Oikawa was in the bleachers, watching his girlfriend play. A Seijoh girl, that’s what they call her and her teammates. Her being a setter too, Oikawa was always excited to see her play or practice. Often they would play together (even on some cute dates). Today, however, the Seijoh Girls were losing to what everyone thought was an inferior team. All the spikers were already blocked at least once. But they kept trying. The Seijoh supporters went silent, it had been like this for a while already. And Oikawa could see everything, his face showing how he was analysing this match.
Seijoh lost. 20-25 18-25.
Oikawa waited for his girl outside the locker room. She was one of the last to come out, and while the other players exited, all Oikawa could say was “you did a good job”. When Y/n came out, the first thing she did was hug her boyfriend. He hugged her back, trying to appear comforting, although he had many things to say. He got her bag and they walked outside. He would walk her home. The first 10 minutes were silent, Oikawa could see on her face that the defeat was still in her mind. But after that she became more talkative and jokey. That was what encouraged Oikawa to vocalise his thoughts. How could she be behaving like that after such a humiliating loss?
“You know this is all your fault, right?” — that’s what Oikawa had to say. Being a setter, he couldn't help but notice how bad of a player his girl was.
He sensed her stopping, and he looked back.
“What?” — was all she could muster.
“Yeah, you know it. All your attackers were blocked heavily. That’s the setter’s fault. Your sets were off and clearly predictable. It was a poorly done job.”
“Tooru… why that?” — her voice and expression were filled with hurt, betrayal, insecurity.
“You know why, Y/n! I’m a great setter and we are in a relationship. There will be expectations and you should be able to meet them. I assumed you to the public, there will be eyes on you! And doing what you did today… you'll only be embarrassing yourself.”.
“I… I did my best!”.
“Well, clearly your best isn't enough. Maybe think about today when you decide to skip practice like you always do. You're not good enough to give yourself these privileges.”.
She didn’t answer. She knows she shouldn’t. If that's what Oikawa was feeling about her technique, she knew he meant it with the best intentions. He was the best afterall. He let her back at her house before walking away. That night all she could think of was his words, and the game, and the blocks, and her missed serves. Disaster was all she could remember of that day.
---
The next day, Y/n woke up earlier, much earlier than usual. Taking a volleyball, she went jogging to school. There, she trained her sets outside the gym. After a while the volleyball team boys arrived for the morning training. Her boyfriend spotted her. She was training, she wanted to improve. He was surprised.
“Good morning, Y/n!”
“Tooru…?” — she looks at him as she holds the volleyball, stopping the sets.
“Are you training, baby?” — he asks as he hugs her from behind. She hardens at his touch.
“Yeah”
“Soo good um?” — he says, giving a peck on her cheek. — "I'll come help you when practice is over, okay?”.
Y/n nods, not paying much attention to him, focusing on improving herself. Oikawa notices it. That’s why he leaves practice early and helps Y/n on her technique. At lunch, he explains to her a lot of volleyball strategies. And he watches the girls practice also, focusing especially on her. That night, when he walked her home, Oikawa couldn’t help but criticize her more.
“Yeah, you improved your technique but you were still distributing your sets dumbly. No strategy whatsoever. I’ll have a match next week, maybe, more than cheering, you should be taking notes.”.
And that’s what she did. Not only at the game, but everyday. Overworked her body and mind, wanting to become a better player and stop relying on her boyfriend’s shadow, who everyday had a new thing to say about her: “your serve is shit”, “jump higher, block more”, “your set is too close to the net”, “too far”, “eat healthier”, “do more running, you are too heavy on the court”. She felt ashamed, a failure, but she kept listening and going to Tooru for help. She wanted to do better, and even remembering that match where she led the team to defeat made her feel devastated. She started doing some weight work, running and also playing with the boys team when she had the change. Her friends would tell her to take it easy, but any new muscle or joint pain she had was a confirmation that she was on the right path. Her boyfriend also had his injuries, right? And that’s a sign that he puts up much effort.
---
Only a month later is when the next Seijoh girls match comes. Against another not so strong team, but it’s clear that the students are not very hopeful with the outcome, not many people are expected in the gymnasium. Oikawa spends the whole week trying to instruct her, but he keeps destroying her confidence: “you jump everyday and still look like you jump lower each time”, “maybe you should be a libero, your forearm passes are decent”, “where would you set the ball?” while showing a situation on a clipboard “so predictable”, “please, don’t do this on the match”, “in that way, your serve won’t go past the net”. And all that only gave her the need to practice even more. Now, she had tape on all her fingers (after trying to block her boyfriend’s spikes, or getting wrong contact with the ball while setting) and pains she never even had before. It would all pay off.
