Archive of Our Own

Iwaizumi knew less than half of the people in the room, but for some reason, a lot of people were saying hi to him or waving him over to them. It was a big event thrown by one of the university’s largest organizations, and both his teammates and Kuroo had demanded that he go out and celebrate.

“You deserve this,” Kuroo said as he led Iwaizumi around the room, his arm resting casually over Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “You scored the winning goal. You deserve a drink or ten, and just because Bokuto isn’t here to cheer you on doesn’t mean you should stop drinking. You’re going to have a lot of fun tonight, and I’m gonna make sure of that.”

“How are we getting home?” Iwaizumi asked as he accepted the beer Kuroo handed him.

Kuroo waved him off. “That’s an irrelevant question –”

“Did you and Tsukki fight again?”

“Of course not, our love is pure,” Kuroo answered easily as they avoided a couple that was making out in the middle of the dance floor. “Or well, it will be until he turns eighteen –”

Iwaizumi choked on his beer. “Please stop talking.”

“Then let’s stop talking about me and talk about you instead.” Kuroo took him to the side and began to look around. “There’s someone who wants to meet you. Actually, I’m surprised you guys haven’t met before.”

“Who?” Iwaizumi asked as he took another swig of his beer. He glanced to his right, only to see that Kuroo had disappeared into the crowd. He shook his head and took another sip, his eyes scanning the room for anyone familiar. Just as he was about to give up being on his own, someone tapped his shoulder.

He turned back, and the person behind him smiled. “Remember me?”

Oikawa Tooru wasn’t someone easily forgotten. Iwaizumi had seen him at his games, but it was different to see him up close. He was taller now, slightly taller than Iwaizumi, and more handsome now; less of the innocent child he’d looked like back when they were in middle school.

“Hey,” Iwaizumi said with a smile. “Of course I do. Oikawa-san, it’s been a while.”

“Don’t call me that. It’s weird,” Oikawa took a step closer. “Just call me Oikawa, like when we were younger.”

Just as Iwaizumi was about to reply, Kuroo came back, two drinks in hand. He handed one to Oikawa, and the other to Iwaizumi in exchange for the beer. “So I guess you two have already reunited? Gonna take a stroll down memory lane?”

“We’re not ancient,” Iwaizumi replied with a scowl. “You make us sound like aging businessmen.” He shook his head and downed the drink Kuroo had given him, the alcohol burning as it made its way down his throat. “Jesus, what was in that?”

“I don’t know,” Kuroo said with a shrug. “Not bad though, right?” He glanced between the two of them then took a step back. “Anyway, I’m going to see how some of the other boys are doing tonight. You two play well now, and Oikawa, watch out for your fans. I know they get handsy.” He pointed at Iwaizumi. “And you, have fun tonight.”

And with that, they both watched as Kuroo disappeared into the crowd again. They stood awkwardly together, and just as Iwaizumi was about to say something, Oikawa spoke first.

“You don’t look like you’re having fun, Iwa-chan.”

The nickname sounded strange. Iwaizumi hadn’t heard it in years, but he wasn’t surprised that Oikawa had used it. It had been a weird sort of thing between them, and even back in middle school, he’d stopped asking Oikawa to quit using the childish endearment. He’d accepted the pigtail pulling, and Oikawa had seemed to enjoy the special treatment.

“You’re still calling me that?”

“You were cute to me then,” Oikawa answered breezily as his eyes blatantly slid over Iwaizumi’s figure. “You’re still cute now. I don’t see why I should stop.”

Iwaizumi shook his head. “Your personality is still awful.”

“I know,” Oikawa laughed, “But I make up for it in other ways.” He leaned in, and Iwaizumi turned his head to look at him. There was an obvious look of interest on Oikawa’s face, and although he wasn’t one to typically look for casual flings, Iwaizumi knew what it meant.

Have fun tonight.

The worst days in his life were the days that Kuroo got to him, and it seemed like today would be one of them. It was a good thing Akaashi wasn’t around to psychoanalyze his behavior, because he had a feeling it’d come back to some buried attraction he’d forgotten to leave behind in middle school.

Iwaizumi weighed his options. He didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the adrenaline taking over, but he honestly didn’t feel like speaking about their middle school days, and he knew Oikawa didn’t either. They could be adults. They could have fun like adults.

He glanced at Oikawa, who was watching him intently. With no intention of turning back, Iwaizumi reached forward to pull Oikawa closer by his belt loops and at the same time leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

--

Iwaizumi shoved his tongue into Oikawa’s mouth and kissed him hard as soon as they'd fallen onto the bed. Oikawa kissed back frantically, soft moans escaping his lips between breaths. He could feel how hard both of them were getting, and annoyed by the amount of fabric between them, Iwaizumi broke their kiss and pulled away.

Oikawa blinked at him in the darkness, confused by the sudden amount of space between them. “What's wrong?"

“I -” Iwaizumi paused, his senses coming back to him due to the abrupt stop in what they'd been doing. He licked his lips and considered the best thing to do. If he asked --

"I'm not drunk," Oikawa said aloud, as if having read his mind. He cupped Iwaizumi's face with his hands and pulled him down so that he could kiss him firmly. “I want this,” he whispered, and he pressed another kiss to Iwaizumi's lips before adding, “I want you to fuck me."

With that, Iwaizumi immediately reached for Oikawa’s shirt and threw it away impatiently. He moved to take off Oikawa’s pants, only for them to get caught between his legs, causing for Oikawa to break out into laughter. “Patience, Iwa-chan,” he chided before eventually slipping out of all of his clothes and making sure Iwaizumi did too.

With all that aside, Iwaizumi pushed Oikawa back down against the bed and moved down, his teeth grazing over bare skin as he went. Oikawa’s legs spread open slightly, and Iwaizumi eagerly marked his thighs when the thought of leaving marks for the morning briefly crossing his mind. Oikawa’s hands immediately clutched his hair, and Iwaizumi ignored the pain as he leant down to take the tip of Oikawa’s cock into his mouth.

He moved his mouth lower, licking up and down slowly until Oikawa tugged sharply at his hair. Iwaizumi looked up to see the other watching him with dark eyes. “Stop teasing already,” Oikawa snapped, and before he could say anything else, Iwaizumi opened his mouth and took in as much of Oikawa’s dick as he could.

Oikawa’s hands gripped tight at his hair as he went down on him, and Iwaizumi could feel himself growing harder at the sound of Oikawa moaning and writhing underneath him. He didn’t bother keep things slow and used one hand to keep Oikawa down, preventing the other from bucking upwards as he hollowed his cheeks and swallowed him all the way down. There was a faint pain in his jaw as he continued at it, but he pushed the pain aside and focused on the way Oikawa’s cock slid smoothly in his mouth as he sucked.

It wasn’t often that he did this, but from the way Oikawa was coming undone, Iwaizumi didn’t plan on quitting until Oikawa came with his name on his lips. It didn’t take much longer, because soon Oikawa was gasping and calling out his name, “Iwa-chan, Iwaizumi, I’m –”

He came into Iwaizumi’s mouth messily, his hips bucking up desperately, and Iwaizumi gagged slightly before swallowing it all down. Iwaizumi pulled away, and Oikawa covered his face with his free hand. “Fuck.”

While Oikawa gathered himself, Iwaizumi wrapped his hand around his own cock and began to stroke himself. He let out a moan of relief, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that Oikawa was watching him.

