Author's Note: Thanks again everyone who has been enjoying the story so far. I actually have a lot of time on my hands right now so I should be able to get a lot done with this story. Stay tuned for more!
Chapter 4: With Truth Comes Release
"Hey Kageyama." Tobio jumped, having been so lost in his head that he hadn't realized the captain had returned from the store with the promised meat buns. Daichi was holding one out to him, another with a bite already taken out of it in his other hand. He nodded in thanks before taking a huge bite out of his own.
"Yes Sawamura-san?"
Daichi chuckled. "I appreciate the respect but please, call me Daichi. Hell, pretty much all of the team uses their first names with each other anyway so I'm sure that they wouldn't mind you using their given names either."
Tobio nodded, swallowing the food in his mouth. "Did you need something from me?"
"Ah yes actually. What position should we put Hinata in? You've been interacting with him the most out of everyone on the team so we want your opinion on what would be the best position for his play style."
Tobio stared at Daichi for a second, feeling flattered that Daichi valued his thoughts and opinions enough to ask him something like this. He thought for a moment before he had his answer. "Middle-blocker."
Daichi seemed surprised by that answer, which was the whole point.
"Is that the best thing though, with how short he is?" Suga chimed in, munching on his own treat. Tobio smirked as he spared a quick glance at Hinata, who was currently being yelled at by Tanaka while a meat bun hung from his mouth.
"Exactly. Hinata is crazy fast, and with those jumps he could reach the blocks with enough practice. The biggest advantage though is it gives the other team even more chances to underestimate him, making him-"
"-the perfect decoy." Daichi finished with a grin. Suga was smiling as well and gave him another enthusiastic pat on the back that once again had a little too much force in it.
"Jesus Suga, don't break him, we need him for the next game." Daichi sighed exasperatedly, though if you looked closer you could easily see the fond look in his eyes.
"He's a big boy, he can handle it." Suga said simply, giggling around a mouthful of food.
"KAGEYAMA!" All three of them winced at the loud screech. Tobio whirled around and glared at the ginger idiot.
"Hinata you dumbass! Quit shouting, it's late." He said, flushing with embarrassment. Hinata paid the insult no mind and beamed at him.
"I forgot to tell you that Mom said it was okay for me to stay over!"
"Uh, since when were you staying over at my house?"
"Uh, since now, duh." Tobio gaped at him in utter disbelief.
"Did you seriously just invite yourself over to my house?" Hinata nodded enthusiastically and Tobio groaned in frustration.
"Yup!" Hinata was grinning from ear to ear, not an ounce of shame in his tone of voice. He felt his temper flare when Hinata's smile took on a cheshire smugness, both of them knowing Tobio would give in and let him come over.
"Oh come on Kags, you know you wanna have a sleepover with me." Hinata said knowingly, patting him on the head jokingly. Tobio smacked his hand away with a half hearted glare.
"The hell I do, moron." Tobio growled stubbornly, but he relented and just started down the road towards his house, both of them waving goodbye to the rest of the team before they left. Tobio listened to Hinata chatter away, adding his two cents when he could. They had just made it into the house when Hinata called out to him.
"Hey, uh… Kags?" Tobio turned from the coat rack to look at him. "Is everything okay? I mean with the upcoming match, and the weird texts you've been getting, an-and the fact that it's Seijoh we're facing and their conditions, and-and-"
"Shoyo, breath." Hinata took a huge breath, calming himself down.
"Sorry, I'm just really worried, I know you aren't ready to talk about what's been bothering you or what happened back in junior high or why your parents are never around." Tobio winced at that, not realizing that he had been that obvious considering Hinata had only been over a handful of times. "I know that and that's okay to not be ready and I don't want to make you feel like you have to tell me or anything and I have no right to d-demand that of you, but… But…"
Tobio grabbed Hinata's shoulders and turned him so they were eye to eye. "Shoyo, breath." he repeated, purposely taking slow and loud breaths so Hinata could match his pace. Hinata's breathing eventually slowed and with a final shaky breath his body relaxed, leaning against Tobio's chest. Tobio awkwardly patted him on the head, still not super comfortable with close contact. Still, he owed it to Hinata to help him calm down. It was his fault after all.
