A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first time writing for Haikyuu! I previously wrote for Kuroko's Basketball. I absolutely adore IwaOi and have always wanted to write about them. This idea popped up after rewatching 17 Again (you know, the one with Zac Efron?) and I simply had to write this AU. In case you didn't catch it in the summary, Oikawa and Iwaizumi are 31 years old here. I hope you all will enjoy this!

10 Years Ago

Stretching his arm across his chest, Oikawa scans the crowd for a certain someone, knowing that he wouldn't find who he's looking for. After all, Iwaizumi did tell him he was sitting for an important job interview today. It was an interview that could kickstart his career favourably and Iwaizumi had been preparing for it for weeks.

Oikawa goes up to the net when it's his turn to set. His teammates come running up to practise their spikes for the game that's starting in 10 minutes and Oikawa goes through with the motion, eyes trained and arms in position even though his mind is not so much in the game.

Iwaizumi's going to be a teacher. He'll be teaching sports science and management after he finishes his degree in Nippon Sports Science University. He's going to start teaching in high schools and then work his way up to eventually teach in a university. Because of his career intentions, he has already started looking for employment even though he's still a junior. Oikawa loves that about him. Ambitious, forward-looking and dependable Iwa-chan.

He notices one of their reserves miss his timing and adjusts his own to set the volleyball precisely in the other boy's palms. They meet perfectly and the ball slams loudly on the court as he flashes Oikawa a surprised beam. Oikawa smirks perfunctorily and continues to set to Kuroo Tetsurou, their middle blocker, this time.

So while he's happy for Iwaizumi and so, so proud of him, Oikawa can't help but feel the gloom stirring inside him because of Iwaizumi's absence. He really wanted Iwaizumi to be here, because this was his first official match after being put on the starting line-up and Iwaizumi's presence always made him feel steadier, even if he was not on the court with him.

After graduating from high school, Oikawa had been scouted to join the national volleyball team for Japan and is also currently studying in Tokyo. He and Iwaizumi had been sharing an apartment ever since and Oikawa honestly thinks he hit the jackpot to be able to wake up next to Iwaizumi every morning. So he tries hard not to think about the fact that if Iwaizumi lands the job, he would have to move to Osaka while he stays in Tokyo to pursue his professional volleyball career. It would be the first time they'd be apart ever since they knew each other when they were kids.

But now isn't the time to mull over such matters. Oikawa shoves the blues away, resolving to do his best and prove that putting him on the starting line-up is the best damn decision the national team ever made.

The whistle blows and Oikawa jogs to the other side of the court. As he faces his palms towards the ceiling, ball light against his skin, a lone figure striding into the gym amidst a crowd full of spectators catches his eye.

"Iwa-chan?"

Iwaizumi already has his eyes on Oikawa and when their eyes lock, he waves him over. Oikawa doesn't bother to suppress the joy bubbling in his chest. Even now, Iwaizumi still manages to make his heart race. He quickly looks around for the team's other setter.

"Takahashi! Cover for me!" he whispers loudly once he finds him. "I need to go to the washroom."

"What, now?" Takahashi asks incredulously even as he receives the ball from Oikawa.

"Yes now! Cover for me."

"Okay okay. Hurry up."

"Thank you!" Oikawa says and rushes off in the direction of the locker rooms where he saw Iwaizumi head to.

Oikawa sprints through the corridors in search for Iwaizumi, a hundred thoughts running through his mind but clouded by the mix of elation and worry.

"I'm over here," Iwaizumi's rough voice calls out as Oikawa misses a corner.

"Iwa-chan!" he exclaims and engulfs his boyfriend in a giant hug, hitting his back against the wall.

"Ow…" Iwaizumi murmurs but otherwise circles his arms around Oikawa's red uniform.

Before he's able to get any words out of his mouth, Oikawa rattles off like a bullet train. "Iwa-chan, what are you doing here?! What about the interview?! Did you finish it? How did it go?"

Iwaizumi looks up at Oikawa with an endearing expression and breathes before answering, "I'm not considering the job."

It takes Oikawa a moment to process that information. Iwaizumi might as well have said that he ate ramen for lunch.

"What?! Why?!"

