A/N- Okay so I was meant to write something else, but this happened instead? First Haikyuu! fic so tell me what you think!
A sharp crack against the window pane breaks the silence of the summer night, and Hajime looks up from essay he's writing. Crack. The sound is sharp against the serenity of the night, and he really has no choice but to huff and push his chair back, stretch his sore muscles, and make his way to the window. He opens it, leaning his head out, only to jerk backwards to narrowly avoid a third pebble, which clatters harmlessly, if noisily, on the wooden floor of his bedroom. He glares into the darkness before his eyes settle on the sheepish figure of his best friend, yet another noisy but harmless thing, in the yard, pebbles in hand. A car revs in the background, and he knows Hanamaki and Matsukawa are inside, waiting. He sighs, knowing there will be no progress made on the essay today. Summer homework blows anyway.
He nods quickly at Oikawa, and can see his friend's face light up in a big grin. He grabs his wallet and house keys- though he knows he's not likely to use them- before pausing for a second, debating what to do next. On the one hand, his parents have never been particularly light sleepers, he's wearing his indoor slippers, and he could conceivably make it down the stairs and out the door without anyone realizing. On the other hand, Oikawa always brought out the madness in him. Decision made, he pulled out a pair of sneakers he'd stashed in his closet after last time, and didn't bother changing out of his pyjamas- he doubted the other three had either- before crawling out of the window and climbing down the convenient tree who's branches just happened to touch his window sill. He jumped from the lowest branch, landing in front of a grinning Oikawa.
"What are you waiting for, Shittykawa? Let's go." he said gruffly, choosing to overlook the way the moonlight made Oikawa's hair shine and put his cheekbones in sharp relief.
"We've been waiting on you, Iwa-chan. So slow!" he replied, teasingly before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the car.
(Hajime realizes he should probably more concerned about the fact that he's been effectively kidnapped- if quietly agreeing to cooperate with this madness counts as being kidnapped- and that he has no idea where they're going or when they'll be back, but honestly he's been through too many of Oikawa's- and this is definitely all Oikawa despite the fact they're currently striding towards Makki's sister's car- hare-brained schemes to really care. He knows the drill by now.)
They slide into the backseat, and there's plenty of room, really, but their thighs end up pressed against each other anyway and it's familiar, and warm, and safe, and the most comfortable Hajime has been all night. Makki raises his eyebrows at them in the rear-view, and Matsun gives them his signature shit-eating grin. Hajime says nothing, just looks pointedly at where Matsun's hand rests on Makki's knee. They seem to get the hint. Makki starts the engine and they're out of the neighbourhood before Hajime can blink.
"So," Makki asks to the car at large. "Where are we headed?"
The destination turns out to be a 24-hour American-style diner that had just opened up in some far corner of the city called 'The Greasy Spoon', which Oikawa promises is some kind of joke in English. Hajime figures if it's got Matsun's approval- and it had to have Matsun's approval or they wouldn't be going there at all- he has no room to complain. They practically fall out of the car, and Hajime takes a moment to smack Makki for playing only Naruto openings all the way there. The restaurant is fairly small, containing only a few booths and a countertop with red shiny stools. It looks very much like the diner in an old American film he had watched once with his mom, and Hajime is pretty sure that's the point. It's empty aside from the wait staff, on account of it being midnight, so the four of them have their pick of the tables. They choose a booth tucked away in the corner and pile in. Oikawa flirts shamelessly- harmlessly, Hajime reminds himself- with the waitress who blushes prettily and offers them a menu. Hajime rolls his eyes at his friend's antics and shares a mildly exasperated look with Matsun and Makki, who are pressed unnecessarily close to each other given the size of booth.
(And Hajime has never been quite sure what's going on with them. Any attempt to ask has been masterfully deflected by a snarky comment or well-timed joke. It's not like there was a drastic change in behaviour or anything, in fact it took him weeks to realize anything was different between them. They just seemed closer, somehow, and Hajime, though he hated to admit it, was envious.)
They order milkshakes for everyone. Hajime asks for vanilla, knowing it would annoy Oikawa. He's not wrong, since his best friend wrinkles his nose.
"Boring, Iwa-chan!"
"Oh, and what is the Grand King ordering then?" asked Matsun lazily, using the nickname bestowed upon him by Karasuno's tiny number 10.
"Chocolate, of course! What else but a classic flavour to go with my classically good looks." replied Oikawa, giving the waitress a toothy smile that made her giggle and Makki gag. Somehow it was Hajime's heart that fluttered at the sight.
Makki and Matsun order a single strawberry milkshake.
"With two straws" Makki adds, throwing the waitress a wink. She smiles indulgently at them, taking all the menus but one, just in case.
"I can never tell if you two are serious." pouts Oikawa, and Hajime can't help but agree.
"Oh but we're always serious" says Makki, fluttering his eyelashes at them.
"Then are you two dating or not!"
"Well of course." his tone becomes suddenly solemn "Issei's the love of my life."