"I'm sorry." Hinata pulled away and gave him a questioning look.
"Why? You didn't do anything wrong Kags. I was just getting myself up in a tizzy with worry like usual." Hinata said, wiping his nose messily on his sleeve, making Tobio grimace.
"I didn't mean to make you worry?" he replied, though it sounded more like a question. Hinata sighed, "Tobio, you can't make me not worry about you, you're my friend and I care about you so of course I'm gonna worry. That's what friends do."
Tobio gave him a blank look, making Hinata giggle. "Come on Bakayama, you know what I mean!" Tobio blinked. Hinata rolled his eyes. "Oh come on! You do it too! Like the fact that you tell me to text you when I make it home and yell at me when I don't right away."
Tobio blinked again, understanding finally dawned on him. "Oh."
Hinata laughed at him. "Yeah. Oh."
Hinata kept snickering all the way to the kitchen, the mild panic attack apparently making him very hungry. Tobio watched after him and contemplated their conversation.
He had honestly never really thought about it before since no one had really expressed concern like that for him except his grandpa, but that was family so of course he worried, especially when Tobio was really little. Which again, is something anyone would obviously do for a little kid since they can't do much on their own. But since he's a teenager his assumption was that people would only worry when he did something wrong or was obviously not doing well, he never really thought about his well-being. He usually shoved it down and didn't think about it, focussing on what was in front of him. But maybe…
Maybe that was the wrong way of thinking.
Hinata was right, he did worry about him making the trek over the mountains. But why? It's not like Hinata had never made the journey before. In fact, the redhead had been taking the same route for years and nothing had ever happened to him, so why would Tobio worry? It was so simple that he felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
He just… Cared about Hinata.
He cared about his well being. He worried when Hinata tripped over something or ran into something because of how clumsy he naturally was. He did everything he could to help Hinata when he was upset. He just…
Cared.
Tobio padded over to the kitchen, stealing some chips out of the bag Hinata was holding, making him pout. He smirked at him before contemplating if he should tell Hinata everything. He had been so supportive and sweet with everything so far, and even with all the little voices in Tobio's head that told him he would leave at any given opportunity, Tobio wanted to believe that Hinata wasn't that kind of person.
"You want pizza for dinner?" Hinata nodded enthusiastically, nearly drooling at the prospect of food.
"Heck yeah I do! Can we get pickles and black olives this time?" Tobio wrinkled his nose at that. He would never understand how the idiot could stomach a pizza with pickles and olives on it.
"On your side you can." Hinata stuck his tongue out at him.
"You gonna get just cheese again?" Hinata asked. Tobio nodded as he looked up the pizza place's number on his phone. Hinata groaned dramatically. "Booooo, so lame. Who knew you'd turn out to be so boring."
"Better than being an idiot like you." Tobio quipped, smirking at Hinata's indignant squawk.
"Excuse you, who was the one that got the better score in English last week? That's right, me!" Hinata challenged, puffing out his chest. Tobio's smirk only grew.
"Yeah, by one point. So impressive." Hinata huffed, making Tobio snicker.
"Still better than yours." Hinata muttered under his breath, pouting. "Can we get bread sticks too?"
Tobio nodded, punching in the number to make the call. Hinata gave a small woop before scurrying to the TV to find something to watch while he waited for Tobio to get off the phone. Tobio casually glanced over at Hinata after he hung up, watching as he flipped through the streaming services. He asked himself again if it was a good idea to tell Hinata everything. His baggage was a lot, to put it mildly. He knew he'd be risking a lot by revealing what happened. Even if he felt so comfortable with the red head, his home life was a mess at best, and the utter rejection of his soulmates… Would Hinata want to stick around after he discovered just how broken Tobio's personal life really was?
