#fic rec: iwaizumi hajime

[jasscheeks]

Hi hi! Your blog is so good! I really love it, especially the jjk smaus recently lol! What do you think about some Haikyuu smaus too? (I just have been in my zone since the movie lmao)

haikyuu! boys if…

you tell them you’re on your period…

pairings: bokuto, suna, iwaizumi x f!reader

warnings: girlfriend is used, just suna being suna.

thank you for your request!! finally i get to post these because they have literally been collecting dust in my camera roll 😀

let me know who you guys want to see next!!

m.list | kuroo, oikawa, ushijima ver.

thank you for reading!! let me know if i should make a smau storyline 😛

m.list

[flyingwargle]

october fanfic recs!

i don't have too many this month, so check out the previous months' recs: july, august, september

some of these fics are rated e!

sakuatsu

Dawn and Other Acts of Love t. 4.6k. sakusa's worst nightmare has come true: he has to stay the weekend at atsumu's. such a funny premise spun into a fluffy piece with light hurt and so much comfort. loved it!

shoot to kill g. 6.2k. this obliterated me and continues to haunt me. atsumu knows not to cross the line when it comes to insults and arguments, but sakusa does not, and says something that he shouldn't have. very powerful, with a tender conclusion at the end. one of the best fics i read this year <3

Summer Special: Omigiri t. 6.9k. osamu asks sakusa to be his model for his upcoming summer umeboshi onigiri special, but it turns out to be a ploy for him to confess to atsumu. absolutely hilarious.

The Taste of 2 a.m. t. 8.2k. atsumu is an insomniac with a need to drink tea at 2 am and sakusa joins him. they eventually fall in love with the routine and each other.

Curse Breaking for Dummies: A Setter's Guide to Getting the Guy g. 10.2k. 2/2. modern magic twist where atsumu is cursed with a love curse and everyone falls in love with him except sakusa. you can tell where this will go. very fun and lighthearted!

love as told by you t. 11.1k. this fic is the sun that beams onto you at the end of a rainstorm, reassuring you that love exists, and you'll find love, or a platonic soulmate. it's so warm and tender, choke full of affectionate details of a blooming sakuatsu relationship. a comfort fic, for sure.

recipe for disaster e. 22.9k. fwb narrative where atsumu falls in love with sakusa, featuring anxiety, supportive brothers, and sakusa who also loves him back. the sunaosa side of things is also *chef's kiss* and recommended below ehe

sunaosa

turn west towards dawn e. 2.7k. prose intertwined with letters about osamu getting an email from suna while studying in italy to reconnect after their break-up. the writing is both light but heavy with their lingering emotions and regret that makes your heart throb.

resistance to flow t. 6.2k. fwb to lovers agenda. i will never tire of the slippery slope of falling in love, especially if it's written beautifully.

A Primer for the Small Weird Orchestra Loves t. 8.2k. au where the boys are in an orchestra and suna helps osamu with the violin. lovely details and slow burn, with also a sakuatsu sequel.

of great ambition m. 17.8k. more of a suna-centric character study with a splash of sunaosa that focuses on suna's journey to become a pro. suna is so vulnerable in this, and he deserves all the glory for himself. it's also very in line with how i interpret his character <3

secret menu e. 26.3k. the sunaosa side of recipe for disaster. suna takes a part-time job working at onigiri miya during the off-season and gets more than he bargained for. also fwb narrative but augh. augh. the writing for both fics is so good and tailored to each character's perspective. i love both of them.

bokuaka

an ode to a conversation stuck in your throat e. 3.1k. a character study of bokuto who has bpd with spice. achingly soft and full of love.

crossing distance g. 4k. bokuto went abroad to study after high school and akaashi is the first one that he contacts. i just love how they were able to fall into each other again despite the distance and falling out of communication, it's truly a magical thing <3

A Kind of Magic t. 6.7k. bokuto and akaashi often hang out at bokuto's house until akaashi invites him over and introduces him to his incredibly large and wild family. beautiful, beautiful prose and gradual realization of feelings. we stan family members as their cheerleaders.

heavy heart, a love apart e. 7k. exes to lovers. this oozed with angst and heavy hearts with tension that is eventually resolved for a hopeful ending. loved the atmosphere created by the prose.

iwaoi

yes-man t. 4.1k. no matter what oikawa asks of iwa, he always says yes, including a spontaneous weekend trip to las vegas. very cute and fluffy!

Pretty Boy t. 8k. oikawa is used to iwa's range of nicknames for him, but when iwa starts calling him pretty boy, well. that changes things. fluffy, cute, and lighthearted!

shoelaces and departures t. 10.1k. 2/2. magical realism au where iwa runs a cafe and oikawa is compelled to travel to different corners of the world because of his innate wanderlust. mutual pining at its finest with fluff.

rise e. 12.4k. oikawa and iwa live together after high school but don't have a label on their relationship. something else that this fic focuses is on the push-pull aspect they have, especially with oikawa's knee injury. the hurt/comfort hit me where it hurt.

When I Fall to My Feet e. 23.2k. 3/3. trans oikawa is looking for someone to overwrite his terrible first time, and eventually iwa offers to do it. fwb to lovers, with a sprinkle of makki and mattsun friendship, and a wonderfully supportive iwa.

other

The MSBY Black Jackals Guide To Self-Care t. 4.5k. sakusa-centric. a cute little fic of sakusa learning about his teammates' various self-care routines.

Off the Hinges t. 15.9k. arankita, sakuatsu. kita adopts sakusa since he's a kouhai in the same business program as him while watching him develop his relationship with atsumu. kita also takes a page from his own book with his relationship with aran. cute and endearing. my first arankita fic and i hope it won't be my last.

i remember how the earth stopped turning t. 73.3k. 6/6. kageyama-centric. man. man. it's an amazing read that focuses on the immediate post-career ending injury and intertwines povs from other characters. gorgeous prose. give it a read, seriously.

Yamaguchi Tadashi is NOT a ghost hunter m. 77.9k. 23/23. tsukkiyama. the house that tskushima, kuroo, and bokuto rent in osaka is haunted, and hinata recommends yamaguchi, a spirit medium, to help them. the slow burn!! the mystery!! the details!! i very much enjoyed this <3

[lizzy06]

Iwaizumi Hajime x Reader Fic Recs!!(Tumblr/AO3/Wattpad)

Haikyuu! Fic Rec Masterlist

Aoba Johsai Fic Rec Masterlist

the best bad decision ✨✨💖by @teamatsumu (oneshot, love confession, fluff, humor) wrote a confession for character A, accidentally gave it to character B instead. [COMPLETED]

Innocent Misunderstanding✨ by @oreosmama (oneshot, humor) Last night, it was all fun and games until Iwaizumi accidentally pushed you too far. To be fair, you did underestimate his strength, so it wasn’t completely his fault. That didn’t prevent you from limping to school, though.[COMPLETED]

You’re jealous but you can’t do anything because you’re not dating him ✨✨by @screamin-abt-haikyuu (oneshot, fluff)[COMPLETED]

Misleading Marks by @oreosmama (oneshot, soulmate au) Your soulmark is a wonderfully misleading pain in the tuchus. Luckily, your hunk of a soulmate makes it all worth it.[COMPLETED]

Stone king✨✨ by @xsugarysweetsx (arranged marriage, royalty) You were given as a peace offering to the cold hearted cruel king, Iwazumi Hajime. He ruled with an iron fist and the people of the kingdom were tired of it. They offer you, the most beautiful girl in the village as a way to bringing peace to their lives once and for all. Will a simple girl be able to break his stone exterior or will the kingdom crumble?[COMPLETED]

