a/n: I believe in these😂 also isn't my little banner cute😊
♤Atsumu
For him the chupacabra is real and out there. (I mean he lives in Japan, so he should be safe, but whatever) Either way, he looks you straight in the eye and says, “The little goat-sucker is out there and the goats are unprotected!” you choke on your drink and try to hold back your laugh. “What?!” he questions. You just shake your head and Atsumu exclaims, “But, the goats!” But, Atsumu is very knowledgeable about the topic. He comes to you everyday and gives you new facts about it. Osamu got tired of it, so now you have to sit down and listen to him go on and on about the chupacabra. You enjoy it, because he brings up interesting points.
♤Nishinoya
He believes in the Illuminati. Can go all day just giving evidence as to how he knows they are real. Literally, you could be sleeping and he would just pop out of nowhere and start talking. “Hey! I have some more proof of the Illuminati, so-” you throw a pillow at him and turn around to go back to sleep. it’s cute to see him get so passionate about it. But, you need your sleep. But, you both do have long conversations about conspiracy theories.
♤Hinata
Hinata 100% believes in bigfoot. No doubt. Watches those yt videos on it. He stays up just reading and watching stuff about bigfoot. Then comes up to you and says, “Did you know some people dress up as bigfoot to trick others?” you nod. “How mean for getting my hopes up!” You both go up to the team and just bust out facts and evidence about how bigfoot is real. The team is like,” You too?” and you just shrug and continue bombarding them with evidence.
The Cat and the Crow ( Tengu!Hinata Shoyo x Bakeneko!Reader )
Warning(s): This is based on the yokai universe for Haikyuu on Tumblr. That was where I got the decision to make Karasuno Tengu. :>
Title: The Cat and the Crow
Pairing: Hinata Shoyo x Reader
Fandom: Haikyuu!
Word Count: 2,272
You stretched your limbs, tail curling toward the sunny sky. The rock you were lounging on was just the perfect temperature for a nap. The sun was high in the sky and there was just the right amount of clouds to keep it from getting too hot. It was a perfect day and you were prepared to take a perfect nap. It was rare that you got any time alone so you were going to enjoy it to the max. The promise of a nap without being interrupted.
As a Bakeneko, you were lazier than your counterpart, Nekomatas. Unlike your more violent mirror image, your kind didn't eat humans. Sure, you liked to mess with them at times and play pranks but your kind tried to stay as peaceful as possible. In the rare case that a Bakeneko kills a human, they still do not consume them. The Nekomata on the other hand were hunters and humans weren't safe from being on their list of prey.
You still were unable to understand why the colony of Nekomata took you in as one of their own. Normally, Nekomata and Bakeneko fight with each other, often due to the human issue. But Kuroo, the leader of the colony, had saved you when you were younger. A group of yokai hunters had killed your mother and were planning on giving you the same fate but multiple pairs of yellow eyes appeared in the dark night. Before you knew what happened, the humans were dead and you were being surrounded by other cat creatures. You wouldn't learn until you were older that you weren't the same type of creature as the pride.
The clan tried to feed you some human meat after one of their hunts but it must be engrained in Bakeneko's DNA to dislike the taste as you refused for no apparent reason. It had been a hard and frustrating time but in the end, they just decided to feed you other meat like fish and beef. Fish was your favorite, though birds were good too. You licked the small fangs in your mouth, wondering how long it would be until it was time to eat. That was one of the strict rules of the colony: you only eat when everyone eats. Everyone must be taken care of before you were allowed to eat. The exception to that rule was Kuroo. How many times had you seen him skip a meal because there wasn't enough? Perhaps you should try hunting on your own to help the pride. You weren't fully matured yet, still being called a kitten by the other members. You were the youngest member and you doubt that they will ever call you anything else. You were the baby.
A black feather fell from the sky, brushing against your nose which caused you to let out a sneeze. Your eyes opened, looking up at the top of the trees to see where the feather had come from. All you could see were the hint of talons disappearing in the green leaves but that was enough. Perfect, your prey was just being delivered to you. Maybe hunting wasn't as bad as the others made it seem.
