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Tobio isn’t the type to tolerate foolishness. Or at least, he thought he wasn’t.Yachi tells him that’s not something he should say about his friends when she finally catches him and asks why he’s looked so angry recently. Well, she grins, angrier than usual. And he wants to tell her everything because Yachi is one of the more level-headed of his friends, but he comes out with a half-truth. Well, if this friend is really important to your friend, I think they should talk about things. Clear the air. The way she looks at him is too knowing and he grunts, taking a sip of his vending machine yogurt. The “problem” is that Tobio has tried. He tells Oikawa not to leave his things every time he visits and each time, Oikawa grins and tells him not to worry. The first time it happens, Hinata is at his house. Hinata had invited himself over and they’d watched reruns of the volleyball matches they’d missed during the week. It had become late and they’d decided that since Tobio had a spare futon, Hinata could stay (re: Hinata had announced he would, ignoring Tobio’s protests). Tobio had grumbled about his unwanted visitor but had taken out the futon in his closet while Hinata showered, resigned. When the water had stopped and steam came out of the open door, Tobio turned to scowl at his best friend, only to find him standing there with a shirt he recognized. He’d frozen, heart in his throat. Meanwhile, Hinata had looked dazed as he asked, “Is this Oikawa Toru's jersey?!”And Tobio’s first instinct was to yell that it absolutely wasn’t (even though it clearly was), but Hinata didn’t even give him a chance to answer. He spoke over anything that may have come out of his mouth, which Tobio was grateful for because he thinks it would have sounded like nonsense. He was never good at lying.“I have one too!”The confession makes Tobio’s heart slow as he realizes what Hinata meant. He wasn’t asking if that was literally Oikawa’s jersey. He tears it from Hinata’s hands on his way to the shower and throws it into the laundry machine, ignoring Hinata’s protests and questions of I thought you said you didn’t have a favorite player! This means he’s your favorite, right? Why didn’t you tell me!The red is bright and taunting, just like its owner. ..Tobio is in junior high school when he learns he can’t pursue volleyball professionally. Or as a regular on the team. They’re having practice and he’s pushed himself too hard. He ends up going to the hospital and the doctor looks apologetic as he crushes his only dream.
I’m surprised he’s managed to play this long.
In that moment, sitting there in the doctor’s office, he thinks of the senpai who graduated the year before: Tobio-chan, I don't know where you'll be headed after this, but I'm gonna crush you, so you better be prepared! ..Tobio is the type of person who likes control. He likes to know what his bosses expect from him and he performs his duties as needed, and yet, somehow, he attracts people who are completely the opposite. When he comes to this realization, he adjusts his life in an effort to control the uncontrollable. He buys extra slippers, grabs an extra portion of food when he’s at the supermarket, and considers the 2-for-1 deals on blankets a little too closely. Oikawa is wrapped up in one of the new blankets he bought as Tobio berates him. “But you like it,” he insists, laying down and letting his long legs stretch under the kotatsu Tobio took out that week. With winter on the horizon, the weather has cooled significantly.“I don’t,” Tobio growls out, “that’s why I’m telling you not to leave your stuff here!”Oikawa laughs and gestures him over, but Tobio stays where he is, arms crossed. He wants to look serious and menacing. Oikawa snorts. He suspects the blanket he’s thrown over his shoulders mellows out the look. “My job as a setter is to read my teammates and my opponents, and you know what I read from you, Tobio-chan?” he says teasingly, but his eyes are sharp. It makes Tobio gulp and Oikawa sits up, coming closer to him. His hands are warm as they land on Tobio’s body. “I can tell you like it,” Oikawa whispers into the space between them. “Did you wear it?”“No.” He had. He’d thrown it into the washer, intent on washing it the next morning, but when he’d stripped down to bathe, he’d looked at it again. He’d pulled it out, smelled it (it had still smelled like Oikawa), and then put it on over his bare body. He'd always considered himself fit, but his body was nothing compared to an athlete like Oikawa. It fit him loosely and when he looked in the mirror, it had been strange, electric even. It was like looking at a version of himself that could have existed. “You want more of me,” he says while trailing kisses along his neck, his fingers slipping under the sweatshirt Tobio put on, tracing his ribs.