Archive of Our Own

“What could you possibly want at one in the fucking morning, Shittykawa?” Iwa groans as he opens his apartment door that Tooru’s been banging on for the past five minutes.

Tooru immediately steps forward and flops onto his friend’s shoulder.
“Wakatoshi broke up with me, Iwa-chan. Comfort me,” he mumbles, burying his face into the crook of Iwa’s neck.

“I’m not your therapist for everything that goes wrong in your relationships, dumbass,” Iwa says, but still wraps an arm around Tooru’s back in a half-hug and pats him.
It’s not what Tooru would call comforting, but he didn’t really expect anything more when he came to Iwa.

But when Tooru has a big breakup, he doesn’t really need comfort.
He needs someone to talk to him like normal, with sprinkled bits of care in it. The last thing he needs is someone pitying him and acting like he’s a little kid who just got yelled at.

And Iwa’s always given him that kind of consolation.
Iwa’s good at keeping his care from being patronizing, and Tooru finds comfort in their usual back and forth banter, anyway.

Besides, Tooru just likes to complain.

“I got dumped, Iwa-chan,” Tooru complains sullenly. “Be nice to me.”
Iwa rolls his eyes, but pulls Tooru into his apartment and pushes him to sit on the couch.

Tooru leans back on the couch as he whines, “I can’t believe I got dumped! I should have dumped him first. It’s so lame to be the dumpee.”
“You’re lame either way.”
“Iwa-chan. I have been through something very devastating today. Please show some gentleness.”

Iwa wanders into the kitchen as he calls back, “So, walk me through it, then. What happened exactly?”
Tooru props his legs up on the coffee table, knocking over a stack of magazines.

“He took me to dinner, and then broke up with me,” Tooru grumbles, crossing his arms. “He was walking me home and then turned to me and said he didn’t think we were a good match. He said we should ‘see other people’,” Tooru air quotes with his fingers.
Iwa makes a short noise in acknowledgement.

“I mean, who even does that! Why would he take me out to dinner just to dump me?!” Tooru rambles on, wildly waving his hands around as he does. “He hardly said anything during dinner, either! There were no hints that he was just gonna dump me like that!”
“Hm,” Iwa absently grunts as he fills a kettle with water.

There’s a pause as Tooru glances from where he sits over to Iwa in the kitchen. He raises an eyebrow at Iwa skeptically, but Iwa pointedly ignores his gaze.

“What are you thinking?” Tooru presses, squinting his eyes slightly as if that would help him guess.
Iwa finally returns Tooru’s glance as he flicks on the stove and shifts his weight.
“What?” he asks, furrowing his brows.

“You have that look on your face,” Tooru gestures vaguely at his own in example.
“What look?” Iwa asks, nose already wrinkling like he’s offended.
“Like you’re thinking about something serious. Don’t hurt yourself, Iwa-chan.”
Iwa shoots him a glare. “Is your dumped ass really wisecracking over there?”
“.....I’msorrypleasebenicetomeeeeeee.”

“Really, though,” Tooru says when Iwa brings the steaming cup of tea over to him. “What are you thinking?”
Iwa brusquely shoves Tooru’s legs off the coffee table and sets the cup down. “You don’t want to hear it.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t. Just tell me.”

Iwa scoffs lightly as he takes a seat next to Tooru on the couch.
“Oikawa,” he says slowly, “You should have gotten your ass dumped sooner.”
“Wh-!”
“I’m only saying that because you’re my friend and I’m willing to tell you the truth,” Iwa interrupts before Tooru can protest. “Were you two actually in love?”

Tooru huffs, pouting, “What’s your point?”
“I know you’re a shitty person. Other people don’t. You can’t be shitty towards people and expect them to put up with it.”
“You’re doing a really bad job of comforting me, Iwa-chan,” Tooru complains.
“I said you wouldn’t want to hear it!”

Tooru picks the cup up, warming his hands on the hot porcelain. “Fine, whatever,” Tooru grumbles, “Go on.”
Iwa swings his legs up and over the couch, laying them across Tooru’s lap. Tooru simply sits up to let him, and watches him sideways.

“You do your own thing,” Iwa explains with a sigh, “And you don’t like playing by other people’s rules. Ushijima’s kind of the same way, and you two get in each other’s way more often than not.”

Tooru takes a tentative sip of tea.
“It’s nothing against you or Ushijima,” Iwa says with a shrug. “You two just aren’t the right partners for each other, that’s all.”

Tooru scoffs, “You just don’t like Wakatoshi.”
“I don’t like you, either. But I’m being a good friend here.”
“You are not being a good friend here!”

Iwa yawns, stretching out from his end of the couch.
“So,” he says groggily, raising an eyebrow at Tooru, “Did you take the thirty minute train ride here just to rant about how you got dumped? You could have just called. At a decent time.”
“Were you even listening, Iwa-chan!?” Tooru huffs, exasperated.

Iwa rolls his eyes. “He was probably trying to be nice, stupid. He’s the kind of person who would want to do something nice for you if he planned on breaking up. Like having one last nice memory or something.”

“It wasn’t nice…” Tooru mumbles, setting the tea aside and moving to crack Iwa’s toes.

Iwa shifts to let him as he replies, “I didn’t say it was. Just that he was probably trying to be. Honestly, it’s a wonder you two lasted a week, let alone five months.”
Iwa shrugs as he continues, “Well, it’s a good thing you two never see each other on campus, I guess. It’s a wonder you two took so long to figure out you went to the same college, but your schedules somehow lined up perfectly so that you never see each other. You used to complain about it, though, saying that you wanted to see him more.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Tooru snaps mildly, “Just comfort me already.”
“Are you actually sad?” Iwa narrows his eyes at Tooru as the latter lets go of his foot.
“I’m, like, kind of sad. I mean I’m just upset. But not, like, upset-upset. Being dumped doesn’t feel good, no matter who it is.”

Tooru’s been through plenty of breakups, and this one is no different. Five months isn’t a very long time to get attached, especially not to someone like Wakatoshi.
When his first boyfriend dumped him, he cried; after the fourth one, he just wanted to be around someone, and Iwa’s always been available to him.

Tooru’s only sad about being in a breakup, not about the breakup itself.
But he likes when Iwa comforts him either way.

Iwa sighs as he scoots across the couch and bumps shoulders with Tooru. Tooru leans over and rests his head on Iwa’s shoulder quietly. Iwa comfortably wraps an arm around him, leaning right back into him.

Tooru knows to an outsider, their proximity could be seen as strange. But it’s how Iwa and he have acted since forever; their closeness has been a norm for them for as long as Tooru can remember.
His best friend, his childhood friend, the person who knows him better than anyone else and someone he can rely on no matter what.

Tooru’s out jogging only a month later when he’s texting Iwa about meeting up later in the evening, and out of the corner of his eye, he catches them.
Tooru turns to swiftly avoid him and walk in the other direction, but freezes when he hears the low voice.
“Tooru, it’s been a while.”

All that Tooru can think is how much he doesn’t want to do this, but he spins around, pockets his phone, and puts on a fake smile.
“Wakatoshi,” he greets half-heartedly.

He notices the tall man standing behind Wakatoshi first, though. He has wild red hair - like bright, bright red - and an intense look on his face.
Well, maybe intense isn’t the right word. He seems like the kind of person who would keep secrets well, but wouldn’t hide the fact that he knows the secret.

Tooru frowns when the guy notices Tooru’s gaze and grins.
“Hiya! ‘Tooru’, huh? So you’re ‘toshi’s ex?” he says, eyes widening a bit.
Tooru tries not to think about how annoying he thinks the guy’s voice sounds, or how much he hates how the guy says Wakatoshi’s name, or how he points out that Tooru’s Wakatoshi’s ex.
It doesn’t really work.

“Guess so,” Tooru answers tightly, struggling to keep the disdain out of his voice. “You are…?”
“Satori,” Wakatoshi answers for him, “Satori Tendou. He’s my boyfriend.”
He says it so plainly, Tooru almost doesn’t catch that last part. For a moment, he even thinks he misheard. But Wakatoshi has never misspoke.

