Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I’m leaving for Argentina.”

Iwaizumi had never been deaf in his life, but at that moment he felt like he had misheard. At least, he wished.

“What?”

“Iwa-chan, have you become deaf by any chance? I said that I spoke with Blanco and I’m leaving for Argentina to train with him.”

Iwaizumi stared at him for a moment, as if the words that just came out of his best friend’s mouth had a completely different meaning. But deep down, he’d always known. Oikawa had always been that annoying guy who chases volleyball forever, so much that he decided to leave his own country to go to the other side of the world, chasing a dream that Iwaizumi was not a part of.

“When are you leaving?” It was the only thing he could say at that moment.

“Probably after the graduation ceremony. Before I leave, though, I’d like to throw one last party and spend time with all of you guys” Oikawa said calmly.

Iwaizumi nodded, following him out of the gym mindlessly.

The graduation ceremony day arrived, and Oikawa insisted taking lots of pictures together with his friends. Hanamaki and Matsukawa posed, making some funny faces, Iwaizumi refused to do so.

“Iwa-chan! I can’t leave without having one last picture with you to hang in my new apartment in Argentina!”

“Get off me, I don’t want my face hanging somewhere!”

“Mean, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa said, but smiled as Iwaizumi stared at the camera Hanamaki was holding in hands, ready to take the picture.

Click.

Another memory that would end up who knows where. Iwaizumi sighed, as Oikawa continued to wave the picture they just took in front of his eyes. It came out pretty well, he had to admit it. Oikawa’s bright smile mixed with Iwaizumi’s sullen one seemed to describe the core of their relationship.

“Can I have one too?” Iwaizumi asked suddenly. Oikawa stared at him in surprise.

“Has Iwa-chan suddenly become romantic?”

“Stop talking bullshit, Shittykawa! I take it back, I don’t want it anymore!” Iwaizumi snapped, hitting him on the head.

The day before his departure, Tooru decided to spend the evening with Iwaizumi watching one last movie together. Once he layed down on his bed, however, he decided to show all the doubts that gripped his mind, while Hajime pretended to sleep in the futon a little further away from him.

“Iwa-chan, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

Iwaizumi sighed, knowing full well what was going on in his best friend’s mind.

“Why are you bringing this up the day before you leave?”

Oikawa stayed silent. He couldn’t look at him, and his pout deepened, showing all his insecurities.

“You probably won’t become truly happy until you’re a geezer.”

“The hell? What kind of curse is that?!” Oikawa blurted out, quite annoyed.

“But as I already told you, keep going without a second thought.”

Oikawa looked into his eyes, amazed and taken aback, while Iwaizumi’s face was caressed by the faint light of the moon.

“You’re the absolute best setter, and you’ll have no problem showing it to the world. So yeah, you’re doing the right thing.”

“Iwa…”

“Of course we’ll keep in touch. You won’t get rid of me that easily, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi reassured him, reading his mind as he always did and finally looking him in the eyes.

Oikawa suddenly felt invincible. All the doubts that had been swirling around in his mind disappeared. He was afraid that Iwaizumi would leave him behind. That it wouldn’t be the same again, that the distance between them would slowly bring to silence. But Iwaizumi had promised him that nothing between them would ever change.

“The moon is really beautiful tonight” Oikawa whispered, staring out of the window as he sighed peacefully.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Crappykawa? Just go to sleep, you have to get up early tomorrow.”

As he said so, Tooru had already fallen asleep, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help staring at him. His best friend’s features were stunning under the moonlight, and Hajime couldn’t help but agree with him: the moon was really beautiful that night.

The next day, Oikawa was peaceful. Something the night before had calmed him down, and he was in a good mood. Iwaizumi helped him pack the last things before heading to the airport. The journey was silent, or at least, Iwaizumi didn’t talk much. Oikawa told him about the place where he was going to live, how strange and exciting it was suddenly living alone in another continent. And Iwaizumi did nothing but nod.

Oikawa had decided alone. He didn’t ask for his opinion, nor shared his thoughts before taking the decision. After all it was his future, and Oikawa Tooru had never really had any doubts about that: he wanted to become a professional player, and nothing would have stopped him. Not even Iwaizumi.

“Iwa-chan, we’re here” Oikawa’s voice brought him back to reality.

They got out of the car and slowly walked towards the gate. Oikawa said goodbye to his family, hugging Takeru tightly, who was in tears.

When Tooru turned to face him, looking at him with that intense and melancholy look, Hajime’s heart skipped a beat.

“It’s time, huh?” Seijoh’s ace said with a hoarse voice.

“Iwa-chan…don’t tell me you miss me already!”

“I’m going to celebrate with Hanamaki and Matsukawa later, I’ll finally have some peace.”

“You’re so mean!” Oikawa pouted, while Iwaizumi pulled him in a close embrace.

Their hands clutched each other’s backs, and both tried to hold back their tears in vain.

“You’ll get my shirt dirty, Shittykawa.”

“Don’t act so tough, my shoulder is dripping from your tears, Iwachan!”

Iwaizumi laughed heartily, the deep and familiar sound ringing like a melody in Oikawa’s ears. Oh God, he would miss him so much.

“I still can’t believe that the match against Karasuno was the last time I got to play on the court with you by my side” Tooru suddenly said, freeing himself from the embrace.

“And I also messed up your last set to me” Iwaizumi added, pretending it was a joke, but deep down he still regretted that moment.

“That’s not true, our trust couldn’t have been in a better shape. Though, are you sure you don’t want to play anymore?”
Oikawa’s question was simple, but deep down the setter still couldn’t believe that Iwaizumi would no longer be his ace, that he would no longer train with him and be there by his side.

“That’s your path, not mine.”

It really was their last time.

“Promise me you’ll come visit me sometimes” Oikawa said, grabbing his suitcase, ready to join the people in line to check-in.

“And you promise to call, and not train too hard.”

“Iwa-chan, are you my mum?”

Iwaizumi smiled, and, for the first time, he didn’t reply to the provocation.

“Have a good trip, Oikawa.”

“I’ll make you proud, Iwa-chan!” And with that, Oikawa turned, walking toward the gate.

Iwaizumi looked up, and all he could see was Oikawa’s silhouette slowly moving further and further away from him. Since when had he felt that sting in his chest? It had always been natural for him to follow Oikawa, to take care of him, to support him. But now, he was alone.

“I'm already proud of you, idiot” Iwaizumi whispered to himself, smiling.

Chapter Text

One year later

Life in Argentina was so different, Oikawa had to admit, but he adapted almost immediately. People were much warmer, and Oikawa still had to process the fact that they greeted each other by hugging and kissing.

Training was intense, and sometimes he didn’t even have time to breathe. He managed to make a few video calls with Iwaizumi at midnight, while in Japan it was noon. The time difference certainly didn’t help. But Oikawa had chosen that life, he was chasing a dream and he knew that, with the right commitment,  he could make it come true. He certainly didn’t want to give up like that.

One day, while he was returning to the apartment he shared with his roommate and teammate, he heard a familiar laugh making its way into his head. What was going on?

When he opened the door, he saw Miguel laughing out loud, barely able to stand up, while his interlocutor entertained him with stories about Oikawa.

“¿Qué pasa aquí, Miguel?” Tooru said in Spanish, confused, as he took off his shoes.

“Oh, Toto! You didn’t tell me Iwa-chan was so nice!” his roommate shouted, as a familiar figure made his way down the hall.

Iwaizumi Hajime stopped a few feet away from him, with that smile and those olive green eyes that Oikawa missed so much.

“You were training until late again, right, Shittykawa?” His deep voice filled Oikawa’s ears, and he found himself jumping into his best friend’s arms before he could think about it.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming!”

“It’s called a surprise, idiot” Iwaizumi said, as he hugged him tightly.

They hadn’t seen each other in a year. Hajime had spent a whole year imagining Oikawa’s scent, how he might have changed. He could confirm now that it hadn’t changed at all.
Oikawa had just trimmed his hair a little, and was more tanned and muscular than before, maybe even taller. But his shining eyes, his shaking hands and his ugly cry had never changed.

When they pulled away, Oikawa realized he had nothing edible at home.

“I didn’t cook anything…should we order takeout?”

“I made empanadas and humita!” Miguel shouted from the kitchen.

“You’re lucky to have a roommate like that, otherwise you’d forget to eat!” Iwaizumi scolded him, hitting him on the head.

Oikawa stuck out his tongue, and then they sat down at the table. The food was delicious, and Iwaizumi complimented Miguel, who blushed slightly. The three decided to go out the next night, because Iwaizumi had gotten tired during the trip. Miguel said goodnight to them, while Oikawa led the way to his own bedroom.
Iwaizumi looked around, and noticed the small plants on the window, the various volleyball and alien posters that Tooru liked so much, the tidy desk, and the double bed. Hanging on the wall, he noticed the photo they had taken on their last day of high school, during the graduation ceremony.

Wait a minute…

“Where do I have to sleep?” Iwaizumi asked, noticing that Oikawa wasn’t pulling out any spare futons, no portable beds, and the couch in the living room certainly wasn’t big enough to sleep on.

“I know it’s going to seem weird and you’re probably looking forward to it, but you’re going to have to sleep with me, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi’s heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t how he imagined it.

“Stop joking! If you don’t have a spare futon, I’ll sleep on the couch!”

“I don’t recommend it, it’s really uncomfortable,” Oikawa said as if nothing had happened.

“How do you know?” Iwaizumi blurted out, trying to calm down.

“Where do you think I sleep when I come back dead tired from practice?”

Oops. Oikawa had said too much. He could have spared himself and the serious, pissed-off expression on Iwaizumi’s face was proof of that. Hajime grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, pinning him down with his dead-serious look.

“How many times have I told you not to overdo it? Do you ever listen to me?!” Growled Iwaizumi, never leaving his gaze.

Oikawa felt a shiver run down his spine and a thick tension quickly filled the room. He gasped for air, their faces were a few inches apart and Oikawa's mind began to cloud. What was that feeling? Why was he suddenly excited? Iwaizumi was so…hot. He couldn't take his eyes off him, even though the other was simply pissed at him. What was going on?

Tooru's hot panting and his face so close made Iwaizumi lose his mind. The setter’s scent now filled his nostrils, and he couldn't help but inhale as much of it as possible.
Iwaizumi noticed Oikawa's confused and terrified look. What was he afraid of? Maybe he had overdone it? Was Oikawa afraid of him? He shook his head, coming to his senses. What had gotten into him?

He let him go, taking three steps back and leaving some space between them. They both took that opportunity to breathe. After a while, Iwaizumi sighed, and grabbed the handle.

“I’m sorry…I’ll sleep on the couch. Goodnight” he said, before closing the door behind him, while Oikawa gazed mindlessly out the window.

He couldn’t explain what had happened. It was a simple argument, as it often happened between them. But that time, there was something different…unspoken words, glances that gave themselves away. Oikawa didn’t want to put a name on it.

Oikawa had become an early riser since he moved to Argentina. It might have been because the sun rose early there, and his room didn’t have blinds. He hadn’t slept well though, he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened the night before with Iwaizumi.

He sighed, heading to the bathroom to rinse his face and put some cream on for those horrible dark circles he had under his eyes. As he headed towards the kitchen, he noticed that Iwaizumi was still sleeping on the couch. Oikawa slowly approached and, before he knew it,  he found himself staring at his best friend. Iwaizumi’s chest was rising and falling rhythmically, his lips half-open, his hair disheveled and his right hand dangling off the couch.

Oikawa knelt down beside him and took his hand to place it on his chest. He couldn’t help but notice that it was large and rough. He had never held Hajime’s hand, maybe only in elementary school when Tooru started crying because a beetle flew at him. He found himself holding his hand for too long, lost in thought, so much that he didn’t notice Iwaizumi staring at him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Oikawa jumped, letting go and standing up suddenly.

“Nothing. You had something on your hand” he tried to divert the subject, in vain.

“I was awake for a while, and you held my hand for at least 5 minutes” Iwaizumi said, looking him straight in the eyes, with his typical seriousness.
Oikawa couldn’t tell if he was angry or just curious.

“I was thinking you should use some hand cream, your hands are dry and wrinkled like a 90-year-old!” Tooru said, running away to the kitchen, foreseeing his best friend’s reaction.

“Huh? Come back here, Cowardkawa!” Iwaizumi chased after him, while Miguel’s bedroom door opened as he stared at them in confusion.

“What’s all this noise so early in the morning?”

“Iwa-chan won’t admit that he should use a miracle hand cream, and maybe he should start doing some skin care considering how many wrinkles he has at his age!” Oikawa said with a ladle in his hand from the other side of the table, trying to defend himself from Iwaizumi who was trying to catch up with him by running in circles.

“And you need a miracle cure for those horrible dark circles, you’re scary. Didn’t you sleep last night, Toto?” Miguel said, while rummaging through the fridge for his yogurt.

That sentence was enough to stop Iwaizumi, who looked up to stare at Oikawa who instead avoided him.

“Let’s just say that Iwa-chan wouldn’t stop snoring,” the setter lied.

“I never snore!” Iwaizumi retorted, but he knew very well that Oikawa was lying, as he imagined the real reason why he hadn’t slept. It was his fault.

“Will you come watch our practice today, Iwa-chan?” Miguel asked, winking at him as they sat down to eat breakfast.

“Hey! Only I can call him that” Oikawa warned, his look far too serious and annoyed.

“Since I don’t know his real name because you haven’t introduced him to me yet, you’ll agree with me that I can only call him that.”

“Iwaizumi Hajime” the person in question introduced himself, but was interrupted by Oikawa.

“You can call him Iwaizumi.”

“Good, Hajime. Will you come with us to practice?” Miguel continued, completely ignoring his teammate.

“Sure, if the coach agrees and I’m not too much of a bother” Iwaizumi said, sipping his bitter coffee.

Oikawa clutched the cup he was holding, and slowly stood up, walking towards his room.

After a while, there was a knock on the door. While Oikawa was rummaging through his bag, checking that everything he needed for training was there, Iwaizumi entered the room.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re late” Oikawa replied, closing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Stop” Iwaizumi put a hand on his shoulder, but Oikawa moved away lightly.

“If it’s about what happened last night, I’m sorry. I overdid it” Iwaizumi admitted, looking into his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Iwa-chan. That’s not what’s bothering me.”

“Then what is it? Tell me” Iwaizumi said with that worried voice that made Oikawa’s heart twist.

“It’s just weird that you let a stranger call you by your first name.”

Iwaizumi stared at him like he was an alien speaking a language he didn’t understand. Then he burst into laughter.

“Really? I thought you had grown up, at least a little.”

Oikawa pouted and looked away, crossing his arms like a five-year-old. He hadn’t changed a bit.

“I’ve known you all my life and I’ve never dared to call you by your first name. The nickname I use pisses you off too!”

“You’ve never tried” Iwaizumi said, leaving Oikawa speechless.

What did he mean? Was Iwaizumi giving him the permission to call him by his first name? All of a sudden?

“Besides, I didn’t say anything earlier because Miguel isn’t Japanese and doesn’t know that it’s disrespectful.”

Oikawa didn’t know what to say, but his best friend did.

“We’re late. Should we go now?”

Tooru nodded, and they walked out of the room in silence.

Once they arrived, Hajime separated from the two players who went to change in the locker room, and decided to sit in the stands.
“Hello, are you here to watch?” Said a deep, mature voice coming from the court.

It was Jose Blanco himself, the coach of Oikawa's team.

"Hi, yes. I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, nice to meet you, sir!"

"Iwaizumi Hajime...oh! You must be Iwa-chan, right?" Blanco exclaimed, smiling and inviting him to come down from the stands to join him on the court.

Damn Oikawa, it was his fault if everyone knew him thanks to that stupid nickname.

"Oikawa often talks about you, you're the one who's studying Science in sport and exercise science, right?" Blanco asked, as the players began to enter the court.

"Yes, exactly."

Some players were really tall and strong, a completely different build compared to the Japanese ones. Iwaizumi noticed that everyone was staring at him.

"Guys, this is Oikawa's friend..." Blanco didn't have time to introduce him, everyone in chorus exclaimed his name.

“Iwa-chan?!”

Iwaizumi sighed loudly, he was so done.

“Ay, Oikawa! No nos contaste nada de su llegada!” one of his teammates exclaimed in Spanish, as the setter strode confidently toward them.

“Fue una sorpresa” Oikawa replied, as Iwaizumi stared at them in confusion.

“Oh, right. Guys, Iwaizumi doesn’t know Spanish, so make an effort to speak English just for today” Blanco said, as the players nodded vigorously.

Oikawa was magnificent on the court, Iwaizumi found himself thinking. His movements had become more fluid, although it was clear he still had a lot of work to do.

“What do you want to do after graduation?” Blanco asked him after a while, as the team played a post-practice match.

“I don’t know yet to be honest” Iwaizumi admitted, looking away from Oikawa for a moment.

“There are so many possibilities, for example…” Blanco didn’t have time to finish his sentence before there was a thud and they both turned to look at the players.

Oikawa and Santiago were on the ground, but neither of them looked in pain. Santiago immediately stood up, apologizing and holding out his hand to Oikawa, who grabbed it with a grimace. Iwaizumi immediately ran onto the court.

“Sit down” he ordered, while Santiago took a step back.

“Iwa-chan, what are you doing? I’m fine” Oikawa said, laughing at his friend’s concern and serious look. The other players, seeing Oikawa smile, took it lightly, except Blanco who was silently staring at them from the bench.

“Stay still, Shittykawa! It hurts here, doesn’t it?” Iwaizumi said, applying light pressure to the inside of his right knee.

Oikawa was about to reply, but the gesture caused him to feel a slight twinge that made him gasp slightly.

“It doesn’t look like anything serious, but you should do some physical therapy” Iwaizumi commented, lightly massaging his knee and leg.

“Okay…” Oikawa stared at him in surprise and admiration, while his friend’s strong hands burned against his skin. What was that feeling again?

“How did you know that?” Santiago asked, still amazed by Iwaizumi’s skills.

“He placed his foot differently when he was getting up. Besides, I know this idiot well enough to know that sometimes he trains himself to exhaustion.”

Oikawa looked away, huffing.

“You should become an athletic trainer” Blanco said, suddenly approaching them after carefully observing from afar.

“What?” Iwaizumi was confused.

“After graduating. You’re very good at it, and it’s a great way to cultivate your passion for volleyball even without playing directly on the court.”

Iwaizumi and Oikawa looked at him confused and perplexed.

“Think about it” Blanco said smiling, but with a serious tone, as he ordered the players to go and change.

As they walked home, Iwaizumi helped Oikawa walk and not strain himself, even though the setter was doing fine.

“Iwa-chan, when will you stop acting like my mother?” Tooru commented with his usual playful tone.

“I swear I was feeling great before I came here to see you” Iwaizumi replied with a huff.

“Mean, Iwa-chan, you’re so mean! Just admit you missed taking care of me!”

“As if, Loserkawa!”

In fact, he had missed it so much. Taking care of Oikawa, being by his side, watching him play, finally seeing him happy and integrated into the team…oh yes, he had missed him a lot. But he would never admit it.

“We have to get ready for tonight” Oikawa said, bringing him back to reality.

“Vamos a bailar!” Miguel exclaimed, simulating a ballet as he opened the door to the apartment.

“Try not to get drunk like last time, Miguelitos! I won’t carry you home on my back again!” Oikawa warned.

“No problem, Hajime can carry me” Miguel said with a wink, while Iwaizumi stared at him in confusion.

Oikawa entered his room looking annoyed, he didn’t even know why. Miguel liked to flirt with everyone, so why did he mind that he was flirting with Iwaizumi? Maybe he was just imagining it. He really needed a night out.

“Can I?” Hajime said, entering the room just as Tooru was changing his shirt.

“It would be nice to knock before coming in!”

“As if I haven’t seen your skinny bare chest a thousand times already.”

“My chest isn’t skinny, I just need to practice more! Yours is…” but Oikawa lost the ability to speak when Hajime completely took off his shirt.
That tanned skin, the muscular and toned chest and the broad shoulders of someone who certainly hadn’t wasted time keeping fit.

“You were saying?” Iwaizumi teased him, grinning, satisfied that he had left Oikawa speechless.

As he turned away from him to rummage through his suitcase for a tank top, Oikawa got a better look at him. His back muscles were flexing harmoniously, and his smooth skin looked so inviting. What was wrong with him?! No no no, he couldn’t think that about his best friend. Oikawa quickly turned away, going back to searching for the perfect shirt.
He didn’t know, however, that Iwaizumi was watching him too. Once he found and put on the tank top, Hajime couldn’t help but stop and look at his childhood friend’s toned back. Maybe he had exaggerated a bit: Oikawa wasn’t skinny at all, he was just muscular enough for a setter, and his pale skin had started to take on a bit of color. He even had a few new moles on his back, Iwaizumi noted.

“I’ll wait for you in the living room” he said, before closing the door behind him.

His heart raced like a mad horse. Why was it happening so often in the last few days? Was he ill? He took a deep breath, and chased away all the unnecessary thoughts.

Once they got to the club, Miguel went to order drinks for everyone.

“Do you like Latin music?” Oikawa asked, raising his voice, trying to be heard.

“It’s not bad” Iwaizumi said, watching the people dancing to the rhythm. Their movements were so…sensual, he wasn’t used to it.

“Here, this is yours Toto” Miguel said, reappearing with three glasses in his hand, handing Oikawa a ‘Sex on the beach’.

“And this is for Hajime” the Argentinian added, winking at him as he handed him the drink.

“Thanks, Miguel.”

“Stop calling him that, it’s disrespectful in Japan, you know that right?” Oikawa said, glaring at him.

“Why? I call you by your first name too, and you never brought that up. You can call him Hajime too, I don’t think he’ll mind, you know” Miguel said, blending into the crowd to dance.

Oikawa huffed in annoyance, then took a sip of his drink. A little alcohol was just what was needed at that moment.

“Miguel’s right” Iwaizumi said suddenly, sipping his drink and grimacing when he discovered it was a hard liquor.

“Miguel just wants to fuck you” Oikawa muttered in annoyance.

“What? Is he…?”

“Gay? Yes, always has been.”

Iwaizumi looked around for Miguel and noticed that he was approaching another boy in a more than intimate manner.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t realize that” Oikawa commented raising an eyebrow, taking another sip.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have your observing eye, Tooru.”

His drink went down the wrong way. Oikawa coughed several times and begged desperately for air. Iwaizumi patted him on the shoulder, repeatedly asking if he was okay.

“What did you say?” the setter then said, staring straight into the other’s eyes. Had he been dreaming?

“I said I don’t have your observing eye?” Iwaizumi repeated calmly, but genuinely confused.

“You said Tooru too.”

“Maybe I did.”

“You did.”

“Yeah, I did. So what?” Iwaizumi asked, raising an eyebrow as if challenging him.

“It’s weird” Oikawa admitted, looking away from him.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll keep calling you Shittykawa.”

“I like it” Tooru said, interrupting him, “Hajime” he added after a while, as if he was unsure whether to say it out loud or not.

Iwaizumi blushed a little and quickly turned around, coughing to find an excuse to cover his face so he couldn’t be seen. What the hell was going on? Why did his name sound so good when his best friend was saying it? It was as if his name belonged to Oikawa and his voice.

“Oh, I like this song! Let’s dance, Iwa-chan!” Tooru exclaimed, while Ginza by J Balvin played in the background.

“I’m fine staying here” Iwaizumi replied, but was quickly dragged onto the dance floor by Oikawa.

“Oi! I don’t know how to dance!” Hajime blurted out, frowning.

“Look at the others, do you think anyone here cares?” Oikawa said, as he began to dance to the beat.

Iwaizumi looked around. In fact, no one was paying much attention to them. They were all having fun, or making out, or whatever weird thing was allowed in an Argentine nightclub.

“Why do you like this song?” Iwaizumi asked, trying to sway as best he could.

“It’s very rhythmic!” Oikawa said as he drank every last drop of his drink. Maybe he had drunk too fast, because his head started to spin a little.

Acércate a mi pantalón, dale

Vamos a pegarnos como animales.

Iwaizumi noticed that everyone around them, or almost everyone, was glued body to body, rubbing without caring about people’s staring. When his gaze fell on Oikawa, Hajime almost fainted. The setter was moving so sensually, that he was attracting far too many malicious glances towards himself.

“Tooru, you drank too quickly. Come sit down for a moment” said Iwaizumi, taking his arm, but Oikawa placed his hands on his shoulders and smirked.

“I want to dance with you, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi swallowed, blushing to the tips of his ears, while Oikawa held him close and began to move slowly, with that sensuality that distinguished him that evening. Hajime decided to give in for a while, at least until the effect of the alcohol had faded a little. He felt Oikawa’s hands continue to slide from his shoulders to his back, sending shivers down his body. Iwaizumi watched him closely. Oikawa never took his eyes off him and he had an almost hungry look on his face.

Y yo hoy estoy aquí imaginando

Sexy baila y me deja con las ganas.

Hajime found himself staring at Oikawa’s half-opened lips, breathing heavily. It was then that Tooru finally stopped.

“Hajime…” he whispered, almost panting.

“Tooru, I can’t…” Iwaizumi was having trouble breathing. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, coming to his senses. That was wrong. That was all so wrong. He grabbed Oikawa’s arm and led him to sit next to the bar, ordering a glass of water for both of them.

“Why aren’t we dancing? Let’s go bailar!” Oikawa complained, mixing up Japanese with Spanish.

“No, you need to rest” Iwaizumi ordered, handing him a glass of water.

At that moment, Miguel joined them.

“How’s it going here?” 

“Does it always end up like this when you two go dancing?” Iwaizumi asked, pointing to Oikawa who was trying not to smear water on himself.

“No, it usually takes three drinks to knock him out. But this time it’s my fault, I might have added an extra hard liquor to Toto’s drink” Miguel said smiling and shrugging.

“What?! Why did you do that, knowing he can’t handle alcohol well?” 

“He needed a push. Plus, he’s more fun when he’s drunk.”

“A push?” Iwaizumi muttered, confused.

“Come dance with me” Miguel said, taking his hand.

“No, I have to look after Oikawa. I don’t feel like leaving him alone like this.”

“He’s fine, and he fell asleep. Jorge, keep an eye on Toto until we get back, would you?” Miguel said to the bartender, pointing to Oikawa who was practically collapsed on the table, snoring.

Iwaizumi didn’t even have time to reply before Miguel dragged him onto the dance floor. He was surrounded by wild people dancing without restraints again, while he felt so inadequate. Before, with Tooru, however, it was different. He hadn’t felt uncomfortable, he hadn’t even noticed the people around him.

“That top really suits you, you know? You’re very sexy” Miguel commented, looking him up and down. 

“Thanks, but I think you should stop” Iwaizumi replied in a detached tone.

“Why?”

“I’m not interested in guys” Hajime said, looking around. The conversation was getting awkward.

“Are you sure? Because I thought you were, at least for one in particular. I saw you two” Miguel commented, gesturing to where Oikawa was sitting.

“Tooru lost his mind for a moment, and I went along with it” Iwaizumi explained, but something about his version didn’t convince him either.

“Are you going to go along with me, too?” Miguel teased, walking over to him and grabbing his waist.

Iwaizumi placed a hand on the Argentine’s chest and pushed him away slightly.

“I think you should find someone else to dance with tonight.”

“Too bad. You’re really too hot not to be gay” Miguel said, shrugging.

Then he moved closer to Iwaizumi, whispering something in his ear.

“Oikawa told me the same thing when we first met.”

Iwaizumi swallowed, and stared at him in disbelief.

"What?"

“I flirted with him, you see…he is objectively a very handsome guy. But I think he wasn’t that interested in me, and not because I was a boy” Miguel explained, smiling.

“What…do you think Oikawa is gay?” Iwaizumi couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be true, otherwise he would have told him, or he would have figured it out on his own.

“It’s not for me to say. But let’s just say he talks about you a lot. I also have a best friend who lives abroad, Pedro. But I don’t talk about him every day.”

Iwaizumi didn’t know what to say. Was it so weird to talk about your best friend every day? He had also done it with Hanamaki and Matsukawa since Oikawa moved away, but it hadn’t seemed that strange to him. Having shared their whole life together, it was normal that they missed each other and had that trust that others struggled to understand.

“Oh, look who’s downing two glasses of gin tonic?” Miguel said with a laugh, staring at the bar, and Iwaizumi turned around abruptly.

Oikawa had woken up and was furiously drinking something he should never have drunk to sober up.

After drinking the water, Tooru felt a little better but his head was starting to pound a little. He must have fallen asleep for a few minutes, because Iwaizumi was no longer by his side. He looked for him, and found him in the crowd. He was about to reach him, when he caught sight of Miguel who smirked at him. Oikawa sat down again, and didn't lose sight of them for a second. Suddenly, Miguel approached Iwaizumi, and it seemed he was kissing him on the neck. Tooru blinked several times, in disbelief at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. It was really like that: Miguel was kissing him on the neck and Iwaizumi didn't react. How was that possible? Did it mean that Hajime really liked Miguel?

He felt strange, his blood was boiling in his veins, and a sting in his chest grew stronger and stronger.

“Two gin tonics” he ordered the bartender, his voice so cold that Jorge almost shivered.

Once the drinks were ready, Oikawa took them and gulped them down mercilessly, his throat burning. What was this feeling and why did he feel it every time he looked at Iwaizumi? He didn’t like it at all.

“That’s enough” Hajime’s firm voice ordered him, as he was about to order another drink.

“What are you thinking?! Do you know that drinking so much will turn bad for you?!”

“Go back to Miguel” Oikawa muttered, his voice full of venom.

“Why should I? My place is here with you and make sure you don’t screw up” Iwaizumi said, ordering another glass of water for him.

“I don’t need you! I never did! Go away, I don’t want to see you right now” Oikawa blurted out, almost on the verge of tears, his brow furrowed.

“The alcohol’s gone to your head. Drink” Iwaizumi said, trying to remain calm, handing him the glass of water.

“Didn’t you hear me? Go away.”

“I’ve had enough” Hajime whispered, taking the glass of water in one hand and grabbing Oikawa’s hair in the other.

He pulled the setter’s head back, while pouring the water into his mouth, forcing him to drink. Oikawa coughed several times, the liquid going down his throat, but he felt inexplicably excited. Iwaizumi’s tight grip made him feel a strange heat and pleasure in his lower abdomen, the same feeling he had when Hajime had slammed him against the wall last night.

When the glass was finished, Iwaizumi grabbed him by the collar.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong with you now?” he asked, getting no response.

Oikawa coughed a few times, recovering from the state of pleasure he had felt earlier. He was still angry with him.

“Fine. Give me the keys.”

Tooru stared at him in confusion, but Iwaizumi began rummaging ferociously through his pants pockets. He retrieved the keys from Oikawa’s right pants pocket and started to leave, turning around only one last time.

“I’ll do as you wish. I’ll get my things, and I’ll be gone.”

As Iwaizumi walked away, Miguel caught up with him.

“Where is Hajime going? What happened?”

“Miguel. Please, shut up” Oikawa groaned, he couldn’t listen to him.

“After he rejected me, I thought he was coming back to you.”

“What?” Oikawa blurted.

“Didn’t he tell you about my failed flirt?”

“I saw you kiss him on the neck!” Oikawa exclaimed in shock, his head spinning more than ever.

“I wish! I was just whispering something in his ear, and we were talking about you” Miguel explained, laughing.

“Mierda!” 

Oikawa ran away, staggering a bit, trying to reach Iwaizumi and hoping it wasn’t too late. But it was.

On his apartment’s door he found a note and a keychain with an alien spaceship. 

“I don’t know what happened, but your words pissed me off quite a bit. I wanted to give you this before I left, I got it in the States as soon as I saw it. When you’ve calmed down, if you want, let me know. -Iwaizumi”

Chapter Text

Iwaizumi has always been sure about his sexuality. He was manly, and he won every athletic competition that required strength during high school. He even had a few admirers, but they were somehow intimidated by him and the fact that he always stuck around with Oikawa didn’t help.

Iwaizumi wasn’t very interested in them, he was focused on his classes, volleyball and making sure his best friend didn’t do something stupid. 

Until a girl came. She approached Iwaizumi in a very sweet manner that he thought she was really interested in him. Miko (it was her name) was nice and funny, and Hajime found himself spending some time with someone who was not Oikawa or Seijoh team. It was refreshing.

One day though, Oikawa entered the locker room hopping happily.

”What happened this time?” Hanamaki asked, while he was wearing his training shirt.

”Why did you ask? I don’t want to know that” Matsukawa commented, sighing heavily.

”Too bad for you, Mattsun, but you have to know I have a new girlfriend!” Oikawa said, with that smug grin on his face.

”Stop saying bullshit, Oikawa, and change” Iwaizumi ordered, putting on his volleyball shoes.

”Iwa-chan, you surely want to know that your new friend Miko is now my girlfriend!”

Iwaizumi’s shoulders stiffened.

”What?”

What did he just say? It wasn’t real, right?

”I though she was interested in Iwaizumi” Mattsun said, a bit surprised, looking at the ace.

“Girls are hard to get, I guess” Makki said, shrugging.

”She’s a fan of mine! Don’t be jealous, Iwa-chan, you’ll surely find someone who won’t use you to approach me one day!” Oikawa chirped, approaching his locker that was next to Iwaizumi’s one.

Hajime slammed it, closing it with all his strength in front of his best friend’s face.

”Fuck you, Oikawa. You’re really a piece of shit.”

With that, Iwaizumi left the locker room, and silence was deafening.

”You fucked up bad, man” Matsukawa commented after a few minutes.

”You’re a clown. You didn’t get together with her for real, did you?” Makki asked, arching an eyebrow.

”You fucked up twice if you didn’t” Mattsun added, looking at him.

”I’d never get together with someone who’s interested in Iwa-chan” Oikawa said, opening his locker again, acting like normal.

”So you’ll never get together with yourself. Glad you haven't reached that level of self-centeredness yet“ Matsukawa replied, gaining a laugh from Makki.

”What? Are you implying that I might be interested in Iwa-chan?!”

”Absolutely” Mattsun nodded.

”Since elementary school” Makki added.

”Shut up you two, it’s not true!”

Oikawa sighed heavily, then closed his locker, taking his bag.

”What did you say to her, by the way? That you will haunt her at night if she didn’t leave Iwaizumi alone?” Matsukawa asked, still curious.

”I told her that Iwa-chan is not interested in her.”

“Damn, you’re so gay for him” Makki said, shaking his head.

Oikawa skipped practice that day, just like Iwaizumi. He found himself pacing back and forth in front of Iwaizumi’s house, and then just stepping back and going home. Sometimes he didn’t know how to apologize properly. He didn’t want to come up with some snarky comments of his, his flawless and sometimes too cheery behavior. It was not the case.

He knew he’d hurt Iwaizumi, and he didn’t want that. He was just…upset. Iwa-chan has never drawn any attention towards him, and now that there was this girl sticking with him and smiling that sweetly…Oikawa couldn’t stand that.
He didn’t know what was that feeling, why he felt so sad and kind of jealous. He could have any girl he wanted, why was he jealous?

The next day, Oikawa tried to knock at Iwaizumi’s door, but Hajime’s mom opened it before he could do so.

”Oh, Tooru-kun! What are you doing here, isn’t it late for school?”

”Actually no, this is the time me and Iwa-chan meet to go together. Is he upstairs?” Oikawa smiled brightly, as nothing had happened.

”He left 15 minutes ago…why did he leave so early? I’ll scold him for not waiting for you when he comes back home!” Iwaizumi’s mom furrowed his brow clearly upset with his son and worried at the same time.

”Don’t worry, you don’t need to. I’ll reach him in no time! Have a good day, bye bye!” Oikawa said, smiling and waving at her, faking a run that stopped when Iwaizumi’s mom closed the door.

So…Iwa-chan was avoiding him.

Iwaizumi didn’t want to see Oikawa’s face, or Oikawa in general. He couldn’t stand his voice and his behavior, not after what happened last night. Not that he was interested in Miko in the first place, he was just happy someone gave him attention and some credit, instead of admiring his best friend like everybody did.

He didn’t care about Miko that way, he never thought about it to be honest.
Then why was he so upset? Why was he feeling…betrayed? His heart was clenching in a painful way he never felt before.
He hated that. He hated that feeling he couldn’t quite name.

Classes were peaceful, at least him and Oikawa weren’t in the same one. It was easy to ignore him.

But practice time came, and he couldn’t skip it again. He went to the locker room and barely talked to Hanamaki and Matsukawa, who were worried.

”Iwaizumi, how late will Oikawa be today? What do you think?” Makki said, trying to cheer him up somehow.

”I don’t care.”

”Are you still upset that Miko got together with Oikawa?” 

“I said I don’t care” Iwaizumi said, trying to tie his volleyball shoes.

”I didn’t think you really cared about her-“

”I don’t care about her! I don’t care about Oikawa! He can do whatever he wants and he can fuck around with whoever he likes, I don’t fucking care, you got it?!” Iwaizumi blurted out furiously, clenching his fists until his knuckles became white.

”Oh…so it’s about that, huh?” Matsukawa said, arching an eyebrow.

”Told ya they were deeply in love with each other” Makki smirked at his friend, while they bumped fists.

”You owe me a ramen.”

”What? What the hell are you talking about?” Iwaizumi was dumbfounded and utterly confused. He didn’t know what was going on.

”You like Oikawa” Makki said, as he was stating a fact.

”No! Why would you think that? He’s insufferable!”

