Archive of Our Own

As Oikawa stopped his car at a red light, he mustered all of his strength not to yell into his phone at the two idiots, also known as his friends, who were disrupting his peaceful alone time with a three-way call. He would have lost it if it hadn’t been for the sudden honk coming from the car behind him. He took off as he realized that the light had turned green. 

"Uh oh, looks like our dear pal angered someone on the road," Hanamaki snickered on the other line. 

"Wouldn't be a first for grandpa over here," Matsukawa chimed in, referring to how slow a driver Oikawa was because it hadn't been that long since he had gotten his license. 

Oikawa's hands tightened around the wheel. "Why do you two always have to make our phone calls a three-way?! You two are in the same place right now!"

"Actually, I'm shitting in the bathroom right now," Hanamaki defended. 

"And I'm waiting for him outside of the bathroom," Matsukawa added. 

If Oikawa wasn't already used to the lack of a filter that his friends had, then he would've gagged out of disgust. Instead, Oikawa simply let out a sigh as he turned into the place that he frequented throughout the week. After he parked his car, he picked up his phone and said, "Look, all I wanted to ask was what our plan is for dinner."

"Why didn't you just ask then?" Hanamaki teased, though he knew that as soon as Oikawa had called him and after Matsukawa joined seconds later, the two of them had been debating whether or not pancakes were considered a type of cake. 

After hearing Matsukawa chuckle, both from his and Hanamaki's end of the call, he finally answered, " Our plan for dinner is leftovers. On the other hand, we all know what your plan for dinner is, Oikawa."

Oikawa didn't know whether his cheeks reddened from the warmth from his car heater or from his embarrassment, but whichever one it was, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Look, there is no way that Iwa-chan would invite me to dinner again . It's not like there's a special occasion today or anything."

Despite the loud unpleasant noise of the toilet flushing, Oikawa could still hear Hanamaki scoff. "Come on, it's not like Iwaizumi needs a reason to invite you over. You practically live at his apartment now. I'm surprised you haven't packed up your things and moved in yet. Has he not popped the question yet?"

This time Oikawa scoffed and the other two could practically see the exasperation on his face. "It's not like we're lovers who cohabitate!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hanamaki asked, given that was the situation that he and Matsukawa were in along with the addition of their third-wheel of a friend.

"I mean that it's not normal for someone like me to live with a friend that has a five-year-old kid!" Oikawa elaborated, albeit excluding the part about also having feelings for that said friend. 

"Did he just say friends ?" Matsukawa asked. 

"I think he just did," Hanamaki answered. "I guess the bet's still going on."

"Bet?" Oikawa repeated. "What bet?"

"Just a little wager that we have going on. It wouldn't be fun if we revealed it to you now," Matsukawa explained. "Anyways, aren't you supposed to be picking up this five-year-old kid right about now?"

Oikawa glanced at himself in his rear-view mirror and flattened a strand of his hair that was sticking out. "I usually wait for the other kids to get picked up to avoid the chaos. Thanks to you guys, that should be over now. I guess I'll see you guys around dinnertime."

"No you won't," his friends replied in a sing-song manner before he rolled his eyes and hung up. After Oikawa gave one last look at his reflection, he turned off his car and got out, rubbing his temples in an effort to calm himself down from those boisterous several minutes he exchanged with his roommates. 

When Oikawa entered the building, almost all of the children had been picked up like he had hoped. He idly made his way through the hallway and as soon as he leaned against the door to one of the classrooms, Oikawa spotted that familiar pile of flat, black hair at the other side of the room. No matter how many times he did this throughout the week, Oikawa always felt a weight leave his shoulders upon seeing that little head. 

"Looks like you made it just in time," a voice spoke, averting Oikawa's eyes to the person who was standing at the front of the room. 

Oikawa couldn't help but smile upon seeing his gray-haired friend. "How was he, Kou-chan?"

"He seemed to have spilled some milk on his shirt during lunchtime, but fortunately he didn't seem that upset over the accident," Suga informed. 

"I'm not surprised since he tends to not get bothered over little things like that. He definitely got that from his dad," Oikawa mentioned. "If he was my kid then I would've definitely expected to see a crying mess."

"I mean he practically is your kid at this point," Suga pointed out. "You pick him up more than his own father does, not to sound rude or anything."

Oikawa hesitantly rubbed the back of his neck. "That's just because Iwa-chan can't get off from work in time and it's not like I have anything to keep me occupied lately."

"Oh yeah, have you decided on what you wanted to do yet? Any schools you wanna enroll in?" Suga asked. 

"Haven't had an epiphany about my future since my volleyball days were declared over. I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later though," Oikawa answered. 

Suga gave him a supporting smile. "Of course. You've always been the type to succeed in everything you put your mind to."

"Not everything...," Oikawa murmured, his eyes subconsciously peering around the room until they landed on the boy he had come to pick up. 

Suga's smile wavered. "Things still aren't well with Iwaizumi?"

Oikawa stiffened at the question and he laughed it off. "What things ? There's nothing going on between me and Iwa-chan in the first place. Anyways, I should probably get your favorite student out of here before he falls asleep over there." He took a step forward, intently avoiding the concerned look that his friend gave him as he called out, "Tobio-chan! Time to go!"

The little boy's head perked up at the familiar voice who said his name and he spun around, his usual scowling countenance softening. "Oikawa-san!"

After grabbing his backpack from his cubby, Tobio hurried towards the front of the classroom where the two adults were standing. "Are you going to eat dinner with me and Daddy tonight?"

Oikawa felt a pang in his chest and he feigned a smile. "I'm not so sure about that, but we should get going if we wanna make it home before your dad does."

Before the two of them left the classroom, Oikawa felt a pair of apprehensive eyes on him. 

"Tooru," Suga suddenly spoke from behind them, "just know that I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."

Plastering one last smile on his face, Oikawa turned back and responded, "Of course, Kou-chan. I'll keep that in mind."

He then took off, his face faltering as soon as he turned away from his friend. He was taken aback as a little hand grabbed onto his own and he looked down to see Tobio looking at him with a bewildered expression. "Why did Sugawara-sensei say that?"

Not wanting to worry a five-year-old boy about his personal life, Oikawa squeezed his hand reassuringly and said, "He's just always looking out for me. Come on, let's get you changed out of that stained shirt before your dad sees."

Oikawa found himself just about to fall asleep when he heard the door open and footsteps enter the apartment. He sat up just as he noticed Iwaizumi take off his shoes and set his bag onto the counter. Even though Iwaizumi was nearing his thirties, the only differences that Oikawa could see in his friend was that his body had become more defined and that his hair was a bit shorter, albeit it was still spiky. Oikawa's eyes found themselves lingering on his friend's arms, which were still well-toned despite him simply being in his work scrubs. Once he glanced up and saw Iwaizumi's face, Oikawa could tell that his childhood best friend needed more sleep than he did. It was definitely not those days where all they had to worry about is catching bugs and playing volleyball. Oikawa frowned at the sudden realization that reality had changed drastically since their innocent childhood. 

Not wanting to have Iwaizumi worry about him as soon as he got home, Oikawa made sure to lighten up his face as he finally spoke up and asked, "How was work?"

"Same as usual. A patient that I evaluated today has a knee injury. I hope you don't mind but I mentioned you to them since they were pretty bummed out about not being able to play soccer for a while," Iwaizumi answered as he entered the living room where Oikawa had sat up on the couch he was on. 

"At least he'll be able to play eventually," Oikawa mumbled, averting his eyes dejectedly. 

Iwaizumi sighed. "Yeah, if only someone was cautious about their safety then they would’ve still been doing jump serves like there was no tomorrow."

Oikawa looked up at him and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw that devilish smirk on the spiky-haired man's face. "Why are you always so rude to me, Hajime?! You've already told me off plenty of times about what happened back then and it's not like I've miraculously-"

"Oi, Tooru, you're gonna wake Tobio up," Iwaizumi interrupted, causing Oikawa to freeze not only because he realized how loud he was speaking but also because it still caught him off guard sometimes when his best friend called him by his given name, even if he did the same when it was only the two of them together. After muttering an apology and deciding to turn the tv off in order to not disturb the sleeping child on the other side of the couch, Oikawa silently watched as Iwaizumi walked over to Tobio and gently ruffled his son's hair. Despite having such an elfish appearance seconds ago, Iwaizumi now looked as if he were kneeling before a dainty little flower and only wanted to treat it with the utmost care. Seeing Iwaizumi as a dad and behaving in such a gentle manner was still remarkable for Oikawa, since what he remembered of his best friend was how often the two of them used to roughhouse all the time and Oikawa would unfortunately lose every single time. 

"Tooru?" Iwaizumi's tender voice asked, snapping Oikawa out of his thoughts to look at him. By the bemused countenance on the older man's face, Oikawa realized that he had been asked a question. 

"Sorry," he apologized frantically, "what did you say?"

Iwaizumi chuckled at his flustered friend. "I just asked how Tobio was today. I hope he didn't cause too much of a hassle since you looked like you were practically passed out when I walked through the front door."

