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"Listen, kid," Tooru sighs, leaning his forehead against the door frame. "I clearly remember Iwaizumi telling me this morning that there would be no session for you two today."
The boy before him stiffens, hands tightly gripping the straps of his book bag. He looks affronted at the news, awkwardly shifting his feet back and forth. Normally, Tooru would have been endeared by such a sight, but he can't right now, given the fact this young lad is at least five years younger than him.
"Shouyo-kun," Tooru stresses, loosening his grip on the door, before letting it go completely. "Please tell me you knew about your change in plans." Shouyo shakes his head, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. He begins to stutter out what Tooru can only assume to be the beginnings of an apology before Tooru unceremoniously shushes him.
After another silent minute, Tooru makes the decision and swings the door open, gesturing for Shouyo to come in. He does, shuffling in quickly. "How do you usually get home?" Tooru asks, moving by the awkward figure standing in the middle of his and Iwa-chan's dorm. Shouyo finally takes the hint and sits down on the very edge of Hajime's bed, limbs tightly coiled in.
"Um, Iwaizumi-san usually walks me to the bus stop," he murmurs, eyes focused on the floor.
Tooru nods thoughtfully. He could walk Shouyo-chan to the bus stop in place of Iwaizumi, but he knows the kid would probably receive the interrogation of a lifetime upon arriving home. His parents would assume he's skipping his lessons, and then Iwaizumi would be asked to come in for a talk, and Tooru knows from past experience that Iwa-chan hardly has time in his schedule (hence the cancellation of today's session). Everything would suck, basically.
He sighs, leaning back against his bed. There's the distinct sound of shuffling, and Tooru closes his eyes. Shouyo-kun is so awkward around him the few times they've been alone, and Tooru just can't figure out why. If Iwa-chan's in the room, the kid never stops talking, never stops moving. But the second Iwaizumi leaves to the communal bathrooms for a quick piss, it's like a switch flips and Shouyo doesn't move an inch.
Maybe it was just the fact that Iwaizumi was his teacher that made Shouyo more comfortable with him present. Or maybe Oikawa just intimidated him. Whatever the fact, it never really bothered Tooru until now. If he was gonna hold the kid like some kind of refugee from his most likely questioning parents, he'd rather not do it in two and a half hours of silence.
"So," Tooru says, putting on his most cheerful expression as he sits up. Shouyo jumps, looking like some human Bambi. Tooru internally cringes. "What school did you say you went to?" He awkwardly tries.
Shouyo shuffles again, sparing him a single glance before stammering out, "K-Karasuno."
At the single word, Oikawa feels himself burst into a million flames. "Karasu...no?" He repeats, feeling his eye twitch. Shouyo nods, not noticing the slow plunge to hell Tooru has worked himself in to.
It only takes a second for Tooru to erupt in hysterical laughter, flopping back down on his bed. He laughs until tears well up in his eyes and his stomach cramps. As those said cramps appear, he sits up, clutching his abdomen. If Shouyo seemed startled earlier, right now he seems terrified. Tooru can't help the snort that escapes his lips at that.
Once his snickers have died down, he manages out an amused, "awesome." Shouyo's cheeks flush at that, and Tooru vaguely notices that he's finally taken off his backpack and set it by his feet. He only lets Shouyo bash in his high school pride for about a second before adding, "God, I hate that school."
There's a beat of silence.
"Excuse me?" Shouyo says, and it's different from the quiet murmured answers he'd been giving since the moment he stepped inside. Tooru hides a smirk. "Why?"
Tooru shrugs, leaning back on his arms. Shouyo looks absolutely irked. "We had a kind of big rivalry with them when I was in high school," he answers, carefully choosing his words. Shouyo blinks, fiery eyes never once leaving Tooru's figure. "They had that little guy," he continues. At this, Shouyo's anger seems to dissipate, and his eyes widen in curiosity. "What was his name?" Tooru mumbles, scratching his chin in thought. "The Tiny One? No," he says, watching from the corner of his eye as Shouyo works himself up again. "Maybe he was called The Shrimp or something?"
He continues guessing the name of the guy, but he knows the name backwards and forwards, had nightmares about the guy himself during his high school career. He can easily put it to the back of his mind now, but the loss they faced against that guy still haunts his mind. Finally, after another teasing name, Shouyo snaps.
"The Small Giant!" Shouyo huffs out, and the thin dorm walls shake. Tooru blinks back in surprise. "He was the ace of Karasuno years ago and brought them to nationals," he says, cheeks puffed out. "He was short like me, but he could beat people twice his size with his abilities."
He goes on to recite what is probably the Small Giant's entire volleyball career while at Karasuno, stopping only the catch his breath in-between facts. Oikawa has never been so overwhelmed by so much knowledge concerning someone who was probably his biggest rival for years. But Shouyo doesn't stop, and Tooru can hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.
By the time Shouyo's finished, his cheeks are red from exertion, but soon change to a softer red, probably from embarrassment. "He's my inspiration," he murmurs, fingers clutching his chest. It's silent then, and Shouyo sits back down (when had he stood? Oikawa can't recall), fingers twiddling in his lap.
Tooru gulps, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. He licks his dry lips. "He was amazing," he admits, slipping his hands under his head. "But he was so predictable."
Shouyo makes a soft noise of interest, and Tooru gestures for him to sit beside him. He does, scrambling over and sitting cross-legged on Tooru's bed. Tooru sighs. "When he jumped, it was like he was flying," he recalls, picturing the small teenager, no wiser than he had been at the time, with a head of black curls. "Everyone thought he was invincible."
It's quiet, but then Shouyo murmurs, "was he?"
Tooru huffs, letting his eyes fall shut. "The thing about jumping that high, is that you don't think of how you'll get back down," he says, and he feels a years-old pain blossom across his right knee. "You'll always hear about how the Small Giant brought Karasuno to nationals, but no one ever talks about how he never actually played in their most important match."
He returns his attention back to Shouyo, and he sees the kids heart visibly break. "H-He didn't play?" Tooru shakes his head.
Somehow, it's easier to talk to Shouyo after that. He shares his dreams and aspirations, and how he hoped he could be the next Small Giant. He tells Oikawa that he's the vice-captain of Karasuno this year, and how the prelims start in three weeks. He makes Tooru promise he'll come to at least one of their games, and levels him with his most adorable puppy eyes when Tooru seems hesitant.
In the end, he agrees he'll go.
"Oikawa-san!" Shouyo calls from the court, and Tooru nearly drops his bag of candy from the high bleachers. Suddenly, all of Shouyo's little high school friends are glancing up at him, and Tooru wants to blush. There's a tall blonde that looks suspiciously like Akiteru, and Tooru can't believe Aki let his little brother go to their rival school, that traitor.
Shouyo's side of the court isn't the only one staring him down (or up?), and Tooru tries to subtly glance at the other side of the court. The turquoise and white jerseys immediately spark a sense of pride in his chest, and he almost feels nostalgic. He waves at his ex-coach, and offers a smile to the players, all who seem a little in awe of his presence.
holy shit is that oikawa tooru? the grand king. he's the one who brought seijou to nationals, isn't he?
Later, as he's buying Shouyo a congratulatory popsicle, Shouyo leans close and whispers, "Wooow, the Grand King, in my presence?" Tooru shrugs him off, shoving the plastic bag containing his ice cream back towards him. Shouyo snickers, bumping their shoulders before tangling their fingers together. "Y'know, my eighteenth birthday is in two weeks," he mentions, and Tooru glances over, watching as Shouyo obscenely licks his popsicle.
"Trust me," he says, leaning in to bump their noses together. "I know."