Iwaizumi lies on the couch with a wet rag on his face that morning. He lets out a groan and wonders what his life has become. He'd always felt he'd have figured everything out by the time he was thirty. Apparently not. Well, he still had a couple years, he supposes.

His phone buzzes.

He gropes for it on the coffee table and sees a text from Daichi light up his screen.

call me

He groans again, dropping the phone on his chest and rubbing at his tired eyes. One of them must have told Daichi about the night before.

The night before.

He sits up a little, and his phone falls into his lap. He takes off the wet rag, letting it slap onto the table beside him. He scratches an itch on his head and grabs his phone once more, opening up Hanamaki's contact.

hey don't air my dirty laundry to my other friends

There is a prompt reply and Iwaizumi feels a bit bad. Usually when they hang out for drinks, Hanamaki refuses to communicate with others until after dinner because of his hangover.

you really had us worried man :/

Iwaizumi frowns.

I'm really sorry you had to see that.

Dots dance along his phone screen. He waits.

It's ok.

Well, it's sucky but I get it.

I hope you guys can figure this out.

Iwaizumi bites his lip. There's another dancing of dots and his phone shakes.

you guys were really close so like...i don't know

i don't want to overstep my boundaries

Iwaizumi snorts, and types out,

hanamaki being careful about overstepping boundaries? i guess anyone can mature with time

There's a pause before anything appears on his screen. And then the response lands with a dead weight,

I'm being serious.

Iwaizumi feels a bit sick and puts his phone down. He lies back into his couch, letting the cushions take him in. He sighs.

What the hell am I going to do with you, Oikawa, he thinks to himself.

And he can't help the lazy half smile on his tired face because it used to be such a familiar thought. The kind of phrase that popped into his head back in high school when he would catch the fool overworking himself, the kind of phrase that came to him when he had to drag his charming ass back to practice and away from his fan club, the kind of phrase that playfully skirted his brain when Oikawa peppered him with kisses all over his face when he was in a particularly grumpy mood.

And he's grinning now, his head still heavy from the alcohol, but lost in a happy memory. A memory, he remembers. A distant, decade old memory. He lets out another sigh and rubs at his face. Oikawa is back, and he can't keep him at a distance anymore. He has to face him. It's the mature thing to do. But he's not sure how to broach the subject. How to put to rest ten years worth of resentment so he can get his best friend back into his life.

He thinks back to Oikawa's original request, at the doctors: a cup of coffee to catch up. To remember how they clicked so well. To recall the happier times and maybe start a new. He'll have to mull it over.

He turns his head and catches sight of his bookshelf. It's filled with DVDs, mostly animated features. They're all Kaede's favorites. She had grown to be a great movie buff recently, an expert in the Lion King to be exact. In that, Iwaizumi would be forced to watch the movie over and over again whenever she was around.

He misses her.

He wonders what she's doing right now.

Oikawa sighs as his phone buzzes again, refusing to look at it. Ushijima had been incessant the past few days, sending him messages every day. Oikawa had not read a single one. Hadn't since he'd seen Iwaizumi outside the bar a few days ago. He refused.

So he ignores his cell, typing up his report from the comfort of his couch.

That is, until he realizes his phone is continuously buzzing, meaning he's receiving a call not a text. Was Ushijima calling him now? But that can't be. Ushijima hated talking on the phone more than anything. Oikawa purses his lips and grabs the phone, sliding it open, "Hello?"

"Oikawa?"

Oikawa blinks, the grip on his cell phone tightening as he takes in a sharp breath, "Yes?" Because a part of him doesn't believe the voice he's hearing is real.

"It's Iwaizumi."

Oikawa straightens himself up, closing his laptop, "I thought it was." He replies, nibbling on his lip.

"It's about this weekend-"

"You remembered?" Oikawa blurts out, reddening a little. He squirms on his couch, pulling the pillow behind him out to hold against his chest instead. Because Iwaizumi was very drunk at the time, and the promise had come out of no where. He hadn't expected anything to come of it.