You were on your feet and up the tree in less than a second, ready to track whatever this creature was. Perhaps it was a big bird like a vulture? You could take something like that on. Instinctively you flexed your claws as you thought about how the pride would be so proud of you if you brought back prey. It was a rare occasion that you were given hunting duty. You would prove that you were just as strong as the other members.
Leaping from branch to branch, your keen ears followed the sound of the creature in front of you. It was big, you could tell that without even seeing it. Twigs were breaking and leaves were torn from their stems as it moved forward with the grace of a drunk kappa. This wasn't even a fair fight as you landed on the tips of your feet, hands simply whispering against the bark before you were jumping to the next branch. The creature was panicking. You could smell the fear in the air, though there seemed to be another scent that you couldn't place.
With a final push of your legs, you pounced on the creature you were chasing. Two bodies crashed through the tree's canopy before landing hard against the soft grass. The first thing you noticed was that the creature you were on top of was much bigger than you had expected. Shaking your head to focus your vision, what you saw once you opened your eyes again was shocking, to say the least.
Your golden eyes the color of daffodils fell upon a mixture of orange and black. Messy orange curls that had leaves sticking from them. Black wings that were stretched awkwardly under its body. You could feel an athletic build under your hands which were pushing against the creature's chest. It....No, he was another yokai like yourself. Your nails pierced the fabric that covered the boy, not pushing hard enough to draw blood. You could hear the blood in your ears as you felt your fur begin to stand on end.
"H-Hey!" A squawk escaped his lips, bringing you back into the present. You had never seen someone like this before. Normally other yokai stayed away from your territory. It was at that moment that you began to realize you may have traveled a bit too far away from home. Everything seemed to begin to close in on you: all the different smells you hadn't noticed, the lack of any familiar sounds, the strong sense of being utterly and completely alone. A small whimper slipped past your lips as you scrambled off of the boy, leaving him even more confused than he had been moments before.
He would be lying if he said that he didn't think you were attractive. The fur of your ears and tail looked so tempting to touch and he had a passing thought of whether you purr or not if someone pets your hair. His wings puffed out to make him look larger than he actually was as he sat up. His ribs were sore and would most likely be bruised by the morning but there were more important things at hand. A moment ago, he had been pinned down to the ground by a vicious predator and now he was staring at a quivering form that was more like prey than anything else.
If it were any of the others in his own colony, you would be dead where you were sitting. Karasuno's Colony of Tengu were fiercely protective of their own and any sign of a threat would be taken seriously. The image of your skin stained a blood red flashed in Hinata's mind and it was at that moment that he knew he couldn't bring you back to the nest. Not only would he get in trouble for bringing someone to their hidden home but there would be a very high chance that he wouldn't even be able to explain the situation before one of the others had sliced your throat with their talons. Harsh, but Hinata just knew they were being protective. He was one of the younger members, just recently learning how to fly. He had been out practicing when you had caught sight of him.
"Are you okay?" Hinata slowly extended his hand out to you but halted his movements when he was met with sharp hissing. Your ears were pressed flat against your head and your tail was puffed out in fear. Normally he would be scared of anything threatening him but somehow, he could see how scared you were. Maybe it was because you seemed to be around the same age as him. Maybe it was because you were way too cute for your own good. He had no clue.
"Leave me alone!"
"Hey, you were the one that tackled me to the ground. It isn't very fair to be getting upset at me when all I was doing was passing by. You shouldn't even be here anyway. Don't you know that this forest is the territory of the Karasuno Clan?" Everyone knew that people who went into that forest didn't come out. The rumors were only proven true by the bodies of Yokai hunters strung up in the trees as harsh warnings to other humans and yokai alike. If you had been slinking around when you entered their territory than you could have missed the hanging corpses, but how could you miss the scent of death? Weren't cats supposed to have a strong sense of smell? What were you anyway?
