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There’s a knock at the door then Iwaizumi hears the tell-tale jiggling of keys going into the lock and finally, Oikawa reveals himself at the entrance. Iwaizumi cocks his head and wonders why he still bothers knocking. He doesn’t bother moving from the sofa.
It’s evening; just around sunset time and his childhood best friend has come to visit him at his apartment. They try to visit each other as often as they can, but its hard with all the workload each of their courses bring plus living in different sides of Tokyo. Still, they try.
Oikawa dumps his duffel bag next to the door he closes. He’s staring at Iwaizumi in that way. That meaning an unspoken acknowledgement and agreement of blurred lines and feelings. That meaning things that shouldn’t be happening in the way they do, yet they happen in the way they do anyway. That meaning another night where Iwaizumi isn’t sure where they’re supposed to stand.
Iwaizumi stares back and Oikawa looks away first, eying the bag he just dropped. If Oikawa wants something, he’s going to have to ask for it. Iwaizumi likes making him happy after all.
The sports science major watches as Oikawa makes his way to the sofa, clearly in an excited mood even though he hasn’t said anything. A lot of the time, they don’t need to say anything to each other. He doesn’t like where he’s put himself so he inches closer to Iwaizumi with a soft smile on his face.
Iwaizumi welcomes the man, too used to the fact that he’s invited the human ice block to steal his everlasting heat, and he takes a good look at Oikawa. Oikawa.
The sun chooses the perfect time to say goodnight as it blesses Oikawa with its final rays. The light paints his pale skin golden and makes his cinnamon eyes glow into an almost amber colour. His hair looks ethereal and soft under the lighting. And the expression he has on; the adoration in his eyes; the contentment in his smile, makes Iwaizumi realise that clearly, this has to mean something to Oikawa too. At least a little bit.
Because of the perfect trust Oikawa has in Iwaizumi, he slowly cages him in then gently pushes the both of them to lay down on the sofa, brushing – no, petting Iwaizumi’s dark spiky hair all the while. And even if the simple display of affection makes him melt; Iwaizumi finds it in himself to not let it get passed that.
If he ever does let it get passed that, it would be because they’re on the same page and it’s real and true. This is ignoring the several times he has made exceptions because Oikawa’s touch would be just the right amount of alluring. Iwaizumi doesn’t mind waiting a little longer because he already knows he wants everything with this man but he isn’t sure what Oikawa wants with him long-term. What he wants right now though, is so obvious it’s nearly laughable.
Oikawa continues his tender ministrations, rubbing Iwaizumi’s hair, cheeks, jaw, until he slowly gets lower and lower, keeping eye contact with his relaxed earthy eyes. Iwaizumi knows his best friend thinks his love can only be expressed through his touch but he doesn’t know how to explain to him that all he needs is for him to be near to feel an all-encompassing love.
Sometimes (all the time, really), Iwaizumi just wants to be able to hold this man in the daytime, in their normal hours.
Oikawa seems to get an idea; since he’s not getting the desired response, and settles for laying on top of his friend. He reaches for the remote and changes the channel to some random movie, smile still enhancing his face from Iwaizumi’s perspective, legs still tangled together. He’s unconsciously rubbing his cheek against Iwaizumi’s chest and snuggling into a more comfortable position for the both of them.
After a few hours, Iwaizumi tucks a sleeping Oikawa into bed. Unsurprisingly, Oikawa is heavier than he looks but this isn’t the first time Iwaizumi has taken this challenge. He still has a bit of studying to do so he’s not joining him to sleep yet. Distantly, he thinks about how sharing a bed whenever the other comes to visit does add to the problem of their murky boundaries – like, what excuse do they have for doing this when they’re not seven-year olds anymore. He can’t just think ‘because it feels right’ is viable enough even if it does feel right.
Iwaizumi pauses, staring down at Oikawa. He looks angelic as he snoozes away. After the first movie, he chattered on about his journey to the apartment, his latest group labs and all the things he couldn’t tell Iwaizumi over the phone. Then after the second movie, they had dinner together in a comfortable silence and did the dishes straight after, working like a well-oiled machine.
These moments made Iwaizumi feel whole, and not lonely in the sense of companionship. Because while he could see Oikawa had some sort of love for him, he wasn’t sure if it was the same love he has for the brunet. He wasn’t trying to be another name in Oikawa’s list; not trying to be just another tally in Oikawa’s body count.
To mentally reset from the sometimes frustrating, emotionally draining state of their relationship, he likes to have the moments where they don’t do any of the touching, teasing, caressing. Tonight, was one of those nights where he just wanted to be friends – at least then, he knows what to do, where they stand, how to act.
Iwaizumi sighs and marks Oikawa with a delicate kiss on his forehead – a kiss of this nature is never seen when Oikawa is awake and wanting just as how kisses of any nature are never existing outside the weird plane of not quite best friends anymore but not quite established, exclusive lovers.
Iwaizumi knows, though, that he is enthusiastically, exclusively Oikawa’s.
He loves Oikawa and is willing to wait for him to decide what he wants from him. But he also has his dignity and pride. He wants someone who will show the same loving patience and wait for him to gain some courage and confidence. He wants someone that will be good company.