Work Text:
Tokyo University Library,
Art History Section,
2.23AM
Iwaizumi sighed as he pulled the hood back from his head, before picking up the stack of notes in front of him and resting back against the chair he had claimed as his for the last 5 hours. He simply had to finish revising for his Anatomy exam and he’d be done for the night. Just a last scan over his notes and he was rewarding himself with a good 8 hours of sleep before his afternoon exam. He deserved it.
He had studied throughout the week, but he needed to make sure he had everything memorised, in case his teacher decided to pull their legs and throw the most obscure part of the curriculum into the exam. That’s why he had come to the most secluded part of the library he knew of.
It was impossible to study in his dorm room, with his roommate blasting J-Rap from his headphones as he edited his photos. Going into the Medical section of the library was asking to be distracted by a classmate, who was also trying to cram everything last minute and needed some extra pointers. So, Iwaizumi had turned the opposite way, into the History section, going through the rows of bookshelves until he found an empty desk between the Renaissance period and the Romantic period.
He had been alone for the first three hours, until someone occupied the other table in that aisle, a few meters in front of him, and Iwaizumi hadn’t been able to properly concentrate ever since.
It started with the commotion of settling down, and Iwaizumi wasn’t enough of an asshole to complain about that, but it seemed a bit excessive with the amount of hard-cover books spread over the span of the table. Still, it wasn’t enough noise that could disturb someone.
Until the tap tap tap of the keys of a laptop being hit over and over again. Now, there were plenty of laptops old enough that hitting the spacebar felt like slamming a door, but no Macbook should be making that much noise. Nor should someone drink water from a flask with that much slurp. Or leave for a moment, leaving Iwaizumi in complete silence for a couple blissful minutes, before coming back with yet another hardcover book and slamming it on the wooden desk.
Iwaizumi knew who it was from the moment the other stopped by the aisle and his eyes zeroed on the empty table. Oikawa Tooru was pretty famous around campus, it was impossible to miss him, really.
Tap tap tap.
Sure, it was midterm week, everyone was pretty stressed, but there was the bare minimum of library etiquette Oikawa Tooru could respect.
Star setter of the volleyball team, even if he was currently just a sophomore, Oikawa had taken the sport’s section of the Tokyo University’s journal by storm since tryouts last year. Now he’s the start setter of their team and everyone was sure he’ll make captain or pro way before he graduates.
It was hard to avoid the gossip going around when someone was both so talented and so attractive. It didn’t help that the guy was smart too, stacking an Astrophysics degree on top of being an athlete. He was overall hard to miss, his presence pulling everyone’s attention to him.
What was impressive was that Oikawa managed to do all of that without a single word slipping past his lips.
Now, Iwaizumi didn’t keep up with the gossip, so he didn’t know if Oikawa was mute because he had been born like that, or was just selective about it. Either way, all that Iwaizumi could hear was him tapping away on his laptop a few meters away from him, and it was slowly thinning on his patience.
For someone who didn’t speak, he was awfully loud and it had been driving Iwaizumi insane for the past couple of hours. He was sure that there was no way someone would be typing so loudly if they weren’t doing it on purpose. Logically, he knew the guy wasn’t doing it to annoy Iwaizumi specifically, but Oikawa had to know, right? He was mute, not deaf, he had to know how much of a nuisance he was being.
The tapping stopped for a few seconds, long enough for Oikawa to look at one of the several books open around him, before he resumed his aggressive typing. It was enough of a distraction to make it the second time Iwaizumi had to re-start reading the same page, and he couldn’t keep going like this. Not an extra hour, not an extra minute. He slammed down the papers he was holding, probably with more force than he really needed, glaring in the direction of Oikawa.
Oikawa simply stopped his typing motion, his eyes rising over the brim of his reading glasses, regarding Iwaizumi with a curious look. Guess if it was another person making noise, he did notice.
“Shut up!” Iwaizumi signed aggressively, fingers moving with the fluidity of someone who had grown up using them.
It was easy to see, even from that distance, that Oikawa’s eyes had widened, probably at the surprise of having this stranger sign at him before speaking, but quickly his features softened. He grinned, looking way too happy for someone who was currently in an artificially lit library at 2 in the morning with no coffee cup in sight.
“No,” Oikawa signed back, before adding the sign for heart.
Fucking insufferable.
That might have been what Iwaizumi thought of his first interaction with the campus’s darling, who had turned back to his essay, fixing his glasses as he turned the page of one of the massive books surrounding him as if Iwaizumi hadn’t even caught his attention. As if he hadn't turned Iwaizumi's life upside down.
