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Oikawa Tooru took in a deep breath as he and Iwaizumi strolled out of their last class for the day, hands tucked behind his head with a cheerful grin. "Smells like Fall Festival, eh, Iwa-chan~? Ah, I can't wait!"
Hajime rolled his eyes, bemused, and readjusted his messenger bag over his right shoulder. "Just remember to go easy on the milk bread. Coach was serious about the new team diet, and last year I recall you pu-"
"Iwa-chan! SHUSH!" he squawked, slapping his hands over the raven's mouth with a severe pout. "Gosh, you're such a mother hen!"
Again, the teen simply rolled his eyes and shoved him off with ease. "I'm just saying, Oikawa." His gaze focused past the brunette's shoulder, and his expression turned more stoic- a classic sign of his shyness beginning to creep up on him. "Go fend off your fan club. If you're not there in twenty, I'm coming after you," he warned, nudging his fist against Tooru's shoulder as he backed away.
"Try not to sound so jealous, Iwa-chan," Oikawa winked, flouncing off toward the gaggle of girls waiting outside the school gym. "Afternoon, ladies!"
"Afternoon, Oikawa-kun!" the girls giggled back, some of the more confident teens stepping closer to him eagerly.
"Tooru, are you doing any events for the Fall Festival next week?" one of the girls questioned, eyes bright and curious. Tooru actually recognized her by her wild blonde curls- she was the team manager for the girl's team. "The girls' volleyball club could really use a hand! We're hosting a maid cafe, but we didn't get enough hosts… So would you be interested in being a host? It would just be for an hour or two- we're going to be sure to take shifts!"
"A host? Well…I suppose I could find time to spend an hour or two helping out," Oikawa mused, waving a hand airily.
The group squealed their excitement, much to both his and the manager's pleasure.
"Great! I'll make sure and put your name down, then-"
"Um, Oikawa-kun, will Iwaizumi-kun also be hosting with you?" This girl was one of his more timid fans, cheeks flushed and eyes wide behind her glasses as she peered up at him.
There was a murmur of excited hums and giggles at the suggestion from the back of the group, and Mika- he remembered the manager's name now- looked up at him with an arched brow. "Just text me who all you can get on board, alright? And ask Iwaizumi if he can get some other athletes in on it."
"If you're really sure you need any others," Oikawa sighed, arms out to his sides in a shrug. "I guess I can ask them…"
Why would they want Iwa-chan? Not like he's going to agree anyway.
Hajime was a good guy and all, he was Oikawa's best friend, but he wasn't exactly the type for a host cafe…
Not like he's not good looking enough…
That voice from the back of his head murmured the words, making Oikawa's stomach clench uncomfortably.
"We will if you ever want to enjoy the festival yourself," she assured, rolling her eyes as the girls laughed. "Oh, and participation in the maid cafe will earn free extra credit points in any advanced class- since Nori-sensei is the chaperone, so that should offer some incentive," she added, pulling put her phone as it buzzed in her bag. "So your third years should really consider it."
"Ah, I see. In that case, I'll be sure to let the boys know," he winked, and then he turned to the gym doors. "Sorry, ladies, but Iwa-chan will kick my butt if I'm late again!"
"Aw, but Oikawa-kun!"
"At least take this! I made you onigiri for practice!"
"Well I made dango!"
"Thank you, thank you. I really appreciate this," he chorused with practiced ease, accepting the gifts. It was rude not to, and besides, his teammates always appreciated the snacks. "I'll see you all tomorrow, I promise!"
"Bye Tooru-kun~!"
"Practice hard!"
Smiling widely still over his shoulder, he strode off down the hall and into the stairwell, making his way down towards the gym located across the school.
Hajime was just poking his head out the gym doors when he rounded the corner, exasperatedly looking along the hall.
"I'm coming, Iwa-chan, don't worry. I haven't forgotten about you," he sang, trotting the last few steps and thrusting the box of dango at him. "Here, I brought snacks."
He grunted and took the boxes, eyeing him strangely. "What happened?"
"Nothing. They just want me to help with their little maid cafe. Why?" Oikawa asked, tilting his head as they trudged toward the locker room. Without waiting for an answer, he plowed on, "They told me to ask you and the other third years, too. They need the help and it's extra credit for any advanced class."
Hajime paused mid-step, lips pursing and face souring. "...extra credit?"
"Yup," Oikawa chirped. "But I assume Iwa-chan's not interested anyway. It would probably be like torture with your personality the way it is."