"Th-That's just because the show that was on the tv was lulling me to sleep," Oikawa stammered as he straightened his posture. "He only had a bit of a milk situation on his shirt, but other than that he was perfectly fine as usual. What else is there to expect from the best kid in the world?"

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows at him. "Takeru would be shocked to hear that."

Oikawa merely shrugged. "What can I say? Tobio-chan happens to be the child of my best friend. Besides, Takeru doesn't really care if he is his only uncle's favorite or not. If anything, I'll just buy him some milk bread to cheer him up." After chortling at his own joke, Oikawa noticed he was the only one laughing and he glanced up to see Iwaizumi wordlessly staring at him. Rather than feeling abashed over the silent attention he was receiving, Oikawa couldn't help but wonder why the spiky-haired man next to him had such a troubled expression on his face. 

"Did I say something wrong?" he suddenly asked. 

As if knocked out of his trance, Iwaizumi shook his head and carefully scooped Tobio up into his arms. "I'm gonna let him sleep a little longer and prepare dinner. Wanna prepare the table?"

Oikawa gawked at him. "To eat dinner? With you guys?"

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said before he disappeared into Tobio's room. When he reemerged empty-handed, he added, "I mean, you're already here. Unless you had other plans?"

Ignoring the irksome snickering he could practically hear coming from his roommates wherever they were, Oikawa stood up and smoothed out his wrinkled shirt. "Not at all. I'd love to join you guys."

"Awesome," Iwaizumi replied and made his way into the kitchen to start cooking. After seeing Oikawa standing behind him expectantly from the corner of his eye, Iwaizumi shoved him away. "No way. I only said to prepare the table, not help me make dinner."

Oikawa pouted. "But I always feel guilty when you're the only one cooking."

"That's because I can cook, Shittykawa," Iwaizumi reminded him with a sneer. "Or have you forgotten about my fourteenth birthday?"

Oikawa let out an angered huff as he grabbed a few plates and stomped towards the dinner table. "You’re so mean! I was only trying to be nice and bake you a cake, Hajime!"

"It definitely didn't look nor taste like one, that's for sure," Iwaizumi continued. 

"Shut up!" Oikawa shouted and indignantly began to set the table, though he did so attentively so that he wouldn't break anything. No matter how often Iwaizumi teased him, Oikawa still found himself right by the man’s side. He could’ve decided against joining him for dinner because he was wounded by the other man’s insults, yet within the next five minutes he was sitting across the dinner table from Iwaizumi and Tobio, who had been woken up to eat with them. The three of them ate with Oikawa’s rambling filling the otherwise silence. However, despite Oikawa talking so much, part of him was still bothered about what plans he ended up having for dinner. 

To make matters worse, Oikawa had left Iwaizumi's place a couple hours later and had to suffer through the irksome snickering of his roommates in person as soon as he entered their shared apartment. He definitely couldn't wait to move out. 

Another reason why Oikawa couldn't wait to move out was so that he could live as far away as possible from the various noises that his roommates caused as soon as he woke up. Normally Oikawa went on a morning jog the second he got out of bed, but today he planned to skip because he got carried away the previous night while pirating a new alien movie that came out. The movie hadn't even been that good, but Oikawa still found himself finishing the next two and a half hours of it and then proceeded to put on one of his favorite alien movies afterwards to make up for it. 

It had only felt like Oikawa got to sleep for a few hours when he heard Hanamaki's abhorrent laughter outside of his bedroom door. He tried to ignore it by smushing his ears with his pillow, yet for some reason doing so only made his obnoxious friend's cackling even louder. 

Much to Oikawa's luck, moments later a loud knock came at his door. Oikawa yelled at them to go away since he was trying to sleep, and then only a second had passed when his door flung open and the last two people he wanted to see stood at the entryway. 

"Yo, are you deaf???" Hanamaki questioned. 

"I'm about to be because of you two," Oikawa grumbled after he defeatedly let his pillow fall from his ears. 

"We were just trying to tell you that your phone's been buzzing," Matsukawa said.

The last ounce of sleep escaping from his body, Oikawa hastily sat up and grabbed his phone from his bedside table. 

Hanamaki shook his head. "Dang. It was literally blaring at full volume and yet you couldn't hear it go off."

"Maybe we should get his hearing checked out?" Matsukawa suggested. 

Tuning out their voices, Oikawa's eyes widened when he saw that Iwaizumi had called him twice and left him a text message. 

"By the look on your face, it's either someone died or you're gonna be a father," Hanamaki commented. "Oooh, is that another bet I smell?"

"I wager Oikawa being the second baby daddy of our group," Matsukawa decided. 

"It's Iwa-chan," Oikawa finally spoke after typing his response to his best friend's message. 

"Is he dead or having another kid?" Matsukawa asked. 

"Or maybe Oikawa's the father of his child??" Hanamaki guessed. 

Oikawa rolled his eyes and hurried out of his bed to get changed. "It's neither, you morons. He's sick so I have to take Tobio-chan to school. I knew something was off when he came home the other night sniffling. He's always stubborn about not dressing warmly when it gets cold."

"It looks like this is gonna be the third time this week that you'll be having dinner with him," Matsukawa mentioned. 

As Oikawa shrugged on his jacket, he gave his friend a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"He means that you'll obviously head over to Iwaizumi's place to take care of him after dropping off Tobio," Hanamaki clarified. "I mean who else is going to?"

Now that they pointed it out, Oikawa seemed to notice that he had been eating with Iwaizumi and Tobio quite frequently this week. It's just because he's been waiting with Tobio for Iwaizumi to come home from work and since that always happens around dinnertime, Oikawa is always invited to eat with them. Still, having dinner with them once again after nursing Iwaizumi back to health? That's what family is for. It wouldn't be normal to simply have your friend come and take care of you, right?

And yet, after he managed to drop off a worried Tobio who had wanted to stay with his ailing father, Oikawa found himself driving back to their apartment. He made use of Iwaizumi's kitchen and knocked on his bedroom door, gently opening it after getting a hoarse response of approval. 

Iwaizumi looked a little better after Oikawa had left him to take Tobio to school, probably because he got to sleep a little longer than usual. After helping the spiky-haired man sit up, Oikawa sat on the side of his bed and held out a spoon to his friend's face. 

Iwaizumi glanced at the utensil in bewilderment. "You know you don't have to spoon-feed me like I can't use my hands."

"I'm just doing this because you were a little off-balance when you answered the door earlier. We wouldn't want your bed to get dirty with you spilling food everywhere, so just stop being stubborn and eat," Oikawa told him as he held the spoon closer to his face. 

Giving in with a sigh, Iwaizumi took a bite of the food he was given and froze after it went into his mouth. Seeing his stiffened expression, Oikawa gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't think it was possible to screw up porridge, yet here I am. Still, you can't take your medicine on an empty stomach-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Iwaizumi had grabbed the spoon and bowl from his hands and began to scarf down the food. Oikawa watched him in astonishment and after his friend finished his meal he said, "It wasn't bad."

Oikawa grinned. "Really? I guess I can cook-"

"But it wasn't good either," Iwaizumi finished. 

Oikawa crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey, at least I came back to take care of you!" This time he froze at the sudden touch of Iwaizumi's warm hand.

The older man gave him a sincere smile and replied, "Thank you. Not only for taking Tobio to school but for being here for me."

Oikawa averted his eyes as he felt his cheeks flush. "I mean, it would be rude of me not to, given it's not like I have a job waiting for me. Besides, I would've been the last person to see you before you passed out from your illness."

Iwaizumi let out a weakened chuckle. "Honestly, what would I do without you? Seriously, thank you, Tooru."

Feeling a lump growing his throat, Oikawa gulped it away and pulled his hand away from Iwaizumi. Instantly, the warmth that had comforted him disappeared. He promptly stood up and gathered Iwaizumi's dishes then made his way out of the room. "I'll go wash this. Since it seems that you can use your hands, I assume that means you can take your medicine by yourself."

The feeling of the warmth that came from Iwaizumi lingered on Oikawa's hand as he cleaned up. Even if his friend wasn't sick, Oikawa was sure that Iwaizumi's hand would still feel just as warm. That's how Iwaizumi always was. The cold had never bothered him. On the other hand, Oikawa was the one that easily got cold and ended up sick no matter how many layers of clothing he wore. And yet, every time he would complain when they were younger about how chilly it was and how he wished that he could be naturally warm like Iwaizumi was, the latter would always hold onto his hand and say that he was merely transferring some of his heat to him. Throughout the years, Oikawa had gotten a little used to the cold since then. 

Once he made sure that Iwaizumi had taken his medicine and that he didn't need help with anything else, Oikawa assured the other that he would pick up Tobio later and decided to take his leave. He could have stayed in order to make sure that Iwaizumi went to sleep without any troubles, but Oikawa felt that he would've suffocated if he had stayed a second longer. When he could no longer smell the scent of Iwaizumi or feel the warmth that he gave him even with just a sheer smile, Oikawa's eyesight suddenly went blurry while he made his way to his car. Right as he sat down in the driver's seat, without even turning on the engine, Oikawa let it all out. The chill of his tears only caused him to yearn more for that familiar warmth. 

