Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to track him if he were looking for Iwaizumi normally. He can think through Iwaizumi's thought patterns, figure out the places where he might go. They've known each other their entire lives, it's not that hard, really.
But he's not the same Iwaizumi anymore, and that's what has stopped Oikawa up for so long.
When he finally manages to catch up to him, he's chopping wood outside a tiny tavern, looking rustic and completely at home in a place that he's never belonged before. (The only place that Iwaizumi belongs, as far as Oikawa is concerned, is with him. Side by side. As they were always meant to be.)
And some foolish, childish part of him is hoping that Iwaizumi when he lifts his head to wipe the sweat off of his brow, is going to recognize him. There's nothing of the sort in his eyes when he looks at Oikawa. There's surprise at seeing a prince so far afield, standing ten feet away with gold around his neck and wrists.
"Afternoon," he sounds gruff, uncertain, rubbing sweat off the back of his neck. "Are you... lost?"
There are tears running down Oikawa's cheeks because in large part he's just glad to see Iwaizumi alive. There's a scar running vertically down his face, from his temple to the corner of his mouth, one that's new, and it makes something shiver inside of Oikawa's chest. He can't help that he's crying, that while trying to desperately scrub the tears away from his eyes, he blubbers out 'Iwa-chan'.
"I'm... sorry?" He hovers a few steps closer, holding a hand out like he's scared Oikawa is going to keel over at any moment and awkwardly clearing his throat. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... you're--" Oikawa stops, drawing in a shuddering breath before he grabs Iwaizumi and sobs into his shoulder like he wants to.
And God, he doesn't know how to make Iwaizumi remember him, or how to explain how the two of them have found themselves in this situation. He tamps the tears down the best he can, still sniffling through the mixture of misery and elation in his chest. "Y- you're Iwaizumi Hajime."
"Yes?" He says it like a question, fingers curled in the back of his hair. It's an old, old habit, and Oikawa's chest aches to see it, the way he tugs at it when he thinks. "And you're the prince."
"Yes," he says in return because he doesn't know what else to say. He dares another step closer, searching Iwaizumi's face again and again for any sign that Iwaizumi remembers him.
Still, he gets nothing.
"You... how long have you worked here?" He asks instead, trying to push what Iwaizumi does remember.
"Few weeks. I move around a lot, I guess," he doesn't sound entirely certain about it.
"That's not right," Oikawa ventures, because he's always been terrible at waiting, impatient, especially where Iwaizumi is concerned. "You're usually with me."
"What?" He blinks, face going blank at the suggestion before he barks out a laugh. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious!" Oikawa puffs his cheeks out in aggravation, not bothering to wonder how he got pulled into arguing already. "We grew up together. You're my knight, you belong with me."
"That's--" Iwaizumi starts out looking amused, but his brow furrows a moment later, shaking his head slightly. "No. I'm-- I travel a lot. I grew up on a farm..."
"No you didn't!" He's shouting now, and the tears are back on his face, and he can't stop himself from grabbing Iwaizumi's shoulders. "You grew up in the palace! With me!"
"I've never met you before," Iwaizumi answers, but he doesn't sound sure of it. Tentative, fingers shaking, he touches Oikawa's cheek. "I've never--I would remember..."
"You... I got sick. It was really bad," Oikawa would give anything if he could just stop crying. "And--you went and talked to this witch... and she said she could heal me but you had to pay a price."
He rests his head against Iwaizumi's shoulder, shaking it furiously. There are trembles running down his back, his shoulders, like his frame is trying to shake itself apart. "And you forgot me. I told you not to do it but you forgot about me, Iwa-chan!"
It's a surprise when Iwaizumi's arms wrap around his shoulders for a moment, squeezing him close before gently detaching himself. "I'm... sorry, Your Majesty. But I think you have the wrong person."
"It's okay," Oikawa scrubs the tears off his face once more, hiccuping a sob out. "I'll fix it. I'll make you remember, alright?"
