AN: I hit a wall with my other fic, so I wrote some sad iwaoi to break it. Mostly sad, also kinda fluffy. This is my first Haikyuu! fic, most likely the first of many.
Disclaimer: I wouldn't dream of stealing these children from Furudate, but I will borrow them and make them cry. Sorry. Also, like I said, this was inspire by some of viria's art, which I will link on my profile if you're interested.
The day Iwa-chan went on vacation was the day Oikawa's world ended. Oikawa sat on his porch, watching the Iwazumi's load luggage into their car. Iwa-chan was helping, of course, his little arms supporting the weight of backpacks and blankets. They were going camping for a week, and it would be the longest Iwa-chan had ever been away. Iwa-chan didn't seem to care about the time, too excited for the trip to notice that Oikawa was dying. He didn't even to stop to look over as he worked and it drove Oikawa crazy.
As they finished loading their things, Iwa-chan's mom looked over and noticed the boy sniffling. Iwa-chan's mom had always been like an aunt to him, she could read his moods almost as well as her son could. Right now, it seemed she could tell Oikawa was unhappy to be left alone, and she gave him a sympathetic look.
She took the bags from Iwa-chan's arms and gestured to Oikawa. "Hajime, go say goodbye to Tooru, okay?"
Iwa-chan glanced over, as if realizing Oikawa was there for the first time, and sighed with all the exasperation a seven year old could manage. He hopped over into Oikawa's yard, stomping up the pavement in his yellow shoes that were just a little too big for his feet. Oikawa didn't look at him, instead looking down and tugging on his shirt.
"Hey, Trashikawa, are you going to say goodbye?" Iwa-chan demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning.
"...bye." Oikawa sniffled again, his farewell halfhearted at best.
Iwa-chan rolled his eyes, dropping down onto his knees so he could look Oikawa in the face. Oikawa tried to look away but Iwa-chan wouldn't let him, clamping his hands onto Oikawa's cheeks and holding his head still.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothin'." Oikawa's voice was as smushed as his face, pouting and stubborn.
Iwa-chan sighed again, dropping his hands. "Whatever. Bye."
He moved to get up and Oikawa panicked. Throwing himself off the porch and at Iwa-chan, Oikawa felt the tears finally flowing free from his eyes. He wrapped his arms around his friend's back, fingers digging into the soft material of his tank top. Iwa-chan seemed startled at first, then moved his arms to hug Oikawa back.
"Don't leave me Iwa-chan!" Oikawa hiccuped, tears and snot flowing down his face.
He felt more than heard the huff of Iwa-chan's laugh, and his arms tightened around him. "It's only a week, idiot. I'll be back soon."
Oikawa blubbered some more, sniffling into Iwa-chan's shirt. Eventually, he pulled away, wiping furiously at his face to get rid of the tears. He only succeeded in rubbing them around his cheeks.
Iwa-chan snorted at him. "You're an ugly crier."
"Mean! Iwa-chan's mean!"
Iwa-chan stood up, standing tall over Oikawa for moment before reaching out to pull the other boy up. He held his hand, giving it a quick little squeeze.
"We can watch more of that show you like when I get back, okay?"
Oikawa lit up, smiling toothily. "Really?"
"Yeah." Iwa-chan glanced away, looking a little embarrassed.
"Okay!" Oikawa nodded eagerly, then gave a little sigh. "But you have to leave first."
Iwa-chan punched his arm, gently, but Oikawa still yipped in alarm. "Obviously, idiot."
"Mean..." Oikawa rubbed his arm with his free hand. "Bye Iwa-chan."
"Bye, Trashikawa."
They stood a moment, neither one moving.
"Iwa-chan, are you gonna let go of my hand?"
"Shut up!" Iwa-chan wrenched his hand away, turning scarlet.
Oikawa laughed, a bubbling thing, and waved as his friend ran back to the car. He waved as they drove down the street and around the corner and stood in his front yard for a long time, watching the road. Iwa-chan would be back in a week, and they could play again then. Satisfied in this knowledge, Oikawa went back inside his house to wait.