“Stay,” Tobio tells him and Oikawa looks pleased. He stays the night and is gone the next morning. Tobio feels the bed dip when he wakes up and smells mint when Oikawa’s nearby. He wakes up properly two hours later and scowls when he’s in the bathroom brushing his teeth. When he throws his toothbrush into the toothbrush holder, it rattles against a second toothbrush that hadn’t been there the day before. ..When Tobio is a third-year, he has to let his teachers know what schools he wants to apply to. The survey form is on his desk, blank, for days. He scrawls Shiratorizawa as his first choice, then crosses it out. Next to his second choice he writes Aoba, then crosses that out too. He asks for a new form, telling the teachers he lost it...The next time he has unplanned visitors, he groans. It’s not just Hinata this time. Tanaka and Nishinoya crowd around his front door and push their way in when he opens it. They all excitedly scream about how warm his apartment is, We don’t even need slippers!They run into his room where they know he has the kotatsu. He feels a headache forming already and Yachi, who had been trailing behind them all giggles. She’s the only one waiting for his permission to enter and he gestures her in. Unlike the others, she does pull out a pair of slippers from her bag. When she swaps out her shoes, her eyes linger on the shoe cubby with the unused extra pair of slippers. “What?” he asks. She just grins, “Nothing! Did you go shopping?”He makes a disgruntled noise that’s a yeah, so? and a stop being so perceptive. When they catch up to the others, Tobio notices the bags his friends had run in with. There’s alcohol, snacks, and sushi laid out on the kotatsu. It doesn’t take long for them to go through most of the alcohol and Nishinoya yells that he’ll go buy some more. Yachi, as the only sober one, goes with him. With the trio broken up, if only temporarily, Tobio finds a moment to breathe. He opens the window and lets the cold of the night cool his red face. Hinata and Tanaka hide under his kotatsu, yelling at him to close the window, but he doesn’t. Instead, he looks up at the sky and mumbles, “It’s barely a crescent…”“Kageyama!” he hears Tanaka yell and he closes the window, turning to his friend. He’s just come out of the bathroom and he’s holding Tobio’s toothbrush holder. He looks aghast. “Whose… toothbrush is dis?!”Tobio squints and says, “Mine.”But now Hinata is also looking at the holder and takes out the green toothbrush, the one that’s clearly not his. He would know. He’s stayed over so many times. “An’ ‘is one!”He’s brandishing it like a weapon. And Tobio must take too long to answer because the two idiots get a gleam in their eyes that he doesn’t like. Hinata looks too pleased with himself as he says, “You hate… when I leave m’stuff here. Is ‘is why? ‘cause you…’cause you ‘ave a -”Tanaka, who had been laughing, catches on and they both say:“BOYFRIEND”
“GIRLFRIEND”They pause to look at each other and then burst out laughing. Both toothbrushes fall to the floor and Tobio makes a face. His door opens and soon the trio is reunited. They drunkenly mumble and laugh and open more cans of beer. He stands, grabbing both toothbrushes and the holder, bringing them back to their place in the bathroom...Tobio tells himself he doesn’t know why he chose Aoba Josai as his first choice of school, but when he’s at the opening ceremony and he sees Oikawa, he knows. He knows why when Oikawa grins at him as he walks the aisle and sits down with the rest of the first years. He knows when he tells Oikawa about his disposition and all he says is, I know you’re not the type to give up so easily. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?He knows when he catches Oikawa and Iwaizumi bantering. He knows when he hears from Oikawa’s nephew that he’d been recently dumped. He knows when he realizes that in a few months, Oikawa will graduate. It’s why he takes a chance. ..Tobio can’t play sports that require constant shoulder movement, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play on occasion. He comes to this realization when he watches some of his first high school games, in particular, Nekoma’s. The team plays so smoothly that their setter barely breaks a sweat. It fascinates Tobio and he wishes he was there, on the other side of the court, close enough to be able to ask Kozume Kenma about his techniques. Oikawa had pouted when he’d told him that, You have me! I’m a much better setter than him! Now he goes to the community center to play with locals of all ages who like volleyball but can’t commit to a team. He may not have played volleyball like he wanted to, but on this one day of the month, he can pretend he had and does. He sweats through his clothes, grins when his team scores points, and when he’s not on the court, he gives the younger kids advice on how to play. He’s still not good with the little ones, or people in general, but they haven’t cried since the third time he showed up and he thinks that means they like him.They run around the court and ask him to set for them. It’s not a proper set. Some of them are too small still, but seeing how excited they get when they manage to spike over the net relaxes him. To congratulate them, he raises his arms over his head like he's seen the older kids do and bends his back slightly to accommodate their height difference. The kids scream in delight