The match continued, of course, oblivious to the silent suffering of two players, Iwaizumi's hurt stemming from a lack of knowledge of Oikawa's. Now all-too aware, the only thought occupying his mind was the tension tucked into the corners of Oikawa's smile when they took the set, the strained quality of his laugh as first and second years alike clapped him on the shoulder. The tightness and shadow around his eyes, the slight heaviness even when they won and their senpais whooped happily and demonstrated great sportsmanship by insulting the losing side through the net.
As first years, they stayed behind to tidy up the gymnasium as their senpais trooped into the changing rooms, with varying degrees of exhaustion colouring their steps. Oikawa folded the net with his normal precision but none of his normal boisterous chatter. Iwaizumi was drowning in the near-silence; the only sound, their shoes against the lacquered wood and the quiet twittering of their peers, dutifully tidying away the other court. He never thought he'd wish Oikawa would be obnoxious and annoying, but it was just wrong having him like this. Iwaizumi felt unbalanced without a couple of kicks to Oikawa's flat backside to right him again (not that he looked at Oikawa's backside, flat or otherwise).
He didn't plan on cornering him. It's just. All the other first years had gone to change, and they were wheeling the last net stands into the storeroom, and they were alone. Oikawa was chattering on about nothing and it all sounded incorrect somehow, then before he knew it, Iwaizumi had him backed into the corner, managing to loom over him despite being the shorter of the pair (to his constant disgruntlement).
"Uh. Iwa-chan?" His eyes were all wrong. It wasn't that Oikawa was avoiding his gaze; that might have been better. Instead, the eyes returning Iwaizumi's gaze were so shielded that Iwaizumi couldn't help but falter at the daunting prospect of tearing those shields down.
He cleared his throat. "What's wrong?"
Oikawa raised an eyebrow. "Wrong?"
"What happened today? You were fine yesterday. You were fine this morning when we walked to school together."
Oikawa smirked. "Aw, Iwa-chan is worried about me?" That mocking, teasing tone.
Iwaizumi slapped him. The force of it would have sent Oikawa reeling away but he was trapped in the corner. He cupped his cheek in one hand, the other spread one the storeroom wall, and through his fingers those dead eyes shot daggers at him. There was no amusement in those hard brown eyes at all, no magical return to his senses.
Damn. In that case, he'd probably just made the situation worse.
"So..." he stepped backwards and Oikawa took an aggressive step forwards, though went no further. "You gonna tell me what's the matter?"
"Y'know, you just hit me? So, no, I'm not going to tell you what happened." Oikawa realized the slip of words at the same time as Iwaizumi and, his hand dropping from his face, he stammered a little in his rush to reassure Iwaizumi, "Not that anything happened, of course."
"Of course." repeated Iwaizumi. Oikawa looked down, punched him weakly in the stomach. Iwaizumi was not impressed.
He knew what he was going to have to sink to, and the mere thought made him cringe. Ugh. He steeled his nerves and swallowed. Oikawa's eyes tracked the bob of his throat before flicking up to Iwaizumi's eyes, totally unprepared for the coming attack. With a deep breath in his lungs, Iwaizumi launched the offensive.
Warnings
Start from the beginning
