Chapter Text
Loving you from a distance.
It was only during practice did Hinata mention to Yamaguchi that his mark had changed to a bright pastel yellow color.
“What did you say?” Yamaguchi questioned, furrowing his brows at Hinata who, in the span of 20 minutes, had been fidgeting with the hem of his uniform. He looked away with his cheeks turning a rosy pink color.
“My color changed…” he answered simply, puffing out his rosy cheeks. Yamaguchi stared t him while processing the information. Mine didn’t…Tsukki’s color also didn’t change? That could only mean…
“Did you check Kageyama’s wrist?” the evergreen-haired teen asked, his smile fading away. I don’t know what I would do if Kageyama turns out to be Hinata’s soulmate…but… but what? Because I know Hinata likes—
“Kageyama’s didn’t change,” Hinata replied after recalling earlier when he snatched the aforementioned teen’s wrist to check his mark. “Yours didn’t change either…does that mean…?”
Kageyama’s mark didn’t change? Then who…?
“I’ve been with Tsukki all day, and I swear his didn’t change at all.”
Hinata furrowed his brows and quickly thought of a possible reason for this, although nothing came to mind. From his peripheral vision, he could see Tsukishima drinking from his water bottle and he couldn’t help but blush, his mind giving him random thoughts about the other. He shook his head when Yamaguchi suddenly smacked him on the head.
“What are you doing?” he giggled, crossing his arms. Only then did Yamaguchi realize that Hinata’s mark was changing from a bright yellow to blood red. His eyes widened, suddenly screaming. Everyone in the gym looked at him weird, confused as to why he screamed out of nowhere. He shut his mouth and quickly looked around for either Tsukishima or Kageyama. He turned from side to side, only to find both grumpy teens near the stage. Bickering. Again.
Yamaguchi narrowed his eyes at them, but immediately realized why it changed into a red color. He turned to Hinata who was looking down shocked at his red mark. “I know now!”
“Huh?”
“It changes in color based on your other half’s current emotion! Look, both of them are angry and fighting, which is why it suddenly changed to red,” he stated. “It was a bright yellow earlier maybe because one of them was happy? I don’t know who, though. They’re both equally angry right now, we can’t tell for sure…”
“I know what to do,” a voice from behind them said, startling the two.
Yamaguchi turned around first, then Hinata, only to see Daichi and Sugawara standing there. The ashen-haired male shot them a grin, one that they both knew hid a bit of mischief. “We heard from Tsukishima about what happened, and you two were talking pretty loudly. So, we decided to help!” they perked up.
It was a well-known fact that the captain and vice-captain are soulmates themselves, which is why receiving help from them was a better option than just standing there.
“Sure!” they both said in agreement, bowing as thanks.
Sugawara led them to a corner and started talking about possible solutions to their problem.
Daichi asked if they already know that the mark changes color, emotion-based. “Yes, we just found out about it when Hinata’s changed when the two started fighting,” Yamaguchi answered. They turned to the two who were still biting each other’s heads off. They’ve been at it for quite a while now…
“I’ve got a fool-proof plan!” Sugawara happily cheered, running up to the bickering duo.
Tsukishima stopped as the vice-captain came into view, Kageyama following shortly after. They waited until Sugawara spoke. “Tsukishima,” he started. “Someone baked a strawberry cake for you!” With that, multiple laughs and giggles erupted from Kageyama and the others as soon as the tall blond started blushing.
“Who would even…?”
“Hinata did!”
“What?”
The tall male turned to his fellow middle blocker who was turning redder and redder each second that passes (even when Hinata knows it’s not really true). There’s no way… he thought. By then he had already started blushing himself, feeling flustered. His anger suddenly gone.
Before Hinata could react more, he took notice of his wrist, where his mark had now changed again, from red to a very light rosy pink. With his problem now solved, with him finally knowing who his soulmate is, how would Tsukishima react?
He recalled when Tsukishima had called him a little tangerine and dubbed him ‘annoying.’ Even when the blond had assured him that he wasn’t being harsh, it still hurt Hinata like a strong pull at his heart. He can’t help it with his anxiety, despite him being the sun and all.
Daichi seemed to have taken note of Hinata’s sudden quietness, then turned to Tsukishima who was looking at his wrist. His own mark had turned a beautiful yet seemingly distressing shade of pale blue, which meant his soulmate was sad.
Before any of them could move, Daichi yelled out. “It’s already 18:00, guys. Start packing up and leave when you’re done.”
At this, Hinata quickly rushed to the club room before anyone else.
Everyone stared at the door he had just gotten out from with worry, before going on themselves. The three— namely Kageyama, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima looked worried, but even more so did the tall middle blocker. He didn’t know what to feel; should he be happy? Well, his soulmate is his crush— what?
Do I like Hinata?
He failed to notice that he accidentally said it out loud, receiving an unexpected roundhouse kick from Yamaguchi.
“Can’t you realize that sooner?! Shouyou needs to know immediately! You’re his soulmate for goodness’ sake Tsukki!” Yamaguchi then kept smacking Tsukishima until the latter gave in and said he would speak to Hinata as he walks him home. Clearly satisfied with his offer, the two went on inside, leaving the blond behind to think about his feelings.
“Hey,” Tsukishima called beside Hinata, the other looking at him sadly while grabbing his bag. “I want to talk to you, mind if I walk you home?”
The embodiment of the sun widened his eyes, looking up at his friend and then looking down, pouting. “…is that okay with you?”
“I wouldn’t be offering if it wasn’t okay with me.”
“O-oh…okay then…”
With that, the two walked out. The stares and whistling (coming from Tanaka and Nishinoya) came unnoticed by them, but did they really care? Honestly no, if you’d ask Tsukishima.
While Hinata was still preoccupied in thinking of negative things, Tsukishima chose that time to hold his hand shyly, making the tiny sun flinch at the sudden contact.
“U-uhm? Tsukishima, what are you doing?”
The blond raised a brow at him, as if saying he was asking the obvious. “I’m holding your hand? To be sweet for once?”
“Well, I mean…why?”
The moon was just about to blow up when Hinata spoke again. “I mean…you don’t have to do that…I get that we finally know we’re soulmates and all but…”
“But?”
“…it just seems a little forced, on your part? I don’t know, I feel anxious seeing you being so sweet. I keep thinking that maybe you’re just doing this out of pity…and the fact that because you are my soulmate that you think you need to be sweet to me.
I don’t want that, Tsukishima.”
Hinata had stored up his tears in his eyes before letting them drop, tugging back his hand harshly as he started to walk away fast.
Tsukishima stared at his back, his legs unmoving, as he walked away from him. Has he been this insecure since the beginning?
He really wanted to run to him, do something, anything.
Throbbing
Tsukishima looked down at his wrist when a sudden pain attacked the place his mark was on. Then his eyes widened.
It’s fading…it’s fading…
Shit.
A voice in the back of his mind yelled something, it was faded but still audible.
Do you have any reason to not close this distance between you two?
He only had one answer to this,
No.
Before he knew it, he was already running, closing the distance Hinata had already made between them. Then, it happened.
Honestly, he didn’t have any reason to lose this chance, did he? To smack his lips against Hinata’s and let the latter know just how much he’s loved.
The longer Tsukishima kissed him, the more his insecurities burned away.
He was no longer loving from a distance.