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You are ahead of me… Iwaizumi bit his lip, watching Oikawa take a step in front of him and blather on about some nonsense to the girl who’d stopped them in the middle of the hallway. You are always ahead of me. In the spotlight, taking all the attention. The tension in Iwaizumi’s shoulders bled out once they managed to escape the throes of the girl, walking side-by-side back down the hallway. There were always those few inches between them, those few damned inches Iwaizumi hated with a passion. Every part of him burned with the urge to make the inches disappear. You are a star, shining bright, bringing out the light in everyone around you. He saw it. He saw how Oikawa was able to bring out the best of everyone on his team, knowing exactly how to shift into the weapon each of them preferred to use. Iwaizumi saw it, and he wondered. Wondered how Oikawa kept track of himself whilst being so fluid, shifting and changing into the person he was interacting with preferred most.
The prim, polite, straight boy in front of his parents who received straight A’s and was captain of an amazing volleyball team, yet never seemed to be enough. The laidback jokester in front of the team who could lift their spirits with a few teasing words. The charming yet distant gentleman in front of his fangirls who gave them attention personally because he thought they deserved that much. The battered but strong kid- because Oikawa was still a kid, despite acting like he was a god- he was in front of Iwaizumi. The one who used weak attempts at humour to cover up his deteriorating self-worth and the one who got excited over alien documentaries and the one who loved chicken soup, but only when ‘Iwa-chan’ made it. Iwaizumi let his gaze wander over Oikawa’s side profile, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as they made their way outside of the school. Do you know? He wondered if Oikawa knew. If Oikawa knew that he was always watching, waiting in the wings, there to pick up his pieces the minute he needed to fall apart. Iwaizumi supposed that he must have. Or, maybe, Oikawa, the one who always wanted everyone’s eyes on him, did not know about his specific pair.
Iwaizumi presumed that made sense. All those eyes… I can’t imagine you would be able to discern mine from the rest. For if Oikawa was a star, then Iwaizumi must’ve been some chunk of rock. Floating through space until he saw his star and became hopelessly enthralled in the other’s gravity. That wasn’t a big deal to Iwaizumi, he worked best from the shadows anyway. Everyone could keep their eyes on Oikawa, Sejoh’s very own blinding star, and Iwaizumi could come out of left field. “Iwa-chan, you’ve been very quiet, you know.” Iwaizumi blinked before rolling his eyes, and Oikawa tilted his lips upwards, smirking at the brunette. “Quiet or not, I’m used to you filling the silence with your mindless babble, Crappykawa.” He snarled instantly, and Oikawa laughed brightly. He knocked his shoulder against Iwaizumi’s own and something in him sparked at the touch. “Ah, your nicknames are so mean, Iwa-chan~ Try and come up with something nice, will you?” Oikawa teased, and Iwaizumi huffed. Prettykawa . The thought came unbidden and Iwaizumi’s ears flushed an angry red.
“No. I will not.” Iwaizumi grumbled in reply, following Oikawa inside the other’s house and slipping off his shoes once the setter had done the same. “Mean Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whined, pouting as Iwaizumi walked into the kitchen. Without preamble, the ace began to pull things out of Oikawa’s cabinets, arranging ingredients on the counter. Oikawa took a seat at the bar, swinging his legs lightly. “Whatcha makin’, Iwa-chan?” He asked with a soft hum, and Iwaizumi tossed a scowl over his shoulder that made Oikawa laugh. He wondered if Iwaizumi knew what he was doing every time he did just regular, normal old stuff. Like making him dinner after school…and insulting him…and being cutely competitive. Okay, ew. Oikawa wrinkled his nose. He was quite obviously, completely, disgustingly in love, wasn’t he? Iwa-chan deserved all the love in the world, of course, but Oikawa wished that sometimes it wouldn’t be as bothersome as it was. “Iwa-chan! Love~ Why won’t you tell me what you’re doing?” Oikawa complained loudly and missed the way the back of Iwaizumi’s neck turned a vibrant red.
“Why the h*ll are you calling me that ?!” Iwaizumi snapped violently, and Oikawa giggled. “Cause. I thought it’d get a reaction, and oh, look, it did!” He taunted with a smirk, and Iwaizumi flipped him off, continuing to do whatever he was doing. To be truthful, Oikawa had just wanted the chance to call his Iwa-chan something cutesy. “I’m making your dinner, idiot.” Iwaizumi answered eventually, and Oikawa rolled his eyes. He’d gathered that much, Iwa-chan always made him dinner after school when his parents weren’t home. Oikawa tended to burn water, so Iwaizumi had begun cooking for him way back in middle school, something that made his heart go ‘pitter-patter’ to this day. “I know, Iwa-chan, but I meant what kind of food are you making?” Oikawa replied cheerily, and Iwaizumi shrugged. “Chicken noodle soup,” The casual answer gave Oikawa a pause. Iwaizumi didn’t make Oikawa’s favourite soup unless he’d had a particularly bad day, but today hadn’t been one of those days. He bit his bottom lip, keeping silent as he studied Iwaizumi’s posture, trying to figure out what had happened.
