Work Text:
Day 1 ~ Soulmates • Royalty • Childhood
"Hello!"
Iwaizumi looked up from the bug he was poking at to come face to face with a boy he'd never seen before. "Hello."
"What's your name? I'm Tōru!"
"Iwaizumi."
"What's your first name?"
"Hajime." He watched the boy pout, struggling to process his name.
"That's too hard to say. How about I call you Iwa instead?"
"Okay."
Tōru plopped down beside him in the grass. "What are you doing?"
"Playing with this beetle."
Tōru leaned over him, sticking out his tongue in disgust. "Bugs are gross!"
"No, they're not!" He picked up the beetle with his bare hands, holding it up for the world to see. "They're cool."
Tōru squealed, moving away from him. "No, put it down! They're gross!"
Iwaizumi smirked, standing up. "No, they're not!" He then began to chase Tōru around the front yard with the beetle in hand. Tōru's screams soon turned into giggles as the two ran around.
It only ended when both boys grew too tired to keep running, so they both plopped down in the grass, beetle forgotten. Iwaizumi couldn't help but notice how put together the boy still was even after running around.
"How old are you, Iwa?"
"Eight."
"Me too!" The boy sat up. "When's your birthday?"
"June 10th."
He soon pouted again. "No fair, you're older than me." He put his hand to his forehead as Iwaizumi sat up before jetting it out in front of him. It went clean over the older boy's head. "But I'm taller."
"Hajime!"
The two boys turned towards the front door where a buff-looking man stood with a smile. He walked towards the two, crouching down beside Iwaizumi. "Who's your friend?"
"I'm Tōru! Are you Iwa's dad?"
The man paused for a while before he smiled. "I am." He then turned to his son. "It's time for dinner."
"Can Tōru stay for dinner?"
"I think Tōru has to go home and eat with his family."
"But-"
"Don't worry, Iwa! I'll be back again soon!" The brunette moved to hug his new friend. "Bye, Iwa! Bye, Iwa's dad!"
The two of them waved as the boy ran off. Then they both stood. "That's quite a friend you've made, Hajime."
"What do you mean?"
"He's…special."
"He's nice."
"Is he now?" He ruffled the boy's hair. "Well, I'm glad you made a friend. Now go wash up for dinner."
True to his word, Tōru came back a few days later. And he came back about every other day for the next five years. In that time, they'd both grown considerably, though Tōru still kept his height over the older boy.
It was one of those days when Tōru and Iwaizumi were both thirteen that Tōru came to the Iwaizumi cottage in tears. Now that Iwaizumi was older, he tended to help his father a lot more in his shop back behind the house. Tōru let himself in.
Iwaizumi carefully put his hammer, making sure that the molten iron didn't move. "Tōru? Did something happen? Do I need to get my dad?"
"No…" Tōru sat down on a nearby bench, wiping his tears.
"Then what happened?"
"...My parents won't let me come and visit you anymore."
Iwaizumi frowned. "Why not?"
Tōru averted his gaze. "...I'm moving. Far away. So I won't be able to see you anymore."
"Well, maybe we can still write letters to each other-"
"But you don't know how to write."
Iwaizumi blushed. "Well…I could learn!"
"Hajime, I have a snack for you…Tōru? What are you doing here?"
"He's moving!" Iwaizumi said, trying to stop his tears from falling. "I won't get to see him again!"
Iwa's dad frowned. He knelt in front of the two boys, putting the apple slices on the table next to the bench. "Well, he's here…Why not have one more playdate before he has to go?"
That got his son to smile. "I found some sticks earlier that we could use to save a sword fight, Tōru? Does that sound fun?" The brunette nodded, his eyes still glistening. "I'll go grab them."
The blacksmith waited until his son left. "...Did your parents find out about you coming here?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Hajime might not know, but I do…Your Highness."
Tōru's eyes widened. "How did you know?!"