”Then why were you upset that Oikawa got a new girlfriend? It would have been logical if you’re upset because Miko got with him, but you said yourself you don’t care about her. You care about Oikawa.”

Iwaizumi stared at them in disbelief. Were they really talking about his best friend in that way? Why were they so sure that he liked Oikawa. He didn’t, not in that way. Not even in the slightest of ways.

”You better not bring this up again. I don’t like him and I’ll never will. I’m just fucking upset he thinks he’s the only one who can get whoever he wants.”

With that, Iwaizumi stormed out the room, heading to practice.

Oikawa was already on the court, practicing some serves as the coach was observing him.

Where did he change? He noticed Oikawa’s stuff abandoned in a corner of the giant gym.

Practice that day was silent. Everyone noticed that there was something going on between their two captains, but no one dared to interfere.

Even after they cleaned up, Oikawa stayed a little bit more to practice some serves again. Iwaizumi let him be. He went to the locker room and changed, but when he was heading out he felt his chest tight and a sting in his heart. He sighed and approached the gym again, the lights were still on.

He noticed Oikawa changing his clothes in the corner where he had left his bag, everything was in place, no volleyballs all over the court, he had cleaned everything up, like a good captain would do.
Iwaizumi stared at the light skin and broad shoulders of his best friend, and something within him changed. His heart skipped a bit and was racing fast. He never felt like that when he looked at Oikawa. What was it? Iwaizumi told himself that he was still angry with him, that’s why he was feeling that way.

“Good to know I don’t have to scold you for overdoing it again” Iwaizumi announced himself, walking into the gym.

Oikawa jumped a little bit, scared of the sudden presence, but then his shoulders relaxed a bit when he heard his best friends’ low voice.

”Guess I’ve become a little bit more reliable” Tooru replied, while closing his bag and slinging it on his shoulder, facing him now.

”Doubt that. Let’s go home.”

Oikawa looked at him surprised and a bit taken aback. He didn’t expect that. He closed the gym and they walked into the night, in silence.

”Iwa-chan…” Oikawa couldn’t take it anymore.

”Yeah, you were really a piece of shit” Iwaizumi said, reading his mind and completing the sentence before he could do it.

”No. Yes, but Iwa-chan…”

”No, I wasn’t interested in Miko. And you can date whoever you want” Iwaizumi did that again.

”I’m sorry” Oikawa said, suddenly stopping and looking at his feet, somehow ashamed.

”You better are, you were really petty.”

”I shouldn’t have said that. Iwa-chan is really handsome and can make a girl fall in love with him easily. Even if the majority fall for me, obviously” Oikawa said.

”You were saying something nice for once, but then you had to be shitty again” Iwaizumi sighed, and then looked over his shoulder at his best friend.

”You really think I’m handsome? That’s gross!”

”Only when you don’t furrow your eyebrows, so almost never!” Oikawa replied, trying to change the subject.

”You piece of trash, I’ll punch you!” Iwaizumi blurted, the vein on his temple popping out.

”You always say that!”

Oikawa woke up with a horrible headache. He felt like his whole body couldn’t move. He knew he had drank too much last night, but it wasn’t just that.

“Toto, are you awake?” Miguel asked, slowing opening the door and stepping in with a glass of water.

”Ugh…what time is it?” Oikawa asked rubbing his eyes, his head pounding.

”Almost 12 pm” he replied, then added, “You’re not going to see him?”

Right. Iwaizumi had left. His plane departed four hours ago and was headed in California, so far from him. 

“I think it’s too late.”

”Call him when he’ll arrive” Miguel suggested, while handing him the glass of water which Oikawa gratefully took.

”Yeah…”

Two days passed, and Miguel couldn’t stand it anymore. Oikawa was constantly looking at his phone, whether waiting for a message or a call or just wondering if he himself should send a message or dial that number. He was such a stupid.

”Can you please just call him and end this drama?” Miguel blurted out, taking Oikawa’s phone and typing something.

”Stop! What are you doing?” Oikawa screamed in horror, but then a voice was to be heard from his phone.

”What is it, Oikawa?” 
It was Iwaizumi. His voice was coming from Oikawa’s phone and Miguel handed it to him, smiling and leaving him alone.

”Oi? Are you going to talk? If not, I’ll just hang up.”

”Iwa-chan…” Oikawa said then, a bit worried as he didn’t know what to say.

”What?” Iwaizumi’s voice came harsher than he intended.

Oikawa took a deep breath. He hesitated. He opened his moth twice, and closed it again. Why was it so difficult?

”You haven’t changed since the last time we did this, huh?”

“I guess you’re right. And I’m sorry” Oikawa said, finally finding the courage.

He was always brave when Iwaizumi encouraged him.

”So you agree that you were a piece of-“

”Shit, yeah. I was drunk and emotional and…I didn’t mean any of it, Iwa-chan. I need you, always do” Oikawa was the one that completed his sentence this time. It always worked like that for them. 

“You know, you got really good at apologizing, Shittykawa” Iwaizumi smiled, and Oikawa could picture it in his mind.

”I’m trying my best.”

”I can see that, took you three days to call.”

Oikwa smiled, and his heart was lighter.

”Are you free next month?” Iwaizumi asked suddenly.

”I don’t know…we have still some matches, but I should be free in July because the championship will be over” Oikawa said, thinking about his schedule.

”Sounds perfect, just tell me when you can and I’ll book the flight.”

”What flight?”

”You’re coming to California!”

Chapter Text

Almost four months passed since Iwaizumi went to Argentina.

He often video called Oikawa and they talked about their day, but it was getting pretty hard to find a balance between their schedules. Oikawa was a pro player, so he was pretty busy all day, and Iwaizumi was exhausted by uni classes and exams.

He never really left volleyball behind. He sometimes played in the uni team with his colleagues, but it wasn’t the same as it was in Seijoh. The sets he was going to spike weren’t perfect, the team was not a real one and a brunette with chocolate brown eyes and shitty attitude was missing on the court by his side.
It wasn’t the same…because there wasn’t Oikawa, Iwaizumi admitted.

He began to take a new class: kinesiology, and it was very interesting. Once finished, Iwaizumi took his things and was about to leave when a girl called him by his name.

”Iwaizumi-san.”

He didn’t recognize the voice, but it was pretty strange someone called him by adding -san at the end of it, only a Japanese could…oh.

When Iwaizumi turned around, Miko was smiling shyly, waving her hand and approaching him.

”What…are you doing here?” Iwaizumi asked shocked, forgetting to greet her too.

”I could ask you the same…I live here since I moved during the second year” she replied, looking at him.

Right…he remembers Oikawa said she was leaving for America after they broke up, but he totally forgot.

”It’s a shocking coincidence to meet again, right?” Miko said, bringing him back to reality.

”Yeah, I guess…are you studying Sports Science too?” 

“Yes, it isn’t a surprise you’re studying it too though!” she said grinning.

”Why?” Iwaizumi was confused.

”Well, you were pretty skilled when you took care of Oikawa-san’s knee during high school. I remember that” Miko said smiling sweetly, and Iwaizumi somehow was feeling shy. He looked away.

”He’s just a dumbass, I had to make sure he didn’t kill himself during practice.”

”How is he, by the way? Are you two still in touch?” she asked, nervously playing with her fingers.

“Yes, we are. He’s now in Argentina, he wants to become a pro player. I got to see him four months ago” Iwaizumi said, but he didn’t notice he was smiling fondly when he talked about Oikawa.

”I guess that was the only path he could pursue, right? He’s a really skilled player” Miko commented, a sad smile on her face.

Iwaizumi noticed and the words left his mouth before he could think it.

”Are you still into him?”

Miko looked at him like he had slapped her in the face. 

“What?”

”He never got with anyone after you two broke up. So, if you’re still into him…” Iwaizumi said, trying to be as delicate as possible but was interrupted.

”I never was into him and we never got together in the first place. Why do you think that?” Miko said, looking at him as shocked as before. Iwaizumi was surprised and utterly confused.

”What? Oikawa told me you two…so why did you stop talking to me all of a sudden?” 

Something was missing. What the hell was happening?

”Oikawa-san told me you weren’t interested in me at all, so I just didn’t want to feel worse” Miko explained, and somehow everything was making sense. 
Oikawa never went to a date, he always stayed late for practice and he never mentioned Miko again, until Iwaizumi asked him one day and he just said they broke up.

Iwaizumi stayed silent, and Miko looked worried.

”I’m sorry, I didn’t think Oikawa-“

”I didn’t think that too” Hajime clenched his fists, and then Miko gently brushed his hand.

”Iwaizumi-san…would you like to take a coffee with me? We can catch up on these past years!” she asked, trying to change the subject.

Iwaizumi accepted, he needed a distraction. His thoughts were drowning him. They exchanged numbers and promised to catch up tomorrow again during lessons.
Hajime went back to his apartment in the campus, and he fell into his mattress, exhausted.

Oikawa and Miko had never been together at all. Why did his best friend lie to him about that? Why did he tell Miko that Iwaizumi wasn’t interested in her? Why?

His head was pounding, and somehow he felt mad. Mad at Oikawa for lying to him. Mad at himself for never noticing that before.

Iwaizumi wasn’t upset because of what could have happened with Miko if Oikawa didn’t interfere, at least not at all.

Hajime was upset because Oikawa has never had a girlfriend. That thought killed him. Back in high school, he had felt a pain in his chest when Oikawa bragged about his girlfriends, how he kissed them and how pretty they were. He had felt so bad when Oikawa told him he got together with Miko, because the realization that Tooru was a female magnet tore him apart.

Iwaizumi wasn’t stupid. He had, in fact, realized that the feelings he had for his best friend were just…weird. He just told himself that was because he and Oikawa knew each other for a lifetime. He knew he stared way too much when Oikawa changed his clothes, or when he smiled or even felt excited when Oikawa danced with him when he visited him in Argentina.

Iwaizumi wasn’t so sure about his sexuality anymore. Thoughts of Oikawa clouded his mind, and he just couldn’t stand it. Why was he feeling like that for his best friend? It wasn’t supposed to be like that. Friends don’t think of each other the way Iwaizumi was thinking of Oikawa. He wanted to touch his smooth skin, feel it under his fingertips, stroke his brown locks and discover that they were as soft as he had imagined.

Because Hajime has imagined a lot those past years. When Oikawa wasn’t there with him, he had imagined his voice, his smile and how the corner of this eyes crinkled when he did.

His phone buzzed. He took it and sighed when he read Miko’s message.

”Can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Kinesiology isn’t that boring anymore! Wanna grab some food after classes?”

His heart skipped a beat when he read a new message he received after a second. This time, it was from a whole different person.

”I’ll be free from 17 to 22nd of July! Be ready, Iwa-chan! The great Oikawa Tooru is coming to US!”

He was so fucked up.

The day came, and Iwaizumi was ready. He was waiting for his best friend inside the airport, and somehow he couldn’t stay still.

Charlie, his uni friend that lived a room away from Iwaizumi’s, had decided to drive him that day.

”I’ve never seen you this nervous since you came here bro” Charlie stated, his arms crossed as he looked at him pacing around the airport waiting area.

”I’m not nervous, I’m just done waiting” Iwaizumi replied, sighing.

”Sure…this Oikawa should be a very hot guy if you’re this nervous to see him.”

”I’m not-!” Iwaizumi blurted but someone interrupted them.

”Who’s hot?” Miguel said, taking off his sunglasses.

”Iwa-chan, I’m so sorry but Miguelito insisted to come with me!” Oikawa exclaimed, jumping into his best friend’s arms.

”It’s fine, and don’t be so clingy!” Hajime said, pushing him away.

”We were saying it’s very hot these days, isn’t it Charlie?” he then added, looking at his friend and found him staring at Miguel.

”Yeah…very hot.”

”You’ve never been in Argentina then! It’s hot as hell! I’m gonna need a beach day” Miguel said, smiling brightly and bumping Charlie’s shoulder jokingly.

”Iwa-chan, can we go to the beach one of these days? Pleeease” Oikawa begged him, making those puppy eyes that never worked for him. At least, Iwaizumi was feeling better thinking that it didn’t work.

“I had already planned it, Shittykawa. We’re going tomorrow.”

Oikawa and Miguel jumped happily and hopped towards the car, so Iwaizumi approached Charlie who was staring way too much at the Argentine spiker.

”So…who’s the hot guy now?”

”Shut up, Hajime.”

They went back to the campus, and they decided to split.

”I can sleep in Charlie’s apartment, he has a spare bed. And you two can sleep in mine, so you’re more comfortable with each other since you already live together and all” Iwaizumi said, giving Oikawa his apartment’s keys.

“Actually” Miguel said, stopping him and giving the keys back to him, “I think you and Oikawa are more comfortable with each other. Perhaps, I don’t mind making new handsome friends” he then winked at Charlie who blushed hard.

”Miguel, I don’t think-“ Tooru began, but Miguel waved at them, smirking,  as he and Charlie closed the door behind them.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi looked at each other, confused, and then the latter sighed opening the door of his apartment and gesturing Tooru to enter.

”You warned Charlie about Miguel, right?” Oikawa asked, as he took off his shoes.

”I didn’t, but he seemed pretty interested in him nonetheless.”

”So…Charlie is gay too?” Tooru asked, curiously.

”Bi, actually.”

”Oh.”

Iwaizumi took Oikawa’s luggage and bag and headed to his bedroom, then noticed the alien spaceship keychain he gifted to him was hanging on his bag.

”You like it?” Hajime asked, as he carefully placed them on the floor.

”Yeah, I mean…it’s alien stuff, of course I do” Oikawa said proud as he leaned on the wall.

”You’re a kid.”

”Mean, Iwa-chan!”

Silence came, and it was unbearable. Oikawa noticed that Iwaizumi was making the bed, and it was already done and perfect.

”You must be exhausted, I hope this is comfortable enough for you to sleep on” Hajime said, as he then left the room, heading to the living room.

”What? Where are you going to sleep then?!” Oikawa blurted, confused, following him.

”I don’t have a spare bed like Charlie, so…guess?” Iwaizumi smiled a little, pointing at his little couch. 

Oikawa reached out for his hand and took it, looking at his feet for a moment.

”Sleep with me” he said.

Iwaizumi almost chocked.

”What?!” he instinctively freed himself from the grip.

Oikawa looked at his own hand, now empty without Hajime’s one, and then realized what he’s done. He looked at Iwaizumi’s eyes, and smiled, faking his true feelings.

”I was joking, Iwa-chan! Who would want to sleep with a brute like you anyway? I’m sleeping on the couch, now shoo!” Oikawa said, laying down and putting his hands behind his head, acting relaxed.

Iwaizumi stared at him with an indescribable expression. He then grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up.

”Listen here, you piece of shit. You’re not the only one people want to sleep with, you got that? It’s late and we have to wake up early tomorrow, so bring your flat ass into my bedroom now so we can fucking sleep!” Iwaizumi blurted angrily, as his face was inches apart from Oikawa’s.

Tooru could feel his hot breath caressing his skin. Hajime’s eyes followed Oikawa’s ones, and he noticed that Tooru was staring at his lips. It was just a moment, he wasn’t sure about that. Had he imagined it? His skin was burning, and Oikawa’s breath somehow was tickling his face, neither of them moved. They stayed still, as if they didn’t want to go back to reality.

Oikawa then placed his hand on Iwaizumi’s one, who was gripping him fiercely, and looked up at him with a look so full of something Iwaizumi couldn’t name yet.

”Only if you sleep with me, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi shivered, his skin was burning alive, and his head was spinning. What the hell was happening to him? Why did Oikawa’s word affect him so much? Why Tooru sounded so…serious, as if he really meant it?

”Fine” he finally said, freeing Oikawa and standing up, “Just shut up and come to sleep.”

They entered the room, and Oikawa laid down on the right side of the bed. 

“That’s my side, move your ass on the left!” Iwaizumi said kicking him.

”If you want me to shut up and sleep, then I’ll have the right side Iwa-chan!” Oikawa replied smiling, kicking him back.

Iwaizumi sighed loudly, and then he laid down, his back facing Oikawa.

”I already told you that you can call me by my first name, Shittykawa” Hajime said suddenly.

”I thought your name was Iwa-chan” the other replied, getting a kick on his leg as a reward.

”And yours is piece of shit!”

Iwaizumi heard Oikawa laughing softly. His heart skipped a beat.

”So you like it that much?” Oikawa asked, turning around and facing Iwaizumi’s back.

”I hate any word that leaves your mouth.”

”Are you sure, Hajime?” Oikawa spelled his name slowly, saying it affectionately on purpose.

Iwaizumi’s back stiffened, and a shiver went down his spine. Oikawa could admire it all.

”Can’t face me, Hajime?” he provoked him again, and could almost imagine his muscles stiffening again.

”Shut up, just go to sleep!” Iwaizumi blurted, as he kicked Oikawa’s leg again until he turned around and fell in silence.

The next morning, Iwaizumi couldn’t possibly find a logical excuse for the situation he woke up  in. He was embracing Oikawa, the setter’s face gently placed on his chest, his chocolate locks tingling his chin, their legs almost intertwined and Iwaizumi’s arms locked around Tooru’s waist.

What the hell?! He wanted to escape, to blame it on the fact that he hadn't slept on his right side and that he instinctively tried to go there. But deeply, he knew they were all lies.

Oikawa’s scent filled Iwaizumi’s nose, and he closed his eyes, lulling himself in it.

“Your heart is beating like crazy, Iwa-chan. Are you sure you’re okay?” Oikawa’s sudden voice brought him back to reality, and Iwaizumi shrieked, moving away from him.

“What are you, a doctor? Shut up and get up, we have to go to the beach.”

Iwaizumi got up and took some clothes with him before closing himself in the bathroom.

They reached Charlie and Miguel, and drove to Cali beach. It was wonderful, just like what you could see on the postcards.

”Did you have a fun time last night?” Iwaizumi asked his friend, as Oikawa and Miguel were taking off their shirts.

”Oh yeah, rather a very hot time” Charlie replied as Iwaizumi’s mind went blank as he noticed the hickeys on Miguel’s collarbone.

”What? You barely know him!”

”I don’t want to wait forever like you do, Hajime” Charlie said, as he took off his shirt too.

”What do you mean?” Iwaizumi asked confused.

”Do you think I didn’t notice?” Charlie said, nodding towards Oikawa and smiling.

”It’s not like that!”

”Sure, and I’m not into Miguel.”

”You aren’t!” Iwaizumi blurted as his friend run towards the Argentine spiker and then they dived into the water.

Iwaizumi sighed, as he took off his shirt and reached them. He noticed Oikawa stopping on the shore and dipping his feet in the water, to acclimatize to the temperature. Hajime remembered how much Tooru hated people splashing water at him, he needed his time to get in.

Iwaizumi reached him from behind and then he pushed him into the water. Oikawa screamed and was shivering, the cold water now running down his whole body.

”Iwa-chan! What the hell?!” Tooru shouted angrily, while Miguel and Charlie were laughing.

Oikawa stormed out the water and grabbed Iwaizumi by the arms, trying to get him in the water, but the shorter was stronger.

”You’re going to regret this, Hajime” Oikawa said growling, saying his name on purpose.

But Iwaizumi didn’t falter, not this time.

”I’m not so sure about that, Tooru” he said with his low and deep voice.

Oikawa trembled and hesitated for a moment, and Iwaizumi took that chance. He grabbed Tooru by his waist and dived together with him. Their bodies were entangled under the water and Iwaizumi opened his eyes noticing Oikawa kept his ones closed, and smiled fondly.

Tooru then opened his eyes, blinking a little because the salty water burnt a bit, and noticed Iwaizumi smiling at him. Oikawa blushed, bubbles all around them, and then they both resurfaced, taking a deep breath.

Oikawa coughed a little and ruffled his wet hair, and Iwaizumi looked at him, as droplets were slowly falling from his spiky hair as well.

”Hajime-kun, Charlie! Sorry we’re late!” a female voice greeted them, and they all turned to face her.

Miko and two other uni colleagues approached them.

”What? Charlie, you’re the one who invited them, aren’t you?” Iwaizumi asked, surprised. 

“She insisted when I said Oikawa was coming too. I thought it was a good idea since you’re friends with her and all” Charlie admitted, as Iwaizumi turned around to look at Oikawa who didn’t stop staring at Miko.

”Oikawa, I…”

”You didn’t tell me you met Miko-chan” the brunette said, looking at his olive green eyes now. He sounded normal, but his eyes were hurt.

”I forgot. And I didn’t know she was coming here today” Iwaizumi explained.

”Are you two that intimate already, Hajime-kun?” Oikawa mocked him, and Iwaizumi didn’t know what to say when the girl approached them.

”Oikawa-san, it’s nice to see you again” Miko said smiling at him.

”Long time no see, Miko-chan” Oikawa chirped, faking his smile and acting friendly.

”Hajime-kun told me you want to become a pro volleyball player, it’s so cool!” she said, placing a hand on Iwaizumi’s bicep.

“Yeah, right?” Oikawa replied, and stared at them, trying to hide the annoyance.

”Mierda, qué hiciste?!” Miguel whispered furiously, clearly annoyed.

”What?” Charlie asked in confusion.

”Why did you have to invite that chick here with us? Don’t you see Toto’s shocked face?” Miguel said, desperate. 

Charlie looked at Oikawa, who was smiling and laughing at Miko’s jokes.

”He looks pretty normal to me.”

”Because you don’t know him!” Miguel said, as he approached that word trio to help his friend.

”Hi, there! I’m sure we didn’t introduce ourselves, I’m Miguel” the Argentine spiker winked at her and took her hand to leave a light kiss on it, but Miko withdrew it.

”Hello, I’m Miko. You’re Oikawa-san’s friend, right?”

”Yes, and I was just thinking about playing beach volley with you. Carlito said you’re pretty good, and I want to see it myself. You can’t refuse” Miguel said, trying to convince her, nodding at Charlie.

”Yes! Let’s play!” the latter said, trying to help his new crush.

”Then I’d like to team up with Hajime-kun” Miko said, smiling at Iwaizumi who was a bit embarrassed.

”I want to get to know your other friends too” Miguel said, nodding at the girl and the boy that were chatting in the shore, “perhaps, I think Hajime wants to dry himself first.”

”Yeah…I’ll catch up with you later” Iwaizumi said, as Miguel and Miko left him alone, because Oikawa had already came out of the water and was searching for a towel in his bag.

Iwaizumi ran towards him, but he didn’t know what to say. So he dried himself and stared at Oikawa, who was now sitting on the sand.

”When did you meet her?” Tooru suddenly asked.

”Two months ago, I guess?”

”Why didn’t you tell me?” Oikawa looked somehow hurt, but was doing a great job hiding it.

”I can ask you the same thing.”

”What?” Oikawa looked confused.

”She’s never been your girlfriend. You told her that I wasn’t interested in her” Iwaizumi said, looking into his chocolate brown eyes.

Oikawa looked surprised, and somehow worried. He looked away, staring at his feet while playing with his fingers.

”She told you, didn’t she?”

”Why did you do that?” Iwaizumi asked, but Oikawa didn’t reply.

He preferred to stay silent, and Hajime sighed.

I was afraid I could lose you.

”You won’t lose me, Tooru” Iwaizumi said, as if he could read his mind and Oikawa stared up to him, who was now standing in front of him.

”Wanna team up with me like the old days and show them what we're capable of?” Iwaizumi asked, holding out his hand.

Oikawa closed his eyes and smiled, taking it.

”Always.”

They sucked. Oikawa couldn’t coordinate with the wind, and Iwaizumi almost missed all the spikes. Miguel and Charlie, somehow, played way better than them.

”Fuck it, beach volley sucks! How does it have volley in it? It isn’t even close!” Oikawa swore, as he got some sand off his knee.

”You’re a loser, Toto” Miguel laughs, as they put their shirt on, ready to go back home.

”Hajime-kun?” Miko called him, as Miguel made an annoyed expression, while Charlie nudged him.

Oikawa moved away, but not enough to not hear what they were saying.

”Do you want to grab some coffee with me tomorrow?”

”I don’t think it’s a good idea. I have to take Oikawa and Miguel out to visit the city and…” Iwaizumi replied awkwardly.

”Then, I’ll wait!” she said, then waved them all goodbye before leaving with the other uni colleagues.

”Es insoportable!”

”Miguel, cállate” Tooru said, as they turned around.

”You have to teach me Spanish, so I can understand you when you’re angry” Charlie commented, approaching them.

”I’ll teach you how Spanish tongue can be very hot and angry tonight, especially after you invited that bitch here” Miguel says, grabbing Charlie by the waist, Oikawa sticking out his tongue in disgust.

They arrived at their apartments, and Oikawa has stayed silent for the whole time. Iwaizumi didn’t know what to think anymore, as Oikawa took a shower. He was cleaning the bedroom, when the setter startled him. 

“Do you have some after sun cream? I think I burned my shoulders” Oikawa said, as he took off the towel, searching for his hair oil.

”Yeah, I should have some…what are you doing?!” Iwaizumi screamed in shock, but then noticed that he was already wearing a pair of boxers.

”Calm down, Iwa-chan. I won’t get naked in front of you that easily. I know you like Miko’s boobs better” the setter said coldly, as he combed his hair with the lotion.

”I don’t! Why the hell do you think that?! Just shut up!” Iwaizumi got embarrassed, and stormed out the room to search for the after sun cream.

When he came back, Oikawa was sitting on the right side of the bed, his broad back facing him. Iwaizumi noticed his burnt shoulders had dropped and his posture wasn’t the usual confident one.

”You always forget to put sunscreen on, you idiot” Iwaizumi said, while sitting behind him and spreading some cream on his shoulders. 
Oikawa winced, as the gentle touch of his best friend soothed him.

“You didn’t remind me” Tooru replied, pouting.

”I’m not your mom.”

Oikawa shrieked and almost moaned, as he felt Iwaizumi’s hands going down, caressing his lower back.

“Hajime, what are you…?” Oikawa gulped, as he didn’t want to give in that easily. It was so lame.

”You got burned here too, bet your butt cheeks are also red!” Iwaizumi said as he was massaging him gently.

His hands wondered all over Oikawa’s toned back, they left not even an inch unexplored. Hajime’s fingers couldn’t leave Tooru’s skin.

Oikawa was lucky the other couldn’t see him in the face, because he was a mess. He was biting his lower lip, to not let any weird sounds escape his mouth, and he was clenching his fists trying to hold back. Iwaizumi’s rough hands felt so perfect on his smooth skin.

”Relax a bit, Tooru. You’re so tense” Hajime whispered, as he massaged his shoulders, spreading some cream over his arms too.

”Hajime, I don’t think this is a good idea” Oikawa said suddenly, as he turned around to face him.

”Why?” the shorter looked at him, confused, his hands white with cream.

”I can put the cream alone-“

”Your face is all burned too, shut up and let me do this” Iwaizumi said, noticing Oikawa’s cheeks were red. Little did he know it was not because of the sun.

Iwaizumi was careful spreading the cream all over his best friend’s face. Tooru closed his eyes, and Iwaizumi could stare at him without fearing to be judged. He noticed Oikawa’s smooth skin and his more than perfect eyelashes and his crinkled nose when Iwaizumi tickled him. His lips…looked so soft. Iwaizumi’s left hand slid to Oikawa’s neck and his right hand caressed Tooru’s lips for a little moment, it was almost imperceptible.

”Iwa-chan, are you done?” Oikawa asked, his eyes still closed as he waited.

”Yes…you’re good” Iwaizumi stuttered, as he took his hands off of Oikawa’s skin, the lack of touch was so painful he didn’t want to admit it.

Chapter Text

Iwaizumi woke up to his best friend’s screams coming from the bathroom. He groaned, as he already knew what was going on.

“Iwa-chan! Omg, I’m going to die!”

Iwaizumi sighed, as he got up and slowly walked to the bathroom, finding Oikawa looking at himself in the mirror.

“What?” Hajime stared at him, with an annoyed expression on his face. He needed more sleep.

“My skin…it’s peeling off! I can’t go out like this!” Oikawa blurted desperately.

“You should have thought it before forgetting to put on some sunscreen.”

Iwaizumi left the room, as Oikawa whined all the time, only to come back with a cream in his hand.

“Turn around asshole” he said, spreading some cream on Oikawa’s skin, who felt a little better.

“Iwa-chan, will you always take care of me like this?” Tooru asked, lowering his head and staring at his feet.

“Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?”

Oikawa stayed silent for a while, as if pondering his thoughts.

“Because one day…you’ll get married, have a family and there’ll be no room for me” Oikawa said, finally expressing what was running through his mind. At least, a part of it.

“What makes you think I’m going to get married, Shittykawa?” Iwaizumi laughed at him, now turning him around to face him.

“I see how Miko-chan looks at you. It’s the same look she had always had back in Seijoh” Oikawa was serious, as he looked in his eyes.

Iwaizumi somehow felt uncomfortable about that. Miko was still interested in him?

“I don’t think so” he just replied, dismissing the idea and walking out of the bathroom, leaving Oikawa alone.

They visited the campus that day, and Oikawa was happy to get to see the places his best friend frequented the most. At least he was, before a certain girl came to ruin everything.

“Hajime-kun! Charlie, Michael, Oikawa-san!” Miko greeted them, as she ran towards the guys.

“Es Miguel, puta” the Argentine player spitted, and Oikawa nudged him to stop him.

“I somehow understood that” Charlie whispered,as Iwaizumi stared at them confused.

“What are you guys up to?” Miko said smiling at them, but asking Hajime.

“Nothing that concerns you!” replied Miguel, smiling back.

“He meant we’re just visiting the campus, something really annoying for someone who sees it everyday, right?” Oikawa said, trying to cover up the shit that came out from his friend’s mouth, as he glared at him.

“Do you want to enjoy us, Miko?” Iwaizumi said suddenly, as the guys stared at him in shock.

“Por favor, no” Miguel whispered, desperate.

“Yes!” the girl chirped, as she took Iwaizumi’s arm as they walked.

Oikawa stared at them from behind, as Miguel pinched his nose. He was so done.

“I need my sunglasses, I can’t deal with this shit anymore” he said, wearing them and taking Charlie’s hand in his.

As they walked, they passed by the gym and Oikawa suddenly stopped. He heard the rumble of the ball hitting the ground, the squeaking of the shoes on the newly cleaned parquet. He peaked inside and saw some uni students playing volleyball.

“Shittykawa, what are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked, as they slowly reached him again. He then noticed and smiled.

“Wanna play one last time?” Hajime asked him, ignoring Miko and the others. That time, it was only him and Oikawa.

“Of course, Iwa-chan.”

They walked in and Iwaizumi asked some students if they could join.

”Let’s show them what we’re capable of, Toto!” Miguel said, putting his arm around his setter’s neck, and challenging Iwaizumi and Charlie who were on the opposite side of the court.

”You wish. I was the ace back in high school and I’m not going to let you win that easily!” Iwaizumi said, rolling up the sleeves and showing his well structured biceps.

Oikawa was about to reply, but he was staring too much. Miguel nudged him, smirking and acting like he was drooling, imitating him. Tooru hit him on the head and they started playing.

“Take this, bitch!” Miguel roared as he spiked a ball no one could receive, and he briefly glanced towards Miko who was watching them from the bench.

”Who are you calling a bitch?!” Iwaizumi shouted, as he thought the insult was meant for him.

”It’s me, I’m his bitch” Charlie said winking, covering up his boyfriend and giving him an high five across the net. He knew who the insult was really meant for.

Oikawa and Miguel were perfectly synchronized. They played so naturally they made it look easy. Iwaizumi was a bit jealous of it, to be honest. He wasn’t anymore Oikawa’s ace, and he should deal with it.

”Iwa-chan, you got a lot weaker since the last time we’ve played!”

Oikawa had that damned smirk on his face, the one that could make all girls faint in an instant.

”It’s because I don’t have you setting to me” the words left his mouth before he could think about them.

Oikawa stared at him in shock, as Iwaizumi blushed a bit, realizing what he had said and then insulting him to cover it up.

”Be my ace one last time, Hajime.”

Tooru smiled brightly and softly, as he handed him the ball. Iwaizumi looked at him and grinned back, taking it and switching with Miguel who walked towards Charlie’s team.

The others didn’t have any chance at all. Hajime and Tooru’s trust and synchronization was abnormal. They perfectly knew what the other was going to do before they could even think of it. It was their power even back in Seijoh.

Oikawa set to Iwaizumi and Iwaizumi spiked it, just as normal as that. Everyone could tell they had something special when they played together.

Miguel left the court for a break, switching with a student, and he drank a bit of water. He then noticed Miko looking at Oikawa and Iwaizumi playing and smiling at each other. He smirked, approaching her.

”Don’t you think they’re perfect together?” he said, startling her.

”They’ve grown up together, their chemistry on court is undeniable” Miko smiled at him, as he still had that smirk on his face.

”I’m not talking about volleyball” Miguel said looking at Oikawa and Iwaizumi, as she followed his gaze.

She noticed Hajime giving a pat on Tooru’s back, and the setter blushing a bit and smiling softly to him.

”You know they’re sleeping together these days, don’t you?” Miguel said nonchalantly.

”What…?” Miko looked at him in shock.

”Hajime didn’t tell you?” he said pouting a bit, turning his head to stare at her, a little bit amused by her expression.

”What do you mean? Do they…?”

”Oh, sex? I don’t know. But it wouldn’t surprise me, Hajime’s eyes don't lie” Miguel said, as he waved to her, walking on court again to play.

Miko stared at  Iwaizumi, who was now spiking again, and slammed the ball on the floor. He grinned, as he ran towards Oikawa and they had a fist bump, smiling at each other happily. She noticed Iwaizumi’s look on his face when he stared at Tooru, whenever the setter was not paying attention. Miguel’s right.

”The next time, I’ll beat you” Iwaizumi said as they walked towards the bench to drink some water. The match had finished.

”Bring it on, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa smirked as he laughed a bit, reaching for a bottle of fresh water, as Iwaizumi was drying his head with a towel.

”Hajime-kun” Miko said, her voice a bit shaky as she approached them, interrupting the atmosphere.

Oikawa stared at her, as she was looking down, never facing the two.

”Can I talk to you? In private” she asked, meaning she didn’t want Oikawa around. 

“What is it? Had something happened?” Iwaizumi asked a little bit concerned, as he looked at Oikawa who shrugged. He had no idea.

”Please” Miko insisted, and Iwaizumi followed her outside the gym.

Oikawa’s expression faltered, as he feared Miko was going to confess to his best friend. If it was going to happen, it would have happened anyway. His shoulders slumped, as he took another sip of water.

”I didn’t think she would be so upset about that, estoy tan orgulloso de mi mismo” Miguel said grinning at the scene, Oikawa turned around to face him.

”What? What did you say to her?” Tooru asked, a bit concerned.

”That you and Hajime are sleeping together. You should have seen her face!” Miguel laughed, as Charlie shook his head.

”Miguel , qué carajo? Qué creías que estabas haciendo?” Oikawa blurted, as he ran outside the gym to find Iwaizumi.

They were talking some meters away from him, and Oikawa stopped, hiding behind the corner. He shouldn’t eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it.

”What the hell are you talking about?” he heard Iwaizumi saying, he was clearly upset.

”Just tell me, Hajime, are you gay?” Miko asked again, and Oikawa held his breath.

“Of course not! Why would you think that?!” Iwaizumi snapped, losing his patience.

He said it with too much fervor, perhaps trying to convince himself too. Oikawa’s hand dropped, as he stared at his best friend. Hajime had no doubts. He could never like a man. He could never like him. He had his answer now and it was too clear.

”Miguel told me you’re sleeping with Oikawa-san” Miko said, not trusting his words, not yet.

Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat, but no one could ever tell.

”We have to, I don’t have any other option” he explained.

”So you never had sex with him?” Miko asked, her voice shaking a bit.

Iwaizumi’s mind went blank. He stared at her, as if the idea of having sex with Oikawa had never crossed his mind. 

“You lost your mind…do you even think about the disgusting thing you’ve just said? Why the hell would I want to have sex with him?! He’s my best friend!” Hajime blurted furiously, as he walked off.

”I’m sorry, Hajime! Please! I’ll never bring it up again!” Miko said, following him as he calmed down.

Oikawa was shaking, he didn’t even realize it. He looked at his hands, as they were moving uncontrollably, and some drops landed on his palms. He was crying, and funnily he didn’t realize it too.

Iwaizumi’s words opened a wound on his heart. It hurt. All the glances, all the touches they had had these past days…meant nothing. Oikawa wasn’t stupid, he didn’t pretend Hajime was in love with him, he never thought that. But sometimes…Iwaizumi’s actions mislead him.

He tried to walk back to the gym but his legs were shaking a bit, and stumbled against the bin. He didn’t fall, but Miguel saw him from inside and run towards him. 

“Toto?! Hey, are you alright?” he asked, grabbing him by his arms and making Tooru look at him.

”I’m fine. I’m…just give me a moment” Oikawa said, taking deep breaths to calm down. 

Miguel looked at him worried, as he patiently waited.

”Can you take me home, please?” Tooru asked softly, his vision still blurry.

Miguel needed no more words. He understood, and asked Charlie for his apartment’s keys, and walked the setter back.

As Miko and Iwaizumi walked back to the gym, the latter noticed Tooru and Miguel were missing.

”Where’s Oikawa?” he asked, searching for him on the court, thinking he was still playing.

”Miguel walked him home, I fear he wasn’t feeling good” Charlie said.

