Work Text:
In this world, people are born with the first syllable or character of their soulmate’s given name etched into their skin above their hearts. When they finally meet that person, the rest of their name is filled out. For as long as Atsumu could remember, there was a character that was too complex for him to understand (倫). He remembered how his mother would sometimes caress the black lines that permanently marked his hip, a location that differed from the norm.
Unlike him, his brother Osamu had a character etched above his heart just like most people they knew. His seemed simpler somehow (京). The character on his hip stood for “Rin” while his brother’s soulmate was “Kei.” They were the beginning of names that neither had heard before but the two boys would sometimes repeat the names to themselves in the darkness of their bedroom. Their fingers would trace the strokes, committing the characters to memory.
Even though they were twins and practically identical in every way, it was the one thing they differed in. In a twisted form of pride, Atsumu enjoyed having a name on his hip, not understanding the implication of the placement. He would repeat it over and over and over again like a lullaby that would lull him to sleep.
And then the day came when the rest of the characters were filled out and he met his soulmate face to face for the first time. He remembered it clearly, the smell of flesh burning as he felt a stinging on his hip as two more characters appeared. It was then when he realized he met his soulmate before his brother yet just like the putrid smell in the air, it left a bad taste in his mouth.
In this world, meeting your soulmate was supposed to be a joyous occasion, an event to tell your children when they start asking about the marks above his heart.
Yet as the two of volleyball players glared at each other, he knew that something was wrong.
Not once did it ever occur to him that maybe his soulmate was a man.
He had never felt feelings for a woman before, though, so Atsumu just shrugged over the idea of gender and sexuality.
What bothered him was why couldn’t his soulmate be someone amazing? Someone who lifted his spirits instead? Someone who pushed him harder than he pushed himself but did it in a way that left him hungry for more? Someone who shone brilliantly like the sun and made him smile even on the bleakest of winter days.
There were no fireworks whenever he caught his supposed soulmate staring. His heartbeat didn’t skip, his palms never grew sweaty. If one thing changed, it was his love for volleyball. His hunger for victory only grew, encompassing everything in his path. It was one of the many things his soulmate would roll his eyes at.
His soulmate didn’t understand his hunger and for him, that was the only proof he needed that the whole soulmate thing was bogus.
A year later, however, Atsumu met someone whose hunger burned brighter than his own. A man who was the perfect embodiment of the sun, eyes that blazed with determination, hair that looked soft to the touch.
Like a dry summer, he was left parched, his tongue stuck in his throat. His palms grew sweaty at the thought of that jump , how his beaming smile somehow made even his enemies play with greater intensity.
Atsumu couldn’t tell if it was the adrenaline pumping through his veins or if it was love at first sight.
Their first meeting was embarrassing and left an impression only on him.
Years later the two finally met again, his maturity has grown more or less.
Yet those butterflies that filled his stomach never quite disappeared.
Over the years the soulmate mark on his hip slowly faded like one of those temporary tattoos made for children.
The moment Atsumu was reunited with that man on the court, he could feel a familiar burning sensation. Except, this time, there was no putrid stench, only a warmth that spread outward from his chest, encompassing his entire body. It left him drunk and giddy, his smile wide as he gazed down to find “Shoyo” (翔陽) marking the skin above his heart. A name that could be read as “flying sun.” It was the perfect name that encompassed every desire, every dream he ever had.
When he met Hinata’s gaze, there was a look of understanding in them as their new soulmate marks tingled underneath their jerseys. “Atsumu-san.”
Atsumu grinned. That voice had appeared in his dreams before, saying his name over and over again. He remembered how he and Osamu would repeat their soul marks like a mantra. How instead of that, his mind was filled with a different name entirely. His eyes softened. “Shoyo.”
Somehow, Atsumu was able to wait a month before he finally asked Hinata out for a date at the urging of his fellow teammates. They couldn’t handle his obvious pining anymore, not when he acted shy in the locker room whenever Mr. Ninja Shoyo finished taking his shower, steam rolling off his toned abs like some corny Friday night rom-com.
In reality, it was Hinata who asked him out first during their pre-practice stretching session. Normally the wing spiker would stretch with Omi-Omi, amazed by his nimble limbs and flexible wrists. For once, Hinata had asked him for help and popped the question while his legs were spread out farther than Atsumu knew they could go. He was so focused on the other’s flexibility for the question to register originally, prompting Hinata to repeat his question a second time.
A third time.
After that the rest was history.
“Atsumu-san?”
Atsumu hummed, keeping his eyes closed as he felt a gentle finger gliding along his chest, the strokes spelling out two characters that meant everything to him. The soft-touch was feather-like yet it made his heart burn with the urge to eat the sun.
A breathy laugh floated to his ears as that same hand slid across his bare abdomen, rubbing the spot on his hip where the skin was slightly discolored, remnants of the mark that had mostly disappeared. The discoloration was only but a reminder now of a path he never ventured down.
“Did you love him?”
He shook his head as he pulled his beloved arms to surround him, making himself the little spoon. “Did you love yours?”
Just like him, there was a part of Hinata that was slightly discolored, like a stain that could never truly be washed away no matter how furiously you scrubbed it.
Hinata hummed. His voice low, the sound vibrating against Atsumu’s back. That was enough to tell him an answer but he no longer felt jealousy. “In high school.”
“Which one?” He asked and felt the strong arms squeeze around him.
“Tsukishima,” Hinata whispered.
Atsumu hummed again, remembering the blond middle blocker who continued to play professionally even now. He was the complete opposite of Hinata, literally the difference between night and day.
“We dated in our third year,” he mumbled into the back of his neck, his lips pressing warm kisses against his skin. “We never truly ended it with words.”
“Do you still love him?”
Hinata sighed, “At first I did but then I came back here.”
Finally, the setter turned over, his hands immediately moving to cup Hinata’s cheeks. His eyes were glossy with unshed tears, yet those eyes were full of warmth. “And now?”
It had already been six months into their relationship. The two had gone on numerous dates whenever they had free time after practice and games. No one but their team and close friends knew about their relationship.
Hinata pulled his hand away to kiss the rough skin of his palm, skin that was hardened from grueling practices over the years. “My…feelings for you can’t compare.”
He grinned, his eyes shining. “With Tsukishima, I felt as though I was stuck in his shadow, unable to move on, but with you, I feel like if I’m not constantly improving, you will swallow me whole.”
“Being with you, Atsumu-san has made my days feel more complete than they did before.” Hinata cleared his throat, his sun-kissed cheeks dusted with a pretty pink. “S-Sorry! I don’t know what I’m saying.”
Atsumu sighed softly, kissing Hinata’s forehead, then each cheek, the tip of his nose, and then finally, he pulled away for a few seconds before capturing his lips in a kiss that left them breathless and wanting more.
Maybe it took so long for his soul mark to disappear because Hinata’s love for the other volleyball player was real. Or maybe the gears of fate hadn’t yet turned.
Either way, Atsumu only knows one thing when it comes to love.
And it’s that true love always makes one hungry for more.
Atsumu’s urge to eat the sun could never be satisfied and Hinata was never one to stop until he was satisfied.