You, and Only You
Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Written for fan-of-the-night on tumblr, as part of the haikyuusecretsanta gift exchange.
"Iwa-chan? Is that you?" Oikawa calls out to the hallway from the bedroom when he hears someone coming in through the front door of their shared apartment. He would check for himself, but he's already in the midst of fixing his tie, which demands his full concentration, lest he have to redo the entire thing later.
"It's me, just checking the mail," Iwaizumi calls back. Oikawa can tell from the volume of his voice that he's already in the kitchen, probably tossing the small stack of bills and advertisements they'd received through the mail on the counter before meeting him in their bedroom and finishing his own preparations for work.
Several moments pass, and by now Oikawa has his tie fixed, and his hair is perfectly styled as usual. All he needs to do is slip on his shoes and he'll be good to go. But even though he's practically ready, his punctuality is worthless if there's no Iwaizumi. Glancing at his wristwatch, he lifts an eyebrow, thinking that they'll be running behind if Iwaizumi doesn't pick up the pace.
"Iwa-chan?" he pokes his head out of the doorway, looking down the corridor for any sign of Iwaizumi. When he doesn't see a trace of him, nor a reply, he treks down the hallway in search of his man. When he gets to the kitchen, he finds Iwaizumi with his back turned towards him, hunched over the table. At first, he doesn't think anything of it and simply continues with his schedule.
"Hurry up, Iwa-chan. We're gonna be late." Oikawa moves about the kitchen without glancing over to Iwaizumi, gathering up his wallet and keys, and pocketing them before finally looking Iwaizumi's way.
What he sees makes his blood run cold.
Iwaizumi's hunched over the table, with his eyes fixated on a single sheet of paper that still has its corners turned up from recently being taken out of a trifold. He knows that stance, he's seen Iwaizumi take that exact posture under these exact circumstances one too many times to not know what's going on. His heart sinks to the pit of his stomach, not because of the situation, but because he knows what's going through Iwaizumi's mind right now. He can feel the agony, the sorrow, the growing fury, and the powerlessness over not being able to do anything about it.
"Iwa-"
"We've been denied," Iwaizumi lets out a heavy breath, "again." He doesn't turn to look at Oikawa.
By now, he doesn't bother to give Iwaizumi any sort of condolences; nothing he says will ever change the reality of their situation. In fact, he doesn't say anything. He simply walks over to Iwaizumi and throws his arms around him, holding him in the tightest embrace he can muster. As devastated as he knows Iwaizumi is, nothing destroys him more than bearing witness to the man he loves breaking down over yet another rejection. It's no surprise, not after what they've been through, but it nevertheless it's as heartbreaking as if it was the first time.
"Next time," he whispers as he brings a hand up to card through Iwaizumi's hair, trying his best to soothe him. He puts as much effort as he possibly can into his words, but he finds them difficult to say. It's probably only been a handful of denials, but after wanting a child of their own for so long, only to be turned down time after time, it kind of feels like keeping even the slightest hint of optimism by looking for their next chance is just giving Iwaizumi false hope.
"Always a next time," Iwaizumi echoes, although it's clear from the tone he uses that he no longer believes it either, and is simply answering for Oikawa's sake rather than his own.
Oikawa doesn't let go of Iwaizumi, in fact, he holds him tighter as he lets his thoughts wander to the places it usually goes after getting another rejection letter from the adoption agency. It almost brings him physical pain to even consider this, but he can't help it. He just wants this so much for Iwaizumi, that he's willing to do anything, even if it means bringing in a third party, someone who could bear a child for Iwaizumi.
Before his thoughts get any further, he finds himself voicing the idea, if only because he knows Iwaizumi will stop him. "Maybe we should start thinking seriously about-"
"Don't start that again." Right on cue, Iwaizumi pulls away from him just so that he can see him properly. As grateful as he is, he pushes a little further this time. He's certain the day will come when they'll have to reconsider their options anyway, and he'd prefer to be the one to start the conversation, rather than be caught off guard.
"Look, all I'm saying here is that-"
"No." Iwaizumi doesn't let him finish. "It's going to be with you, or it's not happening." His resolve is as strong as ever, and Oikawa knows right there and then that there's no point in discussing the matter anymore. Iwaizumi doesn't explain further, but Oikawa doesn't need him to.
