Archive of Our Own ^beta

California sun was a different beast entirely. While in Miyagi, summer was humid like being wrapped in a warm, damp towel. In Irvine, the heat was a dry searing glare that turned the pavement into a stovetop. Even with the apartment AC rattling at full blast, the air remained stubbornly lukewarm. Hajime Iwaizumi was starting to lose his mind.

"Iwa, you’re going to melt into the floorboards," his roommate, a fellow athletic trainer named Marcus, joked as he walked into the kitchen. Iwaizumi didn't even look up. He was currently draped over the open freezer door, his forehead pressed against a bag of frozen peas. He was completely topless, his bronze skin slick with a fine sheen of sweat that made his muscles catch the harsh afternoon light. His discarded shirt was a crumpled heap near the sofa. "I hate it here," Iwaizumi grunted, his voice muffled by the frost. "Why is the sun so close to the earth in this state?"

"It’s just SoCal, man. Drink some water." Iwaizumi straightened up, grabbing a gallon of cold water. He didn't bother with a glass and just threw his head back and drank, the water spilling slightly down his chin and over his collarbones. Marcus pulled out his phone. Click. "Hey! Don't take pictures of me looking like a drowned rat," Iwaizumi barked, though he didn't have the energy to actually get up and stop him. "Relax, Iwa. It’s for the archives. You look like a gym poster."

---

Years later, summer heat in Japan was manageable, mostly because his husband Oikawa Tooru insisted on keeping their Tokyo apartment at museum-like temperature. Iwaizumi was sitting on the sofa, going through an old cloud drive to find some documents, when Oikawa leaned over his shoulder with his favorite milk bread.

"Whatcha looking at, Iwa-cha—"

Oikawa froze. His eyes widened, locking onto a thumbnail in the 'Irvine_Grad' folder. He swiped the laptop toward himself, enlarging the photo. There it was. A high-definition, candid shot of Iwaizumi Hajime, shirtless, glistening with sweat, and drinking water like he just emerged from a desert, all while standing in a kitchen that was definitely not their kitchen.

"Hajime," Oikawa said, his voice dropping. "Yeah?" Iwaizumi asked, oblivious. "Oh, that. Marcus took that during the heatwave in '21. I thought I was going to die."

"You’re shirtless!" Oikawa pointed out, his finger tapping the screen aggressively. "It was 105 degrees, Tooru! The AC broke!"

"And who," Oikawa’s eyes narrowed, "was taking this photo? I can feel the thirst through the pixels, Hajime!"

"It was just Marcus! He’s a Beta and he didn't care," Iwaizumi defended, though he could feel the back of his neck heating up. Oikawa slammed the laptop shut and sat on Iwaizumi’s lap, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. "I don't care if he was a Beta or a cactus! You were walking around some apartment in California looking like that? Giving away the goods for free?" Oikawa huffed, burying his face in Iwaizumi’s neck to scent him properly, marking him over and over. "I am the only one allowed to see you in that mode, I’m deleting it."

"You can't delete my memories!"

"I’m replacing them with a better version," Oikawa declared, pulling back with a mischievous smirk. "Go put on those gray sweatpants. We’re taking a better photo. And this one stays in a locked folder." Iwaizumi sighed, but he couldn't hide his grin. Five years later, some things never changed.

---

The "Seijoh VBC" group chat had been silent for three weeks, save for the occasional link to a volleyball match or a picture of a stray cat Hanamaki found. That changed at 11:45 PM on a Tuesday.

Oikawa Tooru: [Image Attached] 

Oikawa Tooru: Just reminding everyone that even after five years, the view at home is still superior. 💅✨

The photo was an upgrade to the Irvine original. Hajime was sitting on their balcony in Tokyo, the city lights blurred behind him. He was wearing the infamous gray sweatpants Oikawa demanded, no shirt, leaning back with a towel around his neck. The notification pings started coming in like a hailstone storm.

"Seijoh VBC"

Hanamaki Takahiro: ????? 