Match day came, Y/n put on her uniform and warmed up with the girls. After the warm up was over and she was walking to the coach, Oikawa called her. She walked closer to the stands and all he said was “you can do it, just do the basics” and kissed her on the cheek. He had really high hopes for her because he saw how she put effort into improving, even if she wasn’t the best and probably didn’t have any more potential. Oikawa even brought a notebook to put all his thoughts down and later have a talk with her.
The game started and Seijoh was doing well. Y/n sets were still predictable but they were a bit quicker, managing to escape the block more times. Her serves were not hard to receive but they were getting to the other side of the court. But the block was her biggest difficulty. She wasn’t that tall, and she also couldn't jump high. The first set ended 25-23 to Seijoh, which began to bring more people to the gymnasium. From the stands, she heard Oikawa say she should’ve been more focused when jumping up to block. And that’s what she did on the second set, giving all her energy on jumping as high as she could and doing the right movements so her arms would invade the spiker space.
That’s how she got her first block in the match. Her movements were done right and the good job ended in a monster block on the wing spiker of the other team. She only felt the strong hit of the ball in her arms before she was going back to the floor. She didn’t look where she was landing, her eyes closed from emotion. Next thing everyone heard was an agonising scream.
---
notes: hey this is my first fanfic so I'm sorry if it's out of character. I tried to do some angst but I didn't shed a tear, maybe I'm self projecting.
In the heart of the Olympic Games, you are an undercover agent on a mission to expose a dangerous criminal sponsor within the world of elite sports. Disguised as support staff, you navigate the Olympic Village, piecing together a web of corruption while staying in the shadows. But when you repeatedly cross paths with Oikawa Toru, a charming volleyball player with a knack for uncovering the truth, your mission becomes more complicated. As danger closes in, you find yourself protecting Oikawa from threats that go beyond the court, all while keeping your true identity hidden. In a world where trust is a luxury you can’t afford, you must decide how much of yourself you can reveal, even to the one person who tries to be your ally.
The night's silence enveloped everything in a cold embrace, not even a cricket could be heard outside.
Inside, your soft breaths filled his room and tickled his neck, the good kind of shivers traveling the length of his spine. It was almost two in the morning and he was still wode awake. His eyelids were heavy as he blinked hard to fight off the drowsiness that claimed Oikawa's body.
Soon he would be leaving off to Argentina and you were going to stay behind. Oikawa knew this was the best decision. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, and after talking to you about it, everything was settled. You were happy for him, and he should've been happy about it too.
But he would be lying if he said he didn't wish for it to go down differently.
Your relationship wasn’t even that serious. What started as an Innocent kiss between friends turned into nights spent in each other's arms, soft caresses opon naked skin and a slow sinking feeling of falling. He hadn't even introduced you to his family, there were no tags or titles or any compromise between you two, but still the bitter taste of “what could’ve been” if only Oikawa had said something to you about how he felt scratched the back of his throat. It itched and clawed his way up, urging him to spill every single tender feeling he had buried deep inside his soul, because he was afraid of rejection.
Now, confessing was just pointless. He was going to leave, and it would be in vain. He was known to be selfish, but professing his love to you just to leave for a country continents apart was cruel. You were the only one spared from that mean streak he had.
Oikawa knew it was for the best, but still, childish as it sounds, he didn’t want to stop the feelings he had. What would happen when you fall for someone else? Or when he finds another girl to replace you?
He couldn’t imagine how that'll be like
Will their hands feel like yours when you buried them in his hair?
Will their voice sound as sweetly to his ears as yours when cheering for him?
Will his heart skip a beat the same way it did with you? whenever he saw her in his new bed, with new sheets, and in an apartment he still couldn’t imagine?
Oikawa bit on his lip to suppress a whimper when his eyes filled with tears that rolled down his cheekbones and landed on your hairline, disappearing in between the sea of strands he loved to stroke.
He didn’t want it to be that way, but his new life had no spot left for you in it.
Leaving you behind was all he could do, besides praying you didn’t resent him for it as much as he did.
