Work Text:
Atsumu’s PoV
"I'm dyein' it blond," Atsumu declared while staring intently at Osamu, a silent dare to argue.
And, as expected, Osamu didn't disappoint, huffing and shooting him a disapproving look. "Ya really gonna do that to yer soulmate?"
Atsumu scoffed and rolled his eyes—bright, blazing orange, hard to ignore. "He obviously didn't care.” He hummed and went back to checking out the options of hair dye in front of him. “Maybe ma will let me get contacts. Brown eyes could make it less obvious who I'm settin' ta on court."
Osamu stuttered and stared at Atsumu in disbelief. "Yer doin this for volleyball? ‘sides yer eyes have been orange since we were two, according to Ma. ‘One day clear, then orange. Scared the heck out of me when ya woke up,’” Osamu quoted, and Atsumu grunted, ignoring him otherwise. “I don't think yer soulmate did it on purpose."
Atsumu shrugged and picked up a box of hair dye from the shelf. "Gotta make it harder to track my decisions. Orange makes it too easy for the other team."
Osamu sighed, but let the topic drop for now, choosing instead to scan the options of hair dye in front of him curiously.
"Ya gonna dye yer hair, too?"
"...maybe."
In Atsumu's second year, Inarizaki made it to Nationals with him as the starting setter, and, naturally, he expected that they were going to win, not get brought down by a team led by the 'obedient child’ Tobio. Though, Atsumu did have to admit, somewhat begrudgingly, that the Kageyama that played against Inarizaki was not the same Kageyama that attended the Training Camp, and that fiery red-head with ridiculous piercing yellow eyes was almost certainly the reason.
Their middle blocker decoy was full of hunger for the game that Atsumu could feel rival his own. The loss was a bitter one and yet he couldn't help but feel the excitement of one day playing with him and not against him. A hitter who could make the most of any set sent his way? Atsumu was intrigued and so determined that he even declared his intentions to one day set for him at the end of the match, ignoring Osamu's eyeroll and subsequent taunting of his dramatics. Atsumu knew what he wanted, so why not announce it for the world to hear?
It wasn't until that evening, when all the matches had finished and they sat alone to eat, that Osamu made an observation, one that should have changed Atsumu's world, and one that was delivered in a monotone through a downright ludicrous mouthful of onigiri.
"That kid's eyes were the same obnoxious yellow as your hair."
Atsumu whirled to face him, coughing on his own onigiri. "What are ya talkin' about?"
Osamu shrugged and continued to eat like he hadn't said anything at all.
Atsumu thought back to the match, frowning. Yeah, the middle blocker’s eyes were yellow, but that didn't mean anything. There was that tall annoying blond on his team, not to mention the amount of other blonds in the world. It meant nothing.
And yet.
He found he couldn't get him out of his mind. The way he played, his passion, his blinding personality, the way he influenced everyone around him, making the most of every play no matter what…
Atsumu found himself looking forward to being able to play that team again since, surely, those crows were going to make it back to Nationals.
And, Atsumu was right, as usual—Karasuno returned to Nationals and their teams went head to head in an intense rematch. That hitter, Hinata Shoyou, as he had since learned, was as much a powerhouse as ever. He flew around the court, drawing attention away from his teammates so they could score, while also using that infuriating quick to score his own points. His passion, no, his hunger, for volleyball had clearly only grown in the last year, and he played each volley as if it would be the game winning point. Atsumu couldn't help but be mesmerized, struggling not to fall victim to Karasuno's plot to have all the attention on the tiny spitfire. The teams kept the score close, and, despite his obsession, Atsumu knew that Inarizaki would be the victors.
But then, near the end of the game, sweat dripped into Atsumu's eyes. He tried to ignore the stinging at first, but it quickly turned to a burning that threatened his perfect setting and, so, not wanting to risk the game over being weak, he was forced to signal for a time out.
"What's wrong, Atsumu?" his coach asked with concern once they filed off the court, his teammates taking the opportunity to catch a breath and drink.
"My stupid contacts," Atsumu grumbled. "Sweat's irritatin'' 'em." By the time he was able to remove them and return to the court, Atsumu's eyes were blazing what he knew were a bright, fiery orange. He heard gasps from the other team and smirked—good. Let them be intimidated.
The game ended with an Inarizaki win and Atsumu was too busy celebrating to notice the continued shocked and knowing expressions on the other side of the court. He didn't even get the chance to restate his desire to set for Hinata, because by the time their celebrations were done, Karasuno had already disappeared, but that was okay. He knew that he would be seeing him before long since he was immediately moving into the pro-leagues after high school, and Hinata would surely be following behind a year later.
It's rare, but sometimes, occasionally, Atsumu was wrong. Not about his hair dye—the fact that he had changed the color to be a little less of a bright yellow and a little more toned down and natural had nothing to do with his being right or wrong. No, this time, Atsumu was wrong about Hinata.
He was wrong for not getting his number. He was wrong for not making the attempt to talk to him after Nationals. He was so certain he was going to see him in the pro-leagues and get the chance to set for him that when he ran into Kageyama—the new setter for the Adlers of all teams—he was shocked.