Hanamaki Takahiro: Iwaizumi blink twice if you’re being held hostage by a crazed fan.

 

Matsukawa Issei: Let's gooo Iwa hahaha lol 

Matsukawa Issei: Why does he look like he’s about to drop the hottest R&B album of 2026?

Matsukawa Issei: Also, Tooru, we all know you spent forty minutes directing the lighting for this.

 

Kindaichi Yuutaro: Iwaizumi-san!! Looking cool! 

Kindaichi Yuutaro: Wait, why is Oikawa-san’s hand in the corner of the frame?

 

Kunimi Akira: To show ownership, obviously. Use your brain, Kindaichi. 

Kunimi Akira: It’s almost midnight. Go to sleep, you thirsty Alpha-obsessed narcissist @Oikawa Tooru.

 

Oikawa Tooru: KUNIMI-CHAN SO MEAN!! 😭 

Oikawa Tooru: And Matsun! I didn’t spend forty minutes. It was twenty. The natural moonlight did most of the work for my darling Iwa-chan.

Iwaizumi Hajime: TOORU DELETE THAT NOW. 

Iwaizumi Hajime: I told you that was for the private folder!!

 

Hanamaki Takahiro: Too late, I’ve already screenshotted it to use as a reaction meme for whenever Iwaizumi tries to act tough.

 

Oikawa Tooru: HEY! Only I get to use that as a reaction meme! 

Oikawa Tooru: Anyway, I just wanted to clear the air. Some people (looking at you, Irvine roommates) clearly didn't know how to capture his best angles. I have corrected the record. 😌🙏

Iwaizumi Hajime: I am moving back to California.

Matsukawa Issei: Bring the sweatpants.

---

Iwaizumi tossed his phone onto the bed, his face a deep, burning crimson. He looked over at Oikawa, who was currently humming a victory tune while scrolling through the chaotic replies. "You are a menace," Iwaizumi groaned, though he didn't actually move to grab his phone and delete the post. Oikawa leaned over, pressing a smug kiss to Iwaizumi’s cheek. "I’m an Omega with standards, Hajime. If the world is going to see my husband topless, it’s going to be because I allowed it, and he’s going to look like a god."

"I was just thirsty!"

"And now everyone else is too," Oikawa smirked, locking his phone. "But they can only look. I'm the only one who gets the real one."

---

Iwaizumi grumbled and swore under his breath, putting on a masterful performance of "Annoyed Husband" for Oikawa’s benefit. But as soon as Tooru skipped off to the kitchen to celebrate his social media victory with a glass of juice, Hajime’s thumb hovered over the screen. He looked at the photo. The lighting was actually perfect. His shoulders looked broader, his jawline was sharp, and he didn't look like he was melting into a puddle of despair. With a smirk, he hit the 'Like' button on the group chat. Then, he switched apps.

"Irvine Athletic Squad"

Iwaizumi Hajime: [Image Attached] 

Iwaizumi Hajime: Hey Marcus. Remember that photo you took in the kitchen? 

Iwaizumi Hajime: My husband saw it. He was... offended by your photography skills.

Marcus: YO!! 

Marcus: Is that the same guy who was hugging a bag of frozen peas five years ago?? 

Marcus: Talk about a glow-up. Tell your husband his lighting game is elite.

 

Sarah (PT): Oh my god, Hajime! Look at you! 

Sarah (PT): California Iwaizumi 0. Tokyo Iwaizumi 100. 

Sarah (PT): Is this what happens when you’re not living in 105-degree heat without AC?

Marcus: Bro, I’m showing this to the gym crew. We’re gonna use it as the "Proper Hydration" poster. 

Marcus: I can feel the "Stay Away" energy through the screen.

Iwaizumi Hajime: Yeah, he’s a brat but he’s my brat. 

Iwaizumi Hajime: Just wanted to show you I’m not always a "drowned rat."