“Boyfriend, huh?” Tooru bites, a little more tersely than he means to, “It’s been what, a month? Good for you.”
Wakatoshi nods politely. “Thank you. We seem to be a good match, I think.”

Asshole, Tooru thinks to himself bitterly. He knows, he knows Wakatoshi isn’t trying to piss him off. But he still manages to do it. Nothing new, really.
Were you two actually in love? Iwa had asked when they broke up. Tooru ponders that.

Tendou leans over Wakatoshi, wrapping an arm across his shoulders. “Aw, you’re gonna make me blush, ‘toshi!”
Wakatoshi lets Tendou practically drape himself over the former, but doesn’t make any remarks or moves in return.

Tooru isn’t even jealous, he’s just pissed. He could kind of care less if he and Wakatoshi aren’t dating anymore; he guesses they really weren’t really into each other when they dated after all. But the fact it’s only been a month and the guy’s already found someone new just… rubs Tooru the wrong way.

Wakatoshi should still be upset over the breakup, surely. He should still be a little hung up over Tooru. One month is a very short time to get over a five month relationship.
Maybe Tooru’s a hypocrite, he doesn’t really care.

In a brilliant rush of zero pre-thought or filtering, Tooru spits out, “Well! You’re not the only one who’s moved on, you know!”
Stop. Stop stop stop what are you saying stop it.
“In fact, I have a boyfriend, too!”
Wakatoshi raises an eyebrow. “Oh? Do I know him?”

Bail bail bail bail bail-
“N-no, not really! W-we just recently got together! I-it’s only been a month, after all,” Tooru puts a hand on his hip.

Wakatoshi blinks. “Who is it?”
Tooru panics. The phone in his pocket buzzes with a new message.
“Iwa-chan,” he says quickly, instinctively.
NOOOOOOOOOO-

“Iwa-chan,” Wakatoshi echoes, tilting his head a little. “Oh. Iwaizumi, you mean? Your friend?”
“Y-yeah…” Tooru mumbles weakly. He thinks maybe he should stop talking forever.
“Good for you,” Wakatoshi says with a nod of his head. “You two always seemed like you got along well.”

“Oh, hey! I know!” Tendou claps his hands together suddenly. “Why don’t we go on a double date tomorrow?”
No no no no no no.
Tooru stands very still.

“Isn’t that kind of thing awkward?” Wakatoshi asks, turning to Tendou.
Yes.
“Not at all! Besides, don’t you want to meet your ex’s new boyfriend?” Tendou chirps.

He meets Tooru’s eyes sharply, and fuck, Tooru can tell Tendou’s onto him.
How they hell did this guy call his bluff so quickly?
But he’s already this deep in, it’d be stupid to back out now, especially with how Tendou’s eyeing him up. Fine. Tooru has always been a stubborn person. He’ll take the bait and entertain this stupid challenge.

“Sure,” Tooru says with as much confidence as he can muster, “I’d love to introduce you to him properly.”
Wakatoshi furrows his eyebrows slightly in confusion, but Tendou rubs his shoulders and grins.
“Sounds fun, Teru!”
“Tooru.”
You said my name back to me minutes ago, asshole! Tooru bites his tongue.

“Let’s eat at that diner,” Tendou says, ignoring him and pointing to a restaurant across the street, “Around five.”

He grins at Tooru, and his eyes say so much more than they show.
Tooru returns his grin, daring and defiant, “I can’t wait.”

“Good evening, Iwa-chan!” Tooru cheerily greets when Iwa opens his apartment door.
Almost immediately, Iwa scrunches up his nose in contempt. Well, Tooru didn’t figure he would fool Iwa, but oh well.
“What is that,” Iwa says vaguely, not really as a question, as Tooru pushes past him and steps into his apartment.

“What do you mean?” Tooru asks with a grin. “Hey, since we’re going out to eat tonight, how about I pay? You can even pick the place!”
“Stop,” Iwa squints his eyes, crossing his arms. “Stop whatever you’re doing. What do you want?”
Tooru feigns ignorance. “Stop what? I’m being nice, Iwa-chan. What, I can’t be nice to my best friend every once in a while?”
Iwa’s face somehow scrunches up even more.

“Well,” Iwa finally shrugs, still eyeing up Tooru skeptically, “If you’re paying, let’s go to the sushi place down the street.”
“The expensive one?!”
“You said I could pick.”

“So,” Iwa says pointedly, leaning back in his booth.
He eyes Tooru over their table of empty plates, crossing his arms. Tooru squirms in his seat, wondering how much longer he can stall.

“What do you really want?” Iwa asks curtly.
Apparently not long at all.

Tooru smiles weakly, working himself up.
“Do you remember when we were like eleven and you had the flu and I helped you and you said you owed me afterwards?” he says in one breath.

Iwa narrows his eyes, frowning, “No.”
“Iwa-chan, please, I need your help.”
“If you were buttering me up just to ask, I’m sure it’s something really stupid,” Iwa grunts.

“It’s not stupid!” Tooru protests, despite it, in fact, being very stupid.
Iwa only raises an eyebrow in response.
“I… kind of… toldmyexthatweweredating and now I need you to pretendtobemyboyfriendtomorrow,” Tooru says as quickly as he can.
“You what.”

“It’d just be for tomorrow,” Tooru explains rapidly, “You just have to, like, hold my hand for a while or something. Nothing big.”
Iwa huffs with poorly measured aggravation, “I’m not gonna pretend to be your boyfriend, Oikawa. What the hell even happened for you to say something like that?”

“His boyfriend! He has a boyfriend! And his boyfriend is an asshole!” Tooru argues, throwing his hands up in flustered exasperation.
Iwa rolls his eyes. “What, did he kick you or something?”
“No, he knows I'm lying! And dammit, I’m not gonna let him call my bluff!”
Iwa kicks Tooru’s leg under the table. “So you’re just being stupidly petty,” he concludes.

“So what if I am?!” Tooru scoffs, pouting. “You already knew that!”
“I did,” Iwa exhales softly. “You couldn’t have asked Matsukawa or someone instead?”
“Don’t make it sound like being in a fake relationship with me is so terrible! Besides, I already told them it was you!”
Iwa rests his chin on the palm of his hand as he scrunches up his nose at Tooru. Tooru would think it’s cute if he wasn’t so desperate.

“Iwa-chan, please help me just this once,” Tooru claps his hands together. “I’ll never ask you for anything ever again.”
“I have a hard time believing that.”
“But you’d be so fun to date!”
Iwa eyes him up, and Tooru takes that as his chance.

“I’ll buy you dinner for a week,” Tooru offers, determinedly leaning forward over the table.
Iwa heaves a sigh in a nonverbal I can’t believe I’m doing this and replies, “Make it a month.”
“Wh-! Ugh, fine.”

As they’re leaving the restaurant, Tooru leans over Iwa’s shoulder and grins.
“Iwa-chan, do you need some tips on how to act like you’re in a relationship? I know you haven’t dated anyone in at least a couple years, so I’m afraid you might be rusty. It has to be believable, you know,” he teases.

Iwa stomps on his foot and grumbles, “Do you want me to help you or not?!”
“Ow! That’s exactly what you can’t do if we’re playing boyfriends!”
“Die.”

Holding hands isn’t all that awkward, Tooru finds. Which isn’t surprising, they used to hold hands all the time when they were kids, Tooru clinging to Iwa like a lifeline.
Tooru’s held hands with plenty of people, anyway. Wakatoshi isn’t the first person he’s dated, and even they had held hands a couple times.

Holding hands with Iwa isn’t any different from holding hands with any of Tooru’s past boyfriends. (So why does it feel different…?)

But Iwa seems to be acting natural. In fact, he’s acting so natural that Tooru’s beginning to second guess that Iwa’s been single for the past two years.
But he’s around Iwa all the time, so he would have noticed if Iwa had been in a relationship recently.

Of course, Tooru knows Iwa’s been in a couple relationships here and there before.
If Tooru recalls correctly, Iwa got together with a guy for a handful of months after they graduated high school, and after that, Iwa had a boyfriend for about half a year before they broke up.