"Okay," he says, finally letting the issue go, until next time at least.
The look in Iwaizumi's eyes tells him that he's not satisfied with his answer, but unfortunately for him, it's the best Oikawa can do for now, which Iwaizumi seems to know as well. Pulling him close once more, Iwaizumi lands a chaste, but sweet kiss on his lips before letting go of Oikawa completely. "We better be going. Don't wanna be late, yeah?"
"Yeah," Oikawa agrees as he follows suit with Iwaizumi and rushes to help him prepare. After all, no amount of bad news will ever change the fact that they have a job to do.
Sometimes, Oikawa wonders whether Iwaizumi regrets taking this job with him. Because of schooling requirements, Iwaizumi's been a nurse a lot longer than he's been practicing medicine. He already had a steady job working the night shift in a medical/surgical unit by the time Oikawa was ready to start his job search, and when he did land a job, as an obstetrician in the maternity ward of the same small hospital Iwaizumi had already been working in, Iwaizumi immediately transferred to Oikawa's department, just to be with him.
Fresh out of residency, Oikawa thought it was the best idea in the universe. Oikawa didn't think it could get better than working with Iwaizumi, curing the populace during their shift, and spending their free time curled up together doing whatever they felt like. He still absolutely adores working with Iwaizumi, and he's certain Iwaizumi feels the same, but working with babies all day has its drawbacks, especially given their current predicament.
Iwaizumi never says anything, and Oikawa never asks, but whenever he sees him bathing a newborn or performing the APGAR test, there's a certain glimmer in his eyes that Oikawa never sees during any other occasion, and that very same spark fades away the exact second he hands the infant back to the mother, because caring for all the babies in the world won't ever change the fact that society continually denies him one of his very own.
It's always a tossup as to whether the shift will pass in total silence, or if the hospital will turn into a total zoo, seemingly right after they punch in for their shift. As they drive to work, Oikawa attempts to lighten the mood by suggesting they place a friendly bet on how it'll go, the loser, of course, treats the winner to making dinner and a loving cuddle session right afterward. The promise of snuggling in the near future gets Iwaizumi to smile for him, proving just how big of a softie Iwaizumi really is.
At first, it seems like Iwaizumi's going to win their little wager, as the first half of their shift passes uneventfully. Working in such a small hospital, it's only himself, Iwaizumi, and their receptionist/nurse-in-training Hanamaki staffing the department for the night shift, and on nights like these, it can be a struggle finding something productive to do. Oikawa always has patient charts to be going through and documentation to catch up on, so he's pretty much set. Iwaizumi uses the downtime to restock patient rooms with the necessary medical supplies, and Hanamaki, well, Oikawa's not entirely sure what Hanamaki does while there are no patients to care for. Normally he'd be assisting or shadowing Iwaizumi, or taking calls and gathering patient information at the front desk. But now, there are only so many times he can watch or help Iwaizumi with the supplies before he has the skill mastered, and more often than not, Iwaizumi would just assume take care of the job himself, simply because without Hanamaki's help, he can keep himself busy for longer.
At this time, Oikawa's completely absorbed with his paperwork, so much so, that he doesn't hear Hanamaki barging into his office without so much as a knock, not that he particularly minds. Once Oikawa looks up from his work, he notices how out of breath Hanamaki is, making it rather obvious that whatever the situation is that has him in a state of panic, it's urgent. He doesn't ask at first, in favor of letting Hanamaki catch his breath.
"A couple just pulled up at the emergency entrance," Hanamaki manages to say before taking large gulps of air. "They're having a baby."
"All right," Oikawa turns back to the chart he's currently working on. He's not expecting any of his current patients to be due for at least a couple more days, and while it's not uncommon to have unexpected mothers come into the ward, there's usually a good few hours between admittance and birth, and he knows exactly how to handle that. "Have Iwaizumi set her up in the delivery room, get all the need information, and I'll be right there."
Hanamaki shakes his head in the negative. "There's no time for that, baby's being born right now!"
