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Bokuto had always felt bad for his soulmate.
Even he knew that, when it came to his mood, Bokuto was about as predictable as a lottery machine. Every day he thanked the deities that he met someone like Akaashi, who knew the right things to say, right things to do, and right people to find to settle his mood swings.
He felt bad for his soulmate, having to endure Bokuto’s highs and lows, ups and downs, ever since they were born.
On the other hand, Bokuto had scarcely been affected by his soulmate’s emotions. A little anger here, a little excitement there. But nothing extreme to the point where Bokuto had felt overwhelmed. It was like his soulmate was completely shut off from him. Akaashi had chalked it up to Bokuto’s feelings overpowering his soulmate’s, but Bokuto had a different opinion. Maybe his soulmate wasn’t much of an emotional type? Maybe his soulmate was the cold, collected type?
Or maybe, his soulmate had rejected the bond between them?
Bokuto had heard stories about it before: a soulmate outwardly rejecting the bond could cause a disconnect between the pair. It was rare, but possible. It would just require such a strong hatred of the soulmate bond and the emotions that came with the connection.
He entertained these thoughts for a long while. Even Akaashi couldn’t pull him from his slump. Was his soulmate that sick of him and his swinging mood that they would reject the bond completely? Bokuto had always found the idea of soulmates romantic; sharing emotions seemed, to him, an act of ultimate faith and trust. The idea that his soulmate couldn’t trust him, or at least accept him, broke Bokuto’s spirit in a way that he wasn’t aware was possible.
But then one day, Bokuto had been practicing with the rest of the Fukurodani team, one of their last practices before Nationals, when he felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. Granted, he was already energetic as it was. But this, this felt completely different than before. It felt like someone had lit a fire in his body, igniting feelings of competitiveness and passion that Bokuto had never known before. He was in the middle of a jump when he felt it, and he landed on his back, hands shaking out of emotion.
“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi was immediately by his side. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Akaashi…”
Akaashi and the rest of the Fukurodani team exchanged worried looks amongst themselves, as Boktuo stared at his hands, trying to grasp a sense of what he was feeling.
“I feel happy.”
“What?”
“Happy, like-” Bokuto grinned at his friends “-like I can hold the entire world on my shoulders! It’s my soulmate; they’re feeling so happy right now!”
At his words, Fukurodani exhaled a long sigh of relief and Akaashi gave Bokuto a pleased smile. “That’s great, Bokuto-san, that means your soulmate hasn’t broken their bond, right?”
“Hey! You’re right!” Bokuto fist pumped the air with the happiest expression Akaashi had seen on his face for a long time. “My soulmate doesn’t hate me!” He let out a loud cheer of joy and picked up a stray volleyball, spiking it over the net with vigor. His high spirits couldn’t be dampened throughout the entire practice, although all that was on his mind was the fact that he was wrong. His bond wasn’t broken; his soulmate was still waiting for him.
Bokuto cried that day, privately, hidden in the darkness of his room, out of happiness and pure relief.
He had a chance.
“I have to find them one day,” Bokuto declared to Akaashi, as the two were cleaning up the gymnasium after practice.
Akaashi regarded him calmly, in his usual way. Bokuto knew what that look meant: a faint expression of amusement and acceptance with an underlying tone of skepticism. Naturally, there was always the chance that soulmates never met. After all, it was a whole wide world out there, and Bokuto was only a single person in a sea of people.
“I’m sure you will, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi answered, “After all, your bond is clearly still active.”
“Right?!” Bokuto agreed emphatically. He hopped on the bottom bar below the ball cart, standing on it as he pushed the cart along. Kaori would yell at him if she saw this-last time he had tried to ride the volleyball cart, he nearly dented the gymnasium wall. “I mean, I was totally worried but now I think they really accepted me! I wonder what kind of person they’re like…”
“If they’re soulmates with you, Bokuto, they better be energetic too,” Komi joked as he and Konoha mopped the court.
“I hope so! I bet they’re a volleyball player too,” Bokuto mused. When he opened the storage room, Akaashi gave him a questioning look, as if asking if Bokuto wanted to practice a little longer, but he merely smiled back. Any other day, he would have been begging Akaashi to stay and help him practice. But with Nationals approaching, he knew the benefits of going home and resting to strengthen his body.
Plus, not that he would tell any of his teammates, he was hoping to research more about soulmates and the emotional bonds.
“Isn’t that too hopeful? What makes you think that?” Washio asked simply.