The red-haired boy actively made his feathers go back to normal, sensing no threat at the moment. What would Sugawara do if he were here? Tanaka and Noya would just kill you...Daichi too. Even Suga's brown eyes had held malice toward creatures that accidentally stumbled into the woods. He was very protective of his family and he wasn't going to allow anyone the chance to hurt them.
"I...!" You started but closed your mouth when you realized you had nothing good to say. He was right, you were the one that pursued him. If you had been playing around with Kenma or Lev, this would be the part where they would bite at your skin - nipping the exposed flesh gently. Each and every member of the pride just had to remind you that you were the baby. You would always be the member who needed the most protection. You had howled in protest many times before but at this moment, you were starting to think they were right.
"I'm not going to hurt you...As long as you don't hurt me. My name is Hinata, I live here." The boy offered you a small smile and you felt your stomach leap in a way it had never done before. It was rare that you interacted with anyone outside of the pack, especially people around your age. Part of you wanted to let your guard down while another side of you knew that would be a terrible idea. How long would it take for the others to realize you were in trouble? They still thought you were just out relaxing somewhere. When would they decide that it was long enough and that you must be in trouble if you weren't home yet?
Hinata offered his hand slowly, eyes soft as the freshly laid snow. Seconds passed by as the two of you simply kept staring right into each other's eyes. Was this a trap for you to lower your guard so he could attack? Even if it was, what was your other plan? You were stuck in a foreign territory and had no information on how to get out. You needed to get out before any of the other Tengu members found you.
"Please, let me help you. I can lead you out of the forest safely and you can go back to your house. I know this forest like the back of my ow hand. I'll be able to get you out without any fuss. I just need you to trust me for a little bit and then we can go back to being enemies or whatever afterward. I'm sure this is all some type of accident. We all make mistakes, believe me. I can't even count how many mistakes I've made."
Your eyes moved from his own to glare at his hand. His nails were a bit long but nothing in comparison to your own. He had his talons to hunt with while your own kind relied on your claws. If this boy did decide to betray you, you doubt you could end up on top. As soon as he got you pinned down with those sharp talons, it would all be over.
"Fine..." Slowly you took the boy's hand with your own. It was surprisingly soft in comparison to the ones you were used to. If the two of you were meeting in better circumstances then perhaps you would study the grooves of his hands but now was not the time. For now, you had to keep your attention sharp around this crow-like Tengu. The sooner you were back with your pride, the better. You knew you would have a scolding waiting for you when you told the others what happened but you would prefer that to being alone in new territory.
But you weren't alone. You were trailing behind a ginger-haired boy who was holding your hand like a delicate lotus blossom. Was he afraid he was going to hurt you? The pride had told you stories about other yokai but this was nothing like any of them. They had said that yokai were dangerous creatures even to other yokai and would never pass up the chance of killing one another. Yet, in front of your stood a gracious bird who seemed to genuinely want to help. Subconsciously, you tightened your grip on his hand.
"Follow me. I promise I'll get you out of here in no time."
Hinata was growing to trust you, something you didn't understand. You may want to lower your walls a bit but that was how yokai always got caught. You had to keep your guard up and be ready for anything to happen. Still, it was nice to get to hold a cute boy's hand, if only for a little while.
backstory: y/n is a university student struggling to get into her desired program. everyone always commented on first year being the hardest, but actually experiencing the pain of never-ending exams and papers was an entirely different story. she tries to hide this from her boyfriend, hinata shoyo, but doesn’t succeed in doing so for too long. (this was originally written in first person, but then i changed all the i’s to you’s. i hope it doesn’t sound too awkward!)
you watched his eyes light up as he discussed one of the plays he and kageyama managed to pull off during the last practice game. his hands flew up, attempting to re-enact what had happened and barely being able to get a breath in between.
“oh, that’s cool,” you said nonchalantly, too much that it caused hinata to pause. he looked at you intently, gazing into your eyes, probably searching for the reason to your lack of interest. for the first time in a long time, you felt safe— his eyes somehow sharing the warmth in them with yours.
