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The first time Oikawa’s vision starts to blur slightly, he completely ignores it. He is sure that it’s because he is tired and sleepy, and this is how his eyes are trying to tell him that he should go to sleep and finally rest his eyes. Oikawa can’t bring himself to care, though. He continues rewatching the match they played against Shiratorizawa last year, trying to find out how the Shiratorizawa setter thinks, what signals Shiratorizawa uses, how capable are the blockers and spikers, and most importantly, trying to find a way to stop Ushijima from attacking. Oikawa is determined to beat Shiratorizawa this year, since this is the last chance to fulfill his dream and go to nationals with his team. He can’t stop thinking about how this is his last year of highschool, that if they don’t win against Shiratorizawa this year, this will be the end of his high school carrier. Oikawa promised to himself that Aoba Johsai will play at national volleyball court at least once, and he is not going to break this promise. That’s why he can bear a few more minutes of staring at his TV screen, it’s no big deal.
As he thought, his eyesight is perfect again the next morning. His eyes hurt a little, but this is most probably caused by the lack of sleep he is getting these days. His mother has already talked to Oikawa about how he should take better care of himself, instantly followed by his father and Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi has always kept an eye on him, but he pays more attention to Oikawa since the day he found out about Oikawa’s sleepless nights which are mostly spend with rewatching the matches they have played against Shiratorizawa for the past years. Iwaizumi has talked to Oikawa about it so many times already, but Oikawa being Oikawa, doesn’t listen.
The second time Oikawa’s eyesight betrays him is two weeks later. His literature teacher hands him a book she brought with her today and tells him to read quite a long paragraph out of it. Oikawa has never had any problems with reading out loud, so he accepts with a smile and starts reading. He reads the first ten lines without a problem, his melodic voice being the only sound in the classroom. After said ten lines, the letters starts to get unclear and it’s like every letter has a shadow behind it, making it really hard to read. Oikawa has to slow down in order to concentrate on the words more so he won’t read them wrong, and he squints his eyes in a hope it will help somehow. It doesn’t though, and Oikawa slows down even more. He continues in a slower pace, stuttering a few times, but his eyes starts to hurt after another five lines even more. The words are too hard to read, and even though Oikawa tries his best to read the text, his teacher can tell that something is wrong.
She asks him if something’s troubling Oikawa, and Oikawa just laughs it off like it’s not a big deal. He tells her with a smile that he’s been up late studying, so he is kind of tired and his eyes hurt a little. The teacher smiles sympathetically at him and tells him to go to bed early today, taking the book from his desk and handing it to another student. Oikawa is more than grateful to her because he is sure that if he had to read more than one line out of the book, his eyes would explode.
Oikawa turns his head to side to look at the clock on the wall, but his eyes accidentally lock with Iwaizumi’s, who is sitting on his right. Iwaizumi is staring at him so much it makes Oikawa a bit uncomfortable, and he already knows that Iwaizumi is going to want to talk about what just happened. He better starts preparing some good arguments right now.
The third time Oikawa experiences the blurriness is not even a week after the literature class incident. After Iwaizumi talked to him after the class about going to sleep early, he’s been rewatching less matches and wasn’t staying up all night like he usually did, but last night must have gotten to him. He was up til three in the morning, rewatching Karasuno’s first official match. Oikawa has been sure that they will easily get to finals this year too, but after the practise match with Karasuno, he started to have doubts. Oikawa is sure that Karasuno will fight their way through the rounds, and if they end up playing against Aoba Johsai, Oikawa needs to be hundred percent sure that they will beat Karasuno.
Anyway, the third time it happens is during practise, and he starts to be so frustrated by not seeing straight that he messes up almost everything that is possible to mess up. Everyone is worried about him when they notice that Oikawa's tosses aren’t as accurate as always, but nobody says a word, seeing that Oikawa already seems annoyed.
Iwaizumi studies him from afar, working on receives with Watari, and Oikawa can feel Iwaizumi’s eyes digging into his back with every toss he sends to his teammates. He hates being stared at like this because he knows that Iwaizumi suspects something’s wrong with Oikawa, and Oikawa really doesn’t want to talk about his eyesight right now, or preferably never.