“Easy! We’re soulmates, so of course the universe would pair up similar people. Plus-“ Bokuto raises a finger and wagged it playfully at his team “-that emotion I felt? Only a sports player would ever feel like that.”
“Maybe they’re an esports player,” Yukie suggested.
“Nuh uh, I know what it’s like to feel passion!”
“And what it’s like to feel emo,” Konoha whispered to Komi as Bokuto pouted.
“Hey, hey, don’t make fun of me! Akaashi!” The setter turned around at the call of his name. “What was it like when you met your soulmate for the first time?” Akaashi had the fortune of meeting his soulmate early in his life: Nekoma High’s main setter.
Akaashi thought for a moment before answering decisively, “Exhilarating.”
“Oh~” Bokuto drew out the syllable. He peered at Akaashi with large, golden eyes. “Tell me more.”
“It’s like fireworks going off in your body.” Even Bokuto could tell that Akaashi was having a bit of difficulty explaining what he felt. “When you look at each other, you really feel the bond between you two. It feels amazing.”
“Wow, who would’ve known that our vice captain is a secret romantic,” Sarukai teased with a nod of appreciation.
“Akaashi must really be in love with his soulmate,” Komi agreed. Akaashi’s ears grew a pale pink as the Fukurodani players laughed, but he didn’t say anything to refute it.
“Hey, hey, hey! Akaashi! That sounds so cool. Tell me more, please?” Bokuto begged, bouncing up to Akaashi and nudging his friend’s shoulder.
“I believe this is all things you can read online,” Akaashi answered, brushing off Bokuto’s pleas. Remnants of his blush were still visible on his face, and Bokuto couldn’t help but give Akaashi’s cheeks a firm poke.
“Yeah, but it’s not the same as hearing it.”
“Please watch a video on Youtube then.”
“Don’t be so cold!”
But when he went home, Bokuto frantically Googled everything he could on soulmates. He started on long winded scientific article but drifted into the land of romantic blogs and Instagram posts. After reading a particular heartwarming story about soulmates, arranged marriage and dates, Bokuto was beaming with excitement over the prospect of meeting his soulmate.
-----
Later, as Akaashi and Bokuto were walking home from practice, Bokuto grew quiet as he stared up at the starry sky. His book bag strap was slung over his forehead as usual, and his hands were deep in his pockets, but he had such an air of serenity that Akaashi couldn’t help but ask him what he was thinking about.
“My soulmate.”
“What about them?”
Bokuto hummed briefly before answering, “What they’re like or what position they play in volleyball.”
Akaashi suppressed a sigh as he fiddled with the lining of his jacket. “What if they don’t play volleyball?”
“They do.” Bokuto’s voice was filled with confidence as he glanced back at his friend. He jammed a thumb at his chest, a knowing smile on his face. “I feel it, and soulmate emotions don’t lie.”
“If you say so.”
They walked in silence until Bokuto said, “I feel like I’ll be able to meet them soon.” Akaashi raised an eyebrow in question as Bokuto continued. “I don’t know, it’s just a gut feeling. Like something is about to happen, you know?”
Akaashi was quiet for a few seconds before shrugging and saying, “Well, Bokuto-san, whenever you do meet them, I hope everything ends well.”
Bokuto grinned and swung an arm over Akaashi’s shoulders. “Hey, hey, don’t get all nervous on me, Akaashi! It’s gonna be great, I can feel it.”
-----
It was Bokuto’s third time playing at Nationals, yet every time, he couldn’t help but feel the same emotions of passion and excitement. But this time, Bokuto could have sworn that part of those emotions weren’t just from him.
He mentioned it to Akaashi before their first match: the possibility of his soulmate being here at Nationals. Akaashi merely looked at him and agreed that it was a chance.
“But first, we need to focus on winning this match,” Akaashi reminded him.
“Don’t worry, I got this!” Bokuto reassured his friend, slapping him good naturally on the back. “What could go wrong?”
Incidentally, a lot went wrong. The first set for the match was rocky and stressful. Bokuto’s emotions took a turn for the worse halfway through. Luckily, with help from his team and friends, Bokuto was able to quickly pick himself back up and win the match.
“Man, Bokuto, I really feel bad for your soulmate sometimes,” Konoha commented as they headed to the main arena to watch other matches.
“What are you saying? I’m an amazing soulmate!”
“You weren’t during the match,” Komi butted in, “And imagine if they’re a volleyball player too? Imagine having to go through all that during a game.”
