Work Text:
Iwaizumi was forced out of slumber when a heavy weight was thrown onto him. His first reaction was to throw the weight off of him – which he did, resulting in a loud yelp followed by an even louder thump being heard. Iwaizumi rubbed his eyes, sitting up as he glanced at his alarm clock on his bedside table. 6:06 AM.
“I thought cats were nocturnal,” Iwaizumi grumbled, glaring at the limp body lying on the floor.
“Actually, cats can be diurnal, nocturnal or crepuscular. However, big cats are mostly nocturnal because their eyes –” Iwaizumi threw a pillow at his intruder.
University had only started two weeks ago but Iwaizumi had made the mistake of signing up for five classes this semester rather than the usual, and probably smarter, four. He found himself piled under coursework until he barely had any free time to himself and managed to get five hours of sleep each night, six if he was lucky. Iwaizumi had only gotten to bed three hours prior to Kuroo rudely waking him up. Iwaizumi’s classes didn’t start until 9:30 AM so he usually slept in until it was time for him to literally run out the door with his breakfast sandwiched between his teeth. Today however, was the exception; as it was the year’s first volleyball practice and Iwaizumi didn’t mind the slightest waking up at six in the morning for it.
Iwaizumi had been scouted for Tokai University’s volleyball team. Initially, he had a rather difficult time choosing what school to attend; with multiple appealing offered on the table, Iwaizumi was torn. But he eventually opted for an offer with a full ride; with four kids in the family, it meant four kids going to university and a lot of money needed to be expended for that to happen. If Iwaizumi had the chance to lessen the burden and not put his parents in financial debt, he would.
After washing his face and showering, Iwaizumi walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He unsurprisingly found Kuroo on his bed, reading one of his textbooks. Practice started at 7:00 on the dot so Iwaizumi guessed he had enough time to eat and run to practice within the half hour he now had. Iwaizumi slipped on a fresh pair of boxers and then proceeded to throw on a baseball tee and sweatpants – not minding that Kuroo was still in the room. After changing in front of a room full of guys for countless years, there was no shame left in Iwaizumi to feel.
“Hey, did you understand question 42 from the textbook for calculus?” Kuroo questioned him, not even bothering to look up from the textbook.
“We didn’t have to do question 42, odd numbers only” Iwaizumi answered, pouring himself a cup of coffee that Kuroo kindly made him – but most likely, not before helping himself to whatever Iwaizumi had stocked away before he woke Iwaizumi up.
He heard a gasp from Kuroo, a thud onto the ground (Iwaizumi guessed Kuroo fell out of bed, trying to get out of the bed), loud footsteps across his room and then a 187 cm tall man yelling into his ear. Iwaizumi shoved Kuroo away from him, reaching for his bag and pulled out the worksheet he had been working on the night before. He placed the paper in front of his poor and worried ridden friend who was running his hands through the mess he liked to call hair.
“Do what you can and copy what you don’t get. I’ll explain it to you after practice if you still don’t get it,” Iwaizumi advised, resuming his breakfast.
“Iwaizumi, you’re the best!” Kuroo placed a quick kiss on Iwaizumi’s head (to which Iwaizumi gagged) as he rushed to Iwaizumi’s desk to finish what homework he could before they had to run to practice. Iwaizumi figured Kuroo could at least get half the problems done within the twenty minutes – Kuroo was amazingly smart, even if Iwaizumi hated to admit it.
Kuroo lived across the room from him. He had barged into Iwaizumi’s room on the first day as soon as he figured out that Iwaizumi was also scouted for the team, recognizing him from previous practice matches they had. The two of them later found out the two of them were taking half the same classes together which resulted in a competition of trying to one-up each other in class, Kuroo winning by one so far.
Ever since then, Kuroo has become a fixture of Iwaizumi’s university life. Iwaizumi liked Kuroo enough; but he was like a horrible mixture of Hanamaki and Oikawa combined. He was amazingly smart but also managed to be one of the most annoying people Iwaizumi has ever had the misfortune to meet. He wasn’t sure if Kuroo acted like an idiot to offset how smart he actually was or Kuroo was stupidly smart.
“Where’s Yaku?” Iwaizumi questioned, setting his breakfast aside to pull his phone out. 6:49 AM. Oikawa (12), Hanamaki (12), Matsukawa (10), Kindaichi (1). “Fuck me,” Iwaizumi mumbled to himself, already dreading what awaited him.
“Yaku yelled at me to get out of his room when I tried to wake him up,” Kuroo replied, walking over to Iwaizumi. “Then he kicked me out. Literally kicked me out. I’ve endured a lot of pain today but most of all, towards my feelings.” Kuroo sighed dramatically to which Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and unlocked his phone.
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 18th 6:35 AM
Hanamaki: guys i found oikawa in the pokemon world lmao http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/e/e2/568Trubbish.png/250px-568Trubbish.png
Oikawa: that's rude!!
Matsukawa: i was thinking the new water starter...
Hanamaki: bc i would too punch it
Matsukawa: this is a no popplio hate zone
Hanamaki: it’s always a popplio hate zone
Hanamaki: anyway i was actually talking about this guy http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/0/09/677Espurr.png/250px-677Espurr.png
Matsukawa: wait isn’t that a meme too
Hanamaki: gasp
Hanamaki: oikawa is a double meme
Matsukawa: double meme
Oikawa: please stop
Hanamaki: prepare for trouble
Matsukawa: make it double
Hanamaki: to protect the world from devastation
Oikawa: stop
Matsukawa: to unite all peoples within our nation
Hanamaki: to denounce the evils of truth and love
Matsukawa: to extend our reach to the stars above!
Oikawa: i hate you both
Hanamaki: takahiro!
Matsukawa: iseei!
Hanamaki: team rocket, blast off at the speed of light
Matsukawa: surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Oikawa: meowth! that’s right!
Hanamaki: lmao
Matsukawa: lmao
Today 6:51 AM
Iwaizumi: why the fuck were you guys watching pokemon at 6 AM
Matsukawa: nostalgia~
[Kindaichi] Today 6:30 AM
Kindaichi: I hope you have a good first of practice, Iwaizumi-senpai! Rule the court!
Today 6:52 AM
Iwaizumi: Thanks, Kindaichi. Don’t try to worry too much during games, you’ll do great.
[Oikawa] Today 5:25 AM
Oikawa: iwa-chan~! rise and shine! i know you miss waking up to me in the morning but you'll have to get through it anyway ☆⌒(ゝ。∂)
Oikawa: don't be a slacker! wake up!!
Oikawa: i recognized some people we've played against here. let's see how much they've improved (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و
Today 6:02 AM
Oikawa: what would your mother say if she knew you were sleeping in like this
Oikawa: also your mom wants us to come home for the long weekend. she said she'll make our favourites!! σ(≧ε≦ｏ)
Oikawa: my horoscope looks good today!!
Oikawa: but iwa-chan, yours doesn't. expected of a gemini ╮(─▽─)╭
Today 6:55 AM
Iwaizumi: you didn't go to sleep, did you?
