[ friday was finally here.

and it would have been a bold-faced lie if iwaizumi didn't admit he was looking forward to it. thankfully, he wasn't really the bragging type. it was easy enough to get kuroo off his case, telling him to expect both oikawa and himself at the party that night.

practice ended shorter than usual, like any other friday when there wasn't a match on the weekend. iwaizumi wondered just how much time he and oikawa would have to themselves before going out, then again, they had the whole weekend, if possible (he'd made sure to catch up on any extra work to make sure of it).

plus, he knew the usual procedure of oikawa getting ready for an outing, anyway.

the thought made iwaizumi smirk, gripping the handle a little tighter as the train smoothly rounded a corner on the tracks. it felt like ages since he'd seen oikawa and it caused his heart to quicken just a little. just how long had it really been? maybe a week, or a little longer, but anytime more than just a night was more than he was used to, still.

college was still fresh, albeit being halfway through a second semester already. classes were easy enough and practice kept him busy, thankfully. it seemed he had to work extra hard lately to show his worth, but he didn't mind in the slightest.

when the train neared the stop, iwaizumi readied his phone. shooting oikawa a quick text of a little early, but be there in ten. before hopping from the car to the platform, then towards the exit.

before slipping his phone back into his pocket for the walk, he sent the other another text: i'll be waiting out front of your building. ]

[ oikawa was surprised the fight hadn't happened sooner. it was no secret that iwaizumi didn't approve of his job as a host, nor was it the first time the topic had come up. however, this time, it was amplified by the taller's hesitance to look for a new job — a job that was actually in his field.

oikawa was still hell bent on keeping the reason he was even out of his former profession hidden. the chances of him ever being ready to drop that bomb were slim to none. aside from the occasional fight over his work as a host, these past few months of blooming intimacy had been like a dream vacation for him. at least, that had been the case up until a week ago.

a week — a solid, hellish week, and oikawa hadn't seen or even breathed a word to iwaizumi. it wasn't that he hadn't wanted to; no, it was quite the opposite, but there were a few things oikawa had to sort out before he could face those steel eyes again. for starters, he had finally put in his notice at the host club. along with that came a lot of disappointed customers, some words of encouragement from knowing coworkers, and a sense of relief.

each day spent at the host club while seeing iwaizumi had oikawa racked with guilt. it got to the point where the other man was all he thought about, and it definitely showed in his performance. his heart wasn't in it, not that it ever truly had been. with every word purred to a customer, oikawa would imagine it being iwaizumi doing this instead of him — iwaizumi flirting with another man, giving this kind of attention to someone other than himself — the thought made him sick.

it went without saying that something had to be done to make it up to iwaizumi, and on oikawa's last day of work at the club, he found that something sitting in an alley on his walk home.

the peace offering came in the form of a kitten, safely bundled in a small carrier which oikawa was now cradling in his arms as he waited — no, hoped for iwaizumi to answer the door. it was late and therefore safe to assume that the other was home. the tall man fidgeted in place after his second time knocking. the kitten let out a soft mew, causing oikawa to rock the carrier in his arms gently as he whispered. ] quiet now, lulubelle. you don't want to ruin the surprise.

[ oikawa stilled when there was finally some ruffling coming from the other side of the door. he swallowed the lump in his throat before putting on his best smile; that is, if best meant nervous as fuck. ]

[ it was a quiet walk to oikawa's house. since exams were coming up and everyone needed to study, practice had been cut a bit short. of course, that hadn't stopped oikawa from staying late to perfect his serves. iwaizumi had stayed behind too, waiting to collect on the plan they had made to study together. really, though, oikawa figured the other only stuck around to lecture him about not overworking himself.

still, a quiet walk back to oikawa's was nothing out of the ordinary. oikawa let out a sigh. he really was in no mood to study. it seemed pointless since he already knew where he wanted to go for university. his volleyball career was certainly not about to come to an end, as he had been scouted for a top choice school.

they had been walking in silence for the better duration of their short trip, and the closer oikawa got to his house, the more he dreaded the idea of studying. he turned to look at iwaizumi, who was keeping pace but lagging behind slightly. oikawa figured he was just tired. maybe this would help convince the other to do something besides study, an exhausting task to be sure. ]

hey, iwa-chan. do we have to study? can't we just watch a movie or something instead? [ the hint of a whine sprinkled in his tone, but his words trailed into a pleading smile. ]

[ for a summer's night, the air was rather chilly. iwaizumi wished he hadn't second guessed a coat, but the day had been so warm, he hadn't bothered. a cigarette hanging from his lips, he listened as a train parted from the station he'd just walked out of, from behind.

inner tokyo.

bright and fluid. loud. even for a weeknight. there wasn't much of a hustle now that it was after hours, but this was nothing like his place of residence. his apartment shared a street with a large community park -- the most sound he heard at night were teenagers out too late or a motorbike here and there.

iwaizumi had debated on doing this on the weekend--there were more people and less of a chance of being noticed; known. he felt he'd come out far enough tonight, however. the city was littered with enough alleyways and side streets that he could lose himself and reality all in one go.

it was his plan, anyway.

the fact that he was even doing this, caused the male to clench his jaw. the cigarette at his lips cocked upwards, fishing for his lighter, he lit it, took a long drag and began to walk again. he sighed as he exhaled, watching the smoke linger, then dissipate.

this is stupid, iwaizumi thought. so, utterly fucking stupid. his pride had been wounded. and while he could usually take a jab or two, he felt as if he had to acquire something. do this something, to get his coworker's teasing off his back about it. what would he bring them as proof? a napkin maybe. or if he was lucky, a phone number.

that made him laugh out loud, short and quiet and to himself. stupid. ]

getting ahead of yourself, hajime.