and run away, their giggles confusing him. When they finally finish practice for the day, Kageyama feels sore but content. He walks home in the dark, his breath coming out in a puff of smoke every time he exhales. He’d wiped down and bundled up appropriately, but the frigid air somehow still manages to sneak in between the gaps in his clothes. His boots crunch along the snow as he walks and the beams of the few cars out on the street blind him a few times. It’s pitch black even though it’s only eight. When he makes it to the park by his house, he starts to jog, only to find himself pelted by snow. He turns to find a tall figure already making another snowball. His only warning to duck is a playful, “Think fast, Tobio-chan!”He manages to get out of the way of Oikawa’s trajectory. He scowls, “What - !” Except that he doesn’t even get a chance to complain about being ambushed in the middle of the night because Oikawa is quick even off the court. Tobio grabs some snow, shivering at how cold it feels against his bare hands, and throws the half-formed balls toward Oikawa in return. They come apart and leave sparkling dust in the air that picks up in intensity until it’s like they’re engulfed in a small glittering storm of whiteThey’re laughing and out of breath when they finally agree on a truce. Oikawa tackles him into an untouched pile of snow and kisses him. “Happy birthday,” he whispers between their lips. Tobio shivers, his clothes wet from newly formed sweat and the snow, “Is that why you’re here?”As they stand, Oikawa grins, “Why else? Don’t tell me you thought I’d miss coming over tonight!”Tobio knew he wouldn’t. It’s why he told everyone else not to come by and after the toothbrush incident, his friends just grinned and giggled between themselves, promising they wouldn’t bother him. They’d all heard the unsaid, at least that night He rolls his eyes at Oikawa and his friends. They make it home a few minutes later and Tobio realizes Oikawa had been waiting for him. His house is warm, the lights dimmed while it was empty. Oikawa sends him into the bath with clear instructions to not come out until his fingers prune, which Tobio decides to ignore. When he dresses, he doesn’t recognize the clothes left out for him until he brings the hoodie to his face and he smells Oikawa. There’s a cake on the kotatsu and Oikawa starts singing. Happy birthday to my little sour-faced kohai and lover~! Tobio’s face is warm from the bath and the heat of his apartment and the exasperation his giant conceited lover makes him feel. As they eat the cake, Oikawa asks, “How’s your shoulder?”“Sore,” Tobio mumbles between a mouthful of cake and Oikawa moves closer to him. “Should I feed you?” he asks, already taking Tobio’s plate and making little plane noises as he scoops up some cake. Tobio grabs his wrist and scowls, “No. I can feed myself.”But Oikawa won’t relent and they end up struggling: Tobio trying to stop Oikawa and Oikawa trying to feed him. Their arms tremble and pieces of cake fall from the spoon, landing on Tobio’s sweatpants. “Look at the mess you’re making!” he cries out, secretly glad it hadn’t landed on his sweater. He would have hated to wash it so soon. “There wouldn’t be a mess if you’d just open your mouth like a good boy!” Oikawa yells back and they bicker about whose fault it is, all the while making more of a mess. When they finally go to bed, Oikawa’s fingers massage his shoulder and Tobio sighs, “That feels nice.”..The first time Tobio kisses Oikawa it’s a test. He confesses his feelings during lunch and Oikawa looks skeptical. He runs his hands through his hair and says, “If you think you really like me then…kiss me.”Tobio freezes and his face goes bright red, “Kiss…you?”His reaction makes Oikawa regain some of his composure and he smiles like he’s just had a brilliant idea, “That’s right! We have to see if we’re compatible.”“Compatible…” he repeats. “Yes, Tobio-chan!” Oikawa waggles a finger, “When people date, they do things like hold hands and kiss.”It’s a dare. He doesn’t think Tobio will do it, so he straightens his shoulders and says, “Ok.”He can tell they’re both nervous the closer he gets. Once they’re nearly chest to chest he’s not sure what to do next. Oikawa is slightly taller and he grumbles about it. Oikawa grins, “What was that?”“I said…lean down!” “That’s not very cute.”“I’m not trying to be!” he growls out, but is thankful Oikawa actually listens. His next problem is his hands and lips and, really, this whole “kiss” thing. His lips are trembling when he touches them to Oikawa’s. His eyes are squeezed shut. His face is burning. And his hands have somehow settled on Oikawa’s jersey. He’s not sure how long he should stay like this. Oikawa sighs against his lips, “Relax.”He moves closer, molding himself more naturally to Tobio, and when he moves his lips like a massage against his, he mimics the action. Soon, he feels himself pushed against the school building and he grunts from the surprise. They break apart, both out of breath. When Tobio looks at Oikawa, he sees the concentration he’s only seen directed at opponents on the court. Except it’s not cold. His gaze is hot on his skin.