Oikawa is not stupid, and he knows that something’s not right with his vision, but he doesn’t want to talk about it with anyone. Not with his teammates, not with Iwaizumi, not with his parents, not with anyone. He still isn’t sure if it’s something serious, so he doesn’t want to worry his friends or family. Oikawa just hopes it’s really from the lack of sleep, and it gets better. It has to.
It doesn’t get better. If only, Oikawa thinks it’s getting worse. He hasn’t told his parents yet, and he hasn’t told Iwaizumi either.
The quarter finals are around the corner, and Aoba Johsai will probably have to face Karasuno. The Karasuno’s duo weird quick can’t catch them off guard, so Oikawa took the responsibility of finding out what signals they use. He spent previous nights rewatching Karasuno’s last matches, listening and watching their every step carefully.
Iwaizumi has always been very perceptive, so Oikawa shouldn’t be surprised when Iwaizumi notices the DVD in Oikawa’s locker. He immediately asks Oikawa about the DVD, and Oikawa knows that lying to Iwaizumi is a waste of time, so he tells Iwaizumi the truth about wanting to watch it today when he gets home. Iwaizumi keeps quiet for a few seconds, but Oikawa knows the silence won‘t last long, if the judging look Iwaizumi's sends his way is anything to go by.
"You should stop staying up late just to watch these,“ Iwaizumi says, gesturing with his hand to the DVD Oikawa is now holding in his hand, wondering where to put it so it wouldn’t get broken in his bag like last time when he carelessly threw the bag on the floor when he got home.
"Iwa-chan, are you worried about me?“ Oikawa asks in a light tone with a smile playing on his lips, trying so hard to sound like everything’s fine. Because it is. Everything’s just fine.
"I’m just saying that you should go to sleep in a normal time for once, since we have a match tomorrow,“ he sighs, zipping up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He starts walking toward the door, picking up the key from the table beside the door. He steps out of the room, then looks over his shoulder when he doesn’t hear Oikawa walking behind him, and Oikawa gets the hint and quickly follows Iwaizumi. Oikawa doesn't stop smiling, naively thinking that Iwaizumi won't notice how fake his smile is.
"Maybe I would sleep better if you slept beside me,“ Oikawa teases, and Iwaizumi gives him a light punch to shoulder, throwing an insult at Oikawa like a bonus. Oikawa got used to it already, so he doesn’t even stop to think about the insult, that’s how casual it is for them to have these conversations. Besides, he knows that Iwaizumi doesn't really mean it.
Iwaizumi locks up and puts the key in his bag as he starts walking away from their club room. Oikawa follows him, walking beside him while playing some stupid game on his phone. Oikawa isn’t even interested in the game, it is just a distraction from the tense silence that has built up.
They walk in silence for a while, turning the streets quietly, the only sound that can be heard is the sound of their footsteps. Oikawa continues to play the game, but his eyes can’t take the bright screen of his phone anymore, so he puts it away after five minutes. Now, there isn’t anything that he can use as a distraction.
"You are really pissing me off, Shittykawa,“ Iwaizumi states and stops in front of Oikawa suddenly. Oikawa lets out a quiet yell of surprise and takes a step back, looking Iwaizumi in the eyes. He sees that Iwaizumi is angry, but that doesn’t mean he is going to spill his guts to him, not this time.
"What have I done this time, Iwa-chan?“ Oikawa whines, acting like he doesn’t know. He doesn’t want to have this conversation again. Not again, when he feels like crying if Iwaizumi as much as mentions his eyesight.
"Don’t play stupid with me, I’ve known you for years,“ of course it wouldn’t work on Iwaizumi. Oikawa looks at his shoes, not wanting to face Iwaizumi. He can hear his best friend sigh, and feels guilty for worrying Iwaizumi like this.
He is right, they have known each other for years now, Oikawa can’t even remember what was he doing before meeting Iwaizumi. Every memory he has, he shares with Iwaizumi. It’s pointless to lie to someone who knows Oikawa so well. They tell each other everything, they have each other’s absolute trust, but this is something different.