He flapped his hand airily, as though he didn't care either way what Hajime decided.
"...I don't know if i can refuse extra credit," he muttered, grimacing as he continued on towards the bench. "My mathematics grade is… not good. What is it we gotta do?" His voice was gruff, tone short, as his gaze lifted reluctantly to Oikawa's.
"Oh. Well, we just have to dress up and go to the maid cafe they set up. Then we just play nice with people, serve drinks, socialize. You know, just like at a maid cafe, Iwa-chan," Oikawa explained, frowning slightly.
"I've never been," he shrugged, setting down the snacks and setting about laying them out for easy access. "But seems… easy enough.. drinks and stuff…and you're going?"
"Of course; they need attractive people at these types of things, Iwa-chan," he said, rolling his eyes and pushing open the door to the locker rooms.
"Right. Fine. I'll ask Mattsun and Maki, too."
"So you're going?" Oikawa asked, stopping abruptly just through the door.
"Yeah. I really need extra credit, and Nori-sensei is a hardass about that kinda shit," he grumbled, scowling as he glanced up from the bench. "Hurry up. We need to stretch out before drills."
"Oh. Uh, right." Sensing Hajime's confusion, he shrugged and turned away again. "I just didn't want your brutish face to ruin my aesthetic, but I guess I'll have to make do. Ow!"
"Brute is an aesthetic too, Bakakawa," he growled back, flushing at his ridiculous comeback and stalking off to go help their first years with recieves.
Oikawa watched him go, frowning slightly to himself. He scratched at his chest, then huffed and shook his head.
Idiot Iwa-chan.
A weight slung around his shoulder suddenly, Maki bending down to speak to him in a hushed, teasing tone, "What are you fighting about now?"
"What? We're not fighting," Oikawa scoffed, folding his arms and scowling. "Iwa-chan is just being sensitive."
Hanamaki eyed him for a moment before grinning slyly, holding out his other hand in a half shrug. "Can't blame the poor guy for having such a short fuse, as much time as he spends around you," he teased, eyes glimmering.
"It's not my fault some people can't handle me," Oikawa sniffed.
"You're just very high maintenance," Maki laughed, tucking his hands behind his head. "I've dated girls less needy than you, even, DramaKawa."
"I don't have to sit here and take this," Oikawa huffed, glaring now. "And to think, I was going to tell you two how to get free extra credit."
He stomped off toward his warm up spot, prickling with annoyance.
"Aw, Tooru! I was just teasing you!" he called after him in a whine, but didn't move to chase after him.
It was ridiculous, really. He didn't mind sharing attention with Hajime, not really, and if Hajime needed the extra credit, that was doubly true. He had no real reason to be upset at all, but still something nagged at him, like a wrinkle he couldn't quite get out of his shirt.
Those girls really seemed excited at the thought of Hajime being there…
Was he jealous? Surely not. Plenty of girls looked at him that way, more than enough, really, and Hajime always got so amusingly flustered when he got such attention that it would be fun to watch, at least…wouldn't it?
Irritated at the whole conundrum, he picked up a stray volleyball and sent it rocketing back across the gym with a serve.
He managed to launch several more before Iwaizumi appeared and wrestled him down into some stretches, scolding him for working his knee without a proper warmup.
"Such a mother hen, Iwa-chan," he grumbled, pouting the whole while.
"Someone has to be if you're going to be stupid," he agreed, rolling his eyes. He was gentle all the same with his routine, carefully pushing Tooru's flexibility to his limits until he was limber and loose enough to properly practice. "...if you don't want me to do it, I won't," he muttered at him suddenly, pulling him to his feet.
"What do you mean?" Tooru asked, tipping his head to the side and staring at Hajime.
"The host thing. I know it's the kind of thing you like," he replied, frowning at him. "I doubt I'll even be bothered with you around," he tacked on lightly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Wha-no, Iwa-chan. Of course you should go. You said you needed the extra credit," Oikawa insisted, thrown. "Why would you think you shouldn't go?"
He looked pointedly at the half empty ball cart beside them, and then at Tooru. "Dunno, just… you were serving like you do when you're upset," he stated simply, brows furrowing.
"I was just practicing," Tooru shrugged. "You're going to the cafe. I'll have to help you dress. You're hopeless otherwise."
Hajime snorted, eyeing him a moment longer before he relented. "Fine. Whatever. Let's hurry up and catch up with drills, mm?"