"He's going to Brazil?" Surely Atsumu hadn't heard him properly.
Kageyama stared at him as if he was the one to say something so ridiculous. "Yes. He's going to switch to beach volleyball. He says it will help him learn and then he'll come back here."
Atsumu looked at him, speechless, and before he could ask for more information, Hoshiumi called out and Kageyama went running.
Brazil?
And, so, Atsumu kept an eye out in the volleyball world, both nationally and internationally. Kageyama didn't seem the type to make jokes, but Atsumu was sure he had to have been joking and that he'd see Hinata showing up at try-outs any day now. Or maybe he'd make it onto a D2 team before making it to D1. Regardless, how was Atsumu supposed to set for Hinata if he was in Brazil?
And yet, when he finally found news about Hinata, Kageyama was, regrettably, right. He was definitely in Brazil, and he sure was making a name for himself. The small Japanese decoy with the fiery orange hair and soft yellow eyes—they used to be much brighter, Atsumu was certain—was doing just as Kageyama said. Atsumu was amazed as he observed his growth from afar, watching as Hinata picked up new skills and tactics left and right, even feeling proud when he became known as Ninja Shoyou, showing that he was clearly well-loved by his Brazilian fans. Hinata's journey took him through different partners, different obstacles, and through it all, Atsumu saw the continual drive and push to improve himself, to make the best of each set on the court, and the endless joy and passion volleyball brought him that rivaled Atsumu’s own.
"I'm still gonna set for ya one day," he declared again to his phone screen as Ninja Shoyou put up a perfect set to his partner. Atsumu absolutely wasn't feeling jealous that so many others had gotten to partner with Hinata and he still hadn't. Not at all.
Atsumu had a larger role in the MSBY try-outs than he'd ever had before now that he was finally the starting setter, and he was the one who got to test the potential new recruits and how well they would fit on the team.
First, there were Aran's old ace rivals, Bokuto Koutarou and Sakusa Kiyoomi, nearly automatic placements on the team. Then there were a few try-hards that weren't quite up to snuff and a few others that could potentially be beneficial to the team. And, finally, like the shining ray of sunshine he was, there was Hinata Shoyou, fresh from Brazil.
It may have only been try-outs, but Atsumu finally got to set for him and he knew immediately that everything was as it should be, and he would be the perfect partner, just as he had predicted years ago. Thankfully, Coach Foster agreed and offered Hinata a spot on the team, unsurprising to Atsumu. He was usually right, after all, and he had declared he'd set for Hinata one day, and for that to happen, they had to be on the same team. To him, there had been no doubt about Hinata making it onto the team.
Throughout the entire try-outs, however, something kept seeming out of place, and it wasn't until the end that Atsumu realized what was wrong.
Hinata's eyes were no longer the soft yellow they had been while in Brazil—they were brown.
Osamu's comment years ago had started something in the back of Atsumu's mind and a part of him had wondered, and maybe even hoped, even as they were an ocean apart, slowly coming to terms with a crazy idea.
But Hinata's eyes were brown.
They were only destined to be partners in volleyball, nothing more. And, considering they had hardly spoken, Atsumu wasn't sure why the realization hit him so hard once he found himself alone in the gym.
Hinata’s PoV
Hinata let out a sigh of relief once he was back in the hotel room and able to remove the contacts. He hated wearing them, and typically wouldn't have bothered, but the yellow of his eyes was just a bit too similar…he shook his head, not wanting his thoughts to go there. He wanted to prove that he could stand on his own, and the best way to do that was to make sure his eyes were as unremarkable as possible.
But they itched and they didn't feel or look right. Hinata stared at the mirror, blinking at the unfamiliar sight. They had been brown once, long ago, a deep brown that looked almost black, but then they'd been yellow—first a bright, bright yellow before softening to a more golden glow—for so long, it felt like a stranger looking back at him. He blinked again, remembering that first game, and not being able to tell the twins apart, until the setter had pointed at him and declared that he'd set for him one day, and Hinata had felt something in him shift.
"Oh look, he's got the same piss yellow hair as your eyes," Tsukishima had drawled behind him with a nasty chuckle. But Hinata watched the other side of the court as the team moved away dejectedly, obviously disappointed by their loss. The setter, who he would later learn was Miya Atsumu, did have the right hair color, but his eyes weren't orange. Yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about him. Karasuno kept in touch with all of their rivals—except Inarizaki, but Hinata watched for news about them, anyway, something about Atsumu entrancing him.
Then they made it to Nationals again, playing Inarizaki in a rematch. The game was just as intense as ever, and Hinata was so focused, he didn't notice anything amiss at first when Yamaguchi gasped. Then Kageyama grunted, "Miya's eyes match your hair."
Hinata called him an idiot—his eyes were brown! But then he really focused and saw a pair of bright orange eyes staring through him and he couldn't help his own intake of breath before refocusing on the game.