Instead of protesting Oikawa’s clear rudeness, Iwaizumi looked down at himself instead, his fingers moving to the button-up he had under his hooded jacket. He let his fingertips trace a familiar spot over his heart before he started undoing the buttons of the shirt.
Iwaizumi didn’t even notice that Oikawa had turned his attention back to him, intrigued by the boy that signed, but didn’t have a verbal comeback to his annoying antics. He couldn’t protest as Iwaizumi undid his shirt, but raised his hands and pushed his chair back with his leg, getting up to clearly stop him from stripping in the middle of the library, out of nowhere.
Oikawa’s motions stopped when Iwaizumi pushed his shirt open, revealing his chest, and with that, a deep black scribble right over his heart.
It was clear what it was.
Everyone got them as soon as they turned 16. It was more than just folklore, it was a phenomenon that started happening centuries ago, real meaning only theorized about, but everyone knew what they were. Soulmate marks.
Iwaizumi was no different. When he woke up on his 16th birthday, he quickly ran to his bathroom, stripping off his pajamas, just so he could find where he had been marked with the first words his soulmate would speak to him. He didn’t have to go further than get his old t-shirt off his head, the words clear on the mirror as he looked at them, deep crease in the middle of his forehead.
Now, it wasn’t in a foreign language or anything, but it was so ridiculous that Iwaizumi had spent the last three years trying to figure out how it could be possible that those were his words. The first words his soulmate would speak to him were marked on his body, and it was crazy, but Iwaizumi could only wonder how someone would say them to him.
It took him nearly four years for them to make sense, but as soon as Oikawa signed the word for heart, mimicking the little outline of a heart next to the word “No” on Iwaizumi’s chest, its meaning was clear as daylight.
Iwaizumi looked up at the boy across from him, hoping to find the same understanding in his eyes, but he was met with confusion. He pointed at his soulmate mark then, the “No ♡“ clear on his skin, hoping it would get Oikawa’s curiosity.
Oikawa pushed his chair back all the way and walked around the table, eyes squinting as he took a step closer, trying to read what Iwaizumi was pointing at. The moment he realized was almost comical. His lips, which were trying to read out what was written, dropped open in a little oh motion, his eyes widening in understanding. He immediately perked up and motioned for Iwaizumi to wait, as he moved his hands to his belt.
This time it was Iwaizumi’s turn to protest, “What are you-? No, don’t take off your pants!” his voice an angry whisper, hoping it wouldn’t attract anyone’s attention, his cheeks coloured a deep red up to his ears in embarrassment. Really, what was wrong with this guy? He could be expelled for indecent exposure and drag Iwaizumi down with him!
Iwaizumi’s protests weren’t enough, Oikawa ignoring them as he pushed his jeans down to his knees before looking up with a smile so bright it could rival the sun, the yellowish lights of the library no competition to it. He looked proud, but Iwaizumi had to politely advert his gaze, ignoring the boy with his pants pooled around his knees, boxers briefs barely visible under his long sweater.
It only annoyed Oikawa, who snapped his fingers at him, trying to get his attention, but Iwaizumi was strong, as much as he wouldn’t have minded sneaking a peak at Oikawa’s strong volleyball player thighs. Only when Oikawa had enough and clapped at him, Iwaizumi looked his way, worried that all of this commotion could attract someone into their aisle of the library. Iwaizumi was surprised that it hadn’t already.
Still, he let Oikawa’s finger point his eyes in the direction of his thighs. There, on the inside of his right one, scribed down the ridge of muscle, was his soulmate mark. Iwaizumi tilted his head to be able to read it, eyes immediately looking up to meet Oikawa’s when he realised what it spelled.
“Shut up!”
Oikawa’s eyes were crinkled, the way he was smiling widely, but the spark in them was impossible to miss. It knocked the wind out of Iwaizumi’s chest, the question he had dying on his lips. It didn’t die on his hands, though.
Are we soulmates? Iwaizumi signed, eyes falling back to Oikawa’s mark.
No, there was no doubt for Iwaizumi that Oikawa Tooru was his soulmate. His words matched to the mark he had on his chest, but finding out Oikawa had a matching set? Now that's wild.
Guess so , Oikawa signed, smiling back dumbly at Iwaizumi, My name’s Oikawa Tooru. Nice to meet you, soulmate.
“I know,” Iwaizumi choked out, before coughing and rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I mean, everyone knows who you are,” he added, hands following his words.
Oikawa was amused at Iwaizumi’s reaction, tilting his head to the side with a soft grin, Are you going to tell me your name or do I have to keep calling you handsome in my head?
The red returned to Iwaizumi’s cheeks, lighter this time. “Iwaizumi,” he spelled out with his fingers, “Iwaizumi Hajime.”