”Let’s go then, if it’s his knee again he needs a massage. See you around, Miko” Hajime said a bit worried, as he and Charlie walked out the gym.

Once they entered the apartment, he saw Oikawa on the couch and Miguel handing him a glass of water.

”What happened? Are you alright?” Iwaizumi asked as he approached them, and noticed Oikawa’s eyes were red and puffed.

”Tooru, why did you cry? It’s the knee, isn’t it? Let me have a look” he then added, worried as he touched his best friend’s knee, but Oikawa moved away.

”It’s nothing, Iwa-chan, really! I just got too emotional remembering the days back in Seijoh!” Tooru smiled, brushing it off, but he couldn’t fool Iwaizumi. 

His smile wasn’t sincere at all.

”Let’s go to my apartment, I have a cream for your knee that will soothe the pain” Hajime said, holding out his hand so he could support himself.

“Más que para la rodilla, haría falta una crema para el corazón” Miguel whispered, as Oikawa glared at him, silently telling him to shut up.

”The heart? Does Tooru have a cardiac problem?” Iwaizumi suddenly turned to stare at Miguel, worried, as the latter smiled awkwardly.

”Oh no! I was talking about the song Toto and I used to listen before practice!” Miguel brushed it off, and Oikawa shook his head.

“Well then, see you later guys” Hajime said, closing the door behind him.

They silently walked in Iwaizumi’s apartment, and Hajime made him sit on the bed.

”Wait” he said, running to the bathroom to take the cream and coming back in mere seconds.

”Where does it hurt?” Hajime asked softly, as he looked at Oikawa’s knee.

”It doesn’t hurt at all, Iwa-chan. Really” Tooru said, with his firm voice, and he finally managed to convince him.

”Why did you cry then?” Iwaizumi asked, closing the tube.

”I told you, I got too emotional. That’s all” Oikawa replied, as he lay down closing his eyes.

”I’m not stupid, Oikawa. If you don’t want to talk, just say so” Hajime said sighing, as he got up and walked away, closing the door behind him to give him some space.

”You’re so stupid, Iwa-chan” Tooru whispered, as a tear crossed his face, gripping the sheets.

Chapter Text

It was the 20th of July. It only meant one thing to Iwaizumi, since the day he knew him. It was Oikawa’s birthday, and they had the chance to spend it together as they always did in Japan.

Oikawa was still sleeping, so Iwaizumi decided to make coffee for him too on purpose to upset him.

He’d got a great plan for that day: annoying Oikawa and acting as if he didn’t remember his birthday, only to surprise him then.

it would have been a great plan, if only Oikawa himself remembered it was his birthday.

Tooru got up, still sleepy, and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He almost cried to sleep last night, Iwaizumi’s words never leaving his mind. He sighed and looked at himself in the mirror: he was a disaster. The eye bags, the ruffled hair, his sad expression…that was no good for him.

When he entered the kitchen, he spotted Iwaizumi making some pancakes.

”Good morning” Hajime said, as he handed him a plate with two pancakes. Oikawa sat down, thanking him.

Tooru mindlessly reached for his cup and drank without knowing what it was, certain that Iwaizumi poured him some milk or tea. He never thought Hajime would be so cruel.

”Coffee?! Really?!” he blurted, as he spit it, a disgusted expression painted on his face.

”I thought you should try it from time to time” Iwaizumi shrugged.

”You know I hate coffee! What did I do to you? You’re so cruel!” Oikawa overreacted, acting like a crybaby, as Iwaizumi smiled, but Tooru couldn’t see him because he was facing his back.

”Cut the crap, Oikawa, and just eat” Hajime said sternly, and Tooru stared at him for a moment.

Why was he being so mean?

”Today you’ll go out with Charlie. I have something to discuss with Miguel” Iwaizumi said, sitting down and drinking his coffee.

”What? Why can’t I participate?” the setter asked, arching an eyebrow.

”It’s none of you business, Shittykawa.”

Oikawa pouted. As he tried to say something back, Iwaizumi grabbed his chin and filled his mouth with pancakes to shut him up.

They parted ways. Charlie and Oikawa decided to go shopping, and Iwaizumi was left alone with the Argentine spiker.

”Let me guess…you want Toto’s birthday to be perfect and you need some ideas, right?” Miguel smirked, his arms crossed to his chest.

”How did you…?”

”You would die for him, Hajime. It’s just too early for you to admit that. But don’t worry, I got you!” Miguel grinned, as he pat Iwaizumi on the shoulder.

”I get now why you and Oikawa get along so well…you’re the same!” Iwaizumi blurted, as he shook his hand from his shoulder.

”Well, don’t fall for me too!” Miguel winked at him, as he put on his sunglasses and took Hajime outside the apartment.

”Where are we going?” Iwaizumi asked, as he was practically being pulled by him.

”Shopping! You didn’t think of surprising him looking like that, did you? You need new clothes!” 

“Are you insulting me right now? Am I ugly or something?” Hajime arched an eyebrow, deadpanning him.

”Actually you’re pretty handsome, Toto has great taste after all. You just need to be…sexier” Miguel smirked, as they entered a shop.

Iwaizumi didn’t know how the hell he found himself in that situation. He didn’t even know why he was mindlessly trying on new clothes to look good for Oikawa. Why should he look sexier for his best friend…?

”Miguel…I don’t think this would work” Hajime said, as he was trying a black shirt.

”You just need to…loose up a bit” Miguel said, as he unbuttoned the first three buttons.

”It’s not…ugh! What do you mean I have to be sexier? Why do y’all think that me and Oikawa…well…ugh…” Iwaizumi tried to say, but he got too embarrassed to finish the sentence.

”Hajime” Miguel said, sighing, “It’s hard to admit it, I’ve went through it too. Do you think it was easy for me to come out to my parents, my friends and admit that I like boys?”

Hajime stared at him, his eyes watching him carefully, his expression’s compassionate.

”I know it’s hard. I’ve hurt people too, but mostly…I hurt myself. I’ve lost years living like someone I wasn’t. You need time to process it. The sooner you’ll find out, the better will be for you and those who care for you, Hajime” Miguel smiled fondly at him, pouring his heart out.

”I’m not gay, Miguel” Iwaizumi said, but his heart was beating way too fast in his chest.

”You’re in denial, it’s okay. But don’t play around until you find out, you might break someone’s heart” the Argentine said, smiling.

”I like girls. I’ve never thought doing anything with a man, so please stop projecting your life onto me” Hajime blurted, his voice was steady, but something inside him was screaming liar.

”Of course, Hajime. As you wish” Miguel replied, with a sad smile on his face, “you should buy this one though. You’re stunning.”

Hajime looked down at the black unbottoned shirt he was wearing and then he changed clothes again.

He took it.

Oikawa and Charlie walked through many shops, and it was kind of easy to find something to talk about. Oikawa was pretty easygoing, and Charlie was a good listener.

“What do you think?” Oikawa asked, as he showed the other a white and kind of transparent shirt.

“Perfect! Hajime will lose his mind” Charlie said, smirking.

Oikawa blushed a little, and shrugged it off.

“Why would you say that? Iwa-chan is clearly into Miko-chan.”

“Who knows? Only Hajime can tell” Charlie smiled, as Oikawa gripped the white shirt.

“He always talks about you, you know?” the guy continued, looking at him, “He’s always like Tooru did this, Tooru did that, I’m going to videocall him so I can’t go out with you guys today, and so on.”

Oikawa blushed, lowering his gaze, his heart racing like crazy.

“We’ve known each other since we were toddlers. It’s a bit difficult for us not to talk for one another!” Tooru said, trying to convince Charlie, or mostly himself, “Iwa-chan has always been manly, he wouldn’t like it if he knew we’re talking about this.”

“Are you gay, Tooru?” Charlie asked suddenly, taking the setter aback.

“W-wha…” Oikawa stuttered, blushing a bit.

“I won’t judge you, you can be yourself with me. If you don’t want to talk about this it’s okay” Charlie said with a gentle tone, smiling sympathetic, as the setter took a deep breath.

“How…do you know?” Tooru lowered his voice, playing with his fingers.

“I wasn’t sure at first, but it‘s pretty obvious when I noticed how you behave around Hajime. And how you don’t even give girls a glance.”

Oikawa didn't know what to say. Was it really that obvious? If even Charlie could notice it, then Iwaizumi had noticed it too? He hadn't shown it, and that was yet another proof that Hajime didn't feel anything for him. Not in the way Oikawa wanted, at least.

“It’s lame, isn’t it?” Tooru laughed, the smile never reaching his eyes.

“It isn’t. And I think that Hajime just needs to sort out his own thoughts” Charlie said, patting him on the back.

“He’s made it clear that he doesn’t like boys, I heard him say it to Miko-chan” Oikawa said, biting his lower lip to suppress the feelings.

“You know, I was pretty sure of that too, back in high school. Then, I got with a boy and discovered that I liked it too. Being a bisexual is more difficult than it seems” Charlie sounded so sure and confident while saying it.

Oikawa had a questioning look on his face, so the other spoke before him.

“I don’t know if Hajime is bi. But I see how he looks at you, and what kind of smile is plastered on his face whenever he talks about you.”

Oikawa looked at him, his hand trembling a bit. He didn’t expect to have this kind of conversation with Iwaizumi’s friend.

“Shall we look for a pair of shorts too?!” Charlie exclaimed, taking Tooru with him.

“Well…when you said you had a surprise for Toto, I didn’t think about…this” Miguel commented, as they were in the airport waiting for someone.

“I’m full of surprises” Iwaizumi said, as the gates opened, and a tall guy along with a pink haired one approached them, walking as they were some Hollywood stars, both wearing sunglasses.

“You didn’t change a bit, Iwa!” Mattsun commented, as they shared an high five.

“Who’s the hottie right here?” Hanamaki exclaimed taking off his sunglasses, looking at the Argentine spiker.

“Miguel, encantado. Your hair color is sexy” he said, smirking, as Makki laughed out loud.

“I already love this guy. You’re Oikawa’s spiker, right?”

“We have to go now. We have to prepare for the party before Oikawa returns” Iwaizumi said in a hurried tone, interrupting them.

“Look who’s eager to make everything perfect for his boy” Matsukawa commented, but Iwaizumi couldn’t hear him.

“And he still denies it” Miguel said, as they followed Iwaizumi who was heading to the car.

“He’s just a gay idiot, let him be” Makki smiled fondly.

It was almost evening, Oikawa changed clothes and Charlie told him they would meet with the others in a club.

“Iwa-chan has avoided me all day…do you know if he’s upset or something?” Tooru asked, biting a lip, as they were approaching the place.

“I don’t think so. He’s just been…very busy today” Charlie replied, as they entered the disco and found Iwaizumi holding a cake.

“Happy birthday, Shittykawa!” Hajime exclaimed, along with Matsukawa, Hanamaki and Miguel.

Tooru looked at them in shock. His birthday? He had completely forgotten about it.

“Makki? Mattsun?! What are you doing here?!” Oikawa was in the verge of tears, as he ran towards them, hugging them tightly. He hadn’t seen them for more than one year.

“Surprise!”

“I missed you both so much!” Oikawa was now crying, and Miguel handed him a handkerchief.

“Yeah, Snottykawa, we missed you too” Makki said, hugging him tight, as a tear escaped his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me anything?!”

“Actually, it was Iwaizumi’s idea” Matsukawa smiled, as Tooru looked at Hajime.

“That’s why you were treating me so badly all day?”

“I couldn’t let you discover anything on your own, Trashykawa” Hajime looked into his chocolate brown eyes that had lit up, shining bright now.

“Vamos a divertirnos hasta que la puta esté allí!” Miguel exclaimed, Oikawa rolled his eyes as he was the only one who could understand what he was saying.

“Iwa-chan” Oikawa said, once the others were buying drinks, “thank you. It’s the best surprise ever!”

Iwaizumi blushed a bit, looking away.

“It’s nothing, Hanamaki and Matsukawa already wanted to come here and visit, so why not doing it for your birthday?”

He then looked at his chocolate brown eyes, adding: “Say, you forgot it’s your birthday today, haven’t you?”

Oikawa laughed, as he nodded.

“I was kind of worried you were avoiding me and treating me badly all day to properly think about it.”

“I always treat you badly” Iwaizumi said.

“You do.”

Both of them stared at each other in silence, then Oikawa’s gaze lowered, admiring Iwaizumi’s black unbuttoned shirt. He blushed hard, and quickly turned his head away not to be noticed.

“What is it?” Hajime asked, noticing his best friend’s strange behavior.

“Nothing! Uh, I think it’s kind of hot in here, isn’t it?!” Oikawa fanned himself with his hand, clearly embarrassed.

Iwaizumi arched an eyebrow, then noticed the white and kind of transparent shirt Oikawa was wearing. The light fabric allowed almost everything to be seen, and Iwaizumi couldn’t stop staring. He felt his throat dry, and he found himself speaking before he could think of it.

“Beautiful.”

Tooru almost snapped, as he turned to face him, his eyes widened in surprise. Iwaizumi then looked away, noticing that he thought out loud.

“I mean, the shirt. It fits you, I guess. But you suck anyway” he tried to fix it, failing miserably.

“You’re so mean!” Tooru exclaimed, huffing, but he couldn’t hide the blush that was painted on his face.

“Now now, what’s happening here? You’re redder than a tomato, and you didn’t even drink” Miguel commented as he handed them the cups.

Oikawa took his and drank it all in one gulp.

“Oi! What the hell?! It’ll go to your head!” Iwaizumi blurted, taking Oikawa’s empty cup from his hands.

“Iwa-chan, you’re so boring!”

“Let him be, Iwa. It’s his birthday after all” Matsukawa said, smirking.

After a while, Oikawa drank too much, feeling his mind a little bit dizzy again and barely standing to his feet.

Latin music started and so did Oikawa, dancing along with Miguel, as they moved their hips smoothly. Iwaizumi gulped, as he stared at them from afar.

“Oh, it’s so hard” Mattsun said behind Iwaizumi’s back, startling him a little.

“I guess Latin dance is…” Hajime commented, as he followed every move of Oikawa with his gaze.

“I was talking about your dick.”

Iwaizumi almost chocked at his friend’s words.

“What?!” he blurted, as Mattsun’s expression was as neutral as ever, as if he was talking about the weather.

“I think you should be more honest with yourself, Iwa” Mattsun then looked at Oikawa, “it took you one dance of his to get this turned on. So lame.”

“I swear I’ll tear your tongue out with my own hands-“

“You should try that with Oikawa. I think he likes it rough” Mattsun hummed, as he then walked away to reach Makki.

Iwaizumi blushed furiously, as he stared down at his own cup. He saw his reflection and he kind of hated that. It was lame, Mattsun was right. Why was he feeling like that when he looked at his best friend dancing? It blamed the alcohol and Oikawa’s more than sexy moves.

“Well well, you like what you see?” Miguel approached him, smirking proudly and taking a sip of his beer. Iwaizumi tore his gaze from Oikawa to look at him.

“I’m not looking at anything in particular” Hajime replies, taking a sip from his cup as well.

“You sure are a fool, Hajime. I like that of you” Miguel licked his lips, smiling down at him.

“Unfortunately, you’re not the only one staring at my handsome Toto tonight” he huffs.

“What do you mean?” Iwaizumi was too fast to ask that.

“That guy near the bar and that gorgeous raven there and…oh! Even a girl! Still, I don’t think she’ll ever have a chance…” Miguel said, murmuring the final sentence so Iwaizumi wouldn’t hear him at all.

“So?”

“So, my dearest loveliest Hajime, they’ll fuck him before you do, is that clear now?” Miguel said, winking.

“Crystal clear!” Makki added, as he heard them from where he was standing with Mattsun.

“Thanks, Makki! You’re the best” Miguel sent him a kiss in the air.

“What the hell are you all implying tonight? Why the fuck would I want to fuck Oikawa?!” Hajime blurted, losing his patience.

“You said it twice, you’re really starving for him Hajime. I would too, but now I have Charlie.”

Iwaizumi looked at Oikawa, and noticed one of the guys Miguel said were looking, was approaching him.

Hajime’s legs began to move before he could think of it. When he was almost there, he noticed that Oikawa was kissing the guy on the neck. Iwaizumi stopped abruptly. He stared at him, his eyes widening in shock. Why did he feel a pang in his chest? A searing pain that made his throat tighten. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand seeing Tooru kiss someone else, yet he didn't even know why.

When he noticed the guy’s hand were caressing Oikawa’s back, gradually lowering, he started walking towards them. He pulled the guy away, telling him to disappear.

Oikawa staggered, and Iwaizumi held him firmly by the shoulders.

“Tooru, are you alright?” he asked, looking concerned at him.

“Mhm…Iwa…chan…” Tooru mumbled, as he closed his eyes for a moment.

Iwaizumi sighed.

“Enough. We’re going home” as he said so, he felt Oikawa’s fingers lingering on his cheek and smoothly going down, stopping on his exposed chest skin. Oikawa’s touch made Iwaizumi freeze in place, multiple shivers running down his spine.

Tooru moved closer, until his soft lips touched Hajime's neck, leaving a trail of kisses that became more and more insistent.

Hajime held his breath. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move. All he felt were Tooru's lips and tongue on his neck. He didn't want him to stop, and that scared him more than anything else.

He suddenly took Oikawa by his cheeks, stopping him.

“Home. Now.”

As he said that, he dragged Oikawa out of the club, leaving his friends behind. Halfway there, he had to pick him up because Oikawa could no longer stand up.

Once they arrived in Iwaizumi’s apartment, he made Tooru lie down on the bed and changed his sweat-soaked shirt. Once he came back with a new shirt, ready to put it on him, Oikawa held his hand.

“Ha…ji…” he muttered, as he looked at him with those glassy eyes.

Iwaizumi didn’t notice he was holding his breath, his gaze lowered and noticed Oikawa’s hardened nipples. He lost his mind.

He’s never seen anything more beautiful than his best friend half naked and completely drunk on his bed.

His hands moved on their own, resting on Oikawa's chest and brushing his nipples. Tooru gasped in pleasure, arching his back. Hajime couldn't hold back any longer. He threw himself on Tooru's neck and began kissing it, licking every spot he could, while Oikawa's moans grew louder. Hajime bit his flesh, leaving more than one mark on his beautiful, delicate skin.

Only when Oikawa rolled his hips did Iwaizumi notice his erection. He stopped, gripped by utter shock.

What had he just done?

Oikawa closed his eyes, his moans fading when Iwaizumi no longer touched him. Hajime noticed the multiple hickeys he had left on Tooru's neck, and froze.

What have I done?!

His heart was pounding, his erection tight in his pants. It couldn't be…had he really gotten so turned on just by kissing Tooru's neck?

No…it was his moans. Hajime couldn't help it, he wanted to hear much more than a moan coming out of Tooru's mouth.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

What the hell had just happened?

Chapter Text

Iwaizumi woke up, annoyed by the voices he heard in his apartment. He opened his eyes, finding himself facing Hanamaki, who was looking down at him with a stupid smile.

“What?” Iwaizumi stood up, sitting now on the couch where he had slept last night. He couldn’t sleep on the same bed with Oikawa, not after what he had done.

“Oikawa is snoring, he has multiple hickeys on his neck, and you slept on the couch. What happened between you two?” Matsukawa said, standing behind Makki, both staring at him.

“Nothing. He was so drunk that I let him have the bed.”

Makki and Mattsun looked at each other, exchanging looks, as they clearly didn’t buy any of it.

Meanwhile, a thud was heard coming from the bedroom, then Oikawa appeared, opening the door. His hair was disheveled, he had deep dark circles under his eyes and purple hickeys on his neck. Iwaizumi gulped.

Tooru still looked half asleep as he walked towards the bathroom. Silence filled the apartment, suddenly broken by Oikawa's scream, who ran out of the bathroom.

“What the hell are these?!” he shrieked, utterly shocked, pointing at his neck and looking at his three friends.

“You should ask Iwa, he was the one who walked you home last night, right Iwa?” Matsukawa said, looking at him with a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

“I-I…” Hajime tried to speak as Oikawa looked at him expectantly. He was anxious, he could see that in his chocolate brown eyes.

“Maybe you made out with some cute girl last night, do you remember?” Hanamaki said, tried to cover up his friend’s sexuality.

Both Matsukawa and Hanamaki knew. Not because Oikawa had told them, but they figured it out.

“Yeah…” Tooru sighed, looking at his feet.

He felt strange. He didn’t want last night to end like that. He had drunk so much that he couldn't remember anything after noticing how damn hot Iwaizumi looked in that unbuttoned black shirt.

He appreciated Hanamaki's attempt to cover it, but he knew that only a guy could have left those hickeys on his skin. Not even when drunk would Oikawa have approached a girl. His only fear was that he had done something to Iwaizumi. That something might have slipped from his tongue.

He looked at his best friend, who was avoiding his gaze. That was clearly a proof that something happened.

Matsukawa approached him, noticing his distress.

“Why don’t we ask Miguel? Maybe he’s seen something.”

Oikawa nodded, as he changed clothes and left with Mattsun, leaving Iwaizumi and Hanamaki alone.

“Care to explain now?” the pink haired guy said, deadpanning him.

“What?!” Hajime jumped in defense.

“You left those hickeys, didn’t you?”

Iwaizumi stared at him as if he'd just slapped him. His expression was one of pure shock, mixed with confusion and remorse. He would never admit it.

“What the hell are you saying, Hiro? Of course not! Why would I-“

“Because you’re a fucking idiot, that’s why! Can’t you see you’re practically at Tooru’s feet by now?!” Hanamaki blurted, furiously, taking Iwaizumi aback.

“I am not. And it wasn’t me” Hajime said, spelling every word so it was clear to understand.

“Then who did that to him?” Makki asked, trying to believe his friend.

“There was a guy Tooru was kissing on the neck before I walked in. Maybe it was him” Iwaizumi replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Maybe?”

“I didn’t stare at Oikawa’s neck all night, okay?!” Hajime blurted, clenching his fists, as Hanamaki arched an eyebrow.

The apartment’s door opened, as Oikawa and Mattsun entered.

Tooru’s slumped figure was a clear sign that asking Miguel had been useless.

“Miguel said he wants to hang out with you, Iwa. We’ll look after Oikawa” Matsukawa said, as Tooru let himself fall on the bed, groaning.

Iwaizumi looked at his best friend, who was clearly upset at that moment, and nodded, leaving right after.

Oikawa tried to suffocate himself with the pillow, but he failed. A thousand thoughts raced through his head. How had it happened? Who had given him those hickeys? Had they stopped there, or had they gone further?

Tooru groaned again, trying to let out all his frustration.

His two friends entered the bedroom, but Oikawa couldn’t face them.

“How are you feeling?” Hanamaki asked, sitting on the bed next to him, his voice so gentle.

“Shitty” he muttered from under the pillows.

“Listen, we know it’s frustrating not knowing what happened…maybe it was a-“ Hanamaki said, drawing circles on his back, but Oikawa got up suddenly.

“I’m gay” he stated, looking at both of them.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked back at him, their expression didn’t change a bit.

“We already know that” they said at the same time.

“What?!” Tooru asked, shocked.

“Omg, I can’t anymore with these two” Hanamaki threw his hands in the air, walking around the room, as Mattsun spoke for him.

“We know you’re gay as much as we know you’re in love with Iwaizumi.”

Oikawa stared at them, mouth agape.

“I’m not” he muttered, trying to hide his little secret.

“Tooru, please. We’ve known it since high school, so stop with this bullshit already” Makki blurted l, losing his patience.

Oikawa’s mouth was shut, his lips forming a thin line. He looked down, ashamed of something, then he decided to speak.

“I…don’t know what to think anymore. These hickeys…I never wanted it to end like this. I wanted Iwa-chan to be…I've always wanted Iwa-chan to be my first time” Tooru fought back his tears, “I can’t stand the thought of a stranger touching me.”

“You’re so cheesy” Matsukawa commented, as Makki glared at him.

“Do you remember anything from last night?” the pink haired asked, rubbing his back.

“No…I just remember talking to Iwa-chan, and then someone approached me and I started kissing his neck…omg what have I done?!” Oikawa screamed, frustrated, as he hid his face in his hands.

“Do you remember what happened after that? When Iwa walked you back home?” Makki insisted, trying to figure it out.

Oikawa closed his eyes, trying to focus. He didn’t remember anything. Suddenly a picture started to form in his mind: Iwaizumi’s face while he looked down at him, and his own voice moaning Hajime’s name.

He blushed, and threw himself under the pillows again, screaming. Makki and Mattsun looked at him, s chocked and worried.

“Are you alright?” Matsukawa asked, checking after a while he was just laying there.

“Please, just kill me” Oikawa’s fumbled voice came out.

“Did you remember something?” Makki asked, trying to make him speak.

“He’s going to kill me. Iwa-chan is going to hate me. He said he doesn’t like men, so he’s totally never speaking to me again. I’m the worst. I shouldn’t have-“ Oikawa’s train of thought was interrupted by Hanamaki who grabbed him by the shirt.

“Cut it! What the hell did you remember?!”

“I moaned his name. Out loud. I’m going to die” Tooru closed his eyes, laying down again, as Makki looked at him, surprised.

“Well…I didn’t expect that, but it’s good” he admitted, while Oikawa’s gaze laid on him.

“Good?! Didn’t you notice how he was avoiding me this morning? He’s clearly disgusted by me!”

“I think you should speak to him. Just…be honest” Hanamaki said, smiling.

The moment Iwaizumi walked out his apartment, he noticed Miguel leaning on the railing, waiting for him.

“What happened?” he asked, as the Argentine player smiled at him.

“I just wanted to take a walk with my favorite idiot” he said, as he put on his sunglasses.

They walked a bit around the campus, and decided to stop by the cafeteria to have a coffee. As the sat down, Miguel smirked at him, taking off his sunglasses.

“So, did you enjoy kissing Toto’s neck last night, Mr. I like girls I’ve never thought doing anything with a man?”

Iwaizumi almost chocked on his coffee. He coughed, as he looked up to the Argentine player who faced him with a smug smile. Before he could say anything, Miguel anticipated him.

“I saw you two last night. When Toto kissed your neck and you left with him…he didn’t have a hickey on his skin. This means-“

“It doesn’t mean anything, alright?! Nothing happened!” Iwaizumi blurted, embarrassed.

“You’re the only one who could have left those hickeys on Toto, Hajime. You can’t fool me” Miguel looked at him with a serious expression on his face, “I told you not to play around until you figured it out yourself. Why did you do that?”

“I…I don’t know. I don’t. Fucking. Know. And it’s driving me crazy” Iwaizumi muttered, running his hands through his hair, desperately.

Miguel looked at him in silence, waiting for him to explain.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me. I couldn't help myself, I didn't want to do this to him, not when he was drunk. I just…he was…” Hajime stopped himself before saying something more.

“Do you like him?” Miguel asked, bluntly.

“What?”

“You heard me. Do you like Toto?” the Argentine player was deadly serious.

“I…don’t know” Iwaizumi admitted, knitting his eyebrows.

“Then…don’t do anything else until you find out. Don’t make things worse, Hajime.”

When they went back home, Miguel entered Iwaizumi’s apartment to check on Tooru. The setter has never left the bedroom, and Iwaizumi was feeling worse for that. Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked at him, their gaze asking him if he was alright. He looked down, biting his lip, hearing Miguel’s voice that tried to soothe Oikawa.

He wanted to take Tooru to the beach, as a last surprise for his birthday, but Miguel’s words rang clearly in his head. He clenched his fists, as he started to walk off.

“Where are you going?” Hanamaki asked, a bit worried.

“To the beach. I need some fresh air” he huffed, closing the door behind him.

Once arrived, he quickly took off his shirt and dived in without thinking twice. The water cooled him down, and he stayed underwater for a while, his eyes closed.

He thought back to last night, to Tooru and his soft skin, his sweet scent and how he had moaned his name, almost as if it were a prayer. He was furious, because he couldn't accept it. He couldn't admit it. He couldn't understand it. Or maybe, he didn't want to.

Suddenly, a tight grip on his shoulders pulled him up. Hajime took a deep breath, his lungs burning and aching for air.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Tooru’s worried voice pierced his ears.

Hajime couldn’t bring himself to look at him.

“Why are you here, Shittykawa? You’ll catch a cold” it was all he said, as he came out of the water, his spiky hair dripping. Oikawa followed him.

“Answer me, Hajime.”

Tooru’s voice was as serious as his expression, he didn’t leave room for anything else than a sincere reply.

“I was thinking. Your turn” Iwaizumi said, sitting down on the sand.

“I was worried about you” Oikawa replied, as e sat next to him.

Hajime noticed his neck was wrapped in a foulard, hiding the hickeys on his skin.

“I know why you’re mad at me” Oikawa suddenly said, making Iwaizumi shiver.

“What?”

“I’m sorry for what I did last night. I wasn’t thinking straight. I understand you don’t want to talk to me right now-“ Tooru began playing with his fingers, but was interrupted.

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Iwaizumi was sincerely confused.

“The way I…moaned your name last night. I’m sorry. Did you really have to make me say it out loud?! You’re so cruel” Oikawa pouted, looking away.

“You don’t have to apologize. You were drunk, you didn’t know what you were doing” Iwaizumi said, as the setter looked at him again and smiled.

I would have done that even if I wasn’t drunk, you fool.

“Tooru” Iwaizumi suddenly called him as he gulped, “those hickeys…I-“

“I know, they’re disgusting. I don’t know who did this to me, and it’s frustrating, but I think I should just forget it” Oikawa said, interrupting him and fumbling with his foulard, smiling sheepishly.

“Y-Yeah…” Iwaizumi didn’t know what to say.

So that’s what Oikawa thought: they were disgusting. What would he have thought if he knew it was Iwaizumi who had done it to him? Would he have hated him? Would he have insulted him? He most likely would never have spoken to him again, and Iwaizumi couldn’t stand it. It was better that way, he thought.

“No one can resist my charm after all” Oikawa said, smirking as he winked at him. Iwaizumi hit him on the head, gaining a complaint from his best friend.

No one can…not even I could resist you.

“Iwa-chan…will you ask Miko-chan out?” the brunette asked all of a sudden, his smile dropping as he looked at him.

“Why are you asking me that now?” Iwaizumi was confused, as he knitted his eyebrows. Oikawa smiled brushing it off.

“I just want to know if you like her too. She’s pretty and smart and…”

“What would you think if I asked her out?” Iwaizumi asked, his olive green eyes searching for his chocolate brown ones. Oikawa looked up at the starry sky above them.

“I think that you should give her a chance” he said, smiling.

Iwaizumi gripped the sand, now observing the ocean’s waves touched by the moonlight.

So that's what Oikawa thought. In the last few days, Iwaizumi had realized his feelings for his best friend were slowly changing. No...they hadn't changed. They'd been the same since high school, they'd just gotten stronger.

He was scared, yes. Scared of ruining everything, of not having Oikawa by his side anymore, that's why he didn't confess to him that the night before he was the one who had given him those hickeys. And oh, he had loved it.

Iwaizumi had tried to find out what was going through Oikawa's mind, whether he was experiencing the same fears and anxieties, but that wasn't the case. Oikawa had clearly told him to ask Miko out; he seemed quite determined to see them together.

What Iwaizumi didn’t realize was that Oikawa’s smile never reached his eyes.

Tooru was testing him too. He wanted to hear what Iwaizumi thought, if he really liked Miko. He wanted to know if he should give up on him forever.

Hajime’s words echoed in his head, clear.

Why the hell would I want to have sex with him?! He’s my best friend!

Hajime held out his hand, while Oikawa looked up to stare into his eyes.

“Come on, we have to go home. You have to wake up early tomorrow to catch your flight.”

Tooru smiled, as he took Hajime’s rough hand, holding it for a moment, as if all he treasured was that one single touch.

Somehow, it felt as if they were reliving the night before Oikawa left for Argentina. The unspoken words, the fear to lose one another. But that time, Oikawa wouldn't tell him, "The moon is really beautiful tonight, isn’t it?"

Chapter Text

Things were getting hard in Argentina. Since they came back from California, Tooru couldn’t somehow focus on his job. Couldn’t set right. Couldn’t serve precisely like he always did. All he could think of was Iwaizumi that didn’t reply to his messages, and what he had done that night with an unknown person that left hickeys on him.

Blanco was worried about the setter, so he asked Miguel to keep an eye on him. Weeks passed, but Oikawa seemed to develop more and more problems. It was frustrating and, for the first time, Blanco did call him back to the bench during their training.

“Toto, is everything alright?” his coach asked him, with his serious but worried tone.

“Yes, I just need to focus more, I’m sorry!” Oikawa said, drinking up some water and drying himself with his towel.

“Your sets aren’t clean, and your synchro with Miguel isn’t even as close as usual. Has something happened?” Blanco asked again, crossing his arms as he looked at him in the eyes like a father would do.

“I just…everything’s fine, my head was up in the clouds for a moment. It won’t happen again.”

“You know I want you as our starting setter. I know your potential, and I don’t want to waste it. But if you keep putting your own problems together with your career…I fear you and I won’t ever see what Tooru Oikawa is capable of” Blanco said, serious as ever, but his tone was endearing.

It felt like he was back in middle school, talking to him, pouring out his heart and his fears. Josè Blanco was the man that pushed him forward, that convinced him to pursue his dreams.

It was clear he cared about Oikawa, but that wouldn’t stop him to choose the best starting setter for the team, and at that time it wasn’t him.

“I’m sorry” was all Tooru could say, as he lowered his head.

“Go home and get some rest. See you tomorrow” his coach said, as he patted his shoulder, returning to give some advices to the other players.

Oikawa went to the changing room and grabbed his bag. When he stepped inside his apartment, he fell on his bed, screaming frustratedly through the pillow.

He then reached for his phone, checking the chat with his best friend. No replies at all.

It was pretty strange, they didn’t part ways badly. Maybe Iwaizumi was just busy?

He tried to call him, and the phone rang. But the other didn’t answer. He called him again. Still no reply.

Oikawa turned off the phone, throwing it a little further on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

His eyes began to water and he dried them quickly. A sob escaped his mouth, as he began crying out loud, not holding back.

Everything was falling apart. His career for which he worked so hard, his friendship with Iwaizumi and his very heart.

It was unbearable. He had based his entire life on volleyball, and now he couldn't even be the best. Maybe he never was, but having his pillar always by his side had helped him. Iwaizumi had always been there, cheering him up, letting him know his worth, that he was truly good and it wasn't all his imagination.

Oikawa often underestimated himself. He knew he had certain qualities, but every time he competed against Ushijima or Kageyama, his doubts always grew stronger.

But there has always been Iwaizumi to remind him to look at the present, at what he could do, to take one step at a time until he reached his goal.

Now, Iwaizumi didn't even bother answering his calls when he needed him the most. Oikawa found himself crumbling, curled up, as he let the copious tears fall.

He heard the apartment’s door opening, it surely was Miguel who came back from practice. He didn’t waste time and stepped into Oikawa’s room, sitting next to him.

“Toto, what’s going on?” he asked worried, noticing he was crying.

“I can’t even play well now…I can’t set right, I can’t serve, my knee hurts and Iwa-chan…” Oikawa sobbed, mumbling, but his friend understood most of it.

“Has something happened with Hajime?” Miguel asked, quietly.

“He doesn’t call back nor reply to my messages, he’s…gone. Maybe he’s ignoring me for what I did with that random guy that night, but still…why would he care? He’s disgusted by me being gay? I know he is!” Tooru almost shouted, rambling and pouring out all the doubts that he kept inside.

“Wait wait…hold on. Hajime is not that kind of homophobic guy. I’m sure he would never hate you for that” Miguel reassured him, soothing him with small circles on his back.

“Why is he ignoring me then?”

“I don’t know…but now you have to get some rest. Go take a shower and I’ll cook your favorite dish. I’m sure Hajime will call back” Miguel said softly, smiling at him and helping him getting up.

Days passed, and Iwaizumi wrote to Oikawa two days after his breakdown, asking him if everything was alright. Tooru replied almost instantly, but he never received a message after that. It was strange…why would Iwaizumi ask him and not even read the reply?

Tooru was getting worse, but he couldn’t let himself go down like that. He worked too hard to give up now.

Blanco helped him, and so did his team, who wanted him as the starting setter for the next season coming up soon.

Once they were in the changing rooms, and Oikawa left earlier, Miguel tried to call Iwaizumi, and he picked up after three rings.

“Hi, what’s up?” Hajime’s voice came out from his phone.

“I hope you have some good explanation for this, Hajime” Miguel said, gritting his teeth.

“What do you mean? Has something happened?” Iwaizumi’s worried voice was too clear.

“You don’t reply to Toto’s messages nor call him back. Care to explain?”

“Tooru has never called me, and I never received any message from him” Hajime said, confused as ever.

“I was there when he insistently wrote to you!” the Argentine player was losing it.

“Miguel, I swear. I was worried and I wrote to him days ago if he was alright and never received a reply from him. I thought he just needed some space from me.”

“What?” Miguel furrowed his eyebrows. It was so strange. He was sure Oikawa had wrote to him, but Iwaizumi was being sincere about it too…what was happening?

“Can you call him from time to time, please, he’s…quite having a hard time” Miguel said, sighing.

“I’ll call him right now” Hajime replied, hanging up.

Oikawa’s phone rang, and he sighed, raising his head from the pillow slightly to see who was disturbing his power nap.

When he read Iwaizumi’s name, his heart began to race.

“Hey” Hajime’s deep voice greeted him as soon as he picked up.

