"It huuuuuurts," Hinata cries, holding his right knee in pain. A harsh sting travels around it, like he's just cracked his kneecap open, or something. In the midst of his pain, he remembers to thank his soulmate for this, whoever that dumb ass is. Tanaka snorts from the seat behind him, leaning over to level him with an amused expression.
"Wow, Shouyo's soulmate must be a real beast if he's always getting hurt like this," he teases, and everyone soon joins in. Kageyama shifts beside him, pushing his earbuds deeper into his ears to block things out. "He's always getting hurt on his knees; maybe your soulmate is into those activities." Hinata blushes, and Tanaka bursts into a round of laughter.
In an act of betrayal, Sugawara-san joins in to make teasing jokes about what Hinata's soulmate is probably doing, and Hinata doesn't have the heart to tell him to stop. It brings laughter to a few of their teammates, and it's something they'll probably need for this practice-match. He'd been fidgeting the whole bus ride to their opponent's school, and this little moment of glee really is what he needs.
After a while, the bus finally comes to a stop, and the temporary relief Hinata had felt dissipates. Takeda-sensei stands at the head of the bus to give a speech on trying their best, and Daichi soon follows. Hinata's still not used to having such a big--and great--team, and the overwhelming sense of happiness overtakes him. Gosh, he loves the volleyball club. As they clamber out of the bus, Tanaka manages one more crack at his soulmate, before Daichi shushes him, standing at the door of the high school they're playing against today. They all file in, politely, and Hinata only catches one last glance at the sign in front.
Aoba Jōsai Kōkō.
"I don't think that's their official setter," Kageyama mentions during the break between sets. Hinata blinks, and goes to further question, before he's interrupted by the cheers of teenage girls. He whirls around, catching sight of someone who has to be an upperclassmen, because he's never seen a first year look that handsome. The team on the other side of the court visibly relaxes, and the fear in Hinata's stomach settles in deep.
"Ah, is this team causing us problems," the upperclassmen says, nonchalantly stretching his arms over his head. The coach scolds him for being late, and the guy has the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry, physical therapy takes a while," he lightly mentions, and the coach scowls.
From beside him, Kageyama instantly tenses up. It doesn't take long for them to pry the details out of him, as he seems all too ready to warn his teammates about the mighty Oikawa Tooru, and his horrible personality. A senpai of the King, Hinata idly wonders, as they get back into the match, the Great King.
"Great King!" Hinata shouts, raising his hands and waving them madly. "Aim it at me, I'll receive it; aim it here!" There's the distinct sound of a hand hitting someone's forehead, and Hinata doesn't need to look back to know that it's Tsukishima. Whatever, that bean pole should be thankful that Hinata's adverting the Great King's attention from him.
There's a tinkling laugh from the other side of the court, and Hinata focuses his attention there once again. The Great King is laughing, the ball held loosely between his hand and his hip. He almost looks like a model for a sports fashion line. Tantalizing brown eyes turn their gaze on Hinata, and he can't help the ruby flush that travels up his cheeks. Oikawa Tooru smiles at him, before calling out, "alright."
The air leaves Hinata's lungs, because he hadn't expected for the player on the other side of the court to take his demands seriously. He'd expected to be told to shut up by Tsukishima or Kageyama or both, and then to have Daichi quickly change their positions in the few seconds that everyone was startled by his outburst. He had not expected (or really wanted, for that matter) for the Grand King to accept his challenge.
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Soulmates
FanfictionSet during Aoba Johsai's and Karavuno's first practice match, Soulmate AU where you feel your soulmate's pain & vice versa.