And then there are times where there's not a second to spare. Already, he can practically hear Iwaizumi cursing him under his breath, muttering something along the lines of 'Get here now, Crappykawa!' while he rushes around, doing everything he can for the new mother, trying his hardest to keep her comfortable.
"Then assist Iwaizumi in any way you can, and I'll be right there," Oikawa replies, closing out the chart he was previously working on before leaping into action.
"Right. Iwaizumi's setting the patient up in the delivery room as we speak." And just like that, Hanamaki's out the door as well, sprinting back in the direction of the nursery to help Iwaizumi.
Oikawa wastes no time in following Hanamaki down the hallway towards the delivery room, already unbuttoning the sleeves of his dress shirt and rolling them up while he runs. Once he gets to the nursery, he stops in a side room and runs warm water at the sink so that he can wash his hands, the one essential thing he has to do before the delivery. Normally, he'd take another second to don a pair of fresh scrubs, but he knows there's no time for anything other than the bare essentials. With his hands and arms thoroughly washed all the way to his elbows, he's ready to go.
When he gets to the delivery room, he is greeted with a scene he must have dealt with hundreds of times before. Amidst the calamity, he finds the patient in the center of it all, with her legs in stirrups and on the verge of giving birth. A scream of unadulterated agony being ripped from her throat sets him to work; Hanamaki really wasn't kidding when he exclaimed that there wasn't time for their normal pre-procedures, no sooner has he slipped on a pair of gloves and examining the situation up close before he's reaching in and assisting with the entire process.
"Push! That's it, keep going, remember your deep breathing." He repeats different combinations of the same words, instructing the to-be mother to keep going through cheering. As always, Iwaizumi's right there at his side, handing him all the necessary instruments, knowing exactly what he needs before he asks.
Even while he completely invested in delivering this baby, in the back of his mind he's always thinking of how well he and Iwaizumi work together, of how their partnership in their private lives and the workplace means the world to him, and how he's absolutely certain that he wouldn't be half the doctor he is now without Iwaizumi's constant support. Mere words won't ever be able to adequately explain how important Iwaizumi really is. With Iwaizumi in his thoughts, the next thing he knows, he's pulling the baby out and into the world.
"It's a girl!" Oikawa cheers as he hands the newborn off to Iwaizumi, who has a blanket open and ready to wrap her up in. As soon as Iwaizumi has a secure hold on the infant, Oikawa lets go her and locates the sterile umbilical cord clamp Iwaizumi already had placed on a nearby tray along with all the other surgical instruments needed for the delivery process.
"Would the father like to do the honors?" He nods to the father as he always does when he's present, gesturing at him to come closer and take the clamp so he can cut the cord. For the first time since he entered the delivery room, he takes a good look at the father, only to realize how positively petrified the man looks. His skin is so pale that a white bed sheet has more color, and if he's not mistaken, there's a slight tremble in his hands.
"Don't fret, it's a lot easier than it looks," he tries again, this time extending the clamp out to him. Instead of stepping forward and taking his offer, the other man only shies away further, eliciting the smallest of eyebrow raises from Oikawa before he shrugs it off and does the job himself. It's not all that uncommon for a new father to be anxious, or dare he say, queasy about the entire process, and as such he doesn't think anything of it. Once the baby is free, Iwaizumi is quick to rush her back to the nursery, leaving Oikawa and Hanamaki to tend to the mother's needs, in making sure that she's been able to handle everything thus far, and is dealing with the aftermath in an appropriate manner.
After finishing his work, he delegates the task of transferring the new mother and father to a patient room, while he goes to check up with Iwaizumi and the newborn. When he reaches the nursery, he comes to a halt at the doorway, not entering in favor of standing in the threshold, simply watching Iwaizumi work. Once again, he catches that special gleam in Iwaizumi's eyes as he bathes the baby and performs all the necessary examinations, ensuring that she's as healthy as she can possibly be. During those few moments, Oikawa can't help but think that everything is as it should be in Iwaizumi's world. He looks so happy and it's abundantly clear that if given the chance, he'd be the world's best father. Oikawa knows it's selfish to think this way, but seeing the absolute joy in Iwaizumi's eyes over children, something he will never be able to give Iwaizumi on his own, is far more painful than he will ever admit. For once, he wishes that he could have that particular glimmer in Iwaizumi's eyes be directed at him, but despite his innermost desires, he takes comfort in the fact that at least right now, in this moment, he can pretend like today is the day Iwaizumi doesn't have to let go of the baby he's caring for, because this time he's the father.