FILL: TEAM KYOUTANI KENTAROU/YAHABA SHIGERU, G
777 words
It's taken Oikawa weeks to find him again.
Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to track him if he were looking for Iwaizumi normally. He can think through Iwaizumi's thought patterns, figure out the places where he might go. They've known each other their entire lives, it's not that hard, really.
But he's not the same Iwaizumi anymore, and that's what has stopped Oikawa up for so long.
When he finally manages to catch up to him, he's chopping wood outside a tiny tavern, looking rustic and completely at home in a place that he's never belonged before. (The only place that Iwaizumi belongs, as far as Oikawa is concerned, is with him. Side by side. As they were always meant to be.)
And some foolish, childish part of him is hoping that Iwaizumi when he lifts his head to wipe the sweat off of his brow, is going to recognize him. There's nothing of the sort in his eyes when he looks at Oikawa. There's surprise at seeing a prince so far afield, standing ten feet away with gold around his neck and wrists.
"Afternoon," he sounds gruff, uncertain, rubbing sweat off the back of his neck. "Are you... lost?"
There are tears running down Oikawa's cheeks because in large part he's just glad to see Iwaizumi alive. There's a scar running vertically down his face, from his temple to the corner of his mouth, one that's new, and it makes something shiver inside of Oikawa's chest. He can't help that he's crying, that while trying to desperately scrub the tears away from his eyes, he blubbers out 'Iwa-chan'.
"I'm... sorry?" He hovers a few steps closer, holding a hand out like he's scared Oikawa is going to keel over at any moment and awkwardly clearing his throat. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... you're--" Oikawa stops, drawing in a shuddering breath before he grabs Iwaizumi and sobs into his shoulder like he wants to.
And God, he doesn't know how to make Iwaizumi remember him, or how to explain how the two of them have found themselves in this situation. He tamps the tears down the best he can, still sniffling through the mixture of misery and elation in his chest. "Y- you're Iwaizumi Hajime."
"Yes?" He says it like a question, fingers curled in the back of his hair. It's an old, old habit, and Oikawa's chest aches to see it, the way he tugs at it when he thinks. "And you're the prince."
"Yes," he says in return because he doesn't know what else to say. He dares another step closer, searching Iwaizumi's face again and again for any sign that Iwaizumi remembers him.
Still, he gets nothing.
"You... how long have you worked here?" He asks instead, trying to push what Iwaizumi does remember.
"Few weeks. I move around a lot, I guess," he doesn't sound entirely certain about it.
"That's not right," Oikawa ventures, because he's always been terrible at waiting, impatient, especially where Iwaizumi is concerned. "You're usually with me."
"What?" He blinks, face going blank at the suggestion before he barks out a laugh. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious!" Oikawa puffs his cheeks out in aggravation, not bothering to wonder how he got pulled into arguing already. "We grew up together. You're my knight, you belong with me."
"That's--" Iwaizumi starts out looking amused, but his brow furrows a moment later, shaking his head slightly. "No. I'm-- I travel a lot. I grew up on a farm..."
"No you didn't!" He's shouting now, and the tears are back on his face, and he can't stop himself from grabbing Iwaizumi's shoulders. "You grew up in the palace! With me!"
"I've never met you before," Iwaizumi answers, but he doesn't sound sure of it. Tentative, fingers shaking, he touches Oikawa's cheek. "I've never--I would remember..."
"You... I got sick. It was really bad," Oikawa would give anything if he could just stop crying. "And--you went and talked to this witch... and she said she could heal me but you had to pay a price."
He rests his head against Iwaizumi's shoulder, shaking it furiously. There are trembles running down his back, his shoulders, like his frame is trying to shake itself apart. "And you forgot me. I told you not to do it but you forgot about me, Iwa-chan!"
It's a surprise when Iwaizumi's arms wrap around his shoulders for a moment, squeezing him close before gently detaching himself. "I'm... sorry, Your Majesty. But I think you have the wrong person."
"It's okay," Oikawa scrubs the tears off his face once more, hiccuping a sob out. "I'll fix it. I'll make you remember, alright?"