“are you okay, y/n?” you knew he was going to ask you that dreaded question, but somehow it didn’t make you any more prepared. instead, hearing it out loud made you feel worse.
hinata shoyo was the epitome of sunshine while you resembled the clouds that covered it. more often than not, you felt like baggage he was waiting to throw out. it was hard to fight off the thought that one day, you’ll be left behind by him too— and all you’ll be able to do is cry, tears pouring like heavy drops of storm.
upon hearing the question, your lips curved into a smile, the weight of it too heavy to carry for too long. but you tried to carry it.
for hinata’s sake, you thought.
hinata quickly turned his attention to the boy beside him. “hey, do you have a sharpie?”
the boy looked just as confused as you were, but nonetheless, he retrieved one from his pencil case and handed it to hinata. he returned a thank you before facing towards you again.
“put out your arm,” hinata demanded, a look that was hard to read evident on his face. he was always unpredictable, so the event of a borrowed sharpie was not as surprising as most people may believe. it was his thing.
taking on the role as the sun was not easy, yet he never faltered. always, even when the clouds were out— he would still shine. fighting to break through like he does with iron walls. hinata shoyo, to you, doesn’t just fly. he reaches the sky and then conquers it.
despite everything. despite you being a mood-wrecker due to the university stress, he doesn’t let go of hope. he doesn’t let go of joy. and most importantly, he doesn’t let go of you.
he gently held your wrist as he drew something on it with black ink. “there!”
hinata was the sun.
you took a look at your newly inked wrist, a sun with がんばて (good luck!) written underneath it was now present.
“don’t give up, y/n. i’ll always be here for you.”
maybe not just any sun. most definitely, your sun.
You were walking to the gym looking for your brother, Suga. When, you saw two people standing outside begging to be let in. You walked up to them and asked what was going on. A boy just a few inches smaller than you spoke up, “ They’re not letting us in, until we work together.” You responded,”It isn’t that hard to work together!” Then, the other boy spoke,”It is.” You looked at them and said,” Okay have fun not getting in!” You started to walk to the door, when you heard someone shout,”Hey! We never got your name!” Your eyes widened,” Oh... it’s [y/n] [l/n]” The boy with orange hair smiled,” Hinata Shouyou!” You looked at the other one and he saying in a low , annoyed voice” Kageyama Tobio.” You walked in the gym. The boy named, Shouyou intrigued you. You started smiling to yourself, when Suga shouted” What are you smiling about?” You looked up and widened your eyes,” Uh...No-nothing” You turned the other way and started to blush.
Kageyama🫐
You were in class waiting for the bell to ring. When, your teacher, Ms.Red called you over to her desk. She looked at you and said,”You’ve been doing really well in my class!” You just smiled, she continued” So, I signed you up to be a tutor” ‘What, but I’ve been using an app’ your mind starts to race ‘I shouldn’t have cheated.’ You force a smile,”Who do I have to tutor?” She points and you turn to see Kageyama Tobio. You sigh and walk over to him. “Hi! The name is [y/n] [l/n]” He looks at you and bluntly says” Hi...” He was giving off the stubborn vibes. You hoped it would be easy. But, knowing your brain that this was gonna be a long day.
Nishinoya⚡️
“Why are you looking at me like that?” You asked the small libero. You were waiting for your best friend, Yachi. But, Nishinoya kept on staring at you. He then asked you” Do you want go get a popsicle?” You were surprised at how straightforward he was. Nonetheless, you replied with a sigh,” Sure!” Nishinoya’s face lit up. Then, he decided it would be nice to show you his rolling thunder.
Kiyoko🏃🏻♀️
You were on your way home after staying for track prescribe. The boys’ volleyball team would also leave at the same time. So, you would say hi to them. Today, you were drinking [f/d], you weren’t looking were you were going and dropped it on someone. Looking up you see the most beautiful girl. You were awestruck and then you realized that your drink was on their shirt. You immediately started to apologize,” Sumimasen! Sumimasen!” And quickly ran to get paper towels. Meanwhile, she reached in her bag and pulled out a extra. By the time you got back she was already changed. You were dumbfounded, she looked at you and said” Thank you for going to get some paper towels, but I should have told you earlier I had a back up shirt, Gomen” Your eyes widened and you quickly spoke,” No it’s okay! The name is [y/n] [l/n] by the way.” She looked at you and spoke with a soft voice” Kiyoko Shizimu” You smiled and walked away waving bye with a blush on your face.