His musings are disrupted when he hears a distinct 'tap-tapping sound coming down the hall. He looks up, only to see Matsukawa, the social worker the hospital keeps on staff coming down the hall and heading towards the patient rooms. His attire is professional enough, but Oikawa notices that his hair is more disheveled than usual, making it abundantly apparent that he was probably fast asleep until a few minutes ago, not that Oikawa can blame him. While he's on-call during the late hours, he rarely ever has to come in, which makes him look far more unprepared for his job than he really is.
"Mattsun?" Matsukawa stops short and directs his attention to him upon hearing his name. "What are you doing here?"
"Takahiro just called. A newborn's being put up for adoption," he answers, his voice is tired with a hint of somberness to it.
"I see."
It takes a few seconds for Oikawa to process that information. There's no sense of judgment; situations like these are more common than what he'd care for, but nevertheless, he understands that sometimes it's the only available option to some people in certain circumstances, and all they can do now is help the situation go as smoothly as possible. He gives Matsukawa a short nod and lets him pass by without another word while he redirects his attention back to Iwaizumi and the newborn. Once again, he allows himself to fall for the illusion that Iwaizumi really is a brand-new father, and the baby girl in his arms will be going home with him in a few hours, and not be taken to an adoption agency instead.
From the other end of the hall, he can hear both Hanamaki and Matsukawa trying to information from the birth parents, but despite their valiant efforts, both the mother and the father are being incredibly tight-lipped about every detail. If he's heard correctly, Hanamaki hasn't even succeeded in getting their names yet. Oikawa was only half-listening at first, but now, it's painfully obvious that they're trying to leave as quickly as possible and make a clean getaway without leaving a trace.
Oikawa feels like he's standing outside and looking in between two separate worlds. One provides him a picture-perfect image of a loving parent whose life seems to have only just begun along with the infant's, while the other is a sharp contrast, depicting a couple so shaken and distraught that one might think their lives were coming to a premature end. He finds that he doesn't especially enjoy being an outsider peering into these separate worlds, in fact, there's nothing more he'd rather do than join Iwaizumi in his world and become the other half to what would only flourish into the most loving of families, even though he knows it can't be real.
Or can it? A small, barely audible voice asks in the back of his mind. As ridiculous as it is, he can't help but latch onto that thought, and at the very least weigh his options. As crazy as it sounds, the more he thinks about it, the more the notion starts to make sense. In his hands, Iwaizumi cradles a newborn baby girl whom, to put as bluntly as possible, is unwanted by the people who gave her life, and want so little to do with her that they're going as far as to be uncooperative with the agency that can relieve them of parenthood, while the man holding her would do anything he could to take her home now. It seems like quite the conundrum, but perhaps it doesn't have to be that way.
Before Oikawa has the chance to really think it through, his legs are moving on their own accord down the corridor, stopping just short of the patient room where he knows Matsukawa and Hanamaki are still at square one in terms of getting the information they need.
"Look," he listens to the father speak from the hallway, "we can't care for this baby, so we're handing her over to you. We weren't even going to come here originally for the birth, but the pain became unbearable for my girlfriend, and I was afraid I might lose her…" he trails off.
"And what were you going to do with the baby then, without having anyone to come and take her away?" Oikawa can tell Matsukawa is trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible, and normally he's never one to judge or make any sort of accusation, but this case, in particular, seems to rub him the wrong way, and it's obvious that he's struggling to keep the icy tone out of his voice. "Do not tell me you had planned to leave her at the agency's doorstep in the dead of night."
Both visibly blanch at that, and he can tell that neither of them had thought this far in advance. But with this knowledge, Oikawa doesn't need to hear any more. Without further preamble, he steps into the room, looking straight at the would-be parents.
"There is another option." His voice is cool and confident, as if he knows exactly what he's doing.
