Chapter Text
Iwaizume was so fucking excited. He was going to do it. This time he really was. He was going to confess to Oikawa. If Oikawa could travel across the ocean to train in Brazil after highschool, throw himself into a completely new situation not knowing anyone and still figure out a time slot to come visit Iwaizumi, then dammit, he could finally tell Oikawa how he felt.
Iwaizume felt a bit like a child with how much anticipation he had, but he really had learned a lot about himself and how he felt about Oikawa during his time in California. He was in his second year now and had only seen Oikawa two times since they both decided to uproot their lives and go abroad post high school and living through texts and facetimes wasn’t enough for Iwaizumi anymore. He really missed his best friend and the boy he liked. And he was pretty sure Oikawa missed him too. What other straight reason was there for Oikawa to suddenly take a week vacation in the middle of his season while it happened to be Iwaizumi’s birthday. Honestly Iwaizume was surprised but very happy when Oikawa told him he was going to visit him for his birthday and he began planning an itinerary of things he wanted Oikawa to experience in California.
And the first thing he wanted Oikawa to experience was In-n-Out. Iwaizumi was currently waiting in the cell phone lot at John Wanye Airport, which was significantly closer than driving to LAX (becuase fuck LAX), anxiously waiting for Oikawas text. He watched as planes flew through a wide open blue sky, the sun happily shining down on everyone out today, knowing that one of the planes had to be Oikawas. His phone buzzed in the cupholder of his roommates' borrowed Prius. Seriously did everyone own a fucking Prius in California?
Hearing the buzz, he grabbed at his phone ready to read Oikawas message. Instead of Oikawa's message however he had received a text from ‘blonde girl from BIO324.’ Maybe one day he’d learn her name. And maybe one day he’d realize that ‘blonde girl from BIO324’ was flirting with him, but today wasn’t that day. Ignoring her message which was probably something dumb like asking about a topic that was clearly stated in the syllabus, he turned his attention back to the incoming planes.
Pushing his sunglasses into his hair, he brought the palms of his hands to meet his eyes and rubbed his nonexistent headache, still anxiously thinking about seeing Oikawa after so long. Pushing the aviators back down over his eyes, he checked himself out in the rearview mirror, nervously running his hands through his hair.
While his appearance hadn’t drastically changed, he definitely looked different from the boy he was in high school. He was slightly taller now, and spent a lot more time in the gym than he previously had, focusing on building his muscles. He was also more tan now, which was due to casual games of rec beach volleyball put on by one of the clubs at UCI. He’d also taken up surfing, and the ocean had lightened his hair by a few shades. Iwaizumi looked so good and he didn’t even know it.
He heard his phone give another buzz, and looking at the screen he saw Oikawa's name. Without even checking the message, he threw the car into drive and headed for the arrivals curb. Rounding the corner he pulled up to the arrivals a few minutes later, parked in a temporary spot, putting his hazards on.
Right as he looked up from putting the car back in park, he watched the automatic dorms open displaying a very sleepy looking Oikawa. His hair slightly messed up from the flight, neck pillow cradled in his arms next to a water bottle, wheeling a suitcase with a backpack hanging over one shoulder, Oikawa kinda looked like a mess. Laughing, Iwaizumi got out of the car smiling.
Oikawa appeared to be texting with one hand, using his other to block the sun out, and had somehow missed Iwaizumi walk right up in front of him.
“Iwa-chan! Oh my god hi!” Oikawa said, throwing his arms around Iwaizumi. It felt nice. It had been so long since they’d seen each other. They hugged for five seconds. Ten seconds. Twenty, rocking back and forth slightly.
“Hi. I missed you,” Iwaizumi said, smiling reaching to grab something out of Oikawa's hands to help him. Offering him his backpack that had snaked its way down to the crease in his elbow, Iwaizumi accepted in and began walking back to the Prius that still had its engine running. If you could even consider what was inside a Prius an engine. Damn hybrid cars.
“C’mon the traffic people are bitches here and yell at you if you stay parked in one spot for too long,” Iwaizumi explained opening the trunk of the car as they put Oikawa's luggage in the back.
“Iwa-chan, I’m going to be honest, I am so fucking tired. I need food and like a two hour nap before we begin your grand tour of showing me around California. I’m so happy I'm here but I had to take practically 20 flights to get here just because you insisted I fly into this airport and not LAX. I think you're really taking away from my whole California experience by not letting me fly into LAX. I mean, like what the fuck is this airport? It’s so small.”
“You say you're tired and yet you still have enough energy to yell at me. And anyways trust, this airport is so much closer to school and my apartment, we’ll get you some food and you can take a nap while I catch up on a little homework.”
“Hmm. okay sounds good. I really am happy to see you though,” Oikawa said as he smiled over at Iwaizumi sitting on the left side drivers seat. “Should I be worried for my life? Do you know how to drive in America?”
“I mean I haven’t crashed yet,” he said with a smirk as he accelerated onto the freeway.
After a short drive, they reach the In-n-Out across from UCI.
