Work Text:
"it's so cold my mouth is numb, you should kiss me before we get frostbite"
The cold air bit into Iwaizumi's skin as they stepped outside into the winter air. Sendai was busy as usual, and Iwaizumi took a moment to look around as Oikawa fell in step beside him. The setter was carrying on a conversation with Yahaba about some new toss he had figured out, or something like that. Iwaizumi hadn't been paying too much attention after they had left dinner.
The city was covered with lights and the usual decorations for commercial Christmas, wreaths everywhere they could be placed and splashes of red on almost every tree. Sendai wasn't called the city of trees for nothing, apparently. Iwaizumi only cared for the lights — the rest seemed a bit too much if he was being honest.
“Look Iwa-chan! They have the tree set up!”
Iwaizumi sighed as Oikawa pointed at the entrance of the Ichibancho Arcade. The shopping mall had an enormous tree that dwarfed nearly everything around it and dominated the usually open space in front of the mall. It was enormous and covered in purple and silver decorations. Of course Oikawa loved it.
“Oh, it looks like Tohokudai sponsored the tree, Oikawa-senpai.”
Yahaba came to stand where Oikawa had dragged Iwaizumi, and Kyoutani was not far behind.
“That would explain the purple.”
They had gotten used to the official color of Sendai and Tohoku University after graduation, but it didn't really excuse it from being used for Christmas. Iwaizumi felt like sighing again as Yahaba turned to Kyoutani and the two began arguing over the merit of using purple to decorate a tree, but instead he was drawn to the smile on Oikawa's face as he stared up at the enormous tree.
“Step back Shittykawa, you'll give yourself a neck cramp.”
Oikawa turned to look at Iwaizumi, His eyes twinkled as he stuck his tongue out and dodged the hand that lashed out to smack his shoulder.
“Don't be a party pooper, Iwa-chan. It's time to get in the Christmas spirit!”
Iwaizumi grumbled.
“We're not even American, dumbass.”
Don't be silly Iwa-chan! Christmas is for everyone!”
Iwaizumi lashed out again and this time Oikawa was too slow to dodge the hit to his shoulder.
“You sound like a commercial.”
“Rude Iwa-chan!”
“It's gross.”
Oikawa did his best to look offended at the sheer mention of his words not being genuine or original, and Iwaizumi peeked a glance over at the two third years that Oikawa insisted they bring along. Kyoutani was stubbornly standing his ground as Yahaba got closer and closer, the two of them still arguing about the damn purple decorations.
“See what I meant, Iwa-chan~”
Iwaizumi looked back at Oikawa and his sneaky little grin. He always had to be planning something.
“You shouldn't meddle so much, Asskawa, it'll give you wrinkles and then nobody will like you.”
“So rude!”
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and Oikawa went into a full pout and leaned against his shoulder. It was really nice, having that familiar weight so close. Not like Iwaizumi would ever say that out loud.
“Senpai look! They've got a hot chocolate stand set up!”
Oikawa turned his head to look where Yahaba was pointing. Iwaizumi noticed the flush that dusted bot Yahaba's and Kyoutani's cheeks...he could only guess the arguing got a little too close. Damn, Oikawa had to always be right.
“Fear not Yahaba-kun, for your generous senpai will treat everyone to a cup!”
Oikawa bounced up from leaning against Iwaizumi like he hadn't just been pouting like his life depended on it. The former captain slung an arm around Yahaba's shoulder and led them both toward the stand, Iwaizumi stepping closer to Kyoutani so they would be out of the way as people walked past them. The moment was blissfully quiet as the white noise of the city hummed around them, and then Kyoutani was shoving his hands into his pockets and looking at Iwaizumi like he wanted to say something.
“Iwaizumi-san?”
Iwaizumi looked at the way Kyoutani nervously pinched his eyebrows together, and he was momentarily amazed at how much this kid had changed. Once a solid mass of anger and a stubborn refusal to be anything but the strongest, now he could see that Kyoutani was beginning to settle into someone who could recognize the limits of their strength and begin to see that strength wasn't always everything. Huh, imagine that.
“What's up?”
Kyoutani scrunched his eyebrows even tighter together, if that was even possible, and looked gruffly over to where Yahab and Oikawa were picking out flavors.
“How did you ask out Oikawa-san?”
