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Apr 27, 2021

a/n: this took way too long to finish, AND I'M LATE, but here it is! super special thanks to @vivianvampyric for beta-reading, you rock <3

This work is part of the Soulmate Syndrome collab with members of @rat-suki's server The Sewer. Please go check out the other lovely writers under this collab! Please be sure to read all warnings.

pairing: azumane asahi x gn!reader

warnings: swearing, suggestive content, daichi being an asshole older brother because That Is What He Does

word count: 4.8k

this work belongs to user bokutodotgov. do not repost. minors do not interact.

[link to ao3 version]

enjoy!

It's always been there.

The markings on your wrist. A complicated band of swirls, loops, and turns. Your Soulmate Bracelet.

Everyone had them. Some people had them further down their forearms, some on the tips of their fingers. Those were the lucky ones. They'd met their soulmate; the tattoo moves when you get close to them and connect at the first touch.

Yours never moved. The jet-black ink remained firmly in line with the end of your humerus.

It was a good thing, you hoped, that your soulmate wasn't too far from home. It was a good thing, you hoped, since the further up your arm your Bracelet was, the more distance between you and your soulmate. One of your childhood friends wasn't so lucky; her Bracelet wrapped around the apex of her arm.

"Oh man, I'll never find my soulmate!" She had lamented. "He's probably halfway across the world! What if he's American and doesn't even know Japanese? How will I even talk to him?"

You tried your best to comfort her, that everything happened for a reason. But you knew that she wouldn't have it as easy as you; your soulmate was probably in Miyagi too, judging by the placement of your Bracelet.

These days, you had all but given up. You were in high school, at Karasuno. You didn't get to see your volleyball-obsessed brother, Daichi, much, but it seemed he'd met his soulmate already with his Bracelet rising to the pads of his calloused fingers.

"Nii-chan, who's your soulmate?" You had asked him one late night.

The dark kitchen illuminated by moonlight served to only exaggerate the lines on his brow. He seemed troubled, not normal for someone who had met the person who would love him for the rest of his life. "It's...it's complicated."

"How is it complicated? You touched already; you have to know!" You pressed.

Daichi sighed. "Listen. You can't--you can't tell anyone. Promise me that. Not even mom or any of our other siblings. Can I trust you?"

You were a bit taken aback. Who would Daichi want to hide from everyone? Was this girl so troublesome that it would be cause for secrecy? "Yeah, you know I won't snitch. I'm not like Kaori."

He chuckled softly. "You have to let that go. Kao-chan only meant to keep you safe."

"Whatever. Now tell me!"

Daichi inhaled slowly and exhaled even slower. "Koushi."

You gasped a little too loudly in the quiet kitchen, to which he shushed you. "Sugawara-san is your soulmate?"

"Keep your voice down!" He whisper-yelled. "And yes, he is."

After a moment of silence, you needed to know more. Daichi was a pretty to-the-point guy, but his lack of detail sometimes frustrated you. "Well, tell me more! How did you find out?"

He hesitated again, gauging the weight of his secret. "I clapped him on the shoulder after practice one day, and a little while after, I noticed my Bracelet had moved down to the middle of my hand. I had no idea it was Suga until he slipped in a puddle outside Coach's store, and I caught him by the hand. I mean, sure, we've always been close since we were first-years, but I didn't know my admiration for him ran that deeply."

You took a moment to drink in the story, but you needed to know what happened next. "And then?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Daichi continued. "We kinda just...stood there for a moment. His markings met mine, and he looked at me. His eyes...god, his eyes, they looked scared. But, at the same time, he looked relieved. I don't know if I've ever met someone with expressions as complex as Suga’s." He paused, taking in a deep breath.

"God, you're whipped."

"Shut up. Anyway, we’d be in for it if someone saw us there, especially Coach. So, we went to his place. I told mom and dad I needed to study with him.

We...did study. It just took a while because I was a little busy studying him a bit more."

You groaned. "Gross. And also corny."

