Work Text:
There isn't much Sugawara expects when he enters university.
Maybe he should have.
Even though it's a school not really famous for its volleyball team, Sugawara doesn't let this stop him from applying. He isn't really sure whether he would be able to keep it up during his studies any way, thus the reason why he doesn't mind that it's not a prestigious team, but he couldn't – no wouldn't – want to miss playing. Not after the experience he collected in his last year of Karasuno.
Considering that Asahi and Daichi are in Tokyo now while Shimizu joined a different university as well, he doesn't expect to run into familiar faces here in Miyagi, but when he does see someone he knows, he tries to give them an honest smile.
Especially because it's Shiratorizawa's former setter.
“Semi-san, right? Nice to meet you again”, he greets him when they are in the changing rooms, one of the first people to have arrived so far, though just as far as it concerns the newcomers, shouts from the Seniors already reaching them.
That Semi might remember him is out of the question for Sugawara, after all they lost just like every other team had against them, and yet he felt like this is better than being all alone among strangers, despite of his tendency to befriend people pretty easily.
But surprisingly he does remember.
“Suga, was it? Here for the try-out? Well, it probably won't be difficult and they don't have many members after all, so I guess they will just do them to see how good we are.”
He is sure of himself, confident, and Sugawara can tell that - even after losing at the Nationals - he doesn't doubt his own skills, carrying an air of pride Sugawara can sometimes only dream of. Though he doesn't let this affect him, smiles after overcoming the surprise of being recognised, regaining his composure and changing his clothes after seeing Semi doing the same.
"Yes, some training will be nice."
“Not into competitive play, huh?”
Despite of the honesty it sounds close enough like teasing, makes it difficult for Sugawara to grasp his intention, particularly because Semi doesn't act like someone who meet him just one time before but as if they played against each other their whole life.
“It's not my focus. I gladly give you chance to fight for the regular setter position, you need it.”
Sugawara doesn't know why he suddenly says this, his tongue faster than his brain, but it amuses Semi more than it upsets him, so he relaxes pretty easily.
“Ah, so you're not a real saint, huh? Good to know.”
Though Semi isn't the first one to point out that there is more behind him than he looks at first, he doesn't know what to make of it, just smiles before he follows him to the gym.
As expected, it's a small team, but their captain is glad to have setters again since the last one won't have the time to come any more, his studies now more important, being close to the end. The coach makes them play a match after warming up, no introduction, and again they are on different sides of the court. Sugawara doesn't really mind, he would have expected to sit on the bench any way.
One thing they have in common is how they can easily adapt, as if they didn't just join. There are still a few misses and sets he could do better, but he gets easily the hang of it and is pleased with himself (he knows that this will change, that he wants to improve and be useful, but for now he enjoys this feeling).
He missed playing, despite of the short break it had been.
The team is different, but he is sure that he would get along with them, considering they don't seem to take playing too seriously; Sugawara misses a bit of ambition but it's still the start of the new year, there is plenty of time to see how they really are.
“You guys should tell us something about you”, their captain says after the end of the practise, their coach and managers gone, just the players left.
Nobody really knows where to starts, doesn't want to show any disrespect even though their Seniors seem rather chill about rules. One thing Sugawara is glad about is that a lot of people meet their soulmate when they are already at University so its not a topic worth discussing, won't come up between them and forces him to reveal that he didn't meet his yet. He still has this habit of covering his mark with concealer around new people but maybe he wouldn't have to anymore.
“We used to be on different teams and we beat them at the preliminaries. His captain declared to beat us next time, but I guess this means he has to beat him as well”, Semi eventually starts, throwing an arm around Sugawara like they are all friends and the only reason he doesn't shrug Semi off is the curiosity in their captain's eyes, so he plays along
“He will survive it, I'm sure. Maybe act a bit devastated.”
“As long as we don't break his heart.”
They laugh when their libero questions whether they really were rivals before and Sugawara is sure that he hears someone saying “poor Sawamura”, but before he can spot said person, their captain talks again.
“Well, guess we can be looking forward to games then. We normally manage two rounds in tournaments, maybe we can step up our game. I'm glad that you guys get along, we can work on a two setter system then.”
It seemed to break the ice. A few mention the school they come from, other's why they are at this university and as it turns out, it's the former captain of Wakutani South, Takeru Nakashima, who pitied Daichi; Sugawara wonders if he will ever escape the idols of the little giant.
Besides being one of the few people Sugawara knows, they don't spend much time together since Takeru is busy being stuck between learning, sleeping and eating to squeeze some time with his family in (or more likely taking care of them). So it's nice that Sugawara and Semi get along rather well, considering that Semi doesn't tell him why he stays in Miyagi with a mediocre team or even mentions what he studies and Sugawara isn't sure if the effort to find out is worth it.