Hanamaki and Matsukawa both turn in his direction and give him twin looks of surprise. Normally there isn't 'another' option, and they all know it. For a lack of better words, Oikawa's gone rogue, and he's totally off the books. Oikawa's had to deal with this situation a fair amount of times in the past, and he knows there's a set protocol in place, one he's quite familiar with, but that's not stopping him from taking matters into his own hands this time around.
"You could leave, without signing any forms, without any kind of payment or proof of insurance coverage, and without the baby," he pauses, "if that's what you want?"
They stare at him for the longest time, as if they can't believe someone is willing to give them the out they desire. Oikawa has a difficult time coming to terms with it as well, but if they're truly sincere in their wish to leave scot-free, and if he has the means to make it happen, then why shouldn't he?
The look in their eyes makes their bewilderment all too apparent, but ever-so-slowly, they both nod at him, as it seems they've both lost the ability to speak.
"You can do that?" The woman finally asks, however her voice is soft and difficult to hear.
"I can," he reiterates, "as long as you know that this process is totally irreversible and that by refusing to even provide us with any sort of contact information, you're forfeiting the right to an open adoption." He throws those words in to make the conversation sound official.
"How?"
Before Oikawa can respond, Matsukawa clears his throat and gives him a look that tells Oikawa that he understands what he's going for. After all, both he and Hanamaki are all too aware of his and Iwaizumi's adoption troubles, and given his line of work, he knows Matsukawa might know how they could get away with this.
"We'll need a paternal DNA sample."
"A hair sample from you," Hanamaki clarifies, pointing to the father when it becomes evident that neither of them understands what Matsukawa's asking for.
"And that's all?" The man inquires. Understandably, there's a slight hint of skepticism in his voice.
"Yes," Oikawa chimes in. "We won't be pressing you for information anymore, however, I am going to ask that you stay under observation for at least the next couple of hours." The woman goes even paler upon hearing this, but Oikawa quickly rectifies the situation before she can interject. "To make sure you'll be all right. Please, you must be exhausted after going through labor and childbirth. Give yourself some time to rest."
His explanation seems to pacify them both, and with that, it seems that they've all come to a mutual understanding and agreement.
"Thank you, Sensei."
"No need, it's what I do." Oikawa gives them a cordial smile and turns away, intent on going to check with Iwaizumi and explain what he's done, but before he can leave, the woman's voice stops him once more.
"The baby," the woman starts, but then trails off for a second. Oikawa can tell that whatever she wants to know makes her incredibly nervous. "Will she be all right?"
A small, yet genuine smile graces Oikawa's lips as he looks her directly in the eyes. "Rest assured, I will personally see that she ends up in good hands." He doesn't bother explaining that the baby they've given up will be the luckiest girl in the world with having Iwaizumi as her father, as it's probably not the best idea to admit to anything that's not on the up and up.
Fortunately, his answer seems to satisfy her.
"So now that that's been taken care of, I think we can leave you two to rest. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." His departure is a little rushed, but he has to get out of there now; he can't keep this from Iwaizumi any longer. If any additional issues pertaining to this couple should arise, he's confident Matsukawa and Hanamaki can handle it.
Making his way back to the nursery, Oikawa finds Iwaizumi still cradling the sleeping infant in his arms. To the side, he sees a bottle of baby formula prepared and ready to go. Without fail, Iwaizumi always makes one, just in case the mother isn't prepared for when the baby wakes up and requires nourishment. Without saying anything, he strolls over to a small filing cabinet and pulls out a blank birth certificate and goes over to sit down with Iwaizumi.
"You want to keep her." His eyes soften upon seeing Iwaizumi's bright smile as he rocks the baby back and forth in his arms.
"I do," Iwaizumi admits quietly before looking up at him. "Is the mother ready to see her baby?"
"No." Setting the birth certificate on the table, he pulls a pen from the pocket of his shirt. "She won't ever be ready." He admits that came out a lot more cryptic than he intended for, but to his chagrin, he's discovered that outright telling Iwaizumi that they're keeping this baby is more difficult than he had anticipated, so instead of saying anything, he clicks the pen and starts writing Iwaizumi's name in the first section to list the parents and puts his own name down a second later, all while Iwaizumi's watching.