The rest of practice went by fairly quickly, and saw Hajime and Tooru parting a few blocks outside of school; Oikawa had to pick up his nephew from practice, and Hajime had to be home for a family dinner- his aunt was leaving the next day after a short visit.
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"Hold still, Iwa-chan," Oikawa huffed, tugging at his hair before resuming styling it. "How am I supposed to work when you keep looking down?"
"Then stop leaning on my head," he grumbled back, tilting his chin back up once more; his hands clung to the arms of Tooru's desk chair, wincing with every puff of product that misted in his hair.
"I'm almost done," he replied, drawing his comb through Hajime's hair a last time. "There. Perfect. I hardly recognize you, Iwa-chan."
In fairness, it was true. Hajime's hair looked perfectly shiny without appearing to be encased in greasy gel, and the vest and slacks he'd borrowed from pne of the guys on the baseball team fit him as though they'd been tailored, emphasizing how broad his shoulders had become.
Oikawa caught himself smoothing a recently cleaned hand over those shoulders and hastily busied himself straightening the vest to cover any oddness.
What's wrong with me?
"I feel weird," he grunted back, eyeing his reflection uncertainly before he stood, shaking his shoulders as though to shrug off his discomfort. "Thanks, though."
Privately, Tooru agreed. He too felt weird about the outfit, but he brushed it off and turned back to putting the finishing touches to his own look for the afternoon.
"We'd better get going," he hummed, adding one last spritz of cologne. "We don't want to be late."
He paused, and then he sprayed an unsuspecting Hajime with it as well. "There."
He coughed and waved at the mist with a groan, "Ugh, Tooru! Now I stink and look like you," he grumbled teasingly, eyes glimmering faintly at him.
"You're welcome," Tooru grinned, nudging his shoulder as he strode past out the door. "Come on, Iwa-chan. My adoring public is waiting!"
Hajime rolled his eyes as he followed, gently closing the doors behind him.
Unsurprisingly their mothers pinned them in the doorway to take plenty of photos, much to Oikawa's delight and Iwaizumi's dismay, and finally they were off.
"We picking up Maki and Mattsun on the way?" Hajime questioned, pulling his phone from an inner suit pocket.
"We better, or they might get distracted halfway there," Oikawa sniffed.
He chuckled and nodded his agreement, messaging Issei that they were on their way.
The two teens were also dressed to the nines, Hanamaki wearing a rather colorful (and ugly) tie around his neck.
"It's a conversation piece," he told Oikawa when he pointed it out, flapping his hand at him. "What would you know about style anyways?" he teased.
Swelling with indignation, Oikawa glared and pointed.
"I have more style in a single hair than you two do in your entire existence," he declared.
"Is that what you call it?" Iwaizumi deadpanned, much to the delight of Maki and Matsun.
"Iwa-chan, how could you betray me like this when I spent so long putting you together?" Oikawa gasped dramatically, exaggerating his reaction intentionally.
"You sprayed me with your signature B.O. Made it pretty easy," he replied nonchalantly, tucking his hands behind his head.
"So rude! I think you smell amazing, Iwa-chan," he announced, and then he flushed slightly and hastily added, "You're welcome."
Hajime laughed, shaking his head at him as Maki smirked and Issei rolled his eyes. "I hope so, Tooru, seeing as you spray this shit on everything."
"Marking his territory," Issei droned.
"Like a stray cat," Maki agreed.
"I don't know why I even bother with you guys," Tooru growled, lengthening his stride and walking ahead a little.
Iwa-chan smells good. So what. He bathes, that's all,unlike most of the cretins at school.
Totally normal thought to have about a friend…
"Slow down or I'll start sweating in this monkey suit," Hajime grumbled at him, catching up at his side.
"Not my fault you've got those stubby little legs," Oikawa sniffed, though he slowed down.
"You're just freakishly tall," he shrugged back, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"I'm elegant ," Oikawa corrected, puffing his chest out.
"Sure," he laughed shortly, giving him a shove- Tooru narrowly avoided a metal post in the sidewalk, barely as tall as his hip. "Elegant."
The bickering continued right up until they reached the event, Hajime falling back a step to let Oikawa take the lead.
"Hey, Mika," he called, putting on his fan voice without even thinking about it. "We're here. I even brought the terrible twosome." He gestured at Maki and Matsun.
"Thanks guys! You really saved our cafe," she beamed, ushering them inside- they had set up in the art room, using scenic, romantic paintings done by students as decor between drapes and flowers.
