Chapter Text
Oikawa stomps down the gym corridor, purposefully making each step extra loud for dramatic effect. He could be loud for an entirely other, much more pleasant reason too, if only Iwa-chan had made his move already! But noooo…
He would rather pamper that pissy haired setter since his face checked out the floor from a closer view. If you ask Oikawa, the setter had it coming, ogling not only one, but two of his hitters quite unabashedly.
Oikawa could never; he is much more tasteful with checking out Iwa-chan, thank you very much.
“Why can't he just do something finally, argh!” He pushes back his hair with both hands.
He knows he is a fucking jackpot. He knows Iwa wanna hit it - probably more than one way at times. Kinky.
What is not too gentlemanly of him is to make Oikawa wait for it. He is either dense or playing hard to get, except Oikawa knows him quite well, and it is possible that he doesn’t even realize his own feelings towards Oikawa. So, dense it is.
After all this time, what could be the final push that would make him switch to beast mode and initiate finally? They have years of sexual tension to fuck out of their system, after all.
And no, Oikawa will Not confess. He is still a pillow princess at heart, and it shows.
When he sees that ugly damn red uniform again from the corner of his eye paired with an annoying dark olive brown hair, suddenly an idea forms in his mind.
With determined steps he approaches Ushijima.
“I wanna talk with you,” he says without any pleasantries, grabs onto his arm and turns to enter the restroom just beside them, pulling the other with him.
“Are you sure this is the best place for a conversation?”
“What? Do you want me to ask someone if they could give us a fully equipped conference room?”
“I wouldn't go that far,” Ushijima deadpans.
“Then this will do. Listen-” Oikawa’s words are interrupted by the sound of the toilet flush followed by the cracking of the stall door.
“Oh! Fancy meeting with you two here,” Hinata beams at them, his face flushed and hair in disarray.
“Hinata, Kageyama was looking for you,” Ushijima says.
“Shit,” he says before bolting out. Kenma nonchalantly follows him with slow steps and a smirk on his lips as he nods at the two men in acknowledgement.
“Even Chibi-chan is getting some game!” Oikawa buries his face in his palm in desperation.
Then he realizes he cannot taint his face like that. Rule number one for clear skin, and everything! He has a plan, after all! And he needs his face card for that plan to work! Iwa-chan deserves him in his full glory, even if he is not aware of it yet.
Oh, and regarding his plan.
“You,” he points a finger theatrically at Ushijima’s direction, and pauses.
“Me...?” Ushijima nods, not understanding where the setter is going with his shenanigan at all.
“Yes, you ... are gonna help me.”
“I don’t think that would be fair game considering we are in different teams,” Ushijima frowns.
“Oh please. We don't need any help to mop the floor with the Japanese team.” Oikawa raises his eyebrows. “I meant in a different matter.”
“Which would be?”
“I have beef with your athletic trainer.”
“I thought you two were friends?”
“That's exactly my problem with him! That we are still friends.”
“So you don’t like him?”
Oikawa groans in frustration. He needs to change tactics. “Are you familiar with the ways of seduction, Wakatoshi?”
“I don’t think so. Although Satori says I'm a born talent in it.”
“Yeah, sure.” Oikawa snorts. “Then let me give you an opportunity to use that natural talent of yours.”
“I’m good. Thanks.”
“Listen I just need you to act like we have something going on to make Iwa angry.”
“Tendou made sure the team knows the two of us are together.”
Oikawa shrugs. That wasn’t a no. “Threesomes are fun too.”
Ushijima deadpans as usual. “I don't have any experience in that field so I will leave it to your judgement.”
“It’s always a pleasure to talk with you.” Oikawa rolls his eyes.
“Same goes for you too.”
Well, that is an unexpected reply to hear. It takes a couple of seconds to get rid of the unexpected shock of Ushijima actually enjoying his company.
“So are you in or what?”
“Let me just ask Satori.” He pulls out his phone and starts typing away. The answer comes right away, a small smile pulling on his lips. Oikawa is pretty sure he’s just hallucinating it because there is no way it actually happened.
“He says go crazy, whatever that means for him.”