"Hey, you asked for details," Daichi smirked.

The sudden slam of a ball against the lacquered floor shook you from the memory.

Daichi had forgotten his lunch at home, so you brought it to his morning practice. He never forgets his lunch, which was odd. He must've been busy worrying about a game or his secret soulmate.

You had never visited the boy's volleyball gym before. You never needed to. Daichi always came home late, and you were busy studying or chatting with your English tutor. Yet, here you were, at the ass-crack of dawn, delivering your oldest brother's lunch.

You stood at the door, waiting for him to notice you. It surprised you at how tall the rest of his team was. One of the first-years, he told you, was 6'2". Must've been the blonde with glasses. On the other hand, another first-year with an unruly mop of orange hair was zipping around the gym. He couldn't have been more than 5'7".

"Hey, can I help you?"

A deep voice spooked you, and you turned to see where it originated.

A very tall man with long brown hair and the beginnings of a beard towered before you. He had his hand outstretched and a quizzical look on his face.

He was beautiful.

"Oh, sorry, I just came to give Daichi-er, sorry, Sawamura-san his lunch. He left it at home." You began.

Daichi noticed you then, coming over quickly. "Hey, what'd you need?"

You noticed Suga staring at him from behind. "Your lunch, you left it." You scolded playfully, handing him the bag.

"Oh, thanks." He said, taking it.

Another short player with black and blonde hair peeked out from behind your brother. A guy with a buzzcut accompanied him. "Hey, Daichi, who's this? Your girlfriend?"

You laughed. "Please, like I'd date this asshole. I'm Daichi's sister."

Talking to him seemed to garner more of the team's attention. Soon enough, most of them gathered around and badgered you with questions.

"Guys, shut it! Get back to drills, now." Daichi commanded, and the team followed his order immediately. Only Suga and the guy who had greeted you before remained.

"I'm going to the library," you said, turning away from the gym doors. "Have fun with your kids, Daichi-nii!"

His friends laughed. You glanced over your shoulder to see Suga resting an elbow on your brother's shoulder.

Yep, you thought, he's definitely whipped.

You made your way across campus and said hello to some of your classmates also there for their early-morning extracurriculars.

When you finally reached the library and settled in, the mundane task of grabbing a pencil from your bag suddenly became the highlight of your day when you finally noticed.

Your Bracelet had moved.

In the place it had remained for the first seventeen years of your life was bare flesh, while the skin resting on your carpal bones gave the Bracelet a new home.

The focus was no longer on studying. Who had you met in the time from going to the gym to coming to the library? No one you hadn't seen before other than the boys in the volleyball gym. Could it have been one of them?

No, none of them had come close enough for the Bracelet to move. So who would've gotten close enough for the markings to shift?

It had only barely moved; maybe your partner was just a little closer than usual? Maybe they were passing through town?

And then the first bell rang, and you forced yourself to stop thinking about it altogether. School was way more important than dwelling on soulmates right now.

The rest of the day passed on like normal. The ink on your hand didn't make any more surprise movements. You didn't feel that strange presence that many of your found-soulmate friends had talked about. It was like nothing even happened.

But you couldn't deny it. Somehow, someway, your soulmate had gotten close enough for the markings to travel towards your fingertips, if only slightly.

"And you still don't know?"

Who in the world could it have been?

*.✧*.✧*.✧

You stopped stirring your coffee and looked up at Daichi. "Well, O Wise Brother of Mine, I wouldn't be lamenting over it if I did know, would I?"

Daichi sat back, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't exactly call it lamenting. You seem more disappointed than anything."

You huffed at him, annoyed that he was unfazed by your teasing. "I am disappointed. It's been seven years since it moved. They could be halfway across the world by now, and I'd never even know."

That was the other thing about the Soulmate Bracelets. They could only move closer to your fingertips and never back up your arm. So, if your soulmate ever moved far away, your chances of meeting would be slim to none. The Bracelets only knew proximity when it came to becoming closer. How cruelly romantic.

