Chapter Text
“Why is it always me?” Kageyama mumbles to himself.
It wasn’t meant to be like this.
This isn’t what he wanted, it’s not somewhere he wanted to be, so could he please just leave and could everyone forget this ever happened.
Kageyama walked into the room, sitting dejectedly near the back of the room.
He didn’t want to be here, in this classroom with the word “SOULMATES” scrawled on the blackboard. Why would he? Why would anyone?
For some reason, Karasuno had decided to run mandatory workshops to tell kids about the real world. There were workshops on changing tires, cooking, yoga, literally everything.
They got given preference sheets to fill out, so they could be sorted into groups.
Of course, this course had gone last on his list, because really, where else would it of gone? He had absolutely 0 interest in soulmates, considering he didn’t have one.
As the teacher walked in, and started rambling on about the 6 week course they’d be taking, Kageyama started out the window, praying for something, anything, to get out of this class.
Hinata, however, who was sitting in front of him, was practically vibrating with excitement. What else did he expect from that idiot though, really. He was taking notes and everything, like it was some big serious class with multiple tests.
Kageyama disguised a snigger, Hinata was taking it more seriously than he did his actual classes.
I mean, it was one thing to actually talk about soulmates. It was another thing entirely for it not to remotely affect you.
Like, at least it could impact everyone else here in some way, like, they had a chance for all this soulmate stuff to matter.
But not for him.
He couldn’t have a matching birthmark with anyone, because he didn’t have a birthmark. Not that he went around advertising that, but it was always there, nagging at him.
Conversations always seemed to, eventually, turn back to soulmates.
Soulmates, apparently, according to what the teacher had written on the board, were two or more people, sharing the same shaped birthmark on the same spot, mirroring each other.
Kageyama was a rarity, one of like 7 in the world, who didn’t have a birthmark. And that didn’t mean his partner didn’t have one either, no, it meant that he didn’t have a partner.
It was like being labeled asexual while being unable to know what any other sexuality felt like.
Granted, it was damn near impossible for him to make friends, and he hated basically everyone, but that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be nice to know there was someone else out there for him.
Kageyama groaned softly, hating his current train of thought and just wanting to ignore this whole class. At this point, all he wanted to do was play Volleyball in peace, and maybe get a hang of the new toss he’d been working on.
The bell rang and Kageyama was snapped out of his self-deprecating daze, pulled out of the classroom by sheer willpower and a slightly unhealthy need to play volleyball.
***
Of course, because of that class, soulmates and birthmarks were the only thing really on Kageyama’s mind.
But, I mean, it’s not like he had a lack of things to talk about when it came to the people on his team.
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were always talking and just generally around each other. They’d known each other since they were babies, and had also known they were soulmates. They tried to keep it on the down low, but it really didn’t work. They didn’t do much PDA, but they were practically connected at the hip, though a lot of people just took that to mean they were really close friends.
Daichi and Suga, on the other hand, you knew they were together. The disgustingly large amounts of PDA and general handsy way they were with each other, even in public, was slightly sickening.
And then there was Nishinoya and Asahi, who you wouldn’t believe, even if you got told. Asahi didn’t really act that different around Nishinoya-senpai compared to other people, but you could see that there was something more in his smile when it was directed at Nishinoya, than at anyone else.
Kageyama huffed to himself, quickly getting into the clubroom and getting changed, hoping he would miss Hinata and the undoubted rantings about soulmates and birthmarks. So far, he’d managed to completely avoid the topic with his team, and he felt no need to bring it up now.
He got changed rather quickly and grabbing his water bottle, going to the door
“... and I just think it would be so.. Like GWWWWWWWWWWAH when I finally meet them you know? Like, someone you’re literally made for, it would be SO COOL!”
He can hear Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai laugh at their kouhai’s enthusiasm for literally everything
“Well, it’s not really like that...” he hears Nishinoya-senpai say “It’s more like a.... shwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!” he says, as if that makes it any more easy to understand.
‘Damn it’, he thought to himself, his eyebrow twitching in minor annoyance, ‘why did Hinata have to be so goddamn fast in getting here, 30 more seconds and I could’ve just gone to practice and tried to forget this whole ordeal. ‘
He quickly opens the door and pushes past the trio, ignoring the various “Hello”s and “Where’s the fire?”s that he hears.
