Chapter Text
She doesn’t know when their friendship started, it was probably too early to remember. All she knows is that one day Oikawa wasn’t there, and the next she was. They were next door neighbors. Too cute little girls of the exact same age, and therefore destined to be best friends.
First, they always played in Oikawa's backyard, naturally since it was bigger. Oikawa chose the game, and Oikawa made the rules. She was always the princess and Iwaizumi was her prince.
Iwaizumi savored those days. The days where it was just them, and no one else. Warm summer days spent outside, where they could be themselves and relish their own friendship together.
It didn’t last very long, because pretty soon Iwaizumi found herself talking to Oikawa about boys.
“Hey Iwa, have you ever had a crush?” They were laying in the grass, this time in Iwaizumi’s backyard. It was a warm May Day, they had recently begun fifth grade.
“A crush?” She wrinkled her nose. Most boys she had ever come in contact with were either smelly or annoying or perhaps both at the same time.
“Yes Iwa-Chan,” Oikawa replied. “Someone you found cute that you wouldn’t mind... holding hands with” she clasped her hands in the sky, and Iwaizumi looked over at it.
“Well, I haven’t. Boys are stupid” she replied nonchalantly, looking over to Oikawas face. Iwaizumi had known her for so long, and therefore it was hard to identify the changes in her appearance. They had grown up together. Slowly and surely Oikawa had grown into her cute freckly face of youth, while Iwaizumi still had more of the baby face. Now Oikawa had long dark lashes, and nice pink lips. Her eyebrows, much like her eyelashes, were dark and structured. They framed her chocolate eyes. Looking at her now, Iwaizumi realized she had a nice face. The kind she liked to look at. It was soft and petite, much unlike the harsh curves and tan skin of her own.
“Well...” Oikawa’s voice broke her from her thoughts. “This guy gave me a love letter, and I’m not sure what to do.”
“A love letter? Ew that’s gross” Oikawa hit her arm, making a disgruntled noise.
“Don’t be mean Iwa, he’s actually kinda... cute I guess?” She said the last part as a question, almost unsure herself.
“So are you gonna... idk, accept it?” She said it quietly, holding her breath for an unknown reason.
“Hmmm... maybe” Oikawa teased and Iwaizumi frowned.
“Who is it anyways?”
“Oh some basketball player from another class. He’s quite popular actually.” She said it very matter of factly, and for some reason Iwaizumi found herself angry. Maybe it was because Oikawa had lately become so obsessed with this stupid thing called popularity. Maybe it was because Oikawa got attention from boy and not her.
“Well do whatever, I don’t really care!” And with that she left, muttering a “see you tomorrow” under her breath before going inside. Iwaizumi told herself she must be jealous because Oikawa was getting attention from boys while she didn’t. But for some reason the word jealousy didn’t feel quite right in this case. There was a part of her that felt a little... sad?
•••
“Hmm...” she flattened her tank top over her chest, puffing it out in front of the mirror. “Hey Iwa-Chan, do you think i should get a training bra?”
Iwaizumi sputtered, surprised by the question. “A training bra? Whats that?”
Oikawa rolled her eyes. “Silly Iwa-Chan, I have to teach you everything! It’s what you wear when you aren’t quite ready for a real bra but still need something.” She said it as if it was obvious, and Iwaizumi only scoffed in response. Then, Oikawa’s eyes lit up in an emotion that could only be described as mischief.
“I know! We should go shopping tomorrow!”
And so Iwaizumi ended up at the mall with her best friend Oikawa the very next day, perusing the aisles of a Macy’s. “Hmm this ones cute, what do you think Iwa?” She pointed to a set of simple strap cotton undershirts in a variety of colors. “I’ll try it on... you should too Iwa-Chan!”