The exclamation doesn't faze Iwaizumi at all, he had anticipated such a reaction from Oikawa. So he calmly explains, "I decided I'm going to stay in Tokyo with you."

Oikawa sputters before he's able to form legible words. "But it's such a good opportunity! The school's renowned, the pay's not bad and they even have an affiliated university you can apply to in the future."

As Oikawa lists all the reasons Iwaizumi should have gone for the interview, the reason Iwaizumi gave for staying becomes more incomprehensible to him.

"So why?" Oikawa finishes, head cocked to one side.

As opposed to Oikawa's mess of emotions, Iwaizumi's are certain and unwavering.

"So many questions," Iwaizumi starts and holds Oikawa's wrist. "Just because I love you okay? If I do get the job, I'd be so far away."

"Just like that?" Oikawa breathes, incredulity evident in his voice. "You'd give it up for me?"

"For us," he corrects. "I…want a future where you're right next to me."

Oikawa doesn't say anything. He wants to tell Iwaizumi a hundred things, like how he's elated to know that Iwaizumi would stay, how fortunate he is to have him, how he doesn't deserve the sacrifices he makes but will still selfishly accept them regardless.

But how do you say all that when your heart's pounding like a jackhammer, when your mind's jumbled up and you feel as if you're invincible as long as the person before you is with you? Then Oikawa realizes that there are indeed a few words that can encapsulate these emotions.

When he finds his voice, Oikawa says breathlessly, "God Iwa-chan, I love you so damn much."

Iwaizumi smiles that rare smile and says, "I love you too."

He dips his fingers to lace them with Oikawa's and holds them gently. Oikawa feels that he could hand Iwaizumi his whole world and be sure that he'd be safe. Maybe he already has.

Iwaizumi catches Oikawa's gaze and tells him, "You've got me, you know that right?"

"I know," he replies firmly. "You've got me too."

"Now go back on the court and show 'em."

When Oikawa returns to the court with newfound confidence, even his coach is amazed. Before the game starts, Oikawa turns to the stands where Iwaizumi is seated behind his group of fans who are screaming and cheering away. With a cheeky grin, he presses a kiss to the tips of his fingers, throws it in the air like he's serving and pretends to spike it into the stands, right where Iwaizumi sits.

It sends his fans into hysteria, who obliviously thought it was fanservice meant for them. But Iwaizumi knew better. He rolls his eyes and smirks, but catches it in his palm anyway.

Today

"You're late."

Oikawa meets Iwaizumi's glare with his own haughty expression as he closes the door behind him with a little more force than necessary. He shrugs off his coat and dumps it carelessly over the back of the swivel chair, plopping himself on the cushion and folding his arms.

"You know I don't even want to be here right?" Oikawa retorts.

Iwaizumi purses his lips and takes a deep breath to calm himself. The guy arrives to the lawyers' office half an hour late, which Iwaizumi knows he did on purpose, and still has the gall to act childishly in front of them. Collecting himself, Iwaizumi decides now is not the time for a confrontation. He's dealt with that far too often.

Fortunately, the main lawyer handling their divorce proceedings, Akaashi Keiji, breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"Shall we get started then?" Akaashi asks and sifts through a few papers on the glass desk. "The purpose of this meeting is to confirm what was discussed and decided upon previously. We'll go through the terms and if both parties are agreeable, you can sign on the document and then it is official."

"Just like that?" Oikawa asks, unfolding his arms and sitting up.

"Yes," Akaashi affirms. "It's a simple and fuss-free procedure."

Oikawa scoffs and leans back in his chair. "And you'd think it'd be more troublesome considering what we had to go through to get married. It's like some people just forget what it took to get this far."

He deliberately slants his eyes at Iwaizumi, who glowers back but tears his gaze away.

Akaashi's eyes shift from Iwaizumi to Oikawa, the tenseness in the room almost palpable. He glances at his fellow colleagues before clearing his throat.

"It would do all parties well if it was a swift process," Akaashi replies professionally.

"And if I don't agree?" Oikawa interjects.

"I'm sorry?"

"If I don't agree with the terms?"

"We don't see a reason for you to disagree with them. We've been through the terms previously and these were what were decided upon."