His shaky hand reached forward and grasped a strand of hair that was falling over your eyes. Soflty he placed it behind your ear, brushing his muckles on your cheek soflty. You stirred, still in your slumber and snuggled further against his neck. The leg you had resting around his hip nudged him closer to the point where he had to hold his breath just to prevent the erratic rise and fall of his chest from disturbing you.
You fisted his shirt and murmured something and he allowed himself to imagine you wanted him to stay as badly as he wanted you go along with him, and that was the reason why, even in dreams, you held onto him... Because soon you’d be letting go.
“I love you…” He whispered, three words he never said out loud, only when you were far away dreaming and he could leave his emotions out in the open without fear of rejection.
His lips landed a soft caress, light as a whisper on your forehead, and he allowed himself to grieve, with the shield of the night hiding his hurt.
Afterall, when the daylight broke through the windows it would be time for him to go, and he planned to put on a happy face just for you. You had no need to know how broken he felt, it wasn't as if you could do anything to stop the ache in his soul.
You see, these kinds of feelings were ones only time could take away.
Author’s Note: sorry in advance. idk how to write angst.
Warnings?: character death, coma
Summary: He just wishes she’d wake up.
Word Count: 619
---
Oikawa Tooru sat at the end of her bed, hand gently resting in hers.
It was quiet. Almost too quiet, in fact.
No, it was unbearable.
But he just couldn’t get himself to move from his spot. It had been weeks since the last time she had spoken, seen anything, or been awake at all.
It was early morning, but the sun still greeting the Earth in its usual fashion, casting a soft glow to its side and the people on it. One of them was her.
God, she was gorgeous, with her h/c hair and sweet, sweet face.
It hurt to see her like this, the monitor beside her beeping and the occasional passing of footsteps in the hallway outside her room.
“I love you,” he said under his breath, just enough to hear himself clearly.
There was a tired smile on his face, his eyes sad and hollow. But he did not cry. He had finished doing that a long time ago.
Somewhere in his heart, he knew that even if she were to wake up, something bad would most likely still happen. But he still hoped that she’d awake, with a smile on her face and attempt to pepper his face in kisses.
To just hear her laugh or the way his name sounded when it came from her lips.
To just kiss her, and have her kiss back.
Even just one conversation was all he wanted.
Minutes passed, hours passed, and eventually days.
It was May 13th when something finally happened.
Her heart had stopped, and Oikawa was pretty sure his did, too. He cried out in fear, leaning forward and cupping her face, tears already beginning to fall down his face.
No. Not you. Anybody but you.
The staff took notice of this, rushing into her room with already an idea regarding what was going on.
They all attempted to get her heart pumping once again.
It was pandemonium, with people scrambling to do their procedures correctly and shouting to each other, whether it was if the body was clear of whether
Oikawa was guided to the side of the room, watching in horror and with a heavy heart as he watched their attempts, staring at her body that was trying to be brought back to life.
At 6:14 PM, she was called as dead.
The young man couldn’t even remember what happened after that.
Maybe he was asked questions, maybe it was condolences, paperwork, or all of it together. He just couldn’t remember. His lips had apparently done the talking for him.
He was allowed to say his goodbyes before her family arrived to handle the rest.
There he was again, holding her lifeless hand, staring at her now peaceful face.
That face had once smiled, it had once told him she loved him, and had once been able to cry.
She was the person who told him that she was proud of his work. That he was just as good as the rest and more. She was the one who would sit with him in patience, who would stay by him even when he felt as if he weren’t enough.
She was the one who stayed when nobody else was left.
It should’ve been anyone but you.
[Alternate Ending]
May 22nd was when she finally woke up.
He didn’t know what to say.
It was strange seeing her awake, but it gave him a burst of hope.
Something to hold on to.
She had shot right up in bed, looking confused, but at least not in pain from what he could tell.
His thoughts stumbled over themselves. What was he supposed to say?
“I’m sorry,” he blurted.
“You’re sorry?” she repeated, confused. “I-” she paused.
“...who are you?”
Oh.
Haha.
...Alright.
---
☆taglist☆ - general
(please ask to be added, and specify if it’s for all fics in general or for a certain character. if you’d like to be removed, just ask. i don’t mind!)
Title: Stargazing
Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Character: Oikawa Tooru
Genre: Fluff?
Extra Notes: Once again... wrote when i was #goin thru exam season. mess. hate exams. cross posted from dA, originally written in 2017. formatting issues maybe.