Both of Iwa’s past boyfriends were off anyway. The first guy was too nice for Tooru’s liking, and it came off as fake and forced. And the other one was too… something. Tooru doesn’t know, he just didn’t like the guy. Not that it matters now.

Iwa didn’t cry when they broke up, though. Tooru tried to comfort him a couple times after the breakups, but Iwa simply told him he wasn’t sad. Tooru’s sure he was upset in private, though.
He doesn’t really like showing those kinds of emotions to anyone, after all.

Tooru thinks maybe Iwa told him about a couple flings he’d tried a while back, but as far as Tooru knows, he hasn’t been in a serious relationship since then.

It almost makes Tooru feel bad. Before Wakatoshi, Tooru had gone through a fair amount of boyfriends. All of which, Iwa had to endure Tooru’s complaining once they broke up with him.

But well, what are best friends for?

“What do you want?” Iwa suddenly grumbles as he’s walking with Tooru.
Tooru blinks. “Oh, huh?” he asks dumbly.
“You’re staring at me,” Iwa gives him a side glance, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh. Whoops,” Tooru shrugs. “I just thought you might be more flustered about all this.”

Iwa scoffs. “What, about pretending to be your boyfriend? It’s just another stupid antic of yours I got wrapped up in.”
“Mean! It’s not stupid!”
“It’s very stupid. Besides,” Iwa’s grip on Tooru’s hand tightens ever so slightly, “It’s not like we’ve done anything particularly out of the ordinary for us.”

Iwa’s hand is warm. That thought keeps repeating in Tooru’s head for some reason.
“Hm, I guess that’s true,” Tooru hums.

“Ah!” a voice calls from across the street, “There they are!”
Tooru looks up and sees Tendou’s wild red hair first. He holds back a groan as Tendou and Wakatoshi cross the street to meet them.

“Hmm? So you are…?” Tendou eyes up Iwa carefully, and Tooru doesn’t care for that at all.
“My boyfriend,” Tooru says, short and a little gruff.

Iwa nods his head in greeting. “I’m Hajime Iwaizumi,” he introduces politely.
“Hajime, huh? Satori Tendou,” Tendou replies slowly.
“So I’ve heard.”

There’s a look in Tendou’s eyes that Tooru can’t place. Maybe something like muted surprise that Tooru really followed through. Maybe that’s just how he looks.
Wakatoshi speaks up, “It’s nice to meet you properly, Iwaizumi.” He bows his head to Iwa.

Tooru catches the way the corners of Iwa’s mouth twitches. Iwa really never did like Wakatoshi. Something about how he’s so polite and distant.
Well, Tooru can’t really argue with that.
“Yeah,” Iwa says briefly, “You too.”

The conversation dies there as Tendou and Wakatoshi take the lead, pushing open the door to the diner. Tooru forgets he and Iwa are holding hands until Iwa pulls him into the diner after him.
They sit next to each other, shoulders and thighs slightly bumping while Wakatoshi and Tendou sit flush together.

Iwa furrows his brow slightly at them before he slides an arm across Tooru’s back, resting it comfortably over Tooru’s shoulders. It’s not an unfamiliar gesture, but it’s usually in the privacy of one of their apartments that he does it. But he’s just playing along, Tooru remembers.

Tendou begins speaking first. “You two are…” he starts, but trails off, looking between them. “You don’t look like you’d get along.”
Tooru scoffs, a little too forcefully, “Neither do you two.”

Tendou raises an eyebrow, a shadow of a grin on his face. Tooru quickly turns his attention to the plastic menu in front of him.

It’s stupid, it really is, that he’s letting Tendou get to him. Aside from Tooru being a little annoyed that Wakatoshi got over him so easily, Tendou hardly seems like a replacement for Tooru. Well, “replacement” is probably putting it a bit harshly.

Really though, what did those two see in each other? What did Wakatoshi find more appealing about Tendou than Tooru? Tooru’s a damn good-looking person, with a pretty nice personality to match (despite what Iwa might say).
So how does Wakatoshi go from dating someone like Tooru to dating someone like Tendou?

“Tooru.”
The voice snaps Tooru out of his thoughts, and he looks up at Wakatoshi, but Wakatoshi is murmuring to Tendou about the menu. Tooru glances at Iwa, who is looking at him expectantly. Oh.

Iwa hasn’t called him by his first name since they were kids. It almost sounds uncomfortable to hear the name come out of his mouth like that. But it’s also somehow incredibly comfortable.
...Did… Did Tooru’s heart just skip a beat? Huh?
Must be nostalgia. Or something.

“Uh, yeah?” Tooru manages to cough out before the pause gets too long.
Iwa’s gaze lingers on him just a beat longer, a bit confused, before he turns back to the menu and says, “What do you want? We can just share.”

But Tooru’s always been a picky eater (Iwa’s always nagged at him about it), and the two don’t often like the same foods.
Iwa… is really good at this, Tooru realizes. For all his hesitation to actually do it, Tooru’s a bit surprised that he’s actually putting in effort in his little act.

...But that makes Tooru want to tease him.

“How about this, then?” Tooru asks, pointing to a dish that he knows Iwa doesn’t like.
Iwa shoots a glare at him, his eyebrows twitching in a repressed furrow, but smiles and says, “Sure. Whatever you want.”
His nose is wrinkling a bit in a way that Tooru knows he’s restraining from griping at him. It’s cute and kind of funny, and Tooru has to hold back his laughter.

When the waitress comes to take their order, while everyone’s attention is on her, Iwa elbows Tooru in the ribs hard enough to make Tooru grunt lightly.
No one else seems to notice, but Tooru grins to himself at his little victory.

“So,” Tendou begins as they wait for their food, “Hayame-”
“Hajime,” Iwa corrects instantly, his voice flat, verging right on sounding annoyed.
Tooru doesn’t blame him. He’s wondering if Tendou’s doing it on purpose, or if he’s really just that bad with names. He’d be willing to bet it’s the former.

“Right,” Tendou shrugs, “How did you two meet?”
“We’re childhood friends. We grew up together.”
“Wow, really? Huh, so you two must be pretty close, then. You go to the same college?”
“Nah, I go to a college like half an hour away from here.”
“Oh? That sounds rough.”

Tooru tunes out of their conversation. He’s not all that interested, and looking at Tendou for too long just makes him mad.
Instead, he looks at Wakatoshi, quiet as ever, watching Iwa and Tendou’s conversation.

He can’t imagine how Wakatoshi and Tendou get on better than he and Wakatoshi did. Tendou’s so much more talkative and touchy, things that he always thought Wakatoshi disliked.
Even now, Tendou’s practically hanging off him and Wakatoshi doesn’t say a word.

When they dated, Tooru kept his distance physically. The times they held hands, Wakatoshi never said anything, hardly ever squeezed back.
Maybe Wakatoshi just prefers someone more pushy like Tendou.

Well, admittedly, it’s not like Tooru ever asked Wakatoshi what he thought about physical affection. Wakatoshi never complained about it, but he didn’t return it, which is what planted the assumption that he just didn’t like it.

But Tendou doesn’t seem to mind at all, essentially living inside Wakatoshi’s personal space every time Tooru sees them.
The only other person Tooru’s physically affectionate with is Iwa, and Iwa would definitely say something if he didn’t like it. And besides, Iwa’s not an overly physically affectionate person, either.

Which makes the fact that Iwa’s holding his hand extra special. Sure, he’s just playing a part, but Tooru feels kind of warm and giddy at the touch.
Again, it’s probably just nostalgia, though. They haven’t held hands since they were like eight.

Tooru wonders if Iwa would hold his hand if they were actually dating. He wonders if anything would change between them if they were actually dating.
Maybe more kissing. Huh. Iwa seems like he’d be a gentle kisser, despite having a rough personality.

Iwa bites his lip when he’s frustrated though, and Tooru imagines what the grooves of his lip would feel like from that.
He’s skilled with his tongue, too. He brags about being able to tie a cherry stem, just one of the few things he has over Tooru.

