Work Text:
Oikawa tossed the volleyball and spiked it. His feet once again touched the ground. The ball didn't get to the other side. Instead, it hit the net and fall hard on the floor with a loud sound. He exhaled and hold another volley ball on his right hand, he was about to spike it. Again.
Iwaizumi watched him with his teeth clenched until it feels like it was about to break. His palm made a tight fist as he see Oikawa jumped, his hand on the air, and hit the ball with a loud sound. His toes touched the ground, the ball hit the floor. He exhaled again. His feet moved to the rack full of volleyballs.
Iwaizumi noticed. He noticed the bruises on Oikawa's hand. He noticed the redness on his arm. He noticed the shaky breath even when it's invisible. He noticed the pouring sweats on Oikawa's tired face. He noticed the pressure inside Oikawa. He noticed how broken Oikawa is. He couldn't stand it anymore.
"Oikawa."
He didn't respond. He tossed the ball and spike it. It once again hit the net.
"Oikawa."
This one was louder, and Iwaizumi sure Oikawa heard it. But Oikawa ignored. Once again a ball slammed to the ground. A tch sound heard.
"Oikawa."
A ball slammed again.
"Oikawa."
A ball slammed again. There was a sigh between the loud sound of the ball hitting the gym floor.
Iwaizumi clenched his teeth even more. He couldn't sense his patience anymore.
He took step forward, rid the ball out of Oikawa's right hand, and grab the collar of Oikawa's T-shirt.
Silence filled the gym.
Oikawa didn't look at Iwaizumi, and it somehow made Iwaizumi even mad. He pulled Oikawa closer, their noses almost touched, but the sensation was different. Oikawa's brown eyes finally met his.
"You're overworking yourself. Again."
Oikawa didn't respond. His eyes stared blankly at Iwaizumi's, but Iwaizumi know Oikawa more than anyone on the team. Iwaizumi got through something like this before, and Iwaizumi was sure he knew what to do. But now that Iwaizumi held Oikawa's collar and Oikawa gazed at him with an empty emotion, even in his eyes, Iwaizumi isn't sure anymore.
Iwaizumi felt something. It wasn't from Oikawa's eyes. It was from his body.
He felt Oikawa break inside. He felt Oikawa shatter into tiny million pieces with a sharp, pointy edge at every piece. Oikawa was like a glass. It shattered easily, but once it's broken, it became sharp and it'll make people who will try to fix him bleed. And worst, Iwaizumi wanted to fix him. Iwaizumi wanted to bleed.
He let go his tight grip on Oikawa's shirt. Oikawa turned his head to his right, avoiding Iwaizumi's gaze.
"Oikawa. Look at me."
Oikawa didn't.
"Oikawa! You, bastard. Look at me!"
The uneasy silence became louder than before and it left Iwaizumi aware. He heard Oikawa let out a small chuckle.
"You didn't punch me."
"Oikawa, you bastard—"
"Why, Iwa-chan,"Oikawa turned his head. His eyes met Iwaizumi's, now filled with pale fire and unsaturated sparks.
"Why would you actually try to fix me?" Oikawa's head tilted. "I mean, let's face it, Iwa-chan. I'm not good enough, or rather, I'm broken. Why bother?"
Iwaizumi fisted his hand on his side.
"I lost to Shiratorizawa. Again. I will never win. I will neve—"
Iwaizumi's fist flew and hit Oikawa in his jaw. Oikawa fell with his back first, making a loud bam sound over the gym floor.
"Oikawa. How many times do I have to say this?" Iwaizumi grab Oikawa's collar again. "I this, I that. There's—"
"There's six people on the court, and that makes us strong." Oikawa said. He grip Iwaizumi's palm. Iwaizumi let go.
"I.. I have always forgot that." Oikawa stared at his shoes. Or rather, the gym floor.
"Well you better not."
"I'm.. sorry."
Iwaizumi nodded. He murmured an "it's okay" under his breath, aware that Oikawa will hear it and will make sloppy jokes about how his Iwa-chan become such a sweetheart.
Iwaizumi turned around, but Oikawa grab his wrist.
"Say, Iwa-chan," Iwaizumi turned around, facing Oikawa. He jumped a little, seeing Oikawa's eyes were already teary.
"The rest of the team was really good." He said. "And I felt like I'm... left behind."
Iwaizumi only stared blankly.
"Iwa-chan, am I... good enough?"
Those sentence left Oikawa's chapped lips, into Iwaizumi's ears, and stuck in his mind. Suddenly it was hard to breath. It was almost like the silence blocked the air inside the gym, and Iwaizumi couldn't breath.
"Good enough?" Iwaizumi repeated. "What kind of question is that?"
Oikawa didn't say anything. He looked down again, to his shoes, or to the floor, or to anything else but Iwaizumi. There was few drops of red blood spilling from his nose.
Iwaizumi clenched his teeth. This asshole, he thought. His hand reached for Oikawa's jaw, and once it landed on the soft pale yet wet skin, the fingers spread. Oikawa flinched.
"I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you right now," Iwaizumi started. He brought his face closer to Oikawa's. Their noses almost touched. "But if you want me to answer that shitty question, then I'll answer it."
He took a deep breath.
"You are more than enough, Tooru. You are more than I, or anyone in the world, honestly, could ever ask for."
He stopped for a moment, only to stare at Oikawa's dripping tears.
"We knew each other for a long time. We know each other so well—heck, I know you so well." Oikawa reached for Iwaizumi's hand on his jaw. He smiled weakly.
"And as far as I know, even from the moment I first saw you, clinging into your mother, I know that you are enough.
"You might be alone, Tooru, when everybody else is stronger than you. But remember what you have and what you are. The others don't have that. Only you have."
Oikawa leaned his face closer. Their noses touched. Iwaizumi smiled at the new yet familiar warmness that spreading slowly inside his body.
"You have everything you need to have, and you have the ability to get everything you need to have. You're too surrounded in your self-doubt to actually step out of your own shadow."
Oikawa closed his eyes, but he smiled. Oikawa smiled, not weakly like it was before. This one was bigger and somehow brighter.
"You were a king, Oikawa. Rid the monsters on your head and count on your blessings and your power and, Oikawa,"
He opened his eyes. Tears was still dripping from his soft brown eyes, but Oikawa was still smiling, and Iwaizumi knew it's okay.
"You can reclaim your crown, Tooru. You can be king again."
Iwaizumi stopped. His eyes was still gazing at every inches of Oikawa's face.
Oikawa smirked.
"King Tooru, I like that."
Iwaizumi pouted. "You basta—"
Oikawa pulled Iwaizumi into a soft kiss. Oikawa's lips were dry and chapped but also wet and soft and it was sweet but also bitter and it was perfect. Kissing an Oikawa Tooru was also perfect.
Oikawa broke the kiss. His hand on Iwaizumi's back, circling Iwaizumi's neck. Iwaizumi lips parted, not because he wanted to taste the warmness of Oikawa's mouth, well, mostly not that, but to let go some words that've been stuck inside his throat.
"You can be king again."
Oikawa smiled.