A Different Kind of Ace✨ by @mimi-cee-hq (oneshot, fluff) You rejected Hajime when he asked you to join their intramural volleyball team. But at the rec center, his teammate drags you to their practice. You don’t want to join. You don’t want to potentially deal with rude teammates again. But as your initial impressions of Hajime change, your sets remind him a bit of home.[COMPLETED]

rivalry ✓ ✨| hogwart au, enemies to lovers, angst | one shot | by @tooruluv

all for you by @arigatouiris (oneshot, soulmate au, angst to fluff, fluuf!)[COMPLETED]

soulmates by 0Game0Time0(oneshot, soulmate au, humor) Iwaizumi can see the red string of fate.[COMPLETED]

I Love You THIS Much! ✨by deltachye (single parent! Iwaizumi, fluff, tooth rooting)Old friend Oikawa Tooru had called in The Favour—a blank cheque you’d signed many years ago that let him ask for anything, anytime. It wasn’t much, he’d said; all he wanted was for you to help his friend win custody of his kid. As a well-practiced attorney, it should’ve been easy as pie… if your clients hadn’t won your heart before you could win the case.[COMPLETED]

twenty-five✨ by krystallisert (soulmate au, aspiring photographer! iwaizumi )No change. You’re still twenty-five, just like you were on your birthday last year. And the year before that. Just like you’ve been for the last hundred-something years.[COMPLETED]

tiny love✨ by kuroopaisen (friends to lovers, slow burn, mutual pinning)as tooru’s younger sister, falling in love with iwaizumi hajime is easy. your feelings aren’t ignored, either. but is it worth the complications it could cause?[COMPLETED]

They were roommates ✨by atsukashii (college au, angst, fluff)in your defence, when you had come across an advert for a roommate from someone named tooru oikawa, you had thought it was a girl. so come move-in day where you discover that oikawa is actually a dude, you decide that living with him won’t be a problem. but living with his other super hot roommate? Yeah, that’s definitely going to be a problem.[COMPLETED]

With a little help from our friends by Teapots_and_Teacups (oneshot, fluff)You lost a bet with your best friend Watari Shinji, and now you had to be a temporary manager for Seijoh. Also, you have a thing for its ace.[COMPLETED]

Thinking Things Up And Not Thinking It Through by nomazee (oneshot, crushes, pinning, iwaizumi ooc)You and Oikawa were friends. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were friends. You and Iwaizumi, however, were not friends.

Stumbling Blocks✨ by dasfreefree (oneshot, humor, fluff, mutual pinning)After a shoulder injury, you're forced to take a break from playing volleyball for the Nekoma girl's volleyball club. You decide to manage the boys' club during your recovery, which is a good move, as you get to meet Iwaizumi Hajime at a training camp and he's just your type. While the feelings are mutual on Iwaizumi's end and his teammates have his back, Nekoma isn't entirely on board with guys from other schools hitting on their manager.[COMPLETED]

由貴 ✨✨by momothespicy (momothesweet) (oneshot, smut, first time) 由貴 - Yuki -Meaning "snow," with the characters used for "reason" and "value." Snow can serve as a bunch of different implications, depending on who you ask—cold weather, childhood memories, cozy sweaters.It can also serve as the fake name you give to a stranger for when you want to spend one night with him.[COMPLETED]

Aphrodítē✨ by michaelandthegodsquad (oneshot, omega verse, smut) It's been...a really, really long time since you had a heat partner. You hesitated before deciding to use an Alpha Companion Service, but this agency has good reviews, and all of their alphas are vetted and experienced at helping omegas through their heats. you open your front door, your grip tightens on the doorknob. "Iwaizumi? What are you doing here?" [COMPLETED]

favor the brave (o hand of fortune) by chimielie (strangers to lovers, college au)You've had your eye on this guy on campus for a while, but you're content to watch from a distance. He, your best friend, and the universe have other ideas. Sometimes the real thing is better than the fantasy.[COMPLETED]

pov: he’s a player and you’re his favorite game. ✨by @saintobio (angst, smut, fwb, college au, 18+) where one hookup with Hajime Iwaizumi turned into many nights of casual sex���all is good until you started catching feelings and he wanted no strings to ever be attached. [COMPLETED]<this fice is a prequel/part1/ kinda has a spinoff of an akaashi fic which is this >.

Sendai’s Pageant of Starlight by @mimi-cee-hq (oneshot, fluff) Because of a pair of misplaced skates, you and Iwaizumi end up walking down Jozenji-dori Avenue together almost as if… Wait, is this a date?[COMPLETED]

iwaizumi hajime x f! reader by @pies-writes-and-more (oneshot, humor) Iwaizumi should confess before its late.[COMPLETED]

[kats-fic-recs]

Kat's Ultimate MUST READ All time Favorite Ushiten Fic Rec Extravaganza

I don't know what it is about these two that has me in a chokehold, but I'm so in love with their relationship. I love a good weirdo x weirdo dynamic, and Ushiten checks off all the boxes for me. I feel as though I've read every single Ushiten fic on Ao3, and so I figured I'd put all of my favorites together in one list for easy access. I've read all the fics below multiple times, and yet they continuously haunt me because of how well written they are.

Canon High School Fics:

1. An Unremarkable Proposal

It's a completely unremarkable Thursday afternoon, and Tendou would have been happy passing the day making out with his boyfriend and never remembering a single thing about it. You know, if Ushijima hadn't suddenly declared that he wanted to marry him.

2. For Luck

the squeeze of a shoulder before a match becomes the brush of hands becomes the soft whisper of lips on a cheek becomes the wet warmth of lips sliding against lips.

“For luck.”

Or, the lie that the kisses are for luck can only last so long.

3. Tending to a Wounded Heart

"Now, Iwaizumi-san, while I am flattered by your interest and must admit you’re very attractive, I must inform you my heart belongs to another, and I’m not sure your dear captain Oikaw-“ Satori wasn’t even able to finish his jest, as a fuming Iwaizumi interrupted him. A blush blooming from his hairline down to his neck.

“I’M NOT HITTING ON YOU, DUMBASS!”

...

After being discovered in the midst of breakdown in the bathroom of Seijoh, Tendou Satori strikes up an unusual friendship with Iwaizumi who seems keen on helping Tendou navigate his own unrequited feelings, despite ignoring his own.

All the while Tendou's teammates are becoming more and more concerned with their blocker's new behavior and mysterious texting buddy.

4. Unforgivable Acts

All Ushijima has to do is apologize for punching a rival school kid in the face, and everything will clear up. Unfortunately, that would require him to admit that defending Tendou was wrong, and he will not do that.

5. Monster

First year Tendou has braces and a lisp. Ushijima is very gay.

6. rainwater

If rain brings Tendou joy, then Ushijima’s happy for him. It’s not something he’ll ever come to personally understand, and he’s certain that he’ll never share the same enthusiasm for water falling from the sky. Rainwater serves a few good purposes, namely helping plants grow and offering moisture to dry land. But Ushijima doesn’t need to be watered. Maybe Tendou does, though that wouldn’t necessarily make sense to Ushijima.

Unsurprising, because not much about Tendou makes sense to Ushijima in the first place. He supposes it doesn’t have to; he appreciates his friendship regardless, but he does wonder sometimes what it must be like to occupy the same headspace as him.

7. Imperfect Facial Symmetry

Tendou Satori has learned to live with the fact that he doesn't have what anyone would consider an attractive face. This wouldn't normally bother him, except now detail-oriented, perfect Ushijima is analyzing his face and producing every overly apparent, crooked flaw in precise graphite strokes.

Ushijima has learned to live with the fact that he doesn't have the ability to read faces, attractive or not. But there's something about Tendou's that he can't put his finger on. He simply cannot get the drawing right.

8. You're really pushing it (but you're going much too slowly)

"Ow, my fingers." Tendou's face contorts into a mock expression of anguish, but there's too much amusement in his brows for Wakatoshi to be fooled. He doesn't let go and instead half-drags the blocker off to the side. But Tendou is not so easily thwarted.

"Wakatoshi-kun! Ow! That hurts!" he squawks evilly, playing dirty by getting Coach Washijou's attention.

"Ushijima! What are you doin' over there?"

Wakatoshi lets go like Tendou's hands are on fire. "Nothing. Sorry."