"Kags?" Hinata called quietly, effectively yanking him out of his head. Tobio looked at him, and saw the care and concern on his face. The look fueled his confidence, and he made his way over to the living room.
"Can we talk?" Tobio said in a small voice. Hinata scooted over and patted a spot on the couch. He sat down, leaning on his knees with his hands in front of him, not looking at him. He wrung his hands together nervously to give him something to do as he tried to find the best place to start.
"Is…. Is this about junior high?" Hinata asked tentatively. Tobio nodded his head, still unable to look him in the eye. He started when he felt Hinata gently take his hands into his own. It was then that he realized how hard he was clenching them. "Kags, you really don't have to tell me if you're not ready."
Tobio shook his head. "I am ready, I just… I've wanted to tell you for a while now, but.." he sighed, frustrated that he was struggling to finish a sentence. "Just… Promise me you won't leave because of this."
Hinata nodded, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. Tobio felt some of his confidence come back with the look, and he took a shaky breath to calm his nerves. He finally raised his head, meeting Hinata's open gaze before speaking.
"The reason why I didn't want to talk about the past… The reason why I freaked out when we found out that the match was with Seijoh, is…" Tobio sighed, getting irritated with himself not being able to just spit it out. He turned away from him, staring at his right arm before deciding to just rip the bandaid off. He yanked his sleeve up harshly, revealing his forearm. Hinata gasped, gingerly holding his arm to examine the faded mark.
"Tobio, did you meet your soulmate in junior high?" Hinata asked. He nodded, refusing to look at him, afraid of what he would see.
"Yeah, I met them my first year at Kitagawa Daiichi."
"Them?" Tobio sighed.
"Yeah, them. It's a polybond, but they rejected me." He could feel the pity and sadness coming through their bond but ignored it, determined to get this out before he fell apart again. "They were my seniors, 3rd years. They've known each other since they were toddlers, and everyone knew that they would end up being soulmates. One of them was the ace of the team, crazy strong, kind, and was always the peacemaker of the team. The other was this amazing setter, someone that could bring out the best in everyone he met. He cared a lot about the people around him, even if he came off as full of himself at times. I looked up to him so much, I looked up to both of them."
Tobio swallowed the growing lump in his throat, feeling the petals flutter with every breath.
"They never knew I was a part of their bond and didn't want me in it. When the mark appeared, it ended… Badly." Even though they had caused him so much pain, he didn't like speaking ill of them, so he kept it vague. "After that, they blocked our bond and completely ignored me for the rest of the year. I didn't talk to them after that either, and for the most part we just stayed away from each other, until…"
Tobio had to stop again. It was getting harder to breathe, the flowers growing in his throat. He cleared his throat and tried to continue. "Until my last game in junior high."
Realization dawned on Hinata's face. "The last game.."
Tobio nodded. "That was when the team turned on me." Hinata took his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Tobio squeezed back before continuing. "After what happened with my soulmates, I kind of retreated from everyone a bit, and when my grandpa died, I just… I wasn't really doing well." Tobio struggled putting into words how it felt to lose the one person that was a constant in his life, the one person that Tobio felt like he could go to for anything. The only person that Tobio could say he had loved so far in his life, and he was just… Gone.
Tobio closed his eyes, trying to push back the pain. He jumped when he felt arms wrap around him. He felt gentle comforting waves coming through the bond. He saw a drop of liquid land on Hinata's arm and it was then that Tobio realized that he was crying. He ignored it and made himself continue.
"After that last game, one of my soulmates approached me, the setter, and told me how… Disappointed he was… and…"
"Kags?" Hinata prompted, his voice growing alarmed. Tobio felt the flower stems scraping his throat as they worked their way up his windpipe. He jumped up and ran to the bathroom, unable to hold them back any more as they burst from his mouth, nearly missing the toilet.
Hinata was on his heels. "Kags! What's happening?" Tobio felt the sheer panic vibrating on their bond, and he wanted to reassure him that everything would be okay, but couldn't since there were so many flowers coming out. Hinata kneeled down next to him and began rubbing his back.