“Hey…” Oikawa couldn’t sound as happy. Why was his best friend calling him after all these days?

“How are you doing?”

“You would know, if only you had bothered to answer my messages or calls” Oikawa’s bitter voice made its way through his ears.

“I’ve never received any of them, I don’t know what’s going on with my phone” Hajime sounded sincere, as he closed his eyes.

“If you didn’t want to hear from me anymore, you could’ve just said it” Oikawa held back a sob, as he rubbed his eyes.

“Tooru…there’s not a single day I don’t want to hear from you, you know that” Hajime said softly, smiling, but Oikawa couldn’t see it.

“Really?” Tooru’s voice began to crack.

“Really, Shittykawa.”

The setter’s sobs became louder now, as he started crying.

“What happened?” Iwaizumi’s calm voice asked after a while.

“I…I’m having a hard time during practice. I can’t…set right anymore, I’m playing shitty and…”

Tooru cupped his knee, lowering his head.

“Take it slow. You’re probably overdoing it again. Don't think for a moment that you can't do it. We both know you can, Tooru” Hajime said with a steady voice, and somehow he convinced him.

“But I…”

“No buts. You are strong and-“ but Hajime had been interrupted.

“I miss you” Oikawa’s soft confession came out unexpectedly. He himself didn’t expect it.

Iwaizumi said nothing for a while, and Oikawa thought he had hung up. But then, he heard a soft sigh.

“So this was what it was all about?” Hajime said, chuckling.

Tooru blushed, his mouth agape as he couldn’t find the right words.

“I’m going to always be by your side, Tooru. Nothing can change that. I’m going to support you and cheer for you, whatever it happens.”

Oikawa was at a loss of words. He tried to speak, but somehow lost his voice. Hajime smiled, as he patiently waited for him to say something.

“Thank you, Iwa-chan” he said, on the verge of tears, wiping them with his palm as he smiled too.

From that day on, practice was easy. Tooru seemed to be more confident after the call he had with Iwaizumi, and things were going fine.

But something was off again, when months passed and Iwaizumi didn’t text him back as usual. He just called him once or twice a month, telling him he was busy with classes and all. He had a pretty busy schedule himself too, but he always found some time to spend calling his best friend or so.

“Is it that bad to have feelings for your best friend?” Oikawa suddenly said during dinner, his roommate almost chocking on his rice.

“Are you finally talking about this with me? Hijo de puta, te tardaste mucho!” Miguel said, looking at his setter with an attentive gaze.

“I’m actually…just asking, I mean Makki and Mattsun-“

“Deja de tonterías, we both know this is all about Hajime” Miguel said sternly, taking a sip of his watermelon juice.

“Has it always been so obvious? I’m gonna bury myself alive” Oikawa sighed, hopelessly hitting his head on the table.

“It isn’t bad if he feels the same” Miguel replied to his previous answer nonchalantly.

“So it’s bad. Iwa-chan doesn’t like me at all.”

“How can you be so sure?” Miguel asked, arching an eyebrow.

“You know what he said to Miko” Tooru smiled sadly. Iwaizumi’s words still hurt somehow.

“I also know how he looks at you when you don’t look at him.”

“Angrily?”

“More like he’s admiring the most beautiful person on this earth.”

“I am the most beautiful person on this earth” Tooru says, running his hand through his hair.

“After me, bonita” Miguel smirked, winking at him, gaining an huff from his setter.

“What about the cream incident?” he then added.

“He was just doing his job” Tooru blushed, remembering it.

“Mhm, and when he took you home after you got drunk at your birthday party?”

“Nothing happened, he was just looking after me like he always does” Tooru said, still disgusted by the idea he had spent the night with a random guy who left hickeys on him.

“Nothing happened? Are you sure?” Miguel asked, crossing his arms.

“Do you know something I don’t?”

“Not my story to tell” the Argentine player shrugged, as he cursed Hajime on his mind.

“Miguel…” Tooru spoke softly, in a serious tone that made the latter shut up almost instantly, “don’t make me think Iwa-chan likes me back. I don’t think I could handle it if I ever find out it’s all a lie.”

Miguel gulped, and he nodded. He understood what Oikawa meant, and he didn’t want him to feel worse. He just wanted his friend to be happy, nothing more. But Oikawa was right...until Hajime decided to accept his feelings and finally confess, nothing could be done.

Suddenly Oikawa’s phone rang, and they both got startled by the ringtone.

“It’s him” Tooru whispered, staring at Miguel.

“Answer it.”

“The last time he called was three weeks ago!” Oikawa said huffing.

“Then don’t answer it.”

“Maybe he needs me…” Tooru looked at his phone worried and unsettled, then Miguel took it from him and pressed the green button, passing it to him again.

“Hello?” Hajime’s rough voice was heard coming from his phone.

“Iwa-chan, hi” Oikawa said, as he whispered to Miguel that he would kill him after that.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you these days, I’ve been busy with an essay and-“

“It’s been three weeks, Iwa-chan” Oikawa interrupted him.

“Right…shit, time flies fast” Hajime said, sighing, then paused for a moment.

“I actually have something important to tell you” he then added.

“What is it?” Oikawa was curious, but his heart skipped a beat. He thought about Hajime confessing to him, or just telling him he had those weird feelings for him like Oikawa had too.

“Are you free on 8th July?”

“Are you asking me that four months before?” Oikawa replied arching an eyebrow.

“Well yes, since you have a pro player schedule and all” Hajime said.

“I don’t think so, we have the summer championship…”

“Oh. It’s okay, don’t worry. Just promise me you’ll give your best” Hajime’s soft voice came from his phone, he could almost feel him smiling.

“What happens on 8th July?” Oikawa couldn’t live without knowing.

“I graduate. I hoped I could have had you by my side that day, but guess I’ll just send you photos!” Iwaizumi smirked, as Oikawa pursed his lips.

“I’ll ask for a permission. I’m not sure if they'll give it to me though, so don't have any expectations” he said, trying to sound cool.

“You don’t have to, really. But thank you, Tooru. I appreciate it.”

“Yeah I know, it’s very kind of me” the setter joked, and Iwaizumi sighed.

“Actually, I’m better without you. I take it back.”

“Mean, Iwa-chan!”

Blanco gave him a permission for Iwaizumi’s graduation, and Oikawa called him as soon as he could. Surprisingly, Hajime replied after three rings.

“Tooru?”

“Iwa-chan! I-“ suddenly, Oikawa had a better idea, “they didn’t gave me any permission. The summer championship is too important and they can’t afford missing me on the court.”

He thought that making a surprise trip and show up at his best friend’s graduation was the best option.

“Oh…” Hajime sighed, sounding a bit disappointed, “I see. Then give your best and win, Tooru.”

“Of course! I hope Makki and Mattsun will be enough to cheer you up that day!” Oikawa faked it, and Miguel eyed him confused.

“They won’t, and you know that.”

Tooru’s heart skipped a beat, as he registered what Hajime’s deep and longing voice had said.

He never heard from him since then.

July arrived, and Oikawa and Miguel traveled all the way to Irvine. No one knew about their surprise visit, except Makki, Mattsun and Charlie of course.

“Iwa’s busy with the ceremony. You’re so damn late for it, it’s almost over!” Makki whispered angrily at the phone, while Oikawa was searching desperately for his luggage.

“I know! The flight departed a bit late” he said, grinning when Miguel lifted their luggage.

“Are you going to make it to the party?” Makki asked.

“Of course! Just don’t tell him anything, I want it to be a surprise” and with that Oikawa hang up.

“Isn’t it better if we tell Hajime before he has an heart attack?” Miguel asked, putting on his sunglasses, as they approached the taxi outside the airport.

“I can’t wait to see his face” Oikawa smiled, thinking about it.

They arrived at the party location once they left their luggage at the hotel. Makki he called him many times, but Tooru didn’t hear that. He was anxious about that moment.

He held the gift tightly in his hands, as he slowly approached the entrance.

“Did you wear that to make him look at you all night, didn’t you?” Miguel commented by his side, not even looking at him, just grinning.

Oikawa looked down at his white shirt and blue vest with gold embroidery, it was one of the most elegant suits he had.

“It’s his day after all. And I think…I’m going to finally tell him, Miguel” Tooru said, clutching the gift he had gotten for Hajime to his chest.

Miguel was taken aback, then smiled brightly.

“A trip for two to Italy, huh? A bit too romantic for a graduation gift, don’t you think?”

Oikawa smiled back, as they walked into the large room. Miguel spotted Charlie, and walked towards him almost immediately. Tooru was looking for Makki and Mattsun, but neither of them was to be seen.

Suddenly, he looked up when a familiar deep voice began to talk loudly to everyone present in the room. Oikawa’s eyes widened, his hands began to shake and his eyes became watery.

At that moment, Tooru wished he could be blind.

Chapter Text

Suddenly, he looked up when a familiar deep voice began to talk loudly to everyone present in the room.

Oikawa’s eyes widened, his hands began to shake and his eyes became watery.

In that moment, Tooru wished he could be blind.

Hajime was standing in the center, everyone looking at him, as his hand slowly moved to embrace a delicate figure who was standing by his side.

“I want to thank everyone who’s here celebrating with me today” Hajime said, his voice confident, “Makki and Mattsun, who supported me from afar. My girlfriend Miko…” Oikawa gulped, scrunching his nose.

Girlfriend?

Why didn’t Iwaizumi tell him anything about that?

He could feel his eyes burning, as he noticed Miko was staring at him now.

“She’s always been there to witness my successes and failures, and supported me so dearly. And I want to thank-“ Hajime said, but couldn’t finish the sentence because Miko hugged him and placed her lips on his, kissing him softly.

Tooru's heart broke, shattering into a thousand pieces, as if someone had just hammered it.

His vision blurred, but not enough to prevent him from seeing Hajime return the kiss, even though he was visibly embarrassed. Tooru couldn't look away; he couldn't believe Hajime was kissing someone.

The gift bag began to swing, Oikawa's hands shaking uncontrollably.

Suddenly, someone approached him, and it was that voice that brought him back to reality.

“Oikawa-san, can I talk to you?” Miko asked, looking him straight in the eye, as Hajime was celebrating with some of his college friends.

Oikawa shifted, as he took a deep breath, not even bothering to hide the tears that were threatening to fall down.

“Are you really in love with Hajime-kun?”

Tooru’s eyes widened in shock. He slowly turned his head to look at her, almost paralyzed.

“I love him too, but you already know that since high school, don’t you?” she said, looking then at Iwaizumi, as Oikawa followed her gaze too. Hajime was laughing at Makki now, as the latter was teasing Matsukawa.

“Why are you saying all these things to me?” Oikawa said straightforwardly, finding some strength to speak up.

“Hajime-kun and I are together now. Since you ruined my chance to confess to him back in high school…could you please not interfere between us anymore?”

Tooru looked down, clutching the gift he was holding.

“How long have you been together?” he asked, his voice low.

“He asked me a few weeks after you left for Argentina” Miko replied, crossing her arms.

So this was why Hajime didn’t answers his calls, because he was busy with his girlfriend.

As Oikawa was processing the new information, Miko stood tall, as she spoke up in a serious tone.

“Can you please stop calling or writing to him? I’m tired of deleting your messages from his phone.”

“What…?” Oikawa almost whispered, looking up in disbelief, “so it’s you. All this time, I thought Hajime didn’t want to talk to me…why did you do that?!”

“I could ask you the same question. Why did you ruin my chance to confess to him back then?” she said back, both looking into each other’s eyes. Oikawa dropped his gaze first.

“You know it too. We both did it for love” Miko said, her voice soft but stern, “but now, I’m the one who gets to stay by his side. Hajime chose me. So please, don’t ruin this again.”

A tear rolled down Oikawa's face, sliding down his chin, while another followed the same path.

He took the gift in his hands and tore off the card with the letter he wrote to Hajime inside, throwing it on the floor, and handed it to Miko.

“Can you at least give him this from me? It’s the last time I’ll ever see him again, don’t worry about it.”

As Miko nodded, taking the gift, Oikawa almost ran away, never looking back.

His legs were moving fast, burning. He pushed many people away, unable to even see them clearly because his vision was now blurred by the tears that never stopped falling. He couldn't breathe, it was as if he were running out of air. Even once he got out, it was as if he were starving for oxygen, as if there was a lump in his throat that wouldn't go away.

As he ran aimlessly, his sobs became louder, the tears flowed faster, the pain in his chest became more intense.

He reached the hotel where he was going to stay with Miguel for the few days of leave he'd managed to get from Blanco. And for what?

To have his heart destroyed by Hajime, who had been playing with him all this time. Or maybe Tooru had always been the fool one, thinking that Hajime could actually have feelings for him.

How he looked at him thoughtfully when Oikawa got hurt. How he touched him accidentally or even intentionally, gently brushing him as if he were a beautiful flower that shouldn't be ruined.

He entered the hotel room, and instantly dropped on his knees, his legs giving out.

Tooru let out a cry of pain, letting himself go. He cried and cried, the tears seemingly never ending. He felt empty, cold, unable to feel anything anymore. It was as if a part of him had died that night.

His mind replayed the moment Hajime kissed Miko. The moment the lips Tooru had so longed to taste, pressed against someone else's.

“I’m a fool…how could you ever love me?! I’m worth nothing…”

He clutched his shirt tightly, his hand over his chest, the pain more excruciating than ever before.

So that was what it felt like, not to be loved back. Oikawa had rejected so many girls in his life, and only now could he understand what they felt.

He’d spent most of his life being in love with Hajime, and Hajime had never known that.

“Where’s Oikawa?” Makki asked Miguel, looking for the brunette.

“I don’t know, I thought he went straight to Hajime but-“ Miguel said, his eyes scanning the room, when he saw Miko approaching Iwaizumi with a gift. The package was very similar to Tooru’s. When Hajime unwrapped the gift, he smiled fondly, embarrassed.

“Miko…what does it mean?!” Iwaizumi asked in his deep and surprised voice.

“If you want, we can go to a trip after my graduation as well!” she said, smiling to him as Hajime was looking at the tickets and all the planned trip to Italy.

“How did you know I wanted to go there?” he asked, looking at her.

He remembered it was something he talked with Oikawa, and how much the brunette wanted to visit that country too. Maybe he had suggested Miko and helped her with the gift.

“I just guessed. And I’d love to go there with you” she said, caressing his arm. A girl called her, and she apologized, leaving Hajime alone for a moment.

Iwaizumi looked down at the tickets he was holding, something felt strange. He then noticed there was something else inside the package. He took a Godzilla keychain out of the bag and he froze.

How could Miko know about it? Had Oikawa really helped her out with the gift? It had to be so. He shook his head, as he was called back by Miko again, following her and going back to the party.

“He doesn’t answer my calls” Makki said, worried as Mattsun tried to call him as well.

“Where did he go?” Miguel said, nervously tapping his feet, as Charlie caressed his shoulder to calm him down.

“What happened?”

The four men turned around to face Iwaizumi Hajime, who was standing in front of them, his eyebrows furrowed.

Makki looked at Mattsun and Miguel, unsure whether to tell him the truth or not, but Matsukawa took the decision.

“We can’t find Oikawa.”

“What?” a look of surprise was painted in Iwaizumi’s face, his heart skipped a beat, “Oikawa is here?”

“Yes, we came without saying anything because he wanted to surprise you” Miguel said, his voice cracking because of the worry, “I thought he was with you because he wanted to give you the gift, but now we can’t find him anywhere.”

“He doesn’t answer the calls too” Hanamaki added, looking at Iwaizumi who was now worried too.

“I didn’t see him at all…” Hajime whispered, when a delicate arm wrapped around his own.

“Hi guys, has something happened?” Miko asked calmly, smiling at them.

“We can’t find Oikawa” Makki said, as Miguel looked at her like she was the most disgusting creature living in this world.

“Oh…was he here? I don’t recall seeing him” she said with her high pitched voice, pretending to be sorry.

“Maybe I missed him when you came to give me this…I don’t know, fuck…” Hajime said, pointing to the gift he was holding in his hand, and Miguel stiffened, as his eyes widened.

“What…?” Mattsun looked at him, confused, then the Argentine player took a step towards the girl, his fists clenched.

“You…hijo de puta, te arrepentirás!” he growled, as he looked at her with a deathly glare. No one understood what he said, but they could say he wasn’t quite friendly.

Hajime stood in front of Miko, protecting her, as Miguel was getting dangerously too close, as if he wanted to fight her.

“What are you doing?” Iwaizumi asked, trying to figure out what was going on, as the others looked at them confused.

“Move” Miguel glared at him, as his voice was getting lower.

“No. Tell me what’s going on, Miguel.”

The Argentine player snatched the gift from Hajime's hand, holding it in front of him.

“This” he said, “is Toto’s gift for you.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, his brows furrowed as he looked at the package Miguel was holding in front of his eyes.

“What?” he couldn’t believe it, “Miko gave it to me.”

“Bet this bitch took it from Toto, who knows what else this fucking asshole did to him!” Miguel snapped, looking furiously at her.

“I-I didn’t do anything! You’re wrong. Hajime, this is my gift, I swear“ Miko said, holding Iwaizumi’s arm tightly, as she was a bit frightened.

Miguel pushed Hajime away, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt.

“You’re such a whore! Eres solo una puta who likes to ruin others’ lives. What did you do to Toto?!” he almost shouted, but a strong arm wrapped around his wrist.

“Let her go.”

Iwaizumi almost sounded angry.

“Don’t tell me you believe to her bullshit?!” Miguel blurted out in disbelief, trying to push him away.

“I said let her go” Hajime said in a low tone, almost threatening him.

The Argentine player looked at him as if he’d betrayed him. He let go, as surprised as furious, pinning Hajime with his glare.

“I can’t believe it” he whispered, clenching his fists, “Toto doesn’t deserve someone like you.”

And with that, Miguel left them alone, rushing out of the room.

“Iwa, listen-“ Matsukawa tried to talk, but was interrupted by the shorter one.

“Leave me alone, please” Iwaizumi asked, Makki stared at him for a while, then sighed, taking Mattsun’s hand and going away.

Miko still looked a bit shocked, but seeing how Iwaizumi had protected her made her feel safe.

“Hajime, thank you-“

“Care to explain?” he interrupted her, his expression stern as he looked down at her, “tell me the truth.”

“I already did! Don’t tell me you believe that vulgar Argentine friend of his!” she exclaimed, shocked.

“You don’t know I like Godzilla.”

Miko looked at him, gasping.

“I never told you that. Only Tooru knows. And Italy was our dream trip together, so now…tell me what the fuck had happened” Hajime said deadly serious, his voice low.

Miko lowered her gaze, her expression faltered. She sighed, as she spoke up.

“I told him not to interfere between us like he did in high school” she began, now looking him in the eyes, “Then he asked me to give you his gift and I…”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I love you, Hajime” tears began to flow down her cheeks, as she was now looking him in the eyes, “I’ve loved you since high school. But Oikawa got in the way and I’ve never got the chance. Now that I do, I don’t want to lose you.”

Iwaizumi stared at her, crying and fragile, and felt nothing. She was her girlfriend, she should have been the most precious thing in the world to him, but he felt nothing. All he could think of was Oikawa, and where did he go and what was he doing.

“All I did…it was all for you, Hajime. Please, I’m sorry” Miko sobbed, as she reached out to him, but Hajime moved away.

“I can’t be with someone who does nothing but lie to me.”

“Hajime…” she said, her tears flowing down, now sincerely sorry, “I just want to be with you. I can’t stand him looking at you like he’s the one who owns your heart. That’s why I-“

“He does.”

Miko looked up at him, her eyes widening in surprise.

“What?”

Hajime was shocked himself, the words left his mouth before he could think of them. He clenched his fists, looking down at the godzilla keychain he was still holding.

“Let’s break up” he said, serious, “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have gotten together with you in the first place.”

“Hajime, please…!” she pleaded, grabbing his arm desperately.

“Miko…I’m sorry. I’ve never loved you.”

She looked at him, her tears froze, as he turned around and walked off.

His mind began racing, thinking about where Oikawa would have gone. Someone bumped into him, making him trip, and Hajime noticed a letter on the ground.

He took it, and on the back of the letter was written his name in a handwriting more than familiar to him.

Iwaizumi opened it without hesitation and read the first few lines. He clutched it in his hands and immediately began to run.

He headed to his apartment, maybe Oikawa had gone there. He wasn’t sure of it, but it was the only place Oikawa knew in Cali.
He opened his apartment’s door, but he found no one.

“Shit…” he cursed under his breath, as he called someone on the phone.

“Makki, can you send me the hotel’s address where Oikawa is staying?” Iwaizumi’s voice was urgent.

“Miguel didn’t find him in the hotel room, neither his suitcase” his friend said, saddened.

“What?” Hajime whispered, stopping all of a sudden.

“He’s gone. We think he took the first flight back to Argentina.”

Hajime stared in front of him, lost in his thoughts. He couldn’t hear Makki’s worried voice that called for him. He couldn’t notice himself falling on his knees. All he could feel was the piercing pain in his chest.

He tried calling Oikawa several times, but he always got voicemail.

“Tooru please…answer me, please…” he almost choked, as he got no answer again.

Tears began to slowly roll down his face, as he clutched the letter in one hand and the godzilla keychain in the other.

“I’ve been so blind…”

He looked down at the letter he’d found on the floor, as his tears stained it.

“Dear Iwa-chan (or should I call you Hajime now),

Congratulations on your graduation! I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy we get to celebrate this together, and I hope we will celebrate your other goals too.

Staying by your side has always been my place, and where I want to be forever.

There’s so much I want to say to you, but I think it’s better if I tell you in person. That’s why I planned this trip to Italy, if you still want to go with me! ;P

And I’m sure you’ll like the godzilla keychain that now matches with the alien one you got me before (I always keep it with me and look at it whenever I miss you!).

So, congrats again, Hajime. I’ll always be proud of you, and I’ll always be by your side.

As someone once said, that will never change.

Yours,

Tooru Oikawa”

Chapter Text

Since his graduation, Iwaizumi had done nothing but despair. Oikawa wasn't answering his phone, and neither was Miguel.

He hadn't slept in days, constantly wondering what had gone wrong and what he could do.

“I don't know what to do anymore, Mattsun” he said, massaging his temples.

“Try calling him again, maybe he’ll decide to answer you” Matsukawa suggested from the phone, his voice betraying a hint of compassion.

“I don't think he wants to talk anymore. But I have to talk to him, I have to know.”

Iwaizumi sighed, while he was fiddling with the godzilla keychain that Oikawa had given him.

“I think you already know, Iwa” Mattsun said, smiling.

“I don’t even know what to tell him…” Iwaizumi murmured, afflicted.

“You can try with one of those cheesy corny phrases like ‘The moon is beautiful tonight’” Makki was heard saying from the phone.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“Did the years spent in California make you forget Japanese? It means 'I love you’, idiot” Makki laughed.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, but suddenly a memory came back to him. That phrase...he'd heard it before.

“The moon is really beautiful tonight” Oikawa whispered, staring out of the window as he sighed peacefully.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Crappykawa? Just go to sleep, you have to get up early tomorrow.”

No…it couldn’t be. Oikawa had confessed to him years ago, and he didn’t even notice that.

“I'm an idiot...fuck, I'm an absolute moron!” Hajime blurted, punching the table.

“We already know that, but it's a good thing you admit it too” Mattsun said, clearly having fun.

“No, Issei…it’s a total mess” Iwaizumi sounded deadly serious.

“What do you mean?”

“Oikawa…he told me that moon thingy years ago, the night before he left for Argentina” Hajime’s heart began to race.

“What?! And what did you tell him?”

“I thought he was going crazy, I didn't tell him anything” Hajime blurted, now too nervous to stay calm.

“Iwa…you didn’t really…did you?” Mattsun couldn’t believe it.

“I’ve been an idiot…for all these years, Tooru loved me and kept it all inside. And all I did was break his heart.”

The realization hit him hard. A pang in his chest grew sharper and sharper, he could only imagine the pain he had caused Tooru for all those years.

Every time he had touched him, every time Tooru’s gaze had rested on him for a while, as if he were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Hajime could only see it all now.

“Do you love him?” Matsukawa asked all of a sudden.

“What?”

“Do you love Tooru?” Mattsun repeated calmly, “not as a friend. Don’t give him hopes, Iwa. You already did enough.”

Hajime stopped to think. He looked up for a moment, staring in front of him when his gaze fell on a picture hanging on the wall.

He slowly walked towards it, taking it and holding the photo in his hand. It was him and Oikawa on their last high school day. He caressed Oikawa’s figure, his fingertips drawing his silhouette as his eyes focused on his friend’s smile.

“I do.”

It was merely a whisper that escaped his lips.

It was a statement, leaving no room for any doubt that had been plaguing his mind lately.

It was a prayer, constant and solemn.

It was what Hajime truly felt for Tooru, or perhaps what he had always felt for him.

It was a certainty: he loved Tooru.

He loved the way Tooru looked at him, with those shiny brown eyes, as he told him the silliest things. And Hajime always listened.

He loved his smile, dazzling and breathtaking. And Hajime was always enchanted by it.

He loved his determination, the fact that nothing had stopped him from chasing his dream, not even crossing half the world alone. And Hajime admired him from afar.

He loved everything about Tooru, so much so that he thought he was perfect and didn't deserve him.

“Go see him” Matsukawa’s voice came from the phone.

“Huh?” Iwaizumi shook his head, coming back to reality.

“Go to Argentina. Talk to him. I'm sure you'll sort everything out.”

Hajime thought about it for a moment. Did Tooru really want to see him, after everything that had happened? No…it didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was to make it up, to tell him everything he felt. To explain everything to him.

Why he had hidden his relationship with Miko from him, why he was confused about his sexuality, why he was jealous of Oikawa hanging around that stranger that night at the disco. Why he had kissed his neck, and why he’d liked it so much.

After all, Hajime had always kept his feelings inside, just like Tooru had.

“Toto, I think you need to calm down” Miguel said, as the sound of the ball hitting the ground reverberated throughout the gym.

“Just a little bit more, promise” Oikawa replied, as he jumped again to hit another serve.

As he landed, his friend sighed, taking a look at his watch.

“It’s fucking 2 am, Toto. It’s been almost a week since we’ve last returned home at a decent time.”

“You don’t have to look after me, you know?” Oikawa said, as he was aiming for another one.

“You already have Hajime for that.”

Tooru froze instantly, as his friend bit down his lip.

“I don’t need anyone. I can get by just fine on my own” the setter gritted his teeth, as he put down the ball and began to clean the gym.

Miguel sighed heavily, pinching his nose, when suddenly Tooru’s phone rang. His friend took it and read the name, smiling.

“Speaking of the devil, guess who’s calling” he said, showing the phone to Tooru who looked at him with a stern gaze.

“I don’t care.”

“Maybe it’s something import-“ Miguel said, but Oikawa took the phone from his hands and pressed the red button, ending the call.

“I said, I don’t care.”

“You can’t ignore him forever” Miguel tried to make him resonate.

“I can. In fact,” Oikawa said, pressing something on the screen, “I just blocked him.”

Miguel stared at him, astonished.

“You can’t be serious.”

“He hid his fucking relationship with Miko from me, he cut me out of his life, he made fun of me all this time. How can you even think I still want to talk to him?!” Oikawa blurted out, furious, his angry voice echoing through the gym.

“He’s been an asshole, I agree with that too. But maybe he has something important to tell you, maybe he came to his senses-“

“What senses?! You know what, it’s also your fault if I’m feeling like this. You made me believe he was interested in me, that he could possibly love me back too. So please, just shut your fucking mouth, Miguel!” Oikawa almost shouted, furiously, gritting his teeth.

Miguel was taken aback, then he sighed, resting his hands on his hips.

“You behave better when you’re drunk” he muttered, “never thought the only fault is yours, if you feel like this? You never properly told him what you feel about him.”

“You know why I didn’t do it” Oikawa said, clenching his fists.

“Never heard of bi people, Toto?” Miguel suddenly asked, as his friend arched his brow, “I’m quite sure Hajime is.”

Tooru widened his eyes for a second, returning to his stern gaze right after.

“Stop it. I don’t care” he the said, turning his back to his friend, “I never want to hear anything about him ever again.”

Miguel sighed, shaking his head. As he patiently waited for Tooru to get his stuff so they could go back home, his phone buzzed. He took it out of the bag, and read the message.

Iwaizumi: “Hi, sorry to disturb. Can you please tell me when I can find Tooru home? I’d like to come there, I have to speak to him. Please, don’t ignore this. It’s very important.”

Miguel bit his lip, not knowing what to do. He left him on read.

He didn’t want Tooru to suffer anymore, but the only one who could stop his suffering was really Iwaizumi.

When they got home, Oikawa immediately went to take a shower, while Miguel prepared something to eat even though it was very late. They hadn't had dinner and both were starving.

Miguel heard Oikawa coming out of the shower and going into his room to change, but he was taking way too long.

“Toto, come and eat. It’s ready” he called him, but received no response.

“Toto?” he called again, walking to his room, when he heard sobs coming from inside.

He opened the door to find Oikawa sitting on the floor, crying and holding a photo in his hands.

Miguel approached him immediately, wrapping him in his arms, while Tooru was crying and his tears were wetting his sleeve.

The setter's damp hair soaked his neck, Tooru's body shaking uncontrollably against his. He tried desperately to hold back his sobs, but to no avail.

“Cry all you want, I'm here. I’m not going anywhere” Miguel assured him, gently caressing his head.

Even though more than a week had passed, Oikawa cried every night. Miguel often found him like that, and nothing he said could calm him down.

He felt helpless, he wanted to do more. The only thing he could do was hug him and give him a shoulder to cry on.

He noticed the photo that Oikawa was holding in his hands. It was him and Iwaizumi from high school, they seemed so happy and carefree.

“I hate this” Tooru sobbed, “after all he did, I still care for him.”

“It’s normal, you spent all your lives together” Miguel said softly, caressing his shoulder as a tear rolled down Oikawa’s face.

“I don’t know what to do without him by my side” Tooru cried, another sob escaping from his lips.

“If I know you even a little, I’m sure that nothing can stop you. You're strong, Toto, and you'll make it anyway, with or without him. And then,” Miguel said, smiling at him, “you have me, Makki, Mattsun, and the whole team too. You’re not alone, bonita.”

Oikawa smiled a little, some tears escaping his eyes, as he sobbed hard.

“I love you guys so much.”

“I didn't tell you those things to make you cry more, damn it!” Miguel exclaimed.

When Oikawa finally fell asleep, Miguel gently closed the door behind him and sighed. He hated seeing his friend like that.

He took his phone out of his pocket and typed something, then hit send.

“Don’t make me regret this, Hajime” he muttered to himself, clearing the table.

Iwaizumi couldn't calm down. When his flight was announced, he almost jumped.

A month had passed since Miguel had given him the schedule of San Juan's training.

Iwaizumi had tried to fit his schedule in so he could leave as soon as possible, and had only succeeded now, a month later.

He boarded the plane, his hands still shaking as he put down his backpack and sat down.

In twelve hours he would see Tooru again. He would talk to him, and maybe they would make up.

Iwaizumi couldn't sleep the entire trip, thinking about what he wanted to say to him. He didn't even know where to begin.

Hajime had never been good with words. During their match interviews, he always let Oikawa do the talking. Let alone talk about his feelings.

What should he have said first?

That he'd hidden his relationship with Miko because he was afraid Oikawa would say, "I'm happy for you, you make a beautiful couple"?

It would have definitely hurt, and now Iwaizumi understood why.

Maybe he should have started by telling him that he was the one who kissed him on the neck that night.

That every time Tooru looked at him, he wanted to press him somewhere and do things a best friend shouldn't even think about.

Or maybe tell him that he'd always been madly in love with him and that, like an idiot, he'd always buried that feeling inside, even denied it, doubted it, because he didn't want to lose him?

He found himself outside the airport, lost in thought, when he read the message that had just arrived.

Miguel: “We’re about to finish training, but I think Toto will stay longer, as usual.”

The tension on Hajime's shoulders was palpable, and without hesitation he called a taxi, giving the driver the gym's address.

Once he arrived, he entered confidently, clutching his backpack. Like the last time, the gym was huge, and the players were collecting the volleyballs after finishing practice. Blanco wasn't there; he was probably in his office changing.

As soon as he saw him, Miguel approached him, smiling slightly.

“Long time no see, Hajime.”

“It’s been a while, yeah. How are you doing?” Iwaizumi smiled back, a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I should ask you that, you don’t look as good as usual” Miguel said, observing him and noticing the dark circles under his eyes.

“Could be better, I just want to fix what I broke.”

“Do you remember what I asked you months ago?” Miguel started, as he placed a hand on his own hip, “If you liked Toto or not.”

“Yeah, I recall” Hajime said, then smiled, reassuring him, “I know the answer now.”

Miguel grinned, giving a pat on his shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re here, Hajime.”

He then left with the other players, leaving him alone.

Iwaizumi approached the court and heard balls bouncing on the parquet.

He was there, his eyes focused on a casual point on the other side of the net, practicing his monstrous serves as always.

They were getting scarier, Iwaizumi thought.

“You still keep up training after practice, Shittykawa?”

Hajime’s deep and rough voice echoed through the gym, causing Oikawa to miss his serve.

Hajime noticed how Tooru’s shoulders stiffened, his fingertips turning white from how tightly he was gripping the ball. He then went on like nothing had happened, ignoring Iwaizumi’s presence.

“We need to talk.”

Tooru ignored him, his serves became more intense, piercing the air. As if he wanted to kill someone with the sole force of his serves.

“Tooru” Iwaizumi called him, halting him to a stop.

Oikawa gripped the ball in his hands, as he muttered something.

“What do you want?”

His cold voice made Hajime shiver. He wasn’t used to it, neither had Oikawa ever used it against him.

“I want to talk” he replied, in a lower voice.

“Well, I don’t. So leave” Oikawa wasn’t facing him at all, and he took a running start, jumping and serving the ball again.

“I'm sorry” Iwaizumi began, “I didn't know you were at my graduation. If I'd known...”

“If you’d know what? You wouldn't have kissed your girlfriend because then you could have continued to hide it from me?”

Hajime looked him in the eye, but Tooru stubbornly refused.

He put his backpack on the ground, and noticed that Oikawa’s gaze rested for an instant on the godzilla keychain he had given Hajime for his graduation.

“Why are you acting so shitty? What the hell is wrong with you?!” Iwaizumi blurted, frustrated.

“Watch your mouth, you can’t call me that anymore” Oikawa’s words came out as a threaten.

He never imagined that one day he would fight with Oikawa like he is now.

They always argued, of course. But they loved each other, and hours later it was all forgotten, as if it had never happened.

But now…it was like something between them had broken, as if a thread that had always tied them together had snapped.

“I know you’re in love with me.”

Oikawa snapped abruptly, raising his face, eyes widening in shock as he finally looked Iwaizumi in the eyes. Had he heard it right?

“What?!” he blurted, the ball he was holding was now falling on the floor.

“The moon is really beautiful tonight” Hajime said, “I got the meaning now.”

Oikawa stood there silently, too shocked to say anything.

“The reason you stopped Miko from confessing to me years ago, the way you moaned my name that night too, when I kissed your neck…I get it all now.”

Oikawa froze.

“You were the one who kissed my neck?”

“Yes, and I-“

A slap echoed throughout the gym.

Hajime's cheek burned. He tasted iron in his mouth, and swallowed. When he finally looked up again, his eyes met Tooru's red, furious ones.

“You’re an asshole” Oikawa almost shouted, “All this time you made me believe it was a stranger. You don't know how I felt, how disgusted I was by the very thought. And now, you tell me it was you?!”

“I was afraid of losing you, Tooru. I was afraid that you would never talk to me again, if you found out it was me. That you would be disgusted” Hajime said, lowering his gaze, nervously playing with his fingers.

“You already lost me.”

As he said so, Oikawa walked towards the changing rooms.

“No, we need to-“

“-I don’t need anything. I don’t need you. I never did. So, get out of my sight” Tooru spit out, his voice like venom.

“You can’t be serious” Hajime grabbed his wrist, as he turned around to face him.

“I mean all of it. You're nobody to me anymore, so get lost” Oikawa freed himself from the grip,“You're just a hindrance. I don't want to see you anymore, Iwaizumi.”

Hajime froze, his shoulders stiffening, staring at Oikawa as if he had just said something surreal.

So…that was the end?

“You know Tooru, I thought I deserved whatever you said to me. Anything, but this” Hajime said, lowering his gaze and lifting his backpack from the floor, putting it on his shoulders, “If I'm really a hindrance, then I'll step aside. I'm sorry if I bothered you all this time.”

“You’re wrong” Oikawa’s voice reached his ears, and Hajime looked at him, green fighting against brown, “I loved you. Now I don't anymore.”

Oikawa turned away from him, disappearing behind a door and leaving him alone, suffocated by the silence.

Hajime felt a pang in his chest growing more intense and sharp, while his eyes burned.

And so, he'd always been a hindrance, huh? An obstacle between Tooru and his beloved volleyball. Now that Oikawa couldn't think of anything else, Iwaizumi could see how fucking true it was.

How could he not have noticed it before?

For Tooru, volleyball was his life.

For Hajime, however, Tooru was everything.

Chapter Text

Oikawa had spent his entire life watching Iwaizumi when he was distracted.

He never missed an opportunity. After all, it was the only time he didn't have to pretend he was just a friend or joke around.

Every time he looked at him, his heart skipped a beat, his eyes lit up and smiling became easier.

