Chapter Text
The moment Oikawa Tooru set his eyes on New Ozai he decided that it was an absolute waste of a city, and that his time would be better spent paddling back to the Fire Nation in a canoe than squandering another moment there. The place looked like a smoldering pile of dirt. When he first saw it he let out a massive sigh, and fell back into the plush seat of the carriage.
“Tooru,” his mother said.
“What?”
“You promised that you wouldn’t complain.”
Had he? If so, that had been a mistake. “I don’t recall complaining about anything.”
“I see. So that sigh was a sound of joy.”
“Maybe. Or excitement. Exhilaration. Could have even been indifference. Lots of interpretations to choose from.”
She snapped her sensu open and fanned herself, blowing strands of brown hair out of her face. They had been warned that the summers in the Earth Kingdom were sweltering, but they had both overdressed nonetheless. Oikawa was swimming in his own sweat. “Tooru, I realize you don’t want to be here, but if you spend the entire time sulking, that’s a waste of everyone’s time.”
“This is already a waste of time.”
“Your father thinks you need time before you reenlist, and I agree. You can’t rush into these things.”
“Well, you’re both wrong. I’ve been training for years, I don’t need another summer. And in the colonies, of all places? This is pointless. I’m only here so none of father’s friends have to look at his failure of a son.”
“That isn’t true,” she said, her face a mask of gracious serenity. “We decided that you need time to recenter, to prepare. Especially after the… incident.” Oikawa couldn’t stop himself from cringing at that word. “No one’s embarrassed of you.”
“Then why can’t I recenter at home?”
“Home is… busy. We’d be distracting your father, and vice versa.”
“He’ll be sailing off to Ba Sing Se in a few weeks. The Earth Kingdom isn’t going to conquer itself. What does it matter if we’re there?”
“Enough,” she snapped, the mask slipping for a moment. “We’re here. This is for the best. Let’s not discuss this any longer.”
“Fine,” Oikawa muttered. He turned his attention back to the window. They had passed through the gates in the midst of their argument, and now they were moving through the winding streets. The city had an interesting look about it. The building looked liked they had been carved directly out of the mountain - they probably had been, centuries ago, by some ancient earthbenders. Now the place resembled a stone rabbit warrent. The streets were thick with people going about their business, shouting to each other in the rough accent of Omashu. Or New Ozai, whatever they were calling it now. In any case, the place screamed Earth Kingdom. The army had done their best to change that, of course. Fire Nation soldiers stood on every corner, the Fire Lord’s insignia was stamped everywhere you looked, and brand new metal structures had begun to rise from the stone buildings. But all those new additions seemed flimsy, temporary, just like the name New Ozai. This was Omashu, and everyone here knew it. Which meant, of course, that a black and red carriage rolling through town wasn’t a welcome sight. The passersby glowered at them, and a few people spat at their wheels.
“Do you remember the Kuroo family?”
“Huh?” Oikawa jumped. He had been distracted by an old man selling what looked like wooden legs. “Oh. No, not really.” The name was slightly familiar, but there were a million prominent Fire Nation families to remember at any given time.
She clucked in disapproval. “We had them over for dinner a few times back home, before they moved out here. A very important family. The father, Kuroo Takeshi is the governor of New Ozai. He was appointed when the city was first conquered. Remember?”
“Vaguely. Why are you telling me this?”
She tch’d again. “We’ll be living next door to the family. We’ll probably be spending a lot of time with them. We’re practically their houseguests, so be polite. Remember names.” She paused, still fanning herself. “They have a boy your age. You would’ve gone to school together years ago, at the Royal Fire Academy for Boys. Kuroo Tetsurou, ringing any bells?”
He cocked his head. That did, actually. A boy in his class. Shrimpy, quiet, messy black hair. Hadn’t left much of an impression. “Do you want me to become best friends with him, in the name of politics?” She glared at him. “Hey, I never said I’m not willing. I can be charming,” he said with a flutter of his lashes. “As long as I don’t have to suck his cock or anything.”
“Oikawa Tooru!” She smacked him with her fan. “You’re impossible. I just thought you’d like having someone your age to talk to.”
“From what I remember, he doesn’t talk much.”
“Just play nice. I don’t want a repeat of what happened with Kageyama Tobio. That poor boy.”
Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Oh, yes, poor sweet Tobio-chan. Everyone made such a big deal out of that. I barely singed him.”
***
When they arrived at their new home for the summer, Oikawa had to stifle a laugh. They had arrived in front of what was clearly a row of Earth Kingdom mansions that the army had hastily decked out in the colors of the Fire Nation. A few months ago, he had heard his father mention plans to burn Omashu to the ground and build New Ozai in its place. Apparently that was too difficult, and the new plan was changing the color scheme to red. He could actually see where they had torn an Earth Kingdom emblem out of the wall. As of yet, nothing had taken its place, and the indent it left behind was almost as clear as the original decoration.