He felt the hand on his back retread after a beat and he heard him on the phone, calling someone, though who he wasn't sure. He didn't know how he felt about someone else seeing him like this, but after another painful heave he couldn't find it in him to care anymore.
After what felt like forever he finally slumped over the toilet seat, the flowers finally having slowed to the occasional cough of a petal. He looked down and saw that the entire bowl was filled with nothing but Begonias and… Irises?
Hope? Tobio idly wondered, before hearing the doorbell ring. Before he could say anything, he heard three sets of footsteps rushing to the bathroom. Tobio lifted his head and blinked blurrily at them, trying to focus on their faces. His eyes widened when he realized who they were.
"Oh my god." Suga whispered, bringing his hand to his mouth. Tobio flinched at the look of horror on his face.
"Kageyama? Are you alright? What happened?" Daichi said, hesitantly resting a hand on his shoulder. Tobio tried to answer but his throat was so raw he couldn't speak.
"Hinata, can you go grab a glass of water, some towels, and his bag for us?" Suga said. Hinata nodded and bolted out of the room to grab everything. Suga came and kneeled next to Tobio, gripping both sides of his face as he looked him right in the eye. "Now Kageyama, I need you to be honest with me, I promise that no one is going to judge you, but please tell us what's going on."
Before Tobio could attempt to say anything Hinata rushed back into the room. Daichi took the towels and wetted them as Suga handed him the cup of water. Tobio took it gratefully and gulped down the entire cup, the cool liquid soothing on his throat. He reached a hand out for his bag and Hinata immediately handed it over to him. He quickly found his inhaler and took a few puffs, immediately feeling relief as the medicine disintegrated what was left of the flowers in his throat. He felt Suga gently wipe his face when he was done.
"How did you know I needed this?" Tobio asked, his voice still a little raspy. Suga finished with the towel and handed it to Hinata, who stood back up to toss it in the laundry bin in the closet.
"I saw your soulmark a few weeks ago, and noticed how faded it was." Suga replied softly. "I wanted to ask but I didn't want to pry, and when you looked so sick today at the mention of Seijoh I kinda put two and two together."
"Kageyama, are your soulmates on the Seijoh team?" Daichi asked. Tobio nodded weakly.
"They're the ace and the captain of the team." He confirmed. Suga and Daichi winced at that but didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue. "They rejected me my first year of junior high, but… I think… I think they're trying to get back in contact with me, but I don't understand why."
"Have they been calling you?" Suga held his hand on his forehead, checking for a fever. Tobio shook his head.
"No. I did get a text from an unknown number, but I didn't know who it was until this afternoon when Takeda-sensei announced the practice match."
"Are you sure that it's one of them?" Tobio nodded. He may have been separated from his soulmates for a few years but he still knew them well enough to recognize their behavior.
"What did the text say?" Suga prodded further.
"I don't remember exactly, but they want to meet in person so they can apologize. I don't know which one it is but I know it was Oikawa who requested the match. He's the only one who would make demands like that for a practice match." The doorbell went off, startling all of them.
"I'll get it!" Hinata volunteered, scurrying back out of the room as the doorbell went off again. Daichi and Suga looked at each other before turning back to Tobio.
"Were you expecting someone else to come over?" Daichi asked carefully.
Tobio shook his head again. "No, we ordered pizza earlier, it must have just gotten here."
"You might want to hold off on that for tonight, the sauce might be too irritating for your throat." Tobio pouted at that. He rarely ate junk food and had been looking forward to it but knew that Suga was right. Suga smiled sympathetically. "I know it's a bummer, but hey; You get to have pizza for breakfast tomorrow, that's pretty cool!"
Daichi rolled his eyes at that. "Suga, not everyone is a heathen like you who orders pizza and puts the entire thing in the fridge just so they can eat it cold."
Tobio looked at Suga with mild disgust which only made him laugh. "Don't knock it till you try it Kageyama. Trust me, it's delicious, especially if you dip it in hot sauce."