"I remembered." Iwaizumi responds after a second. There's a pause, and Oikawa doesn't know how to fill it. But he waits, patiently, for Iwaizumi to continue, "Are you free Friday afternoon?"

"Let me check." Oikawa pulls the phone away from his ear to check on his schedule. It's blessedly clear, "Yes! I can do then!"

"Ok. Do you want to go grab coffee? And...and catch up I guess?"

"I would really love that, Iwaizumi." Oikawa answers, feeling giddy, and hopeful. For the first time in a long time.

"Don't." Comes the sudden response.

Oikawa's heart falls, and he wonders if he's said something wrong. "Don't?" He repeats, voice a bit strained.

"Don't call me that." Iwaizumi clarifies, clearing his throat, "It doesn't sound right from you." Oikawa can hear him swallow from the other line, "I have to go. I'll see you Friday. Bye."

Iwaizumi hangs up.

Oikawa looks at his phone, biting his lip, "Iwa-chan." He whispers to himself.

He sees he has twenty unread messages in his text app. He opens it up and deletes the conversation with Ushijima without sparing a glance. He grips his phone and feels his lips stretch up into a smile, "Iwa-chan." He repeats, louder.

He drops his phone onto the couch cushion in favor of taking hold of the pillow on his chest and squeezing it tightly. "Iwa-chan." He says it again, louder and with the lightest of laughs tinging its corners.

Because, my God, had he missed saying that name.

"Hey." Oikawa greets, walking over to the little two person table in the coffeeshop. Iwaizumi looks up at him, hands tensing around his phone.

"Hey." He repeats back awkwardly, setting his phone down. Oikawa places his messenger bag down beside the empty chair, taking off his jacket. Iwaizumi gets up because he had decided to wait to get his coffee.

They stand there, facing each other, and it's awkward. Because there is so much to traverse, so many pitfalls to navigate to reach each other. Oikawa suddenly loses all confidence, no matter how positive the phone call had been for him.

"I'm sorry-" Oikawa starts but Iwaizumi finds his voice then.

"Stop that." Iwaizumi snaps, "If we're going to move on from this you have to stop apologizing."

Oikawa sucks in a breath but says nothing. He gives the reigns to Iwaizumi. He'd fuck it up somehow anyway. He always does.

"We need some ground rules," Iwaizumi continues, keeping his gaze level, "Number 1, no more apologizing. Number 2, no more secrets." He pauses.

"Number 3?" Oikawa probes.

Iwaizumi shrugs, "To be determined when we get there. Come on, lets grab a drink."

Oikawa nods, and theres a slight smile on his features. Iwaizumi tries to ignore it. It's the first real smile of Oikawa's he's seen in a decade. It stirs things in him. He orders a cappuccino; Oikawa orders some frilly frappucino after chatting up the lady at the cashier. Some things really don't change.

When they sit back down, the tension seems to lessen.

"So, rule number 2 is no more secrets, right?" Oikawa repeats, leaning a bit forward, "Does that mean I can ask you questions?"

"As long as I can ask you questions right back." Iwaizumi reasons, not one to back down-especially from Oikawa Tooru.

"Deal." Oikawa's smile spreads, "You first."

Iwaizumi looks at him a moment, sizing him up, "Why are you back in Japan?"

Oikawa is ready. He drums his fingers on the table as he answers, "I accepted a consultant position in a big company here in Japan, which is what I've been doing in New York for the past few years." He decides to play fair and asks, "So, you're a nurse?"

"Yeah. I work full-time at that clinic you visited." Iwaizumi nods. He wonders how Oikawa got into consulting. Where did the leap come from. Although, he knew more than anyone how incredibly smart, observant and calculating Oikawa could be. He guesses it's not so farfetched. He takes a sip of his coffee, "What was your major in college?"

"Marketing." Oikawa hesitates before finishing, "With a minor in Astronomy...For fun." Oikawa tugs at a strand of hair framing his face. Iwaizumi feels his heart squeezing at the motion, and he grips his cup tighter. Oikawa looks at him and starts testing the waters, "How old is Kaede?"