Iwaizumi always took care of him, even though he never admitted it. He always said Tooru was irresponsible, that he would kick him and let him die alone when he got sick, but he was always there by his side.

Loving Iwaizumi certainly wasn't easy.

He was always grumpy, treated him badly, and sometimes it almost seemed like he couldn't stand him.

But Oikawa knew Iwaizumi cared for him. They were childhood friends, after all.

Loving Hajime, over time, had become easier.

As he grew older, he had become more mature, more affectionate. Or at least, he showed it with non-violent gestures.

Loving Hajime was simple, yes, but it had become unbearable since Oikawa was certain that Iwaizumi would never love him back.

Every time Hajime touched him by mistake, every time he spoke to him with that deep voice of his, every time he looked at him with that fondness in his eyes, as if he…no.

Tooru had to stop. He had to silence his thoughts, unplug his mind, and stop thinking about him.

Iwaizumi Hajime belonged to the past now.

He had to focus on volleyball and nothing else. His beloved sport, which had taken him all the way to Argentina.

He had left his family, abandoned his friends, and lost Iwaizumi.

He couldn't go back. He had to train, train, and train. And who knows, maybe one day they would see each other again.

He had to beat them all, one by one. Nothing mattered anymore, only winning and proving that Japan had lost a great player.

“Toto? Are you ready?” Miguel called him from the kitchen.

“Yeah, give me a minute!” he said, looking at the picture of him and Iwaizumi one last time, before putting it away in a drawer. He no longer had it hanging on the wall.

Once he got the trolley and the backpack on his shoulders, he looked at his friend who was baking a cake.

“You sure you don’t want to come?” Tooru asked, smirking.

“I told you, I have a busy week with family. Ya sabes cuántos somos, I have five little beasts to take care of!” Miguel said as he mixed the cream, referring to his little nephews.

“Ok then, I’m going. Say hello to them for me” Oikawa said, taking a freshly baked biscuit and waving to him.

“You greedy! Have fun in Brazil!”

Many months had passed since they fought. Iwaizumi knew it well. The first few months had been tough. He couldn't sleep, thinking back to what Oikawa had said to him.

“Hindrance.”

“I don’t need you. I never did.”

“I loved you. Now I don’t anymore.”

He clenched his fists just thinking about it. Oikawa had always considered him a hindrance.

Iwaizumi had never stopped him, he hadn't asked him to stay. In fact, he had encouraged him, because he knew deep down that Oikawa had already made his choice. That it was the right thing for him.

That, despite the distance, nothing between them would change. But clearly, that wasn't the case.

Maybe Oikawa was referring to the love he felt for Iwaizumi. Maybe those very feelings were the hindrance.

If loving him was a problem for Oikawa, loving Tooru was easy for Hajime.

Maybe he had even fallen in love with him since he was a child, when Oikawa, looking at him with a determined expression and smiling, had asked him: “Let’s play volleyball together, Iwa-chan!”

It was a simple question, but it captured Oikawa's trust in him.

Volleyball meant everything to Tooru. Playing together meant sharing his dream, and making it real. Iwaizumi would do anything for him. Hajime had always loved him. Whatever he did, he always found himself by Oikawa's side.

It was as if their souls were magnets, always attracting each other.

Hajime was sure that Tooru was straight. After all, he was always dating girls, and he was surrounded by them, receiving a confession daily.

So Hajime had unconsciously started to keep everything inside, to hide the feelings he had for his best friend from others and even from himself.

Oikawa had blocked him everywhere. However, Iwaizumi kept calling him, but it was useless.

Going from talking every day to not talking at all had been the worst thing ever.

So, a year later, Iwaizumi got tired. After trying every way to contact Oikawa, he decided to save up so he could visit him again in Argentina.

According to Charlie, Oikawa and Miguel were having a championship soon, so he'd find him there.

So Iwaizumi took a plane, went through a 12-hour journey, knocked on Oikawa's apartment door with a trembling hand and a pounding heart, only to find Miguel standing in front of the door while wearing an apron.

“Hajime?! What are you doing here?” he asked, surprised and shocked.

“I…is Oikawa here? I came to talk” Iwaizumi said, trying to look as calm as possible.

The mere thought of seeing Oikawa again and talking to him after so long made him nervous.

“He just left for Brazil, I think he’s already landed by now” Miguel scratched his head.

Iwaizumi’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oh…I see.”

Oikawa had left. Of course, Iwaizumi couldn't know that because he had no way of contacting him. By now, Tooru had erased him from his life and Hajime just had to accept it and stay out of it.

“Since you've had a long trip, you can stay and get some rest if you want. I was just preparing dinner, but I warn you, it's a mess inside…”

“Tío Miguel, mira lo que dibujé!” a high pitched voice came from Miguel’s back, and both of them looked at the little intruder.

It was a 6 year old, more or so, girl, she was supposed to be Miguel’s niece, Iwaizumi thought.

“Quién es él?” the little girl asked, looking at the intruder.

“It’s a friend of Toto-“ Miguel said, but Iwaizumi interrupted him.

“Iwaizumi Hajime, encantado de conocerte.”

Both Miguel and his niece stared at him, mouth agape. The only difference was that Miguel was shocked by Iwaizumi knowing Spanish, and the little girl was blushing.

“Iwa-chan?” the girl suddenly said, and Hajime shivered at that nickname.

“I already told you only Toto can call him that!” Miguel said, bumping her nose.

“No es justo, díselo también Iwa-chan!” the little girl exclaimed sulking, looking at Hajime.

Iwaizumi stared at her in confusion, searching Miguel's gaze for help.

“Come on, go playing. We’ll be right back” the Argentine player said, as the little girl ran inside again.

“Since when can you speak Spanish?!” he then added in shock.

“I started studying it on my own to…you know, surprise Tooru. I guess I can’t show him anymore, can I?” Hajime smiled slightly, a bitter smile framing his tired eyes.

Miguel looked at him, a little worried and saddened, then stepped aside and invited him in.

“Come in, Hajime.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to disturb your family day further. I’ll call a taxi-“ Iwaizumi said, taking the phone out but Miguel grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the apartment.

“You like Argentinian food, right?” Miguel asked him.

“I…guess? Miguel, listen…I don’t want to be in the way. I really appreciate your offer, but I gotta go-“

“Hajime” the Argentine player stopped and looked at him in the eyes, “I don't know what Tooru told you or what happened specifically because he never talks about it, so if you want, you can tell me later. But know that you are always welcome in this house.”

He then gave him a big smile, placing his hand on Hajime’s shoulder and Iwaizumi couldn’t feel more relieved.

“Thank you.”

“I warn you, we'll be dealing with five little rascals. I hope you're good with kids” Miguel said, as they entered the kitchen.

It was a total mess.

Dirty ladles of dough laid on the table, while five children were covered in flour, three of whom were arguing animatedly.

“What’s going on here?! Alejandro!” Miguel exclaimed, calling out the kid who was starting to shout to the others.

“He covered me in flour! He started it!” Alejandro said, pointing his little finger at another kid.

“I didn’t! He started first!” the other one replied, crossing his arms.

“I swear if you don’t stop, I won’t bake alfajores.”

At Miguel’s threat, everyone fell silent.

“He is Hajime, he’ll help us cook today!” Miguel continued, as he stroked Gabriella’s hair.

“Really, Iwa-chan?!” the girl exclaimed, smiling and hugging his leg.

“Uh, yeah. Of course!” Hajime said, trying not to sound too embarrassed.

“Iwa-chan?! Isn’t he Toto’s boyfriend?!” Alejandro exclaimed, pointing his finger at him.

Hajime almost chocked.

“How many times have I told you not to point fingers at people, Al? Anyway, yes. He’s Iwa-chan” Miguel said nonchalantly, mixing up some ingredients.

“I’m not his boyfriend” Hajime clarified, clearing his throat.

“But you wish” Miguel commented, as the kids giggled.

“I-I don’t! Stop it!”

“Why not? Uncle Toto is very handsome” Pablo, the other kid, said.

“Don’t you think uncle Toto is beautiful, Iwa-chan?” Gabriella asked, her big brown eyes piercing his soul.

“Yes. He is” Hajime admitted, thinking of Tooru’s perfect face.

The kids looked at him with knowing eyes, as Miguel smirked.

“Now now, Hajime. Can’t have you being all sappy about him while cooking our meal, can we?”

Iwaizumi laughed a bit, then helped them all with the cooking.

Once they sat down to eat, Iwaizumi helped the little ones eat, feeding them when they needed it.

He was good with children. They were all enthralled by him.

Miguel stared at them smiling, and when the children finally went to bed (three in Miguel's room and two were supposed to sleep in Tooru's room, but were playing in the living room for now) Hajime helped wash the dishes.

“You know, you’d be a great dad” Miguel said sincerely.

“It must be because I often took care of Takeru together with Tooru” Hajime said smiling, then stopped, looking down at the dishes, “Sorry, I always end up talking about him.”

“What happened between you two, Hajime? I was sure you would solve everything.”

“I don't know. Tooru told me that I'm just an hindrance for him now. And I certainly don't want to stop him. So I'll stay on the sidelines, as he wishes” Hajime said, as he cleaned a plate.

“I don't understand. How did you end up like this?” Miguel asked, sincerely confused and in need of answers.

“It's my fault, Miguel. If I’d found the courage to tell him how I felt earlier, maybe now…” Hajime's voice broke, and he ran a hand over his eyes, “He doesn't love me anymore, and I understand that. So I don't think there's anything left to say.”

“Why did you come here after a year?”

“Because I selfishly thought I could make up with him on my birthday. It turns out I failed” Hajime forced a smile, a pang in his chest still bothering him.

“I didn’t know it was you birthday!” Miguel said, shocked.

“I bet Tooru forgot that too.”

In fact, he didn’t receive any message from him.

Hajime entered Tooru's room, after Miguel insisted that he had to sleep there and not on the couch.

Gabriella was sleeping on one side of the bed, and Isabela had fallen asleep on the couch.

The room was tidy, as expected. Volleyball posters and Argentine players were scattered across the wall, and Hajime noticed a gap but didn't pay much attention to it.

Everything in that room reminded him of Tooru, and Hajime could swear he could even smell his scent. 
He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He felt like he was violating Oikawa's space, and the decision he'd made for both of them.

Tooru had said he didn't want to see him anymore, and now Hajime was about to sleep in his room.
But he knew he wouldn't get any sleep again. Not when things with Tooru were going so badly.

Sometimes it was unbearable. Sometimes Hajime could live with the thought that they would never be together.

He searched the drawers for a change of clothes for the night, as he had left without them, and found a photograph hidden at the back.

It was the picture he and Tooru had taken on their last day of high school.

Hajime remembered very well that the last time he'd come, that photo had been hanging on the wall.

Tooru had decided to take it down, hide it in a drawer and maybe even lock it, so he wouldn't see it again. Just like he’d done with Hajime.

The more he looked at it and turned it over in his hands, the more his eyes burned and Hajime found himself staring at a tear staining the photo.

He sat down on the floor, careful not to make any noise that might wake the little girl.

He clutched the photo tightly in his hands, while copious tears streamed down his face.

He wanted to go back to that day. He wished he would have confessed to Tooru that day.

Maybe now they would be happy, just like in that picture.

Maybe they wouldn't be so far apart and their hearts wouldn’t be broken into a thousand pieces.

“I’m so sorry…” he whispered, looking at Tooru’s smiling face, caressing it with his thumb.

“Why are you crying, Iwa-chan?”

Hajime jumped, taken aback, as two chocolate-brown eyes stared at him from above the bed.

“Sorry, I woke you up. I’m not crying” Iwaizumi said, drying his tears with the collar of his shirt.

“You’re a liar” Isabela said, yawning, “You were crying over uncle Toto’s picture.”

Damn kids were so clever nowadays.

“Go back to sleep, I’ll tuck you in. It’s late.”

Hajime got up, putting the photograph away in the drawer again, and sit down on the bed.

“You love uncle Toto, don’t you Iwa-chan?”

Hajime stared at her, eyes widened.

“This shouldn’t concern a young lady like you” Iwaizumi replied smiling, as he patted her head.

“Uncle Toto loves you, you know? A lot” she said, looking him straight in the eyes.

“I know” Hajime blushed hearing that.

“So, if you love him and he loves you, why aren’t you together?”

Children and their brutal sincerity…they never mince their words.

“It’s a bit complicated. Loving each other sometimes isn’t enough” Hajime admitted, smiling fondly at her.

“That’s stupid. If you tell him that you love him, I’m sure uncle Toto would be happy.”

“I’ll make sure to tell him that the next time” Hajime smiled at her, as she drifted to sleep.

Seeing Oikawa dating a girl in high school made his heart clench painfully.

Watching Oikawa leave for Argentina had hurt him, but he knew it was his dream after all.

Smelling Tooru's scent, his touch on his skin, his moist lips on his neck, was torture. Because Hajime was convinced that Tooru had no feelings for him.

Hearing Tooru's voice moaning out his name, was torment.

Knowing that Tooru had loved him all this time, and that Hajime had made him suffer…was unbearable.

Tell him he loved him, huh? He would have, if he hadn't been sure that Tooru hated his guts now.

As soon as they left the airport, Oikawa and some of his teammates took a taxi and headed to the hotel.

They decided to take the evening off, the trip had been exhausting. So, Gabri (their libero) suggested they go to dinner at a restaurant by the sea, so they could enjoy the sunset.

Brazil was fantastic, it had the same atmosphere as in Argentina, perhaps even warmer.

Oikawa laughed at his middle blocker’s joke, when his gaze fell on a mass of disheveled orange hair and a voice so shrill it pierced his ears. And that jump…it was really him.

“Is this real life?” Tooru said, standing there almost frozen.

The orange haired guy turned around, confused, but then his eyes widened in shock.

“The great king?!” he exclaimed, “what are you doing here?!”

“That’s my line” Tooru replied, still in shock too.

“I’m here to train using beach volleyball!”

“Hah, you’re still a scary kid sometimes, chibi-chan” Oikawa said, looking at him in the eyes.

“Toto, who’s he?” his middle blocker asked curiously.

“He’s a kid from my neighborhood!”

“You know I can understand English right?” Hinata said, staring at him as Oikawa laughed.

“We’re going dinner, you wanna come?” Gabri asked.

“Go ahead, I’ll catch you up later!” Oikawa waved at them as they left, then turning to face Hinata again.

“So…beach volley, huh?”

“Do you want to play, great-uh…Oikawa?!” Hinata asked, excitedly. He couldn’t wait to watch Oikawa play again.

“Shall we first go to dinner? My treat.”

Hinata’s vision suddenly became blurry, as he sobbed loudly.

“What is it?!” Tooru asked, genuinely confused and worried.

“Oh…I-I just lost my wallet at work today. So, thank you!”

“Then you’ll treat me next time!” Oikawa smiled, as they stared to walk toward a restaurant Shoyo told him was delicious.

They talked about volleyball, Kageyama, and their dreams. They played beach volleyball, and lost with dignity.

Oikawa soon discovered that it wasn't at all like playing indoor volleyball, and that excited him.

Once the game was over, they sat on the sand, watching the moon reflect on the ocean's surface. The sound of the waves filled the silence.

Oikawa closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sea breeze caressing his face.

“How's Iwaizumi-san?” Hinata asked suddenly, and Oikawa almost jumped at the name.

When was the last time he knew how Hajime was really doing?

“Good,” he replied dismissively.

“I heard from Kuroo-san that he's going to be an athletic trainer! He's in California now, right? But I think he wants to go back to Japan soon” Hinata continued, smiling as he looked at him.

“I…I didn’t know.”

How could he? He had blocked him, he had deleted him from his life, he had clearly told him to disappear. And unfortunately, Iwaizumi had listened.

“How…?”

“We're not on good terms anymore. We haven't spoken to each other for a year now” Tooru admitted, closing his eyes.

Talking about it still hurt. He avoided the subject with Miguel precisely because he didn't want to feel that sharp pang in his chest again, squeezing his heart. Or at least, what was left of it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hinata asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.
Oikawa just shook his head lightly.

“You know, Kageyama and I stopped talking much after I left for Brazil” Hinata said, smiling sadly, “but I think I’ll talk to him when I’ll go back. Maybe you should just talk-“

“It’s not the same, Chibi-chan. Trust me” Oikawa said, hugging his knees to his chest.

“You love Iwaizumi-san, don’t you?”

Tooru jolted, turning to face him with a shocked expression, as if he had just been caught in the act.

“It’s the same thing, then” Hinata grinned, “I’m in love with Kageyama too.” 

Shoyo just looked at him, smiling fondly, as if he hadn't just discovered the biggest secret Tooru was keeping from everyone.

“There’s a difference, Chibi-chan. Tobio loves you too. Iwa-…Iwaizumi doesn't have the same feelings for me” Tooru said, his voice weak and low. Hinata has never seen him like that.

”It’s strange. I’ve always thought you were boyfriends back in high school” Shoyo said, looking up.

Tooru stared at him in surprise and the orange haired boy laughed.

”I mean, you’re childhood best friends, you always stuck together and had that amazing trust in volleyball. You’re made for each other.”

So…was that how the others saw them? Honestly, Tooru thought the same thing too, and that was also why he’d kept his hopes up with Iwaizumi.
But it had all turned out to be just a fantasy in his mind.

“He’s got a girlfriend” he suddenly said, leaving Shoyo speechless, “I’ve never had a chance with him.”

”What if Iwaizumi-san broke up with this girl? Would you still want to be with him?” Hinata asked, looking at him in the eyes.

“I don't know…I don't want to delude myself anymore. I just want to think about volleyball” Oikawa said, his voice cracking, his eyes tired.

“So you want to live without him? Can you?”

“I have to” he sighed, knowing deep down it was going to be hard like hell.

Oikawa stared at the sea before him, which moved incessantly, despite of everything and everyone.

He had to become like that too. Pushing forward, and never worrying about others, just focusing on his dream.

“Today’s his birthday” Oikawa almost whispered, and the orange haired gave him a sad smile.

“Will you send him a message?” Shoyo genuinely asked.

Tooru looked up at the stars shining in the night sky and sighed. His heart broke for the last time, when he spoke up.

“If I want to beat everyone, I have to leave everything behind. Even him.”

Chapter Text

March 2020, five years later

“I don't know if the Olympics will be held this year” coach Blanco said, while the whole team stared at him dumbfounded.

“Why?”

“What does it mean?”

“There’s this virus going around, you’ve probably heard about it. They say it’ll soon become a pandemic, and there’ll even be a lockdown” Blanco explained with a serious tone.

“What will we do?”

“We’ll wait until they decide on the next date. In the meantime, don’t stand still, keep working hard at home.”

The team began to chat, as they slowly left the gym.

“And Toto” Blanco called him, “if you want to go back to Japan to your family for the lockdown, feel free to do so” he looked at him like a father would look at his son.

“I have no one to go back to, coach. I’ll be fine here,” Oikawa replied, also looking at Miguel, who smiled at him.

“I’ll take care of Toto.”

In reality, Tooru had his family, his parents, his sister to go back to. But when he thought about going home, he always ended up thinking of just one person with spiky hair, green eyes, and a grumpy look on his face. He shook his head at the idea.

“Are you scared?” Miguel asked him once they entered their apartment.

“Why would I be? I have you, and Olympics are so close. This won’t even last a month, trust” Oikawa said smiling, sitting on the couch, with that confident attitude of his.

“I heard this is a serious thing, Toto. People are dying in hospitals. Don’t you want to go back home and see him again?”

“Him who, Miguel?” Oikawa raised an eyebrow, the look in his eyes made Miguel sigh heavily.

“Nevermind, forget I said anything.”

After a few months, both Tooru and Miguel were trying their best not to go crazy. They couldn't leave the house except to go buy necessary things, the city was locked down. There were no flights, everything was at a standstill.

Miguel spent his days calling his large family, asking how everyone was doing, and Oikawa often spoke to them.

He would also call home, but only spoke for a few minutes before hanging up. He didn't want to feel homesick.

Just a few days later, Oikawa felt his throat burning, but blamed it on the spicy dish Miguel had cooked the night before.

The next day, he started coughing and decided to wear a mask at home too.

Two days later, he was having a bit of trouble breathing, and Miguel noticed it right away. "Toto, what's wrong? Are you feeling worse? Do you have a fever?"

“I don’t think so” Oikawa replied, coughing a bit, while Miguel helped him laying on his bed.

“You’re burning! Stay here, I’ll get some medicines-“

“You have to stay away from me. If I have the virus, I don’t want you to catch it too. I’ll just stay here in my room, it’ll pass” Tooru said, looking at him while struggling to breathe.

“I don’t care if I’ll catch it too. Someone has to take care of you when Hajime is not around” Miguel smiled, then left to find some medicines to give him.

When he came back, Oikawa was spacing out.

“Here, swallow it” Miguel said, handing him a pill and a glass of water.

Oikawa pulled down his mask and swallowed the medicine, then took a deep breath.

“Don’t mention his name again, please.” Miguel turned to him, confused, then looked at him with a hard expression on his face.

“Don’t tell me…you don’t want to tell him anything.”

Oikawa stayed silent, and it was a very clear answer.

“If you don’t want to call him, at least unblock him” Miguel suggested.

“Why should I?”

The Argentine player sighed at his friend’s stubbornness.

“We’re going through one of the strangest times of our lives, we don’t know if we’ll make it to tomorrow. I’m fucking worried about your health, Toto. I can’t imagine how Hajime feels knowing you’re miles away during this fucking pandemic and not even knowing how you’re doing” Miguel said, looking at him sternly, “if you don’t want to call him because you’re so fucking immature, fine. Just unblock him. At least he can call you, if he wants to.”

With that, Miguel left closing the door behind him gently, leaving Oikawa alone with his thoughts.

He thought about it, and his hand hovered over his phone when he finally picked it up and opened the contacts.

His eyes glazed over with an old sadness when he read the contact's name.

Iwa-chan.

Oikawa had never changed it. It had stayed that way, as if they were still best friends, as if nothing had ever happened and they still video-called each other every day, telling each other how their day was.

But Iwa-chan had become Iwaizumi for quite some time now.

Iwa-chan was no longer the best friend he knew everything about, but a stranger.
Iwa-chan hadn't shown up since the day Oikawa had told him to disappear.
Iwa-chan had decided to go back to Japan, and hadn't even bothered to tell him. Oikawa had blocked him, yes. But he could also text Makki or Miguel, and find a way to talk to him.

But Iwa-chan had agreed to step aside, and so he had slowly turned into Iwaizumi.

Tooru frowned for a moment, then pressed the unblock button.

Summers in Miyagi were very hot, but Hajime spent that time of the year with his grandmother, and somehow her garden, full of plants and a few trees, was cooler. Of course, Tooru was invited too, and so they spent entire summers together, in the company of Hajime’s grandmother.

Hajime loved hunting for insects in the garden, while Tooru had a sort of green thumb and helped Hajime’s grandmother with the flowers.

“Tooru, don’t climb so high! You'll definitely fall, and I certainly won't catch you!” Hajime shouted, while the brunette didn't even listen to a single word.

“Don't worry, Iwa-chan! I just want to catch this butterfly for you” Tooru said, but as he reached out for the insect, it flew away and Tooru lost his balance, falling to the ground. Something cushioned his fall, and when he opened his eyes again, Hajime was beneath him, grimacing.

“Sorry” Tooru said apologetically, with that kind, cute little smile of his, the one he often used to make up for everything.

And it worked damn well on Hajime. He might even be mad at him, but the anger vanished in an instant when he saw that smile on his face. It was like magic.

"Move" Hajime said only, trying to get up and brush off his dirt-stained shorts, "Why did you want to catch that butterfly anyway? You don't like insects" he added, curiously.

"Because Iwa-chan had been staring at it for a while and it was clear you really liked it" Tooru replied, smiling, then offering his hand to help him up.

"Well, don’t do that again, idiot. I won't catch you the next time" Hajime said, with a grumpy face.

"That's not true. You'll always catch me if I fall, Iwa-chan."

The next day, while Tooru was busy watering the flowers, Hajime helped his grandma make a tart.

“What jam should we use for the tart? How about strawberry?” his grandmother asked, looking at the countless jams she had made with fruit from her orchard.

“No, Tooru doesn’t like it that much. He loves apricot jam, is it okay if we use that?” Hajime said, taking the jar.

“Of course” the old woman said, smiling sweetly, then added, “You really care about him, Hajime.”

The grandson looked at his grandmother in confusion.

“Is it wrong?”

“No, of course not. Don’t feel wrong if you care deeply for Tooru-kun. It’s normal, after all, you’re always together” his grandma replied.

“But he’s a boy. In class, I’ve heard many people say it’s disgusting to have feelings for your best friend” Hajime said, looking his grandmother in the eye.

The old woman placed a hand on her grandson’s shoulder and, with a smile on her lips, said: “Don’t let their hatred rule your heart. If you have feelings for Tooru-kun, never blame yourself, Hajime.”

And Hajime believed her. Until he saw one of his classmates hiding behind a corner with a swollen face and bruises on his legs. The others had beaten him, and Hajime might even know why.

“Can you get up?” he asked the boy, holding out his hand.

Hikaru flinched, afraid Hajime would hit him, but when he realized who he was, he squeezed his hand lightly and stood up hissing in pain.

“You shouldn’t be seen with me, Iwaizumi-kun” Hikaru said, wiping away his tears to regain some dignity.

“Why did they beat you?”

“Because they found out about my crush on Itachi-kun” the boy said, rubbing his arm.

“My grandmother told me it’s not wrong. It’s natural, you shouldn’t blame yourself” Hajime said with a serious tone.

“Well, tell your grandmother she was wrong. We’re not well-seen in this country, aren’t we?” Hajime looked at him with wide eyes, and the other smiled slightly.

“I won’t tell anyone, don’t worry. But don’t ever let anyone know you have a crush on Oikawa-kun or you’ll end up like me.”

Since then, Hajime started to call his best friend “Oikawa” instead of Tooru. And Tooru couldn’t find a valid reason why he changed that.

“How are you?”

“Not bad, I’m trying to send the training schedule to my athletes, you know how it is right now. What about you and Mattsun?”

“Well, let’s just say the funeral home is running  pretty good these days” Makki joked, but then realized what he’d said and quickly added, “Shit, that was a terrible joke, I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t worry, Hiro” Iwaizumi said with a sigh, “I’m happy you two are doing fine.”

“You know me and Issei were dating since high school, you were just too blind to see that. Not just that, I may add” Makki said with a playful voice, but Hajime scowled at him even if he couldn’t see him. Then, he looked out of the window.

“I’ll see him again in a year.”

“What?” Hanamaki asked, confused.

“The Olympics are in a year, and Tooru will be there.”

A sigh was heard coming from the other line.

“How do you know?”

“Do you think he could hide the fact that he got naturalized Argentine from me? I know him better than he knows himself, Makki” Iwaizumi smiled, his heart clenching a bit.

“After all these years, you’re still holding on him?” Makki asked, his voice soft.

“I know it’s stupid, but…” Hajime said, smiling fondly, “I’m holding on because letting go means accepting a future where he’s not in it. And maybe I’m not ready for that.”

“So cheesy” Makki said with a disgusted voice, jokingly, and Iwaizumi laughed a bit.

“I hope he’s doing well. I’m worried as fuck, but I can’t even dial his number because he’s blocked me.”

“Well, Miguel told me he managed to get you unblocked. And about that…” Makki seemed to be hiding something.

“What is it?” Hajime asked quickly, knowing his friend was keeping something from him.

“Oikawa has got a flu, but it wasn’t that serious-“

“-and you fucking hid that from me?! How could you not tell me that, Hanamaki?!” Iwaizumi almost shouted out of worry.

“He begged me not to tell you anything. If it was serious, I would-“

Iwaizumi hung up, frantically searching for another contact on his phone.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up…”

Tooru was exhausted after training a bit on his own, his apartment looked like a prison more than ever. He felt a bit strained because of the flu he had a couple of days ago, fortunately it was nothing.

“Toto, do you want something to drink?”Miguel’s voice came from outside his room.

“Yeah, thank you Miguelito.”

He sighed, as he did some stretching.

Oikawa’s phone suddenly rang, and he didn’t really want to pick it up. Not after realizing who was calling.

Iwaizumi’s name kept showing on and off his phone screen, and during the fifth time it appeared, he decided to answer.

“Why don’t you pick up the damn phone? Are you alright?!” Iwaizumi’s voice came out grumpier and more worried than usual.

“What?” Oikawa spit out coldly, but sincerely confused.

“Makki told me you had a flu these past days, so-“

“And why would that concern you, Iwaizumi?” Oikawa interrupted him, as cold as ever.

He couldn’t stand that worried voice of his, not after all those years had passed.

Hajime’s mind went blank. Iwaizumi…Oikawa had called him so for five years now. He still couldn’t stand it. It hurt.

“It concerns me since we’re in a fucking pandemic, you idiot! I’ve had enough of this bullshit, I’ve seen people dying because of this virus, and I’m sorry if I was fucking panicking because I thought you caught it too!” Iwaizumi blurted, furious, as his hands were shaking.

“What do you mean you’ve seen people dying…?” Oikawa dropped his cold facade for a minute and his voice showed confusion.

“My grandma. She passed away a month ago.”

Oikawa stayed silent. His heart dropped, and he could hear Iwaizumi’s shaky voice over the phone.

Tooru remembered Iwaizumi’s grandma very well. They used to play very often in her garden, and they shared so many happy memories together there.

“I’m sorry. I…didn’t know” Tooru admitted saddened, his voice softened.

“Of course you didn’t. You never called” Hajime said, a tear escaping from his eyes, as he instantly dried it.

“Don’t you dare blame me for that!” Oikawa raised his voice, his pain coming out like a storm.

“Oh yeah, I’m the one to blame here because I try to reach out for you every single time and you ignore me all the way” Iwaizumi spat out, raising his voice as well.

“You have your life, Iwaizumi. I have mine. You have to understand that.”

Hajime clutched the phone in his hands, biting his lower lip.

“Right. Sorry if I bothered you, Oikawa” and with that, he hung up.

July 2021

The Olympics began, and the athletes gradually filled the entire village.

The Argentine volleyball team was having a meeting before the matches began the next day.

“As you know, we are in the group with Poland, Venezuela and Japan” Blanco said, quickly looking at Oikawa, then adding, “I want you all fired up. You know very well that only the best two teams in the group advance to the next round.”

“Yes, coach!” everyone said excitedly, then left to rest for the upcoming match.

When they entered their dorms, Miguel smirked at his friend.

“Are you excited?”

“Of course.”

“You’ll see him again. How do you feel?” Miguel asked, curiously.

“I want to crush them all” Tooru pulled up his confident smirk, as Miguel bumped his shoulder and went to take a shower.

Argentina beat Venezuela 3-0, and the next day it was Canada's turn. 3-1 to Argentina, and Tooru didn't even play the whole game because Blanco wanted to rest him for the next match.

Even though they had won two out of two games, so had Japan, who they were supposed to face the next day.

Oikawa's heart began to beat wildly at the thought of seeing everyone again: Shoyo, Kageyama, and Ushijima, whom he hadn't seen since high school. And obviously him too. Oikawa didn't know anything about him anymore.

He didn't know if he had changed his haircut, he didn't know if he still drank black coffee, or if he went running every Friday like usual.

Not knowing brought him both relief and pain.

Thankfully, Miguel interrupted his train of thoughts.

“Do you think these beds are anti-sex?” was the sudden question that reached Oikawa’s ears. He almost chocked.

“I didn’t think you’d ask that, but if you insist…I’ll make you forget about Charlie~” Oikawa said, giving him a playful wink.

“Ew, no! That’s exactly why I asked, I want to test them out with Charlie” Miguel said, his face disgusted at the thought of what Oikawa just proposed.

“Is Charlie here?”

“Of course, he came to see me. And Hajime” Miguel said, and Oikawa glared at him at the mere mention of that name, “Okay, okay, he came to see you too.”

“Go take a shower, you smell like a pig, Miguelito!” Oikawa taunted, throwing a pillow at him.

“You wouldn’t be so frustrated if—”

“—don’t you dare finish that sentence if you want to stay alive…” Oikawa threatened him.

“—if you had some good, healthy sex with Hajime!” Miguel said before locking himself in the bathroom to escape his teammate's impending fury.

“I swear I’ll kill you the moment you’ll step out of the bathroom!”

The next day, the players changed in the locker room and entered the great Olympic court, ready for a match that would certainly not change the outcome. Having already won two games, both Argentina and Japan had advanced from their group stage and would compete for the Olympic gold.

But that was a game of revenge. Whoever won it would be the best that day. And Oikawa was sure he could finally beat all of them.

During the warm-up, he noticed that Kageyama's sets had become cleaner and more precise since the last match Oikawa had watched on his phone. 
He noticed Hinata jumping higher, as if he were spreading his wings like some damn crow.
And Ushijima certainly hadn't lost his strength. In fact, he looked more fearsome than usual.
The other Japanese players were also excellent.

But them Oikawa turned to his team, and with each set, his smile grew wider and wider. His team was strong too. They had nothing to fear at all.

As they warmed up in pairs, Miguel suddenly raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking across the net. Oikawa stopped the ball in his hands and turned to face the same direction when he noticed Iwaizumi Hajime, Japan's athletic trainer, entering the court.

His hair was slightly longer, and he was much more muscular and buffier, the black polo shirt of the national team was tight on his chest. He looked so confident as he walked, giving clear orders to his players, who obeyed his every word.

As soon as those green eyes locked on his, Oikawa turned abruptly, breaking eye contact, gripping the ball in his hands with more force than necessary.

“Oye Toto, has visto el culo que tiene Hajime? Nunca había visto un culo tan redondo y…”

“Cállate Miguel o te juro que te hago tragar...” Oikawa hissed, and the Argentine player smirked.

“Con mucho gusto me tragaría el culo de Hajime” Miguel admitted, licking his lips.

“What were you saying about my butt?” a deep voice interrupted them, and the two players gulped. Iwaizumi Hajime was in front of them now.

“What? Since when do you understand Spanish?” Oikawa asked, in shock.

“Desde hace unos años, Miguel sabe. Así que tengo razón, estabas hablando de mi culo” Iwaizumi replied, crossing his arms, as his huge biceps contracted.

“We’re fucked” Miguel whispered, smirking as his setter gave him a deadly look.

“Care to explain?” Iwaizumi arched a brow, as he waited for them to speak up.

“You misunderstood, culo doesn’t mean butt. You haven’t studied Spanish very well” Oikawa said after he coughed.

“Oh, what does it mean then?” Iwaizumi provoked him, piercing into his gaze.

“Uhm…it means…Miguel, tell him what it means!” Tooru smiled at his spiker, as he patted his shoulder to encourage him.

“What? Yeah, it means…ball!” Miguel said, thinking it was a good idea. But it really wasn’t.

“So you said you would happily swallow my balls” Iwaizumi said, deadpanning him.

“What? I didn’t say that!”

“I heard my name” Iwaizumi looked at him.

“You’re not the only Hajime in here!” Oikawa blurted, both him and Miguel embarrassed as hell.

“Right” Iwaizumi’s gaze landed on both of them, and he sighed.

“You don’t trust native speakers like us? Books can be wrong sometimes!” Miguel said, trying to convince him.

“No, I don’t trust you two” Hajime replied, then focusing his gaze on Oikawa who was avoiding him.

“Long time no see, Tooru.”

“You’re in the opposite court, this is clearly to be considered invasion” Oikawa said, refusing to look him in the eye while he had that sulky expression on his face.

Hajime smiled noticing his pouty lips, it was like they were 7 years old again.

“The game hasn’t started yet” Iwaizumi smirked, and the second after the referee blew the whistle to finish the warm ups.

Everyone returned to their side of the court, and the players shook hands under the net before the match began.

“Oikawa-san!” Hinata greeted him, hugging him.

“Shoyo!” Oikawa said smiling, hugging him back.

“Oikawa-san.”

“Tobio-chan.”

“We’ll win this time” Kageyama said, smiling with a fierce look.

“We’ll see” Oikawa replied, smiling back.

As the greetings continued, a rough, strong hand shook his, and Oikawa immediately recognized the touch.

“May the best man win” Iwaizumi said with that confident smile and look that left no room for interpretation.

Hajime couldn’t wait to see him play, and Oikawa certainly didn’t want to disappoint him.

“May the best man win.”

Chapter Text

Seeing Oikawa again after five years of absolute silence was somehow deafening. Suddenly, Iwaizumi could admire him playing only a volleyball net away.

Tooru was magnificent, as always. He hadn't lost his touch. He'd made it more elegant, more precise, more offensive.

Just watching him sent multiple shivers down Hajime’s spine.

While Argentina beat them, Hajime couldn't be knocked down. Not when Oikawa Tooru was finally on the same field, in the same country, in the same time zone as him.

Hajime couldn't complain, not even about the fact that Tooru wouldn't even glance at him, and that gave him a pang that had been in his heart for more than five years.

Argentina beat them 3-2. It was a very ruthless match.

Tooru's smile was radiant, his shout of victory filled with joy. Miguel jumped on him, hugging him tight, and the rest of the team joined in. They broke into an Argentine chant, and Hajime clutched the folder he was holding, where he had written his players' details.

He was so proud of him that his heart was about to explode with joy. Seeing Tooru finally achieve what he'd worked his whole life for was priceless.

His body instinctively took two steps forward, as if to reach him and celebrate with him, but he suddenly stopped.