"Oh lord, here we go again with the hot sauce."
"What? Hot sauce is the spice of life and should be enjoyed at every meal!" Daichi scoffed at that.
"How your taste buds haven't burnt off completely is beyond me."
"That's because you're obviously a scrub when it comes to spicy food." Suga said with a dramatic turn of his nose. Tobio couldn't help but snort at that. With the way they bickered you'd think they were an old married couple.
Suga and Daichi smiled at him, seeming pleased with themselves that they could get a laugh out of him. Gently they reached down and helped him up off the floor. He wobbled for a second, his legs having gone numb from kneeling for so long, but for the most part he felt okay. Daichi reached over to flush the toilet, but paused when he saw the flowers.
"Kageyama, will you be okay for the match next week? I don't know a lot about Hanahaki but I know that being close to them can trigger a reaction." he asked.
"According to my doctor, as long as I make sure to have a purge session with her before we have to meet and I bring my inhaler, I should be okay. I just haven't been able to go in for a while so that's why this time was so bad. Them contacting me out of the blue didn't help."
"I'm sure finding out about the match didn't help either." Suga acknowledged, as he flushed the flowers down. Daichi winced at that.
"I'm sorry Kageyama, if I had known about this I would have never agreed to the match." Daichi apologized but Tobio dismissed it with a shake of his head.
"I was going to have to face them at some point, so I would rather this happen before a practice match than an official one." He replied simply as Daichi and Suga flanked his sides as they guided him to his bedroom.
"What a brave thing to say." Suga commented, humor in his voice. Tobio realized it was basically the same thing that he had told him just an hour before about Aoba Johsai as a whole. Still, he didn't really get why the other setter would see what he said as brave; it was a fact. If they wanted to go to nationals, they would have to not only face them, but defeat them in a match. Tobio knew this was going to happen and no matter how much he dreaded seeing them face to face again, he knew that if he wanted to be on this team, to continue playing volleyball, he would have to face them.
Cause that's just how it was. Volleyball had brought them together, had bonded them. It shaped them into the people that they were and it tore them apart. Even so, Tobio knew that no matter how much pain and turmoil the sport had brought him in the past, he would never be able to let it go. It was a part of him, and he knew that it was equally a part of his soulmates' lives as it was his. He knew that nothing could change that, so he had come to accept the fact that he would never be able to fully separate from them, nor ever be with them the way that his bond, his heart wanted to. It was a fact, there was no way he could change that.
"But Kageyama," Suga continued, Tobio paused in his thinking to look at the other setter. "This isn't about your will, it's your health. We're worried that if you stay so close to them for a full match it could cause some serious damage. And considering that we'll have to face them in the tournament…"
Tobio held his hand up to stop him. "I knew no matter what school I went to I would have to see them again. I talked to my doctor and she said that so long as I make sure to purge the flowers before I meet them and start taking my inhaler regularly twice a day it shouldn't cause any lasting damage."
Daichi nodded in understanding as both he and Suga gently helped him sit down on his bed. "Even so, we need to talk to Takeda-sensei about this." Tobio scrunched his nose at that, making the others chuckle. "I know you don't want to, but he needs to know about this in case of an emergency so we can make sure you have everything you need."
"What is purging? Is that w-what you just did?" Hinata hesitantly asked from the doorway. Tobio looked at him, not having even sensed when he had entered the room.
"Yeah, though when I go into the therapist office they call it thumps."
"Thumps?" Daichi asked, though Tobio had a feeling that Suga knew what he was talking about judging by the look on his face.
"Yeah. They push on my back hard to ease the flowers out of my lungs. They have me drink something gross first to break them down so they don't scratch my throat."
"Which is why we should make sure that it doesn't come to that." Suga finished for him, and Tobio nodded.
"What if I learned how to do it?" Hinata volunteered, the fear in his eyes still there but it was overshadowed by his resolve.
"Hinata, I-" Hinata stopped Tobio's protest.