"I'm sure you'll find them," Daichi said, in his big brother fashion. "Now, tell me about this job you've miraculously landed."

You scowled at him. "I am not putting myself through college and working in Tokyo for you to say that I 'miraculously' got this job, dickhead."

Daichi laughed, and you continued. "Anyway, I'm working for one of Tokyo's most promising rising stars in the fashion industry. Azumane Asahi."

Daichi nearly choked. No, he did choke. Between coughs and stares of concerned passersby, he balked, "You're fucking with me. You have to be fucking with me."

"I'm...not?" You shook your head and grabbed napkins while patting his back. "Why is that so surprising?"

Daichi settled with a very dadlike sigh-slash-cough. "Are you kidding? You met him! He was on the volleyball team with me at Karasuno!"

"You forget I went to that gym like...twice. I don't remember anyone but Suga, Tanaka, and Noya."

Suga. He and your brother were married now. They both had recently put in applications to become foster parents. Japan's laws wouldn't let them adopt, but they wanted to be parents more than anything. Knowing your brother's unbreakable resolve and Suga's comic stubbornness, they'd get their way eventually.

"Asahi was the really tall guy who looked 30 at 18."

Then, it clicked. Asahi was the guy who had first greeted you at the gym when you went to give Daichi his forgotten lunch. When the other players came to mess around, he sort of...faded into the background. "Oh, yeah! You never introduced me to him. Was he a third-year like you and Suga?"

Your brother nodded. "He kept to himself a lot, but we were all close. After we all graduated and I married Suga, we kinda just..grew apart. He left to gallivant around the world with Nishinoya and pursue his fashion career. We've stayed in contact, but we're all living such different lives that it was hard to be that close again."

You both sat in silence for a minute, letting Daichi remember.

"He was the ace, you know."

"You say that like I know what it means."

"Oh, come on, did you ever pay attention to the games I watched? Or the games I played?" Daichi complained.

"Sure I did. The games were fun to watch, but I didn't really know what anyone was talking about."

He groaned, placing his head in his hands. "Whatever. What are you doing for him, anyway?"

You straightened a bit. "I'm his assistant."

Daichi nodded, considering his next insult. "So, you moved to Tokyo to be my old friend's guinea pig. How coming-of-age movie cliche of you."

"Fuck off." You laughed. "At least I'm not a cop."

"I am a probations officer, thank you."

"The difference being...?"

"I've explained this too many times. You're just an ass. So, where's his office? I need to know where to drop by so I can embarrass you."

A laugh leaped from your throat. "You come within 100 meters of that building, and I'll show Asahi your baby photos."

Daichi grinned smugly. "I was a cute fucking baby; your threats mean nothing to me."

"You certainly grew out of it." You quipped.

"Fuck you!"

"I think that's Suga's job."

"I fucking-" he cut off, laughing too hard and gaining, even more, stares from the coffee shop's patrons. "You are impossible."

"Learned from the best." You smiled.

"But seriously," He calmed down, leaning on the table and glancing at his watch. "I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're happy. Just remember to come home to Miyagi every once in a while. Mom misses you."

You nodded. "I will. I miss you guys, too."

You said your goodbyes. Daichi had people he needed to check in with, and you had your first shift at his friend's agency.

The building wasn't some fancy high-rise or skyscraper. You found its modesty a bit strange, given Azumane's popularity. It was situated at the end of a long market row, on the corner.

The sign read "AA Designs." Fitting for his style, simple pieces that could be layered and matched in so many ways. Azumane wasn't known for very flashy clothing; he wanted a more laid-back, muted style for his pieces. In the time you had researched him, you'd fallen in love with his designs and his story. None of those online biographies or "About Me"s mentioned that he went to Karasuno, like you and Daichi. After a moment's thought, you chalked it up to a privacy thing.

You stepped through the door.

