chapter 2

When the evaluations were done, Daichi and Suga compared notes on the new first years while Tanaka was doing some exercises with them.

“There’s room for improvement for the both of them.” Daichi states, “Kageyama has the talent and Hinata has raw potential but Kageyama is too controlling and barely works with a team while Hinata can be a team player but needs more practice on his receives and serves. But if we put these two together, we might see combination attacks that could take the court by storm. Question is would they be willing to work together given their past adversity?”

“Daichi, don’t tell me you don’t see it.”

“See what?”

“They may act aloof with each other, but the truth is that they already know the other’s strengths and weaknesses on an intimate level.”

“Wait… are you saying they’re…?” his caramel eyes widen.

“Yup, I’m not sure why they’re hiding it but if that’s their wish then we shouldn’t push for details.”

“You think they may have worked together already?”

“Hm, not in the way you’re suggesting, I think they’ve done one-on-one practices many times before but they haven’t discovered the potential of doing a combo.”

“You know if what you say is true then they wouldn’t be the only first year soulmate pair on the team.”

Suga’s eyes went wide, “Seriously?!”

“Yup, the recruits I met have a soulmark in the palm of their hands so like us they can’t exactly hide it.”

“So far that makes four pairs together with soulmarks while there’s an unsealed bond for those two.” tilting his head toward to the newbies as Tanaka was introducing them to Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita that showed up during the evaluations and began new exercises with them.

Then Kiyoko showed up and they updated her on how the new first years were looking to be promising players for the team.

Tanaka made eye-contact with her from across the gym and Kiyoko slightly smiled back, tapping on her clothed shoulder blade near her collarbone. Tanaka beamed and tapped his shoulder blade too.

A literal love tap, Sugawara couldn’t help but think, as it was adorable whenever Kiyoko shows her emotional side every now and then especially toward her own soulmate who eats it up like candy given to a child.

With her reclusive nature no one could guess that one of the prettiest girls in the school has already obtained a soulmate and that only the club’s third years plus one other person knew about this.

Her and Tanaka’s soulmark was a cut diamond which is fitting for the two of them as the term ‘hard as a rock’ came to Suga’s mind.

The soulmark belonging to him and Daichi was also very fitting for them, since their dispositions were reflections to the weather with Daichi having a thunderous personality and him being the shining sun to lift people’s moods when they need it.

It made him wonder what Kageyama and Hinata’s soulmark will look like.

Guess time will tell…

...----------------...

While it wasn’t the best of first impressions amongst the first years, Tsukishima in particular wasn’t friendly to the short ginger and raven-head since they rubbed him the wrong way.

The blonde mentioned to Kageyama during Saturday practice which had been a match between the first years to test their skills against each other and Shouyou and Tobio discovered their first combo attack this, “I heard how in your last middle school game you were on the verge of losing it on your team but seemed to have a change of heart at the last second.” he eyed Hinata dubiously causing the boy to blanch, “Any reason why?”

It was clear that the tall boy was on to them and really they should have realized it with him being half of a soulmate pair and a smart *** so he was bound to connect the dots.

Tobio grunted lowly so their upperclassmen couldn’t hear, “Just keep quiet about it and we won’t have any problems.”

Kei tsked, “Fine, it doesn’t matter to me anyway, I rather not be around when you two do seal your bond.”

The duo looked away feeling flustered.

...----------------...

“He’s a jerk but his and Yamaguchi’s mark is really awesome!” Hinata admitted while drying his hair from the bath he took in Tobio’s bathroom, already dressed in his sleepwear and taking a seat on the futon in his soulmate’s bedroom.

Kageyama was bouncing the volleyball while in his bed, being distracted, “I guess…”

“They’re shooting stars! It doesn’t get cooler than that!”

“Hmm…”

“I wonder what ours will look like or where it would be at.”

“Hm-mm…”

“Will you quit doing that?! I know you’re not listening to me!” he stomped over and grabbed the ball mid-air.

“Hey!” Tobio shouts angrily.

“Not until you tell me what’s troubling you!”

“I’m- I’m not troubled okay?!” trying to take the ball back but Shouyou kept dodging away.

“Something has been clearly bugging you since sensei said we have a practice game against Seijoh!”