“Lie down.”

The mattress creaked as Oikawa moved away to reach into the nearby nightstand. He opened a drawer and tossed a condom and a bottle of lube onto the bed before crawling back to Iwaizumi and leading him into a lying position by the headboard of the bed. He kissed Iwaizumi’s jaw and moved off him slightly so that he could uncap the bottle and bring it closer.

It was torturous to just be underneath Oikawa when he was still hard, but Iwaizumi waited as patiently as he could until Oikawa finally climbed back on top of him, straddling his waist and purposefully rutting against him slowly. “Can you prep me?” Oikawa before he leaned down to tug at one of Iwaizumi’s earlobes with his teeth.

Iwaizumi fumbled for the lube in the dark, carelessly spilling some on the bed before he was able to coat his fingers with it. Oikawa offered himself up, pressing his body close to Iwaizumi and resting his forehead against Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “It’s been a while,” he mumbled, “So go slow.”

“Okay,” Iwaizumi replied, as he steadied Oikawa with his free hand. He worked his first finger in slowly, and Oikawa shuddered against him. Their erections brushed together, and Iwaizumi groaned as Oikawa began to slowly rock against him. He squeezed Oikawa’s waist, a brief distraction as he added in a second finger.

He could feel Oikawa slowly loosening up, and Iwaizumi added a third finger, which resulted in Oikawa gradually sinking down against them. He was so hard, and Oikawa noticed, pressing a kiss to his forehead in order to distract him. “I’m ready,” he whispered, and at that, Iwaizumi pulled his fingers out.

Oikawa shuffled off him to grab the condom, but before Iwaizumi could put it on, Oikawa pushed his hands away and rolled it on himself. Iwaizumi watched attentively as Oikawa adjusted, but when Oikawa slicked up his cock with more lube, he exhaled heavily. “Hurry up.”

“Not such a gentleman anymore,” Oikawa teased as reached down to line up Iwaizumi’s cock, and despite the darkness, Iwaizumi could see the smile on the other’s face as he slowly began to press down. He could feel Oikawa sinking into him, and he hissed at the tightness, his hands gripping Oikawa’s waist tightly in response.

“Is this what you wanted?” Oikawa asked as soon as he’d buried himself to the hilt. He adjusted himself on his knees and lifted himself up before slamming back down. “Did you want me like this? Did you –” Iwaizumi shut him up with a kiss, and in the brief moment of distraction, he raised his hips and began to rock upwards into Oikawa.

Oikawa’s eyes fluttered shut, and he practically fell on top of Iwaizumi, his nails sinking into the skin of Iwaizumi’s shoulders as he tried to fight back for dominance. They lacked all grace by this point, Oikawa riding him and at the same time whispering into his ear and asking him to fuck him harder, to fuck him faster, and to make him feel good.

“I’m close,” Oikawa whispered as his legs tightened around Iwaizumi’s waist, bringing them even closer together. His cock was leaking onto Iwaizumi’s abs, and as he bounced on Iwaizumi’s lap, he rubbed against him for more friction. Iwaizumi was close too, and as if sensing that, Oikawa slammed down hard against him.

“Oikawa –”

His hands fumbled to grip at something, and Iwaizumi felt himself losing the rhythm of his thrusts. He was bucking upwards helplessly, Oikawa keeping him pinned down with his weight, and dictating their pace. Oikawa was rocking down mercilessly, and when his teeth sank into Iwaizumi’s shoulder, that was enough to push Iwaizumi over the edge.

Iwaizumi cried out and pounded upwards, riding out his orgasm and making Oikawa fall apart on top of him. Oikawa clung to him feverishly and came soon after, crying out Iwaizumi’s name loudly and using his body as an anchor. They stayed like that for a while, sweaty and sticky, and Oikawa slumped over Iwaizumi as he relaxed.

They looked at each other, and Oikawa pressed a tentative kiss against Iwaizumi’s lips before slowly pulling himself off of him. He rolled onto his back beside Iwaizumi and said nothing. Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, and then moved away so that he could throw the condom into the nearby trash bin.

He lay back down on the bed, and as much as his head was telling him to go, Iwaizumi felt too dizzy and too tired to ignore that his body appreciated the softness of the mattress underneath him, and the nearby warmth of Oikawa. Before Iwaizumi could realize that Oikawa was curling up against him and whispering something into his ear, his eyes were quickly fluttering shut, and the next thing he knew, he was asleep.

--

Iwaizumi woke up with a mild pain in his head, and he glanced to his side to see that Oikawa was still asleep. He quickly clambered out of bed, eager to find his clothes and to avoid an early morning encounter. He was awful enough with the regular people he went out with, and he was absolutely sure that it was in his and Oikawa Tooru’s best interest that he just leave.

Oikawa’s room was much cleaner than his own, so his things had stuck out in the orderliness of it all. He quickly found his boxers, pants, and shoes, but his shirt was nowhere to be found. There were several things that stuck out in the room, a couple of volleyball awards, old pictures – one even being from middle school, and textbooks, but still no sign of his shirt. He stepped quietly through the room, searching for the missing article of clothing, only to notice it on the bed, right under Oikawa’s left leg.

Iwaizumi took a few steps to the bed, wondering if he could just reach out and – 

Someone’s phone began to ring, and Iwaizumi immediately took a step back. It took a few seconds before he realized it was his, and he fumbled to reach his phone in the back pocket of his jeans. He cursed his friends for choosing now of all time to call him and didn’t hesitate to ignore it.

When he looked back at the bed, Oikawa had shifted and Iwaizumi’s shirt was now resting underneath his thigh.

What was he going to do? If he stole one of Oikawa’s shirts, he’d be some kind of thief. He could easily imagine what one of the most popular guys on campus would do with that kind of information. He could post it on Facebook, tweet about it, or maybe he’d do both and then –

Iwaizumi took a deep breath. He’d been reading far too many of the young adult novels Kuroo had stolen off of his sister. He glanced at his shirt, then back at the door. He only had two options – risk an awkward morning-after conversation with Oikawa, or head out the door and walk home shirtless.

All his life, Iwaizumi had never had one of those truly embarrassing moments--the ones that kept people up at night because of how terrible they were or made them cringe whenever they thought about it. He believed that life had been on his side. But now, faced between two embarrassing decisions, it seemed as if life had been saving all of that embarrassment for now.

Iwaizumi glanced at the framed middle school picture that was placed on the desk right beside him. Oikawa was smiling brightly, surrounded by a flock of girls, and to the far right, surrounded by the other guys, was his smiling younger self. They were both completely innocent – okay, maybe Oikawa not entirely so, but they’d been happy. Things had been uncomplicated and simple between the two of them back then.

He only had one option, really, at this point.

And so, without a single backward glance, Iwaizumi walked out of Oikawa’s room and abandoned his shirt and his dignity.

--

“It was a bad idea,” were the first words that came out from Iwaizumi’s mouth as soon as he stepped inside the apartment. Based on the catcalls he got as response, he didn’t even need to look up to know the kind of expression that was on his roommate’s faces.

“But I assume the sex wasn’t?”

“You need to let us post about your walk of shame on Facebook, Iwaizumi, stand still –”

“Never again,” Iwaizumi hissed before he slammed the bathroom door shut.

