Chapter Text
On the cold night of December 4th, Keiji could only think one thing as he stared at himself in the mirror: “ Please, no marks ”.
He knew it wasn’t common, but he had heard stories about those who had never received a soulmate mark. Nothing bad had happened to them, nothing really had happened to them. Their lives had continued, some of them had even found love. Keiji heard from his mother that her parents, Keiji’s grandparents, both didn’t have a mark. And it was fine. They were fine. They fell in love, they had a family, they lived. They were happy.
Keiji didn’t want a mark. He didn’t believe in fate, he believed in making his own choices. He believed in falling in love just because, not because a mark was telling you were supposed to. Besides…
Miya Osamu hadn’t received a mark.
It could be different, Keiji knew. It was more common than not nowadays, that the mark would develop later. He had read once about a woman who had only gotten her mark when she was 31. That was 13 years after she was supposed to develop it. It had only been a couple months for Osamu.
Still, Keiji remembered the anxiety he felt meeting with his boyfriend on October 5th of that same year. He had been sweating all over, the coat on his hands had felt too heavy and he had to sit down in order to calm down as he had waited for Osamu in the park. Keiji had hugged him when he arrived, wished him a happy birthday with a smile, and Osamu had kissed him, cold hands against Keiji’s warm cheeks.
And then Keiji had looked, all over the exposed skin, arms, hands, neck, face. Osamu had grabbed his chin, forcing him to stare at his eyes. He had given Keiji a small sorrowful smile before saying:
“I didn’t get any mark, Keiji.”
Keiji had felt bad for the happiness and hopefulness that had filled his heart, the worry that had evaporated from his chest. Osamu had wanted a soulmate, for as much as he said he didn’t, that he didn’t believe in them, Keiji knew him well enough to know that deep down, Osamu had wished for a mark. He also knew his boyfriend had been jealous that his twin brother, Miya Atsumu, had gotten one.
“Sakusa Kiyoomi, right above his ankle, can ya believe it?” Osamu had told him, their hands intertwined as they walked next to the lake. “That spoiled annoying bastard has a soulmate and…”
He had sighted, not saying anything else. Keiji knew what he had wanted to say, “Atsumu had a soulmate and I don’t.” His twin brother had someone who was destined for him and Osamu had wanted that.
But Keiji didn’t. Keiji wanted Osamu.
So when he woke up on December 5th, his 18th birthday, and felt a sting on his left hand, his eyes snapped open. He froze as he stared at the letters circling the bottom of his ring finger, just like a ring.
Bokuto Koutarou.
Keiji cursed under his breath, his hands grabbing his hair so hard as he threw himself back to his pillow. A loud frustrated sound left his mouth, loud enough that a knock on his door followed it.
“Keiji, are you alright?” his mother asked on the other side.
He let out a grunt of affirmation, already wondering how he would cover that mark up.
His mother’s sweet voice came again, “Can I come in, honey?”
In a panic movement, Keiji pulled the covers up to his neck, his right hand on top of his left one as if the sheets weren’t enough.
“Sure, mom,” he quickly answered, after making sure the mark was well hidden.
His door opened slowly, his mother’s head peeking in before a huge smile took over her face. She entered, going straight to Keiji’s side. Her careful hand brushed Keiji’s locks from his forehead, placing a motherly kiss there.
“Happy birthday, my sweet boy.”
With the additional mark added to his body, Keiji had forgotten it was his birthday.
“Thank you, mom,” He smiled up at his mother, starting to sweat underneath the covers.
Keiji was expecting her to leave then, hoping really that she would, but her big eyes were shining with curiosity and her eyebrows were starting to go up with wonder. Obviously, he knew what his mother wanted to know.
“Didn’t get anything, mom,” he lied.
His mother’s face fell immediately, before she frowned, “How do you know? You haven’t even left the bed to check, you know it could be anywhere, honey!”
He stared at her for some long seconds, his finger twitching under the sheets.
“Well, I would’ve felt something right? I didn’t feel anything different so…” he offered her a stretched smile.
She looked at him suspiciously and, for a moment, he thought she would rip the covers off of him to check it herself, so he gripped the top of the sheet with both his hands.
But then she sighed, “Alright then, I’m sorry, honey. I’m sure you will develop a mark eventually,” her finger passed smoothly on his cheek in a reassuring way. “Get dressed and come downstairs, I’m making you breakfast.”
His mother turned, starting to walk to the door. As soon as Keiji started to relax, she turned to him again, making him grip the sheet tighter.
“Oh, and there’s someone downstairs for you,” her smile said exactly who it was, she had always liked Osamu. “Should I send him up?”
“Of course, I’m just going to take a quick shower.”
With the door closed behind her, Keiji finally took the covers off of him. Quickly getting up, he grabbed a pair of fresh boxers and volleyball tape and went take a shower.