Iwaizumi: also stop calling my mom in my place
Oikawa: iwa-chan's mom called me! can't help it if i'm her favourite child (◔ᴗ◔)
Iwaizumi shoved his phone in his pocket and pulled on the new sports jacket that they were given. He swung his gym bag over his shoulders before completely halting his actions. Something wasn’t right. He didn’t remember letting Kuroo into his dorm last night or even this morning. He did a 180 and faced Kuroo. “How the fuck did you get into my dorm?”
“I picked the lock.”
Iwaizumi kicked Kuroo out of his dorm.
“Ah, the sweet smell of socks and and sweat. Home sweet home,” Kuroo proclaimed next to him.
Iwaizumi’s eyes went wide, impressed by the size of the gym. He’d be here for orientation but it looked much smaller when it was cluttered with chairs. It was as twice the size of Aobajousai’s gym and had a more prestige feel to it. If Iwaizumi wasn’t embarrassed, he’d be practically skipping right now. He could already feel the thrill of being on the court again.
“Glad you guys could finally make it” Iwaizumi turned to see Yaku run towards them, already changed and ready to begin warm up.
“How’d you get here before us? You woke up later and you have shorter legs,” Kuroo quipped, to which he received a swift kick to knee, almost throwing him off balance by Yaku. There was no way Kuroo didn’t know that was coming. What an idiot.
Yaku was 165 cm and Iwaizumi wouldn’t admit it in front of him (in fear of being hit) but Iwaizumi was finally glad he wasn’t the shortest one in the group. After three years of constant teasing and his asshole friends interjecting and reaching for things on shelves that Iwaizumi was perfectly capable of getting himself (the difference was only between 5 to 8.6 cm!), Iwaizumi was glad to not be the butt of the short jokes anymore.
Regardless of being shorter than most of the people Iwaizumi knew, Yaku was scarier than most of them and someone Iwaizumi wouldn’t dare mess with. According to Kuroo, Yaku single handily took down a kouhai that had at least 30 cm on him. Not only did he have a newfound respect for Yaku but Iwaizumi sympathized with Yaku on being the ‘caretaker’ of the team – knowing how much of a pain their teammates were. However, ever since meeting Yaku, Iwaizumi’s role of caretaker had been taken from him; he wasn’t used to someone looking after him instead of the other way around.
“Go get changed and get warmed up, coach wants to have a talk with everyone before practice begins,” Yaku informed them, pointing towards the locker rooms on the left. Iwaizumi resisted the urge to sprint towards the locker rooms out of excitement, he was too anxious to get back on court again. It had been awhile since he’d played a good real game.
But Iwaizumi felt like something was missing. Maybe a whiny eighteen-year-old clinging to him, complaining about Iwaizumi not giving enough attention or maybe dumb and dumber yelling what seemed like random sentences strung together. It’d been a month since the tightly knit Seijou third years had all collectively been together. All attending different universities, piled up in school work similar to Iwaizumi himself; they hadn’t been able to meet up yet, with conflicting schedules. While they were all on their respective volleyball teams, they always had something else going on. Hanamaki sometimes couldn’t make it due to an assignment he’d be working on for three days straight, Matsukawa and Iwaizumi’s times were filled up with labs and Oikawa was writing paper after paper. They were all separated and Iwaizumi could feel his heart burn a little.
The coach had thrown a curveball at the team and informed all of them that regardless of how they had gotten to this point, it didn’t mean they were guaranteed a spot on the team. They’d have to work relentlessly for the next few weeks to prove to him that they could work together efficiently and alone. They’d be separated into a different group each week to see how well they could work, regardless of the team they were on.
It was different than other universities like Oikawa’s university, Chuo University; Oikawa was already guaranteed a spot on the team, being scouted and all. However, Iwaizumi took it with ease. It only meant he’d have to prove what got him scouted in the first place. After that, they were grouped off and the games began. Iwaizumi’s team was currently on the bench resting after their rotation – winning 3 games out of 4.
“I knew I recognized you from somewhere.”
Iwaizumi looked up from talking to one of his teammates and turned his head towards the voice. He’s met with a familiar face; the guy’s gotten prettier, Iwaizumi noted, compared to the last time he saw him with his light ashy brown hair and blue eyes. Or maybe it’s the fact that the guy’s eyes weren’t red from crying and snot dribbling down his nose. Iwaizumi couldn’t put a name to the face but he certainly remembered people who had tried to fight him.
It had been in his second year at Aobajousai and guessed it was the guy’s third year at Kakuda (the school they were up against) seeing as Iwaizumi never saw him on court again. He remembered that the guy had been a strong player; amazingly smart, able to do sets from the back of the court and dump shots that had Oikawa practicing them for weeks. Seijou had been at match point and been neck to neck with Kakuda during the third set. The tension in the air was thick as Hanamaki served the ball over the net and the crowd roared as it was the start of the final battle.
But Iwaizumi didn't remember it being long. He remembered delivering the final spike, aiming straight for the guy because Oikawa had pointed out that the guy’s receives were below par compared to his setting abilities. The ball had flown off the guy’s fingers as a result, unable to pick it up. The match had been over and Seijou was moving on to the next match.
After the cheers of the crowd and the thank yous towards the crowd, Iwaizumi was un-expectantly shoved against a wall. The guy had Iwaizumi’s jersey scrunched up in his fist and a determined look on his face regardless of the tears that filled his eyes that threatened to fall out. Gasps were heard from both teams and Iwaizumi heard movement from his own team, coming to help if needed.
“You’re not going to win next time,” the guy had sworn to him, before being ushered back by his teammates and Iwaizumi receiving an apology from one of their assistant coaches.
“Oh, Gaichuu-kun!” Iwaizumi exclaimed, finally having a name to go with the face, or well at least, the nickname that Oikawa had given him. He knew it was mostly out of spite due to the amount of girls that were squealing at Gaichuu-kun instead of Oikawa himself, but Oikawa would never admit that.
“What!? I’m not a pest!” Gaichuu-kun fumed, offended and embarrassed hearing laughter from the other teammates. “I’m Okazaki Shinichi. I’m the official setter of the team and like I said before, you’re not going to win next time.” Okazaki introduced himself smugly.
“We’re literally on the same team. If I don’t win, you won’t win,” Iwaizumi deadpanned, silently wondering if Okazaki was an idiot and all the sets he’s done were a touch of luck. “Unless you plan on sabotaging yourself, I’m not sure how you’re going to manage that.”
“You seem awfully confident that you’ll make first string, first year.”
“You seem awfully confident that you’ll make first string again, second year,” Iwaizumi stood to look Okazaki in the eye, without a thought in mind. “I don’t know about you but Saito is a really good setter and I wouldn’t be surprised if you were kicked off your high horse this year.” Iwaizumi added, knowing fully well that it would strike a nerve in Okazaki.
Out of all the bad decisions Iwaizumi had made since the beginning of his first year in university, this might be the worst one. Picking a fight with one of his senpais, wasn’t exactly ideal, especially if the senpai had a very likely possibility of setting to Iwaizumi during these test matches that would determine his position on the team.
He had to admit though, Okazaki didn’t sit right with Iwaizumi. Okazaki was too eerily similar to Oikawa, Iwaizumi thought; his presence on and off court was strikingly familiar to Oikawa’s. Maybe it was because he missed his boyfriend or it was really starting to daunt on him that Oikawa wouldn’t be there next to him on court for the first time that he picked a fight on impulse.