Pulling into a parking spot, Iwaizumi cleared his throat. “Tooru Oikawa are you ready to have your life changed?”
“What? Why? Where are we?”
“Tooru,” he said, turning to face him in his seat grabbing his hands. They were slightly sweaty. “You are about to have your first In-n-Out burger, how do you feel?”
“What? Oh my god is this that fucking burger place you were talking about on facetime the other day? Is it really that good?”
“No, but people love to hype it up. It's a whole ass vibe, you’ll see. And I wouldn't feel good about myself if you came ALL the way to California and didn’t have In-n-Out at least once. If you don’t like it we don’t have to get it again. I mean it really is just crappy fast food but Amercans seem to love that shit so...” He trailed off seeing that he was losing Oikawa to sleep. Shaking his hands that he was still clasping, he jolted him awake. “We’ll just get it to go. You can eat in the car or my apartment and crash for like two hours okay.”
Okiawa smiled. “Okay sounds good.”
They ended up ordering too much food because Iwaizumi insisted that Oikawa needed to try a double double and a four by four, and when Oikawa asked what the difference was, Iwaizumi acted appalled.
“Hajime,” he said with a deadly stare. “They are the same fucking burger. One just has two patties and one has four patties.”
“And that makes them different,” Iwaizumi replied, shoving animal style fries into his mouth. “It was also important to me that you understand the difference between just their plan fries and their animal style fries.”
“Iwa-chan your eating habits have gone to shit over here,” Oikawa laughed.
“Look I swear I don’t normally go out to eat that much and when I cook for myself, it’s normally pretty healthy.”
“Whatever, just don’t fall into that American lifestyle.”
Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi. Whatever American lifestyle he was doing was truly working in his favor he thought. He could see little freckles dancing across the bridge of his nose and checks, his hair which now held light brown highlights, and was that a fucking earring?
“You pierced your ears? They look… good.”
Automatically reaching up to touch the small hoops that hung in both his ears he smiled. “Yeah I was wondering how long it would take you to notice those. I did it probably like nine or ten months ago by now.”
“Damn am I really that unobservant when we facetime?” Oikawa kicked himself for not seeing them sooner but smiled thinking back to a brief conversation he recalled with Iwaizumi where he had mentioned how hot he thought it was when guys had their ears pierced.
“Eh, those calls are always so blurry I don’t blame you.”
Oikawa was feeling mean. “Why wouldn’t you just tell me you got them pierced? That’s kinda a big deal,” Oikawa teased.
Iwaizumi's face flushed. Oikawa felt a small victory. “Umm, uh. Well. I actually- I actually got a few piercings. And even a tattoo?” Iawizumi scrunched his eyes closed, waiting for Oikawa's response.
“OH! NO FUCKING WAY! Where? I want to see it? Why didn’t you tell me asshole!” He said slugging him on the arm.
“Oww.” Iwaizumi rubbed his arm. Why did he miss this jerk again? “I honestly don’t know why I didn’t tell you. I was scared of how you’d react I guess or say something about my mom and how it would disappoint her.”
“Well first off all, yes it will disappoint your poor mother, but secondly, I don’t care. I think it’s cool you got one. You know I’ve changed since high school, I’m not the same little prick I was”
“You sure about that?” Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows.
“Fuck you.” Oikawa slugged him in the arm again. “What else did you get pierced though? Please tell me it’s not your dick.”
Iwazumi blushed. “It’s not my dick you perv. It’s my nipples.”
“Oh my god. No fucking way. You live in California for like two fucking years and this is what happens to you. What is Japan going to do with you when you get back home?”
“Be disappointed in me just like my mother? But I can take them out. She never has to know. Got that Tooru. Don’t go ratting me out to my mother like a twelve year old.”
“Oh I wouldn't dream of it,” Oikawa smirked. “But please enlighten me on how this happened?”
“I lost a bet.”
Oikawa stared at him waiting for more.
“There was alcohol involved. And maybe drugs. I don’t know that night really was a blur to me. All I know is when I woke up with the worst hangover I’ve ever had, I had about a thousand texts of people telling me I had to follow through and get my nips pierced. And you know I’m a man of my word.” Iwaizumi smiled remembering that night, or at least the small pieces he had fit together through friends' stories. Not his finest hour.
Oikawa laughed and took a sip of his milkshake as Iwaizumi pulled into a spot in front of his apartment. “I have to say, I think all this In-n-Out bullshit is worth it for this neapolitan shake. Shits good. Now if you'll excuse me i'm going to pass out for a few hours from both a food coma and jet lag.”
“Yeah you need a few hours of beauty sleep.” That was a lie and Iwaizumi knew it. Even with his messy hair and slight bags under his eyes Oikawa still looked perfect.
Oikawa stuck his tongue out gathering the trash from their lunch. “Hate on me all you want but I know you're happy I’m here. Because I’m also just as happy to be here.”
It was always weird to Iwaizumi when Oikawa was being genuine. It happened more now, since high school, and Iwaizumi credited it to Oikawa moving on from high school drama and going out and seeing the world. He was proud of him for chasing his dreams and continuing to play volleyball.