“Like you’re one to talk! You been over nervous since the announcement!”

Suddenly Shouyou went green and his stomach churned, “Did you have to say that?! I was trying to keep it off my mind!” making a mad dash to the bathroom to throw up.

Tobio sighed, hearing the other’s heaving.

After a few minutes the ginger came back and went to lay on the futon with a groan.

Tobio shook his head, feeling strangely remorseful and began to gently lift the smaller boy in his arms like a princess carry.

“W-what are you doing?” Shouyou was shocked by this.

“If you’re too nervous about tomorrow you won’t be able to sleep right.” setting him onto his bed, “Miwa did this for me whenever I had nightmares.”

Shouyou felt a blush rushing to his cheeks, “W-We’re sleeping together?!”

“It’ll help settle your nerves if you have someone by you.”

The implications, Yama! The implications! Can’t you understand that?!

Apparently not as the ginger found himself squished against the taller boy in bed after Tobio turned off the lights.

How is this supposed to help me sleep?! Shouyou bemoaned in his head, before turning to find the other already fast asleep while softly breathing.

Jerk… how can he be so relaxed with this?

Eventually he started to calm down, focusing on shutting his eyes and his own breathing before slowly drifting off into slumber, unintentionally cuddling up to his soulmate while the other unknowingly wrapped his arms around him like a teddy bear.

...----------------...

Hinata and Kageyama sat in separate seats on the club’s bus feeling embarrassed from what happened this morning when they found themselves in an intimate position of being in each other’s arms.

It wasn’t a bad feeling… it was… kind-of nice… Tobio thought to himself and was too distracted to notice of what was happening at the back of bus until Tanaka let out a horrified scream.

Tobio looked back and saw the awful sight that was Tanaka’s puke covered pants.

Crap! I thought we took care of that last night!

Eventually they made it to Aobajohsai while Hinata profoundly apologized to Tanaka as the second-year tried to reassure him it was an accident.

Tobio tsked and grabbed the back of Shouyou’s jacket, “Come on, dummy.”

“Wha- Kageyama! Where are we going?!”

“Don’t rough him up!” Suga called out, hoping his words were heard.

The duo found the restrooms in the school.

“If you’re going puke make sure you do it in there.”

“I won’t!” but his nerves and stomach was telling him otherwise and he rushed in.

“Moron…”

“So you came after all.” said a voice.

Tobio turned to find Kindaichi with another guy that was obviously his new teammate at Seijoh.

“Of course I did, that was part of the condition wasn’t it? That I had to be the head setter?”

“That was the coach’s idea. I’m sure that pissed off your upperclassmen and I don’t blame them.”

“They were graceful about it actually but I didn’t like it either way, I should be earning my spot on the team.”

“Gee, you think so.” Kindaichi rolled his eyes, “But I guess that can’t be helped with you being called a protégé all throughout middle school. Never sat right with me on how you always got the attention. But I still can’t believe you changed your tune by that last game, you almost came down on us to the point we were about to stop playing altogether.”

The other’s eyes widen in horror from that revealing.

Shit! Had that actually happened… Had Shouyou not… He didn’t want to think about it.

“And even when we graduated you seemed to be different then and it’s the same now. What the hell happened?”

Kageyama wasn’t sure how to respond to that, a lot of things happened, but all of them had involved his soulmate one way or another. Speaking of… the ginger came out still looking a little green and clutching his stomach.

“I hate this so much!” he whined.

“Hey… wait…” Kindaichi uttered before pointing, “You’re that carrot-top from the tournament!”

“Turnip-head!” Hinata motioned.

Tobio and the other Seijoh player had to turn around to stifle their laughter at the food-based nicknames.

“And that’s another thing!” Kindaichi accused at the taller boy, “You never had a sense of humor before!”

By then Tanaka had found them before anything else could be said.

...----------------...

“I’m still nervous…” Hinata whimpered.

Tobio sighed deeply and took him off to the side by the gym doors so no one could see them and cupped the smaller’s cheeks.

The other was going bright red, stammering, “Y-Yama! W-what are you doing?!”

“Just shut up, okay! You did this for me now let me do this for you.”

Shouyou’s cheeks were still flushed but he caught on to what his soulmate was doing making him feel touched.