"Oikawa,“ Iwaizumi’s voice is soft this time, not angry anymore. Oikawa still doesn’t look up though, too afraid to look at his friend. He knows Iwaizumi cares about him and right now he is worried about Oikawa, but it’s so hard to tell him about his eyesight getting worse. Telling someone means that it’s real, not just in Oikawa’s head, and he doesn’t know if he is ready to say it out loud. It’s been troubling him for so long, he’s been thinking about it every night before going to sleep and all day when he wasn’t distracted by his friends or classmates. This all feels like finding out he has problems with his knee again.
"Can’t we just let it go?“ Oikawa tries, his voice weak. He hates having his guards down. Hates to let his weak self get the better of him and have his feelings on displayed like this, even though it's in front of Iwaizumi. He is captain of a volleyball team for God's sake, he has to be strong.
"No, I’m not letting this one go,“ Iwaizumi’s soft voice is like heaven for Oikawa. He doesn’t hear it often, that’s why he treasures it so much, but he hates it at the same time. When Iwaizumi speaks this softly, he tends to melt and say things he doesn’t want to say. "The last time I let it go, you ended up in hospital."
"Iwa-chan–“
"I said no,“ Iwaizumi takes a step forward, and Oikawa wants to take a step back in return, but Iwaizumi doesn’t let him. He holds his arm gently, but if Oikawa wanted, he could easily free from the touch, but even the light touch on his arm is enough for Oikawa to make him stay in place. "I’ve been watching you, you know? Don’t think I haven’t noticed that something’s not right with your eyesight. Just tell me how bad it is.“
"There is nothing wrong with my–“ his attempts to deny that his vision is not as good as it used to be is once again interrupted with Iwaizumi.
"You are extremely selfish, you know that?“ Iwaizumi sighs again, letting go off Oikawa’s arm and steps back again. His voice is annoyed once again, and if they weren’t in situation like this, he would probably laugh at how little patience Iwaizumi has. When Oikawa doesn't want to tell him what worries him, he tries to be all soft and when it doesn't work, he gets angry and impatient to find out what's wrong.
"What?“ Oikawa looks up in one second, confused. He is starting to get angry too, since he just wants to go home and forget about this conversation once and for all. He doesn’t like arguing with Iwaizumi, it’s one of the things he hates the most, but Iwaizumi has to understand that when Oikawa tells him no, he has to accept it.
"You always brag about how we’re best friends, and you keep telling me the most pointless things, but when there is something really serious, you are not able to get it out. It’s seriously pissing me off, Shittykawa,“ Iwaizumi’s voice is louder than before, and his eyes are burning holes into Oikawa’s body. But why should it matter? Oikawa has right to tell him to fuck off once in a while.
"Excuse you, I always tell you the serious stuff too. Always. You’re telling me that I’m selfish because I refuse to tell you one thing? Really mature,“ Oikawa fires back, his fists clenched. God, how much he hates arguing with him. They argue with Iwaizumi a lot, but it's never this serious.
"I’m not telling you that you’re selfish because of that, you idiot,“ Iwaizumi spats and runs a hand through his hair with a loud and frustrated sigh. "You’re selfish because you only care about your feelings. I care about you, and that’s why I want to know what’s going on. It’s not only you who suffers right now, you ass. Have you ever stopped and thought about how I feel about this? Something’s clearly wrong and you’re beating yourself up because of it, and I am not able to help because you don’t talk to me!“
"You can’t help anyway!“ Oikawa shouts louder than he intended, and shocks both Iwaizumi and himself. He is glad that there aren’t any houses nearby, because people would probably kill them for yelling this late. "What’s the point in telling you if you can’t help, Iwa-chan?“
They stand in silence for a while, none of them saying anything. Oikawa can hear Iwaizumi breathing, and Iwaizumi can probably hear Oikawa’s sharp intakes of breath too. He is afraid of what Iwaizumi’s going to say, afraid that Iwaizumi will simply walk away, having enough of Oikawa's bullshit. But surprisingly, Iwaizumi doesn’t do either, and Oikawa is shocked when Iwaizumi puts his arms around Oikawa and hugs him.
The tears that have been building up in Oikawa’s eyes slowly start falling down his cheeks and on Iwaizumi’s hoodie. He can’t stop himself from crying anymore, and he feels stupid for crying, but he just can’t stop. For a few seconds, Oikawa’s head just rests on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, but after what can be twenty seconds, Oikawa wraps his long arms around Iwaizumi and hugs him tightly too. Iwaizumi's hand moves from Oikawa’s back to his hair, and he starts playing with the brown curls, hoping it would calm Oikawa down. It always helps, so it should help now too.
