he did Hinata found himself lost in a swirl of dark blue trouble.
“Kageyama Tobio,” he said at last, giving a small bow. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I um…” his voice trailed off and he turned his gaze down to his twittering hands. “I’m… I’m sorry…”
“Spit it out Kageyama!” Hinata peeked over Kageyama’s shoulder to see his teammate with the buzzed head laughing alongside the rest of the team. Despite the daggers Kageyama shot their way, Hinata could tell they were actually being supportive. He distantly thought about asking to meet them, but he turned his attention back towards his soulmate.
An undeniable blush had collected on Kageyama’s cheeks, likely as a result of his friends’ teasing remarks. “I’m sorry that I kissed you,” he spat out, his words rushed together. “I couldn’t focus on the game and I needed to relieve some stress and that was the only way I thought I could.”
Hinata reached forward, placing his hands upon Kageyama’s. He tensed up immediately, but eventually came to relax into Hinata’s small grasp. “You can kiss me all you want, it just sort of surprised me considering I thought you hated me.”
Kageyama attempted to step back but Hinata just pulled him in closer. “I-I don’t hate you!”
“Then why didn’t you respond when I reached out to you?” Hinata pressed. “Kageyama, we’ve been connected for years now but we didn’t really meet until today. I’m not mad or anything, I just want to know why.”
Kageyama pressed his lips together. “I was scared. I never knew anyone with a soulmate and then all of the sudden I had one. It was like… bwah or uh psom . I didn’t know how to handle it.”
Hinata nodded, knowing exactly how that felt.
“You two really are perfect for each other,” Tsukishima snickered as he passed by the final step. That boy was beside him still, attempting to hide his own chuckle.
Further down, Kuroo and Kenma were rounding up the team. Kuroo told him to hurry up, but ultimately the team gathered to witness this historic moment. Despite all of the eyes on Hinata and Kageyama, he still felt like they were in a world of their own.
“From now on do you promise to always respond?” Hinata asked, eyes big. “I want to get to know you.”
Kageyama blushed even more, which Hinata didn’t even think was possible. He let out a hesitant “Okay,” before squeezing Hinata’s hands.
“Ya know if you had responded earlier, maybe your team would’ve won today,” teased Hinata with a wide smile.
Kageyama growled, turning his face away. “We lost because we were weak. We’ll get better.”
Hinata slid into the spot Kageyama was staring at with a devilish grin. “You told me your serve was great! Even I managed to pick one up and I suck at receiving.”
“Shut up, dumbass.”
Hinata let out a satisfied hmph and reached up to kiss Kageyama. He had to stand on his toes just a bit to meet him, but Kageyama bent down to deepen the kiss. Arms wrapped around Hinata’s waist and he got lost in the warm brush of their noses. Hinata found himself locking his arms around Kageyama’s neck, twirling the long strands of dark hair between his fingers.
It wasn’t the same as their first kiss; the passion and feeling was still there but it lacked the urgency of the moment. Instead, the soft touches and deep longing made it feel like they had all the time in the world. Even the pain from Hinata’s mouth couldn’t distract him from Kageyama’s warm presence. It was paradise.
Kageyama pulled away first, attempting to regain his breath. It was sort of relieving to see he was as inexperienced in this area as Hinata. The day the first mark appeared, he never saw anyone else in a romantic way despite all of the trouble they went through. He was waiting for a fulfilling moment like this.
And yet, after years of imagining the identity of his soulmate Hinata could have never expected this blushing mess of a man would be the person he could call his own. It made his entire body electrified and warm, ready for whatever they would face next.
“So you’ll respond then?” Hinata asked, still wrapped up in Kageyama’s strong grip.
He replied with a gruff, “Yes,” before finally releasing Hinata.
Hinata gave him one last peck before running back to his team. Over his shoulder, he saw Kageyama return to his own team who gave him a round of applause and a chorus of compliments.
Kageyama looked back once more, giving Hinata a small smile. He pressed his hand to his torso, the exact spot where they shared those three words. Hinata was already thinking about changing it to a different set of three words, but for now relished in their commonality.
Maybe soulmates were something to believe in after all.