“Oh, someone will definitely go crazy,” Oikawa smirks. “Let’s go then!”
He grabs onto Ushijima’s hand and cheerfully leads him around the building. His hands are calloused, but comfortably warm in his hold.
“You know I have practice to attend.”
“That’s perfect, actually.” Oikawa smirks and clings onto Ushijima’s biceps even tighter. “Let me accompany you.”
“Are you trying to spy on our training?“
“Hah, as if I would need to stoop so low!” Oikawa huffs. There is a whole ass rant on the tip of his tongue already. Despite the barely noticeable sly glint in Ushijima’s eyes that tells Oikawa that he is just fucking with him, he decides to unleash his monologue on him anyway.
Oikawa likes hearing his own voice a little too much to pass up on an opportunity such as this, sue him.
He leans close into Ushijima’s space to bring his point across, all theatrics included, but he doesn’t have the time to utter a word as they reach the gym and walk in on most of the team already ready for practice.
Iwa-chan stands near the door, but before they can lock eyes Ushijima covers the sight as he leans over Oikawa’s ear.
“Oh? But you sure would look good lower,” Ushijima murmurs so that only Oikawa can hear his voice.
“Did you just-” A flush starts blooming on his face, registering the meaning of what he just heard. “Huh?”
“I’ve learnt a thing or two from Tendou,” Ushijima smiles (smiles!) at him. Oikawa thinks he might pass out right there. “Speechlessness is an unusual but flattering look on you,” he adds, and gently pushes Oikawa’s jaw up so it isn’t left hanging open. His thumb lingers over his lips.
It takes away Oikawa’s breath completely.
“That's enough.” Iwaizuma rushes over to the pair, a deep scowl on his face as he looks between the two men. “Ushijima, you are late! Everyone is already warming up.”
“There is still 3 minutes until the scheduled start of the practice,” Ushijima points out as he looks over his watch.
“It’s no excuse for this behaviour,” Iwaizumi fumes. His eyes show fire, and Oikawa is mesmerised by its intensity. He notices Iwa glancing at their joined arm, but Ushijima just holds him tighter before he could change his mind about this whole plan and let go.
“What behavio-”
“KAGEYAMA!” Hinata sprints in, straight to the setter without a care, his hair even more wild than just a few minutes ago.
“What’s up, Iwa-chan? Don’t you have a pep talk to give Chibi-chan over there too?” Oikawa nods in his direction.
“Stop fooling around then! It’s inappropriate to act like that in the gym, especially with a taken man.”
“Oh I can definitely take him.”
“Actually,” Ushijima holds up his hand. The veins on Iwa’s forehead almost pop from the simple gesture alone. “Oikawa is a taken man as well.”
“Come again?”
“What can I say, I’m a catch, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa shrugs the most non-nonchalant way ever seen.
“Does Tendou know about this?” Iwaizumi turns to Ushijima.
“He is fully informed and supportive,” Oikawa answers, with Ushijima nodding along. “Who wouldn’t wanna hit?”
“Stop bullshitting me. Are you serious?”
“Yes, although it’s quite fresh,” Ushijima says in a deadpan voice that Iwaizumi can't argue with. “I was told two boyfriends are better than one. Guess they were right.”
“Hey, hey! Easy, Iwa!” The ever noisy Atsumu decides to not just eavesdrop on their conversation, and holds back the trainer before he jumps on the spiker.
Oikawa’s eyes zero on the contact between the setter and his Iwa-chan. His eyes narrow, before putting up a sickeningly sweet smile and looking at Atsumu. “How is your head feeling? Still gonging hollowly after your fall?”
“Haven’t had any complaints about my head,” Atsumu winks. “Sorry you can’t relate.”
“Poor souls probably didn't have any comparison.” Oikawa waves dismissively. “I have two boyfriends to show for my skills.”
The irony doesn’t escape Oikawa. Atsumu and he are more similar than he would ever admit.
“And you can't even decide if you want to look at the sun or at the grass in front of you,” he adds for an extra punch. Atsumu flinches and lets go of Iwaizumi, but before he can start a fight Hinata calls for him. He lets the three men to themselves with a dirty look shot at Oikawa.