Much to Oikawa's chagrin, not even his venti vanilla latte with two extra pumps of syrup and whipped cream could cheer him up. He didn't even have the energy to put in his contacts, so he had surprised his two guests when they arrived to see his smudged glasses beginning to sink down from his eyes. 

"It's nice to see you too," Suga greeted as he sat down across from Oikawa, who had been busying himself the past ten minutes with picking at his melting whipped cream. 

After seeing the miserable state that Oikawa was in, Daichi cleared his throat and said, "Maybe I shouldn't intrude-"

"Wait, Dai-chan! Please stay! I need a guy's input!" Oikawa cried. Upon the confused looks his friends gave him, Oikawa added, "I mean a guy that has a similar mindset as Iwa-chan."

"I had a feeling that's what we would be discussing on this lovely Sunday morning," Suga commented before he and Daichi gave a waitress their orders. After she left, the two of them exchanged hesitant glances. Oikawa noticed them practically having a telepathic conversation with each other from the corner of his eye as he licked a bit of whipped cream from his index finger. After a couple minutes, Suga clasped his hands together on the table and finally spoke, "So, what did a certain Iwaizumi Hajime do to our dear friend this time?"

Not even a second had gone by when Oikawa suddenly flung his arms forward and buried his face onto the table, Suga hurriedly taking his glasses off before he broke them. Without lifting his head up, Oikawa uttered a muffled, "I'm never having agedashi tofu again."

Not understanding what that could possibly mean, Daichi asked, "Did you get indigestion?"

Oikawa didn't blame Suga for elbowing his boyfriend in the side. He let out a long sigh and finally lifted his head up to say, "That's what we ate for dinner last night in celebration of Iwa-chan finally getting a raise. Things were fine at first but then while I was talking about whether I wanted to go into physical therapy like he is or dabble in my interest for extraterrestrial beings, he reached over and touched my lip with his thumb, saying that I had some sauce on my mouth." Suga's eyes widened while Daichi looked at the two of them like there was something he wasn't picking up. Oikawa held up his hand to indicate that he wasn't finished and continued, "But that's not it! Oh no no no, that's not it at all! As if the spiky bastard thought that wasn't enough, he pulled his hand back and licked his thumb! Did you hear that?? HE LICKED HIS DAMN THUMB!"

"No he did not!" Suga gasped. 

"YES HE DID!" Oikawa screamed, causing Daichi to apologize to the waitress as she handed him and Suga their drinks. 

"So then it's official then?" Suga asked as he blew on his mocha before taking a sip. 

"What's official?" Oikawa repeated. 

"You and Iwaizumi," Suga rephrased. Upon seeing the clueless expression on his bespectacled friend's face, he added, "in a romantic sense."

Managing to choke on the air he had inhaled, Oikawa let out a series of coughs before he finally responded, "That's gotta be the craziest thing you've said all day!"

"Actually, just this morning-" before a smug Suga could finish his statement, a blushing Daichi had covered his mouth and said on his behalf, "Anyways, I think what I've understood from what Koushi told me about your situation is that you and Iwaizumi like each other."

Oikawa scowled at him. "Dai-chan, you're supposed to be the sensible one here. I am disappointed in you."

After patting his boyfriend sympathetically for his input, Suga said, "Seriously, what kind of guy would offer to wipe food off of their male friend's face and then proceed to lick it? What even happened afterwards??"

Oikawa shrugged. "Iwa-chan just continued to eat as if nothing happened. I think even Tobio-chan had seen what happened yet he carried on eating as well, though I'm sure it's because he had no idea what was going on in front of him."

Suga took in a deep breath and reached out to hold Oikawa's hand reassuringly. "Look, Tooru, you spend more time with Iwaizumi and Tobio-kun than you do with your own roommates and I'm sure you two have also done things that friends don't do, especially male friends."

"Well we're best friends," Oikawa protested. 

"I don't think someone would lick sauce that had come off of their best friend's lip," Suga pointed out. "Well, at least not someone like Iwaizumi."

"Wait a second, is Iwaizumi even interested in men? I don't mean to sound rude but he does have a kid," Daichi mentioned. 

"Iwa-chan doesn't care about little things like that," Oikawa waved off, "but how could you think that he's interested in me ? This is just how we've always been. If anything, we probably just got closer because I've been helping him take care of Tobio-chan since he was born."

"Hey, honey, could you hold my hand back so I don't punch Tooru in the face?" Suga asked, causing Daichi to grab onto his tightened fist with worry. After Suga managed to calm down a bit, he intertwined their hands and said, "I know I told you that I'd always be here if you needed someone to talk to, but I don't know what you want me to say since you've been refuting whatever comes out of my mouth."

"I just need you to tell me what to do about all of this, not come up with some theory about how Iwa-chan and I are childhood best friends that somehow ended up having feelings for one another yet haven't confronted the other about it," Oikawa said, unaware of how his words could be interpreted. 

As he stopped his boyfriend's other fist from smiting their friend, Daichi said, "Hey, Oikawa, since you're confused about Iwaizumi, what about you just ask him how he feels about you?"

He was taken aback by the indifferent stares he received from the other two and Suga pulled his hands back to say with a huff, "Sorry, honey, but you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

Oikawa had spent his time lately either with Iwaizumi and Tobio or being a recluse in his bedroom, except for the few times where Hanamaki and Matsukawa convinced him to eat out with them because there was no way he would ever turn down free food. That was why he didn't even realize that the holiday season had bestowed on him until he opened his door and was boldly greeted by around five sprigs of mistletoe hanging right outside. 

"What the hell is this?" he asked in irritation as he pushed past the cluster of plants and entered the living room just in time to notice his roommates taking pictures of themselves making out under another festive sprig. 

"We decided to put a lot of mistletoes outside of your door for when Iwaizumi comes over later," Hanamaki explained after he and Matsukawa decided that they both needed to take a breath of air and parted from each other. 

Oikawa cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why is Iwa-chan coming over?"

"We offered to host Tobio's birthday dinner here since they live nearby and the snow isn't gonna let us go anywhere else," Matsukawa explained. 

"Plus, this way it's like you're inviting Iwaizumi over for dinner this time," Hanamaki added. 

Oikawa's jaw dropped to the floor. "You're telling me that Iwa-chan and Tobio-chan are coming over later?!" He had completely forgotten that it was already the holiday season, let alone that Tobio's birthday was today. If it weren't for the greetings of mistletoe as soon as he decided to join the rest of the world, or at least his apartment, then Oikawa would have assumed that it was just another Saturday evening. 

"Did I say later? I meant in like half an hour," Hanamaki corrected. "We were going to give you an earlier heads up but you were completely passed out like all day."

"That's because I pulled an all-nighter applying to schools," Oikawa said as he stifled a yawn. 

Matsukawa gave him an amused look. "Does that mean you plan on finally going to university?"

Oikawa nodded happily. "You're looking at a future astronomy major!"

"So, Mr. Future Astronomy Major, what do you plan on doing with your degree?" Hanamaki asked. 

Oikawa pursed his lips. "I haven't made it that far."

"That's alright. Iwaizumi happens to be a patient guy so I'm sure he'll be able to wait for you to sort your life out," Matsukawa shrugged. "I suggest you get a job before his handsomeness is replaced with wrinkles, though."

"That's not fair! Iwa-chan will always be handsome!" Oikawa said in defense. 

"Who will always be handsome?" The man that they were referring to spoke as he opened the front door of the apartment and put away his spare key, to which Oikawa silently cursed his roommates for giving him one even though he had one to Iwaizumi's apartment as well. 

Oikawa glared at his pink-haired friend. "Makki, you said that they would be here in half an hour!" 

"Did I say half an hour? I meant like half a second," Hanamaki corrected once again and added after receiving a glare from the other, "Hey, I'm not an expert at estimating people's arrival times so don't criticize me, Mr. Future Astronomy Major."

"Mr. Future Astronomy Major?" Iwaizumi repeated with curiosity. 

"Who is that, Daddy?" Tobio chimed in as he strolled in with a volleyball in his hands that had a big red bow on it, probably what Iwaizumi had gifted him for his birthday. 

"None other than your other daddy-" Before Hanamaki could finish his answer, Oikawa had shoved him onto the couch in annoyance. 

"Hey Iwa-chan and happy sixth birthday, Tobio-chan," the wavy-haired brunette greeted their new company. "Sorry that I haven't started preparing dinner yet. I wasn't aware that we were going to have guests tonight."

Iwaizumi snickered. "Are you telling me that you're going to be cooking dinner for us?"

"In his defense, he happens to be the best one in the kitchen out of the three of us," Matsukawa pointed out. 

"Don't worry, I brought some ingredients so you guys just go entertain the birthday boy while I find my way around your kitchen," Iwaizumi assured as he brought the bags of groceries that he had been carrying out of the living room. Instead of joining Hanamaki and Matsukawa in tossing Tobio's new volleyball with the little boy, Oikawa followed Iwaizumi into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as the latter began to unpack what he planned on using to fix up dinner. 

"Looks like you stole my idea of a present for Tobio-chan," Oikawa said. 

Iwaizumi smirked as he turned on the sink and washed his hands. "I mean it's my job as Seijoh's former ace to get my own kid into volleyball."

