#oitana

There really wasn’t going to be a winner.  Tooru had known this before they had even started and he was pretty sure Tanaka had as well.  Because Tanaka Ryuunosuke fought like he had nothing left to lose, while Oikawa Tooru fought like he had everything left to lose.  A rock and a hard place stuck between each other and the swooping infinite intimate everythingness and nothingness that the universe doled out to them on the regular.

“I just did some calculations, and I’ve been able to determine you’re full of shit.”  The words were spat out at Tooru and something wicked and cruel curled around his spine.  A roiling heat that had little to do with any of the blows that had glanced off of him and everything to do with the need to ruin the man across from him.  The primal urge to beat the living shit out of Tanaka Ryuunosuke and leave him a breathless pile of bones and skin on the concrete flared through Tooru, leaving his skin tingling and fists hanging heavily at his sides.

Tooru scoffed.  “Coming from you I’d guess that’d be a compliment?  Since you’re so full of shit yourself I’m surprised it’s not leaking out of your ears.”

Tanaka huffed, eyes never leaving Tooru’s body, always ready for the next move, and rolled his shoulders.  Tanaka was all instincts and raw power and seeing how many times he could get back up after taking hits.  Tooru was all level headed calculations and balance and seeing how many times he could dodge before he ever took a hit.

“Whenever you’re ready to stop running your mouth and get serious I’m waiting.”

“Oh how sweet of you.”  

Tooru waited until Tanaka tilted his neck to the side to crack it and then launched himself at him.  Tanaka let Tooru crash into him - they were both reckless in different ways, waves crashing against rocky shores - and used the momentum to hit the cement and keep rolling until he had Tooru pinned below him.  Tooru kneed Tanaka in the back and went slack against the cement as Tanaka jerked forward, arms flying out to keep his face from meeting the ground.  Tooru slid to the side, ignoring the scrape of cement against his back, and scrambled to his feet.  Tanaka twisted to look up at him and Tooru missed his hand sliding to the side.  Then he was cursing and blinking away tears and grit, trying to rub the dirt from his eyes as he stumbled backwards.  The world was a blur and Tooru cried out in surprise when Tanaka’s body hit his knees and he went sprawling.

He was back on his feet in an instant, blinking rapidly as his eyes started to clear.  Tanaka rolled and sprung to his feet.  The comforting weight of his knife dropping from his sleeve and into his hand made a grin twitch onto Tooru’s face and he took a steadying breath.

The moment Tooru had dropped his shoulders and let his fists hang loose and heavy had been the beginning of the end of this fight.

Tanaka spotted the glitter of the blade and the grin he’d been giving Tooru turned feral.  His eyes glittered in anticipation and he waited for Tooru to make his move.  Tooru obliged.

The blade danced through the air, an extension of Tooru’s hand, and Tanaka swooped and dodged smoothly.  The knife nicked his chin and left a thin line of red down his bare arm but he never took his eyes off Tooru’s.  They stepped and turned and skipped their way across the cement until Tanaka’s back hit the wall and Tooru lunged in.  Tanaka was still, eyes wide, until the last moment and then Tooru was pinned, wrist slammed against the wall above his head before being twisted painfully until his knife fell from his tingling fingers.

And then there were voices, an elbow catching around Tanaka’s throat and dragging him backwards, a hand planting on Tooru’s chest keeping him in place.  Tooru’s jaw clenched in frustration even as Tanaka’s body went slack and compliant.

“We leave you two alone for five minutes and you disappear out the back door and start fighting like children,” Tsukishima scolded them, arm still locked against Tanaka’s throat.

“Seriously,” Iwaizumi agreed with him, hand warm on Tooru’s chest.  “I don’t even think it was five minutes.”

“Sorry.”  Tooru pouted at Iwaizumi.  “But actually we stayed inside for almost ten minutes.  I know it’s hard to tell time properly with your hand down Tsukishima’s pants but really,” he deadpanned.  Tanaka’s laugh turned into a choking noise as Tsukishima’s arm tightened against his throat.  Tooru huffed and shook his head, sweat damp hair falling back into place.  Then he brushed Iwaizumi’s hand off his chest and headed for the door back into the club they had met at.  “See you around,” he tossed over his shoulder.

“Start with the knife next time,” Tanaka yelled back.  “You might actually stand a chance against me then.”