The night sky was awake, staring down on the earth and shrouding it with a warm cloak of darkness. The sun had long ago crept behind the staggering horizon that stood far beyond them. The skies had long since transitioned between colours, colouring the skies with mellow pumpkin shades that bled into blushing pinks, then royal purples had begun to dominate the sky.
Thus, the night had once again reclaimed its throne, reigning over the Earth as it slept, safeguarding it from the glaring heat of the sun for but a few hours like a doting parent watching over a child as it slept.
Yet not the entire country over which the night had taken up residence had subjected itself to sleep. This time ruling over the skies of the Miyagi prefecture, in Japan, the moon was casting a luminescent glow down on the ground that should’ve lulled them to sleep. Yet with every passing moment, every tick of the clock that reminded that dawn was crawling toward them slowly, they only lay evermore awake.
A sigh escaping from your lips, your eyes flitted to the window once more. You knew, really, that it was time to be asleep. Yet there was an irrefragable force that pulled at your mind, coaxing your soul away from the utopian land of your dreams and leading you blindly towards the confliction of your mind as you stared awake.
Two o’clock, and your mind was yet again battling in a war that had gone on for far too long.
One that had been the causation of the dark circles imprinted underneath your eyes and the halfway-there dazed look that always lived in your eyes, even when you were focusing so intently.
“Are you okay?”
“Is everything okay?”
“What’s up?”
Casually spoken words that you’d answer with a lie, a lie that was easier to you than breathing. Just simple syllables that would pass your lips, masking your emotions with an opaque, thick wall that was impenetrable.
Two o’clock, and your mind was treading water in inky liquids that were threatening to drag you under the surface. Threatening to fully submerge you into the freezing, murky waters. Trap you underneath the heavy surface and anchor you to the bottom of what seemed to be an endless pit.
Helplessly treading water; too afraid to yell out for a hand to grasp your’s and secure your safety.
And it was at times like these, when the earth as you knew it had come to an absolute standstill, when the conflict worsened. A conflict that could seemingly only ever soothe once your eyes made contact with the dozens of constellations that decorated the night’s sky with a shimmering, ethereal glisten that lasted but a few hours before fading back; retreating, blending into the dawn’s skies once more.
With a leaden heart, you threw back your sheets, gingerly laying a foot on the floor as though testing foreign waters before they fully connected with the ground. Feet that were softer than felt on the floorboards padded over to the curtained windows, and delicate hands pulled them curtains away, allowing a river of moonlight to stream in through the window. The breathing was caught in your throat once more - this ephemeral beauty that your eyes could behold every night for as long as your heart beated would never once grow old.
Even though the moon was as ancient as anything you could comprehend, it never gave up in its impressiveness. Never once.
And for a while, you were content, cheeks resting in your palms as your face fell into a serene smile that was illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. For a while, you forgot about the conflict, as though the scenery had been enough to fog over the draconian thoughts that taunted your soul.
Then, something snagged your attention. Through your peripheral vision, you could make out a vague silhouette; a male stood underneath a lone streetlight. He was clad head-to-toe in thick clothing to prevent the cold from digging deep into his body, his hair a mass of cowlicked curls that flew off his hair in amber-chocolate soft wisps. He wasn’t doing much, one hand shoved into the pocket of his coat whereas the other held a mobile - the only other source of light sans for the moonlight and streetlight that he was stood under.
But there was something about him that tugged at your memory. A drifting thought that you knew him, the mysterious boy that was out strolling in the early hours of the morning before the sun had dared rise.
There was something about the casual way he stood, the angle of his head as he surveyed the mobile held in his hands and the way his hair sat atop his head. Something in you wanted to pause time, to zoom in on the boy if only to quell the unwavering curiosity that was poking away at your thoughts. Though in a way, this sudden curiosity was something of a blessing in disguise; another layer that masked the conflict in your mind.
In the space of not even thirty seconds, he’d pocketed the phone, his keen eyes searching the vicinity before he went to start off on his walking once more. After a brief scan, he seemed satisfied, and once again went to walk again. But then keen eyes whipped around once more, and for a brief second you felt your heart plummet into oblivion. You could’ve sworn he was staring into your soul, dissecting every thought you were having at that very moment, pinning you to that place alone with his liquid cocoa stare.
He could’ve been anyone, you noted warily. Anyone in the world. A thief, a murderer, perhaps an arsonist. Hell, he could’ve been anyone in the entire world, and he’d noticed that you’d been looking at him. He’d noticed, before walking off at a brisk pace, retracting his phone from his pocket once more. His facial expression unreadable from your distance, you only hoped he hadn’t spied your curious (E/C) eyes despite looking in your direction twice.