Iwaizumi begrudgingly followed Oikawa into a singular changing room, they turned away from each other and slipped off their shirts. After a few minutes of examining herself in the mirror, Iwaizumi realized she didn’t like it. It made her look like one of those girls. Not the girls who played volleyball and ran in the dirt and wore shorts. It definitely wasn’t her style, and Oikawa seemed to agree, as she laughed once she saw Iwaizumi turning around. She was about to get mad, but stopped herself as her breath caught in her throat. She found herself looking at Oikawa, who resembled a real grown up in her white training bra, a similar lightness as her milky white skin. The sight made Iwaizumi almost sad, as if she should reach out a hand and will time to stop, for them to stay in that moment forever of merely playing together as children. Before they had to worry about foreign things like boys and training bras. Maybe the feeling wasn’t quite sadness, but a nostalgia she wouldn’t feel until she was much older, a simple preemptive feeling. Instead of dwelling, Iwaizumi only scowled at Oikawas laughter and said she wouldn’t be buying “this stupid thing.” Oikawa ended up buying hers while Iwaizumi settled on a smaller sports bra type set.
•••
“...hey... iwa” Iwaizumi opened her mouth to retort in insult, but stopped herself. Oikawas tone was different, nervous, almost. “What?” She spoke from the paper towel machine in the bathroom.
Oikawas small voice echoed from her stall. “I Uh... I think I just got my... period?” She said it with a slight tilting of the voice at the end, almost unsure, holding her breath.
“Oh” Iwaizumi said. She hadn’t expected that. Sure she had been fretting about it since she entered middle school and learned about the whole ordeal in sex Ed, but for the most part she didn’t think of it. Other girls had sometimes mentioned it, but she was never deeply involved in those conversations. “
Do you have anything for it?” Iwaizumi asked in an even cool tone.
“...n-o” Oikawa choked on the last syllable, and the simple noise made Iwaizumi worry. It was the summer before their third year of middle school, and they were currently at a volleyball camp. An overnight volleyball camp. It was the last night tonight, but they still had quite a few more hours of daylight. Additionally, it was a co-Ed camp, and of course Oikawa had received her fair share of attention from the boys, not just for her setting skills.
“I’ll... go get some stuff, ok? Stay there I’ll be right back.” Iwaizumi waited for a second, confirming Oikawas quiet “ok” in response. Iwaizumi raced out of the bathroom and towards the nurses station. She prayed no one else was there, and that it wouldn’t be too awkward. What exactly was she even asking for anyways? Pads? Tampons? Did Oikawa know how to use all those? Arriving at the nurses station she was relieved to find it empty save the older lady sitting at her desk, writing something. Iwaizumi slowed and cautiously approached her, waiting patiently for her to finish. “Yes dear?” She looked up, the hints of a smiling pulling at her firm mouth. Iwaizumi gulped. She looked scary, and old as if she hadn’t even thought about periods for 20 years herself. “Um... I was wondering if you had any pads maybe...” she said the last part quietly and rushed, before adding on “for my friend.” The lady raised her eyebrows in understanding and got up from the desk, moving towards a cabinet.
“Ah, I have some, how many does she need?” Iwaizumi froze, she hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Uhm... how many do you have?” Better safe than sorry she thought. “‘Bout half a pack,” she paused to open and trifle through a cabinet door, pulling out a teal and clear packaging, with individually wrapped yellow colored pads that Iwaizumi recognized within. It looked like a lot, so Iwaizumi took as many handfuls as she could hold, thanked the nurse, and rushed back out of the room.
She luckily made it to the bathroom again without being spotted and burst through the door, heading towards the far stall she knew Oikawa to be in. “I got you some pads, is that ok?” She said, sliding a few under the door.
“Ya,” Oikawa replied, taking one. “Do you... know how to put it on?” Iwaizumi waited, holding her breath. She don’t know why she asked, it wasn’t as if she could help Oikawa herself.
“I can figure it out” Oikawa responded in a typical teasing tone, which made Iwaizumi relax.
After the training camp, Oikawa never really mentioned much about her period again. She was the type to handle it on her own, just another testament to her perfectness.