--

It was easy enough to avoid Oikawa. After all, in the first place, they hardly ever saw each other on a regular basis, and their schedules had never matched, so he was free to proceed with his usual daily patterns. Nothing had to change. He could go to school and go to practice like everything was normal. He could go to work without fear. He could pretend that –

“Oikawa has been looking for you. He wants to see you again.” Kuroo sidled up to Iwaizumi and pulled his cup of coffee out of his hand. He took a sip despite Iwaizumi’s glare and smiled. “But of course, Bokuto and I said nothing.”

Iwaizumi took his coffee back. “Somehow I doubt that.”

“Okay, we said something about how we’d see if there was something we could do, but we promised absolutely nothing, I swear,” Kuroo confessed.

“We’re his teammate, and we’re Facebook friends with Oikawa too,” Bokuto chimed in as he nearly knocked several glasses off the counter. “We can’t just ignore him.” He thought for a few seconds before adding, “I even go to under-23 training with him! Iwaizumi –”

“Actually, are you allowed to be drinking coffee in here?” Kuroo asked as he reached for another sip of Iwaizumi’s coffee. “You’re working at a Chinese restaurant.” He brought the cup up to his lips and took a step away from the counter. “You should drink some tea instead or something.”

“Akaashi likes to drink jasmine tea when he studies –”

“You guys are useless –”

“We only care for you,” they chorused simultaneously as Kuroo passed over the coffee to Bokuto.

Iwaizumi shook his head and gave up on them and his coffee. He looked around the restaurant, and as usual, it was near empty aside from an elderly couple and some guy that had luckily not passed out into his steaming bowl of noodles. The other members of the waiting staff were playing cards, and when they saw him looking, they gave him a little wave.

“Are you two ever going to buy something?”

“No way, man, the food here is awful,” Bokuto replied as he glanced at his watch. “Well, okay, not everything, but we have a match tomorrow. We can’t have a repeat of the instance where both of us got food poisoning from here.”

Kuroo nodded. “The team needs us.”

“You could buy a drink at least,” Iwaizumi replied half-heartedly. He glanced back at his co-workers, only to see that they’d stopped their card game and were now discussing something animatedly amongst themselves.

“Next week, I promise,” Bokuto said with a laugh as he pushed off the counter. “Anyway, we’ll see you tonight when you get home, and we’ll greet you even though you’ll probably smell like soy sauce.”

“Good luck on bringing people in here,” Kuroo added as he walked off with Bokuto. “You’ll probably need to roll up your sleeves a bit –”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and waved them off. “Just leave.”

As soon as the doors closed again, Iwaizumi sighed and stared down at the restaurant’s menu helplessly. He’d practically memorized the whole thing, typos and all, because of how little time he actually had to use serving anyone –

“Iwaizumi-kun?”

He turned to see his manager, smiling at him in an unusually friendly way. “Yes, Tasaki-san?”

“Well, you know we’ve been having a bit of a problem lately, bringing in customers…” Iwaizumi knew it was because of the food poisoning incidents – unfortunately, Bokuto and Kuroo were just two of many, but instead of mentioning that, he merely kept silent and nodded in agreement. “It’s been a difficult month, but the senior staff members have come up with an idea that could help us attract more customers.”

“Oh.” Iwaizumi wasn’t sure of what else to say, so he simply added, “What is it?”

His manager laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Well, actually, Iwaizumi-kun, it involves you…”

--

Four hours later, Iwaizumi was staring at the sidewalk and waiting for it to swallow him whole. His manager had asked him to roll up his sleeves and put on a bright smile, all in an effort to save their shitty restaurant from going under. Iwaizumi had been forced to stand outside, force a charming smile, and convince shallow people that their restaurant wasn’t going to send them to the nearest hospital.

Unfortunately for him, it’d worked, and now, hours after he’d been sent out, their restaurant was completely packed.

He was feeling an odd mix of embarrassed and flattered, but needless to say, he didn’t need to hear any more questions about buns for the rest of his life. Luckily he only needed to stand outside for another hour at most. They were going to close soon, so they would have to stop taking in customers and –

“Do you guys do home delivery?”

Iwaizumi slowly turned around to see Oikawa, still dressed in his volleyball uniform and his bag slung over his shoulder. There was an easy grin on the other’s face, so Iwaizumi felt comfortable enough to not consider running back inside the restaurant as a means of escape.

“No, we don’t,” he replied flatly before turning to pay attention to a group of teenaged girls who were coming by. They glanced at him, their giggles obvious despite how much they were trying to hide it, and just as he was about to invite them inside, Oikawa spoke up again.

“I want to know more about your buns.”

Iwaizumi glared. “Stop it.” He clenched the menu in his hands a little tighter and tapped it against his arm. His manager wouldn’t tolerate it if he smacked a potential customer with it. “I know you’re not interested in that.”

“Oh, but I am interested in them,” Oikawa continued, his smirk growing impossibly wider. “I’d like to take them home with me.”

“Just stop.”

Oikawa laughed and took a step closer. “You’re so mean, Iwa-chan.” He pouted, and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Why are you being so rude? I thought the customer policy was that the customer is always right? Should I talk to your manager?”

Iwaizumi swatted him with the menu. “What do you want?”

“You left your shirt at my place,” Oikawa replied. He shifted slightly under Iwaizumi’s gaze, but his confident look remained in place. “I think you should get it back...” He paused, then quickly added, “You guys really don’t offer home delivery?”

“We can’t afford the delivery expenses,” Iwaizumi answered, not bothering to beat around the bush. It wasn’t like he could come up with any better answer either, and there was no point in lying to Oikawa. “Our food is crap anyway.” He glanced back to look at the restaurant. “You should eat somewhere else.”

“Where do you suggest?”

“…I don’t know. There’s a nice Thai place down the road.”

“Can we go there later then?”

Iwaizumi paused. “We?”

“Are you trying to hurt my feelings?” Oikawa pouted cutely, and it was a look that Iwaizumi instantly recognized. He was pretty sure Oikawa had used the same face for a picture that had come along with the college newspaper’s article on the most popular campus faces. It was a look that probably had most of the campus gushing over how cute he was. However, all it did was make Iwaizumi feel uncomfortable.

“I think I’ve already done that,” he replied awkwardly, unsure of where he was actually going with what he was saying. “If I did, I’m sorry...if not, then…” He looked at Oikawa, expecting some kind of serious reaction, but instead all he got was laughter.

“Don’t hurt yourself thinking too much, Iwa-chan.” He took a couple of steps closer until they were only a few inches apart. He pulled at Iwaizumi’s arm and reached into his pocket to pull out a pen. “Hold still –”

“Oikawa –”

“There you go.”

A phone number was scrawled messily onto the inside of his arm, and Oikawa had even bothered to put a small heart at the end. Iwaizumi sighed and looked up to see the usual smirk back on Oikawa’s face. “You owe me,” Oikawa explained. “Dinner and a movie.”

“I don’t –”

“I don’t…do this often.” Oikawa interrupted, a more serious look on his face now. “I just want to get to know you better. We can catch up, with clothes this time.” Iwaizumi scowled, and Oikawa ignored the look. “I’d like for us to be friends. Is that okay with you?”

Iwaizumi nodded slowly, and Oikawa smiled brightly at that. “I thought so. Instead of wasting our time running around in circles, let’s head straight to the good stuff. How do you feel about next Friday?”

