Chapter Text
+1: Summer
The city was loud. Gone were the dirt trails, or the peace and quiet, or any space at all.
Oikawa shuffled through the bustling crowd, sending a sharp, sweet smile to all the people shoving at him. He had memorized the bus routes beforehand, so at least he knew what he was doing.
He squinted against the sunlight, trying to read the various signs. The game was going to start soon, so he absolutely couldn't be late. Not when he had gotten VIP tickets for free.
The summer heat was getting to him. Stifling, humid, and absolutely miserable. How did people stay here for as long as they did? Oikawa was glad he was wearing his loose Hawaiian button-up as opposed to his usual cardigans. The sun glared down at him, and Oikawa adjusted his sunglasses to fit better on his nose.
Okay I'm going to make a stop here, and then pick up the next one over here.
He debated calling his boyfriend, but he was probably even more clueless than Oikawa himself was. Oikawa's had to guide him through directions to his training camps, after all.
He texted Shoyo instead. Oikawa was immune to incoming emoji vomit and picked out the important bits, committing them to memory.
Shoyo had taken to their new relationship with glee. Oikawa was glad he had found a friend in him, honestly. The first week when Tobio had left to go back to his early practices, Shoyo sent him photo after photo of Tobio during various parts of the day. It had kept Oikawa from moping too much. That, and sharing his loneliness with Iwa, who had been forced to say goodbye to Ushiwaka himself.
Sitting on the bus, Oikawa's leg jumped up and down sporadically. Planning this trip with his new work schedule had been difficult, but he and Tobio had finally been able to work something out. Tobio's excited smile through their video call had been worth it.
Their Spring Break together felt like a walking dream. Knowing there was a date where Kageyama would have to go back, they had spent as much time as they could relearning each other. Strolls along the beach, gazing down at the jellyfish during the night, the shopping trips in the convenience store. Jogging together. Making the trips to Shinsuke Dairy and arguing over what to do with the milk. Oikawa's phone is filled with hundreds of pictures, and the embarrassing majority of them featured Tobio's scowl.
What was unfair, really, was that Tobio was subjected to none of the teasing Oikawa had to endure from his sister, his friends, or even his teammates. He still shudders when he remembers the call with Tobio's old team. They were a rowdy bunch, and they hadn't hesitated to tell him exactly what would happen should their darling setter gets his heart broken. He didn't know idiots could be so scary.
The bus slid to a stop, and Oikawa rushed out, shooting a quick thanks to the driver. Distracted, he slowly made his way through to where he hoped the stadium would be.
He was so close to Tobio. They had been apart for 3 weeks, but it was 3 weeks too long. Calls every day weren't really enough, even if it did help for Oikawa to fall asleep in time with Tobio's calming breaths. Tobio had basically forced him into a better sleeping schedule, completing in a few months what Iwaizumi had attempted for years.
Tooru stopped in front of the large building in front of him, comparing the pictures Tobio had sent him.
It was really pretty, Oikawa had to admit. The photos didn't do it justice. Large and grand, the mass of steel demanded his attention. Oikawa stopped himself from jumping in excitement because he wasn't embarrassing thank you very much, but there was definitely a spring in his step as he drew closer.
Tobio was waiting for him, right outside the stadium. That must mean warm-ups hadn't started yet. Tooru whistled inwardly to himself-his boyfriend's red uniform hugged him in all the right places.
He couldn't stop himself if he really tried-he rushed over to where Tobio was, throwing his arms around him. He hugged back just as tightly, and Oikawa sighed in contentment. Infuriatingly, Oikawa had to lean up just a little to reach for a kiss.
"Oikawa-san," Kageyama murmured against his ear.
Tooru huffed. "At least try to go for just Oikawa, you big oaf."
"Oikawa, I missed you."
Tooru beamed, his smile impossibly wide, "I missed you too, Tobio."
He stepped back-Tobio was the picture of confidence and grace. His head was held high, as it should be, and Oikawa had never felt more proud.
"You're going to win this one, you got it?"
Kageyama nodded seriously.
"I'll win for the both of us."
Oikawa blinked, and laughed, holding his hands up to his face. He was sure his face was pink. "Tobio, you-you can't just say things like that!"
Kageyama tilted his head, frowning slightly. "Why not?"
"Because it makes me want to kiss you!"
Kageyama didn't get a chance to respond back, because their lips were already slotted together before he could.
The stadium was even larger than Oikawa thought. Hearing it could hold thousands of people was one thing, but seeing it was another. Oikawa was lucky enough to get seats where he could see every one of Tobio's plays. He watched, entranced, as Tobio commanded the court. Come here, he would beckon, and his spikers would follow. When Tobio pulled a setter dump during their deuce, Oikawa was shouting at the top of his lungs until his voice nearly gave out.