Bokuto gasped when he was hit with a realization. “My soulmate! They must be playing right now too!” He grabbed Akaashi’s arm (to the setter’s protests) and bolted to the courts.
“Slow down, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi yelled out as Bokuto practically dragged him.
“No can do! My soulmate might be there!” Bokuto refuted with a bright smile. He pulled Akaashi with him as he slid through one of the side gymnasium doors. “When I make eye contact with them, I should know it’s them, right?” Another team walked past them and Bokuto immediately swiveled his head, staring at them with such intensity that they backed off.
“Bokuto-san, please do not stare at random people,” Akaashi sighed, lightly smacking Bokuto on the back of his head. “But since we’re here, we might as well watch the other teams.”
“Great idea!” He could use the chance to stare-no, look at more people.
But Bokuto had to admit that, even though there were plenty of brilliant teams playing, he was completely distracted by the idea that his soulmate could be playing as well. Even when the Fukurodani team was watching a particular nerve wracking match, Bokuto was scanning the stands and courts, locking eyes with anyone. As much as he wanted to run around, Akaashi kept a tight rein on him till it was time for them to leave.
“But Akaashi!” Bokuto whined, trying to find a way to run past the courts, hopefully to stare at some more players in the eye. He wasn’t picky: girl or boy. He just wanted to feel the same spark that Akaashi had described so vividly.
He was in the middle of untangling his limbs from Konoha, who had latched himself around Bokuto’s body in an effort to deter him from running away when Bokuto felt it.
“Hold it.” Bokuto held up his hand, eyes narrowing in focus. Konoha smirked and was about to reach around Bokuto’s body, presumably to tickle the ace, when Akaashi stopped him, shaking his head. Bokuto wasn’t paying attention to either of them, as he stared unfocused at a wall in front of him.
He could feel it, the same familiar stirring in his gut. Sparks of excitement buzzing through his body like wasps emerging from a nest. Bokuto felt a sudden rush of exhilaration and satisfaction, as if he had just emerged the winner of a daunting marathon.
“My soulmate is excited again,” Bokuto told them, “They must have won their volleyball match today!”
“Can you only feel positive emotions?” Komi asked, rubbing the back of his neck, “That’s all you’ve been talking about.”
“What’s wrong with a little positivity?”
“He’s right. Plus, Bokuto needs any positivity he can get.” Yukie’s comment made the other Fukurodani members snicker as Bokuto stuck his tongue out.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being happy. I bet my soulmate is still around! Let’s go, Akaashi!” Bokuto crowed happily, attempting once more to race off through the gymnasium.
“We can’t, Bokuto,” Konoha told him, exasperation clear in his voice, “If you’re right and your soulmate won their match, then you can find them tomorrow. But we have to go if we want to get dinner and rest up for tomorrow.”
“Konoha is right, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said. He put a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder and steered the ace in the direction of their bus. “Tomorrow, we can go searching but we’re all tired from today.”
Bokuto looked helplessly at the faces of his teammates and managers, but all of them had the same determined expression. He sighed, long and hard, and his hair visibly deflated a smidge. “Alright, promise we can go searching tomorrow?”
“Promise.”
When they were walking to the Fukurodani bus, they passed by the board that listed all the teams that would be playing tomorrow. Akaashi stopped for a moment to read the names and he let out a small sound of surprise.
“What’s up?” Bokuto asked, backtracking his steps to stand beside Akaashi.
“It seems Karasuno will be playing Inarizaki tomorrow.”
“Inarizaki?” Bokuto raised his eyes to the sky in thought. “Oh! The team with the Miya twins, right? And Ojiro Aran? I think I met him before at camp! He’s a great ace, not as good as me of course.”
“That’s right, and Ojiro-san is one of the top five aces, just like you.”
Bokuto let out a sound of appreciation. “Hey, hey, hey! That’s going to be an exciting match! Tsukki can hold someone like Ojiro back; he’s been practicing against both me and Ushijima!”
Akaashi nodded but he still looked vaguely troubled. “Inarizaki is a very strong team. It will be difficult for Karasuno.”
“Psh, Akaashi, did you forget who’s on that team? My disciple can show off all his super cool attacks!”
“You worry too much about those guys, Akaashi,” Komi chastised Akaashi playfully, “Let’s go, coach is waiting for us!”
Bokuto slung an arm over Akaashi’s shoulders, chatting up a storm about how Karasuno’s team would be a threat to Inarizaki. “Tomorrow, let’s go watch them,” Bokuto decided.
“And what about your soulmate?”