Okazaki growled and glared at Iwaizumi before turning his heel and stomping off back to his team.
Iwaizumi took one last look at Okazaki and thought, Oikawa’s much prettier than him.
[Oikawa] Today, April 18th 9:01 AM
Oikawa: my teammates are impressively strong, iwa-chan
Oikawa: i don’t think you’ll be able to make good on your promise of defeating me~ ☆⌒(ゝ。∂)
Iwaizumi: i’ll make you eat your words, shittykawa
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 20th 12:00 PM
Iwaizumi: some dude broke the coffee pot trying to make ramen and i immediately thought of u guys
Hanamaki: i ran out of bowls so i made ramen in my teapot!
Matsukawa: i was playing a hard level on my game and i forgot that i was making eggs so i ended up burning them and the pan!
Oikawa: i burnt hard boiled eggs!
Iwaizumi: this isn’t a contest
[two moms one cat] Today, April 21st 3:45 PM
Kuroo: [attached image]
Iwaizumi: [attached image]
Kuroo: [attached image]
Iwaizumi: [attached image]
Yaku: can u guys not
Yaku: or at least not in the group chat
Kuroo: jealous that ur bf isn't as cute? (W◡ಠ)
Yaku: kindly die, kuroo
[Oikawa] Today, April 23rd 3:04 AM
Oikawa: you know
Oikawa: there could already possibly be life in space
Oikawa: bc wherever there’s water
Oikawa: there’s life
Iwaizumi: go to fucking bed
[Oikawa] Today, April 23rd 7:04 AM
Iwaizumi: follow up though, there’s also the possibility of life in space before us and they’ve died out
Oikawa: IWA-CHAN YES
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 25th 10:09 PM
Hanamaki: takin’ ur man out bc u can’t [attached image]
Oikawa: die
[Oikawa] Today, April 25th 1:04 AM
Iwaizumi: I miss you
[Oikawa] Today, April 25th 6:00 AM
Oikawa: I miss you too, Iwa-chan
Two weeks into practice and Iwaizumi was nothing but sore muscles bandages around his fingers. Practice to say the least was intense.
They were expected to do training on and off court, following specific regimens that were specifically tailored for them and following a strict diet. The coach’s only advice was that if you couldn’t stick to it, the soccer team was always looking for new players. Iwaizumi didn’t mind the strictness of the practice though; he liked it – it gave him a sense of order. It also allowed him to fix his sleeping schedule which he was extremely grateful for.
Iwaizumi was also grateful that he had chosen Tokai University to play for above everyone else. His teammates were strong – amazingly strong, even Okazaki. Iwaizumi redacted his doubts and every mean thing he said on the very first day, well – maybe not every mean thing. Okazaki was still a pain in the ass but at least he was a pain in the ass that knew how to play.
But dealing with Okazaki was most likely worse than dealing with all of Kuroo, Hanamaki and Oikawa combined.
There was an unspoken rule that the first years were essentially the lackeys for the team until they’ve reached their second year and Okazaki liked to take advantage of that – ordering Iwaizumi around for even the smallest things. And Iwaizumi couldn’t do anything about it because he was only afirst year.
Luckily, it was finally the long weekend and Iwaizumi was free from Okazaki’s clutches. He wouldn’t have to stay behind until he ‘properly ordered the volleyballs’ or made sure the poles were lined up properly. Just thinking about it made Iwaizumi angry.
He was currently on the train back to Miyagi, a 4-hour train ride, but Iwaizumi was restless and couldn’t bring himself to fall asleep. It’d be four weeks since he’d properly seen Oikawa – they’d been so busy adjusting to their new lives that they were limited to phone calls and texts. Iwaizumi thought it wouldn’t be all that difficult but he was wrong, completely wrong. He missed Oikawa a lot. After being attached to the hip for all their lives, it was weird being apart. As cheesy as it was, it truly did feel like there was a missing part of him.
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 28th 3:01 PM
Oikawa: 3 hours and 58 minutes until i’m reunited with iwa-chan ( ♡∀♡)
Hanamaki: i’m going to vomit
Matsukawa: pls take your lovey dovey nonsense elsewhere
Hanamaki: think of the children
As soon as Iwaizumi stepped off the train, his eyes immediately scanned the area for Oikawa. His boyfriend’s train had gotten off earlier than his, Iwaizumi knew, having to received countless updates until now about Oikawa’s arrival. He moved to a more open area, away from the train itself to get out of the crowd and a better place to find Oikawa. Iwaizumi doubted that Oikawa would move away from the train station, he quoted, ‘was too excited to see Iwa-chan so I’m staying put right here!’ Iwaizumi chuckled to himself, imaging his boyfriend as a dog waiting for it’s owner to come home.
Suddenly, Iwaizumi was tackled into a hug; with arms wrapped around his neck and a head buried between the crook of his neck, Iwaizumi’s eyes widened in shock. Alarmed, he moved to shove the attacker off of him until he heard a muffled ‘Iwa-chan.’ It only took him a second to realize who his attacker was and let his shoulders drop; letting his guard drop completely. He could only sigh as he reached up to pull his dunce of a boyfriend closer and ran his fingers through Oikawa’s hair.
“Hey Tooru,” Iwaizumi greeted softly. Being in Oikawa’s arms again made Iwaizumi feel complete, like there was no longer a missing part of him. It was a little dramatic, he admitted but the time they’d spent away from each other had been the longest they’d ever been apart ever since meeting. Camp, vacations, trips out of town, they’ve always done together up to this point. They were well aware of their codependence with each other, attached to the hip since birth; it was unhealthy for them to be so dependent each other and it was fine when they were children but they were older now. They needed to learn how to be apart. But Iwaizumi let those thoughts go, just for this weekend. He missed Oikawa.
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 28th 7:10 PM
Hanamaki: how disgustingly sweet [attached image]
Iwaizumi: yeah.
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 29th 8:10 AM
Oikawa: [attached 5 images]
Oikawa: look at how cute my iwa-chan is!! σ(≧ε≦σ)
Hanamaki: this is harassment
Today, April 29th 12:36 PM
Oikawa: date with iwa-chan today! [attached image]
Matsukawa: what are we chopped liver? [attached image]
[two moms one cat] Today, April 30th 2:00 PM
Kuroo: we miss you iwa-chan~
Iwaizumi: [attached 5 images]
Iwaizumi: 凸(°ㅂ°╬)
Kuroo: so cruel, oikawa-san~
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, April 30th 11:11 PM
Iwaizumi: [attached image]
Hanamaki: stooooop
Matsukawa: that’s so cute i’m going to vomit
Matsukawa: they’re literally having a picnic under the /stars/
Hanamaki: why don’t u take me out on romantic dates like that mattsun
Matsukawa: i reenacted the bee movie for u
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, May 1st 10:23 AM
Matsukawa: hey do u guys wanna hang out
Today, May 1st 1:03 PM
Matsukawa: guys
Hanamaki: guys
Matsukawa: guys
Hanamaki: guys
Matsukawa: guys
Hanamaki: guys
[cut for length]
Oikawa: OIKAWA-SAN AND IWA-CHAN AREN’T AVAILABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE RIGHT NOW PLEASE DON’T LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP
Hanamaki: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Matsukawa: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Returning from the long week, Iwaizumi was refreshed and ready to get back to practice. It was finally the last week for matches. The coach had promised that first string players would be picked by the end of week which meant the exhausting practices would finally come to an end. Iwaizumi could finally allow himself a little leeway until they started their practice matches with other teams.