They didn’t mention the incident until a little over a year later, when Iwaizumi went to the bathroom before a match, shocked to find a dot of red on her grey underwear. The sight made her brain go into overdrive. Yes she was 14 now, so it was really only a matter of time... but right now!? Before a volleyball tournament? The last one of their middle school career? It was as if the gods of womanhood were laughing in her face. Iwaizumi wasn’t just mad, but also panicked. She didn’t have anything with her and she really didn’t know what to do. Could she really wear a pad during the game? Would people notice? How long would that last?Iwaizumi’s mom had never taught her these things. She let her learn sex Ed and that was about it, mentioning once how Iwaizumi should “start wearing a bra maybe” and then finding a razor in her bathroom with no explanation as well. Most of Iwaizumi’s knowledge of this stuff came from Oikawa, so it would only make sense she went to her. After putting a wad of toilet paper down there, she went back to the gym, and immediately found Oikawa. She was tying her shoes, getting ready to practice and warm up.
“Hey, Oikawa...” soft brown eyes met her own and she inhaled a shaky breath. “Could you... come with me?” Oikawa scrunched her eyebrows together in a moment of confusion, but nodded her head and got up to follow. “Oh... could you actually bring your bag?” She fiddled with her hands nervously, praying Oikawa wouldn’t choose this time to be snarky. “Uh sure” was her only reply before Iwaizumi rushed off to a secluded hallway near the bathroom, away from the noisy gym.
Now she was standing facing Oikawa, her heart beating annoyingly fast. This was Oikawa, her best friend, she didn’t need to be nervous. Oikawa had asked her for help with this in the past, it was only natural she did the same. After a few seconds of silence, Oikawa’s generous patience seemed to break.
“What is it Iwa? I should be warming up by now” she snapped and Iwa found herself saying it before she could stop herself.
“I got my period and I don’t know what to do I don’t have anything and- and-“ all of a sudden her resolve broke. The stress of wondering why her stomach had been hurting that day, and the new stress of worrying what she was going to do, how she was going to get through the week long tournament taking its toll. She knew if this was Oikawa in her position, she wouldn’t cry. She would simply smile and put her best self forward, able to get through anything. But Iwaizumi wasn’t Oikawa, because Oikawa was perfect and Iwaizumi wasnt. So, in the quiet hallway by the bathroom she cried a little. She usually didn’t want to cry, but there was something there in her brain telling her to just give up and cry a little. Oikawa stared at her in shock for a little, before donning a sweet small smile and pulling Iwaizumi into her arms. “Oh Iwa... it’s ok, it’s ok don’t cry” she patted her back and held her tighter. “It’ll be ok.” And for that instance Iwaizumi believed her, because the intoxicating scent of her hair and feeling of being held sent a dangerous shiver through her soul. She wanted to be held by Oikawa for the rest of her life. It felt safe, warm and right. After a few more sniffles she stopped crying, pulling away before she could let those dangerous thoughts wander too far. Oikawa silently rifled through her bag, before sighing.
“Here, I only have one pad and some tampons, so your gonna have to make this one last, is that alright?” Iwaizumi nodded and took the yellow wrapped item from Oikawa’s slender hands.
“You’ve seriously never had your period before?” She questioned as they entered the empty bathroom. Iwaizumi shook her head.
“Oh I just... thought you had...”
“Why’s that?” Iwaizumi asked, heading towards a stall.
“Well... your boobs are pretty... developed... so...” she let out a nervous laugh, a foreign sound to her ears. It made Iwaizumi freeze. Oikawa thought her boobs were “developed”? What did that even mean?
She asked it aloud, slowly entering the stall.
Oikawa grumbled, “I mean idk they just seem bigger and more grown then mine, I thought you were supposed to get your period 2 years after they started growing, so I assumed you already had...” she trailed off, Iwaizumi smiling to herself. Oikawa was right, her boobs were more ‘developed’ then hers. They had been growing at a pretty rapid pace since she was 12, while oikawas had begun to appear more recently, small but still there nonetheless. Iwaizumi, however, still only wore sports bras while Oikawa wore real ones. She was sure that made them closer in size, but she hadn’t considered Oikawa even thought about things like that. However, before she could question her further on the matter, she began unwrapping the packaging and realized she had no idea what she was doing.