There was quiet music playing in the background, and a group of eight other girls- all on the volleyball team, Tooru noted- were dressed adorably and tending to the snacks and drinks they had prepared.
"So," Mika hummed, waving at the girls when they took notice, "We will need two of you at a time working the cafe. You can pick who and when, as long as you show up," she explained. "We will be open for just three hours of the event, so everyone will have time to see the closing ceremony- supposedly the admin team got fireworks," she grinned, shrugging one shoulder. "I'll direct guests to your tables. They're each allowed ask for one dessert and one drink, and can pay if they want extra- funds will go to both volleyball teams. You'll serve them and chat with them, and I will come by and let them know when their time is up- a precaution in case we get packed." She winked at that last part, checking her clipboard. "So who wants first shift? I'd like for you to work the first, Tooru, if you don't mind."
"I'd be happy to," Oikawa chirped, beaming.
"Well, we can't split the power duo," Hanamaki drawled, giving Hajime a playful push. "Iwa-chan should work with Oikawa. Issei and I will take the second shift."
Oikawa slung an arm over Iwaizumi's shoulders, smirking.
"Don't worry, Iwa-chan. I'll do the heavy lifting."
Hajime hummed agreement, pocketing his hands nervously. "Yeah, sure. Doesn't make a difference to me, really."
"Great. Just wait by the rest of the girls over at the food tables and we'll get started opening up. Our first customers should start coming in around fifteen minutes," Mika informed them, checking a watch and then making her way toward the door.
"It'll be easy, Iwa-chan," Oikawa promised as Maki and Matsun disappeared out of the room, doubtless in search of more 'fun' endeavors. Oikawa started half dragging Hajime toward the girls in the corner, his arm still around his neck. "Just relax and give them cake, and if they try to talk to you, just grunt a few times. That'll scare them off, especially combined with that scary face of yours." He added a wink to make sure Hajime knew he was teasing, just in case; he was looking a little more off balance than Oikawa was used to seeing him.
He scowled at him but bit back whatever retort was on his tongue, the volleyball girls greeting them cheerfully.
Hajime smoothed his hands over his vest and continuously glanced at the clock on the wall in the following wait, keeping close to Tooru.
As their 'customers' started to pour in, Oikawa found himself swiftly swept up in the proceedings. He was called from table to table full of giggling girls, winking and tossing up peace signs and chattering away happily. Many of the clients left donations for the teams, and he collected the money perhaps a touch smugly, dropping it into the basket at the main table.
It wasn't until he was taking his break, sipping some tea behind the food table, that he realized he wasn't the only popular host.
Hajime was ambling from table to table, rubbing the back of his head and shrugging and offering crooked half smiles and awkwardly charming chuckles, and the girls who waved him over were eating it up. He watched Hajime, blushing scarlet, flex one arm, and the girls around him lightly poked at his bicep, giggling madly.
He didn't even realize he was making a beeline for Iwaizumi's table until Mika stepped in front of him, hand against his chest to catch him.
"Issei told me he and Maki are on their way back, so finish up with whoever you guys have left and we'll close up for a few minutes until they get here, okay?"
Tooru blinked, flushing slightly as he realized himself. He straightened his collar and cleared his throat, nodding.
"Of course. I'll go extract Iwa-chan. My last table just left," he said, nodding.
"Great. And thank you so much, Tooru- we had a way better turnout than we expected already," she smiled genuinely, eyes near closing with her excitement. "Enjoy the rest of your festival, and toss out a few flyers while you walk around, eh?"
"No problem, Mika-chan," he hummed, snatching a pile of flyers from a table as he headed for Hajime. "Hello, ladies. Unfortunately, I have to steal back Iwa-chan from you," he announced in mock lament, draping his arms over Hajime as he often did.
"Aww! But Oikawa-kunn!"
"He didn't get to finish his sweets though!"
Hajime's shoulders were tense against Tooru's chest, but relaxed just a touch at his familiar weight. He simply held up his hands in apology, agreeing, "Sorry, ladies, my shift is over. I did warn you…"
"Well, where are you off to now?"
"We could hang out together, Iwaizumi-kun!"
"There are lots of games to check out!"
"Sorry again, ladies, but Iwa-chan has team business to attend to," Oikawa said, squeezing his eyes shut and smiling to hide his sudden and inexplicable annoyance. He gave Hajime a tug away. "Thanks for the support! Bye bye now!"
"Er, bye, and thank you again," Hajime called as he was pulled away swiftly, having a huge, relieved breath as the door shut behind them. "Thanks, Tooru. They wouldn't let me leave."
