Chapter Text
The story of how Kageyama Tobio came to live with his soulmates isn’t altogether that interesting.
The story of how said soulmates still have no idea that he’s their soulmate after knowing each other for seven years is… a little more complicated.
December, 2011
No matter how much Tobio tried to manage his expectations around getting his soulmark on his 15th birthday, nothing could have quite prepared him for the almost immediate sense of dread and rejection that he felt.
It had been two months since his grandfather had passed and it was the first time since that Tobio felt any semblance of excitement. A part of him felt guilty for it as though he was betraying his grandfather by not still being gripped by an all-encompassing grief on the eve of his birthday. But his grandfather had always been excited for Tobio to meet his soulmates, so he did his best to let go of the feeling.
When he woke up on his fifteenth birthday, he looked down at his forearms and the little volleyball he had drawn the night prior searching for a response from his soulmate. Most people tended to write their names on themselves, or a quick introduction but that could come later. Above all, he first wanted to know—did his soulmate love volleyball as much as he did?
To his surprise and horror, the response read “cute iwa-chan! ♡” in familiar handwriting. Below it was a question mark, followed by “not me, kawa”.
There wasn’t anything after that, but Tobio didn’t really want to see anything else. It was obvious that he had two soulmates rather than one and they were perhaps the top two people in this world who wanted nothing to do with him. They had been his role models up until that night when Oikawa had almost hit him if not for Iwaizumi’s interference. Even then, Iwaizumi didn’t hesitate to run after Oikawa when the older setter rushed out of the gym without even sparing Tobio a quick “are you okay?”
Tobio clenched his hands into fists to stop them from shaking as he went to the bathroom to go about his morning routine with the added step of washing away the volleyball he had drawn so carefully last night.
December, 2011
As Tooru was getting ready for school, he spotted a new drawing from Hajime on his forearm. They didn’t often communicate by writing and drawing on their arms anymore since they were together every day and texted when they weren’t. Once in a while though, they felt a little more clingy, a little more grateful to really be each other’s soulmates —each other’s fated half—and couldn’t resist the need to draw on themselves for the other to see.
Tooru reached for a pen while smiling, writing out a quick “cute iwa-chan! ♡” and finished getting ready while periodically glancing at his forearm, waiting for Hajime’s response. Eventually it came, but the “? not me, kawa” left Tooru confused and uncomfortable.
What did Hajime mean it wasn’t him? That would mean—Tooru didn’t even want to think the words, but he had to, if only to dismiss the thought as quickly as it came. If it wasn’t Hajime, then it was another soulmate and there was no way that was the case. Since Tooru could remember, it was Hajime and him against the world, always.
There was no room in Tooru’s heart and therefore no possibility of a third soulmate. Hajime must be trying to prank him in an attempt to cheer him up since he’s been struggling with a new move they’ve been practicing. That must be it.
A few minutes later, the volleyball drawing was nowhere to be found. Hajime must have washed it off after realizing his prank wouldn’t work. Satisfied, Tooru grabbed a piece of toast and went to meet Hajime to walk to school together.