Post - Canon:

1. bonjour, notre paradis

“You’re telling me,” Tendou says, once Wakatoshi finally gets him on a video call, “that you got drunk as hell, asked Hinata Shouyou—of all people!—if you should go to Paris immediately after announcing that you used to hate him, somehow managed to correctly book a flight despite your clearly impaired decision-making, and then shut your damn phone off after texting me?”

Wakatoshi nods. “That about sums it up.”

//

Japan loses to Argentina in the Olympics. Ushijima Wakatoshi loses—and finds—his way forward.

2. Just Wanna Get A Little Bit Closer

When Ushijima agreed to the photoshoot for a sportswear brand he favors, he didn't think he'd be modeling with his ex. They haven't seen each other in years, not since he broke up with Tendou in an airport and sent the other man back to France, both nursing broken hearts.

(He also didn't think he'd end the day fucking his ex in a bathroom, but no one ever called Ushijima a prophet.)

3. The Elusive Blush of Ushijima Wakatoshi

The first time that Tendou made Ushijima blush was before they started dating.

The second time that Tendou made Ushijima blush was two years after his unplanned confession.

The third time that Tendou made Ushijima blush was on accident, half a decade after his previous success.

.........................................................................

In the entire time that he had known him, Tendou Satori had only managed to make one Ushijima Wakatoshi blush a total of 5 times.

A story of the 5 times that Tendou made Ushijima blush + 1 time that he didn't need to.

4. All For the Love of An Energetic Redhead

Hinata is in Brazil. Tendou is in France.

Kageyama and Ushijima get drunk and make bad decisions about it.

5. polaroids & proposals

Wakatoshi pauses with the huge gift in his lap, hand hovering above its crudely tied bow.

“Wanna guess what it is first?” Satori rocks in place, cross-legged on the floor.

“Hmm,” Wakatoshi looks down at Satori from his spot on the chair, then back at the gift. His eyes are narrow in deep thought, “is it the set of luggage we saw at the store last week? I believe I mentioned needing a new set.”

“Oooh, maybe~” Satori bites his lip, anticipation giving him a slight stomach ache, “guess you’ll find out!”

It’s definitely not a set of luggage. Not even close.

6. the language of belonging

After the camera crew and interviewer bids them goodbye, Satori takes them back to his apartment.

“Why do you feel bad?” Wakatoshi’s hand settles against Satori’s thigh. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. “You have many friends, Satori. To you, our friendship is likely not as important. To me, you were the first person who wanted to know me, save for, perhaps, Sakusa. You made me feel …” He seems to struggle with his words for a moment, before he dips his head a little. Satori marvels at the clear sign of embarrassment. “You made me feel less weird. I never had many friends, and I still don’t. You were my first best friend.”

Suffice to say, Satori is speechless.

Outsider Pov:

1. The Mystery of Ushijima Wakatoshi’s Chocolate-Making, Paris-Living Boyfriend

Ushijima having a boyfriend who lives in Paris and makes chocolates isn’t impossible.

But it is a little unbelievable.

Or, five times someone asked about Ushijima’s love life, and one time no one needed to.

2. The years shall run like rabbits

Ushijima’s mother is not sure what to make of the man her son brings home: he’s too loud, too particular, too fond of her son in a way she thinks is rather inappropriate.

Or, Ushijima Akemi watches her son’s relationship with Tendou change over the years and finds herself changing with it.

Alternate Universes:

1. a lesson in vulcan mineralogy

Tendou is sitting in the captain’s chair.

2. died in my dreams

If anyone asked Ushijima how it came to this, he wouldn’t be able to formulate a proper answer

Or, Ushijima likes his quiet, his order, and his solitude.

That is, until a loud, talkative and a little chaotic cyber tech convinces him that that's just plain boring.

3. Executive Excursion

Tendou is fun, quirky, and interesting.Ushijima is none of the above.

It's no surprise that Ushijima is drawn to Tendou's magnetic personality. What's surprising is that Tendou seems to like Ushijima, too.

With a little support from his coworkers, Ushijima decides to take a chance and ask Tendou on a date. The results are better than expected.

4. Tendou's Bakery for Wayward Soulmates

According to common knowledge—and quite a few highly reputable textbooks—there exist in the universe three kinds of soulbonds: those that manifest spontaneously, those that people are born with, and those that stay hidden until their potential is revealed.

Some soulmates connect easily and instantaneously. But other soulbonds prove to be more stubborn. These bonds require a bit more effort…a certain amount of coaxing before they finally appear.

For those unruly, obstinate souls, there is Tendou’s Bakery for Wayward Soulmates.

5. say what you mean (I wanna be with you)

Good morning, Wakatoshi-kun! Isn’t it such a beautiful autumn day today?

They chatted every day before class; Tendou vivid and excitable, Ushijima muted, but still enjoying himself. Except today, when Tendou had sprinted into class just moments before the lecture began, his cheeks flushed with exertion. He flashed Ushijima a bright smile as he slid into his seat, opened his mouth to say something, and was promptly cut off by the start of the lecture.

Not to be deterred, Tendou had written a note instead.

Ushijima feels silly. It takes him a while to decide on a response that doesn’t make him feel even sillier.

Yes, it is a nice day.

Or: 5 times Ushijima couldn’t make sense of the notes Tendou wrote to him in class + 1 time when it finally clicked.

6. The Tendou Incidents

“Where...have you come from?” Ushijima manages.

“Paris.”

It’s not the answer he expects. Though, somehow Paris seems to fit his expectations of the man standing in front of him. “Mm. That is very — ”

“ — Exciting? Glamorous?” the redhead prompts, obviously proud of his globetrotting accomplishment.

“ — Far.”

The man falters for the first time, like he finds Ushijima’s answer odd — despite being even odder himself — and laughs, infectious and hearty, like Ushijima has made some sort of joke.

One fateful day, a colorful, painfully extroverted young man named Tendou Satori moves into the unit above Ushijima's apartment. He's odd, presumptuous, and — most egregious of all — he's shockingly noisy. And the quiet, scheduled routine Ushijima Wakatoshi lives is forever altered.

7. Consecutive Failures

The moment Tendou presents as an omega he knows Ushijima is the one for him, he just has a few issues telling Ushijima that.

Or

The five times Tendou fails to confess and the one time Ushijima does.

8. everything was red

Ushijima brings it up to his mother exactly once, the strange boy who appears in his room at night.

She tells him that it sounds like he has an imaginary friend, and that at nine years old isn’t he a little bit old for this kind of thing?

He doesn’t bring it up again, though later that night he tells Tendou and Tendou’s eyes go bright, his smile sharp and pointed like a shark.

“Do you think I’m imaginary, Wakatoshi-kun?”

9. Don't bother checking my work (i've never cared for math anyway)

It isn’t until Shirabu’s back at LOCCENT that it really sinks in. Forty-eight wins? An impressive number, true, and a definite sign of Ushijima’s strength, especially compared to Tendou. But in anyone else, an unbalanced score like that would indicate a depressingly low chance of drift compatibility.

Drifting with Ushijima was simple statistically, but potentially deadly realistically. And drifting with Tendou? A veritable nightmare. If not for Washijou’s insistence, Shirabu would have dropped him long ago.

Still, something is calling to him. Something beyond numbers and data projections.

Because Ushijima may have knocked Tendou down forty-eight times. But that means there were forty-nine times he got back up.

10. Day Shift (Night Shift)

Every day, Ushijima Wakatoshi sits down at his nondescript, generic grey cubicle, ready to do sports education work for the JVA.

Every day, there is a letter waiting for him from someone who works on the night shift.

Ushijima doesn’t know who it is. But he always writes back.

11. ENDINGS/BEGINNINGS

New beginnings come only at the cost of other endings. The two cannot survive together. It is not a symbiotic relationship; it is a mutually destructive one.

On the cusp of achieving all of his dreams, professional volleyball player and one time Olympic medalist Ushijima Wakatoshi goes down. One wrong landing, one torn ACL.