Iwaizumi swallows, but doesn't waver, "She's almost six." He takes a deep breath and dives in, "What do you text Ushijima?"

The smile falters on Oikawa's face but he doesn't run away. Although, his eyes fall to the table as if he can't look Iwaizumi in the eye as he speaks, "I only text him for booty calls. Sometimes he texts me to bother me about something and I ignore him. That's honestly about it. I haven't spoken to him since I got back here."

Iwaizumi nods slowly, drinking some of his coffee. Oikawa mirrors him. They're quiet for a bit, until Iwaizumi speaks up, "It's your turn."

Oikawa had been hesitating, but he takes the reminder to blurt out, "What was your ex-wife like?"

Iwaizumi puts his cup down and Oikawa is terrified that he's going to leave. That he went to far. But Iwaizumi stays. Because that's what Iwaizumi does. He stays.

"Her name is Hamasaki Kotori. I met her my senior year of college. We dated for a while and she got pregnant and we decided to get married. We divorced three years ago. We're still good friends. We just didn't...work that way, is all." Iwaizumi explains, his voice like a longwinded sigh.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Oikawa murmurs into his frappucino because it's all he can really say. But then he looks up wide eyed, "Shit, did I break Rule number 1? Does that count?"

Iwaizumi can't help but let out a laugh at his panicked face, "You're fine." He assures easily, and the smile stays on his face.

Oikawa smiles a little himself and plays with the paper wrapper around his cup.

"Tell me about America."

Oikawa looks up, pausing in his fidgeting, "That's too broad. Give me a more specific question."

Iwaizumi shakes his head, "It's not a question. I just want to hear about the last ten years." He hesitates a moment before adding, "It's weird not being the resident expert on Oikawa Tooru."

Oikawa's eyes shine and it looks like he's about to cry. Iwaizumi prays to God he doesn't start that in the middle of the cafe again. But Oikawa seems to hold himself together, and his smile is so wide as he starts telling stories about his team and their victories and their silly pranks and their cross country adventures.

It soon becomes an actual conversation with the pair excitedly going back and forth, sharing memories and jokes and stories. At one point Iwaizumi has dragged his chair over to sit beside Oikawa in order for them to start sharing photographs and videos on their laptops.

They spend two hours in that coffee shop.

"Ok, who helped you pick out the tux?" Oikawa asks playfully, zooming in on one of his wedding photos.

"I got my own tux." Iwaizumi insists defensively, smacking the other's hand away.

"Now, now Iwa-chan, you and I both know you don't have a single fashionable bone in your body." Oikawa tuts, looking closely at the photograph, "It was that refreshing Karasuno guy wasn't it?"

"Fuck off." Iwaizumi glowers and Oikawa laughs. "You're such a menace." Iwaizumi huffs, glancing at the time. His eyes widen, "I have to pick up Kaede from school." He remarks suddenly. Oikawa quiets down then, as Iwaizumi starts collecting his things.

He looks back at the wedding photos, swiping through them idly, less animated, more solemn. He doesn't mean to say it out loud, but the words pass through his lips like a heavy sigh, "I missed so much."

Iwaizumi nudges his shoulder with his arm.

Oikawa looks over at him and can't help continuing, "I missed you so much."

Iwaizumi feels his heart hammering in his chest and his palms sweat. And he's always been so weak to Oikawa. And there's a lot he wants to say but can't. So instead of responding, he blurts out, "Do you want to go to the zoo tomorrow?"

It's nothing Oikawa expects. He blinks, "Huh?"

Iwaizumi feels his face reddening but tries to ignore it, pushing through, "I'm going to the zoo Saturday with Kaede. Do you want to join?"

Oikawa licks his dry lips, "Uh...Yeah. Yeah, I'll come! If...If it's not a problem."

"It's not." Iwaizumi assures, getting up from his seat. Oikawa stands up too then. He wants to hug him. He wants to wrap him up in his arms as tight as he can to show him he's here now. He's here and he's not going to leave again. Never again. To convey everything he can't with words.

But he doesn't.

Iwaizumi leaves.

Oikawa sits down and thinks about tomorrow.

