Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Iwaizumi Hajime stared at the structure before him. After four long years, their dream was finally about to come true.
Hajime moved his gaze away from the building to look at the man next to him.
Chocolate brown hair that took almost an hour each morning to style, a tasteful outfit of form fitting jeans and a teal button down, topped off with a dark grey sweater. Lean muscles still visible underneath the clothes. Full lips that tended to either smile or pout most of the time. A straight nose with a slightly upturned tip. And lastly, Hajime's favourite, warm brown eyes that can pierce through your soul and find out all of your secrets with a mere glance, yet they also held so much wonder, determination and love in them it was hard to look away.
All of this added up to form Oikawa Tooru, former Olympic volleyball player for Argentina and current husband of one Iwaizumi Hajime.
While gazing at his husband, Hajime thought back on their lives together, starting with the day he proposed. Hajime had tried his best to plan the cheesiest proposal imaginable for his over dramatic boyfriend. There were even white doves involved.
But unfortunately, while still being cheesy as hell, he couldn't pull off the surprise element. Hajime thought he had done a pretty fantastic job of keeping everything a secret from his nosy boyfriend. As far as he could tell, he didn't act out of the ordinary in the days leading up to the proposal, nor did any of their friends let anything slip. Hajime was still feeling confident that he would absolutely wow him as he led Tooru to the spot in the park near their childhood homes where they always played. Everything was going according to plan. As they reached their favourite bench Hajime prompted Tooru to sit down while he kept standing.
After taking a deep breath, he began, “Tooru, you are my light, my star, the one I have followed my entire life. When we were children your brightness drew me in and I just couldn't stay away. As we grew older and I started to realize that what I felt for you was more than friendship, I was convinced that that light of yours was like a flame and I was a mere moth, destined to follow it until I burned away. Burned away from having to keep these feelings inside for the rest of my life, because how could a flame ever love a moth back?”
Hajime paused to catch his breath. He didn't realise how anxious he would be actually delivering the speech he spent days trying to write. During this break he saw the tell tale glossiness of Tooru's eyes indicating he was close to tears. This spurred him on to continue.
“So, when you kissed me two years ago on the day of our graduation, my mind could barely process what was happening. Here was this amazing, beautiful, perfect human being that shone brighter than all the stars in the sky, and he was kissing me. Me. The moth that has been unable to resist following after him all these years. And when you pulled away, your cheeks dusted with that cute blush you only let a few people see, I realised that we were never a moth and a flame.”
Tooru's tears finally spilled over his lashes and were starting a trail down his cheeks.
“While you have always been the light that I followed, I realised that even if I were to reach out and touch it, I wouldn't get burned. You would never allow it to hurt me. And all this time I have been following yet too afraid to touch, you have been waiting. You kept shining for me all those years hoping, yearning for me to reach out and cup you in my hands, but my fear kept me at arm’s reach. Until you had enough with waiting and reached out first, showing me that not only am I allowed to hold onto you, but you desperately needed me to. I never even thought about how lonely you must have been, leading the way with no one truly by your side, because no matter how close we were I always placed myself a step behind you, thinking that was the only place I could ever belong. But not any more. While you are still my light, I now realize that my true place is right next to you.
“So, Tooru,” Hajime bent down onto one knee and pulled the small velvet box out of his jean pocket, opening it to reveal a silver band with five small diamonds sparkling in it. Tooru's hands flew to his mouth as he saw the ring.
“Will you allow me to walk next to you for the rest of our lives?” Hajime finished, nerves now completely raw. In the few seconds Tooru took to give his answer, Hajime could only hear his heart beating in his ears. He did it. He gave his speech and asked the love of his life to marry him.
Before he could start to question if Tooru would accept, Hajime found himself sprawled across the ground, his 6' boyfriend peppering his face with kisses, yelling “Yes! Yes! 1000 times, yes!” in between.
Right at that moment a dozen white doves were set free while They don't know about us started playing. Just as the relief started to rush through Hajime, Tooru spoke.
“You know, Iwa-chan, as sweet as all of this is, weren't there supposed to be rose petals as well?” Hajime blinked up at the man above him. Rose petals?
Then he remembered. He had, in fact, originally ordered rose petals to rain down on them, but after realising how difficult that would be to pull off outdoors, he cancelled the order.
“Well, yeah, but. . .” he began, before stopping, his mind catching up. “Wait, how did you know about that?”
Tooru just stuck his tongue out slightly, making Hajime even more suspicious. “Oi, Shittykawa, don't tell me you have been going through my computer.” Tooru shook his head vigorously. “Nope, absolutely not, Iwa-chan. Pinky promise.” Hajime frowned. “How did you know then?”
At this Tooru smirked. “Easy, Iwa-chan. I know you. There is not a person on earth who understands what goes on in that handsome head of yours better than I do. So of course I knew that you would plan the cheesiest, most romantic proposal ever for me and would definitely want there to be rose petals.” Tooru's smirk morphed into a genuine smile as he added, “You also know me and what I like, so it isn't that hard for me to figure out what you would do. The doves, One Direction, everything is just as I imagined. And it is perfect.”