Woah. Wait, wait, wait. Tooru mentally backtracks, physically freezes in place. When did he get on this train of thought? Why is he thinking about kissing his best friend?
...Why is his face warm?

“Wakatoshi, want some of mine?” Tendou says, ripping Tooru out of his thoughts.
The food arrived without him even noticing. Whoops.
Tooru blinks at the two across the booth, Tendou practically sitting in Wakatoshi’s lap as they share food. It’s kind of gross to watch them, actually.

Tooru clears his throat and turns to the plate of food in front of them. Iwa’s barely maintaining the dismay on his face at Tooru’s order.
So Tooru scoops up a piece and holds it out for Iwa, smirking.

“Here, Iwa-chan,” he says innocently.
Tooru can tell how much Iwa wants to punch him. It’s incredibly amusing.
But Iwa gives him a steeled look before leaning over and taking the bite. He somehow suppresses his disgusted face as he chews it.

But he glares at Tooru when he (begrudgingly) swallows. Tooru remembers offering to buy him dinner for a month.
He’ll definitely be getting Tooru back for this.

Somehow, Iwa stomachs the meal and keeps his facade up flawlessly. Tooru is thoroughly impressed, actually.

They’re on the sidewalk just outside of the restaurant when Tendou spins around from where he and Wakatoshi were walking in front of them.
“Let’s go somewhere else!” he says eagerly.

“Sorry, I’ve got some college work to do,” Iwa replies, “It was nice meeting you, though.”
He dips his head politely before turning to Tooru.
“I’ll text you later tonight,” he says casually, letting go of Tooru’s hand to turn around.

It suddenly feels strange to not be holding anything for some reason.
Tooru glances down at his hand, flexes his fingers a few times, frowning a bit. The previous warmth from Iwa’s hand is already fading.
Tooru wonders if Iwa would find it weird if he tried to hold his hand again the next time they hang out.

Tooru barely registers Iwa watching him, and only looks up when he notices Iwa taking steps towards him.
Tooru stands still, holding his breath when he reaches up and brushes a stray piece of hair out of Tooru’s face. He’s leaning forward, up, and Tooru’s mind goes completely blank when Iwa’s hand finds its way to the back of Tooru’s neck.

Tooru doesn’t remember to close his eyes.
Instead, he watches the closed eyelids of Iwa’s as Iwa presses his lips to Tooru’s. Tooru thinks absently about how pretty Iwa’s eyelashes are, how cute his eyebrows are, how relaxed he looks.

It’s not even really a kiss so much as Iwa just… brushes his mouth over Tooru’s briefly, but Tooru’s still afraid to breathe.
When Iwa pulls back and opens his eyes, his eyebrows furrow slightly in… maybe confusion? Oh, right. Tooru didn’t close his eyes.

Dammit. He didn’t close his eyes.

Iwa lets his hands rest of Tooru’s shoulders a second longer before he finally says, “See you later, Tooru.”

Tooru watches him turn and walk away, still too shocked to get words out.
He hears Tendou hum curiously, then mumble something like, “How interesting” under his breath.

Tendou’s voice raises back to his regular tone when he chirps, “Well, I guess we can all hang out again some other time. It was fun hanging out, Teru.”
Tooru snaps his head around to glare at Tendou, but the latter smirks and adds, “We should do this again.”

Wakatoshi finally speaks up, nodding in agreement. “I’m glad that you and Iwaizumi are together and happy,” he says with that perfect politeness in his voice.

Tooru watches as Tendou, arm around Wakatoshi, spins him around and calls back, “We’ll take our leave. Got lots to do tonight, what with it being completely open now. See you again soon, Teru!”

Tooru thinks he might seriously punch the guy if he sees him again.

As Tooru’s truding home, he thinks about the kiss. It was so brief, but it was gentle.
It was only part of the act, but Tooru kind of thinks it was nice.

It was only a brush, but Tooru wonders what it’d be like to properly kiss Iwa.
Not that he ever would. Or would want to. He’s just curious, that’s all. It’s natural to be curious, right? Right.

Iwa’s face was so close to his, too. He remembers how he could feel Iwa’s breath on his skin, too.
Dammit, he was so shocked he actually hadn’t taken in whether or not he could feel the edges of Iwa’s bitten lip.

Not that… that was something Tooru should have taken in.

Tooru jumps when his phone buzzes with a new text.
Speak of the devil. Tooru laughs at the message.

››You owe me for that awful meal.

Tooru has a dream that night about Iwa.
It’s not entirely out of the ordinary. With how often he’s around Iwa, it’s not so uncommon for him to appear in Tooru’s dreams.

What is out of the ordinary is that Tooru dreams of kissing Iwa.
It’s nothing explicit, but they touch a bit. Fingers sliding over arms, or thighs, or along backs.
Handfuls of hair, fingernails brushing goosebumps over skin.

They linger in each other’s space far longer than they would ever do regularly. They melt into each other, bodies flush against each other warmly.
He thinks he can remember the feeling of a heartbeat, though he can’t tell whose.

When Tooru rolls over and smashes his forehead on the corner of his nightstand, he yelps himself awake.
His head throbbing, he rolls back over on his back with a groan and takes in his dream.

He just dreamed about kissing his best friend. His childhood friend.
That’s… a little weird, right?
Am I… but Tooru stops that thought before it can fully form in his head.

Instead, he throws his blanket off, scurries into the bathroom and quickly distracts himself with washing up and slapping a band-aid pad over the bump on his forehead.

He’s cooking himself breakfast when Iwa texts him.

››We eating dinner tonight?

‹‹Ofc! I did offer. Pleas b kind tho :”

››I’ll think about it. It rlly was a terrible meal
››Had to watch those two being gross and lovey. Had to eat your shit food

‹‹I agree on the first part. The food wasn’t THAT bad Iwa-chan stop being such a drama queen
‹‹Big baby... >.>

››...We’re going to the sushi place again.

‹‹OKAYOKAY I’M SORRY PLEASE HAVE MERCY I’M BUT A BROKE COLLEGE STUDENT ;;;;

Talking comes naturally with Iwa, after all. Well, Tooru didn’t really think a kiss would make things awkward between them.
If walking in on Iwa changing that one time in highschool, or Tooru describing in excruciating detail to Iwa the first time he had sex just to piss him off couldn’t make things awkward between them, a barely-kiss definitely won’t.

That doesn’t stop Tooru from thinking about it, though.

All throughout class he thinks about it. He’s always been good at absent note-taking, but a few times he has to backtrack and actually focus for a bit.
He tries not to think about what kind of sign that might be for him.

He’s leaving the classroom when someone calls out to him.
“Oh, hey, Oikawa!”
Tooru spins around to find one of his friends, Daichi Sawamura, notebook in hand, trailing him out of the classroom.

Well, “friend” is putting it lightly, really. He and Daichi have worked together on projects before and more or less get along, but they don’t really hang out with each other outside of college.
Tooru wouldn’t even call Daichi by his first name if Daichi hadn’t insisted on it.

“Can I borrow your notes from yesterday?” Daichi asks apologetically. “I was sick yesterday and missed.”
“Sure,” Tooru says, handing Daichi his own notebook.
“Thanks!” Daichi grins, taking the notebook. “Hey, are you alright?”

“What do you mean?” Tooru steps aside from the classroom door as one of his classmates brushes past them.
“Well, you have a patch on your forehead,” Daichi motions to his own in example. “And you also seemed a little out of it today. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get a serious head injury or anything.”

Tooru stammers for a less embarrassing explanation for his forehead than what actually happened, “O-oh, yeah. I’m fine, I just, like, banged my head on the door frame this morning. It’s not that bad, I’m just tired.”

“Hm,” Daichi looks him over once, as if still checking to make sure, “Well, thanks for the notes.”
“No problem,” Tooru answers as he turns to leave.
“Oh, wait!” Daichi calls, and Tooru stops in his tracks.

Daichi scratches the back of his neck a little sheepishly as he offers, “My friend and I are gonna go hang out and study tonight. Do you wanna come?”
It’s kind of the first time Daichi has asked to hang out outside of class, so Tooru’s a little touched, actually.