“We should start the practice,” Ushijima suggests, looking at Iwaizumi. The athletic trainer is still rooted to his spot after the news.
This way, he gets the perfect view of Ushijima leaning over Oikawa and giving him a tender forehead kiss as a goodbye. Oikawa blushes, and Iwa is so furious he turns and leaves the pair without another word. This is for their own good; he doesn’t want to hit Ushijima when the team needs him. That would be unprofessional.
It doesn’t mean there is no fury boiling inside him. Quite the opposite.
As Iwa walks away, he misses the mischievous smile on Oikawa’s face.
Iwa is so distraught he better be absent from the practice, for the team’s sake if not his own. He snaps at everyone that dares to approach him, and the players end up avoiding him like the plague for the rest of the training.
He fists his hands every time his anger pikes up. His hands are fisted the whole practice. He tries, and fails at not staring at Ushijima almost the whole time.
Oikawa’s new boyfriend.
Or, apparently, one of his new boyfriends.
The thought is insane. Iwa wouldn’t even believe it, but the more he thinks about it the more it makes sense.
And trust him, he thinks about it a lot now.
The weird rivalry-slash-tension between Oikawa and Ushijima? Oikawa’s charm, that he himself has fallen for unfortunately? Tendou’s eccentric personality that Iwa can picture next to Oikawa’s just perfectly? It all makes a bit too much sense actually, which is crazy.
At first he thought Oikawa was messing with him. But after Iwa saw how the pair looks at each other, how they behave, how could he doubt it? Ushijima isn’t the type for deceptions either.
What hurts most is that Oikawa looked... happy. Happy in someone’s arms, someone who is not Iwa himself.
And that’s the sore spot, isn’t it?
Practice flies by, and Iwaizumi helps the players pack away, moving his limbs on autopilot. He nods at the players as a goodbye, and the whole way home is filled with more thinking.
That’s all that he does now: think.
That’s all he did before. Despite being a man of action, he just couldn’t bring himself to ask Oikawa out yet. Their relationship is such a solid point in Iwa’s life, despite the distance and years, that he wouldn’t survive it falling apart.
Apparently, he was right by not making a move and risking it all. Iwa liked to imagine some of their interactions had romantic undertones , but he must have been imagining the whole thing. He was just projecting his own feelings onto their friendship.
Let’s face it, Iwa is nothing like Ushijima or Tendou. He never will be.
He isn’t what Oikawa looks for in partners, and that’s... fine.
“It’s fine,” he mutters to himself in his empty apartment. He forgoes dinner, and heads straight to the shower.
His clothes hit the tiles, and a shiver runs down his spine from the cold water. He lets the icy droplets run down his skin, and doesn’t even bother with setting the temperature.
“It’s fine,” he repeats, but the words get stuck in his throat midway through. He grits his teeth; the thought of that forehead kiss repeating in his mind has him choking back sobs.
Why can’t he be the one for Oikawa? He would give his everything to him.
Even tear his soul apart. And apparently, that’s what he needs to do.
If Oikawa can only be happy with others, Iwa just needs to... let him. He can’t taint his relationships just because Iwaizumi cannot deal with the feelings for his best friend.
He cannot breathe from the thought, the feeling of loss so overwhelming. The fact that there was nothing to feel loss over in the first place is kind of funny. It’s a shame Iwa can’t laugh about it.
He would rather not cry about it either, but the tears escape regardless. Anger is easier to deal with, but grief? Not so much.
The fact is, Iwaizumi doesn’t want to lose Oikawa. But if Iwa keeps behaving like today, that is inevitable.
So, a new game plan. He just needs to bench his romantic feelings and enter a support role. He could do it. For Oikawa, he will do it.
He just needs to get the sadness out of his system first.
He didn’t plan on sleeping tonight anyway. Choking on sobs would be a nasty way to go for sure.
The heartache can be survived if Oikawa will stay in his life.
Light is filtered through his blinds by the time he gets his act together. He gets up, makes his bed and steps into the bathroom.
Iwa submerges his face in cold water, then looks at his reflection with determination in his eyes. His gaze slips over the pile of clothes still on the floor. He picks them up and gets his phone from his pocket as he puts them in the laundry bin.