"No problem, Iwa-chan," he waved off, keeping his arm over Hajime's shoulders for now. "You really attracted quite a following, didn't you?"
"I guess so," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head wearily. "Let's hurry up and get out of here, before they follow us."
"We'd better," he mused, striding off out of the hall being used for the cafe. "Where to, Iwa-chan?"
"I'm hungry for something savory- I ate too many sweets," he groaned, hand resting over his stomach.
"Coach's wife has a food stand around here somewhere. She's selling her onigiri," Oikawa replied, heartened by this. It was more routine to hear Hajime complain about hunger than seeing him flexing for girls.
"I can't believe they made me do that- never again," Hajime insisted, flushed as they walked and rubbing his hands over his face. "Ugh, that was so embarrassing… But they put out a lot of donations for the clubs…"
"It was successful. And you did need the extra credit," Oikawa mused, patting Hajime's shoulder in mocking commiseration. "I know, Iwa-chan, it's a burden to be fawned over constantly."
"I won't bully you over it anymore," he joked, shaking his head at him. "They were nice and all, just oh. Too nice, too needy," he waved off uncertainly, pocketing his hands as they finally made it outside, following their noses to food.
They found the stall quickly, buying a good sized box of onigiri and eating them while they walked, handing out flyers in between. Once the food was gone, they turned to the festival games, drawing crowds as usual with their spirited competitions.
Hajime was especially good at carnival games- he had always been a physical jack-of-all-trades, so this was really no surprise. He handed off most of the prizes to Tooru, only keeping the ugliest one of the bunch and promptly naming it after his best friend. "He just looks like you," he shrugged casually, tucking the gangly eyesore of a bird under his arm.
"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa squawked indignantly. "You couldn't have picked something cuter?"
He held it up beside Tooru contemplatively, and then grinned and shook his head. "Nope. The resemblance is uncanny."
Before Tooru could argue, a pair of girls came to a stop on either side of Hajime, eyes gleaming and sweet smiles curving their mouths.
"Iwaizumi-kun! There you are!"
"We heard you've been winning all the game stalls! Would you please help us win some plushies, Iwa-chan?"
"Uh. Well, I…er." Hajime rubbed the back of his head.
Tooru felt his eye twitch slightly. He didn't like that they were suddenly using his nickname for Hajime. It was their thing.
"Actually, Iwa-chan and I have to meet up with the team for the fireworks," he put in.
"Yeah," he agreed, inclining his head at the girls. "Sorry."
"Aw, but it's not even dark yet!"
"Please, Hajime! Just one!"
"Well…" Hajime looked to Tooru, who was growing increasingly irritated and not entirely sure why.
Thankfully, a few girls joined the crowd, turning to Tooru hopefully.
"What if you and Iwaizumi-kun did the mallet game? Just one? The winner's team get the prizes."
"Obviously, Oikawa-kun will win."
"No way!"
"Uh-uh!"
Hajime glanced back at his friend, a little amused under his discomfort. "That wouldn't be fair to put Tooru up against me like that."
"Oh come on, Iwa-chan. That game is all about leverage," Oikawa scoffed, unable to help himself.
"And you have that?" His brows arched teasingly.
"Of course!"
In no time, they'd relocated to the game in question, taking turns to whack the bell at the bottom with a wooden hammer. The bell rang both times soundly, Hajime's sheer muscle succeeding in tandem with Oikawa's leveraged swing. Both fan groups were delighted, accepting plushies from their chosen champions.
"Now, we really do have to go. Enjoy, girls," Hajime smiled crookedly, offering a timid, slight bow before catching Tooru in a headlock to drag him off.
"Iwa-chan, you're ruining my hair," he whined, though he didn't fight particularly hard to get away.
"You're already sweaty, and the cafe is done- so what's the difference?" he chuckled, releasing him after a moment.
"You stink, that's the difference," Oikawa huffed just to be contrary, rolling his eyes and straightening his hair. "I should have sprayed you more."
"Sure you're not just smelling yourself?"
Hanamaki and Matsukawa caught up with them as Oikawa whined at him in response, the raven laughing and grinning at the other two friends.
"Hey. How was it?"
"Great, actually," Maki smirked, shrugging a shoulder vaguely.
"You two were the top sellers, though. Hajime was only behind you by a bit, Tooru," Issei mused, bumping fists with Hajime comfortably as he fell into pace at his side.
"I still maintain my rightful place," sniffed Tooru teasingly. "Did someone tell the first years to find us a spot for the fireworks?"