Iwaizumi had to admit, the matches against their own team had been a good idea. He was able to learn his teammates’ strengths and weakness as well as his own, figuring out what needed to be improved and who he could go to for that. Overall, Iwaizumi had gotten along with his team well; currently going out to dinner with them in celebration of a good week. Except for Okazaki. Who was still in Iwaizumi’s book, an asshole. This week’s team had been something Iwaizumi had been dreading ever since he picked a fight with Okazaki, being grouped with Okazaki who did exactly what Iwaizumi had predicted – made it difficult for Iwaizumi to play properly.
"Ah shit, I forgot my knee pads" Iwaizumi cursed, frustratingly looking through his gym bag. It had been a long day; it was unsurprising that he probably left them in the locker room, not only had he walked into his first class late but he was pretty sure he bombed the quiz for his biology class. Then after a grueling practice, with Okazaki deciding to order him around like dog and giving him shit tosses, Iwaizumi was completely worn out and ready to pass out on the very ground he was standing on.
"I'll catch up with you guys later," Iwaizumi nodded at his teammates, swinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way back to the gym.
Iwaizumi opened the gym door, surprised to still see it lit and a volleyball net standing before him. He could've sworn he’d put at least half of them away before he left. Iwaizumi looked around the gym; volleyballs were scattered around the place and so were water bottles with numerous dents in them. Deja vu, Iwaizumi thought to himself as if he was taken back to junior high, the scene looking eerily familiar.
In the corner of his eye, Iwaizumi saw the equipment room door open and Okazaki rolling out a cart full of volleyballs.
"This is fucking weird," Iwaizumi mumbled to himself and watched Okazaki try to spike the ball himself but the ball fell onto his face as he missed. Iwaizumi couldn't help but laugh; Okazaki whipped his head around and glared at him.
"For a setter, you don't know much about your job, do you?" Iwaizumi questiond, walking to where Okazaki was and picking up a volleyball.
"Shut up, I had it," Okazaki grumbled. Sure, Iwaizumi thought to himself, choosing not to mention that only one of the water bottles had been knocked down when he came in.
"C'mon, I'll set for you," against his better judgment, Iwaizumi decided to help Okazaki regardless of how much shit Okazaki had put him through. It might’ve been his annoying need to help others or maybe it was the fact that the more time he spent the on this team, the more Iwaizumi saw Oikawa in Okazaki. Not the fake persona that Oikawa often liked to put upfront but the Oikawa that Iwaizumi knew. The one didn’t know what limitations work, that put everything into one thing even if it only made a slight difference.
On the surface, it was easy to say that Oikawa and Okazaki were cut from the same cloth but with their infuriating perfect hair and an air of confidence that surrounded them. But Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa was nothing of the sorts. Oikawa was a complicated puzzle that Iwaizumi had spent his life trying to figure out. Oikawa never usually meant what he said and he had fabricated this entire persona of himself that Oikawa hated but entirely wished he had. But one definite thing about Oikawa was that he would always go beyond, reaching for something not entirely there.
Iwaizumi could see a speck of that within Okazaki as he watched him spike the ball, the concentration on his face on his face unmoving.
“You’re hesitating,” Iwaizumi noted as the ball hit the side of the court. “The later you run up, the less power you’re going to have in your spike. You need to focus on your power first and then you can worry about accuracy,” Iwaizumi explained, grabbing another ball from the cart. After watching Oikawa set for so many years, Iwaizumi at least knew how to do it properly. He would’ve had to by now.
Okazaki nodded, returning back to his position, ready to spike again without a word.
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, May 2nd 11:00 PM
Hanamaki: >> Kunimi: [attached 2 images]
Matsukawa: is that kunimi-chan…posing as he surrounds mizoguichi’s futon with cups of water?
Hanamaki: YES I’M SO PROUD OF OUR SON
Oikawa: EXCUSE ME KUNIMI-CHAN IS IWA-CHAN AND I’S SON
Iwaizumi: i thought kyoutani was
Hanamaki: kyoutani is your son but oikawa’s stepson ┐(￣￣￣ヘ￣)┌
Oikawa: that’s not true!!
[Oikawa] Today, May 3rd 12:00 AM
Iwaizumi: i’m having a study group with a few people from class so i won’t be able to video chat with you today, sorry
Oikawa: oh my~, iwa-chan has gotten popular hasn’t he?
Today, May 3rd 2:37 PM
Oikawa 1 missed call(s)
[Kuroo] Today, May 3rd 7:24 PM
Kuroo: I'm buying lunch this week
Iwaizumi: what did you do or what do you want
Kuroo: I'm hurt that you would accuse me of such a thing
[Unknown Number] Today, May 3nd 7:25 PM
Unknown Number: Hajime~
[Kuroo] Today, May 3rd 7:25 PM
Iwaizumi: say your fuckin prayers
[Okazaki] Today, May 4th 6:24 AM
Okazaki: after practice we should go to this café i know of!!
Iwaizumi: I have class
Okazaki: I’ll wait for you!
Iwaizumi: that isn’t necessary…
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, May 4th 3:00 PM
Hanamaki: I, Hanamaki Takahiro have decided to become a hobo. Donations towards this cause will be much appreciated.
Iwaizumi: wow perfectly capitalized and good use of grammar, you’re serious.
Matsukawa: it’s like he’s all grown up
Hanamaki: pLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY I HAVE TO WRITE A PAPER ON SIGMUND FREUD
Hanamaki: MORE LIKE SIGMUND FRAUD
Hanamaki: I DON’T UNDDERSTAND WHY WE’RE FOCUSING ON HIS CRUSTY ASS
Hanamaki: HE WAS WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING
Hanamaki: EV EERYTHING
Matsukawa: rip makki
[Okazaki] Today, May 4th 5:54 PM
Okazaki: I would like to join your group chat with Tetsurou and Morisuke!
Iwaizumi: >>Kuroo: Request declined. The founder of ‘two moms one cat’, Kuroo Tetsurou, has worked tirelessly to think of an amazing name for the group chat and we cannot have outsiders ruining that.
[Matsukawa] Today, May 4th 7:00 PM
Matsukawa: i’m a little concerned about oikawa
Matsukawa: he hasn’t answered my text i sent this morning and he seemed weird on the phone the other day
Matsukawa: also he didn’t text us a row of ‘may the fourth be with you’ today
Iwaizumi: i’ll try talking to him
[Oikawa] Today, May 4th 7:05 PM
Iwaizumi: do you have time to talk?
Oikawa: only a little
Call Duration: 00:10:05
[Okazaki] Today, May 5th 5:24 PM
Okazaki: hey hey hey hey
Okazaki: hajime lets hang out
Okazaki: hajimeeee ~
Iwaizumi: only if you address me properly
Okazaki: hajime-kun?