Well, Iwa-chan , and Iwaizumi really didn’t know it was possible to see a grown man sign that, but he couldn’t protest, not when Oikawa was looking at him so fondly, glad to finally have found you.
There were footsteps coming down the main aisle, and that stopped their introductions, but kicked them into fixing their clothes, instead of staring at each other with little dumbfounded smiles.
Iwaizumi couldn’t believe he's about to get kicked out of the library for indecent exposure, not even enjoying the pleasures that could have come from that, but he couldn’t exactly complain. What he got in return was more than worth it.
Thankfully, Oikawa had just pulled his zipper up when a guy strolled by their aisle. It seems like he didn't even notice them, but he stopped before the next bookshelf hid them from his view. The guy glanced at them as if he had caught them doing something they shouldn't be doing in the middle of the library, but after his eyes scanned both Oikawa and Iwaizumi, he resumed his walk down the hall.
Only when the footsteps turn into silence do they relax. Iwaizumi let out a breath, running his fingers through his hair, and Oikawa turned back to him, amusement pulling at the corner of his lips, mischief glinting in his eyes.
That was close , he signed.
"If you hadn't nearly stripped down, it wouldn't have been a problem," Iwaizumi said as he signs as well. He sounded slightly out of breath, but he couldn’t say it’s because they were nearly caught looking all disheveled, not when he just found his soulmate.
There weren’t fireworks, or new colours when you found your soulmate. There's nothing explicit to look out for, but Iwaizumi knew the feeling in his chest was the telltale of a cosmic connection. The warmth that spread through him as he stared at Oikawa, who went back to tuck part of his sweater into his pants, the fondness of his look towards someone he had only heard about and rarely saw around. That was too obvious not to think it's clearly a reaction to figuring out who has the other half of a matching set of tattoos.
The boy in front of him was a stranger, but Iwaizumi felt comfortable in his presence, was uncharacteristically excited to get to know him and chase the feeling in his chest. He had no shame in admitting he was openly staring at him, either.
When Iwaizumi came back to reality from his spiraling thoughts, Oikawa was looking down at Iwaizumi's table, before looking up, almost shy as he gave him a soft smile. Do you dorm on campus?
Iwaizumi nodded, not really sure about the intention behind the question. He looked down at his notes, too, pushing a stray piece of paper back into its stack with a brush of his fingers. When he looked up back at Oikawa, his soulmate, he's grinning again, clearly pleased with Iwaizumi's answer.
If you're done , he lifted his chin towards Iwaizumi's table, wanna walk me back?
He's not done- had one last chapter to revise before he could sleep guilt free. Yet, he didn’t care at that point.
"Sure, give me a second," he didn’t sign that time, his hands busy, trying to gather everything and stuff it in his bag. Maybe he didn’t bother to properly close his notebook, bending it at the page it was open on, and some of the loose pieces of paper got crumpled as he got them inside his backpack. He could blame it on the shock of finding out to who his words belong to.
When Iwazumi swung his backpack over this shoulder and zipped his hoodie up, Oikawa already had his own bag on his back and was gathering the books he had all over his table. He let the heavy cover drop on the pages, the sound echoing around the halls.
A sound that would have driven Iwaizumi crazy just ten minutes ago, but that only pushed him forward now, helping Oikawa out. He could brush it off as trying to keep quiet and not ruining expensive books, but it's clear it's more than that when he didn’t even allow Oikawa to stack them all in his arms.
"Easier if we share the load," Iwaizumi shrugged, blush barely visible on his cheeks, as he held at least 5 pounds worth of books in his arms.
Oikawa smiled back at him, hands making an aborted motion when he realised that if he signed, the books stacked on his arms would fall. He mouths a 'thanks' and turns on his heels, leading them to the drop off point closest to them.
The short walk was silent, but it wasn’t awkward. Iwaizumi didn't feel the need to talk to feel comfortable, because Oikawa wouldn't be able to reply, and they were still in a library. Unlike Oikawa, Iwaizumi respected the "Silence!" signs scattered across the walls. It gave him time to watch the boy two steps in front of him.
His wild hair, which somehow still managed to look effortlessly tousled, the glass frames perched on his nose, the soft sweater that was just a bit too loose around his neck. Iwaizumi understood why half of the campus was crushing on him. He’s attractive, his smile friendly. Iwaizumi could see himself fall in love with this guy.
He hid his blush as they placed the books in the drop off cart, before heading to the exit. Iwaizumi’s thankful Oikawa hadn’t looked back at him until he got his face under control. There was no reason to feel embarrassed, not when you’re talking about your soulmate, but he didn’t want this stranger to think he was this nervous, when in reality, it was probably the first time Iwaizumi blushed so much.