Dammit Oikawa.
“Um, it didn't really happen like that. He migrated into my room even though our dorm has two and at some point we got rid of the second bed.”
Kyoutani's face was so red he looked furiously angry, and Iwaizumi would have felt threatened if he didn't know better. The kid was suffering.
“Okay look, we're not the best example. I've known him my whole life it seems. So if you wanna ask someone out, I say just do it — there's no point in leaving it up to fate or something else to make it happen.”
Kyoutani nodded, looking back at Yahaba as his face cooled down.
“I think Watari knows. He keeps ditching on plans so it's just the two of us.”
Iwaizumi remembered how Matsuhara and Hanamaki were.
“Sometimes it helps to have a friend on your side.”
“He's Yahaba's friend.”
Iwaizumi shrugged.
“Either way. If you don't go for it, someone else might. I don't think you want that to happen.”
They both looked as Oikawa and Yahaba carefully carried the four cups back to them and chatted about something that lit up their faces like the light that surrounded the plaza. Kyoutani's mouth twitched into what could've been a smile.
“Yeah.”
Satisfied that he'd done his duty, Iwaizumi met Oikawa halfway and took his cup like he expected Oikawa to drop it at any moment (which really wasn't too outrageous, he dropped things in their dorm kitchen all the time) and soon all four of them were walking past the shopping center. Oikawa kept insisting that one of the boulevards had one of the best light set-up in the whole city, his sister had told him about it, and they would all simply have to die if they didn't see it.
Truth be told, the lights themselves were a sight to see. The boulevard stretched forever into the dark of the coming night, and the trees lines the path like guardians of a sacred path, their branched glowing in the night from all the white light that were strung along their branches. Couples and groups of friends walked under the covering of branched with hands in pockets and puffs of breaths escaping into the air around them. The stars above could barely be seen as the sky darkened, and Iwaizumi startled as he felt a hand slip beside his as Oikawa reached a hand into his pocket.
“Earth to Iwa-chan~”
Iwaizumi felt a blush of his own warm his cheeks as Oikawa's smile seemed to glow beneath the lights.
“Yes?”
“Come on! I wanna show you something.”
“What about Yahaba and Kyoutani?”
Oikawa smirked and continued to lead Iwaizumi by the hand in his pocket.
“Our job here is done; they went off to sit on a bench together or something. I say they're dating by the end of the month!”
“Meddling. Wrinkles.”
“Iwa-chan! Don't be so grumpy and get into the spirit!”
Iwaizumi sighed and sipped at his hot chocolste before it got cold. Their steps abruptly stopped and Iwaizumi cursed as his drink slopped a bit over the edges of the cup.
“Careful, Shittykawa.”
Oikawa reached over and took the cup from Iwaizumi's hand with a smile and placed it beside his on a nearby bench, pulled Iwaizumi to sit beside him with his other hand. Iwaizumi grumbled but he sat beside Oikawa before looking around to see what was so special.
The night had gotten dark around them quicker than Iwaizumi had realized, and the opening in to branches of the walkway in this spot revealed an expanse of sky with stars that twinkled even amidst the bright lights of the city. Almost nobody was walking around this particular spot, and when Iwaizumi turned to look at Oikawa his breath caught in his throat as his boyfriend positively glowed.
“Y'know Iwa-chan, it's getting kinda cold. I think my mouth might be numb.”
Normally Iwaizumi would retort back with some comment about how he should be warm with all the hot air he blows, but the way Oikawa looked at him stopped Iwaizumi's heart. His eyes seemed to reflect both the stars and the lights around them and Iwaizumi couldn't have spoken even if he had wanted to.
“You should kiss me so we don't get frostbite.”
Oikawa giggled as Iwaizumi pulled them together a bit too quickly and their lips crushed against each other. Soon the giggled dissolved into contended sighs as Oikawa moved his mouth against Iwaizumi's lips in ways that sent tingles down his spine. The sounds of a growing crowd and music being played from a cafe somewhere disappeared to the back of Iwaizumi's mind as he kissed his beautiful, irritating, whirlwind of a boyfriend named Oikawa Tooru.
He'd never admit it out loud but he could feel the weight of Oikawa settle against him like it was the most natural thing in the world, and Iwaizumi honestly wouldn't have it any other way.