Chapter Text
“So yeah. I’m sorry, but it’s true, we’re together.”
The girl’s watery eyes are looking up at him, shock overtaking her feminine features.
“I- I didn’t know, Hanamaki-senpai. I thought he was single, I never would’ve asked if- if I knew you guys were together!” She explains, waving her hands at Takahiro.
“Of course,” Takahiro scoffs. “Look, I understand how you fell for him, after all, I did too,” he looks into the distance for a second and then turns to the girl. “But let this be a reminder that he’s taken,” he leans in, towering over her, “Iwaizumi is happy with me, okay? Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go see my boyfriend. Bye,” he winks as he walks away, pulling Issei by the hand.
They walk in silence for a couple of minutes, feeling the girl’s eyes on his back—but he’s dealt with Oikawa’s assessing gaze since first year, so this is nothing.
“You didn’t have to be so harsh on this one,” Issei says next to him. They turn the corner and he intertwines their fingers. “You’re getting a reputation, Hiro. I’m surprised Iwaizumi doesn’t know, with all the girls that think you’re in a relationship with him. And now she’s going to run to her friends and tell them what an asshole you are.”
“That’s because Iwaizumi isn’t interested in gossip. What a sad life he lives,” he fixes Issei’s hair. “And that’s better, now they’ll think twice before asking Iwaizumi out. They’re meddling and I don’t like it.”
“Oh, you wanna talk about meddling?” Issei smirks playfully. “I think you are the definition of meddling.”
Takahiro looks at Issei’s mouth and matches his smile.
“If you keep doing that thing with your lips I’m going to kiss it off your face,” he says with a playful tone.
“You better,” he hums, drawing Takahiro closer. “But don’t let your boyfriend see you, with that temper of his, my life is in danger.”
Takahiro rolls his eyes and pushes Issei away playfully. He knows he's just teasing, but Takahiro has good reasons to back up his attitude towards those girls.
Believe it or not, Iwaizumi has quite the fan club, not as big as Oikawa’s, nor as loud, but there are many girls and boys who are enamored by his kindness and reliability. Even if he spends ninety percent of his time scolding and punching Oikawa, Iwaizumi is a kind natured person that you can always rely on.
He isn’t bad to look at either. The bushy eyebrows suit him, those greenish eyes, and his athletic physique make him very attractive. Of course he's bound to catch the attention of plenty of people. He’s also popular, because of his vice-captain and ace position on the volleyball team, but he isn't aware of it. He has a warm smile that you don’t get to see often, and he really cares for others.
What most people who are into Iwaizumi fail to realize, is that those same rare smiles Iwaizumi displays are always directed at Oikawa.
Since the first time Takahiro met Iwaizumi and Oikawa, and saw them interact, he knew they were disgustingly in love with each other. It's so obvious that Takahiro doesn't understand why this isn’t common knowledge around the school.
“More like my life. If Iwaizumi finds out that a number of girls think we’re dating, and that I’m responsible for it, he’s going to kill me for sure,” he sighs, striking a damsel in distress kind of pose, “but if that’s what it takes to have Oikawa’s back, I’ll bear the hatred of all those broken-hearted ladies, who will never fill the shoes of Iwaizumi’s one and only, the princess for the knight in shining armor, Iwa-chan!”
“I thought I told you not to call me that. Ever,” Iwaizumi startles Takahiro as he rounds the corner of the hallway.
He freezes for a second, scared that Iwaizumi heard the conversation. But Iwaizumi has a calm face (as calm as his frown can be) and not one that emits rage, so Takahiro assumes he’s in the clear.
“Right,” Issei starts, he grabs Takahiro’s shoulders and looks him directly in the eye. “Hiro, you must remember, you are not allowed to call him that. You're not Oikawa, after all,” Issei admonishes him, as if he's talking to a child.
“Of course! How could I forget? Oh Iwaizumi-kun, please forgive my rude behavior, I forgot I am not bestowed with the honor of having such a term of endearment towards you!” He gathers imaginary tears with his finger. “Oh, to be the one you truly love, to be the recipient of those longing looks! How I wish-“
“Shut the fuck up or I will kick you into next week,” Iwaizumi hisses, his brows furrow—clenching his jaw, but the blush on his cheeks spreads to his ears. Takahiro is delighted.
“Sorry, sorry. How's the pining going?” He asks.
