: ̗̀➛ Summary: Unable to carry the weight of the defeat alone, he crumbles in the arms of the one person who has always been his anchor.
: ̗̀➛ Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime x reader
: ̗̀➛ WC: 2k
: ̗̀➛ Genre: Angst/comfort, romance, fluff
: ̗̀➛ A/N: I knew Mexico's loss in the World Cup had a familiar feeling to it...
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The gym smelled like sweat, floor wax, and the metallic tang of pure adrenaline.
"Iwa-chan! Look at me, I’m being deep and brooding!"
Oikawa stood in the middle of the locker room, dramatically draping his arm across his forehead and slumping against the lockers. Matsukawa immediately pulled out his phone to take a picture, while Hanamaki unceremoniously dropped a towel over Oikawa's head.
"Shut up, Trashykawa," Iwaizumi snapped, not even looking up as he meticulously re-laced his left sneaker. His fingers tied the double-knot with fierce, practiced precision. "If you put half as much energy into your serves today as you do into being annoying, Shiratorizawa won't stand a chance."
"So mean!" Oikawa whined, whipping the towel off his head. But behind the theatrical pouting, his eyes were sharp. "Besides, I don't need to worry. My ace is going to crush them, right?"
Iwaizumi finally looked up, his dark eyes locking onto Oikawa's. A quiet, unspoken understanding passed between them. three years of bruised knees, late-night practice sets, and shared dreams crushed down into a single look.
"Damn right I am," Iwaizumi grunted.
"You guys better not choke," Matsukawa grinned, stretching his long arms over his head with a loud pop. "I didn't spend three years listening to Oikawa whine about his knee just to lose in the finals."
You leaned against the doorframe, watching the four of them bicker. It was their classic, chaotic pre-game routine, but beneath the jokes, the air was vibrating with tension. You stepped into the room, holding out a fresh roll of athletic tape toward Iwaizumi.
He took it, his rough fingers brushing against yours. The fierce, aggressive look on his face softened for just a fraction of a second as he looked up at you.
"You okay?" you asked softly, leaning down so only he could hear.
"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, his voice dropping into that quiet, steady tone he reserved only for you. "Just ready to get out there."
"Good. Because if you lose, I'm not letting you hear the end of it."
A tiny, rare smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "As if I'd give you the satisfaction."
Oikawa leaned over, narrowing his eyes at the two of you. "Hey! No secret romantic pep talks allowed before the game! Iwa-chan needs to save all his passion for my sets!"
"I will literally punch you in the jaw before we even step on the court, Toru," Iwaizumi growled, popping his knuckles, though there was no real venom in it.
Iwaizumi stood up, slinging his jersey over his shoulder. The entire locker room immediately went quiet. The jokey, lighthearted energy evaporated, replaced by the heavy, imposing presence of Aoba Johsai's ace. He looked at every single one of his teammates from the terrified first-years to the three third-years who had bled alongside him for three long years.
"Listen up," Iwaizumi said, his voice echoing off the lockers. "We didn't get here by accident. We worked harder than anyone else. Today, we leave everything on that court. Leave nothing behind."
"Yeah!" Hanamaki shouted, his eyes shining.
Oikawa stepped up next to him, a brilliant, confident smile spreading across his face. "Let's go show Shiratorizawa who owns the court."
Three hours later, the world ended in a single, agonizing referee whistle.
The heavy double doors of the gym slammed shut, cutting off the distant, muffled echoes of the tournament crowd and the overwhelming cheers from the Shiratorizawa side of the stadium. Outside, the night air was biting and cold, a harsh contrast to the suffocating heat of the court you’d just left behind.
You sat on the top step of the back entrance, the cold concrete seeping right through your jeans. You waited. You had seen the look on their faces when the final ball hit the floor. You had watched Makki and Mattsukawa holding back tears, watched Kindaichi sobbing silently into his jersey, and watched Oikawa stand frozen on the court, staring at the scoreboard in utter disbelief.
You knew better than to try talking to them in the locker room right after a match like that.
The door clicked open, spilling a band of yellow light across the pavement.
Iwaizumi stepped out alone. He had his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, his gym jacket zipped up to his chin. His shoulders were set in that familiar, rigid line, the pose of a man stubbornly trying to hold up a collapsing roof all by himself. But his head was hung low, dark spiky hair shielding his eyes.
He didn't notice you at first, turning toward the bus path, until you spoke softly into the quiet night.
"Hajime."
He stopped dead in his tracks. For a second, he looked like he wanted to bolt, to put up his usual wall and say he was fine. But as he turned his head and met your gaze, the sharp, defensive edge in his eyes flickered out, replaced by a raw, hollow exhaustion.
"You shouldn't be out here," he said, his voice gravelly and stripped raw from yelling on the court. "It's freezing. Go wait on the bus."
"I'm not going on the bus without you," you replied gently, standing up and stepping down toward him.