As he stepped underneath the running water, he closed his eyes, finally letting himself absorb the situation.
Keiji had a soulmate.
Keiji, who didn’t believe in soulmates, had a name on his finger, indicating he had one. Keiji, who loved Osamu, was being told there was someone else for him, someone he didn’t know, someone he didn’t love. Some Bokuto Koutarou. Some stranger.
He wanted to punch the wall. Rip his finger out. He wanted to curse fate.
A lot of people dreamed of the day they would finally learn the name of the person they were destined to be with. Some of them even threw reveal parties to announce to everyone, always so excited about it.
Keiji felt the hot water mixing with the salty drops coming out of his eyes.
When he had learned Osamu had no marks he felt so hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t either. What would Osamu even say about the name? Should he even tell him? Would he try to leave him? Would he…
Keiji shook his head, he wanted to scream. Determined to not let a stranger get between him and his boyfriend, Keiji grabbed the shampoo and hoped his eyes wouldn’t be so red when he was done with his shower.
He cleaned himself, dressed his boxers and covered the mark with volleyball tap, ready to lie about an injury. Steam left the bathroom as soon as he opened the door and walked down the hallway to his room, hoping he didn’t make Osamu wait too long.
Arms rushed to hug him the moment he entered the room and the familiar smell made his vision get blurry once again. He grasped Osamu’s shirt, pulling him closer, feeling scarce kisses up his neck and to his ear.
“Happy birthday, Keiji,” the whisper made him shiver.
Hot lips met his in a wet kiss, but it finished as fast as it started when Osamu’s hands touched his cheeks. He pulled away, eyes shining with worry while he cleaned Keiji’s tears.
“Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
He should tell him. Keiji should tell his boyfriend about his soulmate.
Noticing Keiji’s eyes focused on his tapped finger, Osamu gently grabbed his left hand. Keiji didn’t have to say anything, sometimes it felt like Osamu could read his mind.
“Your mother said you didn’t get a mark,” a sob was heard and it took some seconds for Keiji to realize it came from his mouth. “Why did you lie to her?”
His voice was so soft it just made Keiji wish he could crawl to his chest and stay there forever.
Keiji used his free hand to clean the tears, pushing back his wet hair next.
“She would make a big deal out of it and it’s not a big deal, it’s just a name.” He freed himself from Osamu’s affable hold and went to grab a shirt and jeans to put on.
His boyfriend sat on the bed, watching as Keiji got dressed, eyes following his every movement. Keiji was able to put on some perfume before Osamu’s hand pushed him gently to sit next to him on the bed. His fingers brushed through the tape covering the name, they were both staring down.
“Whose name is it?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never heard it anywhere.” His voice was so low, he was afraid Osamu didn’t hear him.
But through the corner of his eyes he could see him nodding, nails starting to play with the end of the tape. Keiji knew what he wanted, of course he knew. If Osamu had one, Keiji would want the same thing.
“Can I see it?”
Keiji nodded. The tape came out smoothly and, as the mark appeared, his eyes closed not wanting to see it again.
Osamu didn’t say a word. The only thing audible in the air was their breathing. Keiji could feel the tip of Osamu’s fingers brushing through it.
“It’s like a ring.” He sounded breathless.
Keiji opened his eyes, finding Osamu locking his jaw so hard it could break. As if feeling the stare on him, Osamu looked up and his teary eyes finally found Keiji’s and his heart clenched.
“You know it doesn’t mean anything, right? You know I don’t believe in this.” Keiji reassured him.
Osamu offered him a pity smile, cheeks starting to turn red from holding the tears in.
“Just because you don’t believe it, doesn’t mean it’s not real, Keiji.”
Keiji got closer to him on the bed, “Osamu, c’mon. I will not let a stupid mark get between us.”
“Keiji…” The tears started to fall and he closed his eyes.
Keiji’s heart hurt, screamed, he wanted to hold Osamu so close. His hands climbed to the other’s cheeks, determination feeling his chest.
“You are the love of my life. You are the one I want to be with. I won’t let this dictate my future.” He was sure of it, said it with so much confidence.
Osamu shook his head, dropping it down and playing with his own fingers.
“You can’t control it, Keiji. It’s fate.” Keiji grabbed his chin, forcing his boyfriend to look at him.
He swallowed seeing Osamu’s crushed face. He knew the same hope he had that he wouldn’t get a mark, Osamu had it too.
“Then I’ll fight fate for you, Osamu. No one gets to choose who I spend my life with but me. And I choose you. I will always choose you.”
The following months went by fast. Keiji and Osamu graduated from high school together. Keiji got into college and Osamu decided to take a cooking course, wanting to open his own restaurant.
No one knew about Keiji’s mark, Osamu gave Keiji a ring, thick enough that it covered the “Bokuto Koutarou” name plastered on Keiji’s skin.