"What are you doing?" He looks at him like he's lost his mind. "That's not-"
"Legal?" he cuts Iwaizumi off. "Matsukawa's here, and you know exactly what that means." He continues when Iwaizumi doesn't respond. "I think that in some instances, the legal course of action isn't necessarily the right one."
Iwaizumi grows pensive for a bit. Under any other circumstance, he might have made a joke about how Iwaizumi might hurt himself if he keeps thinking so hard, but this time the thought to do so doesn't even occur to him. This is a huge decision, and even though Oikawa knows what's in Iwaizumi's heart, that doesn't always guarantee the decision he'll ultimately make, so he waits for Iwaizumi with baited breath, letting him think the issue through.
"I know," he says after a while. In the blink of an eye, his expression turns from thoughtful to completely serious. "If we're caught, we'll lose more than the baby."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Oikawa's reply is decisive and full of confidence.
"Makki and Mattsun-"
"Are going to be the best uncles in the world," Oikawa interjects again, and continues on without giving Iwaizumi the chance to say anything else. "Mattsun's already thought of everything, I'll explain the details to you later."
"They're in on this too?" Iwaizumi huffs and stares at him in total disbelief, and after a few seconds, Oikawa starts to wonder whether he's grown two heads, or sprouted some other form of tumorous extension that's worthy of the incredulous look Iwaizumi's giving him right now. "I don't want to drag them down with us," he all but hisses in a low whisper.
"And you think I do?" Oikawa frowns. "I know what we're doing, I know the legal ramifications if we're found out, and I know I shouldn't have barged in on Makki and Mattsun's work, but you saw the parents, and how young and scared they were. You know they're not going to be able to give her the life she deserves." He reaches out to the small bundle in Iwaizumi's hold and runs a gentle hand through the baby's soft hair. He can't help but note how peaceful the infant looks under Iwaizumi's care, as if she already knows who her real father is. "But we can."
Again, Iwaizumi goes quiet after that and looks back down to the newborn in his arms.
"I can't believe it," he lets out after a period of silence.
"Can't believe what?"
"This," Iwaizumi rocks the baby back and forth in his strong arms again, "this is actually happening."
Oikawa nods. "Not exactly how we thought things would turn out, but this is real." He reaches out to gently caress the infant's forehead once more. "She's real, and she's ours."
"Not only that, but," Iwaizumi pauses for a moment, looking like he's unsure of what he wants to say, "I wouldn't be able to make this choice without you."
"You think I could do it without you?" Try as he might, there's a certain amount of disbelief in his voice that he can't get rid of. "I couldn't even raise a child without you, let alone steal one from the nursery, even if it was supposed to go to an orphanage."
"You could."
"I could not," he repeats himself, like saying it again will prove him correct. "You know me better than anyone. I'm spastic enough by myself, can you imagine me taking care of this baby girl on my own?" He gestures to the small bundle Iwaizumi has in his arms.
To his surprise, that earns him a smile.
"You would bend over backward to make sure she's happy," Iwaizumi says, reaching out with the arm that's not supporting the baby and taking ahold of Oikawa's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"And drive myself mad if I was doing it on my own," he mutters, but nevertheless tightens his grip on Iwaizumi's hand in turn. "You're my pillar, Hajime. I wouldn't be able to do any of this," he gestures around them, signifying that he's including every aspect of his life when he says this, "without you."
"Stop that." Oikawa can tell from his tone that the only thing separating Iwaizumi's hand from the back of his head is the baby he's fairly certain Iwaizumi will never let go of. "You are so much more than you let yourself take credit for."
Oikawa lets out a soft hum that tells Iwaizumi he's listening, but otherwise remains silent as his gaze falls to their new daughter, before reaching out to caress her cheek. "She's beautiful."
"I couldn't agree more." After a moment of silence, Iwaizumi gives a slight nod to the birth certificate. "Given any thought to a name?"
"I don't know," Oikawa taps his chin in thought. "What do you think?"
"I want you to name her."
Oikawa goes silent for a moment and starts really thinking about what they should call their daughter. He'd gotten his hopes up so many times in the past that he's never really allowed himself to consider a name, doing something like that made everything far too real. After a long moment, he finally looks back up at Iwaizumi.