Hajime let his head fall onto the ground beneath him and let out a sigh. “So, none of this was a surprise for you? Not even asking you in the park?”
“Nope,” Tooru chirped cheerfully. Hajime just sighed again, but couldn't keep a smile from creeping onto his face. That is what he gets for falling in love with a borderline mind reader, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
They got married three years later, right after Tooru won the Olympics. Tooru decided to keep his last name since, as an athlete, people already knew him as Oikawa Tooru. Hajime didn't change his name since, according to Tooru, “I can't call you Iwa-chan if you are no longer an Iwaizumi, duh.”
Tooru's career as a volleyball player came to an end at 27 when he and Hajime decided they were ready to start a family. With technology and science improving at a rapid pace, men could now give birth thanks to the creation of artificial wombs. Tooru gave birth to two boys a year apart from each other. Takashi, meaning prosperous noble, was the older one and was a carbon copy of Tooru. Hironori, while also inheriting Tooru's thick chocolate hair, had more of Hajime's personality despite being the younger one and lived up to his name's meaning, tolerant ruler.
With his volleyball career over, Tooru dived into the corporate side of sports, teaming up with Kozume Kenma at Bouncing Ball Corp., also acting as the new face of the company.
As their sons grew, an idea started to take root in his Tooru's mind.
“Hajime, I want to start a sports school. A school that gathers young talents from across the country and gives them the best chances possible.” Hajime raised an eyebrow at his husband when he told him his idea one night. “Like Shiratorizawa?”
Tooru's entire face soured when he said this, causing Hajime to break down laughing. “It isn't funny, Iwa-chan. I want to begin a school, not a cult.”
This just led to Hajime laughing even louder while Tooru pouted at him. “Okay, okay,
I'm done now,” Hajime wheezed, waving his hand to indicate his husband could now continue.
“Hmph. Anyway, as I was saying, I want to start a school that aims to nurture young athletes who might go on to make a career out of their sports. A school where the children are united by their love for sport.”
Hajime pondered on Tooru's suggestion. If he was being honest, it wasn't a bad idea. And knowing Tooru, he would definitely be able to pull it off. While he might come off as selfish to most people, Tooru actually loves teaching and supporting others, something that became even more clear now that they had two boys of their own to teach. However, looking at his husband's almost unnoticeable fidgeting, Hajime knew there was more to the story than just Tooru wanting to create an institution for young athletes.
“There is something you aren't telling me, isn't there?” Tooru smiled sheepishly in return.
“Well,” he started, playing with Hajime's fingers. “Me, Tetsu-chan and Koushi-chan took the kids to the park the other day.”
Hajime nodded, remembering how his husband came back from the outing in a bad mood, mumbling “I'll show him,” under his breath the entire time. Hajime just thought that Tooru's best friends, Kuroo Tetsurou and Sugawara Koushi, teased him a little too much. But now it seems there was something else that had upset him.
“The kids were playing volleyball, as usually, with our boys and Koushi-chan's daughter on one team and his son on a team with Tetsu-chan's two girls. Everything was going wonderfully, until this little bastard came up to them, saying, “Girls and boys can't play volleyball together. Girls are too weak to play with boys.”
Hajime had to bite his cheek to keep his chuckle in when Tooru said “Little Bastard” with as much disgust as he could muster in his voice. “And then?” he asked.
“Well then, my dear Iwa-chan, our lovely eldest asked the kid if he had ever even played against girls, since the girls he plays with are all strong.” The pride Tooru felt at his son's words shone on his face, and Hajime could feel the same pride warming his heart. It seems they must have done something right when raising their children.
“Unfortunately, it didn't end there. Nooooooo! The little gremlin's daddy just had to butt in, telling us that we really shouldn't let them play together, since it might give them the wrong impression of how the world works. Can you believe that, Iwa-chan? We are giving them “the wrong impression” by showing them that no matter your gender, you can work together and take on anyone without having to be afraid!”
Tooru was fuming in outrage recounting the man and his child's words, and Hajime couldn't blame him. “I'm guessing you guys didn't take that laying down, huh?” Hajime stated, knowing full well what type of people Tooru and his friends were. Tooru barked an incredulous laugh.
“Of course not. Tetsu-chan got right up in the guy's face and started using all his big, fancy science terms to insult him, while Koushi-chan got that scary smile on his face. You know the one that is sickeningly sweet and does not reach his eyes at all?” Hajime nodded with a shiver. Sugawara Koushi could be very scary.
“Koushi-chan then turned to me and I just knew. We just have to prove this buffoon wrong.”
“And this adds to your school idea, how?”
“Easy, Iwa-chan. We are going to start a school, the first one in Japan, where boys and girls will be on the same team. Mixed-gender teams.”
Hajime's eyes widened. He never would have considered something like this. Sure, some other countries have started movements to encourage mixed-gender sports teams, but to have one here in Japan? To start one themselves?
Slowly, a grin spread across his face. “Tooru?”
“Hmm?”
“Let's do it.”
Now here they were, standing outside Okamiga Academy, the school Tooru made a reality after blood, sweat and tears. But it was finally done.
“Hajime,” Tooru breathed. Hajime merely hummed in response.
“We did it.”