Tanaka studies Oikawa’s face taking in the dark circles and red puffy eyes. It takes a lot to make Oikawa cry. Being a captain and all means you have to stay strong for your team, so it breaks Tanaka’s heart to know he’s the reason his boyfriend had been crying. They slip back into a silence that only exists outside of their hectic minds.

So much was happening and they didn’t have much time left.

“You shouldn’t have done it.” Oikawa whispers finally.

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Tanaka replies, his voice even and firm. He knew this was coming but it doesn’t make it any easier. His hand travels up to the bandages on his neck lightly rubbing at the material. Oikawa watches and wants nothing more than to rip them off. To show the world how perfectly healthy Tanaka is. That it was all a big mistake on the universes part.

“It’s not bullshit! You got hurt because of me! This shouldn’t have happened.”

“But it did and that’s that.” Tanaka snaps back. He can see Oikawa about to protest so he quickly adds. “And if I had the option I do it again ten times over!” He gives Oikawa a childishly determined look that leaves no room for arguments.

This isn’t how things were supposed to go. He doesn’t want to argue but damn it Oikawa is so difficult sometimes. It can’t end with stubbornness in their eyes and arguments being their last words. There’s too much to say and not enough time to do so. Tanaka tries to be tough but Oikawa can see the blood seeping through the bandages and the sweat on Tanaka’s brow.

Oikawa reaches up to wipe the sweat away eyes softening. “I’m sorry.” Tanaka groans loudly already weak to those bright caring brown eyes.

“Shit no don’t apologize I don’t want to die crying. That’d be so uncool.”

The way Tanaka says this makes Oikawa’s blood run cold. He looks at Tanaka, eyes blown wide with fear? Despair? He wants to talk but the words get stuck in his throat. All the air leaves his body as Tanaka’s words hit him in the chest painfully.

Oikawa blinks and suddenly he sees Iwaizumi instead of Tanaka. He’s no longer in a dilapidated room with his bandaged boyfriend but on the outskirts of the ruined streets of Tokyo. Iwaizumi is on the ground and Oikawa is holding him tightly in his arms. He looks so strong and sure of himself even as he slowly bleeds out.

He can hear the far off groans of the zombies as they clamber about looking for their next victim. They are well away from danger now but the damage has already been done. Oikawa could care less about the zombies or his own safety though. All that matters right now is his best friend.

Iwaizumi gives him a smile that always made him feel secure. “Don’t cry Tooru it’d be so uncool for me to die crying.” He looks up at the sky already feeling the tears well up and overflow. He can’t help sucking in a shuddering breath as the tears make it hard to breathe. He must look like such a mess covered in blood and dirt sobbing like a child.

The very definition of uncool.

Oikawa’s grip on Iwaizumi’s hand tightens as he buries his face into his best friend’s shirt. A loud sob escapes despite his best efforts to keep it in. Iwaizumi rests a hand on top of Oikawa’s hair and gently runs his fingers through it. It’s anything but comforting.

“Just promise me to stay safe.”

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Oikawa gasps loudly chest burning form lack of air. His vision is fuzzy and the world is hazy all around him. The only thing he’s sure of are Tanaka’s strong arms grounding him back to reality. He can feel fingers running though his hair and wants to laugh at the obvious middle finger life is giving him.

He pulls away slowly before leaning back in to kiss Tanaka. He’s wasted enough time as it is already. Tanaka returns the kiss happily. This was so much better than crying and regretting. Right now it was just them and the love they have for each other. No death or zombie apocalypse straight out of movie.

Just them.

The knock on the door makes them both jump. Akaashi opens it a moment later and pokes his head inside. Once he gets the okay he walks inside the room, Oikawa tries not to look at the gun in his hand. There’s no point in asking if they are ready because no one ever will be. He just sets the heavy weapon down, gives Tanaka his goodbyes, and goes outside to wait once more.

He’s just considerate like that.

Tanaka had already decided what he wanted to do the moment he got bit on the neck. There was no way he’d turn and put everyone else in danger. It’s a pretty shitty option but the best one in the long run. Despite how the world went to shit and the amount of awful things he’s had to do to survive, Tanaka can say he enjoyed himself a little with Oikawa by his side.

“I really don’t want you to do this.” Tanaka reminds Oikawa as he grabs the gun.

“I don’t want to either but it should be me.” Oikawa turns the safety off with shaking fingers.

“Doing it myself is an option.”

Oikawa avoids that topic. “I love you Ryuu.”

Tanaka allows this for his sake. “I love you to Tooru. Promise me to stay safe.”

“I promise.”

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