"Well as Seijoh's former setter along with being the former starting setter of the Argentina National Team, I think it would make more sense for me to kickstart Tobio-chan's volleyball career," Oikawa remarked. "Besides, I definitely see him more as a setter than an ace."

Rather than feeling offended, Iwaizumi only shrugged with a small smile. "As long as he grows to love the sport you and I grew up with then I don't really care about what position he plays."

Oikawa didn't know how to respond as he was reminded of the day he had eventually tossed a perfect set and Iwaizumi had spiked the ball, causing the two young boys to grow even more in love with volleyball than before. Once he had finally found his voice, Oikawa leaned off of the counter and asked, "Hey, do you think Tobio-chan is okay with spending his birthday around a bunch of men in their late twenties?" 

The two of them glanced into the living room to see Tobio giggling as Hanamaki fumbled with the volleyball while Matsukawa carried the little boy in the air. Iwaizumi smiled and replied, "Seems like he'll be just fine. He's always happy when he's around you guys. It even seems like Tobio smiles a lot more when you're particularly around, Tooru. That's pretty rare coming from the little guy."

Oikawa looked away in embarrassment. "It's probably because I spoil him with all the yogurt he wants."

"I hope you'll never stop spoiling him then," Iwaizumi said. Upon hearing those words that may have sounded simple in his mind but was a big deal to Oikawa, the taller man took a couple steps closer to him and opened his mouth to say something when there was a knock on the door. 

"I'll get it," Oikawa uttered hastily and fled the kitchen to answer whoever had arrived, still trying to process what had just occurred between him and Iwaizumi. When he opened the front door, he was stunned to see a couple of friendly smiles waiting outside. "Kou-chan? Dai-chan? What are you guys doing here?"

"What, did you not think that my son was this popular?" Iwaizumi spoke from behind him. He set a hand on Oikawa's shoulder as he took a step forward and grabbed the gifts that Daichi had been holding out for them. 

"Did you not read your text? I said that we were on our way over," Suga said. 

Oikawa shook his head since he had abandoned his phone back in his bedroom. He was still feeling a mixture of emotions as he felt a familiar feeling of warmth on his shoulder. Daichi sensed something off and asked, "Um, Oikawa, did you actually get indigestion this time? You look a little uneasy."

Before Oikawa could muster a few words as a response, he was spun around and Iwaizumi was leaning inches away as he studied his face. "You do look a little pale."

"I think I just need to sit down for a bit," Oikawa finally managed to say. He felt a chill down his spine as Iwaizumi brought his hand up to caress his arm. "Alright, just don't push yourself, okay? I don't think Tobio would like it if someone fainted on his birthday."

"I'll help Tooru out in case he falls over or something," Suga insisted as he grabbed his feeble-looking friend by the shoulders and guided him into the living room. "Honey, why don't you help Iwaizumi with dinner?"

As the two other men made their way towards the kitchen, Suga practically ushered Oikawa onto one of the couches, making sure they were a safe distance away from Tobio as the little boy unintentionally smacked the ball into Matsukawa's chest, causing Hanamaki to double over in laughter. 

"Hey, what's up?" Suga asked as it seemed that Oikawa had regained his composure. 

Oikawa rubbed his forehead, feeling torn. "I'm behaving like a silly teenager who can't get their emotions together."

"Don't worry, sweetheart, you've always been like that," Suga assured as he patted his back cordially, not meaning to offend him. 

Oikawa huffed. "It's just that I freeze like every time Iwa-chan merely touches me now. I wasn't like this at all. When we were little I used to wrestle with him without a second thought."

"Perhaps somewhere along the way your feelings for him changed," Suga suggested. "That's how humans work."

"But he's my best friend," Oikawa said, knowing it was like the hundredth time he used that as his argument. "It's not normal to have feelings for the boy who used to shove stag beetles into your face as kids."

"That's what I thought about Daichi. Things just change," Suga replied nonchalantly. 

"At least Daichi didn't sleep with some girl and now has a six-year-old kid," Oikawa grumbled. "And at least Daichi has feelings for you too." When he looked up, he noticed one of Suga's hands trying to hold back his other that had clenched into a fist. "Um...Kou-chan?"

"You know, Tooru, Iwaizumi has always been like that,” Suga finally said. “I think you've always paid too much attention to whatever his hands do to you that you've failed to notice the loving expression he has in his eyes when he does those things."

Before Oikawa could fully process what the other just said, a voice interrupted them. 

"Oikawa, watch out!" 

But Hanamaki's warning had been too late for the volleyball that he had accidentally tossed too far landed with a splat on Oikawa's face. Despite it being his fault, the pink-haired man couldn't help but let a giggle slip out as the ball dropped to the floor. 

"Sorry, Oikawa, but Takahiro didn't seem to hold back with that one," Matsukawa apologized on behalf of his snickering boyfriend. 

"Oikawa-san, are you okay?" Tobio asked with a frown as he recovered his ball and peered down in surprise at what a part of it was now covered with. 

Suga gasped. "Tooru, your nose!"

As he winced in pain, Oikawa touched his face and pulled away to see blood. Before he could even react to the sight, Iwaizumi had rushed from the kitchen to his side in mere seconds and pulled his hands down. He firmly pinched his nose with his fingers and with his other hand he touched Oikawa's back then gently leaned him forward. "Hey, Daichi," Iwaizumi called out, "could you check on the chicken?"

"No problem!" Daichi hollered back as he went to open the oven. 

"Um...Iwa-chan? I kinda can't breathe," Oikawa spoke. 

"Just breathe through your mouth, Shittykawa," Iwaizumi told him as he helped him onto his feet. 

"Daddy, what does 'Shittykawa' mean?" Tobio asked from behind his dad. 

Before Iwaizumi could think of an excuse for why he had called someone a mean word, to which had become a second nature to him when it came to Oikawa, Suga burst up from the couch and said, "I'll go help Daichi with dinner."

When Matsukawa elbowed Hanamaki in the stomach, the latter blurted out, "I'll go get an ice pack!" 

"Come on, let's go get you cleaned up. There's blood all over your sweater," Iwaizumi told Oikawa as he guided him to the closest bathroom. 

Oikawa had no idea what had come over him, but as soon as the bathroom door was closed behind them, he felt himself begin to tear up. 

"Oi, what's the matter? Does it hurt that much?" Iwaizumi asked as he loosened his grip on the other's nose. 

Oikawa managed to shake his head under Iwaizumi's grip and he tried his best to blink his tears away. "It's j-just that this is m-my favorite sweater."

"You idiot, why are you crying over clothing??" Iwaizumi questioned as he began dabbing a damp cloth wherever he saw blood drip from his friend. 

"B-Because you gave m-me this sweater," Oikawa sputtered, not noticing the dumbfounded look the other was giving him. "And n-now Tobio-chan is probably u-upset that someone got hurt on his b-birthday."

"Great, now you're dripping snot as well," Iwaizumi remarked as he set down the damp cloth on the sink. "Of course Tobio behaved the way he did because he doesn't want anyone he cares about to get hurt. We're all like that." Oikawa stared speechlessly as the other began to wipe his tears away with his free hand. "Now cheer up or you won't be the only crybaby here tonight."

"Um, guys? I have the ice pack, so can I come in or should I leave you two alone...?" Hanamaki abruptly spoke, only half of him joking around and the other half of him actually concerned with what his friends were doing on the other side of the bathroom door. 

"Took you long enough," Iwaizumi replied as he pushed the door open and grabbed Oikawa's hand. The latter was about to ask what he was doing when Iwaizumi placed the ice pack that was covered by a paper towel into his hand and guided it towards his nose.

"That should fix it. Now, I gotta go finish preparing the dinner that was unfortunately interrupted," he stated as he shot Hanamaki a playful glare that still managed to frighten the pink-haired man. After he left, Oikawa straightened up and was about to head out when he saw that Hanamaki was still awkwardly standing against the door. 

"Hey, about earlier..."

"It's okay, Makki," Oikawa assured and patted his shoulder as he passed him. "You'll just pay me back by giving me your slice of Tobio-chan's birthday cake."

"Hey!"

Today happened to be one of the few times that Oikawa was convinced to leave his room, given his reason wasn't to pick up Tobio or hang out with him and Iwaizumi. Instead, Oikawa spent his evening following his roommates to some new restaurant they had been raving about. Again, how could he ever turn down free food?

It hadn't even been that long since Oikawa applied to a handful of schools that he thought of going to, yet recently he had spent every spare second he had checking his emails to see if any of them had replied to him. Sadly, nothing had come up. Not only that, but Oikawa failed to eat dinner the previous night because his eyes refused to leave the screen of his laptop. And so, the sleep-and-food-deprived brunet dragged his sneakers through the pavement as his friends led the way to their destination. 

"You know, Oikawa, you've been looking a little better," Hanamaki mentioned as he spared him a glance. 

Oikawa looked down at his faded sweatshirt and sweatpants since he did not give a damn about what he wore; all he cared about was treating his appetite. "Are you sure about that?"

"He means that you look a little happier," Matsukawa explained. "Rather than being all lively and superficial like you usually are, you've been more reserved and, well, happy."

