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A thousand glittering streaks of morning sun nestle themselves through the cracks of Oikawa Tooru’s bedroom window. They warm the messy bed, where two teens have their legs tangled togethers, bedsheets long gone as it had been far too hot. The sunshine that filters through always hits Iwaizumi’s face just right, accentuating the beautifully dark colour of his skin and bringing forward those emerald green eyes Oikawa loves so much.
“Your hair looks even worse when you first wake up, Iwa-chan!” says Oikawa lightly, a small but genuine smile forming on his face.
Iwaizumi’s hair has been messy since the day Oikawa had first met him - but now, with his hair strewn across the pillow, he just looks stunning. Not that Oikawa would mention that, of course. Keeping up his appearances is like a job!
“I could say the same to you, Trashkawa,” Iwaizumi grumbles, yet laughs despite himself. Its a rich sound, the kind of laugh that comes from deep within and echoes throughout the room. He presses a warm knuckle to Oikawa’s pale forehead, watching his hair glow every colour of the rainbow as the sun rises.
They stay in their positions, both breathing quietly as they listen to the sounds of the world coming to life. As the clock ticks and signals 5 o’clock, a piano begins to play softly. Sugawara Koushi; a rival setter, Oikawa’s neighbour, and a brilliant pianist.
“Geez, he’s pissing me off,” Oikawa huffs, pushing away from Iwaizumi with a pout. He rolls out of bed with a slight thump, before gathering the sheets that had been previously thrown on the floor and piling them onto the bed.
The warmth fades without Oikawa’s (annoying) presence, but Iwaizumi stays in the bed as exhaustion wins out. He has almost fallen asleep once more by the time Oikawa finishes using the washroom, and returns looking extremely good as usual.
His chocolate brown hair falling into perfect waves swept outwards; his dark eyes lined with long and thin eyelashes; a porcelain face handcrafted by the gods with a small nose and delicate mouth. It is no surprise Oikawa Tooru is everyone’s dream boy. Looking through his sleepy eyelids, he really, really can’t believe a man so beautiful is his.
It’s hard to imagine - he forgets himself, at times. For years, since they day they met, they acted the same. Teased, pushed, pulled. Lived, laughed, loved. It’s almost like they’d been in love their whole life without even knowing it.
“Iwa-chan, get up already! The captain can’t be late for a practice he scheduled!” His obnoxious voice pulls Iwaizumi out of his reverie.
“Why would you schedule practices at 6 in the morning on a Saturday, anyway?” Finally slipping out of bed, Iwaizumi heads to the drawer he keeps extra clothes in for when he stays over. “Today was supposed to be our rest day, yeah? It’s not like we’re going to Nationals anymore, so don’t push yourself too hard… Crapkawa.”
“Just when I thought you were saying something nice, you had to ruin it!”
Iwaizumi smiles gently, sticking his tongue out in return when Oikawa does. Despite all his facades and masks, Oikawa is a truly emotive person. Iwaizumi had never met anyone quite as genuine as Oikawa and the rest of their team.
Oikawa is faith and logic mixed in one - a strange sentiment, as many people reach extremes of each. Yet he he stays in the middle, as someone who chooses to believe (in his friends, in his family, in his goals) but also someone who can cut off his emotions and choose the side of reasoning rather than emotion.
He is god-damn awful and god-damn amazing at the same time.
And then, there is the team. Iwaizumi himself had never been quite as happy as when he first saw Oikawa’s walls begin to crumble around their team. Even better - how all their teammates’ walls began to crumble as well.
How the fact that Oikawa grew to be so happy, so full of joy around these people. Iwaizumi barely had to worry anymore; but worrying had always been in his nature, especially with the kind of crap Oikawa used to get himself into, like when he would “hunt for aliens”, wait outside to “be abducted” or freak out after a terrifying alien movie (that was sub-par compared to Godzilla, for your information).