That made Bokuto hesitate for half a second. He wanted to go search for his soulmate for sure. But there was a nagging thought in his mind that he should go watch the Karasuno match, not just to support his friends, but because it would help him in his search.
“I just have a feeling,” Bokuto dismissed Akaashi airily, “The universe is giving me a sign right now. We have to take it!”
“You really are confident about this entire soulmate affair, aren’t you?”
“Of course!” Bokuto fist pumped the air with a determined grin. “My soulmate is out there, and I plan to find them no matter what!”
-----
The Karasuno and Inarizaki match caused quite a stir the next day. The talented underdogs versus the one of the best teams in the nation. The odds were stacked against Karasuno, but the former fallen crows were not to be underestimated.
“Hey, Akaashi, who do you think is going to win?” Bokuto asked. The Fukurodani team had just finished up their second match and were walking to the gymnasium to watch Karasuno’s match.
Akaashi hummed in contemplation. “Depends on whether Hinata and Kageyama can execute their attacks well enough.”
“Right as always.” Bokuto grinned. There was a usual sense of excitement stirring within him, like a coil ready to spring out. “I hope I can find my soulmate while watching the match.”
“We’ll see. Although the odds of that may be slim.”
“I guess you’re right. Hey, how funny it would be if my soulmate was one of the Inarizaki members?” Bokuto laughed loudly, his shoulders shaking. “That would be a real twist, right?”
“I suppose so,” Akaashi replied calmly as they walked through the side gymnasium doors. “Although it may explain why you seem even more energetic than usual right now.”
“Hey, hey, of course I’m excited! We’re about to watch Karasuno kick some Inarizaki butt.” Bokuto smiled at Akaashi before turning his gaze to where Inarizaki and Karasuno were warming up. There was already a decent crowd gathered in the stands and the sidelines, and both teams cheering squads were practicing.
Bokuto watched Karasuno warm up with a sense of joy. The team had evolved greatly from the first Tokyo training camp, and Bokuto was proud to call them his friends. “Tsukki looks like he’s in great shape today,” Bokuto remarked, “Kageyama too.”
“Yes, both Kageyama and Hinata look excited for the match.”
Bokuto hummed to himself as he glanced over at where Inarizaki were warming up on the opposite side of the court. He could see Ojiro Aran practicing, his spikes aggressive and steady. And the one setting to him had dyed blonde hair. One of the Miya twins, if Bokuto remembered correctly. From his angle, Bokuto could see that the Miya setter had a distinct air of confidence about him, as he easily set a clean ball with a smirk.
“That setter is pretty good.”
“That’s Miya Atsumu, I believe he attended the All-Japan camp with Kageyama this year.”
“Hey, that’ll be fun for Kageyama then! I wonder what he’s like, he seems all confident and-” Bokuto suddenly broke off when Miya Atsumu turned to face him, and locked eyes with Bokuto.
It wasn’t just a simple spark like Akaashi had described; it was a full on raging fire. The noise around Bokuto died away as he stared into Atsumu’s deep brown eyes. Time froze around them as the two continued staring at each other. There was a snap in his gut, like a dam broke open, letting a flood of energy fill Bokuto’s body. He was vaguely aware of Akaashi calling his name, but he couldn’t look away from Atsumu. He just couldn’t.
“Bokuto-san.” Akaashi roughly shook him, and Bokuto blinked in surprise. Likewise, Atsumu’s eyes grew wide, as his teammate, his twin, yelled at him.
“That’s him.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s my soulmate.” Bokuto turned to Akaashi, his face filled with shock and awe. “Miya Atsumu is my soulmate.” When he looked back, Atsumu was still looking at him with a similar face expression.
Akaashi blinked in surprise, and hid a laugh in the form of a cough. “Well, isn’t that ironic.”
Bokuto didn’t respond, too busy gesturing intensely at Atsumu who was still staring at him. “What do I do? I can’t talk to him now,” Bokuto fretted, waving his hands at Atsumu as if he was translating sign language.
“Talk to him after the match, Bokuto-san, I know you’re excited but he needs to concentrate.”
Atsumu made a move as if he was about to walk over to Bokuto, but a firm hand on his shoulder made him stop. Bokuto watched as Atsumu turned to the person, his captain if Bokuto remembered correctly, and pointed at where Bokuto was.