"Well thanks for helping my self-esteem guys," Oikawa said with an eye roll, "and you know, it's kinda hard to be all jumpy on an empty stomach."

"It's not just today. You've been like this since Tobio's birthday," Hanamaki said. "Did something happen while you and Iwaizumi were in the bathroom?"

Oikawa's face reddened both from shame and aggravation. "Nothing happened you pervert! Iwa-chan was just taking care of my injury that you caused!"

Hanamaki slapped his hand onto his chest as if he had been shot there. "Ouch, I thought we moved on from that."

"Anyways," Matsukawa spoke before the two of them could start an unwanted argument in front of him, "don't feel bad about it, Oikawa. Seeing you like this is good. Well, if you don't include your all-nighters."

Seeing Oikawa's face redden even more, Hanamaki smirked. "You know, since Iwaizumi is probably the reason you've been like this recently, then you might as well put a ring on it. Oh wait. Your only source of income now comes from your allowance so I guess you can't afford one."

Smoke could practically be seen coming out of Oikawa's ears as he shouted, "Even though you say you're transferring between jobs, that still means that you don't have one either, Makki! Besides, it's not even that easy to get engaged, especially since Iwa-chan and I aren't together in case you two dummies have forgotten that for the millionth time!"

The two of his friends exchanged smug glances before Matsukawa asked, "Hey, Takahiro, will you marry me?"

Hanamaki gasped dramatically. "Issei, of course I will! We should get gold rings with our names engraved in them!"

"Hey! You can't get engaged like that! And that's my ring idea! You can't just do that!" Oikawa complained, hurrying to catch up to his friends who had happily walked on ahead. 

Oikawa didn't seem to have made it far when he abruptly bumped into their backs. Wondering why they had stopped all of a sudden, Oikawa lifted his head up to see the other two were staring blankly at something in front of them. He poked their shoulders and inquired, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Issei, isn't that...?" Hanamaki asked, his voice trailing off. 

"Who knows. We only saw her in person a few times," Matsukawa answered. 

"But I have a pretty good memory and she's the only person I've met with a beauty mark above her lip," Hanamaki mentioned. 

Oikawa rolled his eyes and peeked over them to see what had caught their attention since all that he had been focused on was his empty stomach. "Who are you guys talking about??"

Before the two of them could shield their friend from who they had been staring at, Oikawa saw a woman around their age heading in their direction. Sure they had only seen her one time face-to-face, but her never-changing appearance had been engraved into Oikawa's mind since then. He felt a pang in his chest and took a step back as the woman made eye contact with him. Her eyes crinkled from her overbearing smile as she quickened her pace towards them. 

"Hey, aren't you guys Hajime's friends?" she called out. She let out a chuckle as the trio in front of her all turned around to see who she was talking to, none of them having planned to act in unison. "I'm referring to you guys of course. It's been quite a while but Hanamaki-san, Matsukawa-san, and...Oikawa-san, also known as Hajime's childhood best friend!"

"Just because we didn't know him since we were kids doesn't mean we're not his best friends," Matsukawa muttered with a pout. 

Hanamaki crossed his arms over his chest, using his few centimeters of extra height to stand in front of Oikawa. "And who are you again? Mikako-san? Minato-san?"

"Misato," the woman repeated, completely oblivious to Hanamaki's sarcasm. Of course the three of them remembered her name, and every time they had heard it, they all felt the same repugnance. "Anyways, it's been a while, hasn't it? Since Hajime's not here, does that mean that he's still busy as ever at work? He was always a stubborn one." 

Hanamaki's hands tightened at his sides and he thought about taking a step forward but Matsukawa held him back. Having a change in thought, Hanamaki decided to ensure their distance from the woman and responded, "I'll have you know that the stubbornness Iwaizumi harbors resulted in him getting a raise recently."

Misato raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? That's great. At least I know that our son is in good hands."

Oikawa, who had been silent the entire time as his eyes focused on the woman in front of him, felt his heart ache. He managed to let go of whatever she had previously said, but those words just now were like a slap in the face. 

Our son. 

"Yeah, he is, because he actually has people who have been there to take care of him. Especially Iwaizumi's childhood best friend who was by him and his kid's side since the beginning," Hanamaki hissed. 

"Hey, we should get going," Matsukawa interrupted before things became more tense than they already were. "Our reservation is in like five minutes."

Not looking bothered at all, much to the trio's resentment, Misato gave them a look of remorse. "Oh gosh, I didn't mean to delay your plans or anything. Looks like time just slipped away, huh? Anyways, I suppose I'll let you guys go. If you guys happen to see Hajime, tell him to take it easy. He's got a kid to look after, in case he's forgotten."

It seems that you're the one who's forgotten, Oikawa thought, then shook his head. No. That's not right. You've known all along, and yet you've never even asked to see your own son. Not once. 

"Oikawa," Matsukawa spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

Upon hearing his name, Oikawa looked up and saw that Misato had already left. Hanamaki was walking ahead with his hands stuffed in his pockets and an irked look on his face. Oikawa was shocked that his friend had behaved like that. From all the time that he had known the pink-haired man, Oikawa knew that he was pretty reckless but he at least had a filter around strangers or those he wasn't close to. To see him not hold back as he talked to the woman who chose to not raise a child with their friend was unexpected. 

"Makki-"

"Oikawa," Hanamaki disrupted, "I really hope you sort out whatever's going on with you and Iwaizumi soon. He and Tobio deserve you so much more than someone like her."

As Matsukawa trailed up to him and slung his arm around his shoulder, Oikawa silently followed with the pain in his chest refusing to go away. 

How do you compete with the mother of his child?

Oikawa still remembered the night he, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa were given the news. Sure they were all at different levels of intoxicity with the amount of drinks they’ve been having that late evening, yet it was in that moment that Iwaizumi revealed that he was going to be a dad that had sobered them up completely. 

“Whose is it?”

Oikawa still remembered asking those three little words, as if it mattered who his best friend had gotten pregnant. He had other things to worry about. Like figuring out how he was going to end things with the girl he had been seeing the past month back in Argentina. He hadn’t meant for things to get too serious and wanted to cut ties before she got too attached since he had a big game to focus on soon. Or at least that was all he needed to focus on before Iwaizumi dropped this bomb of news right in front of him.

“Misato. I introduced her to you guys to her a few weeks back.”

Misato. Normally whenever there was a girl in Iwaizumi’s life, Oikawa completely forgot about them. Their name. Their face. Their voice. But not Misato. Something about her just seemed different. When she was introduced to them, Oikawa felt like she had more weight on Iwaizumi than the girls before her. 

Maybe it was the beauty mark above her lip that he couldn’t help stare at every time she opened her mouth to speak . Or maybe it was the way her eyes crinkled whenever she smiled at something funny that Hanamaki or Matsukawa said. Or maybe it was because of how she didn’t feel awkward about them. She had an easygoing personality and wasn’t weirded out one bit over the quirks of their personalities. The way she smiled and spoke to them didn’t seem artificial at all, but perhaps it was that her sincerity bothered Oikawa. She didn’t try hard to appeal to him, Hanamaki, or Matsukawa. In fact, Oikawa would never admit it out loud, but maybe it was the way she looked at Iwaizumi like he wasn’t her entire world that bothered him to the core. After all, how could someone not look at him in that way? 

She’s different, Oikawa had thought to himself back then. Maybe that’s what lured Iwaizumi towards her. 

And yet, months later, she left Iwaizumi, leaving a storm in her wake.

Oikawa thought he'd be fine. He figured that the only thing that would be on his mind as he drove to Tobio's school was the mouthwatering bowl of ramen that he ate at that new restaurant the previous night. And yet, as he pulled into one of the parking spots outside of the building, he still couldn't forget about the deplorable encounter he had beforehand with Hanamaki and Matsukawa. If only he could've mustered up some words to say to Misato, but even if he had wanted to, it was like his lips were glued shut until he realized she was long gone. 

How cowardice, he thought. Even now, Oikawa had no idea what he could've said to the woman who wanted nothing to do with Iwaizumi and Tobio. It offended him that she looked a little chirpier than the first time he met her in person, because, on the other hand, Iwaizumi always returned home exhausted and barely got to see his own son throughout the week. And yet Misato looked like she had sidestepped what she thought would be a burden. 

Oikawa scoffed to himself. He knew that no matter how rough of a day Iwaizumi had at work, as soon as he saw a peacefully sleeping Tobio beside Oikawa he knew it was worth it. That doing all of this was worth it in the end. If only Misato had taken that into consideration. 

Thinking back to the following months after the day Iwaizumi broke the news of Misato’s pregnancy, she showed her face to Oikawa, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa a couple of times. Once when her baby bump was only barely starting to show. She looked a little less cheerful, but the others didn’t recognize that at the time. If they did, they figured it was probably because of the cons that came with pregnancy rather than the second thoughts she had been keeping to herself. 