Okazaki: hajime-san?
Okazaki: hajime-sama?
Iwaizumi: please stop
[Oikawa] Today, May 5th 4:30 AM
Oikawa: Tell Kuroo to work on his spikes, they’re below par
Iwaizumi: please get some rest, babe
Today, May 6th
Oikawa 2 missed call(s)
[Oikawa] Today, May 6th 9:00 PM
Iwaizumi: sorry, after practice ended up later than i initially thought it would and then we all went for supper. do you still want to talk?
Oikawa: it’s okay
“I made first string,” Iwaizumi blurted as soon as the other line picked up.
“Iwa-chan, that’s great!”
Iwaizumi could feel his face start to hurt from smiling so hard. The names had only been announced five minutes ago but he wanted Oikawa to be the first to know. He ran to the locker room to retrieve his phone and called Oikawa immediately. They would be playing against each other soon. It seemed surreal.
“Hajime! We both made first string!” Okazaki called out, practically throwing himself onto Iwaizumi.
After helping Okazaki with his spikes late into the night, Okazaki’s personality completely switched. Iwaizumi was lost for words when he came in the next day and Okazaki latched onto him, asking him if Iwaizumi would practice with him again today. Although taken aback and slightly uneasy with the new development, Iwaizumi accepted it. It was ten times better than being Okazaki’s lackey until the year was over and it resulted in Okazaki giving Iwaizumi proper tosses – which was what Iwaizumi assumed, had helped him a little with landing a spot on the team.
But Iwaizumi silently wondered if this was a new form of torture and Okazaki was just trying to annoy him to death. It was working after all. Someone (Kuroo) had given Okazaki Iwaizumi’s number and he was bombarded with texts, asking him if he wanted to hang out or practice. During practice, Okazaki would relentlessly come up to Iwaizumi and annoy him even further by clinging to Iwaizumi and talking his ear about something. Iwaizumi tried to be a good teammates and be civil about it but Okazaki was really starting to get on his nerves.
Iwaizumi wondered he’s cursed for something he did in a past life or there was an assembly of pretty boys that were hell bent on annoying Iwaizumi to death.
“Get off me, Okazaki! I told you not to call me that!” Iwaizumi exasperated, trying to push Okazaki off of him. What Iwaizumi had learned through Okazaki’s constant ramblings was that Okazaki was born in Sweden so he wasn’t accustomed to the same mannerisms that they had here in Japan. He explained it to Okazaki countless times that first names were only reserved for family, close relationship or friendship but Okazaki ignored him and insisted that they already were close friends much to Iwaizumi’s dismay.
“Don’t be so mean, Hajime~ I was asked to come fetch you, coach wants us to start practicing immediately,” Okazaki pouted, letting Iwaizumi go to sit down on the bench.
Iwaizumi sighed, he wanted to spend a little longer talking to Oikawa. He felt bad, he hadn’t been able to talk to Oikawa a whole lot since they got back from spending the long weekend together. He really missed just being with Oikawa, listening to his boyfriend talking while Iwaizumi ran his fingers through Oikawa’s amazingly soft hair. Iwaizumi also missed the late night video chats they had but either one of them were busy or Iwaizumi was passed out asleep as soon as he had gotten back to his dorm.
“Sorry, Tooru. I have to get to practice. I’ll call you later, okay?” Iwaizumi promised.
“Okay, Iwa-chan. Don’t take too many volleyballs to the head, you’ll be dumber than you already are,” pass the insult, Iwaizumi could hear the strain in Oikawa’s voice and it broke his heart.
Oikawa hadn’t complained about Iwaizumi not giving him enough attention which was already a telltale sign that Iwaizumi hadn’t been giving Oikawa enough attention. He always had this roundabout way of doing things; this only showed that Oikawa understood that Iwaizumi was busy but he didn’t want to disturb Iwaizumi even if he wasn’t happy. Iwaizumi felt awful that he couldn’t make his boyfriend as happy as he deserved to be. He knew he wasn’t being the best boyfriend at the moment, being buried under course work and practices.
“I love you,” Iwaizumi uttered, clutching his phone tight in his hand.
“I love you too, Hajime,” although it wasn’t much, Iwaizumi could hear the small smile in Oikawa’s voice as he reciprocated.
[Oikawa] Today, May 7th 7:02 AM
Iwaizumi: i’m visiting you this week, make room on your bed.
Oikawa: but iwa-chan, you have practice and homework!!
Iwaizumi: you’re more important
[Oikawa] Today, May 12th 6:00 AM
Oikawa: our first practice match, iwa-chan! you better be ready to get your ass kicked
Iwaizumi: don’t get your hopes up, shittykawa
Although it was only a practice match, the gymnasium had quite a crowd. Iwaizumi was currently practicing his spikes with Okazaki with Yaku receiving them but admittedly, he was distracted. His eyes kept wandering towards the locker room, hoping that Oikawa would come out sooner than later. He wanted to have a quick talk with his boyfriend before the match, even if talking was just them spitting insults at each other. A week had passed since his impromptu trip to visit Oikawa’s but there was something bugging Iwaizumi ever since.
They spent most of the time lounging around in Oikawa’s dorm, simply just comfortable being in each other’s presence and really catching up on their lives. After all, there were still some things left unsaid even if they tried to talk everyday. However, whenever Iwaizumi tried to bring up the topic of Oikawa’s team or anything related to it, Oikawa would change the topic immediately or suggest to do something else. What Iwaizumi had heard so far was that Chuo University was already making headlines on being one of the contenders to be the best in Tokyo. He remembered seeing Oikawa’s team in Volleyball Monthly a couple of times, Oikawa plastered on the front as the key to bringing the team to victory. But he hadn’t heard anything from Oikawa who he knew, would’ve bragged about it by now.
He could easily guess that there was something wrong between Oikawa and his team but Iwaizumi decided not to press on it. Oikawa had his own way of telling you he wanted to talk about something; sometimes it was key phrases or Oikawa hinted at something for days, so it wouldn’t make it seem like he was the one that brought it up himself. Iwaizumi had long figured these out by now but Oikawa didn’t want to talk about it at all during the weekend. Iwaizumi was definitely worried but he relented that Oikawa always tried to fix things himself before any eyebrows were raised or permanent damaged cause – even if Iwaizumi had reminded him constantly that he wasn’t alone. But he knew Oikawa’s boundaries were different than others, he’d push himself until he was hanging on the edge if he had to.
“Hajime~ If you’re this distracted during the match, we might have to bench you” Okazaki chided, suddenly extremely close to Iwaizumi’s face. Iwaizumi placed a hand on Okazaki’s face, pushing it aside. “What’d I tell you about personal space, Okazaki?” Iwaizumi stressed.
“It’s okay if it’s Okazaki-kun!”
“My, my,” a different, yet familiar voice comes up to them. Shit. Iwaizumi could recognize that voice from a mile away. Oikawa. “What do we have here?”
Before Iwaizumi could step to diffuse a situation before it occurred, Okazaki had already moved to stand face to face with Oikawa. He knew Oikawa didn’t like Okazaki. It was evident in his voice when Iwaizumi later called to explain what had happened or when Oikawa brought him up seemingly nonchalantly when Iwaizumi visited. Iwaizumi had done his best to keep a distance from Okazaki, knowing that Oikawa was feeling some insecurity but Okazaki was persistent and clingy.