Iwaizumi pins him with a brutal glare that Takahiro is immune to, so he laughs lightly and changes the subject, giving Iwaizumi room to breathe.
“Are you guys excited for the bonfire? I will eat so many marshmallows, Issei is going to have to roll me out of Yahaba’s place.”
“It wouldn't be the first time,” Issei says, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Excited to see if Kyoutani tells Yahaba how he thinks his hair is soft like a dandelion,” Iwaizumi mocks and snorts.
“No way in hell he's mushy like that. He's more fruity than mushy,” Takahiro muses.
“Hmm I don't know babe, the tough ones on the outside are always soft on the inside,” Issei says, giving Iwaizumi a meaningful look.
“Shut the fuck up,” he growls. “He actually said those words. We were arm wrestling and he opened up. It was…surreal.”
“No kidding.” Issei frowns. “They do make a unique couple, I have to say. Yahaba is very delicate-looking but he's a real bitch once you get to know him, that's why he's going to be captain.”
“I know! He’s my favorite. After you, of course,” he smiles at Issei.
“So yeah, maybe we'll get to see Kyoutani being soft,” Iwaizumi says.
“Oh there'll be a lot to see, lots of unexpected things to witness,” Takahiro smiles deviously.
Iwaizumi narrows his eyes at him, calculating his words. He opens his mouth (probably to ask him what the hell does Takahiro mean), but gets interrupted.
“Ya~hoo! Guys, you will not believe what just happened!” Oikawa wails. “Dumb Mikorin spilled his soda on my vest and I have class with Mikoto-sensei next!” He looks at his vest and then at Iwaizumi, expectantly.
“What?”
“C'mon Iwa-chan! Lend me yours, please. You know how she is with the school uniform and I don't want to be scolded. I get enough of that with you.” Oikawa pouts.
Iwaizumi groans but compiles, rather easily. He knows he can't say no to Oikawa. Takahiro and Issei know it too, if their matching smirks are anything to go by.
He takes off his vest and gives it to Oikawa who pulls it over his head—rearranging his shirt and tie. He then buries his nose on the collar—inhaling loudly, losing himself in the smell of it, closing his eyes in bliss.
They all look at Oikawa now, and when he looks up, it’s like a deer caught in headlights. Iwaizumi's eyes are wide and his mouth slightly ajar. The blush on his cheeks is a vivid red and it spreads to his ears and neck. Takahiro is resisting the urge to laugh like a hyena.
Oikawa's blushing too and his voice cracks a bit when he speaks.
“You-” he clears his throat. “You guys ready for Yahaba's? I'm so excited! I can't wait to see Kindaichi trying to confess! He's probably going to combust, that's a thing worth seeing,” Oikawa says, changing the topic a little desperately.
“Kindaichi?! Who is he going to confess to?” Takahiro is surprised. He didn't know about this, and with all honesty, he's disappointed with himself.
“Kunimi, obviously.”
“What do you mean obviously? I didn't know about this! When did this happen?”
“Oh Makki, the signs were right there, you just weren't paying enough attention.” Oikawa smiles.
“What signs?” Iwaizumi asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, for starters, Kunimi only likes to spend time with him, and you know how he is about most people,” everyone nods in understanding. “He only smiles around Kindaichi and Kindaichi blushes a lot everytime this happens. Kindaichi’s love language is physical touch and he always seeks comfort by touching Kunimi. Whether it'd be his shoulder or grabbing the edge of his shirt. Once, Kindaichi was so distressed, that Kunimi hugged Kindaichi for a total of eight minutes,” Oikawa nods to himself.
“You stared at them for eight minutes, you creep?” Iwaizumi looks at Oikawa, amused and a little horrified.
“No! I just knew. They didn't know I was awake, and I was timing…something else,” he blushes. “Anyway! They basically cuddled for eight minutes, it's totally mutual. They're childhood friends, they have known each other since they were little kids, of course their feelings were bound to shift in that direction,” he explains.
The meaning of his words is not lost on anyone, and the widening of Oikawa's eyes tell them he just heard what he said. Thankfully, Takahiro comes to his rescue.
“Well, now I can't wait to see that! Between Kunimi and Kindaichi, and Yahaba and Kyoutani, this is going to be one hell of an evening.”
Including Oikawa's confession (which nobody but him knows about. And Issei, because he can’t keep anything from his boyfriend. Sue him). It’s going to be so relieving and satisfying to everyone on the team. All that pining and sexual tension that has everyone rolling eyes at practice. Even Kindaichi.