“Was that…” Tobio starts, then licks his lips. He likes the way Oikawa follows the movement. “Did I…Will you be my boyfriend now?” Oikawa smirks, “I think I will.”..Tobio feels a presence staring him down, which confuses him because he should be at home, sleeping, dreaming…Except he’s clearly not dreaming anymore if he can feel his face scrunching up. He also briefly wonders if he was so tired he’d missed Oikawa leaving that morning. He opens his eyes and then freezes when he comes face to face with Hinata, who looks just as shocked as he does. Tobio also feels a hand rubbing his belly and it takes him an extra second to realize that the reason he didn’t hear Oikawa leave that morning was because he was still there. He registers the extra warmth at his back and the way his blanket is lifted over his shoulders, the same way it does when they share a blanket. He groans, shutting his eyes. Hinata squeaks, “Tanaka-senpai! I think we should leave!”The door connecting his kitchen and room opens and both Tanaka and Yachi come in. Yachi looks apologetic while Tanaka asks, “Huh? Why?”Oikawa’s muffled laughter comes from under the blanket and Tobio yells, “Why are you all here so early?!”Tanaka settles by the kotatsu with a box, “What’re you talking about? It’s almost midday!”Yachi has a clear bowl and announces, “We also brought oranges.” He recognizes the fruit for what they are: a peace offering. They temporarily stop him from questioning why he’s only just waking up nowMeanwhile, Oikawa, still under the blanket, says, “That’s not what you said last night. You said it felt nice.”Hinata cries out, crawling to the kotatsu and his other friends, “Too much information! I don’t want to know!”“My shoulder you idiot!” he yells at Hinata and when he makes an I-don’t-believe-you grimace, he has the uncontrollable urge to go and squeeze his head until it pops. He doesn’t. Instead, he rolls onto his stomach and internally screams into his pillow. Oikawa takes that opportunity to finally unearth himself and Hinata chokes, Tanaka is eerily quiet, and Yachi gasps. Tobio turns his head to see the three of them in various states of shock (though he suspects Hinata might need an ambulance). And, of course, instead of getting off his bed normally, Oikawa throws a leg over Tobio’s body, presses into him, and then jumps off with an oops, lost my balanceTanaka rests his chin on his hands. He looks serious and his voice is grave when he says, “There are things that can never be unseen…”He also takes out his phone and Tobio is sure he’ll have one more visitor soon enough. Some life does come back to Hinata when Tobio gets out of bed because he wheezes, “Is that the actual National Japan Team sweater?!”Oikawa is the one that answers, green toothbrush in his mouth, “Sh’r i’th.”“I held Oikawa Toru’s jersey in my hand!” he yells, “And his toothbrush!!” He looks at Tobio, “My best friend is dating THE Oikawa Toru!!”His doorbell goes off right before his door is opened and a booming voice yells, “What won’t I be able to believe!” His sliding door slams open and Nishinoya’s eyes sparkle when he spots Oikawa, “No way! Oh man, should I actually lock the door today?”Oikawa pulls Tobio into the bathroom. He spits into the sink and asks, “Is your apartment always so rowdy, Tobio-chan?”Tobio grabs his own toothbrush and dabs toothpaste on it, eyeing the lotion that wasn’t there last morning. Oikawa presses their lips together before Tobio can start brushing and he grunts, “I told you not to leave your stuff here.”Oikawa grins, “But I haven’t left yet.”“Don’t forget it,” he reminds him.“I won’t, don’t worry.”..“What did you pray for?” Oikawa asks him after they’ve thrown their five yen coins into the offering box. Tobio looks at him and then looks away. They walk down the steps of the haiden to let the next people in line make their prayers, the sound of brass knocking against wood and bells chiming echoing throughout the midnight hours.“I don’t want to tell you.”“What?!” He whines, “Now you have to tell me!”They’re holding hands, just like Oikawa said they would once they started dating. Tobio is quiet, just breathing in the night air, and then quietly says, “For our health. And so that we’re still together in a year. And a year after that.”“I’ll be leaving Japan soon,” Oikawa reminds him.Tobio knows. Everyone at school does, “I know. Just remember that I’m here. And that I want you here, even if it’s only for a few hours or a day.”Oikawa laughs and Tobio goes red from embarrassment, “What did you pray for?”“I prayed for my volleyball career. For my sister’s health. I told you she’s been ill, right? And I also prayed for us.” He grins, “I’m greedy, for wanting both you and volleyball, aren’t I?”It starts to snow and Tobio lifts his hand to catch some of the snowflakes. With his other hand, he squeezes Oikawa’s fingers.“If we both want it…” he tells him, “I think…I think it’ll come true.”..Oikawa leaves behind his lotion. And Tobio uses it, just like he uses everything Oikawa leaves him. He also sends him a message: You have to come back for it