“Gaichuu-kun, it’s been awhile,” Oikawa greeted, taking a brief glance at Iwaizumi before scowled straight at Okazaki. “I hope you don’t take this loss too seriously and cry. It’d be a shame to see that on court again,” he taunted, smirking.
“Oh, I won’t be the one that’s crying. After all, Hajime is my ace this time,” Okazaki bit back easily with the same exact smirk.
Fuck, this wasn’t going to end well. Iwaizumi could already feel the anger oozing out of Oikawa. Quickly thinking, Iwaizumi dragged Okazaki away before Oikawa could possibly try to rip Okazaki’s throat out. He looked back apologetically at his boyfriend before scolding Okazaki for the fifth time this week.
The practice ended with Iwaizumi’s team winning two sets and Oikawa’s team winning only one. The teams were neck to neck but until a miscalculation on Chuo’s libero’s part that allowed Iwaizumi’s team to take the victory.
Iwaizumi could easily see why Chuo University always received so much praise, they were outstanding. If their libero didn’t miss the last receive, Iwaizumi was sure his team was going to lose. It was such a rush being on court again, playing a good game with his new teammates. Even if he had lost, Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he would’ve minded, playing against a team like that. But there was something that bugged Iwaizumi throughout the game; Oikawa’s behavior off court. On court, Oikawa was the same as he’s always been. Strong service aces, amazing sets, provoking the other team (but they had Kuroo who easily matched with Oikawa). Iwaizumi even took a second to admire how great his boyfriend was.
But off court. Off court was a different story. He hadn’t seen Oikawa talk to any of his teammates much, often sat alone on the bench drinking his energy drink. At first he thought it might’ve been him taking a break to regain his concentration due to the strain of his jump serve like back in Aobajousai. However, as the game went on, Oikawa didn’t slap his teammates on the back or give them same talks of encouragement like he did before. There was something different and it made Iwaizumi uneasy.
Chuo thanked Tokai for allowing them to joint practice with them and Iwaizumi is more than tempted to leave with Oikawa, wanting to talk to him – making sure he was okay or doing anything ridiculous like staying up to analyze the match. But Iwaizumi resisted, they weren’t on the same team anymore. He needed to go with his team, to celebrate their first victory together even if it was just a practice match. If he didn’t, it’d feel too much like high school and they’d be right back where they started. Iwaizumi relented, and instead, pulled Oikawa aside while they’re changing for a second.
“You did well,” Iwaizumi pressed his forehead against Oikawa’s.
“I’ll do better next time,” Oikawa promised, lacing his fingers with Iwaizumi’s.
“I know,” Iwaizumi smiled at him before pulling his boyfriend into a kiss.
[Oikawa] Today, May 12th 6:50 PM
Iwaizumi: you know you can talk to me about anything, right?
Oikawa: yes mommy ☆⌒(≧▽° )
Iwaizumi: (╬￣皿￣)=○＃(￣#)３￣)
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, May 12th 7:00 PM
Hanamaki: nice match!
Matsukawa: you were there?
Hanamaki: no but my friend’s sister recorded a bit of it and sent it to him who showed me
Hanamaki: [attached video]
Iwaizumi: you have friends other than us?
Matsukawa: would u like some cold water for that burn makki-chan
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, May 15th 2:40 PM
Matsukawa: let’s all hang out this week~
Iwaizumi: we could have a barbeque or something
Iwaizumi: on the condition that makki and oikawa are let nowhere near the grill
Oikawa: so rude, iwa-chan! i’m an amazing cook.
Iwaizumi: u served me burnt ramen
Oikawa: it was abstract food
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, May 18th 5:00 AM
Oikawa: i was too excited to visit iwa-chan today that i could barely sleep o(≧▽≦)o
Hanamaki: you’re never this excited when u come visit us
Matsukawa: i’m honestly offended
[two moms one cat] Today, May 18th 4:00 PM
Kuroo: I know your bf is excited to see u but some people are trying to study
Iwaizumi: [attached image]
Iwaizumi: (っ˘ڡ˘ς)
Kuroo: I can never un-see that
Kuroo: how did u even manage that
Iwaizumi: lots of pract dfhsdjkf
Iwaizumi: iwa chan left the room ｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡
Kuroo: [attached image]
Kuroo: my iwa chan returned home (W‿‿─)
Iwaizumi: fuck you, kuro-chan
Chuo University
To: Iwaizumi Hajime
May 28th, 2016 at 10:03 AM
Dear Iwaizumi Hajime,
I am writing to you formally to ask you to reconsider Chuo University’s offer to play on our team. I strongly recommend you come explore what our university has to offer and the team itself before making a decision. We here at Chuo University would love to have you play for the team and as a student.
Sincerely,
Suzuki Sumiye
Iwaizumi couldn’t think of a plausible reason why Chuo University was asking him again to consider their offer; it was unusual of universities to do so. He briefly wondered if it was a prank from his friends, namely Hanamaki, but the email address had checked out. Iwaizumi was stuck at crossroads. While he did enjoy being at Tokai, his heart tugged at being able to play with Oikawa again. Chuo University’s offer was nice, it was a good sizable amount and if he worked on weekends, he could easily afford the rest of the tuition himself with a little help from his parents but Iwaizumi had already made a nice home here at Tokai.
Unsure and not wanting to make a rash decision, Iwaizumi decided to take up advice to look around the university first. He’d only been there a handful of times but his sightseeing was limited to Oikawa’s dorm and wherever Oikawa wanted to show him – his favourite café or the place he usually ate at. But mostly – Oikawa’s dorm.
[Video Call: Mulder]
Iwaizumi waited patiently for Oikawa to accept the call. He had texted Oikawa a simple ‘skype’ seconds before he had made the call. It was late into the evening so he hoped Oikawa was in his dorm doing god knows what. If not, Oikawa would eventually call him back. Iwaizumi just didn’t want to talk about it on the phone since it was kind of an important decision to make.
“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa chirped happily as soon as his face appeared on Iwaizumi’s screen. He had his glasses on which meant he probably just woke up and didn’t feel like putting his contacts or he was watching a movie. Iwaizumi guessed the first since Oikawa’s hair was a mess that he only achieved while sleeping, Iwaizumi smiled. “What do I owe this pleasure?”
“I got a message from your university asking me to reconsider their offer”
“Reconsider their offer?” Oikawa repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“To play for their team” Iwaizumi clarified.
A worried expressed flashed on Oikawa’s face before he smiled. Fake, Iwaizumi noted. “Aw, Iwa-chan. Are you sure you don’t just miss me setting for you?” Oikawa questioned. He was avoiding the question.
“I’m coming this weekend. They asked me to stop by and look around before I decide so you’re going to be my tour guide” Iwaizumi ignored Oikawa’s comment.
“The great Oikawa-san will show you around then!” Oikawa promised, flashing two peace signs at Iwaizumi.