In the blink of an eye, his future collapses. His volleyball career ends.

His coach tells him: it’s all over.

His father tells him: Nothing is meant to last forever. Once you learn to let one door close, another will open.

Now Ushijima, aged 24, has to somehow learn how to begin again. He doesn’t know where to start, or if he even wants to. That's where Tendou Satori comes in.

If you've reached this point, I am very impressed lol!

[astrowaffles]

#bornthisway

General Audiences | Crack/Fluff | JNT bonding

“HINATA!” Atsumu yelled over Lady Gaga. “RESCUE YER BOYFRIEND!”

Hinata, though he clearly understood who Atsumu was referring to, immediately refused to take another step forward. “WE’RE NOT DATING!”

“OH, BE SO FER REAL RIGHT NOW-“

“HE’S GOING TO DIE!” Yaku screeched. Hinata swivelled just in time to see Kageyama almost get knocked unconscious by a wayward stilt.

“Don’t say that, he’ll start attacking things,” Sakusa huffed. “And by things I mean innocent performers.”

“Since when were ya the voice of reason?” Atsumu asked, slightly unnerved.

“You have known me since we were sixteen years old, Atsumu, I don’t see how you’ve only just realised-“

“Oh god, someone save Kageyama,” Aran interjected, watching the athlete be whirled between the performers.

“We just told Hinata to,” Yaku argued. “MOVE IT, GINGER!”

“Woah,” Aran said, hands up in surrender. “Now I’m not passin’ judgement or anythin’, but one could say, Yaku, that yer hair is a bit-“

“Not now, Aran,” said Yaku dismissively, cupping his hands around his mouth. “HINATA, SAVE HIM!”

“Who knew getting a grown man to cross the road was this hard,” Sakusa commented.

OR: JNT do pride!

“My Ma had a sayin’,” Atsumu observed, fanning himself with a rainbow flag. “’They’re about as welcome as a rattlesnake at a line dance’. It’s the same with those idiots.” He gestured vaguely towards Hinata and Hoshiumi, who were watching the stilt performers and asking them irritating and slightly invasive questions like ‘how tall are your stilts?’ and ‘could you fit me under that skirt if I really, really needed to hide from the cops?’

“She’s never said any such thing,” Aran scolded. “Ya got that from a list of cowboy sayin’s on Tumblr.”

Atsumu gasped. “I would never!”

“Ya sent me the list.”

“False accusations,” Atsumu sniffed, and gave up on trying to gain a draft from the flag. “It’s just so hot yer hallucinatin’.”

Aran pointedly sipped from his water bottle and tipped his eyes upwards to his wide-brimmed hat. “Ya think I can’t handle a little heat?”

Atsumu, who had only just taken the time to don SPF at Sakusa’s insistence, chose not to comment.

Sakusa himself, dressed head to toe in protective gear and sunscreen, stood slightly menacingly in a shaded corner of the street. He held an umbrella over his head, presumably in case the roof of the shop he was sheltering under suddenly disappeared without a trace and left him at the mercy of the UV rays. Beside him, Yaku offered him a sip of water, which Sakusa refused with a face of disgust. Yaku shrugged, chugged the last from his paper cup, and sat on the ground to wait for Hinata and Hoshiumi to come back. Sakusa moved away in case the floor germs spread.

Atsumu waved at them cheerily. “Should we join ‘em?”

“Sure,” Aran agreed, already moving for the solace of the shade. It was by no means the hottest day he’d experienced, but the energy it took to wrangle just a single teammate was enough to compensate for another several hundred degrees.

“When are the others coming?” Yaku asked when they got close enough, having evidently given up on making small talk with Sakusa. “It’s getting too warm to stay out here and wait.”

“Aw, don’t ya wanna see the floats go past?” Atsumu protested. “That’s my favourite part.”

“That’s not happenin’ fer another hour,” Aran reminded him. “The others’ll be here by then.”

“Oh, on the next train, then?” Yaku guessed.

“Yup. Well, Bokuto will be here fer that because he’s bringin’ Akaashi, and Akaashi only comes on the train,” Atsumu nodded, quickly scrolling through his messages.

“Kageyama was supposed to already be here,” Yaku tutted, following Atsumu’s lead and examining the team groupchat. “Think he got caught up in something?”

“Probably. Ushi’s not here because he’s in France, Suna’s with Osamu-“

“Komori’s on his way,” Sakusa interrupted. “He’s bringing bug spray.”

“So that’s everyone.” Yaku stood and dusted himself off. “Oh, there’s Kageyama.”

On the opposite side of the street, Kageyama stood looking completely lost. He clearly didn’t feel confident enough to cross in case he walked into one of the performers, who were doing their best to edge away from Hoshiumi and his accomplice. As they couldn’t fully escape without moving too fast (or running), and therefore ruining the performance, they could only lead the duo further down the road and into Kageyama’s path. Kageyama, terrified of anything he didn’t understand – like snakes, or Fanta – was frozen and unable to either reach the group waiting for him under the shop awnings or join Hoshiumi and Hinata’s adventure. In fact, he actually just looked likely to be swept away among swathes of fabric and stilts.

“HINATA!” Atsumu yelled over Lady Gaga, who was booming from a speaker held by the lead performer. “RESCUE YER BOYFRIEND!”

Hinata, though he clearly understood who Atsumu was referring to, immediately refused to take another step forward. “WE’RE NOT DATING!”

“OH, BE SO FER REAL RIGHT NOW-“

“HE’S GOING TO DIE!” Yaku screeched. Panicked, Hinata swivelled just in time to see Kageyama almost get knocked unconscious by a wayward stilt as the performers tried frantically to both retain their grace and get as far away from Hoshiumi as physically possible.

“Don’t say that, he’ll start attacking things,” Sakusa huffed. “And by things I mean innocent performers.”

“Since when were ya the voice of reason?” Atsumu asked, slightly unnerved. “I don’t like it. Stop it.”

“You have known me since we were sixteen years old, Atsumu, I don’t see how you’ve only just realised-“

“Oh my god, someone save Kageyama,” Aran interjected, watching the athlete be whirled between the performers like a bowl between the chopsticks of a street magician.

“We just told Hinata to,” Yaku argued, and lobbed his paper cup towards Hinata as best he could. “MOVE IT, GINGER!”

“Woah,” Aran said, hands up in surrender. “Now I’m not passin’ judgement or anythin’, but one could say, Yaku, that yer hair is a bit-“

“Not now, Aran,” said Yaku dismissively, and cupped his hands around his mouth. “HINATA, SAVE HIM!”

Hinata, who had been sulking in the middle of the road for the past few minutes, finally decided his point was made and began to make his way towards the performers. This only made things worse, however, as the performers began to panic that a second Hoshiumi was now coming to harass them with questions about how to avoid the police, and what the toughest wood was (for the purpose of making innocent-looking-yet-deadly swords). In their haste to get away, they began moving faster, making Kageyama spin so quickly his eyes were almost visibly swirling.

“Who knew getting a grown man to cross the road was this hard,” Sakusa commented, though he was just as invested as everyone else.

When Hinata eventually managed to get a hand on Kageyama’s arm and drag him, practically kicking and screaming, away from the whirling colours, almost the entire group broke out into cheers. Sakusa refrained, sniffing snobbishly at the (definitely homosexual) reunion hug.

“I hope someone tells ‘em,” Aran noted, watching Kageyama pick Hinata up and spin him around aggressively. “I hope a drag queen stops ‘em and congratulates ‘em on their marriage.”

“Why marriage?” Yaku asked.

“Well, they’re not just datin’, are they?” Aran pointed out. “They’ve been married since high school, in my opinion.”

Atsumu nodded sagely, and opened his mouth to add something, but instead a different voice said-

“Who’s married?”

“Komori!” Yaku welcomed. “Finally! Tell these morons they’re engaged.”

“Kiyo, Atsumu, you’re engaged,” Komori said solemnly.