"Aww babe, you're so sweet." Matsun coos, looking at Makki with an exaggeratedly dopey expression. Makki grins, all traces of seriousness gone from his face, and Oikawa groans in frustration. Hajime, however, notices the soft smile the two exchange when they think he's not looking, and everything clicks into place.
Their milkshakes arrive, and the four suddenly realize they're starving. They fight over the menu, nearly knocking over their shakes before Hajime grabs it through sheer upper-body strength and force of will, and orders burgers and fries for everyone. He adds four cokes to the list as an afterthought because he just knows someone- Oikawa- is going to complain that they're thirsty halfway through the meal.
"Such a brute, iwa-chan" Oikawa whines, flipping his hair and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Drink your milkshake Trashykawa."
Makki and Matsun are making good on their two straw deal. The heart eyes they're making at each other over the frothy shake might be mostly to fuel Oikwa's frustration- it's working- but knowing what he does now, Hajime can see the genuine affection underneath and wonders how he could have missed it before. He snaps a picture when they aren't paying attention. He's never been the best photographer, the other three- even Matsun- far outstrip him in that area, but he thinks this one came out pretty well. The two of them look… soft. And happy. He sends it on the group chat, knowing that Oikawa would follow it up with a series of angry emojis that would just make their day.
(Part of him wishes he could be so blatant, that he could lean against Oikawa, hold hands under the table, share milkshakes, just tell the world that this boy was his. But then again, did Oikawa even want to be his alone? Was there a them that existed beyond childhood best friends and partners on the court? Hajime was too much of a coward to find out.)
"So Iwazumi." Matsun grins as Makki slurps up the last of their shake, "Your tastes lean more toward vanilla huh?" he asks with a suggestive quirk of his eyebrows.
"That would be telling." responds Hajime primly, pleased that he delivered the line without a blush or a stutter.
Makki chokes on the remnants of his milkshake, but saves himself with a Cheshire-cat smile. "Ooh, vanilla in the streets but chocolate in the sheets, aren't we, Iwa-chan."
Oikawa bristles besides him, because he's made it very clear that that name is his, and Oikawa can be more possessive than the average toddler if given half the chance.
"That doesn't even make sense." he splutters, and Hajime would be paying more attention to the curious way his friend colours up if he wasn't trying so hard to melt into his seat at the implication of Makki's statement.
(One traitorous corner of his brain wonders exactly how far down that blush goes)
The waitress soon arrives with their burgers, and the discussion soon turns to lighter topics. They talk about volleyball and anime and Oikawa's ever present fan club and the books they've been reading-because they're all secretly nerds- and everything in between. Oikawa steals a bite of Hajime's burger even though they're both eating the exact same thing, inciting an age old argument which Makki and Matsun gleefully narrate like sports commentators. They unanimously announce Hajime the winner since, as Makki claims, pouting is an automatic forfeit. Oikawa throws a french fry at Makki, which he easily catches in his mouth, much to Oikawa's outrage. Matsun laughs so hard soda comes out of his nose and Hajime orders another basket of fries to placate Oikawa, who takes a swig of his coke to calm down.
"Aren't you using a straw? You heathen!" asks Makki as he notices Oikawa drink straight from the bottle.
"Straws are for plebs like you Makki." he replies sweetly "I find there's nothing more satisfying than the feel of the cool, hard tip against my lips."
Hajime chokes on his burger and Oikawa freezes, realizing what he's just said.
"The bottle!" he shrieks, "I was talking about the bottle!"
Hajime doubts Makki can hear him as he's almost fallen out of the booth he's cackling so hard. He'd help him if he could, but he's still coughing on that burger. Matsun leans over the table and pats him on the back.
"It's not too late to run you know." he stage whispers.
"It was too late years ago." replies in gasp, red-faced and not entirely sure what he's admitting to. Okay that's a lie. He knows exactly what he's admitting to.
Oikawa looks seconds away from strangling Makki, who's laughing so hard he's not making a sound, just moving back and forth and clutching his stomach in a way that can't be healthy. Matsun discreetly moves his cola away from Makki's elbow and loudly engages Hajime in a conversation about the superiority of ghosts vs werewolves- Hajime is firmly in the werewolf camp in this debate while Matsun stubbornly clings to the delusion that ghosts are good for anything more than a few weak jump scares- until the other two are slowly drawn in and relative peace reigns once more. Hajime watches Oikawa's animated face and hands as he argues that they're all clearly wrong and that aliens are the true winners, and wonders when exactly he fell for this idiot, before jumping in to defend werewolves, because come on anyone with eyes can see that they're the superior creature.
(They don't talk about the future. About universities and careers and who'll be doing what where after this year is over. They don't talk about how these trips have been- and will become- more and more frequent the closer they get to graduation, how none of them want to let go of this fragile bubble they've built for themselves in since their first year of high school. And they definitely don't speak about the way Oikawa rests his fingers on Hajime's wrist as his knee is pressed against Matsun's and his ankle is tangled with Makki's, or the fact that this position is mirrored in some way by the other three to form a complicated web of connections that grounds their little group. Hajime is glad of this.)