The last time the others had seen Misato back then was about a week or two before Tobio’s birth. Her bump was triple the size it was before and a part of Oikawa could see her begin to feign her smiles since he was an expert in doing that. However, rather than asking if she was doing alright, he was too distressed about his volleyball career being over since his last game due to his severe injury. Oikawa had to deal with that matter rather than worry about some woman who was going through a lot herself, given the fact that she was about to give birth to the child of a guy she hadn’t even been in what she considered a serious relationship. Maybe if Oikawa was less selfish then he could’ve seen through her facade and given her a thorough talk that could change her mind about the groundbreaking choice she was going to make in the near future. Yet, he didn’t. He turned his head away and she plastered a few more fake smiles until she broke the news to Iwaizumi after she went into labor.

Oikawa still remembered it had only been a few days after Tobio was born when Iwaizumi had told him that Misato was leaving him. That she wasn’t going to raise their kid with him. It had surprised Oikawa more than ever because all he could remember of Misato was how happy and collected she was. Yet, she was given the blessing of a child, and had the nerve to throw him and Iwaizumi away?

Iwaizumi had told Oikawa that he was the only one who knew about Misato’s decision at the time. He was going to wait a bit before he told everyone else. Oikawa could understand that. He himself was mad, after all. 

How could someone who looked so altruistic whenever she smiled, make such a cruel decision? 

But still, no matter how resentful Oikawa was, there was no way he could curse Misato with a life full of misfortune just because she didn't want to get married and have a kid during her last year of university. Oikawa could somehow understand that. After all, freshly graduating college meant that there were so many new opportunities ahead. And yet, Oikawa still felt nauseous at how he found himself sympathizing with Misato's decision, because if he was in her shoes then he'd choose a life of raising a little boy with his childhood best friend any day. Nothing could change that. And that is exactly what he did when Tobio was born. Yet, why was Oikawa still so troubled?

Feeling like he was about to drown in his thoughts, Oikawa turned off his car engine and decided to pick up Tobio a little earlier than he usually did to ease himself. In fact, he had entered the building along with a few young mothers who were also there to pick up their children. He exchanged friendly smiles with them and could see their lingering eyes on him as they parted ways. Too bad he had no interest in that side of the spectrum. Whether he wanted to admit it out loud or not, his heart had always been set on one person. 

After Oikawa had entered Tobio's classroom, he stifled a laugh as he heard Suga audibly gasp nearby. "Am I dreaming or is Oikawa Tooru early? Could you not wait to pick up your kid or what?"

Oikawa rolled his eyes. "Don't test me, Kou-chan. I know where you live."

"As do I," Suga replied with a smirk. 

This time Oikawa didn't hold back his laughter. He was glad that he was able to relax a bit now that he was in the company of his refreshing friend. "Anyhow, where's the future best setter?"

"Cocky, huh?" Suga teased. 

"I said future best setter. Knowing Tobio-chan, he's bound to surpass me when he gets older," Oikawa explained. 

Suga shot him a smug look. "Yeah, it won't be long until you can't walk without a cane."

Oikawa set his hands on his hips with a scoff. "I am not that old, Kou-chan! We're literally the same age!"

"Oikawa-san!" Tobio's voice called out as he rushed towards them with his backpack slung over his shoulders and a piece of paper in his hands. 

Oikawa knitted his eyebrows at the little boy. "What's that you got there, Tobio-chan?"

Suga had a combined nervous and proud look on his face as his student flipped the paper over and held it out for the brown-haired man to see. Oikawa's eyes widened as he saw a drawing of three stick figures, one with a brown mop on his head, one with darker brown spikes on his, and a smaller one with a horizontal black line on his. The three stick figures were all holding hands with big smiles drawn on their faces. Oikawa should have been as pleased as he usually was when Tobio showed him his drawings, yet this one only caused his hands to clam up at his sides. 

He had hoped that Tobio wouldn't explain his work of art, but nevertheless the little boy peeked over the piece of paper and said, "That's you, me, and Daddy!"

"How sweet, Tobio-kun," Suga commented since Oikawa was at a loss for words. His gray-haired friend seemed to understand why and he added, "How about you put that in your backpack for safekeeping?"

Tobio did as he was told and waved at him. "See you tomorrow, Sugawara-sensei!"

"You too," Suga responded and waved back as Oikawa led Tobio out. Part of him was irritated a bit at how stubborn Oikawa was about denying his relationship with Iwaizumi, yet another part of him felt pity that his friend couldn’t help but feel that way. That’s why he just had to be as supportive as he could to his dear friend and not interfere until he was asked to help. And so, he decided to keep his mouth shut as Oikawa and Tobio exited the classroom.

Oikawa hadn't intentionally quickened his pace, but he immediately slowed down as a little hand grabbed a hold of his like always. This time, however, Oikawa instinctively pulled away. Seeing the concerned look on Tobio's face, Oikawa ruffled his hair instead. "How about we get some ice cream on the way to your dad's place? He said that he'd be getting out of work a little later than usual so we have time."

"Yes please!" Tobio cheered as they headed to his car. "Oikawa-san, can I sit in the front seat?"

Oikawa knew that Tobio didn't need a car seat anymore since he was of age now, and he seemed to almost be at the appropriate height to sit in the front, so Oikawa patted the seat next to him invitingly. "Why not? Just remember to put on your seat belt."

Tobio cheered once again as he sat beside him and strapped himself in. Much to Oikawa's dismay, he had the paper in his hands and was fiddling with it. Feeling uneasy, Oikawa pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. "Hey, Tobio-chan, doesn't that drawing bother you?"

The little boy paused in his fiddling. "Why would it bother me, Oikawa-san?"

"I mean, why did you add me to it?" Oikawa rephrased. 

"During drawing time, Sugawara-sensei said to draw whatever makes us happy," Tobio clarified. "That's why I made us have big smiles on our faces. See?"

Oikawa glanced to his side, but instead of looking at the piece of paper, he caught a glimpse of Tobio trying to mimic his illustration with a big smile, causing his eyes to crinkle. Oikawa stiffened at the sight, feeling like he was looking at a spot-the-difference image as the memory of Misato smiling came to mind. Now that Oikawa had seen her in the flesh just the other day, he couldn't help but notice how Tobio looked like a male carbon copy of her, albeit the fact that he didn't have a beauty mark above his lip like her. 

Oikawa's eyes finally lingered to Tobio's drawing and as he studied each of the stick figures that the young boy drew, he found himself wondering what if Misato had taken his place in the picture. Not only that, but what would happen if she had stayed in the picture in real life. Not only would she get to be a family with Iwaizumi and Tobio, but she'd get so much more. She would have gotten Iwaizumi's company every time they went to sleep. She would've gotten his last name as well. His smile. His heart. 

"Oikawa-san!"

Oikawa's head whipped to the front and his eyes widened. On instinct, he stuck out his hand to hold Tobio back and braced himself. 

It was coming soon. Any second now. 

Three. 

Two. 

One. 

"WHAT THE HELL, OIKAWA?!" Iwaizumi screamed as he burst through the front door with an infuriated expression. He dropped his bag carelessly onto the floor and didn't even bother to take off his shoes as he strode into the living room. 

Oikawa, who was sitting upright on the couch, gave him a confused look. "Um...who are you exactly?"

"Cut the bullshit," Iwaizumi growled, not even checking to see where Tobio was, who was luckily in his room with the door closed. "I was heading to my car after work when I got a call from Hanamaki saying that you and Tobio were involved in a crash and had to go to the hospital?!"

Oikawa took a deep breath, as he had been spending the past hour trying to sort out his thoughts as the owner of the apartment he was in arrived. "Okay. First of all, we only hit a stop sign. It wasn't even hard enough to deploy the airbags. Fortunately my good reflexes kicked in and I held Tobio-chan back so he wouldn't bang his head on the dashboard-"

"He was sitting in the front seat???" Iwaizumi questioned. 

Oikawa failed to come up with an excuse for that fact. "I'm sorry about that. It's just that he's six now and I figured he'd be tall enough. He had asked if he could and I just couldn't say no."

He expected Iwaizumi to tell him off about letting his kid sit shotgun without his permission, but instead he asked, "So why did you guys go to the hospital if the accident wasn't that bad?"

"Oh yeah," Oikawa said and moved his bangs out of the way to reveal a bandaid on the side of his forehead. "Tobio-chan was perfectly unharmed, but I kinda happened to hit my head on the wheel, again it wasn't hard enough, but I did start bleeding so I got it taken care of. Don't worry though, I don't need stitches. If anything I'll just have a cool little scar."

"Don't worry??" Iwaizumi repeated, his tone sounding anything but at ease. Feeling more guilty than he had already been feeling, Oikawa looked down at his hands which had been fiddling in his lap. He was too afraid to look up as he heard Iwaizumi's footsteps moving away and heard the sound of a door opening. He heard Iwaizumi and Tobio talking but couldn't make out what they were saying. Then Oikawa heard footsteps once again, this time getting louder. He flinched as he felt Iwaizumi's arms surround him. "I'm glad that at least nothing fatal came out of it."

Oikawa bit his lower lip as he felt tears brewing in his eyes. "I mean something like this was bound to happen since I'm not the best at driving, right?" After not getting a response, he buried his head into Iwaizumi's shoulder. "Still, that was the first time I had ever crashed into anything. I'm so sorry though. I just wish that Tobio-chan hadn't been in the car-"

"Don't you dare say that," Iwaizumi interrupted. "Your life matters just as much as his does."

