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Looking at Oikawa’s empty room felt weird, Iwaizumi didn’t know how to feel. The simple bedroom seemed like it was stripped of all of its life, almost a decade of memories washed away by the empty walls and desolate closet.
Iwaizumi could hear Oikawa downstairs, he couldn’t make out what he was saying exactly but probably begging his mom to not throw away some useless stuff he found while cleaning out his room. The voice is soon drowned out by sounds of moving boxes and Iwaizumi’s own thoughts.
The thought that the person he saw almost every day for the entirety of being a teenager was going to be so far away, Oikawa was no longer going to be a 5 minute walk down the block, but on the other side of the world. Realizing this made Iwaizumi’s chest feel heavy, the corners of his eyes started to sting, he took a few deep breaths to stabilize himself. Taking one last look around the room, knowing in the back of his mind this will probably be the last time he steps foot in there.
Memories come flooding back to him, memories of when they were in grade school and used to have sleepovers and share the same bed all the time. Memories from a few months ago when Oikawa broke the news to Iwaizumi that he was going to play for Argentina, It was news that left both of them in tears. Apparently Oikawa knew he was going to Argentina while they were still in Seijoh, Iwaizumi was angry that the secret was kept from him. But he decided to put his personal feelings aside and support Oikawa in his best way possible.
Before Iwaizumi closes the door he spots a cardboard box snugly tucked away in the corner of the room. Iwaizumi sighs, assuming Oikawa probably got so caught up in moving his gazillions of clothing items and forgot about this last one. He treads over and picks up the box, to his surprise it was very light. He sets down the box and realizes that the box isn't even taped or labeled.
“Oi! Oikawa you have one last box up here!” Iwaizumi yells into the hallway.
“Hold on Iwa-chan! I’m trying to find something!!!” Oikawa yells back in the distance.
Iwaizumi sighs and shakes his head, he decides to open the small box and check out what was inside. In the box lies an even smaller shiny red rectangular box, Iwaizumi picks it up and examines it. The red box was an old limited edition christmas cookie tin, he shakes the tin but it makes little to no sound.
Why the hell would Oikawa still have this? Iwaizumi wonders as he cracks the red cookie tin open, inside the tin was many, many, folded notes and letters. He reaches into the pile and takes out a random letter. Apart of Iwaizumi felt a bit guilty for invading Oikawa’s privacy but it’s not like they’re keeping any more secrets from each other, right?
Deciding to settle down on the floor, setting the red tin in front of him. Iwaizumi looks at the front of the letter.
To: Hajime-chan <3
From: Tooru!
Iwaizumi could see this was written in Oikawa’s old messy handwriting from when they were kids, he reads the date of the letter, his eyes widened when he realizes this letter was written from when they were probably 7.
Putting down the current letter in his hand, he decides to check the rest of the letters and notes. Iwaizumi discovered a bunch of letters that date from when the two boys first met and from a few months ago when they graduated from Aoba Johsai. All of the letters to Iwaizumi from Oikawa.
Iwaizumi finds the letter with the day where they first met, the old construction paper very faded and the handwriting was barely readable.
“Dear bug boy Hajime
I, Oikawa Tooru, have decided that the bug boy in my class will be my best friend forever and ever from this day onwards. Tomorrow I will ask him if he plays volleyball and we will play together”
Only two simple sentences but it took Iwaizumi all his brain power to figure out what they said. (Also what kind of nickname is “bug boy”)
Next Iwaizumi picks up another letter, he skips all the letters where Oikawa’s handwriting was utterly unreadable. This letter was around when they were in 3rd grade.
“Dear my Iwa-chan
I am very mad at you right now!! So don’t even try to talk to me tomorrow! I’ll tell you why I’m mad, today you did the school project with Meiko-chan from our class. You’re only supposed to do projects with me!! I feel very betrayed right now.
Sincerely, Tooru”
Iwaizumi furrows his brows and tries to remember when this event took place, from what he saw most of these letters in grade school were only written for important or major events, like their birthdays or volleyball accomplishments. Was this so major to Oikawa that he wrote a whole letter about it?
Most of the letters from when they were in grade school were mainly Oikawa talking about things he and Iwaizumi did. It was more like a diary at first but then when the letters written in middle school started to get longer and messier.