Even Lady Gaga couldn’t salvage the awkward looks that followed, as Sakusa and Atsumu edged slowly apart and Aran bit his lip to avoid a grin.

“We meant the star-crossed lovers over there,” Yaku clarified, as Hinata grabbed Kageyama’s hands and started dragging him across the road.

“Oh, my bad,” said Komori cheerfully, without a shred of remorse. “Those two, too.”

By the time everyone had managed to regroup, Bokuto having been rescued from the sperm bank people (or was it the other way round?) and Akaashi having been rescued from the train station, there seemed hardly any point in trying to remove Hoshiumi from his riveting conversation with a stray kitten.

“I vote we leave him there,” Komori said, as the kitten left a long, red scratch across Hoshiumi’s face.

“Aw, but then he’ll miss the parade!” Bokuto pointed out.

“He’s a grown man, he’s perfectly capable of findin’ the parade by himself,” Atsumu shrugged.

“But why bother gathering here if we’re not going together?” Hinata countered.

Sakusa side-eyed him. “We’re all third wheeling you two anyway, it’s not exactly a bros trip.”

“Never say the words ‘bros trip’ again,” Komori admonished. “I’ll take away your bug spray.”

Sakusa hugged the small can close to his chest in defiance and turned his pleading eyes on Aran. “You have sense. You’ll leave that demon here, won’t you?”

“Well…” Aran hesitated. “We did all come here together…”

“Besides, what if he gets lost?” Bokuto agreed.

“Only you could get lost here, Koutarou,” Akaashi sighed. “All the streets lead back to each other, it’s not like he can end up on the other side of town. Unless he really tried…”

“I think we should take him,” said Kageyama, unexpectedly.

“For some reason, I didn’t think you’d want to,” Atsumu observed.

“If we take him, nothing bad will happen because it will all happen to him,” Kageyama reasoned.

“We’re taking him,” Aran said immediately, to a chorus of nods.

“HOSHIUMI!” Yaku yelled, because apparently he was the foghorn of the group today. “We’re leaving.”

Hoshiumi stood up, still holding the stray kitten. “Okay. Can I keep Jeremy?”

Jeremy hissed and struggled.

“No,” Yaku told him. “Pick something else.”

Hoshiumi obediently linked arms with Kageyama. “I’ll take this guy, then.”

Kageyama scowled. “I don’t want to be taken.”

“Yeah,” Hinata agreed, sporting a matching scowl. “Pick something else, Hoshiumi.”

Hoshiumi shrugged. “No.”

“Don’t bother trying to convince him,” someone called from another table. Surprised, they turned to see Iwaizumi, subtly decked out in pride converse and a pin badge, as well as Oikawa (pride flag cape & rainbow crocs) and two men they hadn’t seen before, one with startling pink hair.

“Iwa!” Oikawa hissed. “You promised not to talk to them!”

“I couldn’t watch any longer,” Iwaizumi said apologetically. “I just couldn’t bear it. Someone’ll get killed if they keep provoking Hoshiumi like that.”

“Ever the sensible one,” the man with pink hair sighed, though he didn’t seem upset.

“Couldn’t stop him from parenting if we tried,” the other agreed, and drained the last of his drink. “Still, he did promise it was our day…”

“Exactly!” Oikawa exclaimed, pointing triumphantly. “Even Mattsun says so!”

“It is our day,” Iwaizumi argued. “I just don’t want any deaths on the team-“

“Blah, blah, anyone would think you wanted to win the Olympics,” Oikawa interrupted. “Makki and Mattsun have come a long way for us, you know, at least spend time with them.”

Hinata, ever lacking in social skills, chose this moment to wave enthusiastically at Oikawa. “Tooru!!” he greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

“You didn’t expect to see me at pride?” Oikawa snarked, but he stood to hug Shoyo with a grin. “Iwa, I’ve decided. We’re joining these guys.”

“What about us?!” ‘Mattsun’ complained, helping Oikawa to disentangle their chairs and drag them over to join the bigger table. “We don’t even know them.”

“Volleyballers, this is Makki and Mattsun,” Oikawa introduced quickly. “Makki and Mattsun, this is the Japanese volleyball team. You know them already.”

“They’re Hanamaki and Matsukawa,” Iwaizumi elaborated, pointing at each in turn. “Sorry for the intrusion.” He made no effort to dissuade Oikawa from inserting himself into the group, knowing full well there was no stopping Oikawa. Ever.

Another group walked by the window, blasting Super Bass. Oikawa immediately began chanting the words; Sakusa, who had removed his mask to sip tentatively at his drink, started to mouth along too.  Iwaizumi, looking very close to killing himself, said, “Let’s move on, shall we?”

-

The parade began happily enough. After Bokuto managed to grasp the concept of drag queens, he immediately became their biggest fan, screaming and cheering whenever one went past. Akaashi simply kept a hold of his hand so he didn’t run out into the road and trample anyone, and smiled agreeably whenever Bokuto pointed something out to him.

“Simp,” Atsumu muttered under his breath; Sakusa looked at him questioningly, but Atsumu just flashed him a grin and offered to top up his friend’s SPF.

Oikawa, meanwhile, had tugged Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa into a circle to dance. Hanamaki appeared to be doing his best, but Iwaizumi and Matsukawa were just observing - Mattsun was multitasking by recording, snickering, and daring Makki to do stupider and stupider moves. Oikawa looked like he was about to start breakdancing, as Iwaizumi covered his eyes and tried very hard to become invisible.

Hinata and Kageyama had somehow found a row of vendors and covered themselves in pride flags, from pin badges to face paint to literal flags stuck in their buttonholes, pockets and collars. Kageyama was finding it especially hard to move as he was encrusted with rainbows, but seemed content to stand still and watch Hinata, who was constantly being offered people’s numbers. Kageyama gave a satisfied nod every time Hinata turned one down, and every moment of hesitation deepened his scowl by another millimetre.

Yaku looked ready to pass out from heat on the sidewalk, leaning heavily on Komori, whose eyebrows seemed to enjoy Dolly Parton immensely. Aran had been sent on a mission to find more water.

“You’re going to be 60% water by the time you’ve finished,” Hoshiumi commented.

“All humans are anything from 45-75% water,” Bokuto recited, and beamed proudly. “Isn’t it amazing that I still remember that from university?”

“It’s so amazing,” said Akaashi, before anyone else could react. “You’re so smart.”

“Thanks, Keiji! Never as smart as you!”

Atsumu gagged.

“Homophobia,” Oikawa accused, seeing him. “Two people being innocently gay, and you’re gagging?”

“Oh, please,” said Atsumu. “Me? Homophobic? Me?”

“Yeah, he’s gay too!” Hinata agreed.

“Bi, thank you so much,” Atsumu corrected.

Oikawa gasped. “A woman kisser!”

“You’re a woman kisser, moron,” Iwaizumi said.

“Only in theory!”

“Just say you don’t like women,” Atsumu advised. “Less embarrassing than admitting it’s them that don’t like you.”

“Everyone likes women,” Hinata disagreed.

“I meant romantically.”

“Oh.” Hinata shrugged. “Well, I like women in all senses, anyway.”

“That’s not the point, Shoyo, because women like you back.”

Kageyama made a discontented noise. “I wish they didn’t,” he muttered.

“What?” asked Hinata. “Did you say something?”

“No.”

“He did,” Atsumu teased. “He said that-“

Kageyama threw a flag at him. “Stop!”

“Chill, dude, I didn’t even hear you,” Atsumu assured him.

“I did,” said Komori idly. “Do I get a free flag too?”

“No!”

“Guys, shut up,” said Yaku. He’d finally collapsed onto the pavement. “You need to hear my last will and testament.”

“You’re not dying,” Iwaizumi dismissed, but he knelt down and felt Yaku’s pulse. “Oh. Well, you’re probably not dying, but maybe we should-“

“Hospital?” Yaku asked.

“Hospital,” Iwaizumi agreed.

-

-

--

“…So who gets his money?”

“Bad timing, Koutarou.”