His eyes instantly look for notifications from Oikawa. And there it is, a couple of messages from yesterday. Oikawa sent a link to a post about his team, followed by a string of rant about how there is no picture about the actual game, just a general team photoshoot pasted in. Then a couple of memes for good measure.
Iwa can’t help but smile at his dramatic ways.
Oikawa ends it by a “u still up for tomorrow?🥺”, to which Iwa agrees promptly. He needs to see him.
He needs to get ready, but he hesitates with his phone in his hand. His traitorous thumb moves over the screen and keyboard, and after tapping away he is faced by Tendou’s profile.
It is not stalking, he tells himself. He is just... making sure Oikawa is in the right hands. That’s still his job, to protect Oikawa, is it not?
There is no use visiting Ushijima’s account. His online presence consists of reposting some articles about the team once in a blue moon. Iwa is pretty sure no one would notice for a long while if he accidentally locked himself out of his account.
But Tendou? Oh, he is active.
Most posts are about his chocolate artwork, which is pretty impressive even when Iwaizumi wants to find some fault in it.
Ushijima’s presence is sprinkled all around his timeline. A stray glimpse of his figure in the background, a definitely not Tendou-sized jersey showing at the corner.
The post that catches Iwa’s eye is one with their hands intertwined. The other hands are left free for Oikawa to hold, Iwa chuckles bitterly to himself. He needs to prepare to see those kinds of pics too about Oikawa.
Iwa ends up scrolling so much that he needs to rush to get there in time. It doesn’t matter as he bumps right into Oikawa in the hotel lobby.
“Heyyy,” Oikawa greets him, but his playful demeanor drops when he is met with Hajime’s serious expression.
“I just wanted to apologize for yesterday,” Iwaizumi starts right away. He needs to get the words out, because seeing Tooru has already wavered his resolve and he fears he might say something he definitely shouldn’t if they keep chatting like that.
“Yeah? What about?”
“It was a bit sudden, seeing you with Ushijima,” Iwa sighs. “But I’m... happy for you,” he manages to get out.
Oikawa tilts his head in confusion. “Happy?”
“Absolutely.” Iwa nods and keeps nodding, as if to make himself believe it as much as for Oikawa.
“I’m glad you... found someone. Or, well, someones,” he chuckles, and turns around so Oikawa cannot see his expression. “Sorry, I don’t think we can go out today. I’m not feeling well. See you around?”
“But wait, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa starts, but Iwa is already walking back to his room. He is out of sight in an instant.
Iwa manages to hold out until his door is locked behind him. Even when his heart is shattering, there is only one thought in his mind.
This is the best for us.
THIS IS THE WORST THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED!
Iwa did
not
just say that. Oikawa’s ears must be malfunctioning.
This can’t be.
This little facade was supposed to give Iwa-chan a little push to fall into Oikawa’s arms, so why is the only thing falling is the setter’s heart apart?
Couldn’t he see that it was an act? Is he really that oblivious to Oikawa’s feelings?
He fooled around with people before, there is nothing new in that, and Hajime saw those as they were, always giving an earful to him about it.
But this time…
He said those words like it’s something serious. Like he was genuinely happy for him. Deep down he could see the pain in his expression, but that's not enough for him.
He wanted to feel important. That he is something worth fighting for. That Hajime would fight for him.
Did he misunderstand the situation? It can’t be that he just imagined Hajime’s feelings for him.
All those years.
And this is how it ends. With never even starting. He lived with false hope the whole time.
He wishes he could have something to grab into, but there is no longer anything solid in his life. Even the floor under his feet turned into thin air.
He always had to prove himself to secure his place. Hajime’s heart was the only place he thought he had unconditionally, like how he was a permanent resident of his heart. Learning that he can just let Oikawa go this easily, without any opposition. He was merely renting the place.
He wishes he could blame someone for all of this.
He really wishes.
The only one at fault is his stupid heart…
… And maybe Ushijima .
Oh god, why can't Ushijima be the only source of his misery.
Stupid Ushijima.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Why did he have to agree to Oikawa’s plan? He should still be happily living in blissful ignorance if not for his stupid idea.
