#bronze medalist team Argentina & the monster generation supporting cast

[soranihimawari]

Bronzed Love

An Olympic love story mainly focusing on childhoodneighbor!yn x Olympic medalist Oikawa Tooru.

Supporting characters are single!father Iwazumi and other members of the men’s Japan national VB team.

After the final gold medal match, team Argentina stands on the podium in their bronze medal spot. Oikawa Tooru is back home for the games and his friends from high school & when he spots a familiar face grinning with pride.

Word count: 1.5(?) k

Content Warning: strong language// single parenthood memory// talk of potential stand on future children

Rating: OOF (OLYMPIAN Oikawa Fluff)

Recommended age: 17 +

Notes: yn! was always close to Oikawa even in high school. They went through different paths to be where they are currently. It is never explicitly stated, but since Iwazumi found out he was a parent when he came back after California, yn has helped take care of little Kat (katie is three when this story takes place). Personally I forgot if I included and used pronouns for yn, but when I revisit this, I’ll update it.

@oikawaandkuroostan , @bb-kawa , @m0nstergeneration20xx , @smolbludandelions

*how distance effects yn in Japan & Oikawa in Argentina before the games ^

Sometimes your mind wanders as you hear the foreign national anthem of your obaa-san in the stadium sparse with fans aside from family members of the national team who placed first. They are loud and singing in a language you do not understand very well, but you are proud of every member clad in red and alternately in white. The boys of the team you followed closely since high school had emerged from the south entrance of the championship stadium where the medals were being handed out by the Olympic committee team. Due to the pandemic and social distancing, you clearly garner the attention of their co-captains and pretty soon, you are joined by them. One of the team members on the athletic training side has brought their children to the venue because she wanted to see her father’s “favorite monsters” prove to the world that volleyball is fun.

“Katie-chan don’t cry,” your voice says when you feel your shirt sleeve get tugged on. The child makes a pouty grabby hand motion as you ask if she does indeed want “upsies.”

“Katie’s getting so big these days, huh Iwazumi-San,” Kageyama states nonchalant.

“Yeah, she is. Can’t believe she’ll be three tomorrow,” Iwazumi says. “She asked when can she get a sister (or brother) because she’s tired of being alone and playing with Ushiwaka’s kid.”

“I heard that,” Ushijima grumbles. “Nothing wrong with that, right?”

The song is not too long and Katie shouts to her godfather on the podium waving brightly. Oikawa Tooru waves back with his medal in hand at you two. Her eyes are wide as the moon and the girl in your arms screams for her Uncle ‘Oru elated to see the medal in person soon. The cameras in the stadium turn to the Japan Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team where you point down to the bronze medal recipients. The voice overs on the live telecast mentioned that a majority of team Japan had played with (or against) the virtual ‘nobody’ from Miyagi who became a naturalized citizen of Argentina prior to competing in these Olympic Games.

From what the newspapers interviewing team Argentina individually, when asked about who you were, the mention you only by a nickname you heard in high school. Some also claimed that the setter-captain never looked so lovingly captivated by someone other than them with the fondness of a love never pursued. In the quiet hours of the early evening, outside the outskirts of the Olympic Village, Iwazumi gives you a spare media badge since he used his family one for a Katie and Takeru earlier on in the pool matches. You mentioned to Iwazumi to thank Hanamaki for not turning up on purpose so you could have this opportunity to speak with an old friend.

“Don’t mention it,” Hanamaki says when Iwazumi calls him via FaceTime.

Iwazumi’s spiked hair flutters in the night breeze.

“Have fun in the village, yn-chan!” Hanamaki teases with a wink.

“Fuck off, Makki—did he really just hang up?!”

“Language! The hell is wrong with you two? My daughter is three and I for one will not have her learning those words from Makki. Haha,” Iwazumi shushes you.

“C’mon. I’m sure Oikawa is already at your old meet up spot in this side of the city.”

Just like that, Oikawa’s name glows on your phone this time. Iwazumi mutters a different curse before he leaves to make sure Kageyama and Hinata did not feed his child too many sweets this late in her day.

“Sakusa or Ushiwaka?” you ask when Iwazumi’s phone blows up with texts from both stating what you spoken to the athletic trainer after the medal ceremony. He leaves you at the bag check for the village and when he turns right to head to his side of the home country athletes, you take your items from the clear tub and unlock your phone quick.

“Oikawa?” you seemed surprised by the phone number you still saved in your cloud backup.

Iwazumi says to meet for brunch at the local country club to celebrate the team’s participation in these summer games. Oikawa’s name still stares at you another you confirm the time with Iwazumi for a few more minutes. Your finger slide across the smooth surface and you breathe easier the moment your name falls past his lips. You turn a shade of red you didn’t know you could without sake, yet here you are stone sober at the Olympic village and when you turn right to follow the road to the closed ice cream parlor you find Oikawa staring at the glass in awe. Your footsteps seemed to go unnoticed by him, so you tiptoe behind him and proceed to hug an old friend.