"Maybe I changed my mind?" Oikawa says flippantly.

"Tooru," Iwaizumi warns.

The setter shoots Iwaizumi a challenging glance and instructs Akaashi, "Go ahead then."

"We'll go over the terms for the joint assets first," Akaashi begins. "Iwaizumi-san, Oikawa-san, you have one joint asset, which is your property. Since the law does not allow for joint ownership for unmarried individuals, either one of you could transfer your ownership to the other, or you can sell the house. Previously, both of you decided to adopt the second option: to sell the house. Do both—"

"Objection," Oikawa interrupts.

"Oikawa-san, this is not a court proceeding—"

"I don't want to sell the house," Oikawa cuts in with childish impudence.

"Tooru, what are you talking about?" Iwaizumi asks in frustration. "We've already decided—"

"Well I've changed my mind. I don't want to sell the house," Oikawa repeats firmly.

"May we inquire the reason?" Akaashi asks.

"Because I just don't want to!" Oikawa exclaims, feelings of frustration and fear threatening to break the dam in his chest. "It's our house! We bought it with our hard-earned money. We re-modelled it together. We spent so much of our time in it together. And now you just want to sell it like it meant nothing? I don't agree and I won't sign this paper."

"Oikawa-san, if you—"

"Fine," it was Iwaizumi's voice that interrupts this time. "You can have the house."

The weariness in his voice is evident, like he has spent all his energy dealing with this and all he wants is to get it over with. Oikawa is left dumbfounded, because he never expected Iwaizumi to concede with his selfish request so easily. He was just trying to stall the whole thing. What else could he do, when Iwaizumi seemed so adamant about severing ties with him? What else could he do to make him stay?

"…What?" Oikawa breathes out.

"You don't want to sell the house right?" Iwaizumi asks quietly. "Then don't. You can keep it. I'll transfer my ownership to you. What else do you want? Name your terms and I'll agree to them."

"Iwa-chan…"

"Just don't—don't make this anymore difficult than it already is."

A piercing silence fills the room as one waits for this to end and the other wishes it will not. It is after a few moments that Akaashi speaks.

"Iwaizumi-san, Oikawa-san, perhaps it is a good idea to postpone this meeting," he suggests. "In the meantime, we can amend the terms to reflect the changes in the ownership of the property and go over the terms again when things are more…settled."

Iwaizumi responds after a while and pinches the bridge of his nose, "Alright."

"Then I will arrange another meeting," he says and packs his materials.

"Could you give us a moment?" Iwaizumi requests.

"Of course," he says and hastens his packing slightly.

When the lawyers have left Iwaizumi and Oikawa are alone in the room, Iwaizumi sighs.

"Why are you being like this?"

The question, uttered tiredly and chidingly, rubs Oikawa the wrong way. Why was he the one getting blamed and scolded when all he wants is to not get divorced? It all seems so unfair.

"Like what?" he starts defensively. "Like I'm the only one trying to save our marriage?"

Iwaizumi clicks his tongue in frustration. "What you did is not saving our marriage at all!"

"And you are?!" Oikawa snaps, brown eyes swimming with anger. "You're the one who called for this divorce in the first place! I don't want this! Did you finally get sick and tired of me and decided to end things?!"

Oikawa's accusation cuts Iwaizumi like a knife. His voice is strained when he answers, "That's not how it is at all. You know that."

"No. I don't," Oikawa bites back. "Because you're acting as if the last 20 years meant nothing to you at all."

He can see the hurt in Iwaizumi's eyes, but he can't seem to stop himself. It did not seem fair that Iwaizumi could end their relationship like that, when it would absolutely destroy him once it did.

"I thought we had each other," he grits out.

The pain in Iwaizumi's eyes is unmistakable and Oikawa feels the waves of guilt for putting it there.

"You just don't get it do you?" Iwaizumi asks softly. Oikawa doesn't think he's seen him look so vulnerable before.

Iwaizumi grabs his belongings and heads for the door. There is nothing more to say. Perhaps they've been together for too long to continue staying with each other. It's as if their red strings of fate have tangled into knots that will only go away if the string is cut.