“Well,” his mother said, staring through the window. “I think it looks lovely.”
Oikawa snorted. “Yes, very patriotic. You can even pick the nation you’re partial to. How considerate.”
A man in Fire Nation armor waited for them on the front steps, flanked by over a dozen masked soldiers. One of them rushed forward to open the carriage door. The commanding officer followed, and helped his mother down the steps. Oikawa hopped out after her. The place smelled like grass and wet paint.
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” the man said, looking each of them in the eye before sinking into a low bow. “Welcome to New Ozai. My name is Yamamoto Yuuto. I’ll be in charge of your protection while you’re in the city.”
“It’s good to meet you,” his mother said. “My name is Innami Oikawa, and this is my son, Tooru.” She looked around at the long line of soldiers flanking the steps. “There are more guards here than I expected. My husband told me that the city is a very safe place.”
“I understand your unease, Oikawa-sama, but these men are just a precaution. We had a small amount of trouble with agitators a few months ago, but the offenders are locked up where they belong, and things have been quiet since.” He pointed to a tall wall in the distance. “Currently, we’re in a part of the city blocked off for Fire Nation residents. This area is completely secure. Of course, I can’t guarantee nothing will happen if you mingled with the commoners. You know how the rabble can be.”
“Well, we’ll be staying in the compound,” she said, giving Oikawa a pointed look. “Won’t we?”
He sighed. “Of course, mother. Because being stuck inside one wall certainly isn’t enough.”
She smacked him again. He rubbed his head. The blades of her fan were pointier than they looked.
“Would you like a tour of the grounds?” Yamamoto asked, unphased.
“That would be lovely,” she said, the illusion of the gracious lady returning in an instant.
“Actually, I think I’ll pass,” Oikawa said. “I’d like to start unpacking,” he said in response to his mother’s withering glare.
“Fine,” she muttered. “But if you get lost, it’s your own fault. Find a guard to help you carry your things.” With that, she took Yamamoto’s arm and disappeared between the green hedges of the perfectly manicured garden.
Oikawa returned to the carriage, and waved an arm at the line of soldiers. Immediately, three of them stepped forward to help him. He gestured at the various boxes and chests in the back of the carriage. “Would you take these to wherever I’ll be sleeping tonight?” he asked. They nodded, and started hauling his luggage. As they worked, he stepped back to stare at the wall of the compound. The situation was looking even bleaker than before. He wasn’t even allowed to explore the city he didn’t want to be in. He would be dead of boredom in a week.
“Did you bring the entire Fire Nation with you?” Someone asked.
Oikawa jumped, then turned in the direction of the voice. The boy who had spoken was tall, muscular, and topped with a shock of spiky black hair. He wore red silk, indicating his status as a fellow son of wealth. Currently, he was pointing at the line of soldiers carrying Oikawa’s luggage. He narrowed his eyes. So what if he had brought a lot of clothes? Just because he had been sent to the world’s saddest city didn’t mean he had to be unfashionable.
“It’s a big house,” he replied. “We need to fill it up with something.”
“Good point,” the boy said, flashing him a crooked grin. “Long time no see, Oikawa.”
Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“You really don’t remember me?”
“No. Sorry, but I’ve met a lot of people.”
“Kuroo Tetsurou. We went to school together?”
Oikawa’s mouth fell open. The boy his mother had told him about just a few minutes ago? He probably should’ve seen that coming, but… he looked different. The only similarity between this man and the Kuroo Tetsurou he’d known was their horrendous hair. Otherwise, nothing. His voice had deepened, he was taller, more muscular. Even the way he stood was different. More confident, maybe. “You look different.”
“Well, I’m not thirteen anymore.”
They stood in silence for a moment.
“I’m impressed you remembered me,” Oikawa said. “I mean, we weren’t really close back then, right? It was a long time ago.”
“Oh, I definitely remember you. As I recall, you used to call me Rooster-head. Set my uniform on fire once.” All the amusement was gone from his face.
Oikawa cringed. Now that Kuroo mentioned it, those events were vaguely familiar. “Ah… sorry about that.” At the time, the nickname had seemed hilarious.
Kuroo burst out laughing. It was a weird laugh, more of a cackle. “I’m kidding! I did have a rooster head. Still do, actually. Though it’s a very attractive rooster head, in my opinion. And people change, right?”
“Right,” Oikawa said. He wasn’t sure how to proceed. “You’ve been here for a while, haven’t you?”
“Three years,” Kuroo said, sounding cheerful as can be.
“How have you not died of boredom?” he asked. “I’ve been here five minutes, and I’m already afraid for my life.”
He shrugged. “The place grows on you. There’s… more going on there than they’d like us to know.”
“What does that mean?”
Kuroo glanced at the soldiers, then back at Oikawa. His grin returned. “For one thing, I’ve got a stash of rum hidden in one of those rose bushes.”
Oikawa threw his head back and groaned in relief. “Why didn’t you say so before? Take me there immediately.”