Perhaps he was crying because he was still a little shaken from the accident. Or perhaps he was crying because he just couldn't deal with Iwaizumi and how gentle he could be after screaming at him. Whatever the case was, Oikawa lightly wrapped his arms around the person who's life mattered to him, closing his eyes and allowing his tears to fall as the latter squeezed him tighter. 

In the twenty-eight years of his life, Oikawa hadn't wanted anything more. Sure he wished that he could bring his high school team to nationals, but in the end they had played some of the best games they ever could. Sure he wished that he didn't injure his knee during a game as a member of the Argentina National Team, but in the end he planned on going to university to do something else he was passionate about. All those things didn't end as badly as he thought. However, Oikawa would rather die than allow Iwaizumi to slip through his fingers. Still, he needed one more push. 

"Alright guys, let's brainstorm ideas for me!" Oikawa exclaimed as his usual brunch buddies arrived and sat across from him. 

Daichi gave him a reluctant look. "I thought we were actually here to eat."

"I thought it's been established that going out for a meal with Tooru means you won't end up eating," Suga remarked as he removed his scarf from his neck. 

Oikawa glowered at them. "I was about to give you guys good news, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts."

"Okay, okay, we're just kidding," Suga said before he and Daichi gave the waitress their coffee orders. "So, what happened with Iwaizumi this time?"

"It's more like what will happen to him," Oikawa corrected, "for I have decided once and for all to confess my feelings to him."

He caused his two friends and the waitress to raise their eyebrows in amusement. Suga held up a finger and said to the waitress, "Actually, can I get two shots in that?" After the waitress took her leave, the gray-haired man didn't hesitate to ask, "What in the world happened to you?? Here you were refusing to believe in any possibility of being in a relationship with Iwaizumi, and now you want to declare your love for him???"

"Has the indigestion come back?" Daichi asked. 

"Seriously, Dai-chan, I've never had indigestion and I don't have indigestion now!" Oikawa groaned. "Anyways, if I'm being honest, I don't expect to start dating Iwa-chan. I just plan on telling him how I feel since it's been eating me alive for so long."

"First of all, stop being so pessimistic, and second of all, you still didn't answer my question," Suga said. 

Oikawa shrugged. "I think what was mainly holding me back other than knowing it's not normal to have feelings for Iwa-chan, was that I kept considering the possibility of him getting back together with Misato-san."

"Misato-san?" Daichi repeated. 

"Tobio-kun's mother. Gosh, honey, keep up," Suga told him, resulting in a hurt look from his boyfriend. "Wait, so did you have a boost in confidence or something? Was it because of Tobio-kun's drawing? I felt a little hesitant about your reaction towards that, but I'm glad it managed to work out."

"Oh, the drawing didn't help at all. In fact, it kinda caused me to crash my car after I picked Tobio-chan up that day," Oikawa mentioned. 

"What?!" Suga and Daichi gasped in unison. 

Oikawa waved them off. "I'll update you guys about that another time. Back to what I was saying, I think when Iwa-chan hugged me after he came back from work and scolded me about what happened, it just hit me. I didn't want to let go, and I don't plan on letting him go, even if Misato-san hasn't disappeared off the face of the earth."

"I can have that arranged," Suga sneered. 

"But you'll lose your job!" Daichi cried. 

Suga gave him a look. " That's what you're worried about?"

"There's also what Makki told me after he and Mattsun got engaged and we had bumped into Misato-san," Oikawa brought up. 

"What?!" Suga and Daichi gasped again. 

"Chill out you guys, that's another story for another time," Oikawa said. "Makki had said that he hopes I sort out whatever I have with Iwa-chan since he thinks Iwa-chan and Tobio-chan deserve me more than Misato-san."

"I agree," Suga chimed with a pumped fist. 

"We haven't even met her before," Daichi protested. "She's probably a nice person."

"Yeah, she is, and I even disagreed with Makki since she's Tobio-chan's mother and all, but Iwa-chan hasn't even mentioned her the past several years," Oikawa pointed out. "I'm just trying to look on the bright side in this situation and believe in myself. So, here's where you two come in. I'm used to other people confessing to me, but I haven't done such a thing myself. How exactly do I do it?"

Suga sniggered. "Oh, don't worry. You've come to the right person."

"Um, you practically asked me out on our last day of high school in front of all of our teammates," Daichi reminded. 

"And who exactly said yes?" Suga retorted back, causing the other to blush. "Anyways, Tooru, you're just as confident and charming as I am, so just be explicit with it. If anything, I feel like doing it over a nice and romantic dinner is more suited to your taste. Don't worry, in case you need someone to watch Tobio-kun then Daichi and I will be honored to do so."

It might've been because of all the sugar he consumed from his beverage, but Oikawa felt really motivated that he could probably set everything up with Iwaizumi in that second if the rationality within him didn't snap him back to reality. And so, as the three of them decided to order some food to fill their empty stomachs, they also planned out how Oikawa's special confession would go down.

Okay. 

You've got this. 

You're Oikawa Tooru for crying out loud!

You were a part of a powerhouse volleyball team ever since you enrolled in the sport!

You had a countless amount of girls asking you out on a daily basis. If they had enough courage to confess to you, then you should have enough courage to confess to someone who's known you since you were born. 

Just say that you love him. 

Don't beat around the bush. He hates it when you beat around the bush. You need to be straightforward. It's just three little words. How hard could it be to say three little words?

Wait. Should you spice it up a little bit? After all, you are Oikawa Tooru. It wouldn't be like you to not go all out. So how should you do it?

Tobio-chan is being taken care of by Makki and Mattsun since Kou-chan and Dai-chan had last minute plans that they couldn't get out of. Hopefully they haven't broken your favorite lamp while you're out of the apartment. But that's besides the point. This means it's just you and him. You can say whatever you want. Hell, you can come up with a whole poem about how much you love him. What's in a poem again? Comparisons. You can compare him to something. Something that you love since you love him. Something like...milk bread! You love milk bread! Just say that! Wait a second-

"Tooru?"

"I LOVE MILK BREAD!" Oikawa screamed at the top of his lungs. He frantically spun around and saw various pairs of stunned eyes on him. It made sense. After all, it's not often that someone loudly declares their infatuation for food in the middle of a restaurant, especially when that food isn't even on the restaurant's menu. Oikawa turned back around in his chair, his face reddened from embarrassment. He glanced up and expected to see if the person across from him was just as ashamed, but the spiky-haired man had been quietly chuckling instead. 

"Perhaps we can get some when we're done here then?" Iwaizumi suggested. "There's a bakery not too far from here. We can get as much as you want. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great," Oikawa instantly responded. Snapping back to his senses, he straightened up in his seat and added, "Actually, I have something to say."

"Is it another thing you happen to love? I think you should give the other people here a chance to relax after that sudden announcement," the other man teased. 

"Actually, it is another thing I happen to love," Oikawa agreed as he set down his fork firmly. "I'm sorry to spoil our dinner so suddenly, but I think I need to get this off my chest before I change my mind." Iwaizumi paused in eating his meal as well, giving him a look that said he had his utmost attention. Oikawa took a deep breath, feeling his knees beginning to shake under the table as he finally stated, "I like you."

"Me too."

Oikawa shook his head. "No, I mean that I like like you."

"So do I."

Oikawa's hands tightened into fists on the table. "You don't get it, Hajime. I'm saying that I want us to be together, or well I would like it if we could be together but it's not like I plan on forcing you to be with me yet I also don't plan on letting you slip away-"

"Aren't we practically together already?" Iwaizumi abruptly asked.

Oikawa's hands loosened their grip and it was like a cycle of their entire lives flashed through his head. From the times they spent taking showers in the rain to the times they said goodbye to each other at the airport when Oikawa had to go back to Argentina after a brief visit. All of those times were spent with Iwaizumi, yet it felt like the doubts that Oikawa had recently shoved away were finally coming back to haunt him and he averted his eyes to his untouched food. "Isn't that how best friends work though? I'm saying that I want us to be together romantically."

"You know, your ugly thoughts always tend to make you overthink all of this," Iwaizumi sighed, catching Oikawa off guard. "I thought by the way I was behaving for quite a while would be taken in that way, but I guess you just have to notice."

"But I did notice! I get all flustered every time you touch me!" Oikawa blurted out. "I would've loved those touches if we were together but I just feel like you act that way because we've known each other for so long and you're just being nice and stuff-"

"I don't act this way around anyone else you know," Iwaizumi pointed out. 