They part ways as the bell rings, students clear the hallways to resume their classes and Takahiro is already bored, remembering he has History next. But the upside is that Issei does too, so he will probably (definitely) spend it passing him dirty notes, to try and see how much Issei can suppress a blush before he explodes.
★ — — — — —
Classes go as usual, Issei is still awfully good at suppressing blushes, but it was fun watching him squirm a little in his seat. And Takahiro was almost caught twice, which is a new record. So History wasn’t that bad after all.
And now it’s afternoon practice. Takahiro reaches the club room with Issei behind him.
”I’m telling you, Sakura being ‘in love’ with Sasuke it’s her character flaw,” he emphasizes the air quotes gesture. “That’s infatuation, not love.” They’re rewatching Naruto together, and watching it when you are nine is not the same as watching it when you’re older.
”I’m just saying she could’ve been a great female character, she definitely has the potential for it.” Issei reasons.
”I know, but being obsessed with a gay man can make you lose your focus. I should know, after all,” he looks over his shoulder at Issei with a playful smile.
”Oh, so we agree on this? Surprise, surprise,” he grabs Takahiro’s hips from behind and buries his face in the crook of his neck. “No wonder we’re perfect for each other,” Issei murmurs, giving his neck a chaste peck.
As they approach the club room they hear voices inside, Iwaizumi and Oikawa are arguing again. Takahiro and Issei come closer to eavesdrop on them—they can hardly make out the conversation but Iwaizumi sounds detached, like when he’s mad or jealous but doesn’t want to show it.
”Iwa-chan! I don’t have plans with her, she asked me but I said no. I am going to Yahaba’s.”
”You can do whatever you want Oikawa, I don’t really care. I just think it’s a shitty thing coming from you, who organized this thing with Yahaba in the first place. Blowing it off for some girl,” iwaizumi says, and this time he can’t hide the bitterness in his words.
Issei and Takahiro look at each other and sigh, Issei rolling his eyes. These arguments are getting frequent lately. Takahiro thinks it’s because they’re reaching a breaking point in their friendship. They’ve been storing all these feelings for so long that the damp has to break sometime. That’s why Oikawa wants to confess, because he can’t keep on bottling up the love he has for Iwaizumi. Issei says Takahiro should give Iwaizumi more credit, but Takahiro has seen how protective Iwaizumi is of Oikawa. If there’s the smallest, tiniest possibility of Iwaizumi doing something that could harm Oikawa in any capacity, truly harming him, he most definitely won’t do it.
He puts their friendship above his own feelings, and Takahiro understands that. And he wants to believe that if Iwaizumi were to realize Oikawa wants the same, he would act on it. But he’s dense as fuck, that’s why Takahiro thinks, if it were up to Iwaizumi, those feelings would not leave his mouth ever.
He’s just glad this is all going in the right direction. Oikawa is so afraid too, he thinks Iwaizumi is all he has. He’s full of insecurities that mostly Iwaizumi knows how to handle, so it makes sense that the person who knows him the most, holds the most meaning in his life. For someone like Oikawa, who is so reserved of his true self and doesn’t let people in, it must be scary that something you say could break you apart from the person you consider your other half.
But he’s also courageous, ‘hit it till it breaks’ he always says. He is not one hundred percent sure that Iwaizumi wants him back in the same way that he wants Iwaizumi (although Takahiro and every other person that revolves around their bubble is), but he never backs down from anything. That’s so against Oikawa, and Takahiro being the kind soul that he is, has decided to guard his secret and his feelings. And has taken upon himself the task of getting rid of Iwaizumi’s potential suitors. Or threats. Same thing, anyway.
“Well, whether you care or not,” Oikawa says with a mocking tone. “I’m going, and I am looking forward to it! I’m not going to hang out with Akane-chan. You know I'd rather spend my time with you,” he says more quietly.
Takahiro is torn between gaging or melting.
”I bet Iwaizumi is blushing as we speak,” Issei whispers.
”I bet he has a hard-on as we speak. A box of cream puffs.”
”A massage.”
”Deal,” they whisper in unison and shake hands.
Takahiro opens the door of the club room and the lack of boners disappoints him. They enter and find Oikawa putting a teal t-shirt on. Iwaizumi turns his back on them, sitting on the bench and ruffling through his gym bag, but they both notice his ears and neck are as red as Lightning McQueen.