But Tooru waves him off. “Nah, sorry, some other time. My friend and I already have plans tonight.” He smiles and adds, “Thanks for the offer though.”
“Sure. I’ll give you back your notes on Sunday, then,” Daichi grins back. “Hope your forehead gets better.”

“Geez, Oikawa, what happened to your head?” Iwa asks when he opens his door.
Tooru shrugs as he walks past into Iwa’s apartment. “Banged it.”
“On what?”
“My nightstand.”
“...Doing what?”

“What’s with that tone, Iwa-chan?” Tooru huffs.
Iwa closes the door behind him and crosses his arms. “I just thought you’d definitely be stupid enough to slam your head into your nightstand while having sex or something. Are you okay? You didn’t get a concussion, did you? Did you go to class with that?”

Tooru rolls his eyes. “I’m fine, Mom. It wasn’t that bad, just a little bump. And besides, I’m not having sex with anyone, Iwa-chan. I’m not cheating on you,” he teases.
Iwa shoots him a glare as he pushes Tooru to sit down so he can peel the patch off to take a closer look at the wound.

“Don’t call me mom and then make a joke about us fake-dating at the same time,” Iwa says as he presses his thumb over the bump.
“Ow, ow! Don’t press down on it!” Tooru protests. “I’m really okay, Iwa-chan!”
Iwa sighs as he stands up. “You seriously need to be more careful, Oikawa,” he says as he wanders to a small closet by the front door. “I’ll get a new patch.”

Tooru briefly thinks about how he kind of misses Iwa calling him by his first name.
Nostalgia. Nostalgia. Right?

Tooru watches as Iwa circles back and leans down to stick the pad to his forehead. Tooru has a good view of Iwa’s mouth, inches from his face.
He can see the bitten edges of Iwa’s lips; since the kiss was only a brush, he hadn’t been able to feel those ridges. Iwa’s lips are chapped right now, anyway.

“Alright, let’s go eat already,” Iwa says suddenly, standing up and putting his hands on his hips.
Tooru blinks, suddenly acutely aware of how he’s leaned forward a bit, towards the space that Iwa was in.

Iwa doesn’t seem to notice, so Tooru just stands up.
“Where to, then?” Tooru asks as he follows Iwa towards the door.
“Hmm,” Iwa hums, “There’s that ramen shop in the middle of town.”
“Oh, you’re being quite generous to my wallet, huh?”
“...Is that a complaint?”
“Ramen sounds great.”

They’re sitting across from each other, slurping ramen when Iwa suddenly speaks up.
“What’s your type, anyway?”

Tooru blinks, mouth full of noodles. “My type?” he echoes around the food in his mouth.
Iwa rolls his eyes, kicking him lightly under the table. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. You date around quite a bit, but you haven’t really stuck with anyone. What’s your ideal type?”

Tooru swallows as he thinks.
“Hmmm,” he tilts his head in consideration, “Strong, I guess? Someone who I get along with and who will go along with my jokes. Reliable, too; someone who will comfort me when… I’m…”
Tooru trails off as his eyes land on Iwa’s face.

Wait. Wait, no. That’s just...
But it’s not like Iwa’s a terrible person, though. Tooru won’t be the last to admit that Iwa has attractive qualities. He’s always been someone Tooru found comfort in, someone he’s always able to act himself around.
Iwa’s his best friend, after all.
Yeah, best friend.

“He sounds pretty boring,” Iwa shrugs as he blows on his ramen.
“You’re- he’s not! Don’t say that!” Tooru protests, pouting.
“You could probably do better.”
“Iwa-chan!” Tooru huffs.
Iwa raises an eyebrow. “Why does that have you so bent out of shape? It’s not like you’ve actually met someone like that.”

Tooru sits back in his seat, crossing his arms.
“Whatever. Wanna go to the diner in town tomorrow?”
Tooru can tell Iwa notices the change in subject, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Nah. Got night classes on the weekends, remember? Besides, I’m being kind enough to not make you pay your whole savings on dinner,” Iwa stretches his arms across the table as he sits back.

“You’re truly the bestest friend I could ask for and an incredibly kind person,” Tooru chuckles.

They’re walking side by side on the way back to Iwa’s apartment, Tooru hovering close by complaining about the cold.
Iwa’s nagging at him about not wearing a coat when Tooru suddenly thinks to ask.

“Hey, Iwa-chan. What’s your ideal guy?”
“Not you,” Iwa snorts, nudging Tooru’s shoulder playfully.
Tooru whines in turn, “️I’m a great guy! Anyone would be lucky to date me!”

Iwa scoffs, “It wasn’t luck that I had to fake date you.”
“Stop acting like it was so terrible! I’m a wonderful fake boyfriend!”
Iwa shrugs as he nudges Tooru a bit harder this time. “Well, you’re charming enough that I stay your friend.”

Tooru widens his eyes slightly at the sudden compliment, but smiles as he nudges Iwa back.

“I’m charming as hell, Iwa-chan. I am the very definition of charming.”
“You’re the very definition of annoying.”
“Rude! …Wait, you never answered my question!”

Tooru has a normal dream the next night, so he decides to write off the previous night as just a weird thing that happened.
People dream of kissing their friends all the time. That’s a thing. Definitely.

As he rolls out of bed, he sees a text from Iwa from about ten minutes earlier.

››Gm. How’s your head?

Tooru chuckles as he brings his phone to the bathroom mirror with him.
He snaps a quick picture of his reflection, posing with a peace sign, his forehead still a bit red but the bump mostly healed over.

‹‹Just a bit sore! Thanks for your concern mom!! ;9

››You’ve got a zit on your nose.

‹‹AAA Wiat dont look atthat pictre!! ;;

››Nope I’m saving it lol

‹‹THE BETRAYAL IWA-CHAN DD: I CALLED U KIND LAST NIGHT

››Showing it to all my classmates tonight. Your reputation is ruined

‹‹D:<<

››Lol

Tooru laughs at the messages though, eventually tossing his phone onto his bed as he gets changed once the conversation ends.

He’s on his morning jog when he runs into the last person he wants to see ever.
And of course, Tendou sees him first before Tooru can find a way to turn around and flee without looking too obvious.

“Well, if it isn’t Tooru,” he greets perfectly.
Oh, Tooru so wants to punch him.

“Wakatoshi’s boyfriend,” Tooru greets coldly, throwing on a smile. “Looks like he’s not with you today.”
Tendou lets out a shrill laugh as he rocks back on his heels. “You’re not with your boyfriend, either.”

“He has work today,” Tooru answers, shifting his weight. “Classes later tonight, too.”
“Hmm. The other day was pretty fun, you know. We should hang out again sometime,” Tendou says, cracking his knuckles idly.

Tooru does a poor job of not wrinkling his nose and furrowing his eyebrows.
“We’re pretty busy people,” he says flippantly, catching himself halfway on an eye roll.

Tendou eyes him as he shrugs exaggeratedly, “Guess so. Going to different colleges must be pretty tough on your relationship.”
Tooru frowns. “What? When did you-”
“You weren’t listening? He told me before, when I asked,” Tendou smiles, and there’s, like, actual friendliness in it. Tooru bristles.

“Our relationship is fine,” Tooru grumbles defiantly, placing a hand on his hip.
“Hmm, I guess so,” Tendou hums, “He’s a pretty nice guy, huh?”
“Sure.”

Tooru can’t get a handle on this conversation. He can tell Tendou’s teasing him, but he can’t tell how, and it’s just pissing him off.
The way he talks about Iwa to Tooru sounds off and weird, but Tooru can’t put his finger on it yet.

“I have to say though, I was pretty surprised,” Tendou says with a little sigh.
Tooru raises an eyebrow.
Tendou slips on a sly smirk. “You actually followed through. It was kind of impressive. But I guess you two get along fine, for people who just started dating.”
“What are you…” Oh, Tooru realizes all at once.

Tendou’s trying to get him to admit that it was all a bluff.
God dammit.
Tendou knows it was all fake, he just wants Tooru to outright say it himself.

Well, if he thinks Tooru is going to back down, he’s dead wrong.