“I think he’s telling his team that I’m his soulmate,” Bokuto said, buzzing with excitement. The Inarizaki captain said something to Atsumu, who made a dejected face, and turned to Bokuto. He grimaced, and shook his head as Bokuto deflated. “I guess you’re right. He has to focus right now, huh?” Atsumu took one last look at Bokuto and smiled, making Bokuto feel a sudden pain in his chest, before resuming his warm up. “Akaashi! Did you see that? Did he smile at me?!”
“Yes, he did.”
“Wow, my soulmate is pretty good-looking, right?
“He is pretty popular among the fans.”
“Hey, hey, hey, then we have that in common! I wish I could tell him good luck.”
“You can talk to him after the match. But who are you going to support now, Bokuto-san?”
“Both Karasuno and my soulmate, of course! No matter who wins, I’ll be happy.”
The referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the warm up period as both teams began to clean up. Bokuto shifted from one foot to another as he anxiously stared at Atsumu’s back, silently willing him to turn around once more.
“Bokuto-san, I can practically feel your impatience. Please calm down, the match is about to start.”
“I know,” He whined in response. “I just want to wish him good luck!”
Luckily, after both teams had greeted each other, Atsumu glanced over to where Bokuto was. Bokuto didn’t waste any time, flashing a smile and thumbs-up to the setter, who immediately brighten up.
“He’s so cute,” Bokuto cooed, “Man, I’m so glad I’ve been waiting this whole time.”
“The match is starting, Bokuto-san, please don’t distract your soulmate anymore.”
“Alright! Let’s see how amazing my soulmate and Karasuno are!”
-----
Miya Atsumu was nothing short of one of the most brilliant setters Bokuto had ever seen. He knew that his soulmate must be amazing-after all, he was invited to the All-Japan training camp- but Bokuto couldn’t help marveling every time Atsumu touched the ball. The way he set the ball for his teammates, so clean and so easy, made Bokuto’s ace heart sour with happiness.
What he would give to be able to spike one of those balls himself.
The first set had ended in Karasuno’s win, but with a few key plays and sets, Inarizaki took back the second set. Now, it was a nerve wrecking final set for both teams. The score was tied up, both teams weren’t backing down an inch. Now that he had met Atsumu, Bokuto was keenly aware of tension running all throughout his body.
“Come on, Hinata,” Bokuto muttered under his breath as he watched his friend leap high above the court. They were so close, just two more points and-
Akaashi glanced at his phone and nearly gasped. “Bokuto-san, we have to go or we’ll be late for our own match.”
“What?!” Bokuto loudly exclaimed, his head whipping around. “No! We can’t! The match is about to end and I need to talk to Miya!”
“Bokuto-san, we have a match very soon. You have to speak to him afterwards. We can’t afford to be late.”
“But-” Bokuto tried to protest but a sudden silence caused both him and Akaashi to turn around.
The ball was rolling on the ground, on Inarizaki’s side of the court.
There was a pause, and a mighty roar as the crowd cheered and yelled in astonishment.
“They did it! Karasuno won!” Bokuto exclaimed in amazement. Likewise, Akaashi was smiling brightly as he gazed at where the Karasuno players were celebrating. “Wow, that-“ Bokuto grunted when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched at his heart, wincing slowly. Anguish. Exhaustion. Defeat. A feeling of firm determination.
“Bokuto-san-”
“I’ll be quick, I promise!” Bokuto searched his coat pockets for his pen, before stripping off the outerwear and tossing it to Akaashi, who barely managed to catch it. He jumped over the sidelines before Akaashi could grab him, and ran over to where the Inarizaki players were standing. Bokuto could see Atsumu, huddling with his teammates, his face grim and solemn.
The Inarizaki captain noticed him approaching first, and nudged Atsumu who looked over with surprise before wincing.
“You’re an amazing setter!” was the first thing that Bokuto yelled at him when he was close enough.
Atsumu blinked, and a shadow of a smile came across his face. He almost looked nervous at the sight of him, but Bokuto didn’t have enough time to slow down. “Thanks. And you’re my soulmate, Bokuto-“
“Bokuto Kotaro, yup, one of the top five aces in the country, great to meet you,” Bokuto rambled urgently, “Listen, I was watching your game and wow, you’re so cool and handsome and I’ve been waiting to meet you my entire life. But I also have a match in a few minutes and Akaashi is gonna kick my ass if I don’t hurry so here-“ Bokuto grabbed Atsumu’s arm and scribbled a number with his pen “-Please call me later! Or you can come to my match too! Did I mention you’re really cute? Yeah? Ok, I have to go but I’ll see you soon!”