Iwa-chan was fine earlier… He was quiet on the way home, but that’s not unusual. He did okay during practise, Makki-Makki had said something that set him off, though… Could that still be bothering him? Oikawa’s eyebrows drew together and he frowned, glaring at Iwaizumi’s back as if the answer would suddenly appear upon it. “Stop analysing me, Tooru. I can feel you staring at me, y’know.” Iwaizumi grumbled, glancing at him over his shoulder. Oikawa’s cheeks stained a pink shade and he immediately looked down, becoming interested in the marbling on the bar he was sitting at. “Is whatever Makki-Makki said still bothering you, Iwa?” This time, Oikawa didn’t miss the way Iwaizumi’s neck flushed red. He raised an eyebrow curiously. Iwa-chan was not someone who blushed . Not easily, anyway. “No. Stop it, ‘Kawa. I felt like making chicken noodle soup, so I’m makin’ it, alright? Cut it out.” He ordered firmly, and, well, now there was no way Oikawa was dropping it. Not when his Iwa-chan was blushing .
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes to himself. Stupid, dumb*ss Makki. The pink-haired idiot had made some comment during practise about how obvious he was when it came to Oikawa and had resulted in Iwaizumi spiking a volleyball into his stomach. Of course, Oikawa had noticed that and assumed it had something to do with why he was cooking a common comfort food for them. Mattsun had joined in on the teasing as well, but Oikawa had come over and started asking questions before Iwaizumi could bury a volleyball in his gut, too. Unfortunately . “Iwa-chan. You know you’re blushing, right? Like- I can’t let this go now! Does Iwa-chan have a crush on somebody~?” Oikawa blurted out suddenly, sounding mischievous, and Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. His ears burned and he turned around, scowling at Oikawa. The brunette gave him an innocent smile and a playful wink. “Crappykawa, you better shut it. I do not have a crush on anyone!” He retorted with a glare, and technically, it was the truth. His feelings for the setter had drifted past the ‘crush’ stage since quite a few years ago now. Oikawa raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him.
“Sure, Iwa. Whatever you say.” He agreed and Iwaizumi gritted his teeth. “I don’t ,” He snapped again, and Oikawa grinned happily. “I said sure, Iwa. I believe you…” He drawled, his grin turning into a smirk, and Iwaizumi threw a chopstick at his head. Oikawa ducked and it clattered somewhere behind him, causing Iwaizumi to frown. “I don’t have a crush on anyone, okay?!” He repeated for the third time, and Oikawa snorted. “What, so you’re in love with this person instead?” He prodded, and Iwaizumi hunched his shoulders as he turned back around. Within seconds, Oikawa gasped. “You are in love with someone! Iwa-chan, I’m hurt . Why didn’t you tell me?” The brunette sniffed, wiping away a fake tear. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, beginning to boil his noodles. “No, seriously, Iwa-chan… Why didn’t you tell me?” Oikawa’s tone had turned sombre and it made Iwaizumi stiffen. He glanced over his shoulder to see the setter staring at the marbling of the counter, tracing random patterns with his fingers. “We don’t talk about stuff like that, idiot.” He replied casually, his heart pitter-pattering against his ribcage quickly with nerves.
“I have told you about every crush I’ve ever had, Iwa-chan, even when I had a minor attraction to Tobio-chan at our last face-off with Karasuno. I told you about Tobio-chan , Iwa. Do you not trust me or something…?” Oikawa sounded far too insecure in their friendship for Iwaizumi’s liking, but still, he bristled. The way Oikawa was wording everything made him feel guilty, and then defensive over feeling guilty. “It’s literally nothing, Tooru.” Iwaizumi responded quickly, lest Oikawa got annoyed at him for not answering in addition to being annoyed about the fact that he didn’t tell him about his love life. “But, Haji… You didn’t tell me something important about you. We tell each other everything.” Iwaizumi scowled. Are we really going to fight about this out of everything, Tooru?