As it turns out, not too surprising considering the nature of their university, Semi aims for a teaching career, though in contrary to him, he aims for a special needs education and not a secondary school one. This means they have a few lectures together, but mostly they study on their own, until Semi invites him over after practise one day.
“Studying together doesn't require the same content, right?”
Sugawara agrees without hesitation, especially because he knows that the other one lives alone and not being disturbed by anyone sounds good. He is surprised though when he finds out that Semi isn't living in some shady place but has a nice flat, or maybe he shouldn't since his parent do have money, as he finds out when he sees what kind of – or more importantly how much – food he eats during lunch. Stepping inside, there is the living room with an open kitchen, a separate room for sleeping and working as well as a small bathroom.
Since his working space is his bedroom, they settle down in the living room for studying. It's nice being with Semi like that though, and after half a year, they settled into something which could have been described as a routine, meeting and studying, playing together on the same team, working on a formation and talking about everything but one topic – Semi is the one who brings it up eventually.
“You're one of the people who believes in soulmates, right?”
They're sitting next to each other on the sofa, Semi resting his feet on the coffee table despite of Sugawara's scolding glance, even more so because “this is still my home, stop being such a mother” and going over some strategy for a practise match
“Yes, why?”
“So Karasuno really was naive.”
Suga laughs, can't be mad, realised that teasing is something Semi can't really stop and when he pointed it out once, Semi had merely shrugged and told him that it is probably worse when Tendou is around.
“No, not all of us. Not even most of them. What about you?”
He shrugs.
“For coach it was just important that it didn't affect or performance, but it went unspoken that the regulars knew each other's mark. Mostly telling not showing. Well, some of the first years thought that showing their mark was kind of a given to be accepted. Rather eager some of them.”
“Some or just one?”, Sugawara asks with an amused smile, realising the hint of fondness in his eyes as if he had to remember something; Semi just grins and they go back to their plan, his curiosity stilled for now.
(Later Semi would tell him about Goshiki when he accompanies him to see how his former team is doing, trying to hide how worried he is when Tendou doesn't come like promised).
The question comes out of the blue, or so Semi thinks, when they are at his apartment and he is lying on his bed while Sugawara sits next to him, bend over a book.
“Suga? What would you do if I asked you to kiss me?”
Sugawara looks up and shifts his gaze in his direction, trying to figure out what he tries to achieve with this question, curiosity or mere want, looking down again when he thinks that he found an answer.
“Depends on the context and reason”, he eventually replies, laughing lightly when Semi say it's “just because”, giving him no real explanation and also acting like it's no big deal.
“It's rarely 'just because' but I guess I would say yes.”
There is a pause and the words on the page mean nothing, only the warm presence next to him and the agonizing slow pace the other one needs to form his next question seem important.
“Suga, will you kiss me?”
Sugawara exhales the breath he didn't know he had been holding, turning to him with a wide grin.
“Yes. I thought you'd never ask.”
He laughs, and so does Sugawara when he sees how eager Semi is, sitting up and taking his face in his hands before leaning forward. It's good. Suga imagined this a few times but nothing beats the real experience, how Semi gently pushes him on the mattress, his upper body against his while their lips move against each other, less timid the more time passes.
When they pull apart, there is the biggest grin on Sugawara's lips and Semi can't help but to kiss him again, happy about the giggling it elicits him, his mouth wandering from lips to jaw, peppering kisses against his cheeks until Sugawara stops him by taking his face in his hands. Semi is sure that they look the same, not just the grin but also the blush on their cheeks matching.
“So...”, Sugawara starts, maybe a bit breathless, but Semi has a hard time focusing on this when they are so close – when he is finally allowed to do what he had thinking about since the first time they he'd meet in the changing rooms again.
“'So...' what exactly?”
“Can I finally tell Daichi what I am dating someone?”
“Just 'someone'? Not the handsome setter he declared to beat?”
Maybe Semi deserved the light punch against his arm, maybe not, because focusing is really hard when Sugawara is laughing again and his eyes are shining like that, though thankfully there is nothing he has to focus on but the other one's lips and body.
(That nothing is accomplished that day and the book stays unread is something they don't really mourn about).
Koushi glares at him and Eita can't really blame him for that.
Just when he was open enough to let this go further and show him his mark, Semi laughed as soon as the saw the chrysanthemum on the right side of his lower back. He thinks that Suga should give him credit because he does seem like he tries to apologise but it doesn't help to lessen the frustration.
Pulling his shirt back on, Suga steps away, arms crossed in front of his chest, starring him down.
“Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to, just –”
They had always wondered about this in their first year during training camps, whenever they couldn't sleep despite of the exhaustion, joking about it and now this. Semi can't believe it so the only thing he could do was laugh.
It isn't even that funny but he can't stop until he realises that the frustration on the other one's face became a mask to cover his hurt. Great job Eita, he thinks, making your boyfriend feel like he wants to cry.
“Sorry, I'm a dick for laughing and I won't do it again. I just know this tattoo. Will you forgive me?”
This doesn't seem apology enough to forgive him, not even to his own ears, but Suga comes closer again after unfolding his arms and his “Tell me?” is more like an order than a question.
“Do you really want to know?”
His eyes seem to sparkle and it is kind of adorable, makes Semi want to kiss him, though after this action he doubts that Suga would be happy about it, so instead, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, before a name leaves his lips.
“Ushijima.”
It takes Sugawara a second, the realisation sinking in that this is no joke, before he groans and buries his face in his hands. Semi applies this reaction to the fact that they used to be rivals and Ushijima could be a handful if one didn't know him long enough. He is wrong.
“Now you don't want to continue because you have to think about him.”
Semi doesn't like to know why he considers this possibility, it's an absurd thought in his opinion, so he doesn't ask, closes the last distance between them and wraps his arms around his waist instead.
“No. But maybe we should do something as often as we can so that I only associate it with you?”, Semi murmurs in his ear, sending a shiver down Sugawara's spine so that he removes his hands and they could look at each other.
“Maybe.”
He seems to think, his hands now behind Semi's back playing with the hem of his shirt like a distraction and just when Semi thinks that he intends to push him away, he tugs at it. He doesn't waste time to pull away and his shirt off, and the laugh it elicits the other one is worth the embarrassment Semi feels when he struggles to get it over his head. Suga helps him but doesn't pull his own shirt off – Semi knows that this is his fault. They wanted to do this step but he just fuelled his concern.
“Eita, stop looking so miserable”, Suga says, pushing him on the bed and sitting on his hips, thumb brushing his cheek, “Don't act like you just cheated on me.”
“I love you”, he says with so much fondness, not the first time though it still holds the same meaning when he confessed a week ago, after laying next to him in bed when they stopped kissing for the first time and just enjoyed the other one's presence.
“Love you too”, Sugawara replies, kissing his cheek, lips shifting to ghost over his mouth though instead of pressing them together, deciding on grazing his jaw with his teeth.
“Such a tease.”
“Hmm?”
Sugawara acts like has no idea what he is talking about, continues his way of appreciating Semi's body, something both do enjoy.
Still, Semi sighs inwardly.
He met more people who didn't give a damn about soulmates than ones who do and so he doesn't really know how to react, but he is sure about one thing: He wants to tell Suga. He wanted to for a while now but had no idea how Suga would have reacted, given that he didn't meet his own soulmate yet. Maybe he should have told him, hoping that Suga would have shown his mark and he could have told him then.
Now it didn't matter any more because it happened and there is only one thing left Semi thinks he should do.
“My soulmate is Shirabu”, he confesses, and it's enough, the simple sentence, to make Sugawara pause, to stop him from taking this a step further and instead of opening Semi's pants to look at him.
“Now we're even.”
This is not even but an entire new book, Suga wants to say, but he is speechless. While Semi had shown him the peacock feather between his shoulder blade once, he never mentioned who it was (Sugawara could tell that he knew his soulmate without any doubt), even though he was aware that Semi didn't really care about the soulmate concept; he does care, but in a different way Suga only learns later about.
“Come.”
Semi lets himself fall backwards, an arm around Suga's neck to pull him along and down for a kiss. Realising that this is all, that Semi doesn't have anything left to tell him about, Suga takes off his shirt this time after breaking the kiss and goes on with opening Semi's jeans by pulling down the zipper.
“Are you really fine with this?”
Semi wants to make sure about this a last time, his thumb brushing over the mark to emphasis his question. Sugawara's reply comes immediately with a firm “yes” and a wide grin, leaving no room for doubt.
Koushi made up his mind.
He would ask Semi about Shirabu later, or Ushijima first, and they would talk about this without being distracted by anything else. But now he would just enjoy being with him like that, exploring their relationship any more and looking forward to wake up next to him the following morning.
There wasn't much Sugawara would have expected when he had entered university.
However this doesn't matter because meeting Semi might have been fate, the person who is supposed to connect him with his soulmate attending the same team, but it could have been pure chance as well. It doesn't matter who is right about this, he or Semi, as long as he could wake up next to him, watch how he sleeps, scrunching his nose just before he would wake up. How he blinks a few times, almost frowning, until he sees Suga next to him and a smile begins to form.
Because laughing, smiling, just being happy around the other one is the simplest thing.