Hajime's smile slowly faded, like a candle that has burned out.

He remembered that he was no longer a part of Tooru's life. He could no longer rejoice with him in his achievements.

He could only stare at him from afar, like something precious he wasn't worthy of touching.

They all lined up at the net for the final greetings.

When Hajime shook Tooru's hand, he noticed it was warmer than he remembered. It was a little sweaty, soft, but the fingers felt strong as they wrapped around his.

"Congratulations on the win" Iwaizumi said, smiling at him.

"Thank you" Oikawa's response wasn't as warm as his hands.

His gaze was forward, ready to move on to the next player to congratulate, but Hajime held his hand after the setter had already released his grip.

"You were amazing today, Tooru. I'm so proud of you."

A shiver ran down Oikawa's spine, his fingers twitching slightly in surprise.

Hajime's fond smile faded when he realized Tooru wouldn't reply to him, so he let go of his hand, walking on to congratulate the next player.

Oikawa turned to look at him as soon as Iwaizumi turned his back on him. He remained still for a few seconds, still shaken by those words and by that moment they shared.

“Do you need a handkerchief?” Miguel suddenly was behind him.

“What? Why?”

“You’ve been drooling over Hajime for five minutes straight” Miguel mischievously smirked at him.

And then, the crowd watched as the Argentine setter chased Miguel across the court.

After qualifying for the next round, along with Japan who had finished second in their group, the Argentine team finally had a few days off before resuming their pursuit of Olympic gold.

Oikawa decided to go for a morning run, partly to leave the room free for Miguel and Charlie so they could test out whether the beds were truly anti-sex or not.

After a couple of laps around the Olympic village, Oikawa was already sweating. He’d forgotten how much hotter summers were in Japan.

He stopped to stretch for a moment and decided to do two more laps. Which became three, then four. He didn't notice the burning muscles, nor the slight twinge in his knee.

His mind was occupied with something else, or rather, someone. Iwaizumi's words continued to echo in his head incessantly. The feeling of the athletic trainer's hand gripped in his haunted him.

Miguel was right, maybe he hadn't gotten over it yet. Oikawa wasn't good at letting people go. He had sought revenge with Kageyama and Ushijima for years, let alone try and forget Iwaizumi.

The fact that he couldn't forget him was driving him crazy. Oikawa had tried to get him out of his head. And he had succeeded, only volleyball existed.

Until he saw him again. Until Hajime had squeezed his hand and said, "I'm so proud of you." Until he had looked at Oikawa with that fond gaze and sweet smile.

Oikawa found himself running faster, his strides longer, his breath growing shorter and his heart threatening to leap out of his chest.

Until his breath failed him and he stopped abruptly, trying to catch his breath. His muscles suddenly gave in, and he was about to collapse on the ground if it wasn’t for a pair of familiar rough hands that caught him.

“Guess it was true after all. I’ll always catch you when you’ll fall.”

Oikawa's eyes met Hajime's green ones. The athletic trainer held him tightly until Tooru regained his balance.

It was as if they had gone back to twenty years ago, as if in front of him was little Hajime, with his scratches on his face, that caught him when he fell off the tree.

If anyone had seen Oikawa without knowing he was running, they would have thought he was having a heart attack.

“Tooru, breathe” Iwaizumi said with his calm and deep voice, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Oikawa moved away from his touch. He didn't say a word to him. Doing so would mean more pain, and Oikawa was long over that.

Iwaizumi let him go, maybe because he realized he'd crossed a line. Maybe because he wasn't that interested anymore.

But when Oikawa put his foot down, the twinge in his knee made him limp slightly. An ordinary person wouldn't have noticed, but Iwaizumi was immediately at his side, supporting him.

He knew him better than anyone, even though it had been more than five years since they last saw each other.

"Don’t touch me” Tooru spit out coldly, and Iwaizumi stopped for a moment, as if he was pondering.

“I said let me go—“ Oikawa tried to break free from his grip, but Iwaizumi held him tighter.

“No.”

“What the hell do you—“

“I wouldn't have touched you if you hadn't overdone it by running and hurting yourself like you always do every time you’re lost in thought” Hajime growled, looking at him with his familiar furrowed eyebrows.

“I wasn’t- don’t make it sound like you know me that well anymore, Iwaizumi!” Tooru’s words were like venom, as he looked at his green eyes with a furious gaze.

Hajime sighed, it was a bit shattered, and he continued to hold him as they walked inside the village.

“Let me walk you to your room. You’re limping, and you need assistance.”

“I don’t need you—“ Oikawa said, but was interrupted almost immediately.

“Oh, I know. I remember well.”

Tooru stared at him with widened eyes. Hajime was clearly referring to the words Oikawa had said to him all those years ago.

They still hurt him. They burned on his skin, leaving scars over and over again.

Once they entered the building, Hajime asked him where his room were.

“I can’t go there anyway” Oikawa said, huffing.

“Why not?”

“Miguel and Charlie. Together” he simply said, and Hajime murmured an “oh”.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria then, you need to drink-“

“I can go by myself” Oikawa was quick to reply, moving away from him and beginning to walk off alone.

“Tooru, wait. It’s not good for you knee” Iwaizumi said, placing a hand on his arm, trying to stop him.

“How do you know what’s best for me?!” the setter blurted angrily.

“Because I’m an athletic trainer, you idiot!” Hajime started to lose his temper.

“You’re not my athletic trainer. You’re Japan’s. In case you didn’t notice, I’m Argentina’s setter! I’m not one of your players.”

“I fucking know!” Iwaizumi shouted, his voice came out as a growl. He didn’t mean to sound that frustrated, but he was.

“You gave up Japanese citizenship without telling anyone, I know it so fucking well.”

“Why the hell do you sound like I had to tell you? You're nobody to me” Oikawa spit out furiously, his heart racing like a mad horse.

Iwaizumi’s jaw clenched, as he held back the words he was about to say.

Why did he think that after five years something would change?

Oikawa considered him as a stranger, while he continued to care for him.

“And stop touching me, or people will think you're gay. That's something you despise, right?” Tooru said, slapping his hand off his shoulder, giving him a deathly look before walking away.

Hajime clenched his fists tightly, anger boiling in his blood, but said nothing. Too many times words couldn't come out of his mouth, and this time was no exception.

He picked up the phone and dialed a number. After some time, someone picked up.

"Hello? Coach Blanco."

The next day, Oikawa couldn't stand hearing his roommate complain about how flimsy the beds were and how they collapsed as soon as he and his boyfriend laid down on them.

"We had sex on the floor! Can you believe it? These beds make no sense!" Miguel said annoyed, kicking his own, which staggered slightly.

"I don't want to hear about how you and Charlie spent the morning while I nearly fainted and even had to argue with Iwaizumi because I couldn't come to my room because of you!" Tooru said, rubbing his knee.

"What?! What did Hajime do?"

“Nothing.”

“Oh, come on! Did he pick you up like a princess?” Miguel pushed, smirking.

At Oikawa’s silence, the Argentine player giggled.

“Omg, he did! I can't believe he managed to pick you up, but now he has quite enormous muscles…”

“He didn’t! He just helped me and walked me inside the building” Oikawa explained with a huff.

“And why did you argue with him?” Miguel asked confused.

“Because he was acting so nice it was making me sick. After all he’s done…”

“Forgive me, Toto, but I don’t understand. All these years he tried to reach out to you and talk things out. It’s you who never wanted to listen” Miguel said, his tone was quite serious now.

“There’s nothing to listen to” Tooru stubbornly replied, crossing his arms.

“There is. When you went to Brazil, he came all the way to our apartment just to see you and talk to you. And believe me, he looked like shit.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Oikawa asked, his eyes wide open as he stared at Miguel who was now changing his clothes.

“I tried, many times. But whenever I brought him up you would change the subject or tell me you didn’t want to talk about him. Bottling up like a fucking hedgehog won’t do you any good, Toto.”

Oikawa didn’t have any time to reply, because someone knocked at their door and Miguel opened it. Blanco was standing outside.

“Coach, is everything ok?” Miguel asked, as the man stepped inside their room.

“Yes, I heard that you hurt your knee while running” Blanco said, looking at Oikawa in the eyes.

“Yes, no, I mean…how do you know?” Tooru asked, gulping.

“Japan’s athletic trainer called me yesterday and told me you needed some physiotherapy sessions because you were running around the Olympic village like crazy.”

Blanco’s stare was piercing his soul. He was calm, but a bit angry.

“He exaggerated, I'm fine, look. I don't need any—“ as Oikawa got up from the bed, a sting run up his leg as he winced, trying to hide it.

“If you're done clowning around, I'd like to let you know that our athletic trainer is busy with Rodriguez” Blanco said, looking severely at him like a father would do when he scolded his son, “and since we can't play without the national team's starting setter, you will have sessions with the best athletic trainer I know.”

“Okay, Coach” Tooru murmured, lowering his gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed, while Miguel was laughing at the scene.

After a while, they were outside the room of the best athletic trainer Blanco knew.

Oikawa widened his eyes, as he didn’t expect him to be Iwaizumi Hajime himself.

As Blanco and Oikawa entered the room where Hajime took care of his players, he had just with Bokuto who needed a tape on his shoulder.

“You’re the best as always, Iwaizoomi!” Bokuto exclaimed happily, as loud as he always was.

“Yeah, yeah. Just take care and don’t force it during today’s practice, alright?” Hajime said with a small smile on his lips, patting the spiker’s back.

“Of course! Oh, hi! You’re Argentina’s setter, right?!” Bokuto said, when he was about to exit the room and saw Oikawa.

“Yeah, nice to meet you again. I hope you recover in time for the next match” Tooru said, looking at his shoulder.

“Of course, with Iwaizoomi’s help I’ll be fine by tomorrow!” he said happily, then waving at him and closing the door.

Oikawa then turned to face Iwaizumi, who was tidying up the table, throwing away the paper where Bokuto had previously sat and replacing it with new paper.

“As promised, I brought you my top weapon. How long will it take?” Blanco spoke first, smiling affably.

“From what I saw yesterday, it’s nothing serious—”

“—if it’s nothing serious, why am I here then?” Oikawa asked defiantly, interrupting him abruptly.

“If you continue to play the next few matches with your knee in this condition, you’ll end up missing out on the finals. If you even get there” Iwaizumi replied curtly, crossing his arms.

Oikawa started to fight back, but Blanco stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Toto, listen to what he says. He's the best in this field, especially when it comes to knees. And I think he knows yours better than anyone else.”

Blanco probably didn't know that the two of them had stopped knowing each other many years ago. Oikawa snorted.

"Whatever you say, Coach."

Blanco smiled, patting his shoulder.

"I'll entrust you with my boy, Hajime."

"Don't worry, he's in good hands” Iwaizumi said, smiling back, and Blanco left the room.

“Good hands, huh? I'd rather see Ushiwaka every day than be here with you now.”

Hajime looked at him and laughed heartedly, the sweet sound reaching Oikawa’s ears like it was the most beautiful thing he heard in all these years.

“I bet you’d rather die than spend five minutes with Wakatoshi” Hajime said, as he rummaged through his bag for some massage lotion.

Oikawa huffed, as he sat down with arms and leg crossed. Once Iwaizumi was ready, he looked him from head to toe.

“What?” Oikawa asked, annoyed.

“How do you think I can give you a massage if you don't straighten your legs?” Iwaizumi said, deadpanning him.

Oikawa snorted, then stretched out his legs on the bed, careful not to meet Iwaizumi's gaze.

Hajime poured some lotion onto his hands and spread it well, then stopped to stare at Tooru.

“Can I touch you?”

“What?!” Oikawa finally looked up, incredulous.

“I have to touch you to give you a massage. I don’t want you to make a scene like yesterday.”

Oikawa looked at him for a moment, then tore off his gaze, nodding. Hajime began to massage his knee, pressing lightly inwards and Oikawa hissed.

“Does it hurt here?” Hajime asked professionally, pressing again to the same spot.

“Yes…a bit” Tooru said, flinching.

Hajime hummed, continuing the massage swiftly.

“And by the way, I didn’t make a scene! You’re always so…invasive!” Oikawa blurted out.

“I’m so sorry, next time I’ll let you fall face down” Iwaizumi replied chuckling, as his hands worked his knee out.

His fingers were strong as they glided gently over his skin, and Oikawa had to hold back from letting out a sigh of pleasure.

Hajime was good at giving massages, or maybe it was because he knew his knee better than Oikawa himself.

Maybe because every time Oikawa got injured, Hajime was there. Every time he missed stretching, Hajime would grab him by the shirt and drag him to do it.

Even now, five years after they lost sight of each other, Tooru needed him, and Hajime was there for him.

“Miguel told me you came to talk to me when I was in Brazil.”

Oikawa didn’t even know how those words left his lips, but it was too late.

Hajime's hands paused for a moment, then resumed working.

"Yeah. But even if you had been there, I don't think you would have listened to me."

Oikawa rolled his eyes.

“What should I have listened to?”

“I don’t know, maybe that I wanted to say sorry?” Iwaizumi said, looking up at him, his voice rough.

“I don’t need your apologies, Iwaizumi” Oikawa said, bitter as ever, and Hajime slowed down as his hands stopped working. He then took a tape and began to wrap it around Oikawa’s knee in deafening silence.

Tooru expected him to reply, to say something back, but Iwaizumi’s lack of words was…surprising.

“It should be fine for now, don’t stress it too much. I'd suggest doing four sessions so you can play next week's games in top form. See you tomorrow” Hajime said, while drying his hands.

Oikawa got up and was surprised that he didn't feel a twinge when he put his foot down.

He nodded, then left the room without any hesitation, never looking back.

The next day, Oikawa and Miguel went to the cafeteria for breakfast, and the latter was looking around as if searching for someone.

When he raised his hand in the direction of a table, Oikawa turned and understood. As Miguel dragged him toward the table, he could see Iwaizumi drinking his black coffee without sugar, as always.

He hadn't changed, despite the years. Even Hajime seemed quite surprised to see them.

"You two arranged for us to meet, didn’t you?" Oikawa whispered through gritted teeth while Miguel smiled innocently.

"I don't know what you're talking about, obviously I arranged for breakfast to see my boyfriend" Miguel replied, sticking his tongue out at him, as he bent down to kiss Charlie.

Oikawa looked away in disgust, and then sat next to Iwaizumi because it was the only seat left.

“Good morning” Hajime’s deep voice greeted him.

“Yeah” Oikawa replied shortly, not even looking at him.

Miguel and Charlie exchanged worried looks, but shook it off.

When Miguel and Oikawa’s orders arrived, Iwaizumi snorted.

“What?” Tooru said on edge.

“You don’t order that diabetic drink anymore” Hajime said, referring to the chocolate hazelnut latte with extra syrup and white cream and a sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts on top that Oikawa had always ordered before.

Now, there was an orange juice in front of him, after all he was competing in the Olympics.

“There are a lot of things that changed and you don’t know anymore, Iwaizumi” Tooru said, sipping on his drink.

“Guess whose fault is that” Hajime replied, sipping on his black coffee too to make a point.

“Now now, guys. You have a whole month to make it up—“ Miguel intruded.

“—shut up! You tricked me into seeing his face for longer than I have to tolerate it during sessions” Oikawa blurted, pointing at his friend angrily.

“Speaking of that, I’ll be waiting for you in my studio. You have 10 minutes” Iwaizumi said, looking at his watch as he sat up and walked off, a grumpy expression on his face was a sign that he was pissed off.

“Studio? Sessions? What the hell is going on?!” Charlie asked, his mouth agape.

“They’re hiding something from us” Miguel whispered, shocked.

“My knee! It’s just my knee, you perverted minds!” Oikawa blurted, as he gulped down all his orange juice.

Eleven minutes later, Oikawa entered the room without any warning.

“You’re late and you don’t even knock on the door” Iwaizumi commented, his wide back facing Oikawa while he was preparing his stuff.

He motioned for Tooru to sit down, and the setter reluctantly obeyed.

While Iwaizumi was rubbing lotion on his hands, Oikawa decided to break the silence.

“After these sessions, we'll never see each other again.”

“Bold of you to say that, since we are both competing for the Olympic gold” Iwaizumi said, as he started massaging his knee.

A sigh left Oikawa’s lips, and Hajime smiled.

“Glad to know you enjoy this, at least” he said, working his fingers up and down his knee.

“Like that one time you kissed my neck?” Tooru bit back, looking at him straight up, “Oh, I forgot I was too drunk to even remember it.”

Hajime clenched his jaw, his eyebrow twitching.

“What the fuck is your problem?” he said, continuing to massage his knee like the professional he was.

“Don’t know, just wondered if you want to touch me here too?” Oikawa said, while he pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing more of his neck and putting his collarbone in plain sight.

Iwaizumi stopped massaging him, and turned to face him, clearly pissed off.

“I’m not doing this” he said, sitting up to cleanse his hands, turning his back to him.

“Right, you prefer doing this when I’m drunk, because you don’t have the fucking courage to do it when I’m sober!” Oikawa blurted, venomous.

“Do you even hear yourself when you speak?!” Iwaizumi clenched his fists, looking at him in the eyes.

“But you never think about what you do! You used me and threw me away like a toy. Did you think I'd be happy knowing you kissed me that night and kept it a secret from me?! Or that you were playing with me, teasing me and deceiving me every time with those touches and those fond looks, only to discover that you were dating her?!” Oikawa blurted, losing his patience, spitting out everything he kept inside for so long.

“I asked her out because I thought you didn’t feel the same!” Iwaizumi said, his tongue running freely, realizing what he had done only when he noticed Oikawa’s shocked expression on his face.

“What?”

“You made me feel like I didn't deserve you, like I was a horrible person who only hurt you, and maybe that's true. I hurt you, Tooru, I know. But you can't always make me feel like I deserve nothing but your resentment, you can't constantly trample on my heart and pretend I don't suffer. Maybe I deserve it a little. I deserve to be treated like shit, I deserve your hatred, I deserve to torture myself every day with the nagging thought that I could have, maybe, had you. I know I don't deserve you, I always felt one step behind you, and it was impossible for me to think that you loved me.
You don't know how much I cursed myself for all the times I could have held your hand, and I didn't. 
For all the times I could have made you understand how much it bothered me that you dated girls in high school, but I couldn't. 
For all the times I could have told you how much I loved you, and I didn't. 
I've never forgotten you, and I don't think I ever will” Hajime said, looking at him with a look that revealed an old suffering, a constant remorse rooted in his heart.

“I tried, with all my heart” he continued, after a pause, “I didn't want to suffer anymore, I didn't want to think about you anymore. But it's impossible. I was born to think about you, every single day of my life. And, apparently, you were born to torment me and remind me of everything I've lost because I never found the courage to admit that I had fallen in love with the most irritating and annoyingly handsome man I've ever met!”

They both stayed silent, shocked by the words that had just come out of Iwaizumi's mouth.

Hajime was shaking, perhaps from anger, perhaps from terror at what he had just said, but it was too late to take it back.

Tooru stared at him with wide eyes and a terribly shocked and confused expression, his muscles tense like steel wire.

"You can't tell me that now."

Hajime looked up, his heart pounding as if he were facing a dangerous situation.

"You have no right to tell me that now! You can't mean it!" Oikawa shouted ferociously, his voice breaking as his eyes filled with tears of rage, "You're just saying that because you want to clear your conscience! You should tell these things to your girlfriend!"

Hajime stared at him in disbelief.

“Do you really think I’m that awful? That I’m confessing my feelings to you just because I want a clear conscience? Do you really think that low of me?”

"Why else would you do it? Did Miko leave you? Are you alone and looking for someone to replace her?" Oikawa said, his rage out of control.

Hajime’s muscles stopped trembling, and a tear rolled down his face.

“Get out.”

Oikawa stared at him with wide eyes.

“I said get out!” Iwaizumi shouted, looking at him with an angry and terribly hurt look.

Tooru put his feet on the ground and started to walk toward the door, when Iwaizumi's broken voice reached him again.

"The sessions are canceled. There's no need to see each other anymore” he managed to say, regaining his composure, “I’ll give Blanco another trainer for your knee.”

Oikawa opened the door and closed it behind him, slamming it lightly.

A sob escaped both their lips, but they would  never know it.

Chapter Text

Oikawa couldn't believe it. He couldn't accept that Iwaizumi had confessed to him like that. Not after all this time. Not after everything he'd done and what had happened.

Iwa-chan...was in love with him? Impossible. Maybe he'd misheard.

But Hajime's words kept ringing loud and clear in his head, the devastated expression he had when he'd had to get him out was so vivid.

Oikawa was angry, confused, and hurt. Hearing those words from Iwaizumi had always been one of his most beautiful dreams. Under other circumstances, he would have jumped on him and kissed him. But his pride wouldn't let him.

Tooru loved Hajime with all his heart, yet that worthless pride that Ushijima always reproached him for was now getting the better of him. He couldn't let himself be trampled on like this.

Clenching his fists, Oikawa went to his room and took a cold shower, his eyes still red.

Blanco was obviously not happy that Oikawa had argued with Iwaizumi and interrupted the sessions.

He had even tried to send him back to him again, but Oikawa had categorically refused. So, he had entrusted him to another AT who took care of his knee before the start of the matches.

The quarterfinals began, and Oikawa was on his way to the locker room with his team when some familiar voices stopped him.

“Here's our favorite Argentine player!” someone exclaimed, and Oikawa recognized him immediately by his pink hair.

“Makki! Mattsun!” Tooru exclaimed, smiling.

“They obviously were referring to me, bonita” Miguel said, smirking.

“Of course we were referring to this hot two meters of beef and tall player!” Makki said, making all of them laugh.

“What are you doing here?! How did you get in?” Oikawa asked after a while.

“We came to watch your match, idiot. Plus, it’s nice to have connections here, you know…a certain AT gave us these exclusive free passes, unlike someone here” Makki said, chuckling.

“Iwaizumi was thoughtful in giving these to us, I think he wants us to witness your defeat!” Mattsun joked, while Oikawa’s smile faded at the mention of the name of the athletic trainer who had confessed to him a few days earlier.

“Hey, are you okay?” Makki asked, noticing the sad expression on his face.

“It’s nothing, I’ll definitely win!” Oikawa said, trying to hide his feelings behind a smile like he always did, but it wasn’t working with the duo.

“You haven’t said ‘I’ll win’ in years, but ‘we’ll win’, so spit it out. Did something happen with Iwaizumi?” Mattsun pushed, arching an eyebrow.

“When does Hajime not have anything to do with it?” Miguel commented sarcastically, getting a death glare from his setter.

“What, it’s been two days since you got this gloomy and you wont even talk about it!”

“There’s nothing to talk about it anyway! He got angry at me for telling him he didn’t mean his confession!” Oikawa blurted out, and all the four of them were shocked.

“He…what?!” Makki, Mattsun and Miguel shouted, their mouth agape.

“Iwaizumi…” Mattsun murmured.

“Hajime…” Miguel whispered.

“…he confessed to you?!” Makki said, incredulous.

“He did, yes” Oikawa admitted, “he clearly did that because he wants to clear his conscience or maybe Miko dumped him, whatever.”

“What the hell?” Miguel said, arching his eyebrow.

“Don’t you know that he dumped Miko the very night of his graduation?!” Makki exclaimed, confused.

“What?!” Oikawa widened his eyes.

“He did it because he discovered she passed off your gift as hers” Mattsun explained, “she also admitted she was the one who deleted your messages and calls from Iwa’s phone.”

Oikawa couldn't believe it. So…Hajime hadn't really ignored him. Miko had been behind everything this whole time.

“He even looked for you that evening after knowing you had come to the party, but you had already left” Makki said, looking at Oikawa who now was shocked to discover all those things at once.

“No…it can’t be…why the hell—why the fuck am I discovering this now?! Why didn’t you tell me this before?!” Tooru blurted out, clenching his fists.

“It was Iwaizumi's job to tell you. And yours was to listen, but apparently you never did” Makki said, serious as ever, “So don’t be that surprised that Iwaizumi has always loved you, Tooru.”

Oikawa looked at him with wide eyes, his fists unclenched and his shoulders slumped.

He got it all wrong.

“Toto! Miguel! We’re late!” one of their teammates called them, finally coming back to reality.

“We’re coming!” Miguel shouted back, patting on Oikawa’s shoulder and waving goodby to Makki and Mattsun who slightly smiled at them.

“Forget it all for now. We have to focus on the match, Toto” Miguel said, as they entered the changing rooms.

“Right…yeah” Oikawa said, his movements were mechanical.

“Iwa-chan, how do I look?”

“Ridiculous” Hajime said grumpily, as Tooru adjusted his blue yukata.

“You’re always so mean, Iwa-chan!” he whined, pouting.

They went downstairs, and Hajime’s mom greeted them warmly.

“Be careful! Hajime, please take care of Tooru.”

“Did you hear that, Iwa-chan? You’re going to be my date for tonight!” Oikawa said smirking, hopping out happily.

“You wish, Shittykawa!” Iwaizumi blushed, but only his mom noticed that.

On their way to the festival after their last year of middle school, Oikawa stopped at numerous stalls, while Iwaizumi dragged him away by his yukata.

“Iwa-chan, those caramel apples look delicious! Shall we get two?” Tooru said, giving his friend sweet eyes.

Hajime snorted and got in line to get one. Once he paid, he handed it to Oikawa who pouted.

“Why did you only get one? Aren’t you going to eat one too?”

“You know I don’t like sweet things, and that is literally covered in pure sugar” Iwaizumi said, crossing his arms.

“Well, all that’s left is to share it! You know it’s bad luck not to eat a caramel apple during the festival!” Oikawa said, smiling.

“How stupid is that—” Hajime said, but Tooru handed him the caramel apple, pressing it against his mouth so he could take a bite.

Iwaizumi opened his mouth and bit it, blushing, and Oikawa smiled brightly.

“Like it?” he asked, taking a bite too.

“It’s disgusting” Iwaizumi replied, trying to gulp it down, and taking a look at his watch.

“Oh, look! There’s a stall we could-“ Oikawa said, taking a step towards it, but Iwaizumi suddenly took his hand.

Tooru turned around to face him, amazed by his sudden gesture, and stared at him with widened eyes.

“Follow me” Hajime said, starting to walk, his hand clasped in Oikawa's.

“Where are we going? There’s still a lot to see—“

“I know a place. You’ll like it” Hajime simply said, and Tooru shut his mouth.

He couldn’t stop looking down at their hands intertwined, and Hajime couldn’t stop thinking about how good it felt to hold Tooru’s hand; it fit perfectly in his.

They reached a bridge over the river, when Hajime slowed to a stop.

“What is this place, Iwa-chan? Are you going to kidnap me?” Oikawa asked, sounding amused.

“Kidnap you? I wouldn’t want to spend another second with you, Trashykawa” Iwaizumi replied, snorting.

“Then why did you bring me here?” Oikawa looked at him with curious eyes, which held something Iwaizumi couldn’t yet decipher.

“You’re always so impatient” Hajime said, as the night sky suddenly lit up.

Oikawa looked up and saw multiple, colorful fireworks lighting up the night.

"Iwa-chan..." Oikawa whispered, speechless as the fireworks' colors filled his face and eyes.

Hajime hummed, as he stared at the multiple colors exploding in the sky. They were really pretty.

“It’s so beautiful” Tooru said, smiling like a little kid.

“I knew you would like it” Hajime smiled back, then pointed at the river in front of them, “and the lights reflect on the water. That’s why I chose this place to watch the fireworks.”

Tooru looked at him in awe, taken aback by his words. He then gripped his hand a little stronger and smiled.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Iwa-chan” he said, as the other looked at their hands still intertwined.

“Shut up, Shittykawa” Hajime blurted, blushing slightly and looking away.

Tooru chuckled, looking up again to admire the fireworks in silence, while Hajime got lost in his eyes, looking at him like he was admiring a beautiful creature.

“Oikawa, I…” Hajime suddenly said, gripping Oikawa’s hand.

“Mhm?” Tooru was still looking up, but he felt Iwaizumi’s hand getting sweaty.

“I think we…I mean, I…” Hajime stuttered, looking at him now who turned to face him with a confused look.

“Iwa-chan is so nervous, what is it?” Tooru laughed, trying to make a joke.

Iwaizumi bit his lip, then let go of his hand, feeling empty and cold.

“We can go and watch the fireworks together next year too” he simply said, looking away, and Oikawa blinked.

“Is this a date?” Tooru asked, arching an eyebrow, showing his smug smile that pissed Iwaizumi off.

“I’m not one of your fangirls, Stupidkawa!” Iwaizumi blurted, trying to punch him but Oikawa was faster and dodged him.

“Well, if I don’t have a girlfriend until then, we can go watch the fireworks together again, Iwa-chan.”

A year passed, and the next festival Iwaizumi tried to impress his best friend by bringing him by the river now, to have a better view of the sky. A lot of people had the same idea, so it wasn’t that intimate at all. But Oikawa’s smile was so precious, and Iwaizumi was content with that.

Holding Tooru’s hand while watching the fireworks had become a tradition, and Hajime couldn’t stop thinking how they perfectly fit together.

“Oikawa, I have to tell you something” Iwaizumi said, his palms sweating again like a year ago, and Oikawa smiled at him, clearly amused by looking at this new nervous version of Iwa-chan.

“What is it?” Tooru looked into his eyes, a gaze too intense in his chocolate brown eyes.

“I think I lo—“

“—Oikawa-san!” a high pitched voice interrupted them, as they both turned to face the girl who called him.

“Oh, Yuki-chan!” Tooru smiled, waving at her with the same hand that was intertwined with Iwaizumi’s just two seconds before.

Hajime looked down at his empty hand, clenching it slightly, before looking up again at the two of them.

“Oikawa, who’s she?” he then asked, sounding as polite as always.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you Iwa-chan, I’m sorry! This morning Yuki-chan confessed to me and she’s my girlfriend now!” Tooru explained, smiling brightly, as the girl blushed at him.

“You…oh” Hajime’s gaze moved from one to the other, “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Iwaizumi-san!” the girl said with a shaky voice, clearly a bit nervous, but nonetheless happy.

“I should leave you two alone so you can watch the fireworks together. I'm going home” Hajime said, bowing his head a bit at the girl, and turning around to leave.

“Iwa-chan, wait—!” Oikawa tried to stop him, but Iwaizumi had already walked off, and Tooru couldn’t just leave the girl alone.

Once he passed the crowd, Hajime began to run towards home, a painful sting pinching at his chest. He clenched the hand that was holding Oikawa’s so hard he thought it could break.

Maybe, it wasn’t meant to be. He had already tried to confess twice to Tooru, but failed every single time.

He entered his home panting, tears threatening to fall any time soon.

“Hajime? Why are you here so early? Where’s Tooru-kun?” his mom asked him, as she walked towards him.

She then noticed his watery eyes, and gave him a worried look.

“What happened?”

“Oikawa has a girlfriend” he simply said, but it came out so shaky he wanted to bury himself.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry my dear” his mom hugged him tight, and Hajime let himself go, crying his eyes out.

Hajime’s mom knew everything before Hajime himself did. It was clear how much his son cared for Tooru, but she didn’t expect Tooru to not feel the same for Hajime. She was sure that Tooru was into him too, she’d seen them since they were born.

“You shouldn’t have accepted this! My feelings…they’re wrong! Oikawa has a girlfriend, he would never see me in that way! I would disgust him, I—“

“Hajime. Stop it. This is all nonsense, you’re my son. I love you the way you are, it doesn’t matter if you love a girl or a guy as long as it makes you happy” the woman said, her voice strong and caring, lifting up his face so she could look into his eyes, “Tooru-kun would never hate you, and you know it.”

“He has a fucking girlfriend! Not boyfriend! I should just…I should just get rid of these fucking wrong feelings I have. He’s my best friend, nothing more” Hajime said, wiping off his tears with an angry gesture that made his skin bright red.

“Hajime, this isn’t—“

“Nothing more.”

And with that, he went upstairs, closing his bedroom door. He never went to a festival with Tooru again.

“Toto, are you alright?” Miguel asked him after they won the quarter finals match against Serbia.

“Yeah, yeah, I was just thinking” Tooru replied, while they walked towards the changing room.

“Our Toto always thinks about the next move, right?! Who are we going to face, Japan or France?” Rodriguez said, laughing.

“Speaking of the devil” their libera said, noticing Japan’s national team approaching them, walking towards the court for the next match.

“Congratulations! Hope to see you in the semis!” Yaku said, smiling at them.

“You were great as always, Oika-san!” Hinata almost shouted out of joy, making Tooru smile.

“Thank you, Shoyo.”

“We’ll see you soon, pretty boy” Atsumu said, sticking his tongue out at him, and Oikawa did the same.

“I want to crush y’all, so don’t lose, Tobio” Tooru said, looking at his kouhai who smiled back at him.

“We won’t.”

They walked off, followed by their Athletic Trainer who was impeccable as always in his black polo shirt and his spiky hair.

“Good job, we’ll kick your asses next” Hajime said, patting Miguel’s shoulder as he walked past them.

Oikawa stared at him, his mouth agape, as Iwaizumi intently ignored him.

“You know I’d love that, Hajime” Miguel provoked him, as the AT waved at him not turning back.

“Iwa-ch—“ Oikawa suddenly said, taking two steps towards his moving figure.

He could swear he’d seen Hajime flinching, but he didn’t stop.

“Iwaizumi, I—“ Oikawa tried again, chasing him, but he couldn’t enter the court again, and Hajime disappeared into the crowd of volleyball players, coaches and other people.

Tooru clenched his fists, feeling a painful heartache, but ignored it.

He turned around and walked towards Miguel, who was the only one who waited for him.

“I’m going to watch the game and talk to him right after that” he said, his voice determined and his legs moving fast.

“Omg, are you alright? Did you finally came to your senses? Let’s go!” Miguel cheered on him, hanging his arm around Tooru’s shoulders.

“Don’t wait for me” the setter said, as he walked towards the crowd who was entering the stadium to see the match.

“Are you planning to fuck him tonight too? So fast! Go, bonita!”

“Shut the fuck up, Miguel!”

Walking together with a crowd of people, still dressed up in his official Argentine jersey and volleyball knee pads, wasn’t a great idea.

In fact, Tooru would stop every now and then, people and fangirls asking him for an autograph or a photo together, and he’s always been a people pleaser. More of a fangirl pleaser, to be honest.

He could manage to take a seat away from all those people, and the match finally started.

For the first time, Oikawa wasn’t totally focused on the match, because his eyes darted to Iwaizumi, looking at his serious stance and his grumpy face that warmed his heart.

The image of Iwaizumi’s watery eyes and his bitter expression flooded him with thoughts. How could he not notice that Hajime had been in love with him? It wasn’t possible…but it was. Hajime confessed to him, and—

Shrieks and shouts were heard from across the stadium, girls fawning and almost passing out, looking towards the Japan’s national team.

Coming back to reality, Oikawa looked in the same direction, only to stare at Iwaizumi Hajime half naked.

Someone, probably Bokuto, had accidentally drenched his shirt with his water bottle, and Iwaizumi had to take it off to change it.

“Iwa-san, you’re so cool!” a crowd of girl shouted, and Iwaizumi blushed slightly, clearly uncomfortable at their compliments.

Bokuto faked passing out, making Hinata laugh, Suna was taking pictures with his phone and Atsumu asked him to send them to him, getting a deathly glare from Sakusa.

Oikawa gripped his knees hard, his palms sweaty. Iwaizumi was in perfect shape, he had gotten bulkier, his pectorals flexing as he wore a new shirt, covering up his sexy body.

Tooru unconsciously licked his lips, his heart beating so fast he thought it could come out of his chest.

It was then that he noticed Japan had won the match. France lost 1-3. So, Argentina would face Japan the next day.

The players disappeared to the changing rooms, and Oikawa quickly left, walking towards the court exit so he could meet Iwaizumi again.

He could see him in his black shirt, and run after him, but Oikawa was stopped by a crowd of fans again, asking for his autograph. He lost sight of Iwaizumi, and he cursed under his breath.

When he was finished with fan service, it was almost dinner time, so Oikawa decided to look for him in the dining area all athletes went to eat. There was no sign of him.

“Oikawa-san?” Tobio greeted him from the table he was eating with Hinata, Atsumu and Sakusa.

“Tobio, hi. Congratulations on your win” Oikawa said, approaching them.

“We’re going to play tomorrow again!” Hinata said excitedly, his eyes shining brightly.

“Yeah, about that…do you know where Iwaizumi is?”

Hinata arched an eyebrow, still unfamiliar with Oikawa calling his best friend by his last name.

“He said he was going to stay in his room to decide which warm ups are better for us tomorrow” Sakusa replied, looking at him.

“I see…where’s his room?” Tooru asked, trying to not sound awkward.

“Upstairs, second on the left” Hinata replied, smiling at him, as Oikawa nodded.

“Are you trying to seduce our AT to win tomorrow’s game?” Atsumu provoked, smirking.

“I don’t need that to crush you, Tsumu-chan” Tooru said, sticking out his tongue and walking off, leaving a pissed off Atsumu behind his back.

Oikawa followed Hinata’s directions, and found the said door. He stopped in front of it, taking a deep breath, and knocked. He waited, but there was no reply, and no one opened the door. He tried again, in vain. Tooru started to doubt if it was the right room.

Iwaizumi had to go and print some papers for tomorrow’s match and was slowly walking toward his room, when he noticed a tall figure walking back and forth in front of his door.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Oikawa knocking on the door and pouting because no one opened it.