But, there was no way in hell she was having Oikawa come in here, so she figured it out herself. After a few minutes of unwrapping and perhaps getting a little frustrated as well, the pad was secure in her underwear, and Iwaizumi could breathe easy. She exited the stall finding Oikawa standing there, scrolling on her phone.
“I thought you left” she made her way to the sink.
“Aw I would never leave you in such a time of need! How dare you assume I would ever be so cold” Iwaizumi smirked at the taunting remark. She was glad Oikawa had stayed, and before she could stop herself she was hugging the slender girl, causing her to make a strangled noise of surprise.
“Thank you... for helping me” there was that intoxicating feeling again. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t quite know why she was apologizing, but felt it had to be done.
“Aww Iwa” her tone was sincere. “Who knew you would be such a softie on your period! I’ll be looking forward to this each month.” And then she laughed, and the sound warmed Iwaizumi’s heart.
“Oh shut up” she pulled away from the hug, but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips.
“Oh... by the way, can you tell I’m wearing a pad, I mean through these shorts?” Iwaizumi had to admit, the feeling was uncomfortable, like a diaper, and she felt a little exposed. Oikawa craned her neck to examine Iwaizumi’s backside.
“Nope! Your all good. Don’t worry I’m such a great friend I would alway tell you if you look stupid!” Iwaizumi just rolled her eyes before suddenly remembering they had a match to play, and rushing out of the bathroom.
•••
Iwaizumi awoke on the first day of high school with a belly full of nerves. She got up, made her bed, and went to her closet where her uniform was hanging. It was a tan skirt with a gridded pattern in a darker tan. The skirt was pretty short, and she was a bit nervous to wear it, since she usually didn’t wear skirts let alone skirts that short. She could already imagine Oikawa wearing it and–of course– looking flawless as always. Besides the skirt there was a light blue button down shirt and small red tie, as well as a white blazer and cream sweater that she would save for winter. She first pulled on her new bra that Oikawa had insisted she buy. Her argument was “you have nice boobs but never do anything about it, at least try to show some of your natural assets once in a while Iwa.” The remark had stuck in her head, one fact rattling around: Oikawa thinks I have nice boobs. Now, looking at herself in the mirror in only the skirt and bra, she felt like a real girl. She had to admit, Oikawa was right about the bra, it did make her boobs look nice. And it made her realize she was really going to high school, and she didn’t look... too bad. Iwaizumi had never cared so much about appearances, however, Oikawa had done everything in her power to make sure they both entered high school as their best selves to, “gain as much attention and popularity,” and for Iwa to “finally get a boyfriend.” Iwaizumi wasn’t so sure about the last part- it wasn’t as if she even wanted one anyways. But, Oikawa said they were doing this and therefore they were doing it. She just seemed to have that kind of power over Iwaizumi.
After getting dressed, eating breakfast, and grabbing her school bag as well as volleyball bag, Iwaizumi headed across the street to Oikawa’s house.
Her mother let her in and she headed up to Oikawa’s room. Inside she found socks and bras and underwear and shorts strewn about, the occasional necklace bracelet and earring mixed in. She headed to the attached bathroom where an even larger mess consisting of makeup and paper towels and other hair styling items littered the counter and floor. Oikawa was standing near the mirror, curling her hair. She had on her skirt and uniform shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a teal pajama tank top.
“Did a hurricane go through here?” Iwaizumi asked, stepping around a stray pair of (what she hoped to be) clean bright pink underwear.
“Oh thank goodness your here!” Oikawa briefly set the curling iron down in a small space of empty counter, ushering Iwaizumi out.
“I need your opinions! First of all,” she weaved out of the bathroom towards her bed. She picked up a lacy black bra and a hot pink cushiony one. “Which one? The uniform shirts are a little see through so I’m not sure if people should glimpse pink when I get close or a more sexy black...” Iwaizumi only rolled her eyes, before gesturing at the black one. “Pink is too girly and tacky” she replied, watching as Oikawa stripped off her button down and began to take off her tank top. Iwaizumi turned around just in time, covering her eyes for modesty. Part of her wanted to peek and see Oikawa topless, but a part of her felt that was wrong. Another part felt that if she saw Oikawa like that, something would change between them, although she couldn’t quite place what.