So , Oikawa started as they finally walked out into the night. There's a soft breeze, but it isn't exactly cold, but it helps Iwaizumi’s cheeks cool down. How do you sign so well when you can speak?
Iwaizumi zipped his jacket up to his neck, making up for the warmth he won't get with his hands out of his pockets. "My cousin is deaf. We're close in age so I just learned as she did. I wanted to be able to communicate with her."
Oh, Oikawa grins playfully, thought you were gonna tell me you already had a crush on me and learned so you could hit on me.
Iwaizumi’s head snapped in his direction, eyebrow raised at Oikawa’s statement. He got a wink in return, making him shake his head almost fondly, “That’s terribly conceited of you, Oikawa.”
Maybe, Oikawa shrugged with a soft smile, turning his attention fully to Iwaizumi as they walk, I just wasn’t expecting my soulmate to be able to understand me without a notepad, much less be able to sign back at me. Guess I can’t complain about this soulmate selection, they got it right.
“You barely know me,” Iwaizumi chuckled, but he got it. Your soulmate was supposed to be someone who complements you, fit right into your life like they had always been there. Oikawa getting someone he had to teach how to understand him sounded counterproductive.
Perhaps, and he still had that soft smile on his lips, but I can’t wait to get to know you better. I like what I know already.
“That I can sign?”
That you can call me out when I’m being a little shit , he signed, his eyes softening as the moment suddenly got heavier, You have no issue with the fact that I am mute. Not everyone is so nonchalant about that.
“I-” Iwaizumi starts, but he’s interrupted as Oikawa suddenly stops.
We’re here, Oikawa pointed at the entrance of his dorm building. Iwaizumi was so caught up in Oikawa that he barely noticed where they were going. Now he found himself just two buildings away from his own room. It was surprising how they haven’t bumped into each other before.
Iwaizumi wasn’t sure about what to say then. What were you supposed to do when you meet your soulmate? He had heard of people who suddenly grow attached at the hip, spending the next few days catching up with the other person, telling each other all about the years they weren’t together. He wants that, but it’s nearing 4 in the morning and Iwaizumi was emotionally and physically tired.
Oikawa seemed to know what he’s thinking, because he took a step closer and leaned slightly down, pressing his lips against Iwaizumi’s cheek.
Thank you for walking me home, he signed as he moved back, a soft blush on his cheeks, and it’s the first time Iwaizumi has seen him look almost vulnerable.
“No problem,” he mumbled, just looking at the soft pink hue of his cheeks. He couldn’t help but smile softly.
Oikawa coughed, in his own particular way, and looked away with a shy smile, before looking back at Iwaizumi. He stepped closer again, grabbing his arm with one hand as the other moved back to his bag. He came up with a pen and exposed Iwaizumi’s forearm as he pushed back the sleeve of his jacket. He pressed the pen against the skin, scribbling something Iwaizumi only notices it’s a string of numbers when he took a step back back. He was too distracted watching Oikawa’s tongue poke out of his mouth as he wrote down his phone number.
There, he signed after stuffing the pen in his back pocket, Text me when you wake up. I still have three midterms and late practices, but I’ll always reply to you, Hajime.
“Thank you.” Iwaizumi tore his eyes from the digits on his arm and looked at his soulmate. They said meeting them for the first time would be unforgettable. He guessed they weren't exactly lying, because he would never really forget the image of Oikawa Tooru, star setter of Tokyo University, with his pants around his knees in the middle of a library, showing him the words Iwaizumi had signed to him. He also would never forget the soft smile he gave him as he waved before turning back into his dorm building.
Iwaizumi watched him open the door and wave again before walking inside. He was going to move and go back to his own dorm room, but he couldn’t help but watch Oikawa’s retreating figure through the glass doors. It was particularly hard to leave when Oikawa’s fist curled and punched the air. He looked like he had scored the match point in a tournament final.
How am I so gone already? Iwaizumi thought as he finally turned away when he saw Oikawa turn the corner. There was no denial in the pull a soulmate connection had, and Iwaizumi wasn’t going to be the first one ignoring it.
Iwaizumi’s hands finally find his pockets as he walks back to his room, a little spring on his step and a soft smile on his lips. He’s grabbing his phone and taking his jacket off as soon as he locks his door, not wanting to lose the number before he got the chance to save it.
He debates on waiting, texting him in the morning when he wakes up, like he had asked, but he can’t help himself from typing a quick message.
To: Loudkawa
4.03am Goodnight, Tooru