 “...I’ll think about it.” He’d clearly lost the battle and the war.

“Wonderful. I’ll take that as a yes.” Oikawa shot a smile in his direction then began to walk away. Just as he was about to round the corner, he turned back around to shout, “Just so you know, I like alien movies!” 

--

It was the first time Iwaizumi had ever seen Oikawa in the library, yet here he was, sitting just a few desks away. They’d shared hesitant smiles the day before – for some reason they were seeing each other far more frequently than before – but going up and speaking to him, well that would be a different matter entirely. Iwaizumi shifted slightly on his feet and considered going the opposite direction. Maybe things would be easier if he did. After all, it wouldn’t be too hard to walk away again.

Yet for some reason, he couldn’t find enough willpower to turn around and look for a different spot to study. Instead, he found himself walking up to the boy, repeatedly telling himself that if Oikawa Tooru were someone else, just some other person he found himself attracted to, then there was no reason to be nervous. He didn’t need to think so much about it. They’d talked with each other normally at the party, and if Oikawa wasn’t going to make things weird, then he didn’t have to make things weird.

“Hey.”

Oikawa looked up from his notes, and when he realized who was standing beside him, he smiled instantly. “Hey.”

Iwaizumi wasn’t quite sure what to say next.

“You want to get some coffee?” Oikawa suggested, thankfully taking hold of the conversation. He got up and casually shoved his things back into his bag. “I know a good place down the street if you haven’t gotten any yet.”

“I had some before I got here,” Iwaizumi replied. He stuck his hands into his pockets and watched as Oikawa fixed up his things. Realizing that the awkward lull in their conversation was probably his fault, Iwaizumi quickly offered a solution to it. “But I could get something to eat.”

“Oh great, that sounds good.” Oikawa rubbed at his eyes. “I just need something sugary in my body…like a milkshake or four. I don’t really like coffee until it tastes more like sugar than coffee actually.”

“Busy with a paper or project?”

Oikawa laughed and shook his head, his voice picking up volume as soon as they stepped out of the library. “Just volleyball practice...I stayed up late trying to work on my game.” He glanced at Iwaizumi. “I have a nice serve.”

“I know,” Iwaizumi replied easily as he reached for Oikawa’s sleeve to pull him in the direction of the nearby restaurant. “We did go to middle school together. I watched a couple of the games back then.” He looked at Oikawa. “Do you still hit people in the head?”

“Only if they deserve it.” Oikawa’s lips were curved into a wry smile, and Iwaizumi had to look away to avoid staring at him for too long. He felt his cheeks briefly heat up with embarrassment for staring, and he swallowed hard. Oikawa obviously noticed his discomfort and merely laughed lightly before changing topics.

They fell into step with one another, but kept a slight distance. Oikawa continued to carry the conversation, and every once in a while, he’d look at Iwaizumi and smile for no particular reason. It was a different side of Oikawa, one he’d never been accustomed with well, even when they’d been schoolmates, but Iwaizumi appreciate this other aspect to his personality. It made him feel more relaxed.  

Things weren’t quite as easy between them as it would be between old friends. Iwaizumi couldn’t let go of his own personal reservations, and every once in a while, Oikawa would study him, as if looking for certain reactions, but the atmosphere was enough to keep things progressing well.

As they neared the restaurant, Iwaizumi felt Oikawa shift beside him, a slight movement that he probably wouldn’t have noticed if the cool strap of Oikawa’s bag hadn’t brushed against the skin of his arm. He glanced at the other boy, and Oikawa’s face betrayed nothing. He was cool, confident and relaxed as he continued to talk about someone from their middle school.

Yet one glance down at their hands, now brushing against each other’s as they walked, and Iwaizumi noticed that Oikawa had closed the distance between them.

--

“Oh, I saw you with Oikawa yesterday,” Akaashi commented as he walked alongside Iwaizumi, the latter carrying a couple of his books. “I didn’t know you guys were close.”

Iwaizumi glanced at Kuroo, who was too busy with his phone to be paying attention to the conversation. “It’s a bit difficult to explain. We’re friends…sort of.”

He thought back to their meeting yesterday, and decided that they probably did fit in the category of friendship. They were a bit too familiar with each other to be acquaintances, and they’d gotten along well enough back in middle school. They were getting along well now too, so maybe they weren’t the best of friends, but he liked Oikawa enough, and Oikawa obviously liked him, so –

“Just think of it as a middle school reunion,” Kuroo offered before promptly adding, “but with a lot more sexual tension.”

“I’m not sure I want to hear more about that.” Akaashi wrinkled his nose, and Iwaizumi sighed loudly. “But make good choices, Iwaizumi-san.”

--

Practice had extended, so Iwaizumi was late, and to make things worse, he had to run from one end of the campus to get to where Oikawa was waiting for him. It was never normal for him to be late to anything, and it embarrassed Iwaizumi to know that he’d be showing up so late to their meeting. He was always most self-conscious during first meetings, and that trait wasn’t helping him as time continued to tick by.

They’d agreed to meet outside the volleyball gym, and Iwaizumi wasn’t quite sure how Oikawa would react to him being almost thirty minutes late. As he got closer to the gym, he caught sight of Oikawa sitting outside by himself on the steps and began to run faster.

“I’m –”

“It’s okay. I put in a few extra minutes and just finished, so don’t worry,” Oikawa cut in easily as he got up. His eyes ran over Iwaizumi, taking in his distressed state, and he was obviously holding back laughter. “You look awful.”

Iwaizumi wiped off the beads of sweat on his forehead. “I hate being late.” After using a minute to cool off, he finally noticed the obvious care Oikawa had put into his appearance. “Do you want to just meet again another day?”

Oikawa shook his head and reached forward to pat Iwaizumi’s hair down. “It’s okay. We can still hang out.” He stepped back and smiled. “Besides, you’re not as handsome as me anyway, Iwa-chan, so don’t feel pressured to go beyond your means.”

Iwaizumi scowled. “Do you want to go out or not?”

“You’re all windblown and sweaty, how could I say no?” Oikawa teased. “Speaking of going out, I’d like buns for tonight –”

Oikawa’s loud laughter rang clear in the night as Iwaizumi walked away from him.

--

The movie was awful. There was just no other word to describe it. It was no wonder Oikawa hadn’t bothered to explain the plot, or else Iwaizumi probably would’ve walked out of the theater on him. Watching a movie was one of the easiest ways to have a date. It didn’t require awkward small chat, and if he got bored, Iwaizumi usually just fell asleep.

However, in the case of this date with Oikawa, he wasn’t provided any of those simple pleasures because in the span of forty-five minutes, several people had gotten decapitated, one alien baby was born, and two couples had somehow found time to have sex despite all the chaos. In his entire dating history, he’d never encountered so much blood, sex, and gore all in one date.

It was a good thing he didn’t have a weak stomach, otherwise Iwaizumi was fairly sure he would’ve thrown up on Oikawa after the first person had gotten beheaded.

“You have terrible taste,” Iwaizumi muttered as soon as he realized he had no more popcorn to keep him going. He glanced at Oikawa, wondering if he’d said something rude, but based on the amused look on Oikawa’s face, it seemed like he hadn’t stepped out of bounds.

“Do you want to make out instead?”