He can only laugh at himself.
If he didn’t, he would be crying. But that wouldn’t be ideal in the hotel lobby.
If you asked him how long he’s been here, he literally has no clue. Iwaizumi walking away feels like a distant memory, that maybe didn't even happen, but he can still hear his words. Like a record repeating in his ear.
Nothing feels real anymore. When did he sit down? How did he even get to the seats?
Does it even matter?
Does anything matter?
No. Not anymore.
The elevator opens with a ding in the lobby. As Ushijima takes his steps towards the main door, his eyes catch a familiar brunette slumped on the other side of the room. The setter just sits there seemingly frozen in place.
As he approaches him and takes a closer look, he sees that he blankly stares at his lap, not registering anything that happens around him. He crouches down next to the armchair.
“Oikawa,” he calls, but no response.
“ Oikawa,” he says more firmly and places his hand on the other’s shoulder gently. It finally breaks the man out of whatever trance he was in and with a pale face looks at Ushijima.
“What?” he squeezes out weakly.
“You don't look well,” he states.
The setter snorts. “Just the way to win a guy over.” He looks into the distance before continuing “It’s over.”
“There are still a few days before the actual matches start.”
“I’m not talking about the Olympics. We are still kicking your sorry asses.” Oikawa looks at him baffled. He takes a deep sigh. “Iwa just gleefully congratulated me on our ‘relationship’ saying he is happy that I found someone.”
“Oh, that was not part of your plan.” The hand resting on the setter’s shoulder moved down, now caressing his back with small circular motions.
“Hell, it wasn’t!” he growls into his hands. “I wanted him jealous, not retreating!”
Ushijima feels bad since he took part in this whole fiasco. He wants to cheer Oikawa up.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?” He stands up.
“Besides crying myself to sleep? Not really.” The other follows his now looming figure with his gaze.
“Good, then come with me.” And without another word, he grabs Oikawa’s hand and pulls him up from the chair. He takes firm steps toward the door, the other just fumbles after him still trying to process what is happening.
If he is being honest he doesn't even care about what is going on anymore.
He zones out as Ushijima leads him around. He might be a living zombie, with his eyes unfocused, mind replaying the interaction with Iwaizumi like a broken record.
The thing that breaks him out of his bubble is when he notices Tendou Satori himself sitting across from him, seemingly staring into his soul.
The man tilts his head when he sees Oikawa’s eyes clearing and staring back. “Rough times, eh?”
“You could say that.”
Tendou eyes Ushijima for a moment. “You told me this was gonna be a mess, but boy were you not exaggerating,” he comments.
“Shut up,“ Oikawa presses out the word before headbutting the table and staying there.
“Oh, I’m not complaining. Go crazy or whatever. I love involving myself in some tea.”
“Glad to be for your entertainment,” Oikawa rolls his eyes, even though the other two can’t see it.
“How flattering you thought about our pair.’ Tendou puts a hand on his chest theatrically.
“Even though the plan didn’t go that well,” Ushijima adds.
“I can see that.” Tendou nods solemnly and pats Oikawa's soft curls. Oikawa’s head shoots up from the table at the unexpected contact.
“Let's not talk about it, please,” Oikawa growls, ruffling his hair back in its original state. Or well, he tries. Ushijima and Tendou both hide a smile at his disheveled curls and don’t comment on it.
Tendou puts his hands up in defeat. “Whatever you wish for, princess.”
The waiter arrives at their table and that's when Oikawa finally realizes that they are actually in a restaurant.
“I should probably go,” he says half-heartedly. He can’t imagine moving from his position, but watching Ushijima and Tendou be all romantic and happy when Oikawa is decidedly alone would be his 13th reason for the day.
“If you weren’t welcome, I wouldn't have brought you here,” Ushijima says with a soft smile. The view of it still feels like a hallucination to the setter.
“Ushijima likes you,” Tendou shrugs, an unreadable glint in his eyes. “And I guess I might start too. Well, besides the whole staring vacantly into space thing but y’know, no one is perfect.”
Tendou’s words surprise Oikawa. They actually like him? No one has ever said it to him so openly like that.
“Thanks for having me then, I guess.”