"What's your goal here?"

"I don't have a goal." Iwaizumi responds, alone in his kitchen. He just put Kaede to bed and would rather not wake her up.

"So you don't want to get back together?" Sugawara probes from the other line, having taken the phone from Daichi as soon as Iwaizumi had called. Iwaizumi had been procrastinating this conversation for almost a week for this very reason. He was in no mood to be psycho-analyzed.

Iwaizumi swallows, "I don't know." He answers honestly. He lets out a sigh, leaning his side on the counter.

"When he first reappeared you sounded livid." Sugawara reminds carefully. As if the memory isn't fresh in Iwaizumi's mind.

"I was." Iwaizumi confirms.

"You were?"

"I am." Iwaizumi clarifies, frowning, "I still am. Mad."

"You are?"

"I don't know." Iwaizumi groans, "How can I not be mad? How can I ever not be upset about what he did?"

"So you haven't forgiven him."

"No. I haven't."

"Will you ever?"

Iwaizumi swallows again, "I don't know."

"There's a lot you don't know." Sugawara comments, pursing his lips, "If you're not gonna forgive him how can you be his friend? How can you be more than his friend?"

Iwaizumi grits his teeth because he knows Sugawara is right, "You don't get it."

"What don't I get?"

Iwaizumi rubs his hand over his face and doesn't answer.

He takes in a shaky breath,

"I missed him so much."

Oikawa meets them at the zoo in the late morning light. He waves at them, a little hop in his step. Again, the urge to hug Iwaizumi is undeniable, but he refrains. He makes his smile tighter. Iwaizumi comes over, Kaede in his arms, looking unhappy.

"I'm sorry we're late." Iwaizumi begins, "Someone was being a little difficult this morning." Kaede frowns deeper, squirming in her father's hold.

He puts her down carefully, "Dad, you didn't do my hair." She whines, bouncing on her feet. She's holding out a hair tie; it has a cute little giraffe charm on it. Oikawa hides his smile behind his hand.

"Just a minute, Kaede." Iwaizumi sighs, "I have to go get our passes. You want to see the animals, right?" Kaede crosses her arms petulantly. Iwaizumi looks up at Oikawa, "Could you watch her for a minute while I get our tickets?"

"Of course!" Oikawa brushes off, easily, "How much do I owe you?"

But Iwaizumi is already trotting away, waving off the request.

Oikawa looks over at Kaede, still visibly upset. He kneels down to her height and she acknowledges his presence for the first time, "Why are you here?"

Oikawa twitches, "Your father invited me."

Kaede huffs, "Don't make Dad sad, Mr. Famous Guy. Or I'll kick you again." She squints at him with a tough frown.

Oikawa blinks at the threat as she glares up at him with her dark brown eyes, her scruffy dark eyebrows furrowed tightly and she looks just like her father did, years and years ago. Oikawa swallows. He decides not to question why she would think he would make her father upset, instead focusing on another point, "My name is Oikawa." He introduces.

She furrows her brows even further-it must be an Iwaizumi thing, "O-okawa-san?" She tries, mouth struggling around the diphthong despite her best efforts.

Oikawa giggles, and Kaede reddens. He takes mercy, "My first name is Tooru."

"Toowu-san?" She repeats, and frowns even more, looking cross. Oikawa can't help the smile on his face. She huffs, "How about Too-san*?"

It's Oikawa's turn to redden. He laughs it off, "I don't think your father would like that." He murmurs. She blinks at him, and so he continues, "What about Kawa-san?"

"Kawa-san." Kaede says, "Kawa-san." She says again, giving it another try. She nods her head.

"And I'll call you Kae-chan."

Kaede reddens once more, glaring fiercely at the man, "It's Kaede!" She insists, stomping a foot down for added measure. And it's absolutely adorable.

"Can I call you Kae-chan if I do your hair?" Oikawa wagers, with a grin. Kaede blinks again, looking at her hair tie and then back at Oikawa. "I'm much better at hair than your father. I mean, look at me." Kaede does, examining him critically. She even reaches out a hand to touch his hair, which nearly gives Oikawa a heart attack because he can't stand people messing up his hair. But he swallows it down, and lets her tug at the strands.