Yet, it’s okay now. Because they aren’t alone anymore. It isn’t like when they were in middle school and it seemed like Tooru & Hajime vs. The World. Iwaizumi is no longer burdened by the weight of his worries. Oikawa isn’t so lonely. And slowly, it seems the same for their teammates.
Hanamaki Takahiro, jersey #3. Wing Spiker. Iwaizumi thinks he’s never met someone quite as quirky and eccentric. No matter what it was, Makki always made everything fun and exciting. His dramatic tendencies know no bounds. But for the longest time, he paralleled Oikawa in that he kept a mask up. Nobody knew his family, his problems, his worries, his fears.
Matsukawa Issei, jersey #2. Middle Blocker. Almost as eccentric as Makki, yet more so with a quiet enthusiasm. Despite being insanely book-smart, he’s also insanely lazy. He is significantly more reserved than everyone else on the team, burying his emotions because otherwise it’s “too much work”. He joined the volleyball team by literally rolling a dice, landing a four, and joining the team of the fourth person who issued him a flyer.
Whether it was luck or fate, the four came together. Through the three years of school and volleyball they survived together, things changed. Makki can actually confide in them about his struggles. Mattsun is working hard to stop repressing everything, with the help of the other three. Even including himself, Iwaizumi knows that along with Makki and Oikawa, they are an emotional bunch.
Yahaba Shigeru, jersey #6. Setter. So sweet and innocent looking, but a fierce competitor in literally anything. Academically-driven, he has some of the best grades in the entire school. He is kind, but forceful. A devil hides beneath those angel wings.
Watari Shinji, jersey #7. Libero. He is so childlike it’s uncanny, and he’s like a mix of everyone on the the team. Trusting like Oikawa, gentle like Iwaizumi, funny like Makki, soft-spoken like Mattsun, driven like Yahaba. He used to be a setter, but was forced to give up that position in favour of Yahaba. In spite of that, he never holds any grudges. The team’s obligatory peacekeeper.
Kyoutani Kentarou, jersey #16. Wing Spiker. The newest and possibly angriest addition to the team. Scratch that - definitely the angriest. Iwaizumi doesn’t know why, but instead of being offended by the younger and his disrespectful actions, he feels… pity? Concern? It’s like he never felt any affection. He doesn’t understand, so he pushes them away.
Together, the three second years are an odd sort. Watari is between them like the glue of their friendship, the strings that tie them. Yahaba and Kyoutani only knew how to fuel each other’s fire, or light their short fuses. Although it’s gradual, the friendship of the three has simmered down since. Now, they instead hold a grudging respect for the other. It’s almost sweet.
Kunimi Akira, jersey #13. Emotionless and constantly exhausted beyond belief, Kunimi almost reminds him of a first-year Matsukawa, except Kunimi is just an apathetic person in general. Rather than repressing his emotions, he just doesn’t have as many. His face is so indifferent, you may as well be staring at a blank canvas.
Kindaichi Yuutarou, jersey #12. Middle Blocker. Even though he appears tall and intimidating, he is surprisingly shy, particularly towards his senpai, and is very respectful and polite with the whole team. However, he is often shocked or confused by their antics and tends to overreact in response to them.
Overall, their team is one of the most interesting out there, especially with Oikawa Tooru as their face. But beyond all that, in time, they’ve all grown incredibly. They’re all so very, very special.
Iwaizumi couldn’t ask for a better team. Turning to look at Oikawa next to him, he is sure he feels the same way. Their third year has been the best year yet, leading a team like this.
Having been walking outside for a while now, the air is cool around them, whipping in the wind.
“Hey, hey, Iwa-chan! I’m going to go get milk bread. You can’t stop me, but join me if you want.”
“Geez, Trashkawa, is there no limit to your stomach? You just—“
He runs off, laugh tinkling like a bell and Iwaizumi realizes it with a start - life may not be perfect, but he wouldn’t give up his for the world.