“We get along perfectly,” Tooru says, talking too quickly for his mouth to filter anything stupid out, “Just because we go to different colleges doesn’t mean we have problems. We see each other all the time, in fact, we’re going to the movies on Monday.”

He doesn’t actually have plans on Monday, but he could probably convince Iwa to go to the movies with him, just for the satisfaction of actually doing it, if nothing else.

But when Tendou’s eyes light up, Tooru realizes far too late that he’s taken the obvious bait.
Tendou grins as he says, “What a coincidence! Wakatoshi and I were going to the movies on Monday, too! Why not make this another double date? It could be fun!”

Tooru wants so, so badly to say no. He knows he should say no.
But (unfortunately), Tooru is incredibly, (stupidly), stubborn.

“Sounds great.”
It really, really doesn’t.

When Tooru dreams of Iwa again, he doesn’t really know what to think. So he doesn’t, because that’s a lot easier. Besides, he’s got other things to worry about anyway.

‹‹Did you eat last night, Iwa-chan?
‹‹You didn’t text me when you got home! D:

››Yeah, sorry abt that. Got home late
››I ate breakfast this morning, so I’m fine

‹‹If you skip meals, you’ll never grow Iwa-chan~
‹‹Poor Iwa-chan will be short forever ;x;

››I’m choosing to ignore your smartass comment.
››I’ll be home late again, so don’t wait up for me to text you.

‹‹What would you do if I showed up at your place tonight?

››What? What are you planning?
››Are you dragging me into something again?

‹‹I’m not being suspicious!!

››...

‹‹Don’t type out the dots!! Maybe I just miss you!! :<

››Oikawa we saw each other the other day

‹‹I’m very attached, Iwa-chan

››Don’t I know it
››Leaving for work now. Later

So that night, Tooru takes the thirty minute train ride to Iwa’s. Iwa isn’t there when Tooru shows up, so he sits on the cold concrete outside of his apartment, huddling under his hoodie against the chilly night air.

‹‹Where are you??

››Just got out of class. On my way home
››I’m eating at home, so don’t worry. Go to sleep
››I told you not to wait up for me to text you moron

‹‹Iwa-chan.

Tooru holds his phone out to snap a quick selfie of himself in front of Iwa’s door. His face is flushed from the cold, but he still pulls his regular peace sign.
There’s about a five minute pause between when he sends the message and when Iwa answers.

››WAHT THE FUCK A RE YOU DOING SH ITTYKAWA
››ITS AL MSOT 2 AM WHTA THE UF KC
››GO HO M E
››WAIT NO I MEA N DONT MOVE
››FUCK

Tooru laughs out loud to himself at the messages. He’s still laughing when Iwa sprints up to him only a few minutes later, keeling over and panting.

“It was very chivalrous of you to come running to let me in from the cold, Iwa-chan,” Tooru says as he stands up, dusting himself off.
Iwa, between his wheezing, glares at Tooru as he hisses, “I came running… so I could… kick your fucking ass...”

Tooru shrugs dramatically as he sighs, “I came all this way to see you, Iwa-chan.”
“No one asked you to!” Iwa takes a step forward, still panting but his fist clenched.

Tooru quickly takes a step back, throwing his hands up in surrender. But Iwa sighs and pushes Tooru aside to unlock the door, pulling Tooru inside as he steps in.

“What do you want, anyway?” Iwa asks as he wanders into his kitchen.
Tooru stands in the middle of the room, wondering how long he can dance around it before he has to ask.

“I just wanted to see you. I missed you,” Tooru says with a shrug, making his way over to where Iwa stands in front of his stove.
“We see each other practically every day. We text every day. What’s there to miss?”

Tooru watches as Iwa pours two ramen packets into a pot of boiling water.
With a light chuckle, he says, “Iwa-chan, you put in too many. If you eat that much, you’ll get fat.”
“I’m making some for you, idiot,” Iwa snaps back without looking up.

Oh. Tooru blinks.
“You’ve been awfully kind lately, Iwa-chan,” he says, leaning against the counter by the stove to get a better look at Iwa’s face.

Iwa shoots a glare at him. “What are you talking about? I’m acting like I always do.”
“Huh.”

A few minutes of silence pass, the sound of boiling noodles the only noise between them.
After a few seconds in which Tooru contemplates how to bring it up, he finally gathers up his guts to ask.

“Hey, Iwa-chan, wanna go to the movies with me on Monday?”
He watches as Iwa stirs the pot quietly. Iwa lets the pause go on a bit longer before finally lifting his head and looking at Tooru.

“Did you run your mouth again to Ushijima’s boyfriend?” he asks, a tired look on his face.
Tooru jolts, trying to remember if he let it slip sometime earlier. It must have shown on his face, because Iwa sighs and flicks off the stove.

“I figured as much. I’m too tired to protest, so fine,” he says as he pours the noodles into two separate bowls.
He holds one out for Tooru, and Tooru takes it in shock.

“Wait,” Tooru starts as Iwa brushes past him to sit down at the table. “So you’re… fine with it?”
Iwa shrugs. “No use arguing. Besides, if it’s a movie, I won’t have to watch those two be gross together, so it’ll be bearable.”

Tooru frowns. Something just doesn’t feel right, but he can’t quite place the feeling.
He suddenly doesn’t feel as eager to go along with Tendou’s challenge.

“Hey,” Tooru begins, “You’re not, like…”
He trails off, unsure if he wants to finish the sentence. He’s not really sure how he’d finish it, anyway.

Iwa raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything when Tooru doesn’t continue.
That silence continues well into after they finish eating and Iwa takes their dishes to the sink.

The silence is only broken when Tooru stretches his arms above his head and heads for the door.
He calls back to Iwa, “Alright, I’ll see you on Monday. I’ll text you when I get home.”

“What? Oikawa, it’s almost two, just stay the night,” Iwa says, eyebrow raised.
Tooru glances back at him. “That’s alright?”
“I wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t, dumbass.”

Tooru breaks into a grin as he circles back towards Iwa.
“Your couch is too small for me to sleep on, does that mean we’re sleeping together?” he asks smugly.
Iwa rolls his eyes. “Sure, whatever. As long as you don’t shove your cold feet on me again like last time.”

Tooru dreams about Iwa again. Sleeping next to him probably doesn’t help, but he’s realizing that it’s becoming a thing. Or it was already a thing.

But when he wakes up at 7AM and finds himself buried into Iwa’s neck, an arm wrapped around him, he thinks maybe he should come to terms with this… thing.

So he rolls over and lays in bed, staring up at Iwa’s ceiling, squinting in the bright room.

Did he only start thinking like this after they started this fake dating thing? If so, how can he tell that it’s genuine? He might only just be thinking of Iwa in this context.

But Iwa’s always been the person Tooru’s gone to for comfort. No matter what it is, Tooru bothers Iwa about it.

Iwa feigns annoyance and acts irked when Tooru does, but of course they both know that they’ll be there for each other. It’s a fact, it’s a wordless promise between them.

Back in highschool, they were a packaged deal. If someone couldn’t reach Iwa, they’d go to Tooru, and vice versa. People would rarely ever only think of Tooru without thinking of Iwa as well.

When they ended up going to different colleges, it wasn’t even a question as to whether they would keep being friends. They simply shifted their routines so that they could continue hanging out together, nothing really changed.

Iwa’s always been a part of Tooru’s life, it’s unthinkable that anything could ever separate them. He’s sure if some big obstacle wedged itself between them, they’d both find a way around it, no questions asked.

And Tooru’s never felt that level of assurance and comfort with anyone else he’s ever met.

So fine, whatever, maybe he’s in l- oh, Iwa’s stirring.
Tooru halts all other thoughts to instead focus on watching Iwa wake up.

Well, this isn’t the first time he’s stayed over at Iwa’s. He already knows how Iwa wakes up.
Slow; he blinks once, twice, before opening his eyes fully, then sits up, rubs his eyes, rolls his shoulders, then looks back at Tooru. His eyes widen slightly, as if he had forgotten Tooru slept over, but one more blink and he’s back to normal.