“Iwa…Iwa-chan, please…” his voice was soft but loud enough to reach Hajime’s ears.

“I know I’ve been a piece of shit…please, open the door” he pleaded again, and Hajime clenched his hands, crumpling the papers he was holding.

Oikawa knocked again, his forehead resting on the door and his shoulders slumped, as he was slowly giving up.

“I want to talk…I want to listen…Iwa—“

Suddenly, a strong hand was holding his, and Tooru looked up to meet a pair of green eyes staring back at him.

“How long have you been here?” Hajime asked in his grumpy voice.

“Too long” Tooru said, then took him by his shirt’s collar and crushed their lips together.

Hajime growled, confused at first, letting go of the papers he was holding, that fell on the ground and all around them.

Tooru's soft lips moved against his, caressing and assaulting them at the same time. Hajime placed his hands on his waist, and Tooru immediately melted, moving as close as he could to him. They were tight, entwined, Tooru's hands buried in Hajime's shoulders and neck, as if he wouldn't let him go.

"Let me at least open the door, idiot" Iwaizumi growled, pulling out his ID with trembling hands.

A moan escaped Oikawa's mouth, making Iwaizumi dizzy. Once the door was open, Hajime grabbed his hand and forcefully dragged him inside.

He closed the door, slamming Oikawa against it. Tooru gasped and pulled Hajime close, kissing him fiercely again.

“You said you wanted to talk” panted between the kisses, as Oikawa caressed his broad back.

“Shut up” the setter said, now kissing Hajime’s neck.

Iwaizumi shivered as he felt Oikawa’s tongue wetting his skin.

He grabbed Oikawa by the waist and lifted him, carrying him to the bed and dropping him onto it. He wasted no time in positioning himself on top of him, while Oikawa welcomed him with open arms.

Their tongues intertwined, as if they had always known each other, and Oikawa pressed his erection against Iwaizumi's, who gasped with pleasure.

"Do you really want to sleep with the enemy before the match?" Hajime asked him, stopping to look him in the eye.

"I'll crush you tomorrow" Oikawa said, a familiar light shining in his eyes.

"We'll see. But tonight, I'll be the one to crush you."

Chapter Text

"Do you really want to sleep with the enemy before the match?" Hajime asked him, stopping to look him in the eye.

"I'll crush you tomorrow" Oikawa said, a familiar light shining in his eyes.

"We'll see. But tonight, I'll be the one to crush you."

A sigh escaped Oikawa's mouth as Iwaizumi leaned down to fervently kiss his neck. It had been years since he'd tasted that perfect skin.

That time hadn't just been a mistake; Iwaizumi was naturally attracted to Oikawa. Because he loved him, even though he'd always repressed his feelings.

Oikawa felt Iwaizumi's teeth sink into his skin, and he moaned, pressing himself closer to him.

"You don't know how much...ahhh, you don't know how much I've longed for this moment..." Oikawa panted, his breathing labored.

"Me too, Tooru...you have no idea..." Iwaizumi growled as he pulled up Oikawa’s shirt to reveal his stomach and leave moist kisses on his perfectly taut muscles.

He lowered himself further, biting Tooru’s inner thigh and removing the white knee pad he always wore on his bad knee. He dropped a kiss there too, and Oikawa was now a total mess.

“Take off your shirt for me too” Oikawa asked, grabbing Iwaizumi’s garment. Iwaizumi looked at him confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Today…you took off your shirt in front of all your fans. I want to be the one to admire you now” Oikawa said, looking him in the eyes.

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow and sneered, “Did you come to watch the game?”

“Let’s just say I came for you.”

“Oh yes, you’ll be coming very soon” Iwaizumi smiled mischievously, and Oikawa let out an impatient moan.

As Iwaizumi was about to take off his shirt, someone knocked on the door.

“Iwaizumi-san?” a female voice called, Tooru and Hajime stiffened.

“What’s going on?” Oikawa asked, propping himself up on his elbows, as Hajime got off the bed.

“I don’t know, but it’s better if they don’t see us together. Hide in the bathroom” Iwaizumi said, quickly opening the bathroom door.

Oikawa didn’t have time to think, and followed his instructions. When Iwaizumi opened the door, a girl wearing the uniform of the Japanese national team staff snorted.

“What took you so long?”

“Sorry, I was in the bathroom. What’s going on?” Iwaizumi said, trying to regain control of his voice and breathing.

“You should tell me, what happened to your hair?” the girl asked, pointing to his disheveled hair.

“I, well…I was sleeping” Hajime lied, scratching the back of his neck.

“Weren't you in the bathroom?”

“Oh, yeah…well…do you want to tell me what's going on?” Iwaizumi said, trying to change the subject.

“Did you forget about the meeting? Everyone's waiting for you” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“The meeting…you're right! It slipped my mind. I'll be right there” Hajime said, pinching his nose.

“Ah, Iwaizumi-san” the girl said, handing him a stack of papers she'd picked up outside her door, “these were scattered outside. It looks like someone assaulted you, and I won't investigate further. But you should be more careful about leaving certain documents lying around the corridor.”

Iwaizumi swallowed, taking the stack in his hand and thanking her, embarrassed. When she closed the door, he sighed, and at that moment Oikawa came out of the bathroom.

“Care to explain who was she?” the setter asked, arching his eyebrow.

“A girl from the staff. I forgot we had a team meeting” Iwaizumi explained as he straightened his shirt and ran a hand through his hair to fix it.

“Are you sure she wasn’t your girlfriend? You’re good at hiding them from me, after all” Oikawa commented, his insecurities resurfacing. Hajime turned to him and looked at him in disbelief.

“You don’t really want to start this again, do you?”

“I’m just saying you threw me into the bathroom so you wouldn’t get caught, as if I were a huge sin that needs to be kept hidden and no one should see” Oikawa said, crossing his arms and looking at him with distrust.

“You know very well that if they see us together, it’s going to be a problem for both your team and mine” Iwaizumi explained, looking at him sternly. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but Oikawa was still annoyed.

“Tooru” Hajime said in a softer tone, taking his hand, “we have a lot to talk about. I really have to go now, but you can wait here. I'll be back as soon as I can.”

Oikawa looked at their intertwined hands, his heart pounding. He nodded, and Iwaizumi smiled, then left the room.

Oikawa waited. An hour passed, and negative thoughts began to cloud his mind.

What if Iwaizumi had lied to him? What if he'd gone to spend the night with that girl, leaving him waiting there like a fool? No, Hajime would never do that. But how could he be sure? They hadn't spoken to each other in years.

He thought about what would have happened if the staff girl hadn't interrupted them. Were they really going to do it?

Oikawa ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it, his gaze fixed on the ground. Then, he slowly got up and opened the door, looking around so no one could see him. He closed it behind him and walked towards his dorms.

Iwaizumi wouldn't be coming back, and he certainly didn't want to wait for him like a fool. Because Tooru had always been a fool when it came to Iwaizumi. He had always harbored the hope that Hajime might one day love him back, that he might feel the same. That Hajime wasn't ashamed of him.

Because of Makki, Mattsun, and Miguel's words, he'd had a moment of weakness.

But now, Tooru had only one goal in mind: win.

He would defeat Japan and go to the finals, and not even Iwaizumi Hajime would be able to stop him.

By the time Iwaizumi finished the meeting, it was quite late. He cursed under his breath, as he ran down the corridor to reach his room faster.

When he opened the door, he found no one.

“Tooru?” he called, looking around as he closed the door.

“Are you in the bathroom?” Iwaizumi asked, knocking, but no one answered, so he opened the door and Oikawa wasn’t even there. His heart sunk.

His room wasn’t very big, so that just meant Tooru had left without saying anything.

Hajime sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, spacing out.

Had Tooru changed his mind? Maybe they’d gone too far. Yeah, they’d definitely gone too far. But it had been so beautiful, so overwhelming, that Hajime hadn’t been able to stop himself. And Tooru didn’t seem to want to stop either.

So, why had he left? Maybe because it was late and he needed to get a good rest before tomorrow’s semifinal? Yes, maybe that was the most plausible explanation.

Hajime ruffled his hair and sighed in despair.

It felt like that time Oikawa left for Argentina. Iwaizumi felt so lonely, so empty, his heart aches for a man that he still didn’t know if he loved him back.

As he was about to get up and change, he noticed Tooru's white knee brace on the floor.

Hajime picked it up and turned it over in his hands. Oikawa couldn't play without it, not with the bad knee he had.

"I'll see him tomorrow, I’ll give it to him, and we'll talk everything out" Iwaizumi thought, putting the brace in his bag.

The next morning, Hajime woke at dawn and calmly got ready, packing everything he needed into his athletic trainer bag. He stared at Oikawa's white knee brace for a moment and clenched his fists.

They had to figure this out; they couldn't go on like this. Either they would solve everything, or their paths would part, this time forever.

Iwaizumi joined his team, and together they went to the locker rooms. Once changed, they headed for the court and glimpsed the Argentine team entering next to them.

Hinata engaged in a conversation with Miguel, while Kageyama listened intently, and as the players passed, Iwaizumi saw Oikawa walking with a determined stride, his chin held high.

He stopped him by grabbing his wrist as the rest of their teams entered the court.

"Tooru, we need to talk."

"Not now" the setter replied, freeing himself from his grip.

"What happened last night? Why did you leave?" Iwaizumi asked, trying to stop him again.

“Can we talk about this later? I have a semifinal to play” Tooru said firmly, and Iwaizumi bit his inner cheek.

“Okay,” he said, then opened his duffel bag and rummaged through it, pulling out Oikawa’s white knee brace, “You forgot it in my room last night.”

Tooru looked at him in surprise and took it. That's where it had ended up; in fact, he'd almost gone crazy looking for it all morning.

He blushed for a moment, thinking back to how it had ended up on Hajime's bedroom floor that night.

"Thanks" he said, then fixed his gaze on the Godzilla keychain dangling from the athletic trainer's duffel bag.

Hajime noticed his gaze and picked up the keychain, toying with it.

"You remember it, right? You gave it to me to match the spaceship keychain I gave you."

Oikawa swallowed, fidgeting nervously with the knee brace he held in his hands, then headed onto the court without saying a word.

Iwaizumi frowned, but attributed it to pre-match anxiety, so he headed toward the Japanese half of the court to begin his players' warm-up.

When they all greeted each other at the net before the match began, Iwaizumi shook Oikawa's hand more affectionately than before, lightly stroking the back of his hand with his thumb.

"May the best man win, Tooru."

"May the best man win" Oikawa said, then released his hand without shaking it in return, which made Iwaizumi frown in confusion.

The match began, he was about to beat Japan, and as they got into position, Miguel sneered.

"So, Hajime is stroking your hand now? When were you going to tell me?"

"It's not what you think, Miguel" Oikawa said, snorting.

"Then what is it?"

"You have to mind your own business, Iwaizumi—"

"Are you still calling him that? Don't tell me you haven't solved anything yet—" Miguel said irritated, and a ball sped between them, tearing through the air. Ace for Japan, Kageyama had served.

"Guys, focus!" Blanco shouted from the bench, and Miguel and Oikawa apologized to the team.

Tooru took a deep breath, and Iwaizumi, who was staring at him from the other half of the court, realized that things were getting serious now.

The usual spark of determination and desire to conquer the field shone in Tooru’s eyes, and Hajime felt his heart skip a beat.

It was a tough, tiring, tormented, and painful match. Three sets went beyond 25 points, the last beyond 18.

Both teams showed no signs of giving up, but in the end, Argentina prevailed. Miguel's smashes, Oikawa's serves and sets, their team's defense...they were impeccable.

They always scored, and nothing could stop them. They were simply the strongest that day.

Oikawa celebrated with his teammates, jumping into Miguel's arms with tears in his eyes.

He’d finally defeated them. Kageyama, Ushijima, Hinata…all the monster generation. All in one.

“I’ll beat everyone, so be ready!”

When he said those words back in Brazil, he meant it. All those years away from home brought him to this moment. But it wasn’t over. Tooru aimed for the Olympic gold.

Once again Iwaizumi was reminded that he was no longer a part of his life.

He wanted to celebrate with Tooru, hug him, tell him how proud he was of him. But that would have been inappropriate, given that he was the AT of the Japanese team.

When they congratulated each other at the net, Iwaizumi shook his hand, looking him in the eye.

"I'll wait for you outside the locker room."

When they finished changing, Hajime sent his players off to rest and get something substantial to eat after the match.

He then walked a few steps to the opposite team's locker room, as the last Argentine players emerged smiling.

"Oh, Hajime! I'm sorry you lost, but you guys played well!" Miguel said, smiling, while Oikawa stood by his side.

"You played better than us, congratulations" Iwaizumi said, smiling back, then looked at Oikawa, "Would you mind leaving us alone? Tooru and I have a lot to talk about."

"Oh, sure! You guys should sort it out this time. I can't stand him anymore, he's a constant nag" Miguel jokes, laughing, before walking away.

When they were alone, Iwaizumi took a step toward Oikawa, while the other stared at the floor.

“Tooru,” Hajime said softly, “can you look at me?”

The brunette looked up, and his brown eyes met Hajime’s green ones.

“Can you tell me why you left last night?”

“I waited for you for over an hour, I thought you weren’t coming back, so…” Oikawa said, clutching his duffel bag.

“I was afraid you changed your mind” Iwaizumi breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

“Actually, I did.”

Hajime’s eyes widened, the smile slowly fading, giving way to a confused expression.

“I’m not sure I can do it, Iwa-chan” Oikawa said, fidgeting nervously with his hands, “not after what you did to me.”

“What did I do to you, Tooru? Tell me” Hajime said, frowning.

“You constantly deceived me, so much so that I came to think that maybe you reciprocated my feelings, so much so that I was about to confess on the day of your graduation only to see that you got a girlfriend” Tooru's voice broke, fragile, like the threads of his heart.

“I never should have gotten together with her, I didn’t even love her. But I thought you didn't have feelings for me, Tooru” Hajime said, taking a step toward him, “when I asked you what you thought, you told me to ask her out.”

“What exactly was I supposed to tell you? Don’t do it because I’ve always loved you? You would have been disgusted!” Oikawa snapped, taking two steps back.

“How could I be disgusted by you? You are the person I love most in the world” Hajime said, his tone so sure and unwavering, as if it were a matter of fact.

Oikawa shook his head repeatedly, biting his lower lip, while Hajime took his shaking hands, gently caressing the backs of them.

“Tooru,” he said, a small smile appearing on his face, “do you remember when we were little, when we went to see the fireworks every year? I tried to confess twice, and I failed. I never could tell you properly, because I didn’t know if you felt the same way.”

Tooru looked up, his eyes seemed so insecure and fragile, sinking into Hajime’s loving and confident ones.

“Tell me, Tooru. Do you still love me?”

Tooru’s mind began to run, reminding him of Iwaizumi kissing Miko, of him crying in his apartment in Buenos Aires, looking at the picture they took together.

He loved Iwaizumi, he never stopped loving him.

But how could they do it, if Oikawa was in Argentina, and Iwaizumi stayed in Japan? Distance had never been a problem for them, but now it was.

And Oikawa didn’t want to suffer. Didn’t want to feel that pain piercing his heart and ribs like sharp knives.

Oikawa didn't answer, so Iwaizumi gently squeezed his hands, looking into his eyes.

"I know I hurt you, but I swear I didn't mean to. So tell me…do you still love me after all?"

Tooru shook his head and avoided his gaze, looking down.

Hajime closed his eyes for a moment, a pained look on his face, as he let go of Oikawa's shaking hands.

"That's enough, Tooru" Hajime said wearily, sighing, "From now on, we'll go our separate ways. After all, you cut me out of your life all those years ago. It's time I do the same."

Iwaizumi took two steps back, looking at him one last time, then turned his back on him.

"You're not the only one who's suffered all these years. I just wanted you to know that" Hajime said, his voice threatening to break at any moment, the bitterness in his tone tinged with pain.

Tooru stared at his shaking hands that were now empty, and when he finally looked up, Iwaizumi was already gone.

Chapter Text

Hajime could barely hold back the tears. He walked quickly, not looking at anyone, not noticing the people he was pushing past as he walked. Voices reached his ears, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Iwa, what happened?" a voice similar to Matsukawa’s asked.

Hajime looked up and recognized Makki and Mattsun, who were staring at him with worried expressions.

"I..." Hajime murmured, his voice trembling, looking at their furrowed brows.

"Tooru..." he whispered then, his voice breaking, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Makki gestured for Mattsun to stay with him, then hurried away.

"Come with me, let's go get something to drink" Mattsun said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Once they reached the cafeteria, Mattsun ordered drinks for both of them and looked at Iwaizumi with concern.

Hajime seemed lost in thought, his face frowning, his hands clenched into fists. Matsukawa knew he shouldn't push him to speak; he'd do it himself when he felt like it, so he remained silent as he took a sip of his coffee.

"He shook his head."

"What are you talking about?" Mattsun asked, raising an eyebrow and setting the cup down on the saucer.

"Tooru shook his head when I asked him if he still loved me" Iwaizumi said, his voice deep and low but firmer than before. Issei pursed his lips.

"Maybe he was thinking about something else. You know how he is, he's always thinking about a thousand things at once" he said, trying to lighten the mood.

“He doesn’t love me anymore. He told me that five years ago, and nothing’s changed since then” Hajime said, staring intently at his fists, his nails digging into his palms, “after he kissed me last night, I thought he still loved me…I was so stupid to think that.”

Mattsun's eyes widened and he almost choked on the coffee he was drinking.

"Oikawa kissed you?!"

Hajime nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground.

“Dear lord, help me with these two...” Mattsun muttered before taking a deep breathe and speaking again.

"Maybe he's just confused, maybe he wants to focus on the finals...I don't think he just stopped loving you all of a sudden."

"Issei, you don't need to pity me. I just want to...forget everything. Forget him…but I know I'll never be able to" Hajime said, sighing.

"Iwa, you have no idea how many years Hiro and I spent listening to Oikawa talk about you and how amazing you were and how he wanted to spend more time with you, or how much he missed you when you two were apart. And when he finally told us he had feelings for you, we weren't even surprised, and do you know why?" Matsukawa said, his voice confident, while Hajime shook his head.

“Because it was obvious you loved each other. It’s still so obvious. I’m sure there’s something holding him back, but Oikawa loves you as much as you love him. You’re just two idiots who don’t know how to communicate.”

Iwaizumi finally looked up, surprised by his friend’s words, and fell silent.

He thought back to Tooru's actions, how he looked at him, how he’d desperately kissed him, and how he’d avoided his gaze earlier, his chocolate brown eyes filled with insecurities.

Maybe Matsukawa was right. But how much longer could Hajime continue like this? His heart certainly couldn't handle another rejection. It was enough.

Oikawa's hands wouldn't stop shaking as he walked aimlessly, not thinking about where he was going.

What had just happened? Had he really rejected Hajime himself? Had he really broken the heart of the person he loved the most?

Iwaizumi's painful gaze haunted him, so he closed his eyes, trying to chase it away.

"Tooru" someone called, and he turned around abruptly, thinking it was Hajime.

Instead, there was only Makki in front of him, looking at him with pity.

“What happened?” the pink-haired guy asked, coming closer and taking his shaking hands.

“I…” Oikawa tried to say, but his voice broke and he began to cry like he hadn’t in years.

Makki hugged him, trying to comfort him, stroking his back.

“I saw Iwaizumi a little while ago…he looked devastated” Hanamaki said softly, trying to be as gentle as possible.

Oikawa couldn’t speak, only sobs escaped his lips. He clutched Makki’s shirt, perhaps, and tried to cling to something he didn’t even know what it was.

When he calmed down, Hanamaki handed him a handkerchief, reminding him how ugly he was when he cried.

“Last night…I kissed him” Oikawa admitted suddenly, shocking his friend.

“What?! Finally?! Omg, we’ve been waiting for this moment for so long!” Maki exclaimed, excitedly.

“We? Who?” Oikawa asked, confused.

“Me, Issei, and Miguel of course. We made a bet on who would kiss the other first” he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world but then realized he was going off topic, “sorry, go on.”

“He told me to wait for him in his room because he had a meeting, but I ran away” Oikawa said, his gaze fixed on the ground

“Why did you do it?”

“It just…it can’t work. We live far away, we’re always busy, and I still can’t imagine Iwa-chan actually feels something for me after everything…” Oikawa blurted out, but his voice broke like a thread, and a tear rolled down his cheek again.

“Tooru…I don’t know why you’re convinced that Iwaizumi could never love you, but he does. He loves you so much that I’ve lost count of how many times he’s tried to mend the relationship with you for all these years. He even wanted to give up his love for you, just to have you back by his side as a friend” Makki explained, smiling slightly, while Oikawa wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.

“What happened with Miko is over and done. Iwaizumi was an idiot, he still is, but he finally realized how he feels about you. And I don't think it's too late, do you?” his friend said, looking at Oikawa with a look that spoke volumes.

“I broke his heart…I don’t think he’ll ever want to see me again. He doesn’t deserve to have an insecure person like me by his side” Oikawa said, clenching his hands into fists.

“You…insecure? Don’t make me laugh, you just need to clear your mind and I know exactly how to help you” Makki said, dragging him along.

They entered a gym, where the Japanese team was working out before the third-place match the next day. Everyone was surprised to see Oikawa still dressed in his Argentina uniform, and stopped to say hello.

“What are you going to do?” Tooru asked his pink-haired friend, who smiled and called over to Hinata and Kageyama.

“Oika-san!” Shoyo exclaimed, hugging him as usual, while Tobio greeted them politely.

“Hinata, do you remember me?” Makki asked, smiling.

“You’re Seijoh’s no. 3! Of course I remember…Maki?” Shoyo said uncertainly.

“Hanamaki-san, boke!” Kageyama corrected him sternly.

“Well, guys…help me convince this desperate man that a long-distance relationship can work out wonderfully” Makki said, laughing.

“Don’t tell me it’s about Iwaizumi-san!” Hinata exclaimed, looking at her senpai.

“Exactly, this idiot is convinced it can’t work. Make him change his mind” Makki said, crossing his arms.

“I don’t—” Tooru tried to get out, but was interrupted by Shoyo’s shrill voice.

“Kageyama and I have been together since I got back from Brazil. Do you remember? We talked about it, and—“

“Shoyo, I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense, and like you said, you two got together after he got back, so that proves my point” Oikawa said, interrupting him and trying to leave but Makki stopped him.

“It wasn't easy,” Kageyama suddenly admitted, making everyone's eyes widen, “while Hinata was in Brazil, and I was here in Japan, well…we already loved each other. Even if we weren't together, we suffered. But I believe true love can overcome these obstacles, at least it worked with Hinata and me.”

All three of them stared at him open-mouthed, as if he'd said something shocking.

“What's wrong?” Tobio asked impatiently.

“I didn't think you were capable of such profound reasoning, Tobio-chan” Oikawa commented, smiling, making his kouhai blush.

“It’s true” Hinata said, continuing the conversation, “It’s not easy. It will be hard at first, but you mustn’t give up. Only if you fight together and want to be by each other’s side, it can work.”

“It’s easy for you guys who play on the same national team” Oikawa snorted, raising an eyebrow.

“You want to pick a pair that doesn’t do the same job? Look at Bokuto and Akaashi,” Makki said, pointing to them.

Bokuto was doing back exercises and Akaashi was helping him with the equipment. They were smiling like two desperate lovers, so sweet.

“Yes! Akaashi-san works in publishing. He often comes to help Bokuto-san and watch all his matches!” exclaimed Hinata, jumping.

“See, Tooru? If two people truly love each other, nothing can separate them. Not two different jobs, not even the ocean” Makki said, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Playing for third place at the Olympics was still a victory, Iwaizumi was proud of his boys.

When they managed to win the bronze medal, Kageyama and Hinata burst into tears, followed by Atsumu and Bokuto. It was incredible what that team could achieve.

Iwaizumi smiled for the first time since what had happened with Oikawa, and cursed himself for not being able to be over the moon at such a crucial moment for them and for himself.

His heart and mind did nothing but remind him that Oikawa no longer loved him, that everything Iwaizumi had tried to do was a waste of effort.

He didn't even know why, but he quickly searched the stands for some specific brunette hair. And perhaps he managed to glimpse it, but he closed his eyes, gently massaging them with his fingers.

Even if Oikawa was there to watch the match, what difference did it make?

He was simply there for volleyball, to watch his rivals play and try to take advantage of them in the future.

He wasn't there for him, maybe he never had been.

The night before the final, Oikawa was in the cafeteria eating with Miguel and some of his teammates.

Further along, he noticed Iwaizumi throwing away some napkins he'd used to clean up the table where he'd just finished eating, and Oikawa couldn't help but notice how the athletic trainer's shoulders were tense and slumped.

Maybe it was because of him. Oikawa bit his inner cheek and Miguel seemed to notice.

Iwaizumi had his back to them and didn't seem to have seen them, because Oikawa could hear the conversation he had shortly after with Ushijima, who stopped him.

"Iwaizumi, are you coming to watch the final tomorrow? We were thinking of going."

The silence made Oikawa hold his breath.

"I don't think so," Hajime replied, shrugging, "I have a lot of things to do, but you guys go ahead. It’ll be very useful for you."

Ushijima nodded and walked away, followed immediately by Iwaizumi, who took a deep breath before walking away.

Oikawa followed him with his gaze, and didn't realize he was holding his breath the entire time.

Hajime wouldn't go to see him.

All the sacrifices, all the tears and all the hard work that had brought Tooru this far...Hajime had always been there. And now…he won’t.

“Toto, let’s go” Miguel said, placing a hand on his shoulder, and they stood up, saying goodbye to the others and heading to their room.

Oikawa sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, when Miguel spoke.

“Toto—”

“I know, I have to focus on tomorrow’s final. Please don’t say anything” he said, taking a deep breath.

“That’s exactly why I want to talk to you about this. Do you think you’ll be able to be at your best after everything that’s going on with Hajime?” Miguel said, staring at him.

“I’ve managed to control myself all these years, tomorrow won’t make a difference” Oikawa replied, getting up and sorting out his clothes for tomorrow, trying to keep himself occupied with something.

“That’s exactly what you do wrong. Keeping it all inside isn’t the right way to—”

“—what’s the right way to do it, then? Come on, tell me!” Tooru snapped, angrier than ever, not with his friend, but with himself, and Miguel knew it very well.

“Toto, I’ve supported you all these years, and I’ll continue to do so because you’re like a brother to me. But I want to tell you something,” Miguel said, approaching him, “There’s a solution to everything. You made a mistake with Hajime, you regretted it? Tell him! This fear and doubts you have inside…it’s only because of Miko and her tricks.”

Oikawa stopped to look him in the eye, and Miguel smiled slightly.

“How many did you think that perhaps Hajime reciprocated your feelings before Miko came along? How many times did his gestures seem to mean more than friendship to you? How many times did I myself point out to you that he might be interested?” Miguel continued, caressing his arm.

”Because it’s all true, Toto. Hajime has always loved you. He didn’t realize it in time, but his subconscious already knew. You, on the other hand, were ahead of him at that time. Now that you’re on the same page, why do you want to take a step back?”

“I…I’m scared. I’m scared that it’s all an illusion again. That Iwa-chan is making fun of me” Oikawa admitted, his voice on the verge of breaking.

“He never made fun of you, Toto, and you know it. Hajime isn’t the type to make fun of other people’s feelings. You think he did it to you, but he didn’t know anything about how you felt for him, nor about the feelings he himself had for you” Miguel’s voice was serious and steady, ready to keep Oikawa grounded and not let him overthink.

“Neither you nor I imagined anything. Hajime truly loves you, whether you believe it or not. The choice is yours now. Do you want to let unfounded doubts take over and ruin a bond as strong as yours, or accept that you and Hajime are finally looking in the same direction?”

The day of the final match arrived: Argentina vs. Poland.

As they entered the court for the warmup, Oikawa was greeted by roars from several fans cheering for him and Argentina.

While they were warming up, Tooru quickly glanced toward the stands and noticed Makki and Mattsun waving at him, and many of the Japanese national team players had also come to watch the match, except him.

Tooru took a deep breath and turned to the bench, his shoulders slumped a little bit. He changed from his warmup jersey to his official one, wearing the number 13 with pride, and Blanco gave them a few pointers before sending them onto the court.

“Toto,” the coach called, and Oikawa immediately stopped, “bring that number on your jersey as high as you can. Gambare!” Blanco said, patting him on the back.

“Sure, coach!” Oikawa replied, smirking proudly, as he stepped into the court.

Miguel almost jumped on him, smiling and everyone seemed at their top form.

“Alright, folks. Let’s do our best to win! We didn’t come this far for nothing!” Oikawa shouted, and the others cheered excitedly.

The referee blew the starting whistle, and Oikawa was serving.

Hajime didn't know how he'd gotten to the stands, but his legs had carried him there, and now his eyes couldn't tear themselves away from the elegant figure of the Argentine setter who was about to hit his first ace of the Olympic final.

The stadium filled with ecstatic cheers, and Hajime's muscles relaxed at the sight of Oikawa cheering, pumping himself and the others up.

"I'm here to see you...one last time" Iwaizumi thought, before being interrupted by voices calling his name.

"You're late, the match has already started!" Makki told him, pointing to a seat next to his.

“You said you wouldn’t come” Ushijima said, not far from them, noticing Iwaizumi sitting down.

“You said you wouldn’t come because no matter who won, it would piss you off.”

“I didn’t come to watch someone win, I came to watch someone lose.”

Iwaizumi smiled at that, remembering Oikawa’s smug and pissed off face that day.

“It’s an Olympic final after all” Hajime said simply, shrugging it off.

The match was like a fight. Argentina refused to give up, and Poland left no room for them. It was 2-1 to Poland, and the fourth set refused to end.

Poland was two points away from match point, and Argentina was down three points.

It was Oikawa's turn to serve, and Iwaizumi immediately noticed that something was wrong. The setter's shoulders were stiffer than in the first set, and it seemed as if something was bothering him.

He knew that posture all too well; Oikawa always had it when they played against Shiratorizawa in middle school.

Tooru served, a powerful serve that left Poland stunned, and they couldn't counterattack, sending a chance ball back to Argentina.

Oikawa coordinated with Miguel, but the Polish block stopped their attack, which fortunately was met by their libero. Argentina attacked again and scored.

Everyone cheered, but Oikawa didn't look happy. He was focused, perhaps lost in thought, and as he went to serve he gripped the ball tightly in his hands.

He hadn't noticed the opponent's block and had placed the set poorly. A rookie mistake, Oikawa told himself.

Plus, Hajime hadn't come to see him.

He never imagined he'd play in the Olympic final without Hajime there to support him.

Oikawa closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when a chant reached his ears, making him jump and turn around.

"Come on, come on, Tooru! Go, go, Tooru! One more!"

He saw Makki and Mattsun screaming out loud, smiling, and near them…was Hajime.

He was also screaming at the top of his lungs, singing that stupid chant their fans always sang when they played in high school.

Their eyes met, and Hajime's didn't stop staring at him for even a second.

They were steady, confident, and they gave him the strength he was missing.

Tooru smiled, a pure and genuine smile, as Hajime described it, and turned back to the court.

His friends and Hajime were cheering for him. He couldn't let them down.

Oikawa ran up and served, the ball hitting the opponent's court almost immediately. A beautiful ace from Argentina.

Point after point, Argentina took the set 25-23.

At the changeover, Oikawa looked up at the stands and locked eyes with Iwaizumi.

Tooru smiled slightly, and Hajime stared at him for a moment, then turned to speak to Makki.

The fifth set began, and Argentina quickly made a breakthrough, taking a three-point lead over Poland.

Oikawa was unstoppable; Argentina's attacks were consistently successful, and Tooru's sets were impeccable.

When the score was 11-13 for Argentina, Oikawa decided to attack with a second-serve, surprising the Polish players and bringing his team to match point.

“Eres un bastardito!” Miguel blurted out excitedly, ruffling his hair as Oikawa grinned at him.

Iwaizumi smirked looking at him, that proud grin on Oikawa’s face as he stuck his tongue out made him feel warmer.

“One more point and the Olympic gold will be yours” Hajime whispered by himself, gripping the fabric of his pants with both his hands.

Mattsun and Makki stared at him, exchanging looks and smiling.

Fate had decided that it was Oikawa who had to serve on Argentina's match point.

Tooru walked slowly toward the baseline, and before turning, he looked toward the stands one last time.

As soon as he met Hajime's green eyes, he raised his arm, as if to point at him, smiling. His brown eyes reflected trust, confidence, and perhaps even love.

Hajime blushed slightly, surprised by the setter's gesture, and he remembered the time Oikawa had pointed at him to score the final point against Karasuno back in high school.

“Damn you, Tooru…” Hajime cursed under his breath, holding it until Oikawa turned his back to him.

He took a deep breath, before serving for the match point. His serve was sharper and more powerful, and he scored just like that. Ace.

Argentina won the Olympics Volleyball men tournament.

Tooru's joyful cry echoed throughout the stadium, followed by that of his teammates. Oikawa raised his fist in victory, tears streaming down his face as Miguel ran up to hug him.

The Argentine team leaped in celebration, crying tears of joy, and Blanco joined them. He hugged Oikawa tightly, and looking into his eyes, patted him on the cheek, ruffling his hair.

"I couldn’t be prouder to have you as my heir" Blanco said with teary eyes, referring to the national team jersey number they both shared.

Oikawa burst into tears in front of the man who had taught him everything and who hadn't let him give up.

"Oika-san won! He did it! He’s fantastic!" Shoyo shouted, as the rest of the Japanese team cheered with him. Makki and Mattsun hugged each other almost in tears.

Hajime had cheered alongside Tooru, raising his arm in the air in victory, copious tears streaming down his face, his eyes following his every move.

When Oikawa's eyes found his in the crowd, both were bright and teary.

Tooru raised his fist in his direction, and Hajime laughed lightly, raising his fist back, a symbol of their promise years ago.

“I’m proud to have you as a partner, and you’re absolutely the best setter!”

Hajime still thought that, and those words went straight to Tooru's heart as he smiled.

The award ceremony took place immediately after. Oikawa wore the gold medal proudly, kissing it once, while Miguel put his arm around his shoulders.

“We did it” Miguel said, smiling like never before.

“Yeah…we did it!” Tooru replied, as they began to jump alongside their team, celebrating the moment.

Hajime couldn't have asked for anything better. Seeing Oikawa with the gold medal, as an Olympic volleyball champion, had always been his dream. Their dream. He had beaten everyone.

Iwaizumi smiled one last time before walking away and never looking back.

“We’re going back to Argentina tomorrow” Miguel said, as they were packing their bags.

“Yes” Oikawa replied, as he folded a shirt and put it inside the suitcase.

“You’re not really going to talk to him, are you?” the Argentine player asked hesitantly.

“Miguel” Oikawa warned him, not looking him in the eye.

“Okay, okay. It’s your life, I won’t interfere anymore, it’s too messy” Miguel said, throwing his hands up and huffing. It wasn’t that Oikawa didn’t want to talk to Iwaizumi, but he didn’t know how.

Tooru had tried to find him, but Hajime had left immediately after the awards ceremony without saying anything.

“At least there’ll be fireworks tonight” Miguel commented casually, as he continued to chat about this and that. Oikawa paused for a moment, and then his eyes lit up as he continued packing.

The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games was extraordinary. All the athletes and teams from every country were gathered in a huge arena.

Iwaizumi was right behind his players when he heard one of the organizers announce that the fireworks would be going off in a few moments.

Everything around him was chaos, Hinata jumping for joy, Kageyama yelling at him to stop, Atsumu mocking them, and Sakusa quite disgusted by the scene.

Hajime rolled his eyes, staring at the pitch black sky in silence. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering when he and Oikawa had gone to watch the fireworks together. How he'd failed to confess. Not that this time he'd succeeded, it had gone any better.

Maybe they just weren't meant to be together.

Hajime opened his eyes again and took a deep breath. Everyone around him was counting down.

That was the last time he'd think of Tooru. The last time he'd suffer for him.

“Let me love you one last time, and then I’ll let you go.”

A tear threatened to fall, but Iwaizumi quickly wiped it away.

Suddenly, someone gently held his hand and Hajime turned his head to see who it was.

Tooru looked breathless, his hair disheveled and plastered to his sweaty forehead, as if he'd been running all over the arena looking for him.

His hand, initially trembling, gripped Hajime's more securely as he finally looked into his green eyes, smiling sweetly.

"I love you, Hajime."

A loud boom came as the first fireworks lit up the sky and their faces. For a moment, Iwaizumi thought it was his heart.

“What?” Hajime asked in disbelief, holding his breath.

“Did the fireworks make you deaf, Iwa-chan? I said I love you!” Tooru exclaimed laughing, while Hajime came to his senses as he heard that ridiculous nickname again.

“Shittykawa, I’ll punch you in the face!”

Oikawa burst out laughing, and Iwaizumi drank that sight in.

“Do you…really mean it?” Hajime asked, his hand sweaty like that time when he tried to confess on the bridge when they were younger.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life” Tooru replied, squeezing his hand, that was now warm in his palm.

Hajime took Oikawa's hand in his and squeezed it, a tear now rolling down his face.

“I love you too, Tooru.”

They both threw themselves into each other's arms, hugging like they hadn't in years. They held each other so tightly that there was no space between their bodies.

Tooru buried his face in Hajime's neck, while the other inhaled Oikawa's scent, caressing his soft brown locks.

“I love you so much, Tooru…I love you, I love you, I love you…” Hajime said, crying and holding him close.