"Tobio, you can't purge like that, and I'm the one that's with you the most out of the entire team. Plus I think I'll be able to tell now when you need to purge." Tobio's eyes widened. Could Hinata feel when the flowers were filling his lungs? Could he feel the attack coming on? He looked at Hinata in a near panic but Hinata stopped him again.
"That's kinda why I invited myself over. Ever since the text you got last night I've been feeling this queasy feeling in my tummy, and when we were talking I could… Uh, taste the flowers? At least I think I tasted flowers, it definitely tasted like plants." Tobio was shocked to say the least. He had never heard of a platonic bond being able to feel so much, let alone feel some of the symptoms of Hanahaki disease that the other one was feeling.
"Shoyo, I-" Hinata hugged him before he could finish his sentence. Tobio was ashamed of himself. He couldn't believe that the entire time he was hurting Hinata with his health issues. It wasn't fair. He knew that he wasn't good enough for his soulmates, but why did Hinata have to suffer because of it? Tobio could feel tears gather at the corners of his eyes and he roughly wiped them away out of frustration. He felt a gentle pat on his back and turned, seeing Suga and Daichi looking at him with concern. He felt so guilty at that moment that he couldn't even look them in the eye and just buried his head into Hinata's shoulder.
"I think this is a good idea." Suga said, looking at Daichi.
"I agree, but just in case I think more than one of us should know how to do it. And I'm sure Takeda-sensei will probably want to learn as well just in case." Tobio lifted his head to protest but stopped with the stern look Daichi gave him. "No arguments Kageyama, this is your health. The last thing we want is for you to get hurt or worse when we could have helped you."
Hinata and Suga nodded in agreement. Tobio looked at all of them in amazement. Never in his life did he think he would feel a part of something again, yet here he was; on the Karasuno high school volleyball team. A band of misfits that seemed to accept him for some reason. He never realized that they cared this much. He honestly didn't think anyone would ever again since his grandfather's death. He swallowed around the lump of emotion in his throat, refusing to start crying again. "Thank you."
All three smiled, Suga taking the opportunity to ruffle his hair again. "Of course. You're a part of our team, which means you're family now. You're stuck with us whether you like it or not. So no more secrets or I swear I will go mama-crow on you."
Daichi snorted. He wove his arms around Suga from behind, hooking his chin over his shoulder. "Since when did we adopt ten kids?"
"Since you decided we were gonna be captains together." Suga replied simply, patting Daichi's thigh next to him. "Guess that makes you Dadchi now."
Hinata and Tobio looked at each other before they burst out laughing, Tobio's quiet chuckles contrasting greatly with Hinata's high pitched squeals. The captains laughed with them.
After they cooled down both Suga and Daichi stood from the bed.
"It's getting late, we should head out." Daichi said, leaving the room to grab their stuff.
Suga nodded his head and kneeled down in front of Tobio. "Thank you for being honest with us."
Tobio flushed, still feeling slightly embarrassed but nodded his head. Suga smiled and squeezed his hands in his.
"Okay, we're gonna head out. Be sure to lock the door behind us. Don't stay up too late, especially you, Tobio. Make sure to drink lots of water and both of you feel free to text us if you need anything." Suga lectured, fixing their hair as he talked.
Tobio and Hinata shared a look over Suga's fussing. They both smirked before turning to Suga at the same time.
"Yes Mom." they said in unison, making Suga flush. Daichi had to grip the door frame so he wouldn't fall over laughing.
"Shut it you." Suga growled, but the subtle twitch of his lips gave him away. "Goodnight boys. Be good for Mom and Dad."
Hinata fell into another fit of giggles as Tobio nodded with a small smile of his own.
"Alright Sugamama, enough. Let's leave them be." Daichi said, still chuckling as he placed his hand on the small of Suga's back, guiding him to the door. Suga turned with a faux concerned look.
"Wait! What if they need me to read them a bedtime story? How will our children sleep without a bedtime story Daddy?" Tobio lost it then. Both he and Hinata fell against the bed laughing. Daichi sputtered at the nickname, making the innocent smile on Suga's face turn mischievous.