“Know any reason why they would be asking me?” Iwaizumi eyed his best friend, hoping to pull something out of him. He had suspected it had something to do with Oikawa’s teammates but Oikawa hadn’t mentioned it before so it wasn’t like Iwaizumi could bring it up out of the blue. No, he could bring it up but he was afraid Oikawa would deny it or get angry.
“Nope!” Oikawa said quickly and hung up. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but facepalm; his boyfriend had just made it even more obvious that there was something wrong. He could’ve at least tried to covered it up regardless if Iwaizumi could tell or not.
At least now Iwaizumi knew that the issue with Oikawa’s teammates hadn’t been resolved. Iwaizumi had really tried to give Oikawa some space and let him resolve the issue himself – he didn’t want to mother hen Oikawa all the time. And he knew Oikawa wouldn’t want the same but it had been going on for a month and possibly more.
Iwaizumi should’ve realized it sooner when there was barely any complaints or comments about Oikawa’s teammates from Oikawa himself. Or the fact that Oikawa didn’t send him about a million and one snapchats during practice. He’d been so busy that he hadn’t been properly paying attention to Oikawa but Iwaizumi supposed that was a given, trying to detach from each other and all. Decidedly, Iwaizumi wouldn’t interfere but he would at least try to get Oikawa to talk about it.
Iwaizumi sent an email back, stating that he would visit Chuo University this weekend to look around and consider the offer.
“And this, is our gymnasium,” Oikawa gestured.
“Why are there being volleyball nets set up?” Iwaizumi questioned, scanning the gym. The gym itself was impressive but Iwaizumi couldn’t help to subside that thought momentarily. It looked like they were setting up for practice but Iwaizumi already dismissed the idea that the girl’s team was playing, the gym was riddled with testosterone. Something wasn’t right.
“Ah, Iwaizumi-kun! I’m glad you could make it.” A coach, Iwaizumi recognized from Oikawa’s team, came up to them and shook his hand. “We’re just about to have practice, won’t you join us for a game?” The coach questioned but it sounded more like a suggestion than anything.
“I, uh, don’t have my gym clothes,” Iwaizumi excused, looking at Oikawa for help, only to have Oikawa raise his hands in surrender.
“That’s perfectly alright, you could borrow some clothes,” the coach signaled an assistant coach to come, presenting a fresh pair of gym attire with Chuo University printed on it. Suddenly, Iwaizumi felt like he was backed in a corner. They planned it. They completely planned for him to come here and play a game with their team. Iwaizumi had to admit it was smart but it didn’t mean he was happy about it.
“I guess one game couldn’t hurt,” Iwaizumi relented, taking the clothes from the assistant coach.
As Iwaizumi walked with Oikawa towards the locker rooms, Iwaizumi stopped and placed and hand on Oikawa’s shoulder.
“They planned that, didn’t they?” Iwaizumi asked.
“Yup."
Initially, Iwaizumi thought playing on a rival team would create some tension or at least uneasy feelings between them; having a rough game and the coaches probably deciding that Iwaizumi playing on their team was a bad idea. However, it was the complete opposite. With their practice match fresh in his mind, Iwaizumi was easily able to navigate through the court – even giving his temporary teammates some advice, regardless if they were supposed to be rivals. But what Iwaizumi found most shocking was that he could flow so easily with the team; it was like he’d been on this team all along. Especially with Oikawa on court next to him.
He hadn’t expected them to be so in sync after not playing together for two months and then some; Iwaizumi at least expected them to miss a few throws and maybe crash into each other once but they hadn’t. It was as if they had never gone their separate ways and have been playing together this entire time. But there was one notable difference – they were stronger. It was like muscle memory, playing with Oikawa again. The information was ingrained into them after playing together for most of their lives, it’d be impossible to forget. In sync, both mentally and physically.
They were dominating the court, getting point after point – they were invincible.
But in the back of Iwaizumi’s mind, he knew they couldn’t go on like this forever – never being able to separate from each other. The two of them knew they needed to allow each other some space after being together for so long, it was the healthy thing to do or they’ll end up ripping each other’s throats out in the future. Regardless of how perfectly they worked together, there needed to be some separation. They couldn’t be those two little kids holding their hands tightly, stuck in their own little world. That’s what they decided to do when they left high school, they knew they had to.
After the game, with Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s team unsurprisingly taking the win, Iwaizumi took a moment to observe Oikawa’s behavior. Oikawa had stayed silent when the teammates came up to talk to Iwaizumi, barely participating in the conversation even if Iwaizumi had been there next to him. Regardless of how dense Oikawa made Iwaizumi out to be, Iwaizumi was never dense whenever it came to Oikawa. He knew, but he wanted Oikawa to come to his own terms before Iwaizumi did anything.
Before the coaches could come out and bombard Iwaizumi with another offer, Iwaizumi pulled Oikawa out of the gym, still in their gym attire. They could always shower in Oikawa’s room – it wasn’t a big deal.
“Are you finally going to tell me what’s wrong?” Iwaizumi questioned as soon as they were back in Oikawa’s room, throwing their bags aside.
“There’s nothing wrong, Iwa-chan! Look how well we played today, I know you want to fuck but we should really go back. The coaches are probably looking under benches for you,” Oikawa lay on his bed, avoiding eye contact with his boyfriend.
Oikawa may have been one of the smartest people that Iwaizumi knew, but he could be somewhat of an idiot that whenever he was around Iwaizumi – which Iwaizumi was grateful for. He wasn’t sure if he could handle Oikawa analyzing his every step or constantly thinking of ways to get the upper hand. And he wasn’t sure Oikawa could be on guard all the time. When it’s just the two of them – Oikawa didn’t have to be anything – there was no one around that would criticize whatever he did; with Iwaizumi, he was bare.
Iwaizumi had seen it all, the good, the bad and everything in between. It was the same for Oikawa, they had nothing to hide from each other. They had seen it all.
Iwaizumi laced his fingers with Oikawa, deciding not to pull him into a hug because he was sweaty and even if he was used to it, it was still gross.
“Tooru,” Iwaizumi paused, trying to think something he could say. He didn’t want to yell at Oikawa, it usually worked but something seemed different. It didn’t seem like Oikawa was trying to fight his hardest like before, he seemed – vulnerable. “It’s okay.”
There was a pause. Iwaizumi sat there silently, waiting for Oikawa to talk.
“You probably already know, don’t you?” Oikawa’s voice, slightly muffled because he had pressed himself against his pillow. “My teammates hate me.”
“Hate you?” Iwaizumi repeated in disbelief, whipping his head around to face Oikawa’s curled up body. He couldn’t see – no, he could see why people could hate Oikawa. They shouldn’t, but Oikawa made it easy to sometimes but those people were usually on the other side of the court from him – not on the same side.
“That’s why they asked you to reconsider their offer; I was starting to have trouble syncing up with my teammates.” Iwaizumi’s mind flashed back to the game; he had been so focused on him and Oikawa that he didn’t realize that there was something off; a few tosses missed, failure to communicate. Iwaizumi had brushed them off as simple mistakes but he couldn’t see what was beneath the surface, they all involved Oikawa. “In the beginning, it was okay. They’re a strong team and I was able to match up to them; even with the basics, we were strong, pulling ahead of everyone else but I knew they didn’t like me.”