Unfortunately, Karasuno lost, but as he watched their celebration on the other side of the net, his attention kept being stolen by Atsumu. He was screaming and crying in joy, holding his brother, high fiving his teammates, and every so often, Hinata could see the flash of orange that he knew must match his own hair, Tsukishima's comment from a year ago whispering and looping in the back of his mind.
But, Atsumu was graduating and planning to go pro, at least according to the rising stars of volleyball profile he had done in that magazine. Hinata, on the other hand, knew that it was going to take him a while longer before he could even attempt the pro league, and he didn't want either of them to be distracted from their dreams.
And so, he left with Karasuno in quiet defeat and quiet contemplation.
One day he would stand on the court with Atsumu on equal terms and only then would he consider that they might potentially be soulmates.
Of course, that didn't stop him from following Atsumu's career even while he was in Brazil. He was the youngest rookie on MSBY the year he graduated, a reliable setter who worked hard, helping to bring his team far, but never quite able to take MSBY to a tournament win despite getting closer and closer each year.
The years in Brazil passed both slowly and quickly and before long, Hinata found himself returning to Japan. Yamaguchi and Yachi had offered to pick him up from the airport, allowing him a few days at home to reset and recharge before he began to attend tryouts.
"Don't you think it's a bit coincidental that you're back just in time to try-out for MSBY?" Yamaguchi asked him knowingly from the driver's seat, sounding a bit too much like Tsukishima.
"It's destiny!" Yachi yelled loudly in the backseat, hitting Hinata's seat and making Yamaguchi laugh. Hinata smiled, ignoring the growing anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Coincidence, destiny, a little stalking a certain setter's social media to learn when tryouts were going to be…Whatever you called it, Hinata was going to MSBY first, while wearing brown contacts just in case.
Then, happily, all of his efforts over the last few years had paid off and he was joining Bokuto and Sakusa as fresh recruits to the team, while finally having the chance for Atsumu to fulfill his promise to one day set for him.
Hinata blinked again, stepping away from the mirror. His time for reminiscing was over and he needed to get a good night's rest so that he was prepared for the following day.
The first practice went like a dream—Hinata and Atsumu's chemistry on the court was undeniable, and they were able to make plays that matched, and would certainly surpass with more time, anything that either had been capable of individually in high school. It felt like things were finally coming together after all this time.
"Yeah! That spike was awesome! They ain't ever gonna see that comin', even that annoying Tobio," Atsumu exclaimed after their final set, hands held high.
Hinata jumped up to return the high-five, landing lightly on his feet. "Thanks, Atsumu," Hinata said, desperately trying to catch his breath from the hard practice, but smiling nonetheless.
"Yer so amazin'! You musta picked up a ton of skills in Brazil, yer gonna have to show me what else ya got goin' on in there, Ninja Shoyou," Atsumu continued, tapping Hinata’s head and then patting him on the back as they began to head towards the locker rooms.
"Yeah," Hinata laughed, but then Atsumu's words fell into place and he stopped. Atsumu, too, froze, slowly turning to look at him. "How'd you know about that?"
"About what?" Atsumu deflected with a laugh, looking around for help. Bokuto and Inunaki both paused but Sakusa gave them a shove, telling them to stop being so nosy and leave them be, the three disappearing into the locker room and leaving Atsumu and Hinata alone.
"Ninja Shoyou," Hinata said slowly, tilting his head as he observed Atsumu.
Atsumu’s bright orange eyes widened and he was clearly debating something before shrugging. "I followed ya," he finally said, having apparently settled for telling the truth. "I was excited to see ya again after high school, but then Tobio said you went to Brazil. I may have looked ya up," Atsumu explained and then coughed something that sounded suspiciously like "a few times." He met Hinata's eyes, looked away, and then looked back, brow furrowing as he focused on his expression.
Hinata smiled, letting out a small laugh. "I looked you up, too. That was a hard loss to the Adlers at the end of the last season."
All of a sudden, Atsumu's energy returned in a huff, orange eyes blazing. "Those freaking Adlers, this season, this season we're gonna show 'em! They ain't gonna get us this time! We're gonna show them who should be on top!"
Now it was Hinata's turn to pat Atsumu on the back and at the touch, Atsumu deflated, letting out a sigh. "I was hopin’ to set for ya immediately after high school, ya know."
Hinata gave a little half shrug. "I had things to learn before I was ready to go pro, but I'm here now, Atsumu," he said seriously, and Atsumu turned to him.
Neither were wearing their contacts as their gazes locked. Hinata could see the fiery orange in Atsumu's eyes, and knew he was seeing a sunshine-y yellow, reminiscent of a beachy summer sun, in return.
"I'm sorry it's taken so long," Hinata continued, as neither moved to look away. "Do you want to get dinner together? I'd love to get to know you for real, not just what I've seen online."
Atsumu broke first, eyes closing in what looked to be relief, before reopening one eye and giving Hinata a lazy smile. "Sure," he agreed, obviously trying to both look and sound cool, but the slight catch in his voice gave away his nervousness.
Hinata pretended not to hear the little startled yelp Atsumu made when he reached out to take his hand as they finished making their way to the locker rooms.