"Jesus Suga, really?" He said, seemingly exasperated. Suga shrugged.
"You started it, I finished it." Suga flounced out of the room, apparently satisfied with his work. Daichi chuckled and shook his head.
"I really can't take him anywhere." he sighed tiredly, shooting the boys on the bed a grin. "But seriously, call us if you need anything else, okay? I mean it, no matter how late it is."
Both boys nodded in understanding as they stood to walk them out the door.
"Come on Daddykins, Mommy needs her beauty sleep." They heard Suga hollar from down the hall. Daichi laughed as he followed Suga, opening the door for him.
"Ladies first." He joked with a dramatic bow. Suga rolled his eyes.
"Yeah well, it's brains before beauty so move out of the way." Suga said with an exaggerated huff.
"Does this make me the pretty one in our relationship?" Daichi asked, winking at Tobio and Hinata.
"No, I'm both pretty and smart, you're just the one that pays the bill." Suga said, grabbing Daichi's wrist and dragging him down the front steps with a little too much force, making a laughing Daichi nearly stumble and lose his footing.
"Night boys! Sleep tight!" Suga called over his shoulder.
"Night Mom! Night Dad!" Hinata called, waving enthusiastically. Suga snickered as a wandering neighbor gave them all a look before continuing her nightly strole. Tobio gave a small wave of his own before they both headed back inside. Tobio locked the door behind them, checking it three times before moving to the rest of the windows and doors in the house. Hinata followed behind him, chattering as usual, though Tobio did notice that he didn't say anything about his compulsive rituals, which Tobio was grateful for. He had shared enough tonight and frankly didn't have the energy to deep dive into his psyche.
"Um, Kags." Tobio turned to him as he was brushing his teeth. "I-I'm sorry I told them about your soulmates rejecting you. B-But you started throwing up so many flowers and I-I didn't know what to do and I-"
Tobio pressed his hand gently to Hinata's mouth, stopping his rant. He spit out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth before speaking. "Hinata, you did the right thing."
Hinata's eyes widened. "I… I did?"
Tobio nodded. As much as he hated it, talking to Hinata, and then Suga and Daichi about everything wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. It actually… Felt good to finally talk about what he had been bottling up for so long.
"But… I thought you would be mad since you usually don't like to talk about yourself."
"I usually don't, but…" Tobio grimaced, refusing to say that Hinata had been right in saying that he would feel better if he talked about it. Soulmates or not, he hated admitting when he was wrong, especially when it came to his rival. Hinata must have caught on to what Tobio meant because he grinned like a cat that caught the canary.
"Oh my, guess I was right. Maybe Saltyama should listen to me more." Hinata said smugly. Tobio growled and smacked him upside the head, making him yelp.
"Don't get used to it, idiot." Tobio said, though even he could hear the fondness in the insult. He scrunched his nose in disgust. Since when had he gotten so sappy? Hinata laughed at him.
"Softyama strikes again!" Hinata cackled as he ran away, Tobio chasing after him. As they chased each other around the house and wrestled, Tobio wondered if this was what it was really like to have a family. Despite the fact that they were mostly joking, Daichi and Suga really did feel like parents sometimes with the way that they cared for the entire team. And with Hinata…
He knew what they had was more than friendship. While he had never had a brother, he knew that Hinata was about as close to one as he could have. Regardless of whether they were platonic soulmates or not, Hinata was basically his brother and he knew that after everything that happened tonight, Hinata felt the same way.
As they both tucked in to sleep, he looked over at the futon where the red head laid. He was dead to the world already, sprawled out and snoring loudly. Tobio chuckled quietly and decided that right then and there that he would do everything he could for his team and new found friends. Whether they thought of him in the same way or not, he would do whatever it took to make sure they were happy. Even if they didn't want him there or to let him help, he would be there, because whether the entire team knew it or not, they were there for him when he needed it most, and he would be forever grateful for what they had done for him, and forever grateful to have them in his life.