A tiny bell's jingle was drowned out by the bustling studio. Racks moving, people talking, cameras flashing. A model was adjusting his cardigan while a makeup artist struggled to get him to keep still for touch-ups.

You went up to the receptionist and gave your name. "I'm here to see Azumane-san."

The receptionist stopped typing and gave you a wary look. "Darling, everyone is here to see Azumane-san. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked curtly.

Ignoring the urge to snatch the lollipop from between her too-red lips, you continued. "I'm his assistant."

She continued to stare for a moment, then began typing again. "Have a seat. I'll call him down when he has a moment."

You started to follow her instructions but were stopped by someone calling out to you.

"Hey, you're my new assistant, right?"

Turning to the voice's owner, it felt like time slowed.

Yes, this was definitely the guy who had approached you in the gym that day. But at the same time, it wasn't.

The Azumane you had met before had his hair in a loose bun. This one wore it down, letting beautiful dark bronze hair flow past his shoulders and onto his chest. He used to have a fair bit of facial hair, you remembered, but now it had grown out quite a bit. Glasses adorned the bridge of his nose.

He was...fucking gorgeous.

"Come on up, let's get started." He gestured for you to follow him.

You complied, trailing behind him as you weaved towards an elevator.

A few people stopped him along the way, and you got a glimpse into what your job would be. Employees were asking about framing shots, where this and that thing should go, and when he would have a design ready for prototyping: all things that you’d be helping out with from now on.

When you finally got in the elevator, you properly greeted him and introduced yourself.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Azumane said kindly before shaking your hand. "I trust the trip wasn't-"

He trailed off, looking down at your conjoined hands.

You looked too.

Black markings. At your fingertips.

He was the first to break that awkward silence, stammering. "I-uh, wait, hang on-"

"It was you!" You exclaimed in realization

"Let's just get to my office first, please." He choked out.

When the doors opened, that silent walk to his office felt like it stretched for eons.

Azumane opened the door for you, then closed and locked it.

"It was you," you repeated.

He was still by the door, running his unmarked hand through his hair. "You said that. What I would like to know first is what you mean."

"I'm Daichi Sawamura's sister. We met one day. Daichi forgot his lunch. You were the one in the gym to approach me. We got really close somehow, and my Bracelet moved--I mean, I assume yours did too, but--I could never figure out who it was that made it move, and now I'm here in Tokyo after coffee with Daichi who told me who you were, and-"

"Slow down, hang on." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're Daichi's sister?"

"That's really all you got from that whole spiel?" You asked, flustered and a little annoyed.

"No, no, I'm sorry. Let me just...collect my thoughts for a second."

You didn't say anything. Azumane proceeded to walk past you and sit at his desk, grabbing a pen and clicking it a few times. The hand holding it was the one with the markings, and you stared at them for a moment.

This is really happening. I've met my soulmate...

Not exactly what I'd pictured, but this'll have to do, right? You thought, raising your own hand to stare at it.

Surely enough, all of that really just happened. Your markings had finally found their forever home, lacing through your nail beds and down to the first joints.

"God, I'm sorry."

You looked up. Azumane was clutching the pen, on the verge of breaking it. The veins in his hand were protruding, and you found it a lot more attractive than you probably should've at that moment. "What for?"

He sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "I just...wasn't expecting this. I am very unprepared."

You laugh a little. "How on earth would you prepare for this situation?"

"I don't know-" He stutters. "Let's just start over, yeah?" he says, holding his hands up and open in a sort of surrender.

You nod.

Azumane stares at you for a moment, and you suddenly are conscious of how you look in front of him. Not only as his assistant but his apparent soulmate. He studies you, trailing his trained eyes over your form.

You begin to worry that you're not what he expected or hoped for. Soulmates having a rocky start wasn't uncommon, so this was normal, right? Especially in these peculiar circumstances? You were unsure.

"You are very beautiful."