"That's my boyfriend!" he screamed out, to the poor sap next to him. "He's amazing!" Luckily, he was drowned out in the cheers of everyone else who agreed with him.
He wanted to scream out to the world more though; Do you know how hard he's worked? All that he's been through? They didn't understand him the way Tooru did; they didn't know that this was an entirely new team, or that Tobio struggled with communicating. They didn't know how hard he worked to toss to the new Tiny Giant, or to match Romero's spikes the best he could. They didn't know what Tobio's smile, sweet and shy when he was sure no one was present, looked like.
In the end, the other team lost. It was a good game; Oikawa held his breath several times when it looked like it could go either way. But Tobio's and Shoyo's freak quick was unstoppable when you didn't expect it, and when the whistle blew Oikawa roared in elation.
After the team huddle, the whoops and the hollers and hugs, Tobio made eye contact with Tooru. Did you see me?
Yes, thought Oikawa, How could I not?
"Come get drinks with us, Tooru!" Hinata implored. Oikawa recognized world famous gamer Kozume Kenma what the fuck Shoyo interlacing their hands and send the ginger a soft smile. He looked a little uncomfortable to be there, but Oikawa supposed that if Shoyo's sunny smile could bring Tobio out of a funk, that nobody else stood a chance against saying no.
Oikawa readily agreed, his arm looped with Tobio's who was calm and placid now that the game was over.
"Miwa wants to meet him first," Kageyama denied.
Oh, right. That was something that Oikawa had promised, hadn't he?
"Do we have to do that today?" Oikawa whisper-yelled. Kageyama nodded.
"What if your sister hates me? I don't remember her that well!" Oikawa whined, trying to hide his panic. Trying to show up for Tobio's old team had been bad enough, and then there was this team, but his sister sounded scarier than both of them combined.
"You have nice hair so she'll like you," Tobio assured him.
"I don't think that's how that works, Tobio-chan," He argued weakly, but it was a losing battle when Tobio was so close to him, and they both knew it.
Everyone else seemed to have quickly caught onto, uh, how did Iwaizumi put it? How whipped he was, and they jeered and teased him for the remainder of the day. Ushiwaka was also there, which was gross. He and Tobio were officially friends now, and Tooru would have to live with his boyfriend and best friend both having terrible taste. When Ushiwaka asked him if he would practice volleyball with them, he stuck his tongue out but agreed anyways.
This was the price Tooru paid for being a supportive boyfriend.
They were walking back to Tobio's temporary suite, after waving a very drunk Bokuto goodbye. Oikawa held nothing but respect for Akaashi Keiji.
It was fun; Miwa Kageyama was just as scary as he thought she'd be, threatening him with various hair supplies. But towards the end of the night, when Tobio told him that Oikawa had invited him over during Thanksgiving and kept him company, she had softened towards him. Oikawa still hoped that was the only time they saw each other during his stay.
Tooru would be staying for a week. It was far too short for his liking, but it was the best he could do. He squeezed Tobio's hand tighter.
"Kazuyo-san told me that if I played enough volleyball, I would meet someone stronger," Tobio said thoughtfully.
Oikawa waited patiently. He learned now that Tobio didn't like talking about himself, but when he did, it always was for a purpose. Tooru was cataloguing all of these pieces of information; the formal, distant way he talked to his parents, his friendship with Miya Atsumu (once again, terrible taste), his dislike for sweets.
"I think...I met a lot of strong volleyball players. But to me, you're strong on and off the court," Tobio paused mid-way through his rambling."Oikawa-san, I l-..li.."
Tobio had trouble expressing his desires. Oikawa knew this, knew that Tobio was frustrated with himself every single time he failed to say "I love you back" to Tooru after a call. Tooru had long since accepted the fact, because he knew Tobio showed his love in different ways, like watching every alien documentary in Tooru's bedroom.
"Oikawa-san, I like you very much!"
He was so, so, fucked. He didn't know it was possible for his heart to be so full.
"Aw, Tobio-chan, it sounds like you have a crush on me!" He said, pulling on an affronted Tobio's cheeks. "That's so embarrassing!"
"We're dating."
"Yeah, but still." Oikawa nuzzled into him even closer. "Don't worry Tobio-chan, I love you lots too!"
"You're being weird again."
Oikawa laughed and beamed even wider when he saw the crinkle in Tobio's eyes as he smiled in tandem.
I know you've been waiting for me, Tobio.
Tobio's face looked unfairly pretty-glowing lights dancing across his eyes. He had switched out his uniform for a comfy white shirt and had later spilled curry on it, in an arm-wrestling match with Shoyo. Tooru had never seen anybody so perfect.
I'm finally here.