Oikawa stiffens at the contact, yet the first telltale sign he knows it is you is the small crown tattoo in white ink on your inside forefinger. Oikawa traces the tattoo with his left hand and he does smile at the contact. He remembers the first conversation you had with him when you both turned eighteen a few months apart: “Get a crown tattoo yn,” the neighborhood pretty boy said.

“Like hell I would Oikawa,” you reply. Your stuck your your tongue in defiance, yet the day before he is scheduled to depart the country, you knock on his door with a bandage in your finger. He opens the door an exhausted, but nervous smile on his face. Leaning against the doorframe, he holds your hand lovingly, kissing your knuckles prior to removing your bandaid. The crown in white ink stands out against your skin and you smile cheekily at your neighbor: “I’ll come home to you, yn.”

You nod before he kisses your forehead. You loop your arms around his shoulders and tilt your head to the side.

“You’d owe me a pint of cookie dough soft serve then, mmkay?”

“Ok love, but you better come to Argentina to visit me.”

Teenagers in love were a thing you thoroughly enjoyed, but throughout the years apart, the tattoo’s meaning changed whenever you went out in your university years.

Hanamaki, Mattsukawa, and you were a mischievous trio up until Iwazumi became a father by accident; Katie’s mother left court paperwork with the bassinet delivered to the last known address on the athletic trainer’s file. A few months were taken out of everyone’s lives when this occurred. You make a joke about how this was reminiscent of your grandfather’s favorite American comedy: 3 men & a baby. However, during lunch the first afternoon you were able to have off from your job, you were formally introduced to the babe in Iwazumi’s arms. Makki and Mattsun were quietly eating whereas you were filled in hope the little girl came to be. She began to becomes fussy when an exhausted Iwazumi tries to one handedly cut into his omelette.

“Iwa,” you said, gently pulling his daughter away from him to sit on your lap, Katie wiggles and whines until you smooth over her hair humming a sweet lullaby for her. “There, see? Papa’s going to eat now, then maybe I’ll give you some orange slices? … I’ll hold her while you eat.”

Iwazumi mouths a thanks and he stuffs his face with his long overdue breakfast. The boys tease you into becoming their niece’s new favorite. On a late night call with Oikawa that night, you establish the relationship you have developed with one Iwazumi Kathleen (Katie) and her father.

“You sound like you’re awfully close to Iwa-chan,” Oikawa scoffs.

“Tooru, are-are you jealous?” your eyes glaze over in confidence.

“Why would I be jealous of Iwazumi having a kid at twenty-four, who is the sweetest girl on the planet, and,” oikawa pinches the bridge of his nose. “And having the other love of my life fill the role of her mother?”

You could hear a pin drop and in your flustered state you ask him to repeat himself. On the kitchen counter, you see the thick booklet for Argentine citizenship.

“Don’t be so stubborn,” you mutter before changing the subject. “I miss you.”

“I’ll be back home before you know it. I have to go. Practice starts in an hour. Adios amor.”

“Sayonara king.”

That was the last time you spoke to him on your own accord. Every instance else, Oikawa spoke to your other friends and sometimes you were actively listening, other times you were too busy to pay attention.

Two years go by before the newly naturalized Oikawa was stressed out thinking he missed his chance with you. You reassured Oikawa on the phone that evening you were just helping an old friend from college raise his daughter because of the hands the family courts dealt.

Legally, if anything were to happen to Iwazumi, Katie’s care taker would be both you and one Oikawa Tooru. You were more of a motherly figure for your goddaughter, but it’s because she had been watched by you several times while Iwazumi was busy training his team. Sometimes, when Katie was a bit difficult to handle, you FaceTime called Oikawa and you stay on the line before Katie goes to sleep. You mouth a thank you while patting the tired toddler’s back gently. Your soup and take out tempura is the next thing your old neighborhood friend sees when you finish tucking her in on her spot on Iwazumi’s couch.

“Think you’d want any, yn?” he asks sheepish grin.

“Children?” You muse, after blessing the food on the kitchen counter. “Someday, but for now I’d like it if you were here to help with chibi-Iwa. Her father is always so busy…”

“It’ll be ok. Iwazumi has you,” Oikawa states. “Just like you have me, sweetheart.”

You laugh while reminding him to send you the information for his flights with team Argentina for the upcoming Olympic Games in three months time.

On the top of the world, in Tokyo’s Olympic Village, Oikawa turns around in your arms and flashes a charming grin. Behind the brightly shining dark ochre eyes, the boy down the street from Miyagi is free falling into love with the heartbeat rhythm of the person in front of him.

“Welcome home baby,” the elated warmth in your voice causes Oikawa to sneakily snake an arm around your waist. With the other, he takes out the medal in his pocket etched with his new number and the small Argentine flag. It’s a gorgeous honor and you take a step back, raising your brows. Oikawa bows toward you and you graciously take the medal from his open palm.

“Please?”his voice is absolutely laced with respect. You ruffle his hair, making him tear up from the sign of affection as you glide the medal over his neck. Oikawa rises like he did during the telecast, resplendent like always. He laughs mirthfully when you answer him with the same sentiment. The medal presses between you two when you both finally give into the power of the lovers fate’s design.