sportsanime | Bonus Round 1: Memory

Let's start our summer by looking at the past—things that happened in canon, or maybe in an AU, or maybe just as wishful thinking...

This round is CLOSED as of 7PM on June 9 EDT. Late fills may be posted, but they will not receive points.

Please read this whole post before commenting to ensure that your team gets the most points possible. (There are changes from last year!)

RULES

Submit prompts by commenting to this post! You prompt should consist of one scenario beginning with the phrase "Remember when", along with any ship/ot3/etc. from our list of nominated fandoms.
- Your prompts can take the form of recalling canon facts/events ("Remember when Nozomi and Eli got parfaits after school?"), non-canon events ("Remember when Megumi and Jin met at the Tadokoro Family Reunion?"), or somewhere in-between ("Remember when Bokuto and Kenma first met?"). Headcanons and AUs are welcome!
- Your prompt MUST include some kind of relationship. (This is not the sports anime gen olympics.) Platonic relationships are indicated by an "&" between the names (e.g., Rei & Nagisa). Non-platonic relationships use "/" (e.g., Rei/Nagisa). Please don't say "Any pairing," either!
Post fills by leaving a responding comment to a prompt with your newly-created work.
Remember to follow the general bonus round rules, outlined here.

FORMAT

Brand-new works only, please.

Required Work Minimums:

400 words (prose)
400px by 400px (art)
14 lines (poetry)

If PROMPTING:	If FILLING:	If FILLING as a TEAM GRANDSTAND participant:
PROMPT: TEAM [YOUR SHIP] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to, including Grandstand or Sports Teams Write it exactly as it appears on the team roster or your team will not receive points Place the prompt's relationship in the first bolded line of the comment. Including the canon isn't required, but it's nice. Below that, place applicable major content tags (when applicable; otherwise write "no tags" or "none") Visual example	FILL: TEAM [YOUR SHIP], [RATING] Replace [YOUR SHIP] with the name of the team you belong to Write it exactly as it appears on the team roster or your team will not receive points Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Place applicable major content tags and word count before your fill (when applicable; otherwise write "no tags" or "none") NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and use clear tags in your comment. Written/text fills should be hosted at AO3 ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere. You may include a small safe-for-work preview of the fill in your comment. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" alt="DESCRIPTION OF YOUR IMAGE"/> Visual example	FILL: TEAM GRANDSTAND, [RATING] Replace RATING with the rating of your fill (G - E) Place applicable major content tags and word count before the fill, where applicable NSFW FILLS: Please cross-link these fills and use clear tags in your comment. Written/text fills should be hosted at AO3 ONLY. Art/visual fills can be hosted anywhere. You may include a small safe-for-work preview of your work in your comment. To place an image in your comment, use this code: <img src="LINK TO YOUR IMAGE" /> Visual example

code of conduct

SCORING

For prompts: 5 points each (maximum of 50 prompt points per team per round)

First 3 fills by any member of your team: 20 points each
Fills 4-10: 10 points each
Fills 11-20: 5 points each
Fills 21+: 2 points each

All scored content must be created new for this round.

Etc.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

no tags; 916w

"It's difficult, being in love with your best friend," Oikawa murmurs, and he's not looking at Matsukawa, but at the sky that stretches above them, streaked with stratus clouds that break up the bright blue. "It eats at you from the inside, doesn't it?"

Matsukawa doesn't ask Oikawa how he knows, because there's no point. All he can do is hope that Oikawa is the only one who knows. "Don't tell him."

This time, Oikawa looks at Matsukawa, holding his gaze. There's something sad and thoughtful in his eyes as he regards Matsukawa, and he shakes his head. "Of course not. It's not my place. If anyone is going to tell him, it needs to be you."

With a quiet sigh, Matsukawa lies back on the grass, looking up at the sky. "I don't know if I want to."

"You don't have to, either." Oikawa tousles Matsukawa's hair affectionately. "It's entirely up to you. I understand why you wouldn't want to. These sorts of secrets are terrifying, aren't they? They change everything."

"I think," Matsukawa says softly, "that things will change whether I tell him or not. I don't think I can act the same way around him any more. Or if I'm still convincing now, there's going to be a point somewhere down the track where I can't be. Unless I get over it somehow. Unless I manage to completely forget the way I feel right now."

Oikawa sighs sadly, and lies on his back as well. His foot rests against Matsukawa's, and it's just a small point of contact but it's grounding all the same. "That's not very likely to happen, unfortunately."

"What did you do?" Matsukawa genuinely wants to know, because he can never really tell what's happening between Oikawa and Iwaizumi. They speak a language of their own, built on years and years of knowing each other, and Matsukawa has no hope of interpreting all of it, content enough with the bits and pieces that he does understand.