Iwaizumi was briefly reminded of how forward Oikawa had been during their night together, and he glanced away. “Not with you.”

Oikawa laughed quietly and poked at Iwaizumi. “Don’t be mad at me, Iwa-chan, just because I still love aliens even if they’re in terrible movies.”

“If someone else gives birth to another alien baby, Oikawa I swear –”

“There’ll be just one more –”

Iwaizumi reached out and tipped over the remains of Oikawa’s bag of popcorn onto his pants.

--

He hadn’t been on that many dates, so when it came to the inevitable moment of saying goodbye to one another, Iwaizumi wasn’t sure of the right timing to say anything. As had become their usual, Oikawa continued to chatter animatedly about various topics, such as what Iwaizumi's plans were for the summer, and didn't seem to mind  that he was carrying most of their conversations. They’d been walking around for the past thirty minutes, and considering that Iwaizumi had a match tomorrow, he was wondering when the right time to excuse himself was.

It could be now, he thought, as Oikawa paused to look at an alley cat cross the street. After all, his apartment was only a short walk away, and –

“Do you want to come back to mine?”

Iwaizumi stared at him, surprised by Oikawa’s forwardness. He hadn’t expected anything like that so soon. Oikawa turned to look at him, and when he saw the look on Iwaizumi’s face, he laughed it off. “Too soon?”

“I have a match tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay.”

They stood in front of each other awkwardly, and Iwaizumi cleared his throat to catch Oikawa’s attention. “I need to go,” he started, his voice trailing off. “But, well, I guess –”

“We could do this again?” Oikawa supplied. Iwaizumi nodded, and the other boy smiled. “I’ll be at your game tomorrow, if that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Oikawa tilted his head. “You can kiss me if you want.” His lips curved into an exaggerated pout, and he set his hands onto Iwaizumi’s shoulders. “I’ll lean in seventy five percent, and you complete the one hundred –”

Iwaizumi pushed him away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He stared at Oikawa a little longer and sighed before he leaned in to kiss Oikawa quickly on the lips, chaste and fleeting, and as if they were still much younger and had never kissed each other before at all.

--

Iwaizumi couldn’t map out how it’d happened, but hanging out with Oikawa had suddenly become a regular thing in his life. It felt almost entirely normal for Oikawa to send him a dozen messages asking him to go out and for him to say yes without much of a second thought. It was only in quiet moments when he had time to think that he realized he’d started bringing Oikawa to places that he liked around campus, and that Oikawa was still dragging him to awful sci-fi movies.

It was funny how so much had changed between them in two months. Oikawa was no longer just a person he’d once known back in middle school or a fixed character in his memories of the past. Now, he was very much real and present, sitting across Iwaizumi and throwing around random questions as soon as they came into his head.

“What did you think of me when we used to go to middle school together?”

Oikawa had been popular then, a rising volleyball star and a growing favorite among the girls. He was cute, and a focus of attention inside the classroom and outside of it. Although he couldn’t remember everything, Iwaizumi remembered afternoons cleaning the classroom together, and the way Oikawa would sometimes berate him for never continuing with volleyball.

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure there was much to say that wouldn’t lead to Oikawa teasing him about something or the other, so he shrugged and replied, “We weren’t that close back then.” He was well aware of how lacking a response it was, but it was too early on a Sunday to deal with Oikawa’s smug looks.

“That’s not a great answer.” Oikawa tapped his spoon against the rim of his mug and hummed thoughtfully. “Do you want to hear what I thought of you?” he asked.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Iwaizumi answered. To be honest, he didn’t really want to hear it, just in case he didn’t quite live up to some kind of childhood ideal. While his parents had told him he’d become a bit more outspoken after moving to Tokyo and enrolling in Fukurodani, he wasn’t sure what else about himself had changed. He felt older, but had never really felt that much different.

“Well too bad, I want to tell you anyway.” Oikawa grinned cheekily, and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at that. “I thought you were kind of on the simple-minded side, but you weren’t dumb. You were cute…and quiet – when you weren’t angry, but not shy.” He then set his spoon down, and Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa picked out a napkin then begin to fold it absentmindedly.

He waited, absolutely sure that Oikawa would pick up from where he left off, and in less than a minute, Oikawa proved him right.

“I felt sad when you moved away.”

“What? Why?”

Oikawa looked up at that, a surprised expression on his face. “Why?” He paused and stared at his napkin for a while before answering, “Because we could’ve become good friends back then, Iwa-chan. I felt like I’d missed my timing.”

Iwaizumi shook his head at that and chuckled. “Timing?”

“Why are you laughing?” Oikawa asked as he picked his spoon up so that he could wave it at Iwaizumi threateningly. “I’m not kidding.” He huffed and dropped it again before slumping in his seat. “I felt like I’d wasted time not trying harder to get to know you, like a missed out on something important.”

“So you and I both made up for lost time in a pretty bad way, didn’t we?” He thought back to their first encounter and felt his cheeks heat up slightly with embarrassment. “There’s no better way to restart a relationship than with…what happened that night.”

“I think we should blame that on post-victory adrenaline and alcohol.” Oikawa trailed off to think before he added, “Then…this, what we’re doing now is…”

“It’s a second chance…I guess.” Iwaizumi answered, and he didn’t miss the way the corners of Oikawa’s lips curved into a smile looked away. “Or a third one if we want to be more accurate about it…and who knows if we’ll need another.”

“Why, are you going to move away again?” Oikawa teased.

“I don’t know. Maybe, if you’re going to keep threatening me with cutlery and being annoying all the time.” He shot Oikawa a look, but his voice lacked conviction, and Oikawa’s smile widened in response.

They got quiet, and Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa fiddled around with his napkin, folding it into something then promptly unfolding it so that he could start all over again.

He didn’t know what it was, but there was just something about Oikawa that made him want to keep seeing him, even if all they did was act like idiots around each other. When he thought about things, he did see how it was strange that Oikawa had settled so easily into his everyday routine, but things didn’t feel so strange anymore.

Maybe it was stupidity, or maybe it was something else entirely, that had made things happen as they did, but they were past the point of uncomfortable beginnings and were heading somewhere else entirely. If their first meeting had been a blinding collision, now was the aftermath, the time for the dust to settle and for them to see the situation for it was.

Iwaizumi still didn’t know how he’d gotten to this point with Oikawa, but despite all the petty arguments and relentless teasing, the last thing he wanted was to turn back. 

--

“So are you two dating officially? You’ve been hanging out a lot this summer,” Bokuto asked bluntly, his mouth full of Chinese food. Iwaizumi cringed and threw a napkin at him, but despite the distraction, Kuroo continued Bokuto’s line of questioning. “Yeah, are you two serious?”

“I don’t know,” Iwaizumi muttered as he moved his drink away from Kuroo. “We just hang out and stuff…so we’re friends.”

Bokuto glanced at Kuroo. “Well, Oikawa has a lot of admirers, but I guess you already know that…they usually watch our training sessions.” He looked at Iwaizumi. “Oh! But he rejected this girl’s chocolates the other day! He usually –”

Iwaizumi’s phone began to ring, and all of their eyes immediately focused onto it. It was in the middle of their tiny circle, and before Iwaizumi could even reach for it, Bokuto had thrown napkins into his face, and Kuroo snatched it off the table.

“What’s up Oikawa?”