“I love you, Hajime. I’ve never stopped loving you, not even for a second…” Tooru mumbled, wetting Hajime’s shirt with copious tears.

Around them, no one seemed to have noticed the scene except Hinata, who had turned for a second and seen them. He smiled sweetly at seeing them finally side by side as they were meant to be, and turned back to look at the fireworks again.

“You’re so beautiful…how can you be so beautiful?” Hajime said, cupping his cheeks and caressing them, staring at him with a fondly look.

“Just kiss me already, Iwa-chan” Tooru teased, leaning into his touch.

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that” Hajime glared at him.

“Or what? Are you going to punish me?” Tooru smirked, licking his lips slowly.

Hajime followed his every move, and then grabbed him by the gold medal he was wearing on his neck, pulling him closer, their lips a breath apart.

“Try me” Hajime whispered with his deep voice, before their lips crushed together.

Tooru sighed the moment Hajime kissed him, as his hands made their way to his neck, resting there and grasping Hajime's unexpected soft hair.

Hajime growled, wrapping his hands around Tooru's waist and pulling him close, their hips meeting in a pleasurable thump.

Tooru gasped at the touch, and Hajime pulled away for a brief moment.

“Bedroom. Now” he nearly growled, taking Tooru's hand and leading him through the crowd.

They both walked briskly, almost running, and as soon as they reached Iwaizumi's room, Tooru kissed him again. The keys fell to the floor, as did some of the objects they bumped into as they devoured each other.

The setter's impatient hands grabbed Hajime's shirt and ripped it off in one swift movement. Tooru stood still, staring at the wonder unfolding before him. He licked his lips in anticipation, and Hajime smirked.

“You like what you see?"

But Tooru didn't answer, simply placing his eager lips on Hajime's neck, then on his muscular and broad chest, leaving wet kisses everywhere. Hajime gasped, one hand tangled in Tooru's soft hair, following his every move.

“You don’t know how many times I’ve imagined your body pressed against mine…every time we changed in the locker room…” Tooru admitted, licking his nipple as his hands caressed Iwaizumi’s sculpted abdomen.

Hajime growled, then grabbed Oikawa and pushed him onto the bed. Tooru was immediately overwhelmed by Hajime, who imprisoned him with his body, with no way out.

He took off his Argentina national team jersey and threw it somewhere in the room. Tooru was about to take off the gold medal he was wearing around his neck, but Hajime stopped him, grabbing both his hands and pinning them above his head.

With his other hand he grabbed the gold medal and pulled it aside around his neck, enough to knock Tooru's breath out.

“Don’t you dare take it off now that you’ve won it” Hajime whispered in his ear with a deep voice that made Tooru weak and trembling under him.

Hajime slowly kissed his neck, licking and sucking, leaving purple marks on his skin.

Oikawa's moans pushed him further, making him lose his mind. He slowly lowered himself, licking the turgid nipples and leaving a trail of kisses along his abdomen.

"Haji-ah...Hajime..." Tooru managed to say, as Iwaizumi looked up at him with his widened black pupils. There was just a little bit of green there now.

“Please…” Tooru begged, and Hajime stopped, standing a bit up to kiss him again.

Their tongues danced in different rhythms; Oikawa’s was eager and impatient, Hajime’s was slow and steady.

“Tooru…are you sure that you want this?” Hajime asked, parting from him.

“Yes…I’ve always dreamed of this moment, so please—“ Tooru said in a hurry, leaning in to kiss him again, but Hajime interrupted him.

“—are you sure that you want me?”

Tooru blinked, confused, then noticed Hajime’s insecure expression, the one that he had witnessed so many times now.

Hajime still wasn’t sure of Tooru’s intentions, he feared that he’d leave again like he did days ago. Or years ago, when he left for Argentina, or when he decided to cut Hajime out of his life.

Tooru smiled weakly, caressing his cheek and looking straight at him.

“I’ve always wanted you and you only, Hajime.”

That was enough, because Hajime let out a sigh of relief and smiled like Tooru had never seen him before.

He was happy, for the first time the crease between his eyebrows had smoothed out, he was relaxed and letting go.

His heart was now in Tooru's hands, and he would protect it at all costs.

They kissed again, but it wasn't a hungry kiss nor a rushed one. It was a promise. To stay, and be together.

Hajime released his grip on Tooru's hands to intertwine their hands together.

Tooru raised his hips slightly, seeking friction, and Hajime grunted with pleasure. He pressed a hand to Oikawa's waist, pinning him to the mattress, and Tooru gasped in surprise.

"You're too impatient, Tooru" Hajime said in a deep voice, while biting his left earlobe.

Tooru was about to retort, but the gesture sent multiple shivers down his spine. The gold of his medal had now become warm against his chest, and Hajime grabbed him by the neck, choking him a little as Tooru moved his hips up again.

"You'll have to beg me tonight" Hajime said, looking into his eyes, and Tooru choked, trying to smirk.

"You're making this too easy, Hajime. You'll be the first to give in" Oikawa said, while Iwaizumi growled in annoyance.

“Funny. You’re the one whimpering at my touch.”

Tooru shivered, as Hajime smirked at him, a hungry expression all over his face as he kissed him again. His tongue slid in easily, and Tooru gave up almost immediately.

Suddenly, Tooru pushed himself up onto his elbows and managed to pin Hajime onto the mattress, positioning himself on top of him.

“What are you…?” Hajime asked in surprise, but Oikawa’s determined gaze silenced him.

Tooru slowly traced all the defined muscles on his chest and abdomen, then undid his pants. Hajime stood up a little to help him take them off and stared at him silently, waiting.

Tooru placed his hand on Hajime’s boxers, and Hajime sighed in pleasure, trying his best not to move against Oikawa’s hand.

Tooru slowly removed the last piece of clothing, and now Hajime was naked beneath him. He took a moment to admire him, and noticed a pink tint on Iwaizumi’s cheeks, the latter he swallowed embarrassedly.

“No wonder why every man and woman is attracted to you” Tooru said, smiling at him as Hajime blushed violently.

Oikawa lowered, positioning himself between his legs and wrapped his hand around Hajime’s cock, stroking it slowly.

Iwaizumi sighed in pleasure, biting down his lip, as he stared at Oikawa’s movements.

“You want me?” Tooru purred, and Hajime growled, refusing to give in.

Tooru spat some saliva on the tip and stroked him, his fingers slid much easier.

A moan escaped Hajime's lips, who tried to hold it back as much as possible.

“So, you want me?” Tooru asked again, his stupid smug face irritating him.

“I’m not going to play your game, Tooru” Hajime said, pushing himself up on his elbows to take a better look at him.

“Too bad…because I want to have you inside my mouth so much…” Tooru said, almost moaning, as a bit of precum came out of Hajime’s cock.

He couldn’t hold back anymore, so he took him in, slowly, not rushing.

He slowly licked the tip, then swallowed it whole, moaning so loudly that Hajime could feel the vibration.

“Tooru…ahhh…gosh, you’re so…so good-ah…” Hajime couldn’t hold back any longer and let go, grasping one hand in Tooru’s hair, tugging lightly.

Tooru moaned with pleasure, moving his head up and down in the rhythm Hajime loved most. He let himself be guided by Hajime’s hands, which moved his head and his hips moved unconsciously, going deeper into his throat.

The air was knocked out of Oikawa’s lungs, and he gasped, thinking only of enjoying the moment and the moans coming out of Hajime’s mouth.

Tooru also licked his balls, massaging them, and left wet kisses on Hajime’s thighs.

Suddenly, Iwaizumi moved and rose abruptly, positioning himself on top of Oikawa, who looked at him in surprise.

“Is something wrong?” Tooru asked immediately, worried, but Hajime reassured him.

“No…if you’d continued, I would have come right away.”

Tooru blinked as Hajime blushed, chuckling embarrassed.

“You’re so good, Tooru…it’s time I show you too, don’t you think?” Iwaizumi said in a husky voice, undoing Oikawa’s pants and boxers, leaving him naked as well.

Tooru shivered, and looked away a bit embarrassed, as Hajime took him in. The sight was beautiful, Tooru was beautiful. Hajime didn't leave a single corner of his skin untouched.
He kissed him everywhere, leaving bites and marks all over him, drinking in all of Tooru’s little moans.

“Hajime…” Oikawa whispered, as the spiky haired man continued to kiss him on his lower abdomen, never touching his cock.

“Mhm?”

“I need…” Tooru hissed as Iwaizumi bit his inner thigh.

Tooru was gorgeous. Taut, defined muscles and a little bit of tanned skin made him a perfect Argentine citizen.

“Hajime, I…ahh!” Tooru tried again, but moaned when he felt Hajime's fat tongue around his hole. Hajime teased him a little bit, then pushed his tongue in, as Tooru whimpered.

He couldn’t stop moving, and Hajime’s hands kept him steady and pinned down.

“I said you’ll have to beg” Iwaizumi growled, wrapping a hand around Oikawa’s dick, not moving a muscle.

“Hajime…” Tooru cried out, trying to push his hips up but the athletic trainer’s strong hands pinned him down.

“Yes?” Hajime said, holding him tighter in his hand.

“Please…” Tooru gasped, breathing deeply.

“What do you want?”

“You. I need you. Inside me…please…” Tooru begged, his cheeks red as he bit his lower lip trying to muffle his moans as Hajime finally stroked his dick slowly.

“Have you ever been with a man before?” Hajime asked, as he grabbed some lube and a condom from the drawer.

“No” Oikawa replied, following his every move with his eyes.

“How are you this good at it, then?” Hajime asked curiously, as he poured lube onto his fingers.

“I’ve seen a lot of gay porn” Tooru replied, smiling, “and you, Iwa-chan? Have you ever been with a man?”

“Maybe,” Hajime replied, shrugging, while Oikawa stared at him with a puzzled and slightly jealous look, and Iwaizumi burst out laughing.

“Of course not, you idiot. I’ve always only had you in my mind.”

“And in your heart?” Tooru asked, placing his hand on Hajime’s bare chest. Hajime took it, kissing the fingertips, and smiled, looking into his beautiful eyes.

“My heart has always been yours, Tooru.”

Oikawa’s lips trembled, as he wrapped his arms around Hajime, kissing him fervently. Their tongues now knew each other so well, but it was still dizzying.

As they kissed, Hajime began to massage his rim, gaining a gasp from Oikawa’s lips.

He didn't have time to properly prepare him for the new sensation, as Tooru moved his hips downward, allowing Hajime's finger to slide in easily.
They both moaned loudly into each other's mouths, and Hajime looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're too impatient, idiot" he growled, as Tooru moved again on his finger.

“Told you I wanted you inside me…it’s not enough though” the setter said, trying to move faster.

“So greedy” Hajime said in a low voice, as he slammed another finger in, making Tooru moan out load so beautifully he got harder.

“Oh…Iwa-chan…ahhh…” he panted, as Hajime’s fingers fucked him so good.

He scissored him, and curled his fingers to give him more pleasure.

“I told you not to call me that anymore” Hajime growled as he put another finger in, stretching Oikawa’s hole so good.

“Hajime…ahh…please, please…”

“Not enough, uh? You’re not even ready for my cock.”

Tooru moaned, as Hajime continued to fuck him with his fingers, his brown locks all disheveled by now.

“I’m ready…please, I—“ Tooru almost chocked when he felt Iwaizumi’s tongue licking all the length of his dick, and he screamed Hajime’s name.

Hajime suddenly withdrew his fingers, leaving Tooru empty and groaning in frustration. He immediately rose up on his elbows, frowning at him, but noticed that Hajime was putting on a condom.

His cock was thick, huge. Moments ago Oikawa had been confident he could take it, he wasn't so sure anymore.

He gulped in anticipation, as Hajime hovered over him.

“What is it?” he asked, noticing Tooru’s perplexed expression.

“I don't think I can…it’s so big” Oikawa said, his eyes fixed on Hajime’s cock, as the latter warmly chuckled.

“Do you want to touch it before? Maybe it’ll help.”

Tooru nodded as he wrapped his hand around Hajime’s cock, and gently stroked it. He was so hard, he could feel his pulse through it.

Hajime let out a sigh, as Tooru continued to touch him, his eyes so focused.

“It didn’t feel this big in my mouth…” Tooru whispered, lost in thoughts.

“You flatter me” Hajime said ironically, as Oikawa smiled at him.

“I mean…you can destroy me with just a thrust.”

Hajime sighed, taking Tooru’s hand off his cock and holding it tightly.

“If you’re scared or don’t feel like it, we can stop” he said, reassuring him, kissing his fingertips with a feather like touch.

Tooru’s heart slammed against his chest, as he softly caressed Iwaizumi’s cheek.

“I’m not scared if it’s you, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi smiled weakly, his eyes looking into Tooru’s chocolate brown ones, as he kissed him on the forehead.

He gently laid him down the mattress, and left soft kisses on Tooru’s neck before positioning himself between his long legs.

“Tell me if it hurts. We can stop anytime” Hajime reassured him again, as the setter nodded at him, taking a deep breath.

Hajime gently massaged his thighs before pressing the tip against his rim. He didn't push, giving Tooru time to get used to it, and when he was ready, Hajime slowly slipped in.

“Ahhh! Damn…” Tooru moaned loudly, curling his fingers.

“You’re so—ahhh, so tight…fuck” Hajime groaned, as he stopped, letting Tooru adjust.

When Oikawa nodded again, he pushed it all in, and it was so beautiful.

“So good…ahhh” Tooru arched his back in pleasure, as Hajime kissed his neck again.

Hajime began to thrust in a steady pace, and Tooru’s mind stopped thinking. He couldn’t say a single meaningful sentence, only lewd moans left his lips.

“Please, please…ahhh, yes! Yes, Hajime…oh my…” Tooru was a mess.

Hajime’s thrusts became harder, as Tooru moved his hips at the same rhythm.

“I’m gonna…ahhhh!” Tooru couldn't finish the sentence, his voice broke into a loud moan, his legs shook as he spilled all over their stomachs.

“Fuck…Tooru…” Hajime moaned, as his hips moved erratically, his thrusts more urgent now.

He spilled inside the condom, slamming one last time inside of him, and he collapsed on top of him.

They panted, searching for some air, as he kissed Oikawa on the forehead.

“Fuck me again” Tooru asked, as Hajime pulled out, throwing the condom in a bin.

“Are you sure? You just—“

“Fuck me until I can’t breathe, Hajime.”

He growled, as Tooru smirked, pleased.

When Hajime grabbed him by the hair, Tooru gasped in surprise. Their faces were inches apart.

“Turn around. On your knees” he ordered, his voice as low as ever.

Tooru shivered, obeying. Hajime grabbed his hips and lifted his ass, slapping him, and Tooru whined.

“Haji—“ he couldn’t even finish the sentence that Hajime’s cock slammed hard inside him, multiple shivers running down his spine.

He moaned, so loud that everyone that walked past their door surely heard him.

“Fuck…I should’ve worn a condom…you feel so good…” Hajime groaned behind him, and Tooru contracted his muscles, making his hole tighter, and Hajime moaned again.

“I want you to come inside of me…fill me up, please…” Tooru begged, losing the last string of dignity he had, as Hajime started banging him hard again.

His cock was so perfect, it filled Tooru so well, it wasn’t any space left.

Hajime suddenly grabbed the gold medal's string and pulled it back, squeezing Oikawa's neck and chocking him for a moment.

“Haaa…Haji…” he only managed to say, running out of air.

“Can you take all of me?” Hajime asked, harshly thrusting into him, the bed creaking, as Tooru sobbed.

“Yes, yes, yes…”

He slammed into him again, faster, harder, and Tooru lost his mind. He was a mess, only lewd moans and sobs escaped his lips.

He was on the edge, but Hajime noticed it and slowed the pace. Oikawa didn’t like it.

“Faster…I need to—“ Tooru pleaded, but chocked on his own words as Hajime tightened his grip on his gold medal.

“You have to beg.”

“Please…make me cum…I’ll be so good, please…ahhh…I need you, Hajime…” Tooru moaned, his slurred words reaching Iwaizumi’s ears.

Hajime growled, slamming his cock into him again, his thrusts became harsher and he buried himself so deep inside him that Tooru whined so hard.

His body was trembling, he couldn’t take it anymore. Feeling Hajime’s huge cock filling him up so good, sliding in and out him, was too much.

“Oh yes…Hajime, yes, yes…fuck me harder…ahhhh, Hajiiii…!” Tooru screamed, as he came, spilling all over the sheets.

Hajime didn’t stop, chasing his own orgasm, and Oikawa cried in pleasure.

“You’re taking me so well…look at you…” Hajime moaned, as he thrusted into him, faster.

“Come inside me. I want to feel you…” Tooru sobbed, as he was slammed against the mattress again and again.

“Fuck it…I’m going to fill you up, don’t waste a single drop” Hajime said with a deep voice, as his hips began to tremble.

“I’ll drink it all up…ahhhh!” Tooru moaned, as he felt Hajime’s hot liquid spilling inside him.

Tooru squeezed his hole, taking every drop of what Hajime would give him, making the latter groan in pleasure.

Hajime slid out, a satisfied sigh escaped Tooru’s lips. He felt so full.

They cleaned everything up, and then Hajime stretched out his left arm, inviting Tooru to rest on his chest.

“I love you so much…” the brunette sighed, happily.

“Say that again” Hajime pleaded, smiling.

“I love you so much, Hajime.”

“I love you more, Tooru” he said, kissing his nose, as Tooru giggled.

Their hands intertwined, and they stood in silence, cradling in their own breaths.

“Miguel was wrong” Tooru casually commented.

“About what?” Hajime asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Tooru chuckled, thinking about the silly conversation he had had with his friend at the beginning of the Olympics.

“Anti-sex beds.”

Chapter Text

Oikawa woke first. As he blinked, he felt calm, warm breath blowing against his locks. His gaze met Hajime's bare chest, who was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful, so...content.

Tooru gently caressed his smooth, toned skin, almost struggling to believe it was all real. It had really happened…he and Hajime had spent the night together. They had confessed, they had sex, they had finally told each other ‘I love you’.

So why did Tooru feel sad?

“You’re here…you stayed” said a sleepy voice.

Oikawa looked up and saw Hajime looking at him with such affection that his heart almost burst.

"I should have known you only do one-night stands” Oikawa joked, making Iwaizumi chuckle.

“I hope it really wasn’t, because I surely want to do that again, Tooru.”

Oikawa shivered, as Hajime’s hand caressed his lower bare back.

Stay…could Oikawa really stay?

Hajime seemed to notice, so he propped himself up on one elbow and cupped Oikawa's face with his other hand, caressing his cheek.

"You have to leave for Argentina today, right?"

Tooru took a deep breath and nodded sadly, while Hajime smiled slightly.

"It doesn't matter" he said, as Oikawa looked away, "hey Tooru, look at me."

Oikawa's saddened eyes met Iwaizumi's reassuring green ones, which now shone with a brighter light.

"No matter how far apart we are, we've already faced this many years ago. We can do it now, if you want us to."

“I'm scared, Hajime” Tooru whispered with a trembling voice, “what if it doesn't work? I couldn't bear to—“

“—hey, look at me. The only thing that drove us apart was misunderstandings. It’ll work, I promise. I love you, Tooru, and I'll fly to Argentina whenever I need to remind you” Hajime said, smiling, stroking his brown locks.

Tooru buried his face in the crook of Hajime's neck, as the latter chuckled.

"What did you say?" he asked, placing a kiss on Oikawa's exposed shoulder.

"I love you so much" Tooru repeated, sobbing, wetting Iwaizumi's skin with his tears.

"Why are you crying?"

"I miss you so much already, I don't want to leave now that we've found each other again" Tooru sobbed, hugging him tighter.

"I don't want to leave you either, but you have to go with your team, Tooru" Hajime said calmly, "I'll come see you next week, as soon as I'm done with my work here, promise."

“You sure make a lot of promises…” Oikawa commented, pouting.

“Because I know I can keep them” Iwaizumi replied sincerely.

"Hajime..." Tooru finally looked at him, caressing his chest, "when...I mean, when did you discover you loved me?"

"I think I've always known, but I always hid it so well, even from myself. I was afraid of ruining everything, then you only dated girls and I...was an idiot."

"I went out with girls to make you jealous, but you never reacted" Tooru said, smiling, while Hajime kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh yes, I did react...against my pillow when I came home."

They both laughed, and Hajime loved seeing Tooru smile. It was the most beautiful thing he could ever look at.

“I’m sorry” Hajime began suddenly, “for what I did years ago. For Miko, for not telling you right away that I was the one who kissed you on the neck, for denying my feelings for you to the point of losing you.”

“Hajime—“

“I don’t want to lose you anymore, Tooru. These years without speaking to you have been excruciating for me. Not being able to see you, to talk to you, to hear your voice…” Iwaizumi rubbed his nose against Oikawa’s neck, inhaling his scent.

“Hajime…you won’t lose me. I will be your eternal torment, as always” Tooru said, leaning into his touch, as Hajime tightened his grip on his lower back.

“Are you sure of this, Tooru? I don't think I could stand to hear you say you don't love me anymore one more time.”

Oikawa laughed, cupping Iwaizumi’s cheek and looking into his deep green eyes.

“I love you, Iwaizumi Hajime, and I’m sure I want to spend my life with you.”

“Is this…a proposal?” Iwaizumi smiled, raising an eyebrow.

“You wish, you brute! You’re the one who’ll have to kneel to ask for my hand” Tooru said, his tongue out while Iwaizumi chuckled.

He then grabbed the gold medal and pulled it, making Tooru squirm.

“Care to show me? Since you were so good at kneeling for me last night.”

Tooru’s dick twitched at that one, and Hajime felt it. He left a trail of teasing kisses down Oikawa’s neck, as the latter rolled up his hips moaning.

17th May 2024

“Iwa-chan, do you want to tell me where we’re going?” Oikawa asked, impatient and curious, as they walked toward their gate at the airport.

“Let’s just say we wanted to plan this trip years ago” Iwaizumi replied, grinning happily.

“Don’t tell me…” Tooru muttered, finally managing to read ‘Rome, Italy’ on the gate screen.

“Hajime…”

“We were supposed to go together after I graduated…but you know how things went” Iwaizumi said sheepishly, smiling and squeezing his hand, while Oikawa tried not to cry.

As soon as they sat down on the plane, Tooru squeezed Hajime’s hand and rested his head on his shoulder.

"I thought it would never happen."

Hajime looked at him for a moment and then smiled, caressing Tooru's soft locks that tickled his neck.

"No matter how much we've done wrong, how far apart we are...I think we were always meant to be together, Tooru.”

Oikawa raised his head to look at the man next to him, and they exchanged a meaningful and fond look.

“How can you say such sweet things and look so good, when I’m being a mess here?” Tooru said, hiding his face in his hands, blushing madly.

Hajime chuckled and took Oikawa’s hands in his, revealing his reddened and cute face.

“Because I love you and I’ll always do, Shittykawa” he grinned and Tooru laughed out loud, punching his cheeks.

“Iwa-chan, so mean!”

When they landed, they dropped off their bags at their hotel and immediately set out to explore the city.

Of course, Tooru had already planned everything: what they should visit, where they could eat, and which breathtaking views were the best places to take photos.

It was fantastic, and Hajime's heart couldn't stop pounding for the man Tooru had become. So responsible, affectionate, always ready to face anything with his grit and strength.

Hajime couldn't imagine a future without him.

As they strolled through the streets, heading towards the Piazza di Spagna, Tooru stopped with a shocked expression on his face. As soon as Hajime looked at what Oikawa was staring at, his eyes widened.

"Tobio-chan, long time no see" Tooru said with a grin.

"Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san, I'm surprised to see you here" the boy said, while some of his teammates asked who they were.

Tobio, who had gone out with them to lunch, explained the situation to them. The players waved to them and walked away, bidding farewell to Tobio.

“We’re here on vacation” Iwaizumi explained, smiling, while Kageyama nodded.

“It’s a beautiful city, and I’m happy to finally see you two together” he said, looking at their intertwined hands.

“What do you mean, finally?” Hajime asked, confused.

“Well, last time Oikawa-san asked me—” “Tobio-chan, I think you should keep your mouth shut” Tooru interrupted, smiling casually.

Hajime raised an eyebrow, but decided to let it slide.

“So you play for Ali Roma now?” Tooru asked, changing the subject.

“Yes, I’m doing really well and my teammates are strong” Kageyama replied in a serious, calm tone.

“I hope you’re training hard to beat me, you know, I don’t want to crush you like at the last Olympics when we meet again in Paris” Oikawa said, grinning defiantly.

“We won’t lose, especially with Iwaizumi-san who will prepare us as best as possible” Kageyama replied, launching a dig that hit Tooru squarely, while Iwaizumi chuckled heartily.

“Of course, I have a promise to keep, Tooru.”

‘When we fight, I’ll defeat you.’

“Bring it on, Iwa-chan” Oikawa smirked.

As soon as they said goodbye to Kageyama, the two went to one of the panoramic spots from which they could admire the entire city of Rome. The sunset was beautiful, the sky was tinged with pink and blue.

“Iwa-chan, can you take some pictures of me?” Tooru asked, handing him the camera Iwaizumi had bought him for his birthday years ago.

“Don’t do stupid poses, Trashykawa” Hajime said, snapping a few photos.

Tooru was beautiful. His brown locks reflected the sunset light, turning it gold and red. His chocolate-brown eyes shone with a light that intensified every time they met their own gazes.

Hajime gulped and suddenly placed the camera on top of their backpacks, pressing the button to start a video.

“What are you doing?” Oikawa asked, as soon as he noticed Iwaizumi reaching him.

“I just wanted to take some pictures with my beautiful and unbearable boyfriend.”

“Hajime…” Tooru sighed, blushing and laughing at the same time.

Oikawa posed, and Iwaizumi kissed him on the cheek before taking a step back.

“Haji, what…” Tooru said, but the words caught in his throat as he noticed Hajime kneeling in front of him, while taking a small box from his pants pocket.

“Are you kidding?” Oikawa said, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Tooru, I—”

“Yes!”

“Are you going to let me have the speech, Shittykawa?! You’re always so impatient!” Iwaizumi said, laughing nervously.

“Sorry, it’s just…” Tooru tried to reply but tears streamed down his face and he couldn’t say another word, trying to stifle a sob.

“Tooru,” Hajime began, looking him in the eye, “I’ve been wanting to ask you this for a while, but you know I’m a coward sometimes. It’s impossible to escape from you, and I don’t even dream to.”

Hajime took Tooru’s hand in his and squeezed it lightly. It was incredible how their hands fitted so perfectly.

“Since I was born, there hasn’t been a day when you weren’t by my side. I don’t know what life is like without you, and I can’t even imagine it. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you want it too. So…will you marry me, Tooru?”

Hajime opened the box and a golden ring with a diamond sparkled. Tooru was a sobbing mess, and he tightened his grip on Hajime’s hand, smiling.

“Yes” he managed to say between the sobs, “Yes, I want to marry you. I want to be your husband, just put that ring on me already.”

“So impatient” Hajime chuckled, as tears rolled down his face too, and slid the ring on Tooru’s finger. It fitted perfectly.

Tooru threw himself into Hajime's arms, who welcomed him and held him tightly.

"I love you, Hajime."

"I love you too, Tooru."

They shared a passionate kiss, full of promises and happiness, their wet cheeks rubbing. They couldn't hear the cheering from the people around them because they were so focused on each other.

As soon as they can back from dinner at a famous restaurant, Oikawa started watching the video Hajime had made of their proposal.

“Look! I'm a mess, you better delete it!” Tooru said exasperatedly.

“I always told you, you’re an ugly crier.”

“I’m not, thank you!” Tooru pouted, sitting down on their bed.

“You are. But when you cry for me…I must admit you’re not” Hajime said with a deep voice, his back facing Oikawa as he was putting down his backpack.

“Is Iwa-chan trying to seduce me right now?” Tooru purred, smiling as his boyfriend approached him, climbing on the bed and caging him between his arms.

“Maybe.”

Tooru smirked and managed to reverse their positions, sitting on Hajime's hips.

"Do you like the view from here?" Oikawa asked as he unbuttoned his boyfriend's shirt.

"Very much." Hajime smirked, as he let him undress him.

As soon as Tooru positioned himself on top of him, Hajime grabbed his waist, stopping him.

"You're going to hurt yourself."

"I prepped in the bathroom earlier. While you were tidying up" Tooru gasped, a shiver running down Hajime's spine.

The moment Tooru slid down on Hajime’s cock, he groaned in pleasure.

“Fuck, you weren’t joking” Hajime managed to say, feeling Tooru’s stretched walls.

“Let’s see if you can open me up more, Haji” Tooru sighed, as he started moving up and down.

The moans that filled their room was filthy. The sound of their bodies slapping against each other echoed throughout the room.

“I want you to fuck me like this when I'll be your husband” Tooru panted, crying out with pleasure as Hajime thrust harder into him.

“I'll fuck you every day of my life, whenever you want, just to hear you scream my name out loud.”

“Fuuuck…Haji-ah…so close…” Tooru moaned, his locks plastered to his face as his eyes were shut.

“Yes, baby, come for me…” Hajime groaned, as they both moved their hips, looking at Tooru jumping up and down his cock, his hands digging into Hajime’s chest.

“Hajime…ahhh…Haji—!” Tooru choked, as he came hard on their stomachs, his hips jolting with pleasure.

“Yes, yes…you’re so beautiful when you come for me” Hajime whispered in his ear as Tooru collapsed on him.

“I don’t want this to end” Tooru cried, all sensitive now.

Hajime pulled out, rolling Tooru down and pulling his ass up.

“Who said it would?”

A shiver ran down Tooru’s spine, as Hajime thrusted hard into him again.

“Fuck!” Oikawa screamed, as Iwaizumi picked up a fast pace, “It’s too much…aaahh…”

“You know it’s not. I can feel you begging for my cock, Tooru” Hajime said, and Oikawa’s walls tightened more.

“It feels so good…” Tooru whined, drooling.

“Can you take all of me?” Hajime asked in a husky voice, thrusting harder into him, and Tooru screamed in pleasure.

“Always.”

Hajime needed no more words. He slammed it into Tooru, fucking him relentlessly until he was a moaning and crying mess.

Tooru came again, and Hajime buried himself inside him as he spilled his cum on him.

“Tooru…” he moaned into his hear, as he came hard, his thrusts becoming stronger until he didn’t move at all.

Oikawa was still trembling from pleasure, when Iwaizumi started to clean him up.

“Sorry, I got too carried away” he apologized, and Tooru pulled him in for a kiss.

“You know I like it rough, Hajime” he said, reassuring him.

Both chuckled, taking a shower afterwards.

3rd June 2024

“So…are we going to ignore the fact that these two idiots are engaged and haven’t even made us…I don’t mean a statue, but at least a bank transfer?” Makki commented as he stared at them outside the café where he, Tooru, Mattsun, Hajime and Miguel had decided to meet.

“Yeah. Honestly, I’d expect at least half a million for all the therapy sessions we’ve had to go through over the years” Miguel said, nodding.

“Wait, I’ll give you my IBAN” Mattsun added, searching for something on his phone.

“You guys are the worst” Oikawa said, as Iwaizumi grinned.

“We’ve put up with you all these years, that’s the least you can do” Makki said, sighing.

“They’re right, Tooru. We’ve been two idiots” Hajime said, as they sat down at their table.

“So…who proposed?” Mattsun asked curiously.

“Iwa-chan, of course!” Tooru said happily, showing them the ring on his finger.

“Hah…you’re too princess for that, Toto” Miguel commented, laughing.

“If you’ve changed your mind, just tell us. We know how hard it is to put up with, Iwa” Mattsun said, patting him on the shoulder.

“Yeah, actually…you’re not entirely wrong” Iwaizumi shook his head and laughed when Tooru nudged him with his shoulder, his pout deepening.

“Well, we wanted to ask y’all…” Iwaizumi began, but the three of them interrupted him.

“To be your best men, we’re prepared for this since we know you two.”

Tooru and Hajime blinked, and smiled fondly at them.

“So, when will it be?” Hanamaki asked, sipping his tea after their orders arrived.

“After the Paris Olympics.”

“Which is in two weeks” Matsukawa said, raising an eyebrow.

“Exactly. Will you be cheering for me?” Oikawa asked, as the two exchanged a look.

“I don’t know…last time we cheered for you, this year we’ll go for Iwa. It seems fair to me” Mattsun commented, as Oikawa kicked his leg under the table.

“On my wedding day I’ll be wearing two golds, just watch” Oikawa said, with his usual determination.

“You bet on it” Miguel added, giving him an high five.

July 2024

The Paris Olympics began, and everyone was buzzing. Sports journalists talked about nothing but the ring Oikawa Tooru wore on his finger, or around his neck when he played, and it wasn't long before they discovered who his fiancé was.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa had stopped hiding. They exchanged kisses and hugs every time they crossed paths, regardless of whether there were cameras filming them.

“Don't you think we're putting on a show?” Tooru asked, as Hajime hugged him around the waist, kissing him in front of the locker room.

“Let them watch” Hajime growled, squeezing Tooru's ass and making him squeal.

“Let’s go to my room” Tooru said breathlessly, as Hajime followed him.

“And Miguel?”

“He was going to get coffee with Charlie” Tooru replied, as they hurriedly reached the room.

As soon as they entered, Hajime pushed Tooru against the bed and stood over him, looking down at him.

“How can you be so handsome after all these years…” he said, kissing his neck and licking Oikawa’s smooth skin, earning gasps in response.

“I’m not as old and wrinkled as you, Hajime” Tooru joked, and gasped loudly when Hajime bit his neck.

“And yet you’re going to marry this old and wrinkled man” Iwaizumi said, grinning down at him.

Tooru smiled and pulled him in for a kiss, and things heated up. They were hungry for each other, and once naked Iwaizumi positioned himself between Oikawa’s legs.

“You have to stop prepping on your own, Tooru” Hajime growled, noticing he was already stretched.

“You know I can’t wait…aaah!” Tooru moaned as Hajime licked his rim, a trail of precum flowed down Tooru’s cock.

“Please, Hajime…fuck me.”

“Can’t hear you…” Iwaizumi licked his tip,then left kisses on his abdomen, neck and cheeks.

“Please…I beg you…” Tooru cried, rubbing against him, and suddenly Iwaizumi thrusted hard into him

Tooru screamed in pleasure, but suddenly the bed creaked and collapsed, both of them falling down on the floor.

They blinked, exchanging confused looks, then they both burst out laughing.

“Omg, they’re really anti-sex beds this time” Tooru said trying to catch up some air.

“They were sturdier in Tokyo” Hajime groaned, pulling up on his elbows.

“And you’re such a brute, you even made the bed collapse. How strong can you be, Iwa-chan?”

“As strong as it needs to destroy you, Tooru” Hajime sang, as he grabbed him by the neck, squeezing and chocking him.

“You’re really a brute!” Tooru moaned, as Hajime slowly entered him again.

“And you love it” he whispered into his ear, then thrusted harder into him. Tooru lost his mind again.

Tokyo, 2039

“Hoshi-chan, you have to keep your arm straighter!” Tooru called a girl out from the bench.

“Stop calling me that in front of my teammates, dad!” the girl snapped at him, sighing.

“You can’t talk to your coach like that! Iwa-chan, say something!” Tooru pouted, looking at his husband who was pinching his nose with his fingers, clearly fed up.

Now that they both were 45 years old, Tooru had become the Coach of the Japan national women's under-18 volleyball team. He had retired five years earlier, and Iwaizumi worked with him as the team's Athletic Trainer.

They had adopted Hoshiko a couple of years after they got married, and were happy to learn that their daughter was also in love with volleyball.

Tooru had been a little disappointed when Hoshiko expressed her desire to become a spiker instead of a setter.

Even though they had adopted her, it was as if she were truly a mix of the two: she had Iwaizumi's serious nature and green eyes, but Oikawa's brown hair and perfectionism.

“Coach, can you teach me how to do your spectacular serves, please?” a girl asked, approaching him.

“Yes, could you show us?” another asked, and slowly the whole team gathered around him.

“Well ladies, if you ask so cutely…who am I to refuse?” Tooru smiled sweetly, picking up a ball and walking toward the baseline.

“He's getting a big head” Hoshiko commented, raising an eyebrow.

“Damn, we'll have to put up with him at home too” Hajime added, arms crossed over his chest.

“Iwa-chan, why don’t you try and receive my serve? If you can” Tooru called out.

“Is this a challenge? You’ll regret it. I’ll make you look bad in front of your players” Hajime said with a grin, as he positioned himself on the other side of the net.

The girls were holding their breath, the tension was palpable. It was always nice to see the two of them compete in the middle of their practice. Hoshiko, on the other hand, was used to seeing them like this every day.

Tooru pointed his index finger at Hajime before tossing the ball into the air and taking a perfect run-up. He hit it hard, and Hajime caught it, though he recoiled a bit from the force of the impact. Tooru hadn’t lost his touch, and that made his heart skip a beat.

“Well, I guess Iwa-chan won this time” Oikawa shrugged, while the girls cheered and grabbed balls to practice their serves.

“Your serves are always perfect, Shittykawa” Hajime said, walking up to him and grinning.

“Your ass too, when you bend down to receive” Tooru commented, licking his lips.

Hajime grabbed him tightly by his waist and placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Don’t say things like that, or you might regret it” he whispered in his ear, while Tooru blushed slightly.

“Just get a room already” Hoshiko muttered, disgusted.