Oikawa sat in his room, head bowed over a textbook. There was still so much to do, tests to take and applications to fill out. He knew he was probably overworking himself, but that was better than the alternative. Which was, of course, thinking about that last match with Karasuno and the fact that volleyball was over. Oikawa's head hurt from staring at the pages and his eyes were getting tired, but still, it was better.
He moved his leg out from under him, stretching it out and winced. Oikawa's knee had always given him trouble, ever since he started serving. He'd pushed it that last game, probably straining it more than he should have. Even with his brace, it still hurt like hell and he shuddered as he rubbed the joint.
Oikawa's phone buzzed and he startled, grabbing it up to check the newest message.
Why is your light still on? It's almost midnight, go to bed.
Iwa-chan, of course. Oikawa huffed and ignored it, instead reaching over to close his blinds. If he couldn't see it the lights, than Iwa-chan couldn't complain. His phone pinged with another message.
Really Shittykawa?
Oikawa ignored that too, rubbing at his eyes and turning back to the textbook. He'd go to sleep eventually, there was just more he needed to get done that night. That's all.
Not even five minutes later, Oikawa's door opened to reveal a very irritated looking Iwazumi. He was wearing sweats and a t-shirt, his pajamas, and hadn't even bothered to put on slippers when he came in. Despite his stony look, something about his barefeet and sleep clothes made him look...soft. Oikawa turned away from him quickly, stopping his staring to look back at his book.
That was another problem. Iwa-chan lived next door, they had almost all their classes together, but Oikawa avoided spending time with him as much a possible. They were both planning to go to college, Oikawa for sports and Iwa-chan for something medical, but it didn't look like they were going to go to the same one. Oikawa rationalized that it would be easier to pull away now, to get used to not being around his childhood friend everyday. And, if he didn't see him, Oikawa could ignore the way his heart picked up when Iwa-chan was around, and the way he felt strange and light.
"What's up, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa filled his voice with a false lilt, trying to sound normal as he turned his head to face him.
Iwazumi crossed his arms (his arms) and looked generally unimpressed. "I told you to go to bed."
"I have some more work to do tonight." Oikawa responded, and it was honest.
"Bullshit."
Oikawa turned again and frowned, listening as Iwa-chan moved from the doorway to the bed, plopping down on the alien print bedding. He could feel the eyes on the bag of his head and resisted the urge to scratch his neck, or worse, look over at Iwazumi. Instead he continued working, copying down equations until his hands hurt. Iwa-chan stayed quiet, just sitting and watching.
"Is your knee hurting again?" He asked, and Oikawa hadn't even noticed that he'd been rubbing it.
"Not too bad." Oikawa lied. "I just need to rest it for a bit."
"You should probably do some PT, just to make sure it doesn't strain."
Too late. Oikawa thought, but instead turned to face Iwa-chan. "Are you my mom, Iwa-chan?"
It was a low jib, he knew, something that never failed to get a rise out of the spiky haired teen. But something must have shown in Oikawa's face that gave him away. Iwazumi had always been too good at reading him, able to see through the confident exterior to see Oikawa's doubts and worries underneath. He frowned, more concerned than angry.
Iwazumi leaned back against the wall, raising his head to look up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that Oikawa had never taken down. "Do you remember when we were little, and I went on vacation and you sat on your porch and pouted?"
There was something gentle about his voice and Oikawa wished he hadn't heard it.
"Not really." And that was a lie too, he remembered that evening all to well.
"You were halfway to tears and wouldn't even say goodbye properly until I was about to go, and then you cried all over me." Iwazumi was still looking up and Oikawa found himself distracted by the movement in his throat.
"Oh?"
"Yeah." Iwa-chan nodded. "I remember you asking me not to leave, and I had to bribe you by promising to watch X-files when I got back."