***
Practice is painfully slow, Daichi making them run laps and work on overall fitness instead of actually playing volleyball, much to Kageyama’s annoyance.
Seriously, the one thing that’s kept him sane all day and it’s taken away from him.
I mean, he knew today was gonna suck, he did have double maths after all, but this is ridiculous. That, mixed with Hinata’s incessant ramblings about soulmates made practice literally the last place he wanted to be.
As Coach Ukai finally blew the whistle to end practice, Kageyama couldn’t be more relieved. Now he could go home, wallow in self pity and maybe do some homework.
Kageyama snorted, ‘Good joke’ he thought, walking with the group to the changing rooms.
***
He finally got back to his locker, getting changed back.
However, fate was not kind enough to leave it at that
“Hey, Kageyama, what’s your mark?” ask Hinata.
Now, Kageyama froze.
And if Hinata had been wearing anything but the most innocent smile in the world, Kageyama would’ve slapped him. Things being as they were, he settled from grinding his teeth together in annoyance.
“It’s not any of your business” He says pointedly, not looking away from his bag as he repacks it.
“I-But I mean, I can never it see it when we’re changing..” He can practically hear the pout in Hinata’s voice
“So it has to be somewhere really weird, like in your hair or something!” Hinata concludes, his eyes shining a bit “That’s so COOL!”
Kageyama can feel his eyebrow twitching as he hits Hinata on the head, the casual abuse he’s grown used to giving out being his default reaction to anything dumb or embarassing Hinata says.
“I said it was none of your business” He all but growls at the boy. He knows he’s pouting but ignores it in the hope that he can get out before anyone else brings it up, quickly packing up the rest of his bag.
“Yeah, actually, Hinata does have a point” Tsukishima murmurs, smirking, mutters to himself “Never thought I’d say that outloud..”
Hinata just looks like he’d found God
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a reasonable enough question, it’s not like anyone here’s gonna think it’s weird Kageyama, you know about everyone else’s so it’s hardly fair” says Daichi, grinning.
Unfair bastard, always taking pity on Hinata’s puppy dog eyes. Maybe it’s because of Suga. Probably.
“You know, I really don’t wanna talk about this. Can we just drop it? Please?” he asks softly, folding up his clothes
“But Kageyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaa” whines Hinata, tugging on his sleeve like a little kid “It can’t be that bad! Come on! I won’t even make you show us! Pleeeeeeeeeease”
God damn it, one person shouldn’t be allowed to be that cute.
“Fine. But only if you show me yours...” He replies. Thinking back, Hinata has never really joined in on the conversation about soulmates, never shown off his birthmark like people would expect him to. He sees Hinata shrug and nod like an overexcited puppy
“Yeah, okay!” he says, pulling off his shirt like it burnt him or something and turning to show Kageyama his back
'Shit' is the only thing Kageyama can think.
“Just on my shoulder..” He says softly, and, sure enough, on his left shoulder blade it’s unmistakably there. A small, pencil shaped mark.
At this point, he’s not the only one looking at Hinata’s back, many of their teammates are also crowded around him.
He feels a pang of regret at agreeing to this, thinking Hinata would've say no. He thought maybe, maybe, he wouldn’t do it and he wouldn’t have to tell them.
He also feels a bit upset about seeing the mark, but he puts that down to not wanting to tell everyone.
But hey, today was a shit day, he already knew that.
Everyone was suddenly commenting on what it could mean and similar marks they’d seen, getting Hinata really riled up.
Eventually he put his shirt back on and Kageyama felt a hint of what seemed like disappointment.
However, he got no time to question this feeling as he was asked the dreaded question:
“So, what about yours?”
Hinata looked so damn innocent and nice and sweet in that moment, god damn it.
“I.. I don’t have one” He said softly, clenching his fists at his sides.
Hinata blinked and the room went quiet
“You don’t... have one?” asked Hinata, sounding confused.
All Kageyama could do was nod. The room was silent, as if trying to process this.
“Well what’re the odds! Me either!” bellows Tanaka from the other side of the room, coming over to slap him on the back in what was supposed to be a friendly way, but hurt more than comforted him.
Tanaka-senpai, always trying to diffuse the tension.
“So, how about I take Mr. No mark here outside and we can bond over similar romance-less lives” He says dramatically, sounding like he’s joking, but Kageyama can hear the serious undertones to his voice.
Kageyama could do little but nod, shaking slighty and letting Tanaka guide him outside.