[ the man mumbled under his breath, taking another drag from his cigarette.

host clubs.

they weren't his thing. he'd been to one before, but could barely recall. a bachelor party of sorts for a coworker he wasn't even close to; who no longer worked in his department. he hadn't stayed long, anyway. he never bothered to return.

not until tonight, anyway.

the club was a short walk from the station. down a few streets or so. iwaizumi knew the area rather well, though it had been a while since he'd come here. when he first moved to tokyo, there was a very good ramen shop just a few blocks down. his mouth watered at the memory.

another drag of his cigarette.

it wasn't as flashy as some places but it was very distinctively a host club. there was a younger man outside--yakuza, iwaizumi knew immediately. he could feel his badge burn against his thigh. he always carried it with him, even off the clock. giving the male a curt nod, he killed his cigarette and flicked it aside. iwaizumi let himself inside, swallowed by the darkness of its entrance and immediately drawn to the rapt of chatter and clinks of glasses that melded with the subtle melody of music all around.

as long as no one was causing trouble, he didn't care. he wasn't here to flaunt his personal life, regardless. he was here to spend a few hours, buy a few drinks, get some sort of evidence that he had actually cut from his usual nightly routine to do this and finally shut his colleagues up. for good.

'welcome, sir. do you have a reservation or a party to join?' a young male with partially black, partially blond hair asked him with no real excitement, though not rudely.

no, he was here alone.

'we do offer open tables during the week, let me take you to one.' the young man slipped off his stool, carrying a clipboard, reciting something over his small earpiece as he walked iwaizumi further into the club. there was an abundance of cigarette smoke stagnant in the air, yet no smell of the bitterness that usually lingered with it.

the short, slim male held an arm out, directing him to the small booth he was being given, asking him to please enjoy himself and that someone would come by to take his first order very soon. iwaizumi gave him a small nod of thanks before stepping down the few steps and sliding into place.

he could do this.

still adjusting himself--sitting up, forward and then trying to relax, three men walked to the end of his booth, all bowing in unison. 'welcome!' they all said at the same time, catching iwaizumi off guard a bit while he was fixing the back of his shirt that suddenly felt too tight against his hips. ] ah--hello.

[ iwaizumi looked up then to take in the employees. one very tall male with a chop of black hair nearly covering an eye. a shorter male with a simple, silver cut of hair and--no fucking way. his eyes widened with surprise. ]

oikawa?

[ 'aw man, looks like tooru gets another one tonight.' the dark-haired male complained cutely, already giving up. the small silver one on the other hand, offering his services if they were needed with another quick bow before the two both fluttered off. but iwaizumi had already stopped listening to either of them, eyes boring into the other male who had completed the trio of greetings.

oikawa fucking tooru. ]

[ aion can't believe what he's seeing in front of him. no -- actually, he can. sometimes it's still surprising, though. when they've all had a little too much to drink. when maple isn't there to keep them in check (in reality, he's sometimes the reason why they end up like this..).

someone has told crow that if he can reach the end of his tail without bending his knees that he'll gain certain superpowers. of course, the dumbass hedgehog has fallen for it, but he can't do it to save his life -- it's honestly impossible. but he looks absolutely ridiculous, straining to keep his legs straight, though his ass keeps thrusting up in the air, as if it'd make his skinny little tail any shorter.

and it's so. fucking. funny.

thankfully, aion has had his hand over his face most of the night. he's giggling stupidly, muffled against his glove. he feels like he's sinking into the couch with each breath he tries to take. the room is so warm and things are starting to spin a little. ] oh my..

[ he can't react in any other way, leaning towards his side, he's suddenly startled by brushing against something more solid than a pillow. aion straightens his posture the best he can while looking to the right, getting an eye full of yaiba. he didn't realize the fox was sitting right next to him this whole time. ] yaiba.. you look like you want to try.. too?