Takahiro turns to his boyfriend, deflating when Issei cheers silently.
”Mattsun, hurry up and change! I need to check your form. I went to Tokyo the other day and Takeru’s dad knows the coach from Fukurodani. Long story short, they were having a lot of practice matches, but the one against Nekoma caught my attention. One of the middle blockers was very good, his form was on point and I want you to try some of his tricks,” Oikawa explains while putting on his shoes, leaving his argument with Iwaizumi on hold.
Issei groans dramatically, throwing back his head but proceeds to change anyway. As pushy and demanding as Oikawa is, they would be fools if they didn’t listen to him with anything regarding volleyball. Oikawa is an exceptionally well-rounded player in the prefecture, not just the best setter. They change into their practice clothes at the insistence of Oikawa, and as soon as Issei is presentable enough, he tugs his arm and drags him out the club room, explaining the technique to Issei excitedly.
Takahiro hears the subtle sigh of relief coming from Iwaizumi still sitting at the bench. And it’s just Iwaizumi’s luck because Takahiro is in the mood to do some damage control. He finishes changing his clothes and sits beside Iwaizumi, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze.
”You’re gonna say things now, aren’t you?”
Takahiro laughs because, well, he does give Iwaizumi a lot of shit about his feelings for Oikawa. But it’s only fair, he’s the one in love with him, the questionable choices are not Takahiro’s this time.
”Why are you mad? Did he accept a confession?” Takahiro doesn’t think so, but it gets the conversation going.
“No, he was just asked to hang out,” Iwaizumi says, annoyed.
”You know, you can’t control that, people are gonna be after him a lot. You have to accept that. But you also know how to get rid of all those girls. And boys, might I add,” Takahiro says, giving Iwaizumi a look.
Iwaizumi scowls at him but Takahiro laughs at how pointless all his struggle is. Oikawa has literally no time and attention for people who are not Iwaizumi and things that are not volleyball.
”Look,” Takahiro starts, grabbing both of his very known broad shoulders. “Wow, these are great,” he squeezes and Iwaizumi rolls his eyes.
“Look, Oikawa said he would rather spend his time with you, don’t you trust him on that? He literally has no time for anyone else.”
Iwaizumi blushes and adverts his eyes, he’s frowning and definitely getting deeper in his head, which Takahiro must avoid at all cost.
“That’s right now, but sooner or later someone is going to come and he’ll be all,” he makes a vague gesture with his hand that Takahiro completely understands but wants to contradict anyway, “you know,” he finishes.
”I don’t actually know, because the version of Oikawa that accepts pretty girls’s confessions is not the real Oikawa. You, more than anyone else, know Oikawa through and through. We’ve been over this, you have seen Oikawa at his worst, do you really think he’s going to be that vulnerable with Akane? No way,” Takahiro huffs. He wants Iwaizumi to stay focused, to not lose the little hope he knows Iwaizumi revisits every other day.
“I know. But still, there’s no point in going over this, I’m never gonna tell him and he’s never going to find out, alright?” He threatens. Takahiro will most definitely appease Iwaizumi’s mind, but let it be clear, he is not on board with the whole ‘I will swallow my feelings till they no longer crawl up my throat’ act Iwaizumi is pulling off.
He wants his two best friends together, he wants to see them happy, with each other, and more importantly, not pining pathetically.
”Sure. I won’t say a word, but don’t give up on love! You might be surprised if you keep an open mind,” he gives Iwaizumi an exaggerated wink.
”Are you planning on setting me up? Please spare me, your boyfriend’s Mattsun, I can only imagine the weird screening process someone has to go through for you to set me up with someone.”
”What?! I have excellent taste, mind you. And no, I was not planning on setting you up,” he says. What he doesn’t say is that he’s been doing anything in his power to stop people from getting close to Iwaizumi.
“You just gotta keep an open mind, open to the possibilities of life. Sometimes we get stuck in our heads and we can’t really see the bigger picture, or see how people are acting around us, because we have a rooted idea of how they are going to act that we don't give room for the reality to actually be, you know?”
Iwaizumi is looking at him with narrowed eyes and a small smile on his face.
”Since when are you this wise?” He winces at the idea of Takahiro saying something remotely reasonable. Takahiro punches his shoulder in retaliation—rolling his eyes. He ties his shoelaces and stands up.