Iwaizumi stands at the door, his hand gripping the cold metal of the handle. He doesn't turn around, because if he does, he knows he cannot bring himself to leave once he sees the look on Oikawa's face.

Oikawa's voice is broken when he chokes, "Hajime—"

"Goodbye Oikawa."

"See you next practice!"

"Whaaat? You're not joining us for drinks? It's cheat day!"

"Nah, I got a date!"

"Ah…must be nice having a girlfriend."

"Shut up, you have a girlfriend too!"

Laughter fills the locker room of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym but Oikawa feels disconnected, like he's hearing voices underwater. He might as well be. His body feels so heavy, like there's something pulling him down. His sluggish condition doesn't go unnoticed by his coach and teammates, who call him out on his lacklustre performance at practice today. He manages to get away with the lie that he's feeling under the weather, only because he honestly looks like shit.

To have to lie to his coach and team makes it even worse, but it's not like he could tell anyone the true reason behind his dejection. Nobody on the team knew he was married to Iwaizumi. Nobody except Kuroo, who found out about their relationship by accident. Even though they've been married for 3 years, Oikawa wanted to keep it hushed because of his reputation in the field. Looks like he didn't have to do that anymore. It brought him zero comfort.

As he wipes himself down with a towel absentmindedly and pulls a clean t-shirt over his head, Oikawa realizes he's the only one left in the locker room. With a heavy sigh, he closes his locker door but stops short when a faded photograph catches his attention.

It hangs juxtaposed among the other colourful pictures, a testament of how old it was compared to the rest. With desaturated colours and a folded corner, the picture depicts Oikawa and Iwaizumi when they were 7 or 8, he really can't remember, but they were smiling toothy grins with Oikawa throwing up a peace sign. That was when they first started playing volleyball together, Oikawa becoming enamoured when he saw it on TV and Iwaizumi following in his best friend's footsteps, not knowing he'd be the best kind of ace.

Normally, looking at the picture brings him nostalgia. But looking at it now just depresses him. He'd known Iwaizumi since he was little. They'd become friends, lovers and husbands. They've gone through so much together and they've gotten so far. And now, just like that, they were going to separate? Oikawa couldn't—wouldn't believe it.

Oikawa refuses to believe that Iwaizumi was lying when he told him he had him.

Rubbing his tired face with his hand, the setter backs up until his calves hit the bench, landing on the wood with a loud thud.

"Why the long face?"

"What the fuck!"

Oikawa practically jumps in his seat, his heart skipping a beat or two at the sudden fright he got from this stranger who seemingly appeared out of thin air. He puts his palm on his chest, feeling the thuds and willing himself to calm down. Half-pissed and half-embarrassed, Oikawa eyes the stranger standing at his opened locker door warily.

"Who the hell are you?" he questions rather rudely, but he was not in the mood for pleasantries.

"You can't tell?" he says blandly, gesturing towards his uniform and the yellow wringer trolley beside him.

"You look a little young to be a janitor," Oikawa retorts, noting that this dark-haired stranger with half-part hair and a lack of expression was rather sassy for a janitor.

"I'm a part-timer," he, Kunimi—as Oikawa finds out after peering at his name tag, explains. "So why the long face?"

Oikawa frowns and murmurs, "That's pretty ironic coming from you…"

He props one leg up on the bench and starts untying his shoelaces. For some reason, Oikawa feels no inhibitions sharing his woes with this stranger. He couldn't confide in his teammates, might as well do so with a complete stranger. After all, he's just a janitor isn't he?

"Just having a bad day," he says as he puts on his sneakers. "More like a bad week. Or even month. Or—whenever the hell this all happened! I don't even know anymore!"

By the time he was done, he had thoroughly abused his shoelaces.

"I mean, what happened? We were happily married and then…and then we're not," Oikawa rants to the janitor, who's actually listening intently. "He asked me to marry him. And I did! And now we're getting a divorce! A divorce! We even met the lawyers and everything!"

Oikawa groans as he remembers what transpired in the lawyer's office that morning.

"I don't want a divorce so I did the only thing I could, which is to delay the whole process right? While we work it out? So I said a few things to the lawyers and Iwa-chan got mad and I made it all worse by saying things I know I'll regret."