[ he's teasing his four-eyed bandmate, albeit awkwardly. his face is so flushed from the alcohol in his system, he doesn't plan to move his hand away anytime soon because of it. ]

[ they were supposed to meet at 4:30, at least, that's what oikawa had told yamaguchi several days earlier. a new burger shop had just opened up in a nearby town, and while oikawa admittedly didn't care much for american cuisine, he wanted to treat his date to something they'd hopefully enjoy. first impressions were important to oikawa, of course. sure, maybe this wasn't their first encounter or even their first time spending time together, but it was definitely their first date.

oikawa smiled faintly. a date... with yama-chan. he was feeling unusually nervous, not that you'd be able to tell by looking at him. but why? dates were nothing new for oikawa. in fact, they were almost a weekly activity. still, something about this was different, and it wasn't just because yamaguchi was a boy. gender wasn't an issue for oikawa in the slightest; he had always been interested in both. no, perhaps this something different was the boy's lack of eagerness. the thrill of the chase.

the clock read 4:25, and oikawa could finally see the entrance to the new burger shop; next to it, he spotted yamaguchi waiting awkwardly on a bench outside. hoping he hadn't been noticed yet, oikawa smoothed his hands over the front of his vest, making sure there were no unwanted creases. the vest was unbuttoned, nothing too flashy, and he was only wearing a plain shirt underneath, but that didn't matter. tooru oikawa could make anything look hot.

very close now, raising a hand into the air, and the other in his pocket, he put on his best smile and greeted his kouhai. ]

I hope you haven't been waiting long, yama-chan~

[ summer was in full swing and hinata couldn't be more excited about it. school -- well, it was definitely good for one thing: volleyball. but summer? there was an endless abundance of his loved thing during the off-school season as well. he was still practicing, though not as dutifully as he would, with competitions and the like looming over his little head. thankfully, most of his seniors were willing to meet up every now and then to go over routines and plays, even while preparing to go onto bigger things -- like college.

whoa, scary.

the same-years were easy to get ahold of as well, both on his school team and the friends he'd made from other schools as well. summer ignited a whole different type of fire inside hinata -- he loved everything about it. with teammates only a walk, train ride or text away to ace-to-be was trying to give himself the benefit of the doubt -- relax! the just previous school year had been a success for the flightless birds and he was ready to have some fun!

of course, still completely absorbed by the sport, the ginger wore a tight grin across his face -- beaming, as some would say as he traveled into town with a generous allowance his mother had given him to buy new things.

shoes! for practice!

since his were worn anyway and frankly, his toes were beginning to become to intimate with the tops of them. did this mean a growth spurt? hinata knew he had to double check his height immediately -- or at least, as soon as he could. he was still shorter than most, but even an inch.. even a millimeter would mean progress and that was something he strived for.

i'll surprise even that shittygama by the new semester hinata told himself, snickering, gripping his hand in a fist as if he'd just told the best joke of the century.

when he closed in on the local sports shop, the smaller male nearly hop, skipped and sprinted to the door, swinging it open with apparent fervor. there was a special on a new pair of gym sneakers that he had wanted for months -- never realizing that his mother had heard his persistent complaints about wanting to buy them since forever ago, and kept an eye out for the sales, which is why he had the allowance today to do so.

and as if even thinking of the tall and annoying and self-centered other boy had suddenly made him appear, hianta drew back a breath as he rounded the corner of an aisle, trying to get to his prize of the day, only to see the gargantuan there himself at the wall rack, looking at the same exact pair, which stopped him in his tracks. lifting a hand to point at kageyama, accusingly. ]

IF THERE'S ONLY ONE PAIR LEFT, I CALL DIBS!

[one had to ask themselves sometimes, how they'd got into certain situations. for makishima, this seemed to be happening a bit too frequently, ever since the new semester started. even with toudou across town at a different school, it seemed as if the other male was in his shadow. okay -- perhaps that was a bit overdoing it, but when you were far from a social butterfly, doing things after school or even on the weekends on a regular basis, (that didn't involve practice, or even bike riding for that matter) you start to seeing someone else in the mirror.

even the thought of the fact that he'd even agreed to toudou's constant persisting of him joining him on outings, left makishima a bit disgruntled. above all, he had agreed to a group setting -- something that far beyond his comfort zone, outside of sharing the road or a locker room with teammates.

the tall male had to wonder how the (wishfully calling) long distant friend had come to keep such keen and knowledgeable tabs on his schedules, including school. maybe he still kept in touch with.. what's his name.. makishima thought for a moment as he stepped off the train to the platform. his face scrunched up with the idea of being spied on, but he quickly let it go to allow the distraction of his surroundings comfort him a bit.

he could get through another mindless afternoon with toudou and his friends -- whom he hadn't mentioned names of yet, just quickly adding that he had invited a few others on this outing the moment makishima caved and agreed to go. ]

bastard. [ he mumbled to himself ] tch.

[ thankfully the meeting place wasn't too far out of his normal routes. an arcade -- simple enough. he and toudou had been to it before and frankly, even if he hated to admit it (even to himself) it had been fun before. maybe that's what pushed him to finally say yes, this time around.

his brief walk from the station left him idle in front of a wide and bright arcade off a corner street. the building reached up into the sky, though the actual arcade itself was only a few stories tall. makishima stared up to the crease of the roof's top edge before his eyes scanned the subtle crowds walking in both directions between the arcade and himself.

no sign of anyone yet, or at least the obnoxious one he was about to see.. which was a little strange. makishima was sure he'd hear toudou yelling for him before he'd even arrived -- at least, the cringe he had prepared for it was clearly dressed across his face, now with no justification. ]