”I am incredibly wise, you just never want to listen to me. Now, don’t give yourself a hard time, Oikawa said so himself,” he pulls his hands together by his cheek and makes dreamy eyes at Iwaizumi. “‘I would rather spend my time with you, Iwa-chan!’” He laughs and revels at Iwaizumi’s scowl accompanied by rosy cheeks. Takahiro rushes to the door to escape Iwaizumi’s wrath—pausing at the threshold.
“You don’t have to worry, you know? There’s no one more important to Oikawa than you. That’s just a fact.” Iwaizumi’s cheeks are still red, but the tension on his shoulders dissipates a little.
”I know,” he looks at the ground. His tone is so sad that Takahiro wants to yell at him that his love is actually reciprocated, but he can’t go around spilling Oikawa’s feelings without his consent, so he keeps silent and lets Iwaizumi reach whatever twisted conclusion his mind comes up with. He looks over his shoulder at Iwaizumi one last time—still very much in his head—and leaves the clubroom.
— ★ — — — —
Afternoon practice can be draining and loud, and sometimes calm and quiet. Not because of the game or the training itself, but because there’s a fifty percent chance that Oikawa’s fangirls are gonna be screaming the whole practice, and fifty percent chance that they don’t come at all. If they do come, it’s a mess in all the sense of the word. It messes everyone's focus, it messes Iwaizumi’s mood and it messes with coach Irihata’s patience.
But despite the fact that the coach has been doing everything in his power to have afternoon practice behind closed doors, he can’t beat the principal on the grounds that ‘This is just a practice, if people want to watch, let them.’ So the coach is not winning that battle and everyone is paying the price. Even Oikawa, who thrives on the attention, gets fed up with it from time to time. As unbelievable as that is.
Right now, his smile is strained and his wave is not as cheery as it is in the morning. He generally doesn’t let it affect his playing. The attention, the screams, and the constant heart eyes Takahiro is sure Oikawa can feel on his back are not messing with his game. Oikawa is a beast on the court, nothing can break his focus when it’s about volleyball. No one.
No one except Iwaizumi. He’s every exception to Oikawa.
Oikawa is not a morning run kind of person, but he never says no to Iwaizumi when he asks Oikawa to cardio with him at the ass crack of dawn. He doesn’t share his bento with anyone, not even Issei who is the purest soul to ever live. But he feeds Iwaizumi every day from it because he knows Iwaizumi prefers Oikawa’s cooking over his mom’s (something he will never admit but Takahiro will gladly save that information for potential blackmail). Oikawa will avoid horror movies at all costs, but he watches every new release with Iwaizumi because he loves them.
So Oikawa is not affected by the girls per se, but because Iwaizumi is in an sucky mood. More so than usual. Oikawa is invested, trying to cheer him up and doing everything to dissipate the deepest frown on Iwaizumi’s face, even though he doesn’t know the real cause of it.
Iwaizumi brushes off his awful jokes and smacks the ball as hard as he can. He’s sweating from head to toe, testing his limits and endurance to distract himself. Takahiro is both amused and frustrated. He (like the rest of the team) knows Iwaizumi is getting upset over nothing, but he’s amused at Iwaizumi’s pointless annoyance.
Since Oikawa is doing everything he can to make Iwaizumi’s mood go away, Iwaizumi’s the one getting more tosses. Surprisingly, Oikawa is pretty fair with them, he always keeps in mind the best strategy to win, and if that includes tossing to Watari then so be it. But right now, Iwaizumi is hitting toss after toss. Takahiro is a bit jealous, if it weren’t for the literal distress in Oikawa’s face, realizing his methods aren’t that effective, Takahiro would be calling out Oikawa—demanding more tosses for him. He wants to get better too, after all.
When Iwaizumi hits a spike that could fly someone’s head off (nearly decapitated Kunimi), the coach blows the whistle and calls Iwaizumi over. Takahiro wishes for him to get benched, just a little. Otherwise Takahiro won’t spike to save his life. The whole team gravitates towards each other, speculating what is happening between Iwaizumi and Oikawa.
“Do you think it has anything to do with that girl asking Oikawa-senpai out today?” Kindaichi whispers.
”Most likely,” Kunimi answers him. His face shows boredom, as if he can’t wait for the whole discussion to be over, but Takahiro can notice the tiniest frown of concern on his face.
”But Oikawa-senpai said he was going to be at Yahaba’s tonight. Do you think he accepted the girl’s invitation?”
”Not at all.”