Oikawa's hands fiddled with the tablecloth as he changed the subject by saying, "I'm not sure if you've seen Tobio-chan's recent drawing of us, but a small part of me actually wished that was how we were. But then I think about Misato-san and how you could have a proper family with her or someone like her-"

"Hold on, why are you even bringing her up??" Iwaizumi questioned. Noticing the insecure look on his friend's face, Iwaizumi decided what would be best to solve this whole issue. "Alright, I didn't think you would need a clear explanation on this since we've always been known to read everything about each other, but I'll be as direct as I can so you'll be able to understand." He took a deep breath. "This one night almost seven years ago, I was in a bar. It was around the time you were dating some girl you met in Argentina. And so I spent one late night in a bar, drinking my thoughts away, and decided to see Misato, who I was meeting up with every now and then at the time. Yeah, she was pretty and nice and all, and yeah, I was sober enough to know what I was getting into when I went to her place later that night, but I did all of that because I was trying to get over you. I was so grateful that I got to keep Tobio in my life and was pretty upset at the time that my son didn't get to keep his mother as well, but more than that, I was beyond heartbroken that the one person that I wanted to keep in my life since the beginning was simply out of my reach." While Oikawa processed every word that came out of his mouth, he was about to open his own mouth to speak when Iwaizumi held up a finger. "I'm not done just yet. What I'm trying to say is that I feel the exact same way you do. Also, just a heads up, you probably noticed that I’ve never brought up Misato since Tobio was born, and I never intended to mention her again. Sure she’s the woman who gave birth to my kid, but she was never his mother. And in case it hasn’t hit you yet, she was never the person that I was chasing after. I never intended on adding her to the picture, nor do I ever plan on adding her in the future. That means that I never planned on contacting her again, nor will I ever. So, to make sure I’ve put it through that thick skull of yours, she and every other person that you think could take me away do not exist."

By that time Oikawa had tears forming in his eyes and his lip was trembling. Still, it was like his fears and uncertainties would not let him breathe. "B-But it's not normal for people like you and me to be together."

Iwaizumi reached out and secured his hands tenderly yet firmly in his. "Trashykawa, we're not normal. We were never normal to begin with. Normal people at our age don't have an unhealthy obsession with aliens and Godzilla. Hell, the only time I was ever normal was the first month of my life because you weren't there. And yet, that first month I was alive was the most boring time of my life. I don't and never wanted to be normal. I just want you. I want to be with you just in the same way you want to be with me. You may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but so help me God I don't wanna live another day of this life without you. I love you, Oikawa Tooru."

As an incessant flow of tears and snot streamed down Oikawa's face, the words that Suga had said to him at Tobio’s birthday party lingered in his head. 

"You know, Tooru, Iwaizumi has always been like that. I think you've always paid too much attention to whatever his hands do to you that you've failed to notice the loving expression he has in his eyes when he does those things."

And then it hit him. Iwaizumi had pointed out how he tends to drown in his own thoughts moments ago, and now it was finally hitting him. It seemed that all this time he had been doubting the idea of his love for his best friend being reciprocated, he was blinded to see that it had become a reality a long time ago. If only Oikawa had more confidence in himself. If only he trusted in himself and Iwaizumi more, then all of this could’ve been avoided. But, as the saying goes, your greatest enemy is yourself. And now that Oikawa was freed from his own judgement, and he processed those three little words he initially thought he would never hear from the man sitting before him, it was as if a burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. For the first time, Oikawa took a step forward instead of allowing his own thoughts to narrate the story. After all, this story was about him and his love interest was Iwaizumi, the person who was born forty-one days before him, not the sickening voice inside of his head. 

"I...I...I LOVE YOU TOO, HAJIME!" Oikawa didn't hesitate for a second when he leaned over the table and tackled Iwaizumi in a hug, the latter thankfully moving everything on the table out of the way before he fell onto him.

Iwaizumi seemed a little concerned as people stared at them, but he let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around the man he loves instead without any sense of shame. "Goodness, you're a piece of shit. My piece of shit."

Oikawa pulled back. "Hajime, that is so unromantic!"

Iwaizumi chuckled. "Alright, how about this then. Since you kinda ruined our little meal here, how about we go back to my place to eat?"

Oikawa gasped as the other wiped away his tears with his thumbs. "Iwaizumi Hajime, are you inviting me to dinner???"

"While we're at it, will you join me for dinner for the rest of our lives?" Iwaizumi suggested. 

Oikawa giggled and smashed his lips onto the other's. Sure it was a little messy and the two of them were smiling for almost all of it, but it was the sweetest kiss that they've had with someone else. 

"Of course. There's nobody else I wanna eat dinner with than you," Oikawa finally answered. "Can we get milk bread before we head to your place though?"

“Maybe we can also get some yogurt for Tobio,” Iwaizumi suggested. 

Oikawa gasped at a sudden realization. “Wait, how are we going to explain to him that we’re now together together?”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “I doubt he’d think to reject the idea. You’ve been in his life just as much as I have at this point. It’s not like much is changing, other than us being more affectionate with each other, but I can assure you that Tobio would be more than happy to have you be his other dad.”

Oikawa felt his face flush. “Isn’t it a little too soon for that to happen? I mean we just started dating. I’m not sure if I’d be ready for Tobio-chan to start calling me ‘Dad’ instead of ‘Oikawa-san’ all of a sudden. On second thought, maybe we should just never tell him.”

Iwaizumi only rolled his eyes with a smile and set some cash on the table before he stood up and extended his hand towards the other. "Shall we?"

It was as if Oikawa’s qualms disappeared into thin air. Sure they would be back every now and then, but from now on he knew that someone would always be there to take them away. Knowing that, Oikawa smiled back and held onto his best-friend-and-now-lover's hand. This time, he didn't feel uneasy or undeserving of the warmth that radiated through him as soon as their hands touched. 

Suga was sipping on his coffee while Daichi's arm was slung over his boyfriend's waist. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were both picking at each other's plates. And lastly, Oikawa and Iwaizumi interlaced their fingers as they dug into their meals, the latter sacrificing his dominant hand as he ate so that he could continue to hold hands with the other. With Tobio spending the day with Iwaizumi’s parents, who were in town for a bit, the two lovers didn't hold back one bit. 

"You two are disgusting," Hanamaki remarked as he stuck his tongue out. 

"I think it's sweet," Suga retorted with a smile. 

"Their PDA is a little concerning," Matsukawa admitted. 

Oikawa scoffed and said amidst chewing on his pancake, "It's not like we're the only ones showing any! You guys are too!"

"Yeah, but we're being subtle about it. You guys are literally shoving your linked hands onto the table," Hanamaki flatly said. "But at least you're finally together. That was probably my and Issei's longest bet."

"Bet?" Iwaizumi repeated. 

"The one that we've had since we practically met you two," Matsukawa informed. "It was to see who would confront the other about their feelings."

Oikawa raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You two had a bet over how we feel about each other??"

Hanamaki held up his hands in protest. "Hey, no harm was done. You guys are happily together with one another. On second thought, I guess the only thing that suffered was Issei's bank account after we found out that Oikawa was the one who confessed first."

Iwaizumi gave him a curious look. "Just how much did you guys wager over us?"

"Let's just say that I'm extremely grateful that Oikawa won, although I wish I had seen him declare his love for milk bread before his love for you, Iwaizumi," Hanamaki replied with a smirk, causing the man he had bet over to blush profusely.

"Hey," Iwaizumi said as he squeezed his lover's hand, "it worked out in the end though, right?"

Suga smiled as he watched Oikawa lean his head onto Iwaizumi's shoulder. "After all, you two just got back from your Argentinian honeymoon a few days ago. Oh, by the way, Tooru, can you send me the picture we took together at your wedding? I think that's the only one I didn't receive."

"Of course," Oikawa happily replied as he set his fork down to unlock his phone after taking a big bite of his food.

"I wonder whose wedding will be next," Matsukawa mentioned and glanced at Hanamaki. "Maybe ours? We've been engaged for like two years now."

Oikawa scoffed without lifting his head up to look at him. "That wasn't even a legit proposal. How about I plan it so I won't be disappointed?"

"No way. We don't even plan on inviting you to the wedding," Hanamaki sneered. 

Oikawa narrowed his eyes at him. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try us," Hanamaki replied with a smirk. 

"Don't worry, Tooru, I'll find a way to sneak you in, but that's if I happen to be invited," Suga said. 

"Oh, we plan on inviting everyone except him," Matsukawa assured.

Deciding not to start an unwanted fight in the middle of their brunch date, Oikawa resumed to finding the photo he took with Suga. Unlike a long time ago, when he felt Iwaizumi wipe his thumb across his lip to get some syrup off of it, Oikawa was completely unfazed. The spiky-haired man licked his thumb and proceeded to feast on his own meal. 

Hanamaki gagged. "Ugh. So perverted."

Oikawa merely ignored the pink-haired man as he sent Suga their picture together, but Iwaizumi couldn't pass up this opportunity as he responded, "If you want something perverted then I'll gladly tell you what we did on our honeymoon."

"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa cried. 

"Hey, aren't you technically Iwa-chan now as well?" Matsukawa asked. 

Oikawa blinked at him a couple of times without any expression on his face. When it finally hit, he began to choke on the big bite of pancake that he had yet to swallow. Iwaizumi immediately separated their hands in order to properly hold his husband out of concern. Suga hastily picked up his choking friend's glass of water and held it out for him to drink. Hanamaki and Matsukawa didn't hold back as they laughed at the chaos that they created. 

Daichi, who had been silently eating his meal the entire time, suddenly spoke up when he asked Oikawa, "Um...are you finally getting indigestion now?"

Everyone stared at him with the same deadpanned look on their faces. Then, Suga sighed. 

"Honey, you're sleeping on the couch tonight."