This was a request by Anon for Hinata with prompt 11 “Is that the best you can do?” They specifically requested a male reader.
This happens post timeskip but I think I’ve avoided most spoilers.
Warnings: Highly Suggestive.
Reader goes from being a distraction, to motivation ;)
Hinata Shoyo is known for many things, but being easily distracted from Volleyball is not one of them, usually.
Unless of course, his boyfriend happens to be around.
It’s not Shoyo’s fault the guy looks like a Greek god in a polo shirt, he’s not even here to play! Small mercy, Hinata can only imagine how much of a distraction (Y/N) would be if he stood on the court with him.
It’s the first time Shoyo’s new boyfriend has seen him play, and though he’s desperate to show off, (Y/N)’s come in wearing a white polo shirt that hugs his shoulders and waist just right, black trousers because he’s come in from work.
It was a miracle he hadn’t taken a ball to the face yet, but if he didn’t get his head in the game, Sakusa would soon change that.
As yet another ball slammed past him, coach called a time out. Hinata was ready to get scolded, or worse yet, have someone blame (Y/N).
Instead, he found his boyfriend waiting for him at the bench, jerking his chin to urge Shoyo away from his team.
Atsumu gave him a playful shove toward the handsome visitor. ‘Go on lover boy, maybe yer prince charmin’ can get yer head on straight.’
Hinata resisted the urge to make the joke about telling the queer guy to act straight. ‘Uh, right, sorry!’
(Y/N) was already ambling around the corner, just beyond the team’s line of sight. Something fluttered in Hinata’s gut, but he was too stuck in his own head about practise to realize what was about to happen until it was too late.
The moment he rounds the corner, (Y/N) catches him by the waist and drags Shoyo in to a kiss, pressing the wing spiker against his chest with both hands at Shoyo’s hips and his own back to the wall.
Hinata can’t resist the little whimper that slips out the back of his throat, hands flying to his boyfriend’s perfect hair, desperate to mess it up but knowing he’d be in deep shit if he did.
(Y/N)’s kisses are ones to drown in, his lips steal the breath from Shoyo’s lungs, big hands loitering just above his ass. They haven’t even been together that many times, and already Shoyo knows this man’s every cue, as he’s sure (Y/N) knows his.
When he finally pulls away, (Y/N) speaks as if he hasn’t just taken his tongue down Shoyo’s throat.
‘You seem distracted, honey. Problem?’
‘Yes, YOU.’ Shoyo puffs his hot cheeks, trying his best to appear exasperated. ‘And you’re not helping.’
The slightest twitch of a smirk, that stupidly handsome grin when he tilts his head to one side has Shoyo desperate to melt and forget all about practise.
The moment he’s ready to melt, is the moment (Y/N) pushes his exact button.
“Come now, love. Is that the best you can do?”
Shoyo’s breath catches in his throat, there’s a challenge in those eyes. Athlete or not, (Y/N)’s competitive as anything, always eager to keep Shoyo on his toes, but this, this is new.
‘Tell you what, if you go the rest of practice without drifting off into space,’ as he speaks, those sinful lips pepper warm, slow kisses from the corner of Shoyo’s lips, across the line of his jaw, to his ear. ‘I’ll give you a kiss for every perfect receive, I’ll even let you choose where I plant them.’
Shoyo fists the material of the frustratingly perfect shirt in his palms, the challenge is laid out for him with the promise of that tantalising reward on the other end. ‘You’ll keep count?’
‘Of course, love. You know I’m good with numbers.’
A quiet groan rumbles from Hinata’s chest and he buries his face in (Y/N)’s shoulder. ‘That voice of your should be illegal.’