He didn't argue. He just stood there, staring at the pavement between his sneakers, his hands clenched into tight fists inside his jacket pockets. The silence between you stretched, heavy with everything that couldn't be un-done.
"I missed it," he rasped out suddenly, the words bursting out of him like broken glass.
"Hajime—"
"I missed it!" His head snapped up, his jaw set so tight a muscle twitched in his cheek. His dark eyes were glossy, rimmed with a fierce, burning red. "The last spike. Toru set it to me. He trusted me with the entire match, with our last chance... and I couldn't even get it past the block. I choked."
"You didn't choke," you said firmly, closing the distance between you. "You carried the team on your back for three straight sets. You played your heart out."
"It wasn't enough!" he practically shouted, his breath blooming into thick white clouds in the freezing air. "It doesn't matter how hard I hit if we lost, Y/N! It's over. High school is over. Toru, the guys... we're done."
His voice cracked on the last word, the sharp, angry mask cracking wide open.
Without a second thought, you reached out and grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling him toward you. He tried to pull back for half a second stubborn to his core, refusing to let anyone see him break but you didn't let go.
"Stop," you whispered, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face in his shoulder. "Just stop holding it all in, Hajime. Please."
That was the breaking point.
A sharp, ragged gasp left his throat, and before he could stop himself, his heavy arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you in so tightly it took your breath away. He buried his face into the crook of your neck, his forehead resting heavily against your collarbone.
Then, his shoulders began to shake.
Iwaizumi Hajime, the ace who never flinched, the anchor who pushed everyone else forward, the guy who refused to show weakness, sobbingly broke down against you. His fingers dug into the back of your coat, holding onto you like you were the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth.
"I wanted to win so bad," he choked out, his voice entirely broken against your skin. "I wanted to take them to Nationals..."
"I know," you whispered, your own chest aching at the sound of his raw, breathless sobs. You gently ran your fingers through his spiky hair, soothing the tense muscle at the nape of his neck. "I know you did, Hajime. But listen to me, okay?"
He hesitated, but slowly lifted his face just enough, his dark eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly shattered in a way no one else had ever seen.
"You didn't fail anyone," you said softly, cupping his face in your hands, your thumbs wiping away the hot tears spilling down his cheeks. "Not Toru, not the team, and not yourself. You gave them everything you had. You've been carrying the weight of this entire team on your shoulders for three years, Hajime. You're allowed to feel hurt. You're allowed to let go."
He let out a shaky, shuddering breath, his lips trembling as he tried to speak, but you leaned up, pressing your forehead gently against his.
"You are an incredible ace," you murmured, keeping your voice steady and warm, an anchor for him in the middle of his storm. "Nothing about tonight changes that. Not one point, not one block, not one game. I am so, so proud of you. They're proud of you too."
A fresh wave of tears welled in his eyes, but this time, the suffocating guilt seemed to loosen its grip. He pulled you back into him, hiding his face in your shoulder once more, his forehead resting heavily against you.
"I've got you," you whispered, wrapping both arms around him as tightly as you could, pressing a lingering kiss to the side of his head. "I'm right here. Take all the time you need."
You stood together in the shadow of the gymnasium for what felt like hours, the bitter wind howling around you, but neither of you moved. You just held him, absorbing every heavy, shaking breath he took, giving him the one safe place in the world where he didn't have to be strong.
Slowly, the wracking sobs quieted into heavy, steady breathing.
He didn't pull away immediately. Instead, he just rested his forehead against yours, his eyes closed, his hot breath fanning across your cheeks. When he finally opened his eyes, the fierce, angry fire was gone and was replaced by a quiet, exhausted gratitude.
"Your jacket is wet now." he muttered softly, his usual rough cadence returning, though softened by a rare, tender warmth.
A faint smile broke on your lips. "I don't care."
He unclasped one of his hands from your waist and brought his large, warm palm up to cup the side of your face. He looked down at you, dark eyes intense and deeply sincere, raw with an absolute certainty that went far beyond volleyball or high school.
"I mean it, Y/N," he rasped out softly, his thumb resting against your cheekbone. "I'm gonna marry you one day."
Your breath caught in your throat, a quiet gasp escaping your lips at the sudden, fierce weight of his words. There was no hesitation in his voice, no flustered embarrassment just pure, immovable resolve.
"Hajime..." you whispered, your heart pounding against your ribs.
"I am," he reaffirmed, his grip on your waist tightening just a fraction, steady and grounding. "So don't you dare think you're getting rid of me."
A soft laugh spilled from your lips, and you leaned up to kiss his lips. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Iwaizumi let out a long, quiet sigh, the last bit of tension finally draining out of his broad frame. He tilted his head down, pressing a firm, lingering kiss to your forehead, letting his lips rest there for a long moment.
"Let's go home," he whispered. And for the first time all night, he let you take his hand and lead the way.












