Work Text:
September 19, 2007 23:55
Koutarou sat on the edge of his bed, bouncing his knee and shaking the whole mattress. He lifted his arm, stared at his wrist, dropped his arm, then repeated the motion. Five more minutes. In just five minutes he'd know the name he'd been waiting for his whole life. In five minutes, he would know the name of his soul mate. In five minutes, he would know who he was looking for. Or maybe he already knew the person he was meant to find? He lifted his arm again and dropped it. Five minutes felt like an eternity.
"Kooootarooooou!" his older sisters cried as they shoved his bedroom door open, before rushing in and sitting on either side of him on the bed. His eldest sister grabbed his arm and let out a breath of air in a huff. "Nothing yet," she confirmed, disappointed, letting it fall out of her grasp.
"It's not midnight yet," his other sister reminded her, placing her hand gently on Koutarou's bouncing knee. He felt himself relax at her touch and his leg stilled.
He smiled gratefully at them before asking, "How much longer?" and peering at his alarm clock. 23:58.
"Soon," his middle sister said, absently looking at her own wrist before watching Koutarou's face. "How do you feel?"
"Excited, and a little nervous," Koutarou told her, honestly. His sisters nodded and leaned into him, enveloping him in a group hug. He sighed into their embraces, feeling his racing heart begin to slow. His eldest sister rubbed his back and he closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing.
Then he felt a sharp pain.
His eyes shot open and he let out a hiss, watching as a thin red outline began to mark his wrist. The pain lasted only a few seconds and then the red faded, leaving behind the thin black outline of a feather with a name inside.
"Azumane Asahi," he slowly read aloud.
His sisters shared a look above him and then smiled. "Do you know him?" his middle sister asked, already knowing the answer.
"No," Koutarou confirmed with a shake of his head, but he couldn't help but grin. "But I know I'll meet him one day. I'm sure it'll be fun looking for him."
"I wonder if he'll have a volleyball for a brain like you do," his eldest sister quipped and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Maybe he'll also be an ace!" he exclaimed, holding the hand of his newly tattooed arm up triumphantly. "The heart of a team!"
His sisters laughed with him and pulled him down into another cuddle pile. They hadn't had a sibling sleep-over in years, not since his middle sister had received her own soulmark, and Koutarou chuckled as they ruffled his hair.
December 31, 2007 23:55
Asahi was pacing his room. His parents and sister had offered to be with him when midnight hit, but he'd told them no. He knew that everyone ended up with a soulmark, and it was up to them to figure out whether it would be romantic or platonic… but what if he didn't? What if he was the one person fated to not have anyone important in his life? What if he was the one person who wasn't destined to have a partner? What if he was the one person the universe decided should be alone?
No.
He didn't want to risk nothing appearing on his wrist and having to put on a brave face for his family. He was going to handle this alone, come what may. And if he heard his sister shuffling outside of his door nervously, he ignored it. He could handle it. He would handle it. He was going to be fine. Everything would be fine. Right?
He looked nervously at the clock. 23:59. He took a deep breath, grounding himself. One minute. One minute until everything, or maybe nothing, changed. He'd heard that it could hurt, so he decided to sit, just in case the pain was overwhelming.
He settled in his chair and in the next instant, there was a pinprick on his wrist. He watched as a thin, red glow left its mark on his wrist before disappearing. There, a feather, with a name inside.
He let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't going to be alone.
Then he frowned as he read the name. "Bokuto Koutarou." He didn't know who it was, but that was okay. There was someone out there. He wasn't alone.
"Asahi?" he heard his sister tentatively call from the door. He smiled and let out another breath in relief. He isn't alone.
"You can come in," he called.
July 2012
A few years later, Asahi still hadn't found his soulmate, but even if he never did, he’d come to learn that truly would never be alone. Daichi and Suga had grown as close to him as brothers, and he loved the rest of their eclectic team and would do anything for them. They may have had their rough moments, but things were finally coming together. Things were going to be okay.
After having gotten the chance to fly again, they'd been invited to the summer training camp with Nekoma and a few other Tokyo teams. Sure, Hinata and Kageyama were going to be a bit late, but they would make it, he was sure of it. Those two could do anything as long as it was for volleyball.
He looked around his new surroundings, smiling at Tanaka and Nishinoya's enthusiasm. "Tokyo really doesn't look much different from Miyagi," he commented, nodding along when Suga mentioned they were in the suburbs, after all. The team gathered together and he followed a bit behind Kuroo and Daichi, coming to a stop when they reached the doors.
Kuroo, who had been playing an amused tour guide, changed his entire demeanor as turned to them. "Once you're changed and ready, head to the gym," he informed them, all previous good humor gone and his tone serious. "Everyone else is already here," he said, almost as a threat. Asahi gulped and steeled himself. He was the ace. The backbone of the team. Kuroo wasn't going to intimidate him. Even if he was doing a good job of trying.