“Kuroo –”

Bokuto immediately grabbed Iwaizumi and pinned him down onto the floor. Iwaizumi yelped and tried to struggle free, but he was caught helplessly between Bokuto’s arms and was being weighed down by the other’s huge frame. “Get off –”

“Is it Oikawa? Ask him about his intentions for our boy!” Bokuto yelled loudly as Kuroo began to walk away with the phone pressed close to his ear.

“Let go of me!”

“Oikawa’s asking if you’re free on Tuesday,” Kuroo called from his spot by the doorway. Iwaizumi’s face was pressed down onto their carpet, and his answer was muffled by its cheap fabric. “Yeah, he’s probably free,” Kuroo answered for him. “What do you have in mind?”

“It’s okay, Iwaizumi.” Bokuto laughed as he continued to keep a strong grip on Iwaizumi. “Let Kuroo handle it for you –”

“Kuroo’s dating a God damn high schooler, what does he –”

“Tsukki is almost eighteen now, Iwaizumi –”

In a brief lapse of force, Iwaizumi bucked upwards and threw Bokuto off him. The other boy yelped loudly and rolled off, and Iwaizumi quickly sprinted in the direction that Kuroo had disappeared off to. He found Kuroo lying down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, and still talking to Oikawa.

“Kuroo, he escaped!”

Kuroo sat up immediately, and Iwaizumi launched himself at him to get his phone back. They tumbled around for a while, yelling, pulling and kicking like children, until they both rolled off the bed and landed on the floor with a loud thud.

“Get off me,” Iwaizumi groaned, the air in his body completely knocked out of him. His back was hurting, and it didn’t help at all that Kuroo had landed directly on top of him.

“I don’t know,” Kuroo breathed, “things are kind of hot between us in this position. Don’t you feel that sexual tension –”

“I’m sending a picture of this to Tsukki.”

Both boys sat up immediately to where Bokuto was standing by the doorway. He laughed and held out his phone. “Sent!” he screamed and began to run in the opposite direction as Kuroo leapt off the floor and ran after him.

Iwaizumi breathed shallowly and closed his eyes. He continued to lie down helplessly on the floor until he realized that Oikawa might not have hung up. He got up instantly and looked around amongst the clutter on the floor before he found his phone lying on top of one of Kuroo’s shirts.

“Hello?”

“Hi.”

Iwaizumi let out a breath and let his forehead rest against the cool flooring. “I’m sorry. I live with animals.” Oikawa laughed loudly on the other end of the line, and Iwaizumi smiled. “What’s up?”

--

Over the summer break, Iwaizumi had begun to pick up things about Oikawa, like what he liked and disliked, and his moods as well. In no way was he some sort of expert on Oikawa Tooru, he left that position open for Oikawa’s fangirls, but he liked to think that he knew him. It was a petty form of happiness, the swell of pride that was a result of being aware that you knew someone in a way that no one else did.

But as he watched Oikawa pick out bits of pineapple from their pizza, Iwaizumi realized that what he was probably feeling at that moment was the equivalent of what Bokuto had felt when he’d given Akaashi a t-shirt that didn’t fit him.

“I thought you liked Hawaiian pizza?” he asked, puzzled over Oikawa’s actions. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he ordered it because he’d thought Oikawa would like it. He’d gone through the trouble of stopping by the obscure and mildly dingy place down the road from his apartment, just because Oikawa had mentioned it during one of their late night conversations.

He wasn’t nearly as observant as Oikawa – not like anyone was, after all; Oikawa was notorious for being an active and eerily accurate observer – but it was something he had filed into his memory. If perhaps the reason he remembered that bit of information was because the night Oikawa had mentioned it, Iwaizumi had ended up dreaming about being hit in the face with a Hawaiian pizza, well that was something he could keep to himself.

“I do,” Oikawa replied as he continued to dutifully place the pineapples on a little pile. “But I don’t think you like it, so I’m separating them for myself.” He glanced back at Iwaizumi. “You don’t like pineapples much, right?”

Oikawa was right, but Iwaizumi couldn’t remember ever mentioning pineapples –

“You didn’t touch the slice of pineapple upside down cake I bought from the bakery the other day,” Oikawa continued, as if he could read Iwaizumi’s thoughts. “You usually like trying out what I buy from there, so I thought it was strange you didn’t even ask for a bite. I thought that meant you didn’t like pineapples, but since I saw that you bought Hawaiian pizza for tonight, I revised that idea and decided that it probably means you can tolerate them, but you wouldn’t –”

“Just eat the damn pizza, Oikawa.” Iwaizumi shook his head and picked up a slice that Oikawa had cleared of pineapples. He was too hungry to be embarrassed over the fact that Oikawa had seen through him so easily. He should’ve expected something like this to happen in the first place. “You think way too much.”

“You’re the best, Iwa-chan, always thinking about others,” Oikawa replied as he prepared his own slice of pizza. He paused then added, “The best after me, of course. Aren’t you impressed with me? I could be Sherlock Holmes –”

Iwaizumi kicked Oikawa’s thigh. “Your head’s blocking the TV, move.”

They watched the movie together, a space movie of Oikawa’s choosing, but nothing at all like the movie they’d seen on their first date. Here and there Oikawa would comment on things, pointing out inaccuracies or things he found interesting. For his part, Iwaizumi mostly kept quiet as he watched.

Halfway through the movie, Oikawa got up off his spot on the floor and sat down on Iwaizumi’s lap, making sure to face him. He blocked out the television, but at that point, Iwaizumi had already fallen asleep twice during their viewing and had lost all track of the plot entirely, so he was pleased with the change of view. His hands settled on Oikawa’s waist, while Oikawa’s hands settled upon his shoulders.

“Were you bored?” Oikawa breathed as he leaned down, his forehead resting against Iwaizumi’s and his breath warm against Iwaizumi’s skin. Iwaizumi’s grip on the other’s waist tightened, and he could practically feel Oikawa’s smirk.

The first kiss was soft, Iwaizumi had leaned forward to press his lips against Oikawa’s, but the next was open-mouthed and slow. Oikawa’s hands travel upwards and ran through his hair as they kissed, and Iwaizumi’s travelled down to squeeze Oikawa’s thighs as if to pull him closer.

They were slow this time. They touched each other carefully and unhurriedly, but Iwaizumi could feel how eager Oikawa was. He’d begun to grind their hips together, and the soft gasps that escaped Oikawa’s lips as Iwaizumi mouthed at his neck only made his teeth sink down a little rougher.

“Iwa-chan –”

They were both hard, and just as Iwaizumi was about to suggest that they go to his room, the front door opened. Kuroo and Bokuto stood at the doorway, their conversation abruptly halted by the sight of Oikawa on Iwaizumi’s lap.

“Not cool, man –”

“You should’ve told us –”

“We’ve always supported you –”

“But we didn’t need to see this –”

“Make sure to be safe –”

“Oh right, there are condoms in the bathroom.”

Before Iwaizumi could attempt a word, Bokuto and Kuroo shook their heads and stepped back out. “We’re going now. Have fun, kids.” The door slammed shut, and Iwaizumi buried his face into Oikawa’s shoulder as Oikawa shook with laughter against him.

--

While the past few months had allowed him to learn more about Oikawa, there were certain things about him that he couldn’t entirely grasp, and one of those things was Oikawa’s approach and relationship with volleyball.