"Rei."
"Rei?"
"Iwaizumi Rei," he clarifies with absolute certainty in his voice.
Iwaizumi looks as if he's about to say something, but pauses for a few seconds. "Are you sure?"
"You said you wanted me to name her." Oikawa frowns.
Iwaizumi blinks, making it look like he can't believe what he's hearing. "I didn't mean-"
"But it's perfect." Oikawa interrupts, making his statement loud, clear, and if he's lucky, impossible to argue.
If Iwaizumi was smiling before, he's practically beaming at this point. "It is," he finally concedes.
With Iwaizumi's blessing, he writes Rei's full name on the birth certificate in the same fancy scrawl he used for theirs. "I know I said I'd fill you in on the details later, but long story short, we're going to make it look like you're the biological father."
A thousand and one questions flicker through Iwaizumi's dark green eyes, though none of those inquiries pass through his lips; Oikawa's grateful for that, as he's not sure he has all the answers. He's sure that Matsukawa has spared them the specifics for the time being, and that they'll be getting to the nitty-gritty of it all soon enough, but for now, they've got their hands full with taking care of the most urgent details and getting acquainted with the fact that they're parents now. After years of being passed up by agency after agency, they've finally created a family all their own.
Just then Matsukawa and Hanamaki come into the room.
"They've left," Hanamaki informs them as he pulls up a chair next to Iwaizumi and focuses in on Rei, already making promises on how he's going to spoil her rotten.
Oikawa looks at his watch. "Twenty minutes. Two hours, what's the difference?" Truth be known, he's not exactly pleased that they went against his professional advice and left so soon, but he can't force them or any other patient to listen to him. All he can do now is be thankful for what they've given him, and wish them the best.
Matsukawa, unlike Hanamaki, still wears a serious expression as he sits down next to Oikawa, and hands him a small plastic bag that contains three strands of hair, obviously belonging to the biological father.
"Keep it somewhere safe," he tells Oikawa without further explanation.
"What's the hair for?" Iwaizumi asks.
Matsukawa directs his attention over to Iwaizumi. "Protection, in case certain agencies come snooping around, wondering if things are, you know, kosher. If you're ever asked for a paternity test, all you two will have to do is give this hair sample, say it's yours, and this will prove it."
"And that's all you need?" he asks incredulously.
Matsukawa shrugs. "I could've asked for a mouth swab, but getting and keeping hair requires less work."
"You can do that?" both he and Iwaizumi ask in unison.
"Why not? They won't sit around and watch Iwaizumi pluck his own hair out, you'll get to present the sample on your own," Matsukawa explains. Of course, there's still so much more they need to know, but right now, they both take solace in the knowledge that they can really do this.
"I don't know how to thank you for this," Oikawa says after a bit. He wants to say more, he doesn't feel as if he's showing the full extent of how grateful he really is, but at the moment, he's at a complete loss.
A soft sigh escapes Matsukawa's lips. "In my line of work, I see this exact situation happen more often than I'd like, and trust me, if that baby goes with me, she's going to get lost in the system. I hate this part of the job, so when the opportunity presented itself and I understood what you were going for, I just went with it."
No one says anything after that for the longest time, until Hanamaki, with his supreme ability to lighten any atmosphere, turns to Oikawa and asks: "So is your phone full of pictures of Iwaizumi holding your daughter yet?"
"Ah!" Oikawa pulls out his phone out and slides it open. "I haven't even taken one photo yet!"
"Slacker," Matsukawa teases as Hanamaki swipes his phone away and they both push Oikawa over to Iwaizumi and Rei. "Get in there, Dad. The first one has to have both of you in it."
Several pictures later, Oikawa's jaw hurts from smiling so much, but he can't help it. He's just so happy with Iwaizumi and Rei, that it's not until he gets his phone back to inspect the album that he realizes how truly wonderful this is. Going through the pictures, he sees that gorgeous spark in Iwaizumi's eyes with every scroll - not only does he have that look captured on film, but now he knows the glimmer will never leave Iwaizumi again, and that, brings him the most joy of all.