"Ok." She says after a moment, handing him the tie and turning around. "Can you give me a ponytail, please?"

"Of course, Kae-chan."

He can hear her little huff but can't see her expression. He takes her hair gently, pulling it back and slipping it into a high ponytail. He spins her back around and fiddles with her bangs, pulling free some of the longer strands in order to frame her face better. She lets him, enjoying the pampering.

Oikawa quite likes it too. Like playing with a doll his parents would never buy him.

He offers his phone to her so she can examine herself in the front face camera. Her eyes widen, and she keeps staring at herself as her father makes her way back over

"Hey!" Iwaizumi calls over, a bit winded, "Sorry that took so long, but we can, uh, go in now."

"You worry too much." Oikawa waves easily. He notices how Iwaizumi's face seems to crinkle at the remark.

"Daddy, look!" Kaede says excitedly, face brightening completely. She almost drops the phone in her excitement but Oikawa catches it quickly. Children can't be trusted with electronics, he notes in his mind. "Kawa-san did my hair!"

Iwaizumi blinks, and he smiles at her, "Kawa-san?" He gives Oikawa a sidelong glance before looking back at his daughter, "You look beautiful." She reddens and grins, hugging him around the neck as he picks her up. "Sorry for being so cranky earlier." He apologizes, to both of them. Oikawa waves him off. "Alright, where's our first stop, Kaede?"

"Giraffes!" She commands, pointing out heroically towards the entrance.

"Of course, of course." Iwaizumi agrees.

Oikawa follows beside them, keeping to himself. He does his best not to be a bother as they head over to the exhibits. Despite Kaede's command for giraffes, she is easily distracted by every animal they come across. She squirms out of her father's hands in order to scamper up to the bars of every single enclosure, pointing and shouting. The men do their best to keep up. Iwaizumi adamant about keeping her in eyesight. Oikawa adamant about not bumping into Iwaizumi by accident.

"I'm not made of glass, you know?" Iwaizumi mentions at one point, as Kaede wonders at the size of elephants in front of them. Oikawa tilts his head. Iwaizumi sighs, nudging him with his shoulder, "I won't die if you bump into me."

Oikawa blinks and smiles sheepishly, nudging right back, "Force of habit."

Iwaizumi raises his brow, "Since when has Oikawa Tooru understood the concept of personal space?"

Since I broke your heart, Oikawa wants to say. But he knows it's against the rules. And it's no good, bringing that up here. So instead he forces out a playful grin, "Sorry, sorry, Iwa-chan. I didn't realize you were craving my attention! I'll do better from now on."

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, punching him in the shoulder. Oikawa pretends it hurts more than it does, letting out a whine and showing off a pout. Iwaizumi ignores him, and it's almost like they're 17 again.

"Dad! Dad! Look! Giraffes!" Kaede calls, bounding over to them and taking his hand. She drags them over to the exhibit after spotting it. It's crowded, but Kaede easily weasels her small body to the railing. However, its not enough to satiate her and she soon returns to their sides.

"I can't see." She whines, frowning, "All I see is their legs."

"You want me to hoist you up?" Iwaizumi offers, already extending out his hands to pick her up.

Kaede squints at them and shakes her head, "I want Kawa-san to lift me up."

Both adults blink, "Why not me?" Iwaizumi asks, slightly offended.

Kaede starts making grabby hands at Oikawa and hopping up and down on her little legs, "Kawa-san is taller than you, Daddy." She replies matter of factly.

It's a mortal blow.

Oikawa starts snickering.

Iwaizumi wants to kill him.

Kaede is impatient, "Kawa-san, please."

"Yes, yes, Kae-chan." Oikawa crouches down with a sing song voice. Picking her up and placing her on his shoulders. He straightens up, and she giggles as she rises up in the air. She grips onto his hair, for purchase, much to Oikawa's chagrin. He doesn't comment but rather tries to get her to a better vantage point.

"Can you see them?" He asks, after a moment.