Azumane's words froze the thoughts swirling in your mind, the ones threatening to suffocate you. You looked at him, at his head gently resting on the heel of his marked hand. His hair fell gently over his left shoulder, cascading onto the desk like some sort of chocolate waterfall. His matching eyes held kindness and a deep-set admiration, despite how new you both were to one another. The afternoon sun cast elongated shadows over the office from behind him. It made him look like an angel.

Is this what everyone meant by the realization? The sudden rush of feeling that consumed your mind when you finally met your soulmate? You had only been in his presence less than an hour, both back then and now. How were you suddenly so enamored with him? Why were thoughts clouding your mind of the life you'd have together, the dates you'd go on, the nights when those same feelings escalated into becoming one together?

"You are, too, Azumane-san." You say, feeling heat rush to your face at his staring and the words clouding your brain.

He gets up from his desk and walks toward you.

Nerves hit you all at once because suddenly, he's here. He's right in front of you. He's taking your hand. He's holding it in both of his, tracing his inky fingertips across your own.

His lips are on the back of your palm.

"Azumane..."

Dark eyes find yours, holding a questioning look. "Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

He freezes, and you worry that he'll back off, run away, hide. But then his face softens; a small smile graces his lips before bringing them to yours. The marked hand cupped your face, his thumb stroking your cheek and index finger resting in the dip behind your earlobe.

You never really believed in those stories about the first kiss between soulmates being some sort of life-changing, monumental experience. They seemed too exaggerated, too movie-like.

In truth, kissing Asahi Azumane wasn't like those stories. It felt like coming home after a long time. It felt like honey in tea, the smell of a warm summer morning. It felt like sticky-sweet syrup was coursing through your veins, slowing down your sense of time and place. It didn't feel like fireworks or some shoujo manga climax.

The only word that summed up the moment could only be just right. It wasn't too much all at once, nor was it underwhelming.

That is until his arm went behind you, and his free hand was on the small of your back. He pulled you into him, kissing you deeper and leaving no space between you.

You couldn't help but let out a tiny gasp. The lack of oxygen and the feeling of his massive palm on your back was jarring in such a good way, which led him to lightly teasing you with his tongue. Your hands went to his chest, surprised at the firm muscle and soft tissue all at once.

He wasn't lying about the gym thing, you thought, remembering an interview you had read about him frequenting a local fitness center.

As if you had spoken aloud, he pulled back and smirked. You smiled with him.

"Fuck, how are you perfect?"

You laugh at his words, ignoring the foreign feeling they evoke within you. It's a fire that pools lower and lower in your belly, and while you know what this fire is, you don't want to let it spread just yet. Keeping it a warm ember, for now, would be best while you get to know your boss and soulmate.

A knock sounded from the other side of the heavy wooden doors. You both broke apart, hastily fixing your clothes.

"Azumane-san, Hana-chan needs your assistance with final looks on the shoot from today." A voice came from the other side.

He sighs, beckoning you to sit at his desk.

Oh, right, you thought. This was supposed to be my first meeting with my new boss. Not my soulmate. Funny how life works.

The lady stepped into the room, apologizing for interrupting your meeting. Azumane spoke with her for a moment, going over final prep with her.

You couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy.

Why did you suddenly need his undivided attention?

Why was your mind swirling with the unholiest of images when you had just officially met him?

Why did you suddenly feel the urge to shoo the woman out of the room and take your rightful place on your boss' lap?

Thankfully, she left, and you were alone with him again.

"Now," he stated, turning and walking back to you. Remaining seated, you watched with a sort of exciting apprehension as he came close and cupped your cheek the same way he had a few moments before. "Where were we?"

A few weeks passed. You couldn't exactly hide it from everyone at your agency that both you and Asahi had found your soulmates at the same time. Rumors started.

You both were blissfully unaware for a while. You remained professional at work, doing the job that you had come there to perform in the first place. However, professionalism was all but thrown out the window once the agency closed for the day. When you both were left alone in his office.