Unbridled laughter shakes his boyfriend’s chest while Shoyo clings to him for a moment longer. Once he pulls away, he makes sure that spark is clear in his eyes.
‘You’re on, pretty boy.’
(Y/N) lays a kiss to his forehead, a silent promise, before sending him off to practise again with a playful smack to the rump.
You met Shoyo Hinata on the beach, you were on holiday in Brazil and he was enjoying some down time from the pro-circuit.
In other words, playing volleyball on the beach with his friends.
You hadn’t thought much of the group of men jumping around in the blazing sun at first. Of course they were all attractive in one way or another, but you had one goal in mind and that was getting rid of your tan lines from home.
Lathered in sunscreen, you reclined on your beach chair enjoying a good book, completely losing track of time until you got too hot.
You packed away your things inconspicuously, you hadn’t brought anything valuable anyway, knowing it wasn’t uncommon for people to pinch loose bags, so you weren’t too worried about someone pinching a beach chair, a book and a towel.
As you were making your way down to the water, you caught movement from the corner of your eye and turned just in time to raise your hands and send the ball back the way it came.
‘Hey, good reflexes!’
There was suddenly a man with bright orange hair beaming down at you, his smile so genuine it was damn near contagious.
That smile was the end of you, from then on, Hinata Shoyo had you wrapped around his little finger.
A month after meeting him, he asked you out on your first date, and now, two months later, your life is completely different.
Some things about dating Hinata should have been glaringly obvious, his shamelessness in dishing out sincere compliments being the first thing to come to mind.
“You look amazing when you smile.”
“The food you made was incredible!”
“Wow! You’re really good at that!”
This took some getting used too, you weren’t used to someone showering you with such sincerity. You’d have to pry that kind of validation out of previous partners, or even family. Not Shoyo, if he saw something good, he’d say as much, especially about you.
All in all, your new relationship comes naturally, he’s funny, considerate, high-energy, but there’s one thing you just won’t get used too.
‘You... bought me a what?!’
‘You said you needed your car fixed, fixing it was going to cost more than it was worth new so I thought...’ Your boyfriend smiles sheepishly, lifting a hand to the back of his neck, cheeks growing warm. ‘I did it again, didn’t I?’
It is physically impossible to be upset with him when he’s giving you that sheepish smile and wearing those rosy cheeks, but still, you can’t help but feel uneasy when looking at the brand new BMW he had delivered that very morning.
It’s newer than his by at least three years, and judging by the colour he’s added some customizations to it to make it yours. It’s an incredible car, one you could only dream of buying for yourself.
‘You sure did,’ unwillingly, your lips curl into a smile, because you know he can’t help himself. ‘I know you want to help, and you’re right, I was planning to scrap the old thing and get something else, but... I’m never going to be able to pay you back for this.’
‘Why would you have to? It’s a gift.’ Shoyo looks at you like you’d grown a second head. ‘I know you feel bad but... what’s the point of me making so much money if I don’t use it when my partner needs something?’
You let out a deep sigh, unable to resist the urge to hug him. He looks so adorably confused, but the effort he makes to understand why this bothers you is touching. Hinata isn’t always the fastest on the uptake, but he does his best to understand how you feel about any given subject.
‘Money is a touchy subject for my family. We never had much so spending it on none-essentials just...didn’t happen. Even when I grew up and found out my parents were just exaggerating to keep us kids from asking for stuff, it stuck in my head that spending money isn’t good. Especially someone else’s.’
Shoyo pecks your forehead, your nose, your cheeks, following his usual routine of connecting imaginary dots on your face, lips lovingly caressing your skin.
‘I’m sorry baby. I’m trying but whenever you need something I can’t promise I’ll hesitate to get it for you. It’s just in my nature to want the person I care about to want for nothing.’
‘But I feel guilty that you’re spending money on me.’ You pouted, somehow knowing that’d provoke the kiss he planted on your lips.
‘Guilty, why? You give me more than money could ever buy. Nothing better then coming home to your pretty smile.’
‘God, you’re so cheesy.’