He’d been neighbors with Oikawa for a while when they were younger, only for about a month before he’d moved across town, but nonetheless, Iwaizumi had faint memories of Oikawa playing volleyball by himself out on their street. Oikawa’s sister was too old to join her brother in his games, and so were most of the other kids on the street, so once in a while Oikawa would force him to play with him. Volleyball had been fun, but once he’d moved, his parents suggested he join the neighborhood kid’s football team to keep busy, and that’d been the end of his interest in playing volleyball.

Football was something enjoyed; he wouldn’t have kept playing if he didn’t, but he knew that he and Oikawa were different with how they viewed their respective sport. He had no plans of pursuing a football career after graduation, but it was obvious that Oikawa had no intentions of letting volleyball go anytime soon. He didn’t just enjoy the sport; he’d dedicated himself to it.

“I’m so tired.”

Iwaizumi wasn’t surprised to hear that. They were still in the early weeks of the fall semester, so Oikawa was spending extra hours training. He’d heard from Bokuto and Kuroo that they had another big match coming up, and the pressure of that clearly showed on Oikawa. Seeing each other every day had now become a regular thing for them, and Iwaizumi didn’t fail to notice how the other was constantly falling asleep when they were together.

Maybe if they were back at the phase in their relationship when they’d first met, he would’ve brushed it off and been convinced that Oikawa was okay, but he couldn’t do that now. He could understand the pressure of a match, but the way he saw things, Oikawa was taking things too far. He needed to remind Oikawa to remember his limits, even if Oikawa didn’t like to believe in or heart that. “Maybe you shouldn’t go to practice today.”

Oikawa looked up from his notes and raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. “What?”

“You look…awful.” There was no point in beating around the bush. He was sure that Oikawa knew that he was pushing himself too hard. He reached out, an attempt to hold Oikawa’s hand in order to soften the blow – after all, he didn’t want to come off as demanding or difficult, but Oikawa had pulled his hand away instantly.

“I – no, I can’t.” Oikawa’s voice wavered, but he seemed determined in his behavior. Iwaizumi watched as he slammed his notebook shut. “We have a really important game next weekend. We need to win, I want us to proceed to the next tournament. I don’t want to lose, not when there’s so much at stake. There are going to be important people watching and – I just…nevermind.” He breathed in deeply and shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oikawa –”

“I need to go.”

Iwaizumi sighed and watched him go.

--

“You look like you’re in a bad mood, Iwaizumi-san.”

“I’m okay.”

Akaashi was right, but Iwaizumi didn’t want to say anything. They were both waiting for Bokuto together, and talking about his feelings of all things was probably going to make things awkward. Arguing with Oikawa was bad enough. He didn’t want to bother Akaashi with something as petty as his feelings. It didn’t matter.

If Oikawa was going to be difficult, there was no reason he had to be. If Oikawa was going to push him away, then he didn’t have to run after him. If –

“Did you fight with someone?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m okay.” Iwaizumi forced a smile. “Are you and Bokuto going out for dinner today?” He shifted awkwardly in his seat. “Is it okay if I’m coming along? You guys might want to be left alone. He’s been busy –”

“Bokuto-san told me you need to be cheered up.” Akaashi glanced at him and then looked ahead at the busy street in front of them. “We didn’t have any plans. Kuroo-san is busy, and Bokuto-san asked me to help.”

“It’s okay –”

The look on Akaashi’s face told Iwaizumi to stop pretending, so he shut his mouth. He sighed and stared at his feet, unsure of what to do aside from explaining the situation. After a few silent minutes rolled past slowly, Iwaizumi gave into the uneasiness eating at him and began to talk.

“I told Oikawa not to practice so much, and he kind of got upset.” He glanced at Akaashi. “I’m not so sure what I should do about it. Maybe I should apologize, or maybe he should apologize…maybe I’m getting worked up over nothing –”

Iwaizumi rubbed at his face. “I don’t know. I’m not good with these kinds of things. I usually tell Bokuto, Kuroo, and other people what I think up front, but for some reason, I just can’t do that with Oikawa.”

“You and Oikawa-san have been getting along well these past few months. I don’t think you should worry about stuff like that anymore.” Iwaizumi glanced at Akaashi, whose expression remained calm as he talked. “You’re not strangers anymore, so don’t think of yourself as one to him. You’re his friend, and you have every right to be worried about him.”

Someone shouted their names loudly, and they both looked back to see Bokuto running up to them, his usual grin on his face. Akaashi shook his head, but Iwaizumi could finally see the hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“Thanks, Akaashi,” he said softly before he stood up and braced himself for one of Bokuto’s bone-crushing hugs.

--

Just as Iwaizumi was about to leave for his first class, someone knocked on the door. He picked up his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, expecting Kuroo or Bokuto to be waiting in the hallway, and was surprised to see Oikawa instead.

“I was an asshole, I’m sorry,” Oikawa explained as shoved a plastic bag at Iwaizumi. “I get stressed sometimes, and I overwork, and I just – yeah, I don’t know. It’s a bad habit. I called my sister to talk about it last night. She’s the one who usually tells me to cool down, but she’s been kind of busy lately, and I know that’s no excuse so I just…” He ran a hand through his hair and looked up. “Long story short, I’m sorry.”

Iwaizumi took the plastic bag and peered into its contents. Oikawa had bought him Gatorade, Red Bull and candy. He wasn’t angry anymore, so it was easy for him to hide his amusement. “I wasn’t aware that this was what people buy when they want to apologize for something.”

“I didn’t want to buy you flowers, you might be allergic.”

“I think I would’ve liked flowers instead of…” Iwaizumi paused and picked out a pack of lollipops that was inside the plastic bag. “Did you buy me candy that was on sale?”

Oikawa frowned, and he opened his mouth to say something in his defense before he realized that Iwaizumi was teasing him. His eyebrows furrowed and he poked Iwaizumi in the chest. “Iwa-chan, you’re making this more awkward than it has to be. Please just accept the presents and let’s be friends again.”

“What if I don’t want to be your friend?”

“Iwa-chan!”

“Leave me alone.”

Oikawa reached out to get the plastic bag back, but Iwaizumi pulled away. Oikawa tried to reach for it again, but Iwaizumi stepped back and managed to push him forward before he slammed the door on Oikawa’s face.

The other boy began to knock loudly and shout at him to open the door, but Iwaizumi ignored him. In the meantime, he put the plastic bag away and waited until Oikawa finally stopped pounding on the door. When he opened it, he was unsurprised to see that Oikawa was sitting down in the middle of the hallway.

“You’re disgusting.”

“That’s because I hang around you, Trashykawa.” Iwaizumi replied. He walked up to Oikawa and offered his hand, and Oikawa held onto it so that Iwaizumi could pull him up. As soon as he was up, Oikawa huffed irritably.

Iwaizumi ignored the look and reached down to tug gently at Oikawa’s wrist. The gesture worked, and Oikawa looked away from him, a blush coming to his cheeks. Knowing that victory was his, Iwaizumi laughed and pulled Oikawa in the direction of the elevator. “Come on, Trashykawa, let’s go to class.”

--

Something new was upsetting Oikawa, and Iwaizumi hadn’t quite figured out what it was. He knew it had nothing to do with volleyball – they’d won the match, and Oikawa had talked about the victory nonstop for several days. No, it was something else entirely, and if Iwaizumi couldn’t figure it out, he decided that the least he could do was invite Oikawa out and try to distract him from whatever was bothering him.