Atsumu was left staring at Bokuto as he sprinted across the gymnasium to where Akaashi was frantically waving at him. He wasn’t able to get a single word in during Bokuto’s long spew of compliments.
“Bokuto Kotaro being your soulmate explains the sudden mood swings,” Osamu spoke up beside him. “Are you going to watch his match?”
Atsumu was abnormally quiet for a few seconds, his face twisted up as he glanced down at the number on his arm.
“You’re embarrassed that he saw you during the match, right?”
“Ah, what? No, of course not,” Atsumu quickly denied Kita’s comment.
“You shouldn’t be, he complimented your setting. That means he’s proud of you.” Kita paused before adding, “I will speak to Coach, you should go support him like he supported you.”
The setter still seemed hesitant, but an encouraging nod from Kita had Atsumu agreeing.
-----
Fukurodani won the match easily. Bokuto, on his part, played like someone who was certainly worthy of being known as one of the top five aces throughout Japan. He cut through blockers, shot beautiful cross shots, and broke through the opposite team’s defenses with powerful spikes.
“Wow! Fukurodani’s ace appears to be at the top of his game today!” One of the announcers commented with awe and admiration.
Bokuto grinned when he heard the remark, and sent one last shot barreling through the blockers’ defense, earning the final match point. The crowd cheered, standing up in waves, as the Fukurodani team gathered around him gleefully.
“Nice kill, Bokuto-san!” Akaashi congratulated him with a firm clap on the back.
“That’s great, Bokuto! Mind playing like that every time we have a match?” Konoha asked, half joking, half serious.
“Hey, hey, hey! I was amazing, wasn’t I?” Bokuto proudly boasted. But he wasn’t looking at his teammates, too busy scanning the sidelines for a certain player.
“If you’re looking for Miya-san.” Akaashi tapped his shoulder and pointed to the far corner of the court. “He’s right over there.” Bokuto looked at where Akaashi was gesturing and lit up as he saw Atsumu smiling at him.
“Hi! I can finally talk to you!” Bokuto cheered as he practically skipped over to Atsumu.
“Yeah, I watched your match. You’re a really amazing ace,” Atsumu complimented him, pride laced in his voice.
Bokuto gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck a little shyly before saying, “Your team played amazing too! Your sets were so clean, I want to spike one of them one day!”
“Then why don’t you?”
Bokuto tilted his head, oddly reminiscent of an owl, in interest. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Atsumu hesitated for a fraction of a second, “Do you want to meet sometime? Get to know each other better? You did give me yer number.” Bokuto had to repress a smile at the way Atsumu’s dialect emerged in his voice.
“Yeah! Let’s do it!”
Atsumu perked up, and his hesitant smile was replaced with a confident grin. “Awesome. I’ll come to watch all your other matches, okay?”
Bokuto nudged Atsumu’s shoulder with his own, momentarily marveling at the way sparks seemed to erupt from the touch, before nodding vigorously. “I still can’t believe I finally met you,” He confessed.
“Neither can I. Honestly, I didn’t really know how to feel about this whole soulmate concept.”
While he couldn’t say that he was surprised, Bokuto couldn’t help but ask, “Why’s that?”
“I just couldn’t believe the idea of having someone that’s perfect out there for you,” Atsumu explained. He was wringing the hem of his jacket between his hands, and Bokuto resisted the urge to reach out and grasp them. “But after meeting you, I’m willing to try. So, I guess, sorry if you felt like our bond was broken, or somethin’”
“Oh! That’s right, I did feel like our bond was broken for a while.” At Bokuto’s frank words, Atsumu winced, his nose and eyebrows scrunching up. Noticing this, Bokuto immediately clarified with “But it’s ok! Because I felt your emotions before we came to nationals, which means you’re okay now! And since we met, I promise I’ll try to make sure that everything works out!”
Atsumu let out a little laugh of disbelief as he stared at Bokuto with wide eyes. “You’re a real cheerful guy, aren’t you?”
“Yeah!”
In the background, Bokuto could hear Akaashi calling his name. “I guess I have to go now, but I’ll talk to you later, Tsum-Tsum!”
“Tsum-Tsum?”
“You need a cute nickname,” Bokuto explained with a wink, “Don’t forget to text me!”
“I’ll do it right away,” Atsumu decided. Bokuto grinned in approval, before waving and hurrying back to his team. When he turned around, he saw Atsumu waving at him as he yelled, “See you soon, Bokkun!” and Bokuto couldn’t repress a smile.
He had a feeling that the happiness coursing through his body wasn’t just his own.
Fin