Words aside, your smile comes unbidden, cheeks aching, unable to stretch far enough to express your joy. It’s all you can do to wrap you arms around him, returning his kisses eagerly.
‘I think you mean hopelessly romantic for my sweetheart.’ His grin brushed against your cheek, planting kisses wherever he pleased. ‘I’ll try and get better and at least talk to you about things like this, but for now...I’m kinda hungry.’
You snorted a laugh, shoving his chest playfully. ‘You’ve got a black hole for a stomach, I swear. Come on, let’s go get those calories into you before Iwa has a fit.”
You started for the house, forgetting about the car on the driveway for now, but as you reached the doorway, you stopped to lace your fingers with Shoyo’s.
This one's kind of long and winded, I feel like I could have made this into an entire story, it's so wholesome, a little angsty to begin with, implied negative family members, simply because my family has been giving me the wrong kind of inspiration.
Soulmate AU: Anything your soulmate writes on their skin, appears on yours.
You didn't have the easiest life. No one's life is easy, but for one reason or another, you had always needed to struggle and claw your way through aspects of life that other people seemed to find so very easy. It made you a rather diligent and stubborn person because by now, you'd learned to accept your failures, but not settle for them, and that was mostly down to your soulmate.
You'd never forget the first time Hinata scribbled his way onto your arm, you were in kindergarten at the time and had no idea what was happening, that was when your teacher explained to you what soulmates were. Soulmates could be connected in many ways, some people had a tattoo, others had a timer, you were among a rather small percentage of the population that could communicate directly with their soulmate by drawing on your skin.
As a child of six, you were incredibly excited by this, but as usual, life was never that easy, as you came to discover later when you were learning to write properly: your soulmate did not speak English. While you were learning your ABCs, he was learning kanji. Thankfully, your eldest sibling realized that the scribbles your soulmate was manifesting on your arm were a young child's attempt at Japanese. As a child, you had no idea how complicated the language was, all you knew was that your soulmate was your best friend (that was how your teacher had explained it to you), and you wanted to be able to talk to them.
From the age of six, you begged your parents to get you classes, but they refused, either for lack of money or because they didn't think you could do it, so you used the grand old internet and started asking your teachers for help. You spent your recess inside on your teacher's computer, repeating Japanese phrases to the empty air while he graded papers, at home, you filled out sheets with messy writing. All the while, your soulmate used your arm to practice his own writing.
A young mind is a marvellous thing. Because you were so small at the time you'd found it easier than most would to pick up an entirely new language.
By thirteen, you were fluent and able to chat to your soulmate in his own language. But while you were delighted with yourself, you didn't realize that while you'd been inside focusing on communicating with your destined best friend, the kids around you had been socializing. You found yourself hovering away from the large social groups your classmates had formed, at one point you were afraid of going anywhere near them. Occasionally there were nasty looks, but no one really said anything nasty to you, even fewer were the people that had any sort of dislike to you.
You'd sit by yourself, doodling in your notebook or on yourself, wondering if you should ask your soulmate what to do.
His solution: play a sport, join a team. He's sure you'd be amazing at volleyball, the sport he loved, or maybe try tennis?
You took his advice, and four years later, your face is on the cover of magazines, depicting the teenage rising star and sport's personality, and without Hinata, you wouldn't have thought to sign up. You felt like you knew him so well, but you'd never even met.
Back when you were kids, it had occurred to you that you could call him, hear his voice, even skype, and see what your soulmate looked like, but you and Hinata both agreed that you wanted the first time you saw each other to be in person, even if that meant waiting until one of you could get on a plane.
You were rather well-travelled at your age, because of your budding sport's career you'd hopped your way all over the place, and yet the one place you'd always desperately wanted to go had been out of your reach. Not anymore.
The clouds were rolling past the wing outside your window, headphones over your ears kept the noise of the other passengers beyond your notice, leaving you free to zone out and let the time go by.
You felt a tingling sensation on your left arm and rolled up your sleeve. Blue ink materialized over your skin, forming your soulmate's chicken scratch.
"Are you on the plane yet?!"