He laughed. "You look just like your mother." He then frowned again. "But why won't you tell Hajime?"
"...I don't want him to treat me differently."
"He won't." He ruffled the boy's normally put together hair. "He really likes you, you know? For the past five years, all he's talked about was getting to see you."
"Really?"
He nodded as Iwaizumi came running back in. "I got the sticks!"
"Eat first Hajime, and then the two of you can play."
"Um…I actually can't stay for too long. My parents found out and they don't like me sneaking out. I got in trouble last time."
"Oh, well…that's alright. Why don't you say goodbye to Tōru."
"But I don't want to!"
"It's okay, Iwa. Even if you can't write, I'll be sure to write you as much as I can." He hugged the older teen. "You're my best friend! I couldn't leave you behind." He heard someone shout his name from the main road of the village. "...I have to go." He then kissed the boy on the cheek. "Bye, Hajime."
Iwaizumi touched the spot the Oikawa kissed as the brunette ran off. "I'll never see him again?"
"Well, I don't know about never. I'm sure you'll see him again someday." He looked at the hurt in his son's eyes. He sighed. "There is one way that you could see Tōru again."
The boy's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"That involves knowing a little secret about Tōru."
"He's so hot! Did you see him?"
"We do this every time you see him. He's not really my type. He's too…dry."
"Dry? You think the son of the Captain of the Guard is dry? Oikawa Tōru, I'll never understand you!"
Oikawa laughed at his friend and advisor. "Kō, if you think he's so attractive, then why don't you just ask him out?"
"Where would we go? An evening stroll around the gardens? I'm sure we've both been there multiple times."
"That's romantic! A night under the stars, looking at flowers with a handsome man by your side."
"Who's this handsome man?"
The two looked in front of them to find the very man they were talking about. Suga went red. "Daichi! What are you doing here?" He smiled and Daichi nearly turned the same shade of red.
"Hey, Suga. My father wanted me to tell you that the new recruits are here, Your Highness."
"And I have to be there, why?"
"C'mon, Tōru. It can't be that bad."
"Plus, it was ordered by your father," Daichi said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Everyone knew about the somewhat stagnant relationship between the king and his son.
"Fine, whatever. Let's go." He stormed off, leaving both Daichi and Suga to catch up with him. He couldn’t help but notice that the two stayed behind.
He dreaded the walk to the throne room. Once he got there, Daichi veered off to go stand next to his father while Suga escorted Oikawa to his throne, which sat next to his father. The king gave the silverette a look when he didn't move.
"I asked him to stay, Father." He didn't add that Suga was probably the only person who could keep him from going insane. His father just sighed in response as the Captain of the Guard began to speak.
"Your Majesties, may I present our new recruits. These young men and women have shown much valor during their training…"
Oikawa's eyes hovered over the group before he froze on one person in particular. The two made eye contact.
The world around him froze.
He was older. He was taller. He was much more muscular than he was five years ago. But it was Iwaizumi. There in the crowd, kneeling in front of his father, was his best friend.
He felt Suga nudge him gently, snapping him out of his trance. He quickly stood with the rest of his family. All the new knights bowed to them and as soon as they were dismissed, Oikawa ran off.
"Tōru!"
Suga was quickly stopped by the king, who gripped his arm. The boy bit back a hiss as he turned to face the king.
"You were charged with watching my son. Why is he making a fool of me?"
"I'm not sure, Your Majesty. I was about to go and check on him-"
"Don't make me question your administration, Sugawara."
The advisor averted his gaze. He just so happened to meet Daichi's. "...Yes, Your Majesty." The king let him go and he ran off.
"Tōru? Hey, Tōru…please let me in. I'm not here on your father’s order. Well…I am, but I would've come regardless."
The door slowly opened, revealing a very distraught prince. Suga hugged him. "What's wrong?"
"...It's him. I saw him…"
"Him?" Suga closed the door, sitting him down on his bed and combing through his hair. "Who's 'him'?"