You jerked into movement, every nerve awakening at once with a jittering tremor throughout your body as your phone vibrated with a notification.
Shaking hands reaching to it, your arms enclosed around the phone and watched the screen brighten up with a wary, cautious eye. Had he somehow found your number? Was he a stalker? What was he doing, walking around at this time?
1 New Message from: Tooru
Your nerves visibly eased at the name that was displayed on your screen, and you clicked onto the notification to read the message.
Tooru:
[02:14]
(Y/N)-chan, what are you doing awake at this time?
You:
[02:14]
… how do you know I’m awake?;;
Tooru:
[02:14]
Educated guess from my usual neighbourhood stroll^^
You:
[02:15]
Wait that was you?
Tooru:
[02:15]
Yep!!^^
Did you wake up to watch my beautiful figure pass by your house?
You:
[02:16]
Ok first of all, why were you walking around at 2am do you know how dangerous that is tooru????
Second of all, what beauty
Third of all, the moon is especially beautiful tonight.
Tooru:
[02:16]
I agree! The moon is gorgeous~
Next time you’re awake, you should text me. We could go watch the sky at night sometime~
You:
[02:17]
Hahah no thanks
Tooru, why are you walking around at this time, though??
Tooru:
[02:18]
The moon is especially beautiful tonight, as you said.
We should stargaze.
Sometime.
After exams.
Maybe.
Sleep well, (Y/N)-chan!
You frowned at his answer, beating around the bush through his round-about way of inviting you on a date. Yet you said nothing in return sans for a quick goodnight message, shutting off your phone entirely before returning your focus yet again to the masterpiece that was laid out in the skies above you. A massive, open canvas of endless blues and sparkling whites.
Stargazing with Tooru… a small smile graced your features as you watched the scene above you.
43. “That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life. Let’s do it.”
“I just need to put something away, so wait for me!” Oikawa sang and disappeared into the maze of lockers. It wasn’t too long before you heard a loud shriek.
“Oikawa? Are you ok?” You shouted and ran to find him. When you did, he was standing beside a pile of Pocky boxes and grimacing.
“Are you seeing this? This is atrocious.” He added angrily and kicked a box aside. “He knows I can’t resist Pocky.” He shook his fist at the sky while you gathered the scattered boxes and put them back in his locker.
“Why are you so mad though?” You questioned him and shut his locker quickly. “Wouldn’t this be a good thing?” He laughed at you like you didn’t know what you were talking about.
“Oh please, the captain of the tennis team has had it in for me since we were first years.” He explained and began walking back down the hall. “I think his plan is to fatten me up so I lose my fans.” You rolled your eyes but said nothing.
“Well, what do you think about getting him back? Assuming that it’s actually him doing this.” You said and saw Oikawa visibly perk up.
“I would love to! What should we do?” He asked excitedly, his eyes sparkling at the prospect of petty revenge.
“I think he doesn’t like bananas... They really freak him out for some reason.” You suggested. It was true that the tennis team captain had a problem with bananas but the reason for that was unknown. “We could put some in his locker and decorate the outside in yellow?” Oikawa did a little dance and spun around.
“That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life. Let’s do it.” He said bursting with excitement. “I can go after school and buy the bananas!” Oikawa was now flailing his arms to show how eager he was that you had to stand back.
“Ok, champ, you do that. I’ll decorate his locker.” You said and ducked to avoid his arms.
The next day after school, you ran to the locker room. You whipped out a roll of yellow paper and got to work. After encasing the door in yellow, you slapped on a few banana cutouts for good measure.
“There, that should do it.” You mumbled and looked around for Oikawa. You saw him approach with several bunches of bananas in hand.
“Look what I have!” He giggled like a maniac and shoved the bananas into the locker.
“You didn’t have to buy that many...” You pointed out and slammed the door shut.
“I had to. He wouldn’t be very scared if there were only two bananas in there.” Oikawa scoffed and crouched behind the row of lockers. “Now we wait.”
“Easy there, I think he has practice today, so he’ll be late.” You said but Oikawa refused to budge. You shrugged, and went to crouch beside him. All in all, Oikawa was petty but so were you, so waiting a few extra minutes for the tennis team captain to freak out over a bunch of bananas was worth it.