A03 | Exclusives | Tip Me | Commissions

[raisunomii]

Can I ask your top 5 fav iwaoi fics?

This is kind of crazy but I’m very very picky with my fics so I only have three iwaoi fanfics saved. I feel like a lot of people can’t/won’t get Oikawa’s character correct which is a HUGE turnoff for me so I only have a choice few I like. Honestly if I want to read something I just… write it? Then save it in my files for later? So instead of top five please take top three (in no particular order)!

I sure hope that guy gets fired, Xov Iwaizumi gets stuck in a timeloop and has to relive his worst day ever over, and over, and over, and over again. And Tooru's there too. And he's a freak. I fucking LOVED the characterization of Oiks and Iwa in this fic because I felt like it very, very accurately portrayed them (or at least portrayed them how I see them, so if you like MY Oiks and Iwa you'll love this.)

bad coffee & lemon bars, abillionstars This is a very like 2016-esque asshole walks in and orders a mocha frappa-whateverthefuck and barista wants to jump over the counter and beat him to a pulp. Y'all'ready know Iwaizumi's the barista and Oikawa's the prick. Really, really, good fic- I think about it like 10 times a day. THIS WAS MY FIRST EVER SAVED IWAOI FIC.

cinema, favspacetwink this fic.... masterpiece i eat it up fork and knife mmm mmm mm *chewing sounds* im so sorry i just got off of work. SYNOPSIS: oikawa accidentally sends kuroo a sex tape of him and iwa. Kuroo watches it in a totally platonic bro way. Told from Kuroo's POV but don't be fooled this is 100% pure iwaoi.

[vvalllerie]

ok guys ive never done a fic rec before but i just read the most BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL iwaoi fic. i was speechless, the emotions this fic made me feel were UNREAL. basically iwa surprises oikawa in argentina after not being able to see him for a year and a half

Little piece of home by @iwaoiness

i promise guys you will not regret reading this. it’s absolutely scrumptious. and so are all her other fics you should definitely read those too ‼️‼️

[ao3fic-recs]

Here Comes Your Man

Pairing: IwaOi

Word Count: 8,801

Status: Complete, 1/1

Rated: Teen & Up

Summary:

Iwaizumi’s left his cell phone on the bench, and while Suga keeps his gaze away from Iwaizumi the phone lights up with a new message. and I Iwa-chan, it reads, Have a good day today! Good luck! <3 <3 <3 Suga chokes. It’s hard to imagine anyone calling the scowling and fierce Doctor Iwaizumi “Iwa-chan.” But marriage probably comes with all sorts of liberties. Mrs. Iwaizumi must be quite the doting wife, Suga thinks. Delivering hand-made bentos and sending along loving messages. 

No one really knows much about the new surgical resident, Doctor Iwaizumi, other than the fact that he's married. Suga's determined to find out more, and make a friend of him in the process.

Author: @newamsterdam

I know it's been forever since I posted! I just started reading more traditional books in the last few years. That being said, I do have almost 500 bookmarks on AO3 that need to be shared.

Anyway! This is such a cute fic. I hope you guys like it!

Read it Here:

[baguantte]

In black ink

YOU.

yes you! are you looking for a iwaoi fic filled will pirates, slow burn and endless seijoh shenanigans as found family?? AND IS ALSO FINISHED????? LOOK NO FURTHER than In Black Ink. Personally my favorite iwaoi fanfic of all time for making me feel every single emotion i've ever had! So if you think you'd enjoy a fic where Iwaizumi is whisked away on the adventure of a life time then this is the fic for you!!!

Made by @matsuwuhana whos got lots of other fics if that doesnt suit your fancy. They're really cool.

Oh also I made the graphic for the last chapter as well as made a copious amounts of fanart of this fic. so check it out.

[thewater]

being on uni break (no structure to my life) in winter (seasonal depression era) has lead to me regressing to my youth. started and finished a 105,691 word fic in one day, just because i didn't have plans

i ate it up though, of course.

(not that anyone asked but it was Conquering the Great King by Suggestive Scribe. An Iwaoi AU. much hornier than i thoguht it would be. I thought it would have smut, but like, a reasonable amount. but GOOD LORD these guys fuck like NOBODIES business. any chance they got. and it was so well written too. incredible stuff 10/10. the last 2 chapters had me reading lines from the bottom of the screen so i didn't unintentionally spoil it for myself.)

[vuntysharck]

okay so

if i was to make a smau fic where the reader is like an artist and she like sketches everything on like workbooks and tables and paints in her free time and just does loads of arty shit and bla bla but loses her passion over a horrendous breakup and someone helps her regain her passion (shit explanation)

WHHHHHHO on earth do i make the pairing becuase im stuck between characters omgosh

i’m 100% thinking about the more mysterious haikyuu boys like akaashi and tsukishima and iwaizumi but like i do not know who omgosh so please HELP MEEEE

LOTS OF LOVE i will get to work asap

[abcprompts]

good morning! @feedthefandomfest comment bingo time!

this wonderful morning, I commented to gush over three of my favorite quotes of "down bad" by foodandfandoms. it's a marvelous iwaoi fic, with oikawa being jealous and trying to self sabotage and iwaizumi stopping him (as always). there's a lot of hurt, but it's so well written, and the fluff at the end is a little extra sweet. wonderful fic, highly recommend!

[whichcouldmeannothing]

shiver by @glenflower bind!!

i have been working on this bind for the past 12 hours. HHHHHHH. this fic broke me and i know my sister is a huge oikawa stannie (if your haikyuu bias is oikawa, youre gonna love this fic i swear)

thank you for letting me do this tumblr user glenflower!! your fic made me absolutely feral and pushed me into an iwaoi hole <3

more under the cut about the process of making it + binding

back cover is inspired by this art for shiver by @thaidoodles and the dialogue from that is from the fic, with the cover based on a scene from the fic in the gym :3

(i'm not even showing you the cut of the textblock, let's just say i dont have enough paper to redo it and i really hope that my sister loves me enough that she'll forgive it)

this is a octavo bind, which is 1/8th of an a4 piece of paper because its a tiny fic and i wanted it to be an itty bitty book

the hard cover came from an old book and its covered in black fabric, with cardstock for the end paper + 120 gsm paper for the book

i'll be honest it was rough making this because i don't have a guillotine but i needed to make the edges straight and how it looked at the end bothers me bc this fic deserved so much better

i might redo this but im going to sleep now

[lizzy06]

Aoba Johsai Fic Recs!!(Tumblr/AO3/Wattpad)

Haikyuu! Fic Rec Masterlist

AOBA JOHSAI

Oikawa Tooru X Reader

Iwaizumi Hajime x Reader

Kyoutani Kentarou x Reader

Kindaichi Yūtarō x Reader

Kunimi Akira x Reader

Matsukawa Issei x Reader

No Pairing (Wholesome shit)

a cartography of love by themorninglark(oneshot, manga spoiler)In which Oikawa Tooru maps all the places in his heart. [COMPLETED]

two's company by solyn ( budding friendship, fluff, canon compliant) Miya Atsumu and Oikawa Tooru finally meet. [COMPLETED]

[kats-fic-recs]

The Best Haikyuu fics I read in 2022

Iwaoi

Lost in Translation

Because misfortune come in threes, Iwaizumi Hajime starts his Thursday having a screaming fight with Shittykawa, spends his lunch break listening to the UCI women's volleyball team gossiping about how Ushijima Wakatoshi had gone public about his longtime love affair with Oikawa Tooru, and closes out the day by drunkenly dropping his phone into a sewer grate.

just hear me out

To stimulate Japan's low birthrates and take most of the guesswork out of dating, a beeper system was biologically developed in people's wrists, an audible confirmation to show romantic compatibility.

Iwaizumi's beeper has been going off for Oikawa since they've been kids. Oikawa's has only ever been silent.