"Hajimeeee~!" Oikawa called from the kitchen, his voice sweet yet suspicious. "Why is your phone buzzing so much? Are you talking to Makki?" Iwaizumi quickly cleared his notifications, his heart racing like he was back in a high-stakes match. "Just... checking the weather! Making sure it’s not getting any hotter again!"

Oikawa walked back in, leaning against the doorframe with a knowing look. He didn't miss the way Iwaizumi’s ears were still red or the slight, prideful curve of his lips. "The weather, huh?" Oikawa hummed, crossing his arms. "Funny. Because I just got a notification that you liked my post. I thought you wanted it deleted, Iwa-chan?"

Iwaizumi choked on his own breath, looking down at his phone. He forgot Oikawa had notifications turned on for him. "It was... a pity like," Iwaizumi muttered, refusing to look up. Oikawa lounged across from him. "A pity like? Sure. And I’m sure you haven't sent it to your American friends to prove you're a big tough Alpha, right?"

"Shut up, Tooru."

"You did! You totally did!" Oikawa laughed, poking Iwaizumi’s chest. "My Hajime is so vain! You love being my muse!"

"I love you being quiet for five minutes," Iwaizumi countered, but he wrapped his arms around Oikawa anyway, pulling him close.

---

Iwaizumi was scrolling through Marcus’s reply in the Irvine chat when a stray link caught his eye, a "Memories" folder Marcus had shared titled West Coast Volley Days. He clicked it, expecting more pictures of himself looking like a dehydrated gargoyle. Instead, he found a sub-folder labeled Visitors. His breath hitched. The photos were from Oikawa’s one-week visit to California three years ago. While Iwaizumi had been stuck in a morning seminar, Oikawa had apparently taken himself to Laguna Beach.

In the first photo, Oikawa was emerging from the Pacific like a siren. His hair was slicked back, dripping diamonds of saltwater. He was wearing a pair of dangerously low-cut swim trunks that left nothing to the imagination regarding his lean athletic build. The next one was worse. Oikawa was laying on a towel, propped up on his elbows, looking directly into the lens with a lazy sun-dazed smirk and his sun glasses on his head. The California sun had turned his skin a deep, honeyed gold.

"Tooru," Iwaizumi growled. Oikawa, who had been busy admiring his own nails, looked up. "Hmm? What is it, Iwa-chan? Are you finally admitting I’m the better photographer?" Iwaizumi turned the phone around. Oikawa’s smug expression faltered for a micro-second before melting into a wicked triumphant grin. "Oh! I forgot Marcus took those. I look rather spectacular, don’t I? The lighting in SoCal really is superior."

"You were at the beach. Alone. Looking like this," Iwaizumi said, his Alpha instincts suddenly echoing Oikawa’s possessiveness from ten minutes ago. "And you didn't send these to me?"

"I wanted to!" Oikawa chirped, crawling closer until he was inches from Iwaizumi’s face. "But I decided to save them for a special occasion. Besides, Iwa-chan was so busy with his 'very important' seminar. I didn't want to distract you."

"Distract me? Tooru, I would have crashed my car." Iwaizumi saved every single photo to his hidden vault, his thumb pressing firmly on the screen. The Irvine heat was nothing compared to the slow burn starting in his chest.

"You know," Iwaizumi said, tossing his phone aside and grabbing Oikawa by the waist, pulling him flush against him. "I think the AC in this apartment is actually working too well. I’m starting to feel a bit... overheated." Oikawa let out a delighted laugh, wrapping his legs around Iwaizumi’s hips. "Oh? Does the big, tough Alpha need someone to help him cool down? Or should I go find those frozen peas?"

"Forget the peas," Iwaizumi muttered, burying his face in Oikawa’s neck. While they were... occupied, Iwaizumi’s phone buzzed on the nightstand one last time.

"Seijoh VBC"

Hanamaki Takahiro: Guys, I just found Oikawa’s old California beach tags on Instagram.

Hanamaki Takahiro: Iwaizumi is definitely dead. There is no way he survived seeing those.

Matsukawa Issei: RIP Iwaizumi Hajime. He died doing what he loved.

The end