They quickly got themselves ready and entered the gym where Kuroo explained the rules. Go around to the different times, play a set, do dive drills if you lose. As Kuroo had warned, everyone else was already present and either warming up or already playing, so Karasuno quickly got themselves together and officially joined the camp.
They'd played a few matches before pairing up against Fukurodani, having had no time to introduce themselves to anyone outside of Nekoma. They'd have the opportunity to get to know each other during breaks after the matches, but for now, the focus was on volleyball.
Karasuno fought hard, even though they were clearly outmatched. Asahi was focused and they managed to keep the score close at first, but soon Fukurodani began to pull away. Before long, the score was at sixteen to twenty-four with the other team at match point when the ball flew at Nishinoya, who delivered an excellent receive. "Nice dig, Nishinoya!" someone shouted and the ball came to Asahi and he spiked it with all his strength, hoping desperately to make the point and keep the game going just a bit longer. He watched, helplessly, as the spiky haired number seven blocked it, golden eyes glinting, sending the ball back into their side of the court. Asahi's heart sank as he heard the whistle blow, signaling the end of the match, but then he choked when he heard the other team shout, "Nice job, Bokuto!”
He turned to watch as Fukurodani slapped number seven on the back in celebration for just a moment before Suga patted his shoulder. "We'll get 'em next time," he promised and gestured for Asahi to follow as they began yet another round of diving drills.
Asahi spent the rest of the day in a daze. He played as hard as he could, he celebrated when Hinata and Kageyama showed up, he ached from the diving drills. And he kept an ear out whenever they were near Fukurodani. By the end of their practice matches, he was certain.
Fukurodani's ace was Bokuto Koutarou. Their ace was his destined partner.
Asahi sat on a bench after cool downs, drinking his water while lost in thought, when Suga and Daichi came up on either side of him. "What's got you so distracted?" Suga asked, as if he didn't know, and nonchalantly took a sip of his own water. "See someone that caught your eye?" He grinned and nudged Asahi's hand.
Asahi groaned and dropped his head. "I never should have told you his name," he grumbled.
Daichi laughed from his other side and playfully shoved his shoulder. "I'm sure Kuroo would be willing to introduce the two of you. Hell, Kuroo probably realized it before anyone else did. That cat is shrewd."
Asahi jumped as he heard a cackle from behind them. "C'mon. I convinced coach to let you guys join the training camp and you insult me behind my back? Not very sportsman-like, Sawamura," Kuroo snarked, and Daichi rolled his eyes. "But I assure you, everything I do is out of the goodness of my own heart."
Kuroo moved to stand in front of Asahi and bent over so they were eye to eye. "Like this information that I will share for free. If a crow wanted to find an owl, all he'd have to do is go over to the third gym." He slapped his hands against his knees and stood straight. "See? Another good deed done. I'll see you crows later," Kuroo gave a short wave and walked back towards his own team.
"He's so annoying," Suga huffed and Asahi smiled.
"But unfortunately, he is helpful," Daichi added, but Asahi could see that it pained him to admit it. "Let's go."
Asahi's grin faded as he was forced to stand by his friends. "Go where?" he asked them and Suga smirked. "We're going to walk with you to the third gym."
Asahi's eyes widened and he shook his head, but his feet followed as they made their way out. "I don't know if I'm ready," he said quietly but Suga patted his shoulder.
"Is anyone ever ready to meet their soulmates, really?" he asked, almost wistfully, and Asahi winced. Suga's first meeting with his own soulmate hadn't exactly been romantic, but that was a story for another day. Asahi was fairly certain they were at least on a texting basis, at any rate.
"You're ready," Daichi reassured him. "You're the heart and soul of our team. He's the heart and soul of his. You two will be a perfect match."
Asahi took a deep breath and forced a smile, feeling his confidence improve with each step. They were right. He may not be ready, but he was going to be confident. It would be okay. It would work out.
He entered the third gym, not noticing that Suga and Daichi stood by the entrance, supporting him but letting him take the last steps on his own.
The two Fukurodani players paused in their practice, the volleyball falling to the ground and bouncing between them. The setter turned to watch his partner curiously.
The silver and black haired ace looked at Asahi for just a moment, eyes shining bright like stars, before bursting into a bright smile. He ran over and before Asahi could say anything, he felt himself enveloped in a tight hug. Asahi had never liked being hugged or touched by strangers, but this was warm, comforting, and right. It was everything he needed in that moment, and it felt like his heart and soul melded with the other’s. He raised his own arms and returned the gesture.
They had no need to introduce themselves.
Their souls already knew.