After a few seconds of rustling Oikawa spoke again. “Ok should I wear white or black socks?”
It continued like this for a while, until Oikawa was finally dressed with her hair curled and makeup done, flawless of course. Iwaizumi already knew everyone would be fussing over her, either wanting to be friends or wanting to date her. Whatever, that was how it always was. While Oikawa applied the finishing touches to her eyebrows, she turned to look at Iwaizumi.
“Your going to school like that?” She questioned.
“Ya, is there a problem?”
“Oh nothing nothing” she waved her hand in a dismissive way that really angered Iwaizumi and definitely didn’t mean to drop it, it meant to push further.
“Ugh... fine. Do whatever the hell you want to make yourself happy” she rolled her eyes but still felt a little flutter of happiness in her stomach. Maybe it was because she was going to look nice in Oikawa’s eyes for once, or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was the part of her that always wanted to be like Oikawa- today she would be just a step closer to being perfect.
Before long there was a knock on the door from Oikawa’s mom telling the girls to go to school, and Oikawa added finishing touches to Iwaizumi’s makeup before unplugging the curling iron, explaining that she was finished. Iwaizumi turned to the mirror and couldn’t stop the smile.
Oikawa was good at makeovers, just like she was at everything else. Iwaizumi’s shorter spikier hair had been braided up and looked nice against her now smooth tanner skin. Her features had been defined, but the makeup wasn’t obvious. There was a hint of lipgloss and her eyelashes definitely looked longer and darker, as well as eyebrows neater, but overall it wasn’t entirely too noticeable.
“I did good didn’t I?” Oikawa asked, looking over to Iwaizumi, who only rolled her eyes in response. Of course she did good, but Iwaizumi would never admit that to Oikawa.
As soon as they got to school Oikawa pulled her into the girls bathroom, and into the handicapped stall at the back. Before Iwaizumi could say anything, she was pulling a brush out of her bag, telling Iwaizumi to turn around so she could fix “this stupid part of your hair that is annoying me sooo much I just couldn’t do nothing”
As Iwaizumi stands there she smiles a little, letting the feeling of looking good for once in her life settle in. It felt like she was one step closer to becoming more like Oikawa. One step closer to perfect, and that made her happy.
•••
By the second week of school, Oikawa had accumulated a group of boys who consistently followed her around and gave her gifts and complimented her in hopes of garnering a smile, a compliment back, or maybe more. A few had also asked her out, however Oikawa had of course rejected all of them.
As for Iwaizumi, she had definitely received more attention than usual, and did make a few friends, since her and Oikawa were in different classes. As far as attention from boys... she hadn’t had anything particularly unusual happen, which she was just fine with. Nothing happened until one Wednesday afternoon. Oikawa was at the vending machine when she overheard a conversation of some boys walking down the nearby hallway.
“Hey you know that one tan chick in our class?”
“Uh, you mean Iwaizumi? What about her”
Oikawas ears perked up at the mention of her best friends name, and she instinctively hid behind the corner to listen in.
“Idk I think she’s pretty hot, in like a strong way. I mean she’s super good at sports and shit but she’s also really hot. I wouldn’t say pretty but definitely hot.”
“Ya ya, I know what you mean! And like her tits too dude, Damnnn. They gotta be the biggest ones in our class.”
“Oh no for sure dude, I would even say biggest ones in our grade! Like have you seen her run in PE? They’re just”
a bit of silence ensued and then laughter. Oikawa was seething with anger.
“So what’re you gonna do? Ask her out or something?”
“Ya I think I will. I mean she’s super hot and has a great body, that’s all that really matters right?” The other boy laughed and agreed, Oikawa gritting her teeth.
“Well anyways I’m gonna do it tomorrow after school.”
“Ooh nice, good luck! See you later man”
“Later”
When Oikawa looked into the hallways the two boys were gone, only her and her infuriated state of mind remained.