"I made you watch three seasons." Oikawa recalled and Iwazumi didn't seem surprised that he remembered.
"If you're worried about something, just tell me." Iwa-chan looked at him.
Oikawa stared back, unsure. Was it that easy? He'd never had a difficult time talking to Iwa-chan before, so now should be no different. Oikawa stood, slowly, and moved to the bed, curling his knees under him as he sat down. Instead of looking at Iwa-chan, he watched his own hands shaking in his lap.
"Volleyball is over." Oikawa said simply.
Iwa-chan nodded, encouraging. "And?"
"And...high school is almost over. And soon we'll be going to college and playing again but you'll be somewhere else, playing with new people and I won't see you as much because we'll both be busy with school and life and-" Oikawa could feel the tears spilling over, "...and I don't want you to leave me."
The other teen stared at him for a moment, and Oikawa shifted under his gaze, tears still rolling down his face. Suddenly, Iwa-chan reached out, grabbing Oikawa and pulling into a hug. Oikawa buried his head in Iwazumi's neck, gasping sobs against his skin. He could feel Iwa-chan's hands on his back, rubbing soothing circles.
After the match, he hadn't let himself cry. It was safer that way, to be the pillar his broken teammates leaned against, to ignore his own feels. Even Iwa-chan had been guilty and upset. Oikawa hadn't let himself feel anything, being strong for his team instead. But now, in the pain of defeat and the fear of losing his best friend, Oikawa let himself cry and be held.
"I'm not going anywhere." Iwazumi murmured and Oikawa cried harder, grasping his shirt.
Evenally, the sobs subsided and they sat together as Oikawa hiccuped. Iwa-chan still rubbed his back, letting him calm down and compose himself. Leaning back, Oikawa sniffled and stared at Iwazumi who gave him a small smile in return.
"You're still an ugly crier, y'know." Iwa-chan raised a hand to wipe tears off Oikawa's cheek, leaving his hand to cradle his face.
"Mean Iwa-chan." Oikawa replied, but it was breathy and small.
"Even if we go to different schools, I'm not going to stop picking up the phone and watching dumb TV with you, okay?"
"...okay." Oikawa didn't meet his eyes.
"Tooru." Iwa-chan said seriously, turning his head to catch his eyes. "I mean it."
Shuddering at his first name, Oikawa nodded. "Alright."
"Do you know why?" Iwa-chan asked suddenly.
"Because of my charm and good looks?" Oikawa tried, his usual bravado lackluster.
"No." Iwazumi rolled his eyes. "It's because I love you, idiot."
Oikawa's hands tightened on Iwa-chan's shirt. "O-oh."
"And now," Iwa-chan glanced down at Oikawa's mouth then back up at his eyes, "I'm going to kiss you. Okay?"
"Uh-"
He was cut off by Iwa-chan pressing his lips to his mouth, softly at first, and harder when Oikawa pressed back. It was strange and awkward, but it still left Oikawa breathless. Something about kissing Iwa-chan, kissing the boy he'd known for most of his life, felt so inexplicably right. Iwazumi pulled away, his face growing red as Oikawa stared at him in awe.
"You're supposed to say something..." Iwa-chan turned more red, looking uncertain all of the sudden.
"Me too!" OIkawa blurted, getting a confused look. "That is...I love you too."
"Oh, uh. Good."
They watched at each other, both blinking slowly.
"Iwa-chan, are you going to keep holding my face?"
"Shut up!" Iwazumi tried to pull away but Oikawa grabbed his hand and held it there.
"No, it's nice."
Iwa-chan huffed, then laughed. Oikawa smiled hugely, genuinely, and started to laugh to, still holding Iwazumi's hand to his cheek. They laughed together, then Oikawa surged forward, kissing Iwa-chan again and again as he laughed against his mouth.
"We're going to still be together, even when we go to different schools." Iwazumi told him later, as they're sitting in Oikawa's bed.
Oikawa tilted his head back to look at him. "Yeah. We are."