“Don’t you have classes this morning?” Iwa says, squinting as his eyes recognize the bright room.
“Good morning to you too,” Tooru sighs as he sits up and stretches his arms out in front of him, satisfying pops as he cracks his knuckles.

Iwa rubs his eyes again as he replies, “You’ll be late, get going. I’ll text you tonight.”
Tooru huffs dramatically, leaning over so he can pull Iwa into a half-hug. “You’re so hasty, Iwa-chan. And after we slept togeth-"

Iwa kicks him out of bed.

That afternoon, Daichi invites Tooru to lunch, and Tooru complies.
It’s still strange to hang around Daichi outside of class, but he’s a friendly person and Tooru figures he could stand to have some college friends anyway.

As they’re sitting across from each other in some grimey fast food restaurant (though, the food is pretty good…), Daichi suddenly speaks up.
“Hey, Oikawa, are you and Wakatoshi Ushijima friends?”

Tooru chokes on his soda. Through his coughing, he manages to reply, “Uh, why do you ask?”
“I have a class on Tuesdays with him. His boyfriend comes by to wait for him outside of the building, and he’s mentioned your name before.”

Tooru sits back in his seat, fingers tapping idly on the table.
“I see them sometimes, but we’re not like, friends or anything,” he says awkwardly.
“Really? That’s who I thought you were talking about when you said you had plans the other day.”

Tooru waves him off dismissively. “No, I was meeting with my best friend, Iwa-chan.”
“Oh? Is he your boyfriend?” Daichi asks.

Tooru chokes on his drink again.
“Wh- why would you think that?” he sputters.

Daichi shrugs.
“Well, Ushijima’s mentioned it once, but your notebook had some notes about schedule stuff with him. Don’t forget, you have dinner with him on Wednesday,” he teases with a grin.

“We- we’re not dating!” Tooru says quickly, his face warm.
Daichi laughs, propping his cheek up with his hand.

“Ushijima said you were,” he says with another shrug.
Tooru crosses his arms, pouting. “Well, Wakatoshi was wrong. Since when are you two such good friends, anyway?”
“We like, never talk, Oikawa. You know practically nothing about me or the people I’m friends with.”

“I know you take a physics class,” Tooru huffs.
“Wow,” Daichi says sarcastically as he sits up with a resigned smile, “We’re basically best friends.”

“You invited me out. Tell me about yourself, then,” Tooru raises an eyebrow.
Daichi hums, “Hmm, I’m dating my friend.”

There’s a pause where Tooru’s waiting for Daichi to continue, but he doesn’t.
“...I meant, like, college stuff,” Tooru says slowly.
“Oh? I thought you’d be interested,” Daichi jokes with a grin.

Tooru glares at him, but sighs. “Fine. Tell me about it.”

“His name’s Koushi Sugawara. We’ve been friends since middle school. My best friend Asahi and I were walking home from school, a stray cat ran across the street and under my feet, and I tripped and fractured my leg. I was crying and yelling, so Asahi freaked out and tried to pick me up to carry me, but he ended up tripping over the curb and cutting his elbow pretty bad. Koushi apparently heard both of our screams of panic and pain and came running. He called for help and was the first to sign my cast. The rest is history.”

Tooru wrinkles his nose. “That’s… one hell of an origin story.”
Daichi laughs, “We only got together a couple years ago, actually, fresh out of high school. I think any later and Asahi would have snapped.”

“Well,” Daichi continues after a moment, “So have you actually confessed to your ‘Iwa-chan’, or did Wakatoshi just get the wrong idea?”
“It’s complicated,” Tooru replies quickly, eyes bouncing around the restaurant to avoid Daichi’s.

“Do you think about him a lot?” Daichi raises an eyebrow.
Tooru twists his soda cup in his hands. “Well, yeah, but we see each other all the time. We’re best friends. That’s, like, normal.”
“What context are you thinking about him, though?”
Tooru’s face is heating up again. “It’s nothing weird! Just normal stuff!”

Daichi leans back in his chair, tilting his head up so that he looks down his nose at Tooru.
“Normal as in like kissing him or normal as in like hanging out with him?” he presses.
Tooru squirms in his seat.

Daichi continues without waiting for an answer, “Because if it’s the kissing one, I can tell you from experience that normal friends don’t think about that. I can assure you that I have never in my life thought about kissing my best friend Asahi.”

“Aaaaagh,” Tooru groans, leaning back in his chair and letting his head fall back to stare up at the ceiling.
“You’ve gotta say it out loud to someone else, though. It’s more relieving to do it that way, even if the person you tell makes fun of you.”
“Aaaaaaaaaagh.”

Daichi chuckles as he stands up. “The sooner you admit it, the better. I told Koushi I’d meet him to study, so I’ve gotta get going. We should hang out more often, Oikawa. Do you still have my number from the project at the beginning of the year?”

Tooru lets his arms fall to his sides loosely as he tilts his head slightly to look at Daichi.
“Yeah,” he answers flatly.

Daichi circles around the table and pats Tooru’s shoulder once before he leaves.

It’s that night when Tooru’s going through his usual bedtime routine that he’s thinking about it.
He’s dated plenty of people up until now, why is it suddenly different?

Tooru brushes his own lips with his fingers as he stares at himself in the mirror, trying to remember what that kiss felt like. It was so soft and so brief, he couldn’t collect everything about it.

Normal friends don’t think about kissing each other, Daichi had said.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh, Tooru whips around, away from the sink and hurries back into his bedroom.

He’s laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark when he’s clasping his hands together, thinking about how it felt to hold hands with Iwa. He wonders if they’ll do that tomorrow.

He wonders if they’ll kiss again tomorrow, too. He’s dreamt about it, so he’ll probably be more prepared if it happens aga- wait.
Oh, dammit.
Dammit dammit dammit.

Fine. Fine, whatever.

Tooru shoots up out of bed, snatches his phone off the bedside table, scrolls through his short list of contact numbers, and begrudgingly taps on Daichi’s.

“...Hello? Oikawa?” Daichi greets slowly.
Tooru takes a deep breath, and blurts it out, “I’m in love with my best friend.”

One, two, three pauses before Daichi begins cackling on the other end.
As he’s trying to catch his breath, he wheezes, “It hasn’t even been 24 hours! But, well, I guess I said it was better you admit it as soon as possible. Congratulations, Oikawa.”

Tooru thinks he can hear more laughing on the other end. Does Daichi have him on speaker?
He can hear Daichi shushing whoever’s with him. Damn him.

Tooru knows his face is burning up. But, admittedly, it does feel relieving to say it out loud. He wouldn’t say that out loud, though.

Tooru heaves a sigh as he mumbles, “That’s all. I’m hanging up now.”
“Good luck, Oikawa! Let me know how your confession goes!”
“I-I’m not-! Whatever! Good night!”

Tomorrow really doesn’t sound great anymore.

Wakatoshi drives all four of them to the cinema.
The car ride consists of Tendou playing weird music that Tooru’s never heard of and obnoxiously singing along to it as Tooru and Iwa quietly sit in the back together, shoulders flush against each other as Iwa glances up at him in between scrolling through social media on his phone to let him know how annoying Tendou is being.

It’s not a great ride.

Tooru spends the ride wondering how Iwa thinks about this whole situation. Fake dating him. Holding hands with him. Kissing him.

Tooru embarrassingly realizes he’s never been this in love with someone, and he knows this because these aren’t things he ever worried about in any of his previous relationships.

When they arrive and all step out of the car, Iwa immediately grabs his hand. Tooru knows it’s just for the act but it feels right, the way their hands slot together.

They’re standing in the lobby as Tendou and Wakatoshi get food and drinks for everyone when Tooru finds himself glancing at Iwa’s face. More specifically, Iwa’s green eyes.

He doesn’t know how long he’s staring until Iwa finally catches his eyes and raises an eyebrow in a quiet what?
Tooru just shakes his head and avoids his eyes.

“Are you upset about something?” Iwa presses softly, tilting his head to the side slightly.
Tooru focuses his attention anywhere but Iwa’s face. “No. What would I be upset about?”
“That’s what I’m asking.”