“I tried to get along with them but they usually gave me short answers or straight up ignored me – I hadn’t done anything to them but I took it with ease, figuring it wouldn’t affect our team. I mean, they’d be pretty stupid if they let something petty like jealously affect the team.”
“Jealously?” Iwaizumi questioned.
“Yeah,” Oikawa chuckled “I figured it out when I was out for lunch and a few of the members were there too. They were talking about how that annoying pretty boy setter was always bringing his dumbass fans to cheer him on, how he probably paid them to stick around. Thinking he was so high and mighty, better than us, just because he’s got a scholarship here, well he isn’t the only one!” Although it was clear that Oikawa was mocking the guy, Iwaizumi could hear the hurt in his voice. Iwaizumi tightened his grip on Oikawa’s hand.
“I bet he’s never worked a day in his life, probably had everything handed to him on a silver platter,” Oikawa bit out, probably harsher than he expected. “I also bet those aren’t his grades, probably gets his fangirls to do the work for him or seducing the professor. I saw the physics professor making eyes at him so I wouldn’t be surprised.” Oikawa recited. “He’s probably got a shit personality – I’ve seen how he acts on court; I wouldn’t want to be his friend.” Iwaizumi could feel Oikawa’s hands shaking.
“It was fine though, I didn’t care if they hated me. Their loss, right? Unable to become friends with the great Oikawa-san,” Oikawa forced out a light hearted laughter. “They’re strong – really strong. But they’re also incredibly stubborn and you always said I was really stubborn. I’m sorry, Iwa-chan for being such a pain in the ass to deal with. I’m sorry. Now I know what it’s like not to be listened to when you were only trying to help, I’m sorry.” Oikawa kept apologizing again and again. “And maybe they were strong enough and I was falling behind, disappointing the team. Maybe they were right and I didn’t work for anything –”
“Stop.” Iwaizumi moved from his place on the floor and onto Oikawa’s bed, pulling his boyfriend up into an embrace, pulling the pillow from Oikawa’s clutches. He tilted Oikawa’s face up, could already see the tears falling out. Iwaizumi could see the seams being undone; Oikawa’s insecurities eating him up. “You always say things you don’t mean when you’re upset. You know you deserve a place on the court, more so than anyone.” Iwaizumi wiped the tears that had already fallen, not wanting to see his boyfriend cry. Oikawa wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s waist, leaning onto him slightly for support.
He could understand Oikawa’s feelings – having to have worked for everything he’s gotten to this point to only have it completely shot down and misshapen. He knew Oikawa was frustrated, half the things he was hated for, he couldn’t control. It wasn’t like Oikawa could stop being so annoyingly pretty or ask the people who adored him to stop cheering him on. Those were simply out of his control.
The world didn’t know Oikawa like Iwaizumi did, the Oikawa he grew up with. The one that would claw at some desperately until he got it perfect, not just about but absolutely perfect. Who would break his own arm off if it meant he would become better. Who had given every bit of himself to the game he loved, so he could keep playing the game he loved.
“I tried to give them advice on how they could improve their spiking but they just wouldn’t listen – they kept repeating what they were doing before without even trying anything. I was frustrated and equally stubborn because I wanted them to see that it could be improved so it became a battle and we started to lose sync.”
“Why did you keep this bottle up for so long?” Iwaizumi murmured, kissing the side of Oikawa’s head soundly.
“I thought I could do it on my own,” Oikawa admitted, pulling away from Iwaizumi and pursing his lips.
“I think I’ve always subconsciously relied on Iwa-chan" Oikawa paused, taking a second to look at Iwaizumi before adverting his eyes. "Whenever things went south, Iwa-chan would be there to fix it. I think a part of me knew that so it didn’t matter how much I overworked myself, Iwa-chan would always be there for me to fall back on."
““You always picked me off my feet even when I didn’t deserve it – even when I yelled at you or fought with you so many times. I always felt so bad because I thought I was holding Iwa-chan back; I’m so needy and high maintenance that Iwa-chan probably didn’t get to do a lot of things he wanted to do because he was stuck with me. So I thought that this could be something I could do without needing Iwa-chan’s help because we had to try to be independent, right?” Oikawa confessed as he smiled sadly. “But it turned into this mess and I don’t know what to do anymore”
“Idiot,” Iwaizumi began, cupping Oikawa’s cheeks with his hands. “Just because we’re trying to be independent, it doesn’t mean you have to be alone – we’re not strangers, you dumbass. Being independent means knowing when to ask for help – being independent allows you to become your own person but at the same time, knowing what your limitations are. I’m your boyfriend. I’d be a pretty shitty one if I was never there for you.” Iwaizumi scolded before he pressed a light kiss on Oikawa’s lips.
“It’s okay to ask for help. It’s not a bad thing, it doesn’t mean you’re helpless. It just means you need a hand sometimes,” Iwaizumi added, pulling Oikawa closer towards.
“I love you, Iwa-chan”
“I love you too. Now go shower, you stink”
“I smell like flowers!”
“Yes, like the Titan Arum”
“Mean, Iwa-chan, mean!”
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, June 4th 6:55 AM
Iwaizumi: you could always try arm wrestling them into submission
Oikawa: we’re not all so brutish like you iwa-chan ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ
Hanamaki: show them ur limited edition shiny charizard card
Hanamaki: i would want to be ur friend
Oikawa: that’s in /mint/ condition. i refuse to take it out
“You have a limited edition shiny Charizard card?” A voice came behind Oikawa as he’s typing out his message. Oikawa looked up to see the libero of the team, Kato standing behind him. Oikawa made a face.
From what Oikawa had gathered, Kato was a first year like Oikawa himself but he didn’t talk much. Oikawa just assumed he didn’t like him just like the rest of the team had. Kato was a good libero but he was often unsure of himself therefore made him prone to second guessing before he made a move. Kato also reminded Oikawa a bit of Kunimi and Kindaichi combined, the nervousness of Kindaichi but the quietness of Kunimi. Oikawa was sure Kato just needed some reassurance, a few pointers and he might be as good as a libero as Nishinoya from Karasuno.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to read your messages but Charizard caught my eye,” Kato apologized, even going to bow his head a little.
“It’s perfectly alright!” Oikawa assured him, feeling a little embarrassed that Kato was bowing to him. “I have it in my dorm if you want to see it. I brought it with me because I was afraid my nephew was going to steal it from me while I was gone.”
“Really?! I mean I don’t want to bother you; you always look like you’re so busy, I don’t want to intrude,” Kato mused, looking a little shy.
“Sure, it’s no problem,” Oikawa smiled, giving Kato an OK sign.
“Oh! By the way, Oikawa-san. I’ve always been too nervous to tell you this but you’re an amazing setter! I remember watching Aobajousai’s match against Karasuno on television and I was floored,” Kato praised. “Do you think you could teach me that play you did with your libero? The one where he sets and you spike the ball? I think it’d be really useful for the team,” Kato said, looking at Oikawa with hopeful eyes, leaving Oikawa stunned.
“Leave it to Oikawa-san!”
[would u like a side of meal with ur pile of salt] Today, June 4th 7:00 AM
Oikawa: i can’t believe i just made a friend because of my limited edition charizard card
Oikawa: makki-san, teach me your ways