”Kunimi is right, Oikawa would never pass up an opportunity for a team bonding experience” Kyoutani grimaces. “If he said he was going to Shigeru’s, then he’s going.” The blush on Yahaba’s face at the mention of his given name does not go unnoticed by Takahiro.
”Guys, don’t worry,” Takahiro grabs Kunimi and Kindaichi’s shoulders. “They’re going to be fine, this is just marital problems, no need to worry.”
The tension leaves Kindaichi’s body and he smiles hesitantly. Everyone else wants for them to get together. Iwaizumi and Oikawa are the foundation of the team, and if they are good with each other, then the team thrives on their leadership.
By the time Iwaizumi is done talking to the coach, he walks to the bench and sits down. Oikawa’s whole posture screams defeat, resigned that he could do nothing to brighten Iwaizumi’s mood. And now it’s worse because he’s benched. He turns to the rest of the team and claps his hands twice with a fake smile.
”Chop chop everyone! Let’s resume, shall we? Kunimi, no more slacking. Everyone else, get in position.”
The team does as told, Takahiro spares a glance to Iwaizumi, only to realize that he’s already looking at Takahiro. He offers him a slight encouraging smile but Iwaizumi looks down at his shoes and starts massaging his temples.
The rest of practice goes monotonously, every player fulfilling their respective roles with a giant, grey cloud over their heads that makes them play on autopilot. Even with the promise to unwind and have fun at the bonfire later, there are frowns everywhere you look.
— — ★ — — —
After practice is over, it seems that Iwaizumi has recovered somewhat—his posture is less tense, and he apologizes to the coach about his tantrum, giving a reassuring smile to the team. Everyone loses tension, too. Everyone but Oikawa. Takahiro thinks the reason is that Oikawa doesn’t know what caused Iwaizumi’s mood to drop in the first place, and since he will pester people until they fold, Takahiro knows Iwaizumi is about to be pestered big time.
Now, there’s no way Iwaizumi is going to come clean and tell Oikawa that he was being ridiculous because he was jealous, and he will only get more irritable if Oikawa annoys him with endless questions. So, once again, Takahiro has to take matters into his own hands and not let these two get further apart.
In the clubroom, with everyone talking about the bonfire—getting excited again about having some time to chill at Yahaba’s—Takahiro looks at Iwaizumi to see if he’s paying attention to Oikawa, but finds him discussing something with a blushing Kyoutani.
“Hey, Oikawa,” Takahiro whispers. Oikawa turns to him—a glum expression on his face, while he rummages through his locker with the slowness of a sloth.
“Hm?”
“Don’t worry, okay? I know he was in a mood earlier but it’s not your fault. Let him figure it out, he’ll come to you. He always does.”
Takahiro knows he’s being corny, but Oikawa needs to hear it, and he also likes this sentimental shit. Takahiro is an awesome friend, so of course he’s going to give his friend the sappiest support.
“I know, it’s just…” Oikawa trails off, folding the t-shirt in his hands. “I hate when he shuts me out, he always tells me to be honest with him, to tell him when something is bothering me, and he is the same with me most of the time. But it’s those times when he’s not that hurts me the most. I hate it,” he finishes.
“Hey, c’mon,” he grabs Oikawa by the elbow, “this is no time to be like that. The Oikawa I know would seize this opportunity.” Oikawa looks at him quizzically, but at least he doesn’t look sad anymore. “We’re gonna go to Yahaba’s and have a fun time with the team. We’re gonna drink and make our inhibitions low. You’re gonna be your most charming self with Iwaizumi and sweep him off his feet, yeah?”
Oikawa’s face contorts into a mix between cringe and determination, it tells Takahiro that he hasn’t driven the point home so he keeps going.
“You were looking forward to this bonfire, you planned it as a team bonding experience,” Takahiro rolls his eyes. “But I know you planned this as a setting for your confession. Now let me reassure you, I don’t judge you. I would've done the same.” To this, Oikawa shoots him a glare but doesn’t deny Takahiro’s words.
“But I will judge you, if you don’t seize the opportunity that you crafted for yourself. Now, enough pining captain. Are you ready to take your man?” Takahiro asks like those self-help coaches his mother likes to watch on Sundays.
Oikawa seems torn between bursting out in laughter or answering Takahiro's question seriously. To his delight, he chooses the latter.
”You’re absolutely right Makki, let’s do this,” he smiles, full of mischief and glee.