You smiled, fishing out the small pen you always had on hand for this very reason. "Yes, Sho. You know you can text me, right?"
"Nah! This is way more fun! Besides I can't believe you're coming! My soulmate's coming here!"
You imagined what his excitement looked like, how bright his smile must be. In the years you'd spent sending notes to him it was safe to say that you'd fallen for your soulmate as naturally as breathing, your heart pounded away in your chest, wishing the plane would go faster.
"I'll be right there to pick you up at the airport okay? You won't need to be alone for a second!"
"Sho, I'm not thirteen anymore, I don't panic every time someone looks at me funny." You wrote back, watching it fade from your skin to appear on his.
"I know, you're too cool for that! I bet you're gorgeous and stunning and your hugs will be amazing!"
How were you supposed to hold back the grin on your face when your soulmate was that much of a sweetheart?
At one point you would have worried that you looked like an idiot, sitting there smiling at your arm, but at this point in your life, you couldn't have cared less that the old man in the seat next to you was staring at the words appearing on your skin until he tapped you on the shoulder.
You braced for a confrontation. You'd faced many a judgemental douchebag throughout your life, complaining about how you and your soulmate chose to go about your lives. Even your mother had given you crap about your decision not to see each other for the first time over a screen.
To your surprise, the man had his sleeve rolled up, revealing blooming sunflower drawn on his arm. "You off to visit yours too?" He asked.
You sagged in relief and pulled your headphones off completely, meeting his old, wise eyes. "Actually, I'm going to meet mine."
The man's face lit up with excitement and glee. "First time? No kiddin'. You must be pretty excited."
"You have no idea," you sighed "I've never even heard his voice before. All I know is he has terrible handwriting."
The man chuckled. "Yeah, mine does too. That's why he draws. Used to get the weirdest crap scribbled all over me in middle school. Which one o' you's the leftie?"
You giggled, raising your hand "guilty! But to be fair we didn't even speak the same language! Doodles were our only means of communication!"
To your delight, the man kept you chatting and comfortable throughout the long flight. He was funny, and his story was remarkably similar to yours. He too had to pick up a new language in order to communicate with his other half, he was on his way back to him after a long business trip. The man swore up and down that the first time he saw his soulmate in person meant the wait was so very worth it, and you fell asleep on that flight grinning and giddy with anticipation.
The terminal was utterly bustling, and for once you were regretting not knowing what your soulmate looked like, how in the world were you supposed to spot a complete stranger in this chaos?
You'd tried to text him, but Shoyo wasn't answering, which left you to march on through the airport and hope that by some miracle, you'd know him when you saw him.
Your suitcase rattled along behind you, your eyes darted from face to face, searching for that one pair of eyes that you've always pictured in your mind. That was when you saw him, twenty minutes later than you would have liked. In the general waiting area, standing beside a window, was a young man with flaming orange hair. He wasn't very tall, but you could clearly see the muscle under his Star Wars T-Shirt, and as you approached, his eyes snapped to yours as if pulled there by magnets.
Both of you froze for a heartbeat as if you were each trying to memorize every detail. His eyes were like honey, just looking at you made you feel warm, fuzzy like you were curled up in a fluffy blanket with nowhere to be and no desire to move, and then he smiled, and your entire world was turned on its head. He was the sun, he was warm and safe; you dumped your luggage and bolted.
His laugh rang through your ears when he caught you and spun you around in delight, planting a kiss on your cheek. His grip was almost uncomfortably tight, and you never wanted to let go, smiling so widely it hurts your cheeks.
"I knew your hugs would be the best!" Shouyou declared, spinning you around one more time for good measure before allowing your feet to touch the floor again. He tucked his cheek against yours.
"Is this real?" you murmured, staring in awe as his orange strands slipped through your fingers, so soft and fluffy it felt like the down feathers of a bird. "I'm not dreaming, right? You're my soulmate?"
"All yours gorgeous!" He chuckled, pulling away to rest his forehead against yours, rubbing his nose against yours "And you're all mine!"</p>