Atsumu had made fun of them, always asking when the wedding would be. Osamu would always flip him off. Their relationship had gotten wary when Osamu had told Atsumu he didn’t want to continue playing volleyball after high school, but thankfully they couldn’t stay weird with each other for too long and quickly solved their differences.
That was why Osamu was dragging Keiji to Atsumu’s official first game with the MSBY Black Jackals. For as much as they fought each other, Keiji could see how much Osamu was proud of his twin brother.
“You know when I open my own restaurant, I will have a stand in every ‘Tsumu’s game just so I can steal his thunder,” Osamu said, looking at a food stand as they entered the sporting complex.
“I don’t really think it’s possible to steal a player’s thunder, considering it’s a volleyball game, but I wouldn’t watch the game to stay by your side and you would have all my attention,” Keiji offered him an innocent smile.
Osamu laughed, putting an arm over Keiji’s shoulders pulling him closer and giving him a forehead kiss, “Well, that would be more than enough for me.”
They entered and looked for a place. Thankfully, they found two at the front row and sat, talking as both teams started to warm up.
“Look at him and that smug look on his face,” Osamu nodded towards the field and Keiji turned his head to watch as Atsumu tossed the ball to one of his teammates and smiled when the spiker hit it perfectly. “Ughr he’s so annoying.”
Keiji looked at his boyfriend, “You know you’re with me, right? You can just say you’re proud of him.”
Osamu denied but the shine in his eyes fooled absolutely no one.
Keiji went back to look at the warm up. Atsumu tossed another ball and a man jumped to spike it. And then Keiji felt something . The soft smile from talking to Osamu disappeared completely and a rush climbed through his spine, straight to his heart.
The man seemed to stop midair. His spiky white-gray hair, shining eyes and his smile was so big the planets aligned just to let the sun appreciate it.
The idle fleeting thought that he was a star crossed his mind.
It was hot, so hot Keiji wanted to take a shower in ice. His heart was beating faster than ever before. He felt a spark in his ring finger and his right hand snapped to cover it as he forced his eyes away from the man with the number 12 on his shirt.
No, no, no, no… What was that?
His panic must’ve shown since he felt Osamu’s hand caress his arm followed by a, “Everything okay, Keiji?”
A false smile appeared on his face, “Yeah, all good.”
If Osamu realized he was lying, he didn’t say anything, simply intertwining their fingers together.
The game started shortly after and Keiji obligated his heart to calm down. He and Osamu watched the game and Keiji forced himself to answer every time Osamu made a comment.
Keiji sighed with relief when the referee blew the whistle, indicating the end of the game. Thankfully Atsumu’s team won and Osamu jumped to his feet celebrating.
However, as soon as the players approached to thank the audience, Osamu simply yelled, “You’ve done nothing more than your duty” to his twin brother who presented him the middle finger.
Keiji limited himself to stare only at Atsumu until they disappeared through the complex doors, scared to meet the gray’s hair man in the eyes.
Osamu dragged them both outside, commenting about the game and which plays he liked more. Keiji had agreed to have dinner with his boyfriend and the twin after the game, so they sat on a bench waiting for the latter.
“Keiji…” He looked to his side. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been really quiet.”
Keiji nodded, trying his best to give him a sincere answer, “I’m okay, really.”
Most people had already left when Atsumu’s voice screaming for his twin sounded in the air. It was noticeable the happy expression that Osamu tried to hide appearing on his face and he quickly got up to hug and congratulate the player.
Keiji got up as well, a small smile forming on his lips, genuinely happy for Atsumu’s win. However, the smile froze as he saw the man following the blonde.
“Hey jackass, I invited my teammate to come have dinner with us. I’ve talked about him, you remember Bokkun, right?” Atsumu clapped the other’s back. “Bokuto Koutarou.”
It was like the air was knocked out of Keiji.
The words couldn’t form in his mouth, his brain stopped working.
From the corner of his eyes he could see Osamu completely frozen.
Keiji assumed some time passed as the air around them started to get weird.
“Hello?” Atsumu waved his hand in front of Osamu’s face who slammed it away, still not saying anything. His brother turned to Bokuto. Started talking to Bokuto.
Bokuto Koutarou.
Bokuto Koutarou was in front of him.
It could still not be him, there could be another Bokuto Koutarou in Japan. But that idea was completely discarded when Keiji looked down at his hand and indistinguishable letters could be seen on his left hand’s ring finger.
“Okay, for some reason my brother is acting weirder than usual, but anyway this is Miya Osamu, my twin, and his boyfriend, Akaashi Keiji.”
And their eyes met. Golden colored eyes met dark blue ones and Keiji could see the realization in them. They switched between Osamu and Keiji, staying a second longer on Keiji.
Bokuto’s mouth opened a couple of times but nothing came out.
Atsumu opened his arms in confusion, eyebrows frowning, “Okay, what the hell is going on?”