"Yes! They're so cute!" Kaede exclaims, squeezing the brown strands in her tiny fists, "Did you know that giraffes have blue tongues? Look, you can see them!"

Iwaizumi, despite his wounded pride, can't help but smile at them.

Later on they take a break, sitting in the shade at one of the picnic tables. Kaede runs off to the ice cream vendor a few feet away, insisting she can purchase her treat herself. Iwaizumi watches her like a hawk. She succeeds in her endeavor, coming back over with her ice cream prize. Iwaizumi goes back to the vendor because she forgot to grab the change and napkins.

"What's next, Kae-chan?" Oikawa asks, as she messily eats her strawberry cone.

Kaede purses her lips, "I wanna see the crocodiles." And she snaps her teeth shut twice for effect. He laughs and pulls out the map to find out where they are.

"Kaede, you have ice cream all over your face." Iwaizumi frowns, taking a napkin and dabbing at her face as she whines.

"I can do it!" She finally wrestles free, taking the napkin and wiping her face herself. Iwaizumi sighs and leans back. Oikawa smiles at him.

Iwaizumi looks over at him, "You look hilarious, by the way."

Oikawa blinks, fumbles for his phone and sees his hair has gone awry, most likely due to Kaede's powerful grip. He fiddles with it, biting his lip, and realizes there isn't much he can do to salvage the situation. He runs his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and letting it bounce into a somewhat nicer position. He puts his phone away.

He finds Iwaizumi watching him, "Hmm?"

"You didn't cry." Iwaizumi points out, "You usually cry if you're hair is a strand out of place."

Oikawa splutters, "I'm older now, Iwa-chan. I've grown."

Iwaizumi raises a brow.

Oikawa huffs, "I don't want to make a big deal of it in front of Kae-chan."

Iwaizumi looks away, back at Kaede, who is busy on the other side of the table looking over the map critically. Her ice cream is dripping all over her hand and the map. It's beyond hope at this point, "Thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

"For being so good with her." Iwaizumi murmurs softly, "I was worried you wouldn't get along."

Oikawa blinks, "Why wouldn't we get along?"

Iwaizumi looks at him, "You hate kids, Oikawa."

Oikawa snorts, "They're awful." He agrees readily, "But I make exceptions. I like Kaede." Iwaizumi tries to hide his smile. "I've always been partial to Iwaizumi children." Oikawa adds, nudging him with his elbow.

Iwaizumi looks away, in an attempt to hide his full blown grin.

The rest of the day is spent in a happy lull. They see the crocodiles, the bears, the tigers and the bats. Iwaizumi even convinces Oikawa into going into the bird cage with Kaede to feed the birds. Oikawa screams the whole time, despite himself. Iwaizumi's able to snap a picture just as the birds descend upon Oikawa's hair.

He immediately changes his lock screen to the new image, before Oikawa can stop him. Kaede looks adorable in it anyway, smiling with a bird perched on her arm.

When they've finished their outing, Iwaizumi insists on driving Oikawa back to his apartment. Once they reach his stop, Oikawa steps out of the car.

"I'm free again next week." Iwaizumi says, not moving from his seat at the wheel. Oikawa's heart skips a beat and his face blossoms with another smile.

"Text me." Oikawa says. He bites his lip a moment before adding, "I promise I'll respond."

"Kawa-san wait!" Kaede suddenly shouts, clawing at the window opener. Iwaizumi helps her out with the button from the driver's side, and Oikawa peeks over at the girl. She squeezes her little giraffe plushie she'd gotten at the park and looks away, "I'm sorry...that I kicked you before."

Oikawa blinks and then smiles, "It's alright Kae-chan! No need to worry about that."

He waves at them as they drive off. He stands there for a bit, at the curb, feeling giddy. Feeling happy. He touches his face. It's stretched and sore.

He hasn't smiled so much in years.

*Too-san sounds like dad in Japanese and thats too much for Oikawa lol

And there we go. This chapter got real long woops. But see! I can do fluff.

I hope y'all enjoy

reviews make me smile

see you next time