"Yup," Maki waved off, tucking his hands behind his head. "They should just about be gathering now. Told em to be early to claim our spot."
"Good. They better have listened," Oikawa said, pocketing his hands. "Our first years are promising, but they are still first years, after all."
"They respect you too much not to show up," Maki insisted.
Oikawa hummed, nudging Hajime.
"And they're scared of Iwa-chan, too."
"They respect me," he corrected sternly, pausing a moment,and then sheepishly adding, "And a little fear is healthy."
"Agreed," Tooru smirked, eyes flashing in the dim light.
"You guys are such drama queens," Maki said, rolling his eyes.
" Me ?" Hajime frowned, brows arching as they neared their meeting place.
"You're just part of the show, Iwaizumi," Issei drawled.
Hajime inclined his head after a moment's consideration, holding up his hands in surrender. "He's a setter for a reason."
They laughed, and they kept laughing as they reached the rest of their team and flopped down in the middle of the group.
"Good job, Kindaichi-kun, Kunimi-kun. You got the right spot staked out," Oikawa hummed, laying back with his hands behind his head.
"Took us a minute to find it. Kindaichi had us all turned around," Kunimi mused, eyes glittering at his friend.
"It's not my fault! There were no reference points except the courtyard in Hanamaki-san's directions!"
"There's only one hill on campus," Kunimi pointed out, arching a brow.
Oikawa rolled his eyes and turned out their bickering comfortably, nudging Hajime as he leaned back beside him.
"First years," Hajime grunted lightly in agreement, tucking a hand behind his head and stretching out his arm under Oikawa's. "It is a perfect day for the festival, I suppose."
A cool fall breeze brushed past them as though to emphasize his point, Hajime's warmth beside him chasing away the chill in an instant.
"The weather couldn't be better. Great visibility, too," Tooru replied, pointing up at the first of the stars starting to emerge.
"Mmhm. Should have borrowed your sister's car, and we could have gone to our usual spot for stargazing," Hajime sighed, glancing over at him seriously. "Hope this wasn't the night they planned to abduct you."
"Don't say things like that, Iwa-chan," Oikawa whined. "Iwa-chan's lucky I would rather be with him," he added in a grumble.
"The aliens would drop you off in mere minutes," Issei assured him absently, high fiving Maki.
"You're so rude!" Tooru huffed, but before he could go on whining, the fireworks started thundering into the sky. "Oh! Iwa-chan, take a picture with me, quick!"
Hajime laughed at him but obliged, grinning for the first selfie and then making a stupid face the second, brows pinched and tongue out.
"Pretty good, Iwa-chan. You managed not to break my camera," Oikawa smirked, ducking Hajime's swat as he set up for a solo selfie; his instagram would need updating.
Hajime snatched the phone himself, laying back in the grass to snap a few for him. "There, Bakakawa. Now can we watch some blow up?"
"Thank you, Iwa-chan," Oikawa chirped, dropping down beside him. "For a brute, you take good pictures."
"I've gotten a lot of practice," he replied, mussing his hair and turning his gaze skyward, the colors mirrored in his dark eyes.
Catching himself staring, Tooru hastily straightened his hair, forcing his gaze back to the sky and grumbling halfheartedly under his breath. His heart was pounding in his chest, though, and his gut was twisting itself into knots, and he must have eaten too many sweets at that event indeed.
That was the only explanation, after all.
"Oi, Iwaizumi-senpai! Take a photo with us, too!" The first years begged from behind them, peering down at them and half blocking the sky.
"As long as you get out of our view," Iwaizumi grumbled, giving them a gentle push.
"Don't mind, Oikawa-senpai will give you a picture, too," Tooru chimed in, crowding together with them in a welcome distraction.
They had the whole team crowded into frame in short order, a brilliant blue firework lighting the sky at their backs and creating a perfect team photo, Oikawa and Iwaizumi grinning front and center.
"I'll post it to the team page so everyone can access it," Oikawa announced as he uploaded the photo. "Now let's enjoy the rest of the show, and maybe we'll all get ice cream after."
There was an excited murmur of agreement, and Hajime pulled Tooru onto his back once more, both arms tucked behind his head.
Oikawa sat up late into the night after the festivities had passed and they'd all gone home. He was staring at the picture of him and Hajime, and he had been for the last hour. Eventually, when his eyes would no longer stay open, he set it as his background and then fell asleep, refusing to acknowledge the weird warm knot in his chest.
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