It’s surprising how nice the atmosphere is the whole time. It’s so easy to feel at ease with these two, even though what was his thoughts of them since high school until… literally a day ago.
The company is surprisingly good. The food is also good. Even the wine accompanying the meal is excellent, even though Oikawa should probably stop with the liberal consumption soon.
As the alcohol slides down his throat again and again, it reminds him how he got here. Reminds him of what happened. He is once again aware of his heart, or more precisely its ruins.
“I just thought we had something going, y’know?” he begins out of nowhere, slurring his words a little. “You are together with someone your whole life and you dare to assume that you know them, but then the universe begs to differ.”
“Oh my,” Tendou gasps. “That’s terrible.”
“Right? I just thought I meant something to him like how he means so much to me, but then he just walked away.”
“He did not.” Tendou shakes his head. Ushijima watches the two with silent despair.
“YES HE DID! Right after he congratulated me that I found someone else,” Oikawa buries his face in his palms, tearing up.
“How could he?”
“That’s what I’m saying, like is it really hard for him to fight for me? Am I not worth it?”
“You deserve better,”
“But I want him. I wanted him for so long. Why can’t he want me too?” At this point, he breaks down in full sobs.
“Oh, darling,” Tendou stands up from his seat and goes over to him and pats his shoulder placatingly. “He doesn’t deserve your tears.”
“Let’s get you back to your room,” Ushijima suggests. “I will get the bill, Satori will help you out.”
“I don’t want to be alone,” Oikawa mutters into Tendou’s shoulder as they get up slowly. The room is spinning with him, his head hurts either from the alcohol or crying, not even speaking about how there is an empty void in his chest.
“There, there,“ Tendou puts his arm around him to support Oikawa’s weight. “Of course we won’t leave you.”
Ushijima joins them as they stumble out of the restaurant, and holds the door open for them before joining Oikawa’s other side for additional support.
Meanwhile Oikawa cannot stop babbling about Iwa and their long history. Well, he has to stop every couple of minutes when his crying becomes overwhelming. Ushijima supplies him with a seemingly endless number of tissues.
Oikawa once again is not sure how he got from one place to the other but at some point his back hits a soft bed. As he looks around with his dizzy head he concludes that it's definitely not his shared hotel room with his team mates.
“Fuck him, actually,” he mumbles into the pillow with closed eyes as his head seriously starts aching.
Then, a sudden wave of determination washes over him and he says it again, with more resolve. “Fuck him!” He opens his eyes and meets Tendou’s.
“Yes, exactly. That’s the spirit! Fuck him!” Tendou encourages. “Come on Toshi, you say it too.”
Both Oikawa and Tendou look at the spiker expectantly. He sighs.
“Fuck him,” he says in a deadpan voice.
Oikawa nods satisfied and closes his eyes again. Now that he is past the initial shock and emotional whiplash, he feels exhausted. “Ugh, I just wanna sleep,” he grumbles.
“Can I interest you in my finest pillow?” Tendou asks, patting on the half naked Ushijima’ chest, who is already laying down on the bed.
“Hell yeah” he crawls up toward him, basically letting himself fall on the spiker, burying his face into his pillow for the night. It feels quite plush and comfortable, so he settles with a smile on his face.
“Sleep tight, don’t let the undeserving men get between you and your beauty sleep,” Tendou says, laying down next to the pair.
“Good night.” Ushijima swipes a lock from Oikawa’s face but the setter is already snoring on his chest.
“Our fake boyfriend is such a cutie, don't you think,” Tendou says.
Ushijima snorts at him, “You enjoy it so much.”
“Hell yes I am. Tell me you don’t.”
Ushijima just smiles at that. “Hope he feels better tomorrow.”
Oikawa doesn’t feel better the next morning actually. His head hurts like hell.
“Ugh,” he groans into his pillow and pulls his blanket over his face so the morning light is not bothering him.
A light laugh comes from beside him and his eyes snap open.
“Good morning to you too,” Tendou smiles at him, looking up from his phone.
“Why are you here?” Oikawa demands weakly.