“Hit it till it breaks!” Takahiro encourages loudly. Oikawa’s laughs—so genuine that Takahiro can’t help but laugh along with him.
“Oh no, Iwaizumi, those two are laughing together. We must be wary,” Issei says, hiding behind Kunimi.
”Oh shut up Mattsun! Makki and I are perfectly capable of behaving ourselves, we’re adults. Stop it with your babysitting!”
”Oh I know you’re adults, but you’re scheming adults. Nothing good can come out of you two hanging out together,” Iwaizumi adds.
”Now I can’t even enjoy the company of my friend?” Takahiro grabs Oikawa’s arm and turns to look at him. “Oikawa, they want to pull us apart, you must not let them! What will I ever do without your witted humor and your amazingly useful hair care tips?”
By now, everyone is watching the dramatic display, trying to hold back laughter in the case of Mattsun, Kindaichi and Watari. Iwaizumi is rolling his eyes and Kyoutani looks like he would rather be anywhere else. Oikawa touches his cheek and goes along with it, voice trembling with laughter.
“Makki, I would never let them! They have tried it many times and have not yet succeeded. This time will be no different, I don’t know what I would do without your baking expertise and all those quizzes you always send me when I’m bored. I won’t let these fools separate us!”
“Alright, alright we get it, we’ll all be wary of those two,” Yahaba claps once. “Now, I’m going to go set things up, Kentarou is coming with me to help. Someone else wants to join us?” He asks, looking around the room, but when everyone glances behind him they shake their heads in unison.
Takahiro turns to hide his face on Oikawa’s shoulder to stifle his laugh. He knows Oikawa’s not doing much better when he feels the shoulder shake with silent laughter.
”Okay,” Yahaba says, frowning at his teammates. “Then you can start arriving at eight. Be punctual or I'll shut the door in your face. Only the volleyball team is allowed, the captain says this is a team bonding experience so I will not open my house to people outside of it. Do not break anything, and do not touch the Star Wars collection,” he turns to Oikawa. “That goes for you, captain. No lightsaber fights.” Takahiro and Oikawa groan in tandem.
Yahaba grabs his bag and motions Kyoutani to leave with a ‘see you there’ to the team.
“Damn, did you see Kyoutani’s glare?”
”You think if I was holding milk it would’ve curdled?”
”Most definitely.”
They change out of their practice clothes while having a light conversation about the results of one of Takahiro’s quizzes. The atmosphere is light again, Oikawa is not smiling his fake smile, and it seems like a weight has lifted off his shoulders. Most importantly, he looks happy and hopeful. That makes Takahiro happy.
Takahiro waves goodbye, winking at Oikawa with a cheeky smirk. Walking out of the school—with Issei’s fingers intertwined with his own—an amicable and comfortable silence blankets them, while the soft warm breeze ruffles their hair. Issei hums, looking straight ahead, he pulls Takahiro’s hand to his mouth and gives it a loud kiss. Glancing to his side, Issei locks eyes with Takahiro—smiling against the back of his hand.
”Geez, Issei, at least give me a warning first.”
”A warning?” Issei smirks. He knows damn well what he’s doing.
”Yes, otherwise my heart is going to stop.” Issei laughs softly—kissing Takahiro’s cheek.
”What did you say to Oikawa?”
”You know, just give him the pep talk of a lifetime.”
“I can’t believe the pining is coming to an end. It was so fun,” Issei says fondly, “but, it was getting ridiculous.”
“I’m surprised that Oikawa is going to confess before Iwaizumi, to be honest. Our ace is no coward.” Issei hums and scratches his cheek.
”I mean, no. But we know how scary it is to fall in love with your best friend. He’s just thinking of what is best for Oikawa.”
Takahiro hums. Issei is not wrong, it is hard to come to terms with something as life changing as that. Takahiro had to be absolutely sure that Issei felt the same before he made a move.
“I’m just glad Oikawa is finally doing it, being there for him when it got ugly was…I was so sad for him. I’m glad those two can finally leave all of that behind and be finally happy. Making out at each other's houses and planning the most expensive wedding known to mankind.” Issei laughs—pulling him close with a hand on his waist.
”You’re saying all this corny stuff but I know you, Hiro, you just want to take credit for getting those two together,” Issei smirks against his neck.
”Well that’s just a plus,” Takahiro waves his hand. “I’m giving the speech at that wedding whether they like it or not.”
— — — ★ — —