In Defense of Reptiles (and Other Gross Things)

In their seventh year, Oikawa is chosen to be the Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament, and Iwaizumi suffers.

to be first, to be best

Hajime is apparently something of a masochist, and as he stares down at the tie-dyed AREA51 T-shirt in his hands, he thinks “I’m totally in love with this asshole, aren't I?”

evergreen

It’s exhausting to realize that he still knows Oikawa. He has no idea what stores Oikawa shops at anymore, which bands he’s been listening to lately, whether he still keeps plants in his apartment and whether they’re dying without Iwaizumi around to remind him to water them. But he knows how rain tastes on Oikawa’s lips in the summer and the drumbeat baseline of Oikawa’s heart under his palm, and there are some people you never really grow out of no matter how many other things change.

“When you left,” Iwaizumi says, swallowing against a scratchy throat, “I tried hard, for a long time, not to need you. You can’t blame me for being angry that it was easier for you to leave than it was for me to let you go.”

Ten years after he rejected Iwaizumi's marriage proposal, Oikawa is back in Sendai.

no love like your love

It happens when Daniel is rushing from the food court to the CS building, juggling his phone and a water bottle and a Panda Express takeout container. His lunch date with the cute girl from French class had gone longer than it should have, and he’s too worried about being late to pay any mind to the incoming call that flashes across his screen. Beyond noting that the number is international, he thinks nothing of it, declines, and moves on.

The person calls again, though, in the middle of the lecture, and he has to scramble to silence his phone before his professor can single him out.

By the time the period is over, he has five more missed calls and a text.

From: +81-XXX-XXX-XXXX

is this daniel? iwa-chan’s roommate? call me back when you’re available!!

Sometimes a love is so bright that those outside it can't help but bear witness.

Or: Iwaizumi and Oikawa from 5 + 1 points of view through the years.

heaven is a place in my head

For Iwaizumi, it’s a relief to be able to linger in the cocoon of this intermediate summer, blanketed from the buffeting winds of adulthood and responsibility and real decisionmaking. He would love nothing more than for it to stretch out and out and out, like a bubblegum bubble that spreads itself thin around the air trapped inside it until it pops.

But Oikawa has never liked having nothing to do. He gets restless if he’s bored for too long, starts feeling like he’s running out of time or something dumb like that. So Iwaizumi is almost expecting it when Oikawa barges into his room the afternoon of a heavy summer shower, overgrown bangs dripping rainwater into his eyes, a waterlogged piece of paper crumpled in his fist and a familiar hopeful gleam in his eyes.

When Oikawa convinces Iwaizumi to spend their last summer in Japan as camp counselors, Iwaizumi is prepared for bug bites, sunburns, and rowdy children.

He’s not prepared to spend two weeks kissing his best friend in what might just be the worst thought-out summer fling in existence.

— with melting wax and loosened strings

"If Oikawa is Hajime’s home — is Japan — then this room is his shrine. And Oikawa stands in the centre of it, eyes wide and mouth agape."

Hajime is a visual artist. He's been in love with Oikawa for such a long time that his hands know every curve and bend to Oikawa's figure. But now, with thousands of kilometres and hours between them, Iwaizumi is starting to forget Oikawa's features. It's enough to send him spiralling.

Or, 'Devotion, (2020, colourised)'.

Look For Him

She laughs gently. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so heartbroken before, Hajime.”

Iwaizumi sighs and prods at the mackerel with a chopstick. “Sorry. I can’t help it. It’s just different, you know? Like Oikawa pissed me off so much that now he’s not here I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“But you weren’t always annoyed with him, were you?” his grandmother smiles serenely and takes a sip of her tea. “My, my, Hajime, old women see everything. I saw you out there with my finches, when you were kissing Tooru’s nose. Your mother and father used to do the very same thing, you know, when they were younger. And look how long they’ve lasted. I hope you and Tooru last, Hajime. He’s very good for you.”

-

Oikawa has kissed Iwaizumi more times than either of them can count; it’s a constant thing, their lips never really leaving the other’s skin. There are, however, times when they’ve kissed that are burned into their memories. Eight of them, to be precise.

Cup of sugar

After about a month of his time in Irvine, the first package arrives. It’s standing there, on the table, big and heavy and exuding a familiarity that nearly brings tears to Hajime’s eyes.

“That’s really sweet,” Kevin says, eyeing Hajime’s valiant attempts to cut into the cardboard with a knife, “from your family?”

“My boyfriend,” Hajime clarifies, eyes not even straying to the return address. “That idiot’s the only one who would send me something after one month of being apart.”

Tooru and Hajime go long-distance, and Hajime contemplates whether he's accidentally become a sugar baby.

iwaizumi hajime has a ring

Iwaizumi Hajime has a ring on his finger.

A simple gold band with modest silver trimming resting snuggly on the fourth finger of his left hand.

Hajime is only 23 years old, is only in the midst of the second year of his post-graduate degree, and to Charlie’s apparently outdated knowledge, has been single at the very least since his move to America a little over a year ago.

Imagine his surprise when the dude came waltzing back after a month-long break, with a wedding ring on his finger, legally wed, and not speaking a word about it.

In which Hajime gets married and his friends in California have no idea who the lucky woman is.

KuroKen

And if you leave, will you promise you'll find your way back to me?

“Then it’s settled,” Kuroo says. “I’m going to call you every day, until you get sick of me.”

I could never get sick of you, Kenma thinks but doesn’t say. I think it’s going to be the other way around.

Or: the one where Kuroo goes to university and Kenma tries to deal with missing him, perhaps more than one should miss their best friend.

Show A Little Faith

“Why are you sending me a singing Valentine telegram?" Kenma asks, mouth flattened. "It’s six months until Valentine’s Day.”

“I bought a dwarf over the summer to use as cupid.” Kuroo says. “I figured he could use some practice.”

-

Presenting Kenma as the Boy-Who-Lived, whose living becomes a lot more interesting when Ravenclaw Prince Kuroo Tetsurou starts sending him singing telegrams about defeating the Dark Lord.

you're the brake lines failing (as my car swerves off the freeway)

Kenma thinks that Kuroo looks ugly with his head bent against the arm of the couch like that. Then Kenma thinks that he wants to marry him, and is promptly thrown into the 5 stages of grief.

the book of love is long and boring

“Since when did you become the all-knowing authority on love,” Kuroo teases as he rests his chin on Kenma’s bed, and Kenma bristles before a frown mars his face.

Because it’s not like Kuroo’s wrong.

-

Kenma's never really thought much about love, until an assignment from class forces him to. And then suddenly, it's the only thing that's on his mind.

teach me the way home

Don’t go far off, not even for a day, because —

because — I don’t know how to say it: a day is long

and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station

when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.

Kuroo and Kenma grow up in transit.

My Nameless World (I’ll Let You In)

It’s a modest two-bedroom in the western suburbs, far enough from the bustling crowds to be affordable but still counting, technically, as Tokyo. They’re noisy before they sleep but quiet when they rise, shuffling mutedly out of the door for joint morning runs before bursting back into the apartment for joint morning showers. Shouyou cooks breakfast while Kageyama packs their lunch and gym bags, and they never share a goodbye kiss because they always leave together.

It’s warm and cozy and disgustingly domestic, and it’s probably everything Shouyou’s ever dreamed of.

Except, Kenma thinks irately, Kageyama doesn’t actually live here.

===

Shouyou moves in with Kenma when he ends up in Tokyo for college. Kenma subsequently realizes that half the things in Shouyou’s boxes are actually Kageyama’s because he should have fucking known.

Kagehina

well, maybe i'm a crook

The thing is-- Hinata is in love with Kageyama and everyone knows it, including Kageyama.

by this time next year

"I got offers from two universities," Kageyama announces, pointing at his chest with his thumb. "I'm going to play volleyball at Keio this spring."

"You still have to pass an exam, even if it's an easy one," Takeda-sensei hurries to add, although he is beaming and bursting with pride at his fluffy little crow chick taking off to play volleyball at a university level.