“Fine! Don’t say anything at all, d*mmit! I’m going upstairs to change and shower, Iwaizumi .” Oikawa muttered coldly and Iwaizumi sighed. So we are . Oikawa stormed up the stairs, pouting to himself. He didn’t want to admit the reason why the fact that Iwaizumi was keeping the person he loved from him bothered him. But, deep down, Oikawa knew it was because he was jealous. Jealous of a person he hadn’t even known existed, in a competition with someone likely prettier and smarter than Oikawa anyway. Iwaizumi wouldn’t love anyone less than perfect, of course. Oikawa’s bottom lip trembled as he got into the shower, and he was glad the soft sound of water falling masked the sound of his sobs. He got out of the shower a while later, somehow looking even more tired than he had when he’d first entered it. Oikawa glared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment before changing into his alien-themed pyjamas. His shirt was a light blue with an alien head decal on the pocket above his heart, whilst his pants were a dark blue with alien head decals splattered all over them.
“Hey, sorry for snapping at you, Iwa-chan. I thought about it, y’know, and you’re right. It’s not really my business if yo-” Oikawa stopped dead at the entrance to the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at his sister. His sister , who had her hand on his Iwa-chan’s bicep and had a brown curl wrapped around one of her fingers with a flirtatious smile. “Nee-chan. I didn’t think you’d be in town for a few more weeks,” Oikawa muttered venomously, brushing past the two to toss the towel he’d been using to dry his hair on a bar chair. Tamichi shrugged and Oikawa noticed how Iwaizumi yanked his arm with no small amount of pride. “I’m not officially in town, Tooru~! Just stopped by to check in on you, where I found Hajime cooking dinner.” Tamichi raised an eyebrow and Oikawa resisted the urge to flinch away. His sister had been dropping hints that she knew how he felt about his Iwa-chan for a few months now, along with passive-aggressive hints about telling their parents. “O-Okay.” Oikawa internally cursed himself for stuttering.
“I only made enough soup for the two of us, Nee-san.” Iwaizumi interrupted their conversation with a casual smile, something that made Tamichi beam in return. Oikawa breathed a minuscule sigh of relief. “Ah, okay, Hajime! I’ll see you two boys later~! Ta-ta!” Tamichi wiggled her fingers in a wave as she traipsed out of the kitchen and Oikawa couldn’t help but feel like the added ‘boys’ was a jab and a reminder at him. “You were saying?” Iwaizumi completely ignored his sister’s drop-in, as if it wasn’t the most random and stressful few minutes of Oikawa’s entire month. “Um. Just, you were right, or whatever. It’s not my business to know who you’re in love with.” Oikawa seemed visibly shaken by his sister’s presence, Iwaizumi noted as he set a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of the setter. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Oikawa begin to eat his soup with shaky hands. “I think I’ll tell you who I’m in love with now. As long as you don’t make a big deal out of it.” Iwaizumi hummed, and sure enough, that got Oikawa’s attention. Pretty brown eyes looked up at him, sparkling with curiosity.
“You will? Iwa-chan! I knew you trusted me!” Oikawa said cheerfully, dropping his spoon so that he could clap his hands together in excitement. Iwaizumi snorted, the barest bones of a smile gracing his lips. “Yeah. I’ve always trusted you, idiot,” Iwaizumi took a deep breath. He couldn’t believe he was about to confess the secret he’d managed to keep for years, just to see Oikawa’s mind drift to something other than his jerk of a sister. Oikawa smiled softly, his brown eyes turning sweet. Iwaizumi’s ears and neck turned a bright red colour. “Anyways. It’s you.” He finished simply, shrugging as he turned around and began to spoon soup into his bowl. It was silent for a few minutes and Iwaizumi turned back around, taking a seat next to Oikawa at the bar. He hummed to himself as he began eating his chicken noodle soup, acting completely casual. In a way, the confession wasn’t particularly stressful. It was just what he felt, and he figured, Oikawa deserved to know regardless.
“It’s… Huh? Iwa? Are you… I mean, did… Did Nee-chan put you up to this? Cause, I swear, whatever she told you-” Iwaizumi’s eyebrows furrowed at Oikawa’s panicked tone and he looked at the setter, his eyes widening when he noticed the tears streaming down Oikawa’s cheeks. The brunette faced him, his expression not changing in the slightest, his eyes wide and blank. “Sh*t, no, god, Tooru. I’m not- Tamichi did
not
put me up to this, okay? I was just- I’m in love with you, d*mmit.” Iwaizumi lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Oikawa tightly and the other boy let out a heavy sob. “Tooru, I need you to copy my breathing, understood? In for five, out for seven.” Iwaizumi slowed his breathing, waiting the minutes it took for Oikawa to do the same. Eventually, the other managed to wrap his arms around his chest in return. “You… You love
me
, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa whispered and Iwaizumi let out a weak chuckle. “Yeah. I’ve loved you for a while, honey,” He replied simply and Oikawa had to stifle another sob. “I love you too, Iwa-chan.”
-end