They doesn’t move for what feels like forever, Oikawa just sobbing into Iwaizumi’s shoulder quietly and Iwaizumi comforting him. Iwaizumi knows Oikawa is a drama queen, that’s why he needs to be comforted like one. Every time Oikawa is upset about something, the only thing that can comfort him is a big hug, and Iwaizumi is more than glad to give Oikawa the hug if it means he will calm down and tell him what’s wrong.
"I can’t see properly anymore,“ Oikawa whispers finally, not letting go of Iwaizumi. It’s so hard to say out loud, but it’s only fair to Iwaizumi. He's always here for Oikawa, the only way Oikawa can repay him is to be honest with him. „Everything gets blurry when I stare too long, and my eyes hurt. I thought it would go away, but it just doesn’t. What if I’m going blind and have to stop playing volleyball or something? What if it’s only going to get worse?“
"Hey, hey, stop right there,“ Iwaizumi says and shakes his head slightly. „First of all, you need to tell your parents, because I know for sure you haven’t told them yet. Then you need to go to a doctor, and–“
"I don’t wanna go–“
"Stop it, you have to. It will only gets worse if you don’t, you know that. You’re not going to be blind, I think you just need glasses,“ glasses, Oikawa repeats in his head, cringing at the word. He doesn’t want glasses, he will look like an idiot with glasses.
"If you listened to me and didn’t watch the stupid DVDs, maybe you wouldn’t have to be in this situation, you know.“
"Can you not right now,“ Oikawa whines, but he knows it’s true. He should have listened, now he’s going to pay for not listening with having to wear stupid glasses for the rest of his life. As if his bad knee wasn’t enough, he will have problems with eyes too. Perfect.
"I’m just saying,“ Iwaizumi says, and Oikawa chuckles despite his sadness. "Now come, we need to get you home.“
Oikawa is sitting on the chair just a few meters away from his parents and the doctor who are speaking quietly so Oikawa wouldn’t hear. His hands are sweating incredulously, and he is trying really hard to hear what are his parents talking about with the doctor, but it’s useless. He can’t hear a thing, and the muffled voices and worried glances sent his way are not making him feel better about this situation. What if he was right about going blind? What if glasses won’t help?
"Tooru, can you come here?“ Oikawa hears his mother’s voice calling to him, and he gulps before standing up and walking over to them. They are all looking at him, and it makes him feel so small that he wants to just run away from this place and hide in his room.
"You most probably know what caused the problems you have with your eyesight, so I don’t have a reason to tell you about it. You have hyperopia, which means you are farsighted. It’s mostly genetical, and you would have to get glasses eventually, but since you weren’t really been taking care of your eyes, the problems came sooner. You don’t have to be scared, it’s not as serious as it sounds right now, believe me. It’s a good thing you came here and didn’t keep it a secret, because if you did it really could have been worse. I won’t burden you with too many information, the only thing you need to do now is take care of your eyes and pick glasses you like in an optic shop, okay? After picking the glasses you like, you have to wait about four days and then you can pick them up. That being said, you are free to go,“ the doctor says, and Oikawa is relieved and sad at the same time. He is relieved because, thank God, he isn’t going blind, but he really doesn’t want to wear glasses. He needs to buy contact lenses as soon as possible because he surely refuses to go to school with glasses. He has quite a reputation and walking through the school gates with glasses on is going to ruin it all.
The first thing Oikawa does after he leaves the ambulance is calling Iwaizumi to inform him about his condition and ask if he is free after school, because he needs glasses and he can’t pick them alone, since he needs someone who would tell him how amazing he looks. Iwaizumi isn’t really fond of the idea of being with Oikawa while he tries out hundred different glasses, but agrees to go anyway.
Their trip to optic shop starts out with jokes. Oikawa tries out different glasses, choosing a different color or shape very time. Iwaizumi is sure that if Oikawa didn’t look so good and charming the employees of the shop would probably throw him out, but since the ladies liked looking at Oikawa trying out different glasses, they let them stay.