It's Matsun who notices that the sky is beginning to grow lighter, and with a muffled swear calls for the bill. They each dig through their wallets and throw down enough to cover their bill before rushing back to the car. They've had these little escapades for a year now without their parent's knowledge, and they'd like to keep it that way, which may not be possible if Makki's sister wakes up to find her car missing. Hanamaki Kaori is a wild card at the best of times- she had taught Makki how to drive illegally after all- and Hajime isn't willing to risk his freedom for the rest of the summer on whether she was in a good enough mood to not rat out her little brother.
They drive home in relative silence, content and oddly awake, despite having been up all night. Matsun has his hand on Makki's knee again, and Oikawa's slender setter's fingers are tapping a distracting rhythm onto Hajime's thigh. He watches them move for a moment, debating carefully. In the end, he's not quite sure what makes him reach for those fingers, interlacing them with his own. It might be the way they had all avoided the elephant in the room at the diner that night, or the way Matsun and Makki had been so casually affectionate, or it may be the serene atmosphere of the car even as Makki races against time to get them all home, or the way Oikawa's features are perfectly framed against the backdrop of a slowly pinking sky. It could be any one of these reasons or a combination of them all that urges Iwaizumi Hajime to stop being a coward.
Oikawa looks at him with wide eyes, because they've done this before, held hands, but it's not quite the same. They're closer somehow. Hajime wants to look away, but he's transfixed by those chocolate brown eyes, which is stupid because he's seen those eyes every day since he was seven. He's not sure if it's just wishful thinking, but he senses something akin to hope in Oikawa's gaze, in the way he squeezes his hand and doesn't let go. He pretends not to notice Makki smiling at him in the rear view or Matsun's shit-eating grin.
They reach Hajime's house first and he hops out of the car. It's not until he reaches the tree by his window that he realizes that he hasn't let go of Oikawa's hand. His friend glances at their interlocked fingers, and then back up at him.
"Iwa-chan?" he asks, tilting his head quizzically.
"Yeah, Tooru?"
Oikawa gives a little gasp at that, as though by simply using his first name Hajime has answered every question that has been swirling around in his head. He steps closer with fire in his eyes, and Hajime swallows heavily, heart thumping as Oikawa leans down and presses a chaste kiss to his lips. He steps back, a little shy, a little unsure and Hajime lets out a frustrated groan and untangles their fingers to grab his best friend by the collar and pull him down for a repeat performance, deeper and needier than before. He reaches up to run his fingers through Oikawa's hair as the taller boy wraps his arm around his waist. It's just as soft as it's always been, but this feels different somehow. They break apart when the need for air becomes too much.
"I've been wanting to do that all night." he mutters, his voice raw.
"Me too…Hajime." replies Oikawa with a teasing smirk and Hajime is pretty sure his heart stops right there.
"You idiot." he says instead "I've loved you since we were thirteen!"
Oikawa's eyes grow comically wide. "You mean we could have been doing this for years?"
He sounds genuinely heartbroken and Hajime isn't sure if he's a terrible person for finding the expression on his face adorable.
"I guess we'll have to make up for lost time." he whispers leaning towards Oikawa once more.
"I guess we will." Oikawa bends to close the distance, when a loud buzzing shatters the atmosphere. Oikawa picks up his phone with a frustrated "What?!" and Hajime can hear Matsun on the other line.
"Time to get moving lover-boy, we have three more stops to make and Makki's slowly losing his shit."
Oikawa's ears turn red at the lover-boy comment, which Hajime finds strange. It's hardly the first time they've called him that and it's never garnered such a reaction before. Then again, Hajime supposes Oikawa had never really been serious about this before. At least that's what he hopes.
"You could have just honked!" Oikawa hisses into the phone.
"And wake up the entire neighbourhood? Are you an idiot?"
Hajime snorts and Oikawa shoots him a wounded look.
"I'll be there, give me a minute."
"You have thirty seconds or we're leaving without you!"
There's an audible click as Matsun hangs up.
"You better get going, Trashykawa" Hajime says with a grin.
"Mean iwa-chan!" pouts Oikawa, before breaking out in a smile and pressing a quick kiss to his forehead.
"See you later Tooru."
"See you later Hajime."
Oikawa dashes off to the car and practically throws himself in. Makki takes off like the devil is on his tail, and Hajime would be worried if he didn't know that Matsun would have him calmed down and following the speed limits in a second. He watches until he can no longer see the car in the distant horizon, before making his way up the tree and into his room.
(He ends up messaging Oikawa before collapsing on his bed in an effort to get a couple hours of sleep before his day officially starts, and if he sends Makki and Matsun a simple "thank you" as well, well that's his own business.)
A/N- In short I'm graduating Uni in two months and I have a lot of feelings whoops. I went out for dinner and a long drive with some friends and this popped out of there. I hope it's good! I have lifted an entire conversation from today's dinner, good luck figuring out which one…