"I'll pass," Kageyama says with the same kind of confidence he uses when he tells Hinata he'll get the toss to him. He looks straight at Hinata, and Hinata jerks and turns red, wondering if maybe Kageyama knew he was daydreaming about something as stupid as the way Kageyama talks to him during a game. But then Kageyama just points at him and says, "You'd better get in, too."

Hinata, stupid, naive, idiot that he is, grins wide and nods and says, "Yeah!"

He doesn't know what he's in for.

Bokuaka

daisy rings and frivolous things (i am deliriously in love with you)

Akaashi Keiji is in love. Bokuto Koutarou is a star. Everyone on Fukurodani has a gambling problem.

paper rings

Akaashi Keiji knows his relationship with Bokuto Koutarou has an expiration date. It was inevitable. Even the best things must end. Especially with Bokuto's dreams of volleyball stardom on the line, they don't have any other choice. Akaashi has made his peace with that.

Bokuto has other ideas.

surfacing

Keiji’s boyfriend has been cheating on him. During their public confrontation, he ends up walking out with the other man - Bokuto Koutarou. They strike up an unlikely friendship born from the bond of heartbreak, and, eventually, help one another to heal parts of themselves they perhaps hadn't even known were broken.

Alternatively: Bokuto tries to set Akaashi up with a rebound to make up for being “the other man.” It both does and does not go according to plan.

notice me kouhai

This was definitely, somehow, Bokuto's fault.

the strange music of your heart

"Hey," Konoha says, tone hushed, one day after practice when he and Bokuto end up staying behind together. "Akaashi likes you, you know?"

Bokuto is in the process of putting on a clean shirt. "Of course he does," he says, voice too close to his ears under the fabric. "We're friends!" He pulls the shirt down, freeing his head. "What," he says, suddenly self-conscious, "does someone not like me?"

in which akaashi falls for bokuto first.

Miscellaneous

Experimental Probability

Atsumu stares blankly back at him. "So, let me get this straight. Ya want me to kiss ya so you can tell whether or not yer in love with my brother?"

Rin winces at his word choice. "Not exactly how I would have phrased it, but yeah, pretty much."

Or: Suna Rintarou is not in love with his best friend. Scientific evidence would suggest otherwise.

Close to the Chest

It takes Yahaba thirteen years to realize he's different from the other kids, one to figure out how to hide it, and two more to learn to be happy just the way he is. Yahaba's journey ft. an extremely annoyed Kyoutani, best friend in the world Watari, and loads and loads of good senpai Oikawa.

seam-ripper

Asahi’s life is prone to falling apart at the very seams, something he has been aware of since his unfortunate birth approximately sixteen long, hard years ago. Due to the infallible accuracy of this fact, Asahi begins his second year of high school by getting involved in his very first physical altercation; he is subsequently subjected to what might be considered the most embarrassing social situation of the decade. And to top it all off with the perfect catastrophe cherry on the disaster sundae that is Asahi’s miserable existence, Suga is laughing at him.

Or, the story of Asahi and Nishinoya’s near-disastrous get-together.

hair smell

“Actually,” Takahiro starts, uncharacteristically serious. “You… Your hair smells nice.”

“My hair?” Issei blinks.

Takahiro nods. “Yeah.” He reaches a hand up, but doesn’t run his fingers through the curls—instead, he pushes them in at his scalp and scratches. He’s clearly very careful not to ruin the frizzy tangles on Issei’s head that are only achievable by means of product, air drying, and then sleeping-but-not-really on rough cotton pillowcases. The gesture is personal; it worms its way into Issei’s heart and takes root there, squeezing tight, pulsing in time with each of his heartbeats.

“I don’t know what it is,” Takahiro confesses. His face is still serious, but the line of his brow is definitely easing. “Your product? Conditioner?”

Issei shrugs. He didn’t even know about his hair smell until just now.

“But, anyway,” Takahiro continues, and he maintains steady eye contact, although his voice is suddenly small. “Sometimes I’ll smell it on someone else, and it makes me think of you.”

“Oh,” Issei says.

the inherent romance of classical conditioning (or, the fine art of emotional recognition)

It's stupid. Atsumu isn't a romantic, no matter how many times he's imagined laying Sakusa out and finally really touching him.

So there's no explanation for why Atsumu is constantly stuck thinking about brushing his fingertips against the meat of Sakusa's palms or the prominent tendons in his freaky wrists.

There's no explanation for why doing dishes sets off a warm burn in his ribcage, or why when he smells disinfectant he inhales like he's walking past a bakery.

Yer doin' this to me, he thinks furiously, as Sakusa derails his thoughts with kisses that come more and more frequently now. Yer conditionin' me, and I can't stop it.

Tending to a Wounded Heart

“Now, Iwaizumi-san, while I am flattered by your interest and must admit you’re very attractive, I must inform you my heart belongs to another, and I’m not sure your dear captain Oikaw-“ Satori wasn’t even able to finish his jest, as a fuming Iwaizumi interrupted him. A blush blooming from his hairline down to his neck.

“I’M NOT HITTING ON YOU, DUMBASS!”

...

After being discovered in the midst of breakdown in the bathroom of Seijoh, Tendou Satori strikes up an unusual friendship with Iwaizumi who seems keen on helping Tendou navigate his own unrequited feelings, despite ignoring his own.

All the while Tendou's teammates are becoming more and more concerned with their blocker's new behavior and mysterious texting buddy.

No more time to waste

Tsukishima Kei has a theory: crushes were originally conceived as a cosmic torture device. Now, he doesn’t exactly have a broad sample size to study, being completely unwilling to engage with either Hinata or Kuroo’s pining for their resolutely-stoic best friends, but it’s true from his experience. He has it worse than them, at any rate. His best friend is the furthest thing imaginable from stoic.

Tsukishima suffers through training camp in a heatwave. His infuriatingly attractive best friend does absolutely nothing to help.

my heart beats for contract law

"You had an emotional breakdown in a McDonalds drive-through."

"Mmm."

"And proposed to me."

"Shhh."

"In a McDonalds drive-through, Hiro."

Takahiro huffs out a nervous laugh, keeping his eyes closed. "You love it," he repeats, nuzzling closer.

Mint and Pine

Yahaba yanks at Kyoutani’s uniform in the club room and ties his tie so tight after morning practice that sometimes Kyoutani thinks he’s trying to fucking strangle him.

don't bother checking my work (i've never cared for math anyway)

It isn’t until Shirabu’s back at LOCCENT that it really sinks in. Forty-eight wins? An impressive number, true, and a definite sign of Ushijima’s strength, especially compared to Tendou. But in anyone else, an unbalanced score like that would indicate a depressingly low chance of drift compatibility.

Drifting with Ushijima was simple statistically, but potentially deadly realistically. And drifting with Tendou? A veritable nightmare. If not for Washijou’s insistence, Shirabu would have dropped him long ago.

Still, something is calling to him. Something beyond numbers and data projections.

Because Ushijima may have knocked Tendou down forty-eight times. But that means there were forty-nine times he got back up.

Overflow

He laid his palm flat over Asahi’s jaw, almost shivering when the sparks fluttered up his arm and settled in his chest. His thumb came to rest in the little dip below Asahi’s lower lip, the skin there quivering with the tremble of Asahi’s mouth.

Glancing away from where he’d been intently watching the path of his fingers, Yuu found Asahi’s eyes wide open, with terror or awe it was hard to tell. And it hit him then what he’d just been doing.

Well, not really hit him. It sank into him, slow and staticky and warm and anxious—the realization that he’d never touched anybody like this before.

[starrynightarchive]

summary:

A study on love and all its phases, told in 3 parts. 

why you should read it:

this is arguably one of my best works to date. while the word count is huge (82k) every single chapter is crafted with care. I've explored how iwaoi grow and fall in love together; with themselves and each other. they go through ups and downs together. it gets better, and this story is a testament to that. trans hajime! astrophysicist oikawa! architect iwaizumi! iwaizumi akaashi friendship! and so much more. it's a hell of a ride.