It is fun at first, and Iwaizumi can’t tell that he is not enjoying Oikawa’s company. Yes, Oikawa is annoying and all, but seeing him smile after so long is more important to Iwaizumi right now. Oikawa is really having fun, but it doesn’t last very long.
After a few minutes of trying out the glasses, Oikawa isn’t enjoying is as much as at the beginning. It comes to him that he actually needs glasses and that he has to choose one that he will weat from now on. Out of what he tried out, he doesn't like anything so far. Even if some of the glasses aren't that bad, they do look bad on him.
Oikawa tries to hide his growing sadness, but Iwaizumi notices anyway. He doesn’t have to ask what’s wrong, since he already knows what Oikawa is thinking right now. He takes the bright pink glasses out of Oikawa’s hand and puts them in the place, then looks at Oikawa. Oikawa is taken back by the serious look on Iwaizumi’s face and looks away, feeling uncomfortable with Iwaizumi staring at him like this, like he’s being analyzed.
Iwaizumi looks away too, his gaze turning back to the glasses on the stall. After looking at the glasses for a moment, he picks a plain-looking, black and grey, half-rimmed glasses and hands them to Oikawa, who looks at him in surprise.
"You look really good in these,“ Iwaizumi says after Oikawa puts the glasses on, and Oikawa has to fight really hard not to blush at the compliment. It’s not often that Iwaizumi compliments him, and h still can’t get used to it, no matter how long they know each other.
"Really?“ Oikawa asks while he’s looking at himself in the mirror. He thinks he looks horrible, honestly.
"No, I’m lying to you,“ Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, and even though Oikawa knows Iwaizumi is being sarcastic, he still stops to think if Iwaizumi is serious or not.
"Oikawa, you look fine. Seriously.“
"Fine’s not good enough,“ Oikawa whispers more to himself than to Iwaizumi, but Iwaizumi must have hear it, because he turns Oikawa’s head in his direction and looks him directly in the eye before repeating that he looks really good and he should buy these.
Oikawa is too dumbfolded to blink, nor say something. He just stares into Iwaizumi’s eyes, not breaking eye contact. Oikawa would swear that Iwaizumi’s eyes jumped to Oikawa’s lips for a milisecond, but it’s probably just Oikawa’s mind playing games with him. His stupid head that is and always has been full with Iwaizumi since they were kids is playing is trying to trick him into thinking that Iwaizumi might be interested in Oikawa as much as Oikawa is in Iwaizumi.
They look away from each other at the same time, and Oikawa can’t help the blush creeping up his face. It doesn’t help that the two girls behind the counter are staring at them like they’re aliens, but nothing can help his red face now, so it’s a whatever.
Oikawa is pissed. The contact lenses that should have arrived two days ago still haven’t arrived and Oikawa is refusing to go to school with his glasses. Everyone will laugh at him, and he is not ready for being laughed at.
The girl in the optic shop said that the contact lenses will arrive the same day as his glasses, because they are going to order them together. But guess what, the glasses are home, but the contact lenses aren’t.
He ordered the glasses and the contact lenses on Tuesday, which means that they should have arrived on Saturday. When he opened the package and the only thing he saw were glasses, he started to panic immediately. His mother reassured him that the lenses are probably on the way, but she was mistaken.
The company that should have send him the lenses had some problem and that’s why they should have arrived just a day later. Just a day, that means Sunday. Sunday was okey, because it wasn’t a school day, but today is Monday morning and the lenses are still nowhere to be found. Oikawa is not only pissed, but desperate. He simply can’t go to school with his glasses on, no.
Oikawa tries to talk to his mother about staying at home today, just to wait for the lenses, but his mother refuses to let Oikawa stay home because of him not wanting to wear glasses to school. She doesn’t understand how humiliating it’s gonna be, but Oikawa knows that when people will see him with glasses, they will laugh. He is popular for God’s sake, he can’t be seen with this ugly thing on his face.
His mother doesn’t listen to his arguments though, sending him off to school before Oikawa can argue with her about it more. Iwaizumi is already waiting for him by the gate, looking into his mobile and looking up only after hearing Oikawa’s footsteps.
"I take it the lenses haven’t arrived yet,“ Iwaizumi comments, but doesn’t say more. He starts walking in the direction of school with Oikawa by his side, looking at Oikawa from the corners of his eyes.