“It’s raining today. Do you still want to go?” Iwaizumi asked as he adjusted the way he was carrying his umbrella. “We could just go somewhere else.” He glanced at Oikawa, whose eyes were focused on his phone.

“I still want to go.”

“Okay then,” Iwaizumi replied easily as he let Oikawa lean slightly into him as they walked to the ferris wheel. Eventually Oikawa put his phone away and linked his arm with Iwaizumi’s, bringing the two of them closer together.

“My sister is pregnant again. She says it’ll be a girl this time,” Oikawa explained. “I just feel old right now. Time is always running away.” He let out a sigh and used his free hand to run a hand through his hair. “When did we end up like this?”

Iwaizumi tapped Oikawa’s forehead with his free hand. “You’re thinking too much.”

Oikawa sighed. “Time flies.”

They walked in silence to the ferris wheel, and despite the poor weather, there were several people in line in front of them. Iwaizumi had been here before several times, but it was the first time he’d actually offered to bring anyone to it. Oikawa had wanted to ride it when Iwaizumi had mentioned the idea of them going sometime, but now he was mildly moody and unlike himself. 

Iwaizumi felt restless when Oikawa was quiet. It was strange, because he often complained about how noisy Oikawa was, but he didn’t like it when Oikawa wasn’t talking his ear off. Understanding the way Oikawa would chatter was something he was gradually mastering. After time, he would just know when and what Oikawa did and didn’t mean, but silence was a void. Silence meant that Oikawa was thinking, and Iwaizumi had never been much of a mind reader. It meant that Oikawa was wrapped up in thoughts and ideas that would forever remain closed off until he opened his mouth and voiced out whatever version he thought would be best for others to hear.

“You can’t keep quiet like this.” Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa with his shoulder, and the other boy turned his head to look at him. “You need to tell me what’s wrong. I won’t…I won’t be able to help unless you tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I hate the rain.” Oikawa buried his face into Iwaizumi’s shoulder, and the whispers of the girls behind them only increased in volume. “It makes me sad.”

Iwaizumi sighed and used his free hand to pat at Oikawa’s head. “Everything’s making you sad today. Maybe we should just go home.”

“That’d make things worse, don’t let the universe win,” Oikawa mumbled against Iwaizumi’s shoulder. After a while, he ended his sulking and took a step back so that he could check out the line in front of them. “I guess there are a lot of romantics in town this weekend.”

“Is a ferris wheel that romantic?”

Oikawa thought for a minute before he replied, his eyes focused on the large structure in front of them. “I’ve always preferred rollercoasters, honestly. They’re fast and exciting, and they make you feel like you’re on an adventure.” He glanced at Iwaizumi and smiled. “But there’s something nice about going slow, don’t you think? It helps you appreciate everything more.”

“And us?”

“What about us?” Oikawa asked curiously.

“Are we going fast or slow?”

“We’re going slowly in reverse,” Oikawa answered with a laugh. He glanced at the ferris wheel again and smiled. “I bet someone has confessed to you before on this ferris wheel.”

Iwaizumi said nothing; he was right. It seemed as if Oikawa knew the truth because his lips curved into a knowing smile.

They stood together quietly, but the atmosphere was different now that Oikawa was in a better mood. It didn’t take much longer until it was finally their turn, and they paid for a carriage so that they could have it to themselves, and despite the side eye they got from the attendant, the girls behind them were obviously delighted by it.

As soon as the ferris wheel began to move, Oikawa stood in the middle of the platform and held out a hand. “I think we should jump.”

Instead of standing up, Iwaizumi grabbed onto Oikawa’s hand and pulled him back down onto the seat. “Don’t be stupid.”

“Are you afraid of heights, Iwa-chan?”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if I was.”

“Disappointing.” Oikawa moved slightly so that he had a better view of the setting sun outside and pressed his hand against the cool glass. “I would’ve liked it if you were. You would hold onto me tightly, and we could kiss as a way of distraction.”

He let out a wistful sigh, and Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa, who was still staring out of the carriage’s window. “The city looks different from up here…and it makes me think about all the people looking up at the ferris wheel right now, and all the people that live here…the world’s so big, and things are happening every day, yet it’s always strange to think about the way things turn out.”

“Oikawa.” Iwaizumi faltered when the other turned to look at him, and he swallowed hard.

He tried to think of something to say, something romantic, something sweet, just something, but nothing came to mind. He opened his mouth, failed to think of something great, and said something honest instead.

“I’m happy we met again.”

Oikawa leaned in, close enough for a kiss, but instead, he pulled Iwaizumi close and hugged him tight despite. Iwaizumi put his arm around Oikawa, and let the other boy come closer, Oikawa practically halfway onto his lap. It was a difficult and awkward position, but Oikawa showed no signs of letting go, and Iwaizumi didn’t want him to.

They stayed as they were as the ferris wheel continued its motions, huddled together quietly in the privacy of their own little world until the ride came to its eventual end.

--

“You’re wearing my shirt.”

“For good luck,” Oikawa replied as he fidgeted slightly beside Iwaizumi on the bed. “Maybe I’ll return it tomorrow, maybe not.”

Iwaizumi watched Oikawa stand up, and he followed him out the bedroom door. “It’s been months now, at this point, I don’t think you’re ever returning it.”

They both laughed at that, in sync and easy. He took a step closer, and Oikawa eagerly stepped into his personal space. “Are you sure you don’t want to watch?”

“I have to study, and then I’m going to work. You don’t need me there to remind you how I would’ve been the perfect teammate.”

Oikawa sighed at that. “I still regret the day your parents gave you that first volume of Captain Tsubasa and the fact I was not there to convert you to the true beautiful game. I think you would’ve been the perfect vice-captain, Iwa-chan.” He looked up at Iwaizumi, and despite all the fidgeting, Iwaizumi could sense that Oikawa was brimming with confidence and excitement underneath it.

“I couldn’t have become captain?”

“No,” Oikawa teased as he leaned in closer. “You’re just not as charismatic as I am. I am so inspirational that I feel like people should record what I say during timeouts.”

Iwaizumi flicked Oikawa’s forehead, and Oikawa merely laughed. “You’re going to be late. Kuroo and Bokuto left a long time ago,” Iwaizumi reminded, but his tone was soft and fond as he let Oikawa waste time with him for just a little bit longer.

“You’re right, I should go.” But despite his words, Oikawa made no move to leave, and Iwaizumi watched him in amusement. They didn’t say a word to each other and just stood closely together in the middle of the messy living room, breathing in the silence and the calm before what was to come.

Oikawa closed his eyes, and Iwaizumi opened his arms to him.

“We’re going to win.”

Iwaizumi laughed, but he felt confident in both Oikawa and his words. He didn’t have to be there to know how things would go. Maybe it was blind faith in Oikawa’s brand of pride and a sense of foolish optimism, but rather, Iwaizumi trusted that Oikawa would do his best and that his teammates would do their best.

If ever they didn’t win, well, Iwaizumi would still be there for Oikawa at the end of the day. He’d be there to hold him still, ease away any doubts and nervous energy, and remind him that he was the best, no matter what. He’d be there for Oikawa, before the games and after them, and for everything in the days that followed.

He wasn’t going anywhere.