“Dear Iwa-chan,
I wish I could tell you how I felt about you, but I can’t do that when I don’t even know how I feel. Every time I see you, everytime we talk I always feel so fluttery and weird. Everyday I just want to talk to you and play volleyball with you all day long. I really don’t think you know how much I think about you all the time, you basically consume every second of my day.
Love Oikawa Tooru”
Iwaizumi blinks at the letter, slowly processing what he just read. The urge to start crying is becoming stronger and stronger. He hesitates before picking up another letter, this one in their last year of middle school. It felt wrong to be reading these letters but he just couldn’t stop
“Dear MY Hajime,
I think you forgot that we’re best friends. You're busy all the time taking care of our kouhais and helping them. I know It’s for the good of our team but, you rarely have time for me now. Don’t you know how lonely I feel sometimes when you’re always putting your attention on other people? I really want us to just hang out one on one again. When I see you talking to someone else I get this bitter taste on my tongue, and I hate it.
Sincerely Oikawa”
Although the letter was Oikawa being extremely upset at Iwaizumi, he couldn’t help but grin when Oikawa wrote “MY Hajime” (Was it normal for people to like being called “my” by their best friends??)
If Oikawa ever found out Iwaizumi smiled at the thought of Oikawa calling him “My Hajime”, Iwaizumi would never hear the end of it. Heat starts to crawl up his face, out of embarrassment he snatches another letter from the pile. This letter is from their first year of highschool.
“Dear Iwaizumi”
Iwaizumi griminced at the use of his full last name.
“I think I know how I feel about you now, well I think that I maybe have a crush on you. It’s normal right? Everyone has a small crush on their best friend at some point. It’s only a small crush, nothing major. Nothing to worry about.
Love Tooru
P.S I told Makki and Matsun and they started laughing at me, ``What was that about ?!”
This letter seemed to be more Oikawa trying to reassure himself that having a crush on your best friend was normal. Even though this letter was written years ago, Iwaizumi couldn’t let go of the fact that Oikawa had a crush on him. He was sure that by now he had a visible blush on his face.
Iwaizumi’s mind battles itself trying to decide whether to continue reading the letters or not. In the end his body betrays him and he picks up another letter, this letter being more recent, the letter written on their graduation.
“Dear Iwaizumi Hajime,”
Iwaizumi freezes, none of the other letters did Oikawa use his full name, so why now?
“Iwa-chan, I’ve completely accepted it, I have for a while actually. But I'm unsure whether I’m prepared to say it aloud (or uh write it). Today we graduated highschool, and I have had a secret I've been keeping from you. The secret is not that I’m going to Argentina, I'm sure that you figured I’m not staying in Japan for much longer. Iwaizumi, I am absolutely utterly in love with you”
Oh.
Oh.
He stares at the paper for probably a good 20 seconds before his brain reacts. Oikawa is in love, in love with.. me…
His first instinct was to look for Oikawa, he looked up from the letter and at the direction of the door. What seemed to be absolutely perfect timing the door opens and Oikawa’s head pops in.
“Iwa-chann, have you seen-”
Iwaizumi could see the exact moment Oikawa realized what was going on in his eyes. The letters laid out in front of Iwaizumi, the red cookie bin, he knew. Oikawa was only leaning on the door, only his top half visible to iwaizumi. He stumbles into the room with a flustered face as he sputters out a bunch of “Well, um” “You see-” “I- Uh.”
Oikawa sighs, giving up on explaining, and stands in front of Iwaizumi, scratching the back of his neck.
“Well you know now.. So..” Oikawa says averting his gaze, his face grows into a darker shade of red and
Iwaizumi wasn’t listening at all, the second he saw Oikawa his mind was completely taken empty.
Without thinking he stands up and launches himself onto Oikawa, knocking both men onto the ground.
“Ouch.. Iwa you could’ve given me a warning… damn”
Iwaizumi doesn’t say anything, but responds by embracing Oikawa tighter and burying his head into his shoulder. He could feel the other returning the hug, a soft smile appearing on both their faces.
They stay in this position on the floor for a while, enjoying each other's embrace, until Iwaizumi lifts his head up and looks Oikawa in the eye.
“I- I’m absolutely utterly in love with you too.”
Iwaizumi never found out what the rest of the letter said, he didn't need to. All he needed to know was that his world loved him.