You got to know each other in between those nights. Asahi likes his coffee with an ungodly amount of creamer and sugar. He has two cats, named after Shonen Jump characters. He really enjoys taking walks with you during the early morning dawn.

When Asahi found out about the rumors, he called you into his office. "I figured this was bound to happen sooner or later."

"So...what do we do?"

Asahi thinks for a moment, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes. He sighs, then perks up, grabbing his phone and intensely looking through it.

You can't help but laugh a little. "Are you just going to tweet it out or something?"

"God, no. You deserve better than that, baby. C'mere." He gestures for you to join him behind the desk, keeping his arm outstretched until you were close enough for him to wrap it around your waist.

You felt the syrup in your veins again from his words and his touch.

Despite just getting to know each other, Asahi was your soulmate, and he really acted like it. He looked at you as if you had hung the moon and stars for him. He was so gentle with you, so mindful of his physical size when holding you or when you became intimate. You were like a deity to him, one that he knew he wouldn't lose but wouldn't ever take advantage of.

"What do you think?"

Asahi tilted his phone towards you, prompting you to look at the image of an Instagram draft.

The picture of you he had taken himself a few days prior. You were working at your desk just outside his office, focused intently on the payroll. Your blue light glasses reflected just the perfect amount of light from the screen while the setting sun cast golden rays on your skin.

He had taken this picture at such a good angle you couldn't be mad that he snuck it. "Why this one?"

Asahi tilts his head towards your side and looks up at you. "I just really like this picture. You look so perfect. I mean- not that you don't look perfect always, but-"

"I get what you mean," you reassure him, lightly running your fingers through his hair.

He smiles. "Is the caption okay?"

You glance back at his phone.

"All along, right under my nose. You were there, and I couldn't find you. Now, my days are filled with you. My one."

You nod, feeling tears prick at your eyes. "That is beautiful, Asahi."

Daichi is the first to message you about the picture. Took you long enough.

He brings you down for a kiss. "You're beautiful."

*.✧*.✧*.✧

You let the tease slide, especially since you have many more questions and statements to be handling. Asahi's Instagram post had gone viral with very mixed feelings.

Most people were happy for you and him. A couple of talk shows even mentioned that they worried he was going to end up an old maid. "I'm only 25!"

"I dunno, babe, when I found you, you seemed to be withering away," you teased from his couch while he grabbed drinks.

"Do you want me to come over there?"

"Very much so."

Safe to say, dinner was forgotten about for a while.

Others weren't so happy. You received a lot of hate and had to restrict your socials for a while. Asahi felt horrible, though you knew this was on par for dating a sort-of famous person.

You both ignored the hate you got, knowing attention was all those people wanted.

In the end, you were both becoming ever more familiar with one another; in every way. You eventually realized that it didn't take a Soulmate Bracelet to make Asahi the love of your life. However, you couldn't help but thank them for helping you find him again.

He was everything to you, woven into your veins as if he'd always belonged there. You were written into every part of him, and he cherished the words you stamped onto his heart.

Eventually, your Bracelets began to fade. It wasn't a bad sign; once a soulmate pair has been together for a while, and the relationship is meant to last, they fade naturally.

You both took the day off to celebrate when they were gone.

Asahi took you on his most extravagant date yet. First was breakfast he cooked and served to you in bed. Then you spent a good part of the day at an aquarium, adding more photos to both your socials. Media outlets called the two of you the best-dressed couple in Japan.

The night came closer when you went to dinner. Asahi seemed jittery about something, shrugging it off as simple happiness to be with you when asked.

You forgave his little white lie when you found a ring placed carefully among the fruits in your dessert. Asahi took it and knelt before you.

"I know our Bracelets are faded; I don't need them to know that you are my soulmate. However, I don't want anyone thinking we're anything less just because they're gone. So, will you take this... and marry me?"

#haikyuu #asahi #asahi x reader #asahi azumane x reader #azumane asahi x reader #asahi azumane #azumane asahi #the sewer #the sewer collab #soulmate syndrome #my posts #my writing

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