Tooru doesn’t say anything else. He’s kind of regretting this outing now.
His attention is brought back when he hears a voice call, “Oh! Hajime! Hey!”

He sees a guy he doesn’t recognize walking toward them, grinning at Iwa. Almost immediately, Tooru pulls his hand away and takes one step away from Iwa.

Iwa’s eyes glance at Tooru, confused, before he greets the guy back, “Hey, Kousuke.”
Tooru blinks. He’s never met this person, and he’s never heard of Iwa talk about someone named Kousuke.

But the way Kousuke’s sliding closer to Iwa...

Kousuke chuckles, “If I’d known you’d be here today, I would have invited you to come with me!”
Tooru suddenly feels very awkward standing next to Iwa, so he takes a few more steps back in an attempt to look like he doesn’t know Iwa.

Iwa seems to notice and he starts to turn towards Tooru, so Tooru turns around fully and spots Tendou circling back towards them holding a big container of popcorn, Wakatoshi in tow holding an armful of drinks.

“Um, I forgot something in the car,” Tooru says quickly to the two as he whips around and leaves without waiting for a reply.
But he can feel eyes on his back as he scrambles out the doors.

He only realizes once he’s at the car that Wakatoshi locked it, so he crawls up onto the hood of the car instead. Wakatoshi won’t mind. Probably.

He pulls his knees to his chest, rubbing his arms. It’s a little chilly out, and the breeze seems to blow right through his hoodie.

Tooru wonders how long he can camp out here. He slides back against the windshield, arms still wrapped around himself. The sky is clear and the sun’s already dipped below the treeline.

He feels stupid, running away like that, but he didn’t feel right. Kousuke.
Who was Kousuke, anyway? He called Iwa by his first name.
But, well, Tendou calls Iwa by his first name, but Tendou seems to call everyone by their first name.

Still, Kousuke said it differently.
Does Kousuke know about him? Tooru was standing right next to Iwa when Kousuke appeared.

But this isn’t highschool anymore, and people don’t associate Iwa with Tooru or the other way around anymore.
Somehow, that thought pulls at Tooru more than he wants it to.

“I knew it. You are upset about something.”
Tooru sits up to find Iwa standing on the sidewalk that the car’s parked in front of, arms crossed.

“I’m not-” Tooru begins, but his words trail off as Iwa begins climbing up onto the hood of the car as well.
The hood of the car pops, making Tooru jump, as Iwa slides next to Tooru and their bodies press together. Well, Iwa could probably care less if Wakatoshi minds that he’s on his car.

Iwa huffs mildly, “You get like this when you’re upset. You acted the same way when you and Ushijima broke up. All sullen and whiny.”
Tooru doesn’t say anything, just focuses on the warmth he can feel from the closeness of Iwa’s body.

“So, what are you upset about? It’s not like you to keep it from me,” Iwa says, nudging Tooru slightly with his elbow.
Tooru twists his hoodie string between his fingers, trying to think of an excuse or some kind of lie. He lets the pause go on too long, because Iwa elbows him gently again.

When Tooru still doesn’t say anything, Iwa tilts his head back towards the sky before he says, “If it’s Kousuke, he’s just someone I met in college. We hang out sometimes, but I don’t know him that well.”

“I think he likes you,” Tooru instantly replies before he means to. It comes out a bit forcibly, and he wants to retract the words immediately.
“Hm? Why do you say that?” Iwa asks, eyes still watching the sky.
Tooru shrugs. “Just how he looks and acts when he talks to you.”

Tooru can feel Iwa’s eyes glance to him, but he keeps his attention on the hoodie string he picks at.
After a moment, Iwa finally says, “I’m not interested in him.”
“I wasn’t asking,” Tooru mumbles.

There’s a silence between them that’s somewhere in between comfortable and awkward.

“You know,” Tooru says, breaking the quiet, “You don’t have to do this stuff if you don’t want to.”
“What, the fake dating stuff? You’re the one who begged me to.”
Tooru sighs, dropping the hoodie string.

Iwa turns his head fully towards Tooru. “Is that what this is about? Oikawa, you know I wouldn’t put up with someone like Tendou if I really cared that much. You know I’d let you know if I actually minded it.”

Tooru lets his shoulders droop. “That’s not what it’s about. But I know.”
Iwa scoffs, “Then don’t act like you don’t. What is it about, then?”
“Nothing.”
“Oikawa.”

Tooru sits up, the car shifting underneath them, twisting his hands together. “You don’t- you don’t have to do that, Iwa-chan. You don’t have to care so much about me,” he says, his voice edging on shaking.
Dammit.

Iwa sits up as well, staring at him. “What? What the hell are you even talking about?” he asks, leaning forward to try to look in Tooru’s eyes.
Tooru refuses to look at him as he goes on, “There’s, like, other people around you. You don’t have to put all your attention on me. If you do, you might drive other people away.”

Another pause of semi-uncomfortable silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Tooru can see Iwa’s mouth opening and closing like he’s trying to find the words to say.

When Iwa finally speaks, his voice is quiet, the huge, crowded parking lot swallowing up the sound.
“You’re saying you think there’s other people I’d act like this to?”

“Aren’t there?” Tooru says back, just as quiet.
His hands are starting to hurt from how tight he’s squeezing them together.

Tooru barely notices how Iwa’s reaching for his face until he feels fingers flutter against his cheek. His whole mind blanks as Iwa begins leaning forward.
“Close your eyes this time,” Iwa whispers.

Tooru would have laughed if he had thought to, but he sits still, mind white, and closes his eyes and feels Iwa press their lips together.

It’s slower, more gentle than the first time, almost a bit shy. But when Tooru leans into it, Iwa seems to find his confidence as his hand snakes up Tooru’s neck and tangles in his hair.

Tooru can feel it, definitely, this time - the ridges of Iwa’s bitten lips.

Iwa pulls away first, looks in Tooru’s eyes and says firmly but softly, “I wouldn’t do that to just anyone, moron. Get the hint already.”
Tooru’s heart jumps, but words still won’t form in his mouth.

So he instead repeats the words he said the night before, “I’m in love with my best friend.”
Iwa snorts lightly, a smile subtly tugging at his mouth.
Tooru pulls his mind together enough to say, dumbly, “That’s- that’s you, to be clear.”
Iwa snorts again. “Yeah, I know, dumbass.”

Iwa pulls him in for another kiss, wrapping his arms around Tooru. Tooru doesn’t feel cold at all anymore.

They’re interrupted by a high pitched whistle. They part and turn to find Tendou and Wakatoshi standing on the sidewalk.

“If you guys just wanted to make out in private, you could have just said so. I mean, we were gonna wait til the movie started, but…” Tendou says with a shrug.
“Wouldn’t that defeat the point of going to the movies, Satori?” Wakatoshi asks, rubbing Tendou’s shoulders.

“Most people go to the movies to make out, ‘toshi. You sayin’ you wouldn’t kiss me if I kissed you during a movie?”
“No, I would.”

Tooru finally recollects himself and brilliantly laughs, pointing at Tendou.
“You can’t fuck with me anymore!” he shouts, grinning wildly.
Tendou blinks, unimpressed.

“I love you, Iwa-chan!” Tooru triumphantly declares, wrapping an arm around Iwa’s neck.
Iwa’s face turns an incredibly amusing shade of pink as he replies, “Wh- uh, me too.”
Tooru turns back to Tendou and laughs again. “You hear that?! He loves me, Tendou!”

Tendou rolls his eyes and takes Waktoshi’s hand.
“Let’s… leave them alone, ‘toshi.”
“...Satori, were you actually messing with him?”

They skip the movie and instead walk to a small diner near the cinema.
As they’re walking in the doors, Tooru turns to Iwa.
“Am I still paying for dinner for the month?”
“If you want to be a good boyfriend, yeah.”

Tooru squeezes Iwa’s hand, and Iwa crushes Tooru’s in his. After getting Tooru to yelp at his hand being crushed, Iwa squeezes back.

“Let’s never hang out with those two again,” Tooru hums.
“No complaints here.”