He looks at Kunimi, whose blank expression doesn't deter him because he's too far gone to stop now. "He said I didn't get it…but I'm not sure what he meant."

Oikawa stares at his feet with crestfallen eyes. He wished for so much. He wanted to fix things, he wanted Iwaizumi to burn those divorce papers, he wanted their marriage to be happy, and he wanted to know where it all went wrong. But wishes were just that, right?

"Sounds like you need a chance to start over," Kunimi the janitor speaks.

Oikawa laughs bitterly. "I wish. I wish I could just go back and start over."

"You really wish for something like that?" Kunimi probes.

Oikawa looks up, gazes at the photograph of better times and whispers, "Yeah…"

"Who the heck you talking to?" Kuroo's smooth voice calls from the entrance.

"Huh?" Oikawa turns to face Kuroo, a little disoriented by his interrupted train of thought. "Oh, the janitor."

"What janitor?"

He looks around, eyebrows knitted in confusion, in search for the janitor who has disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving only his yellow wringer trolley at the foot of Oikawa's locker.

"He was—he was just here…"

"Right," Kuroo says with a slow nod. "Let's go. Some of us are getting a few drinks."

Oikawa purses his lips. "You guys go ahead, I'm gonna head home."

"You sure? You look like you could use a few," Kuroo offers, aware that Oikawa was going through a rough patch with Iwaizumi but not knowing the details.

"Yeah, I just need to sleep it off."

"Okay then, see you next practice."

"See you."

Packing up his belongings quickly, Oikawa leaves the locker room with a frown, the odd exchange he had with the peculiar janitor swimming in the back of his mind.

"Ugh…"

Oikawa's voice, laden with sleep, echoes through the empty room of their two-storey house. He buries his face into the fluffy pillow, taking a deep breath before pushing himself off the mattress. Yawning, he checks the time with half-opened eyes and realizes, with a little surprise, that it was already two in the afternoon.

Sure he was more exhausted than usual last night, but he hadn't expected to sleep into the afternoon. He maintained a rather strict routine after all. No matter, there isn't any practice today anyway. Perhaps he deserves a break after what he's been through.

Beginning his morning routine (in the afternoon ironically), Oikawa pads towards the bathroom and washes his face with cold water. He yanks his face towel off the towel ring and dries himself before looking up into the mirror. It's a strange reflection he meets with.

"What the—"

He surges forward to inspect his reflection more closely, but as his senses awaken and the person in the mirror becomes clearer to him, Oikawa is more befuddled by the second.

Because who he sees in the mirror looks like someone who just graduated from high school. And that cannot be possible, right? I mean, he knows his skin care routine is to die for, but—

"Really?!" Oikawa exclaims as he shoves his face into the mirror, grabbing at his cheeks and pulling at his forehead.

"What the hell, what the hell, what the hell!"

Oikawa is breathing hard, trying to wrap his mind around what seems to be happening. It's way too early for this. Maybe he's still dreaming.

In one last attempt to prove that he isn't going crazy, Oikawa lifts his arm and pinches it hard.

"Ow!"

He sucks in a breath and warily meets the eyes of his reflection. Same brown ones he has. There's no mistaking it then. He's…young again.

Oikawa shrieks.

A/N: In this verse, same-sex marriage is still not legalized in most parts of Japan and there is still a stigma associated with same-sex couples, which is why Oikawa said "considering what we had to go through to get married". However, some cities/city wards do issue partnership certificates, which provide some benefits of marriage (this part is true in reality), which in this story refers to having joint ownership of property (this part is made-up). So in a way, the term "marriage" is used loosely because strictly speaking, they are only partners. Additionally, some law firms still offer services for same-sex couples and Akaashi works for one such firm (I'm not sure if Japan actually does have these firms, I'm also making this part up). I also researched a bit on divorce in Japan and this story goes a little differently than reality. So let's imagine divorce proceedings are different too.

Also, Akaashi is contemplating on a career change. All this divorce shit is depressing him.

Lastly, has anyone watched the Seijoh movie?! I know it's out in Japan and I'm dying to watch it, I don't even care if it's not subbed. I neeeed it. Anyway, kudos and comments are appreciated!