"He knows me too well," Oikawa replies, and Matsukawa can hear the smile in his voice. "He worked it all out for himself, can you believe? He's more than just a pretty face after all."

Matsukawa snorts quietly. "And?"

"And he feels the same," Oikawa replies. "I'm lucky, I guess."

"I guess," Matsukawa echoes, wondering if that sort of luck can be shared between good friends.

—

Hanamaki isn't Iwaizumi; Matsukawa isn't Oikawa.

They know each other well, perhaps even better than anyone else does, but the sort of bond that their friends share isn't something that's easily replicated.

Hanamaki doesn't figure out how Matsukawa feels, and that's a relief as much as it's a disappointment. He welcomes Matsukawa's company, he's easy with contact, quick with a joke, or a grin, but he's oblivious about Matsukawa's feelings. It's not something that Matsukawa can explain, but he knows it all the same, and he supposes that's what matters.

For the most part, Matsukawa is happy to leave him in the dark about the whole thing. He doesn't need to know, and Matsukawa is still holding out in the hope that if he ignores the whole thing, it will eventually fade away into something a little more bearable.

Weeks turn into months, and if anything, Matsukawa's feelings grow even stronger. Every attempt he makes at stifling them only makes them burn fiercer, until he has no choice but to resign himself to the truth of the matter; he's in love with Hanamaki.

These days, he finds that he wants Hanamaki to know.

He waits until graduation, because it's near enough anyway. It gives him an easy escape, if things don't go well. It gives them an excuse to be alone if things do go well. He has it all perfectly planned.

They're walking out of the school, tube boxes tucked under their arms, cherry blossom petals falling around them. Matsukawa wonders if it's too much of a cliche, but he's afraid that if he doesn't do it now, then he never will, and it's not something that he wants to regret.

"I like you," he murmurs, glancing at Hanamaki from the corner of his eye. "I have, for all of third year. Probably a bit of second year."

Hanamaki hums, tilting his head to the side and grinning at Matsukawa. "Wait, am I playing Iwaizumi or Oikawa? I can't tell. They'd both be the type to say something like that at graduation, wouldn't they?"

In the span of a breath, Matsukawa feels his heart break, and forces it back together. Without missing a beat, he says, "I'm taller. I'm Oikawa."

"Is this the bit where I start beating you up with my tube?" Hanamaki asks, brandishing his diploma like a weapon. "Trashykawa. Shittykawa."

Matsukawa forces out a laugh, holding his arm up to defend himself from Hanamaki's attack, fingers spread out to shield his face.

"They're dating, you know," he says, because he doesn't know what else to say. Because he needs to change the topic before Hanamaki notices the cracks in his smile. "They never said anything about it, but they're together."

"Those sneaky shits," Hanamaki mutters, lowering his arms. He looks over his shoulder, to where they left Oikawa and Iwaizumi behind. "Good for them, I guess. I'll give them hell for it later, but—it must be a relief, you know? To have that work out."

"Yeah," Matsukawa sighs, looking up at the cloudless sky. He forces his smile back into place. "Must be."

tfw you want to slam yourself against a wall because of e m o t i o n s

The comparisons between the two friendships, how one blossoms into something more while the other's still tentative, the Oikawa-Matsukawa bonding, and the slow soft melancholy this whole fic has: who are you trying to kill because I'm definitely dead inside now _:(´ཀ`」∠):_

HNNNNNNGH I SEE YOU WRITE 9342958+ FILLS EVERY DAY AND I AM LIKE HOW ---

That intro line though!! I really loved the conversation between Mattsun and Oikawa, especially the bit about luck and sharing between friends! And then cutting to 'Hanamaki isn't Iwaizumi; Matsukawa isn't Oikawa.' because they're not the same. The confession scene was REALLY GOOD AS WELL, Matsukawa not missing a beat even though his heart is breaking ;_; And the parallel, again, to IwaOi. This is so poignant, and really wonderful! <3

OH MY GOD. PAINNNNN SO MUCH PAIN. MY HEART HURTS. I LOVE THIS!!!! THE LAST FEW PARAGRAPHS STILL HAVE ME ACHING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. THANK YOU FOR FILLING MY ANGSTY MATSUHANA PROMPT!! I DIDN'T THINK ANYONE WAS GOING TO DO IT ;;u;; MUCH LOVE TO YOU <333

tfw u kno the sufferin is coming but u read anyway
(it was so good though, rip in pieces mattsun)

Bonus Round 1: Memory

FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

Re: FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

Re: FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

Re: FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G

Re: FILL: Team Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru, G