"I…I thought I saw Iwa."
Suga stopped, letting him go. "Like…'childhood friend that your parents wouldn't let you see anymore' Iwa?" Oikawa nodded. "That's great!"
"No, it's not! I lied to him! He doesn't know I'm a prince! I don't know who he thinks I am-"
"Tōru, breathe…" He cupped the younger teen's face. "It's okay. If the things you told me about him were true, then there's no way he would be mad at you. Maybe he wants to see you. You never know why he's here." He stood when he heard a knock. "But he won't know until you ask him."
"Which is never…"
"Don't be like that." He opened the door. "Daichi?"
"Suga, are you okay?" He grabbed the teen gently by his arms, but even then, Suga still flinched.
"It's nothing I'm not used to. I'm fine, Daichi."
"Did my father grab you again, Suga?" Oikawa asked, standing.
"That's not important." He turned back to the knight. "Daichi, one of the new recruits. Is his name Iwa something?"
""Iwa something'?" He stopped to think. "I think there's an Iwaizumi who joined. Actually, he was looking for you, Your Highness."
"He is?!"
"See, he's not mad at you! Go talk to him, Tōru!"
"He's waiting in the common room. And you," Daichi gently grabbed Suga's wrist. "Are coming with me so we can get that arm of yours checked out."
"It's nothing serious, Daichi. I appreciate the gesture but-"
"No 'buts', Kō, dear. I order you to get it checked out." The three of them walked out of the prince's bedroom. Oikawa watched his best friend and his crush walk off before he turned on his heels, walking towards the common room.
It didn't take him long to get there. He realized it didn't take him long to get anywhere with legs as long as his. He gently knocked on the door, opening it to be greeted by none other than Iwaizumi.
Seeing him up close was…different. The prince couldn't deny that Iwaizumi had grown quite handsome in five years.
Is this how Suga feels every time he sees that damned Captain's son?
"Tōru?"
The brunette's head snapped up. He simply continued to stare at Iwaizumi. He couldn't help himself. He ran over to the knight, barreling him into a hug, sending them both tumbling into the shae.
They stayed there until Iwaizumi felt Oikawa shaking in his arms. "Your Highness? What's-"
"Please don't call me Your Highness," the prince replied in the fabric of the teen's tunic.
Iwaizumi sighed, moving both of them so they could sit up, facing each other. "Why are you crying, Tōru? I thought you'd be happy to see me."
"I am! Believe me, I really am but…" He stopped to study Iwaizumi's face. "You're not mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you?"
"Because I lied to you! I kept a secret from you for ten years! And then I just left you five years ago with no explanation-"
"Hey, hey…" He cupped the prince's face in his hands. "I understand. Well, I still don't understand why you had to leave but, the secrecy? I understand that. You were a prince and I was the blacksmith's son. The fact that we were friends is crazy enough."
"Were?"
Iwaizumi laughed. Even after ten years, his pout was the same. He went back to hug the prince, who was still straddling his lap. "You don't understand how much I missed you, Tōru. When my dad told me I could see you again if I became a knight…I trained like crazy. Just to see you again."
"I cried for weeks when I was banned from leaving the palace." Okinawa tightened the hug. "I'm just glad you're here."
"And now that I am, there's something I've wanted to give to you since you left."
Oikawa moved back. "Really? A gift for me-" He was cut off when Iwaizumi pulled his face closer, pressing their lips together. Oikawa went red.
The kiss didn't last long, since the door to the common room was still open. Iwaizumi pulled away with a smile. "Now we're even."
"Even?"
"From that kiss you gave me five years ago…You never gave me a chance to give you something in return, idiot."
Oikawa laughed, moving to stand. "Well, I suppose with that out of the way," he smoothed out his tunic before extending a hand. "Would you like a tour around the palace? It's quite the honor to get one from the prince himself."
Iwaizumi laughed, grabbing his hand. "I'd be honored."