“To brighten your day, silly,” Tendou says. “And also this is my room.“
“Your wha-?” He looks around himself and notices that he is indeed not at his place. Last night is blurry, but fragmented bits come to him.
He buries his head back into his pillow. Or, well, Tendou’s pillow apparently.
Tendou lets him wallow in self pity for a little while. Maybe it also has to do with how a notification catches him off-guard on his phone.
Eventually Oikawa gets himself together enough to open his eyes again. “Where is my phone?”
“Aren’t you just a little mobile-addict? Nightstand,” Tendou points, this time not even looking at the mess that is Oikawa currently, too busy staring at his screen.
With a little ruffling he acquires his phone. There are a few notifications that he can just ignore.
…And then there is a message from Iwa-chan. That one, he wishes he could ignore in every sense possible. They are still supposed to be best friends and that’s where Oikawa will leave this thought process because he might start crying again and his face must be all puffy from yesterday already.
He is asking about that meetup that they planned earlier this week. And while Oikawa decidedly does not feel like meeting, he will show up for it. He won’t back down, despite Iwa’s behavior and his own broken heart. Their relationship still means a lot to Oikawa.
“You look like a car ran you over. Again. ” Tendou comments after seeing the setter’s expression.
“Pleased to tell you, the driver is still Iwa.”
“Uff, that’s rough.”
“I’m back from the gym,” Ushijima announces as he steps into the room.
He walks to Tendou’s side of the bed and gives him a chase kiss.
Oikawa looks at them annoyed. “I’m here too,” he rolls his eyes.
“I’m sorry. Would you want one too?” Ushijima asks and leans over to him.
“WHAT- No?!” He shrieks as a peck was already pressed to his forehead. ”Whatever,” he can hear Tendou laugh as he blushes at the attention.
Tendou ruffles Oikawa’s hair affectionately. “Aww, you’re so cute when you blush.”
It’s only when Satori starts teasing him that Oikawa swats away his hand. “Shut up,” he mumbles.
But deep down they all think, maybe everything will be alright.
Oikawa meets up with Iwa later that day. It hurts, seeing each other, but maybe it would hurt more if they lost contact after this. Despite not saying anything about it, they both feel a shift in their relationship.
At first Iwaizumi carefully avoids the topic of Oikawa’s relationship, but his curiosity gets the better of him eventually.
And what can Oikawa do? He doesn’t tell him the truth, how could he?
So he boasts about his partners. At some point the lies turn into half truths and genuine feelings from the small time they’ve spent together.
Because after all, Ushijima and Tendou did pick Oikawa up from the floor and made sure he was holding himself together.
Hell, they are sending him messages, inquiring about his well being and a later meetup right as he is speaking to Iwa. Iwa notices Oikawa glancing at his phone, and there is that frown on his face.
But Iwa doesn’t say anything and Oikawa is busy sending a reply before the expression fades into a dejected one.
He needs to act happy for Oikawa, but maybe sometime soon his heart will follow too. Probably not.
Oikawa has nothing to lose at this point. Go big or go home. So he asks the two men to continue the facade when he meets them again. If Iwa is so happy for him, how could he say anything about a ‘breakup’ so soon?
Deep down there is also a small hope in him that maybe, with time, Iwa would…
…He really is pathetic…
But it doesn’t matter, not with them.
He spends more and more time with Ushijima and Tendou and it just feels nice. They become closer with each day. It’s not only the pair supporting Oikawa anymore, they all can lean on each other when things get hard. They become fixed points in each other’s lives.
It is not effortless, but it comes so natural that they are all willing to make the effort for each other.
At some point the lines start blurring. What once were labeled as pretending become real in all sense.
Oikawa starts questioning if it was ever pretending in the first place. Because how could there be anything fake about the care they have for each other now?
He still keeps in touch with Iwaizumi. The place in his heart reserved for only him stays that way, the emptiness he cannot hide from himself. But he doesn’t feel empty anymore, not when he can care for Satori and Wakatoshi. Not when they care for him so much, so openly.
Maybe it’s not what he once imagined for himself, but he knows he will be fine.
So there is no doubt in his heart when he asks them what they’ve all been thinking about. And there is no doubt in them when they give him their answer.
With the three of them, everything will be alright.