Oikawa doesn’t say anything for a few seconds and Iwaizumi thinks that Oikawa will be silent for once, but he is wrong.
"I don’t understand it! I ordered them together, so what happened? I paid so much for this and they can’t even get it to my house on time! I should have a discount because of the waiting or something,“ Oikawa starts his monologue, and Iwaizumi is just nodding slightly after Oikawa’s sentences to let him know that he’s listening. He is used to Oikawa’s whining by now, it doesn’t affect him anymore. No as much as in the past, at least.
After ten minutes of listening to Oikawa pouring his heart out, they are already just one street away from their school. Oikawa looks around and quickly takes off his glasses, putting them in his pocket, which catches Iwaizumi’s attention right away.
"Hey, what do you think you’re doing?“ he asks, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.
"I’m not going to ruin my reputation with these,“ Oikawa says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and Iwaizumi just quints his eyes at Oikawa and shakes his head.
"Put them back on,“ Iwaizumi gestures to the glasses in Oikawa’s pocket with his eyes, but Oikawa just puffs his cheeks and refuses to do what Iwaizumi tells him to.
"No, I look terrible in them,“ Oikawa doesn’t back down and keeps arguing, making Iwaizumi want to hit him so strong that he will understand that this isn’t just about the looks. He understands that Oikawa has some kind of reputation amongst the students, but he has to put it away today.
"Don’t tempt me, Shittykawa,“ he warns Oikawa, and reaches for Oikawa’s pocket himself. Before Oikawa realizes what’s going on, Iwaizumi has the glasses in his hand.
"Iwa-chan, this is serious!“
"I know it is, that’s why you only have two choices. First; you put them on by yourself, second; I’m going to glue them to your stupid face,“ Iwaizumi frowns at Oikawa and refuses to leet go of the glasses. Health is more important than reputation, but Oikawa doesn’t seem to understand that.
"So rude, Iwa-chan!“ Oikawa reaches out for the glasses, but Iwaizumi moves his hand away before Oikawa can snach the glasses form Iwaizumi’s hand.
"Promise me you’ll put them on, and I’ll give them to you.“
"No.“
"Put them on, you stupid idiot.“
"No.“
"Shittykawa.“
"I said no! I look so bad in them, everyone’s gonna laugh at me and–“
Oikawa wants to say more, but he is silenced with Iwaizumi’s lips on his. He blinks a few times and is unable to move when he realizes that this is real, that Iwaizumi is really kissing him right now. He is too shocked to function, but relaxes into the kiss after he feels Iwaizumi’s hand playing with his hair. It really calms him down everytime.
The kiss isn’t long, but it’s long enough to shut Oikawa up. When they part, Oikawa leaves his eyes closed for a little bit longer, trying to engrave the kiss into his memory in case this is not only the first but also the last time he felt Iwaizumi’s lips on his.
"You look amazing in them, stop talking bullshit,“ Iwaizumi whispers against Oikawa‘s lips and puts the glasses back on Oikawa’s face with a small smile. "And don’t you dare put them down again, or I’ll kill you.“
"Iwa-chan, can’t you say it more gently?“ Oikawa folds his arms on his chest, looking away from Iwaizumi. Always so rude, he thinks with a chuckle. He still can’t believe that Iwaizumi just kissed him. It seems so surreal, and his insides are still twisting and he can’t breathe properly.
"No, I can’t. Now let’s go, I don’t want to be late because of your whining,“ Iwaizumi turns to leave, but not before grabbing Oikawa’s hand. He tangles their fingers together, and Oikawa almost faints. Why does Iwaizumi look so calm about this while Oikawa is freaking out like a twelve year old girl with a huge crush?
However, when he looks at Iwaizumi more closely, he can see the faint blush on his cheeks, and he cannot stop himself from teasing Iwaizumi about it. He gets a punch in the arm for it, but it was worth it.
To Oikawa’s surprise, nobody laughed at him. What was even weirder than the fact that nobody laughed at him was hearing from many girls that he looks hot and cute with glasses. However, even after all the compliments he heard today about him looking good in glasses, he prays to God that the contact lenses arrived while he was at school so he doesn’t have to wear glasses the next day too.