"Hahaha!"
"Oikawa-san, this isn't funny!" Kageyama glared at him.
"Ara? It's hilarious to me though." Oikawa took another look at his kouhai and doubled down in laughter.
"Stop it already!" Kageyama turned away, embarrassed.
"Let me take a picture, Barbieyama." Oikawa whipped out his phone and focused the camera on Kageyama, clicking a few photos.
Kageyama tried to grab the phone but Tooru pulled it away immediately. He crossed his arms and turned his back against Oikawa.
"It's not funny..." Tobio trailed off.
"It is though."
Oikawa laughed at the photo and shut the phone, tossing it over to his side. He turned to look at his kouhai and his heart dropped instantly. From the angle Kageyama was sitting at, Oikawa couldn't really see his face but the tears at the corner of his eyes were crystal clear. He slowly pulled up beside Tobio as a feeling of guilt overtook him.
"Oi, I was just messing with you..." Oikawa tugged on his kouhai's sleeve.
Kageyama didn't respond. He stared at the floor, clutching the blanket tighter in his hands.
Oikawa tugged at his sleeve again, getting nervous. "Tobio-"
Kageyama slapped his hand away. "Why do you always do this?" His voice trembled as he shouted.
Silence.
"I'm sorry." Tooru grabbed Kageyama's hand and pulled it softly. "Oi, don't start crying now."
"I'm not crying." Tobio wiped the edges of his eyes.
"You are though."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not!" Kageyama picked up a pillow and threw it at Oikawa. "Go away."
Oikawa caught it before it hit his face and slammed it softly against Tobio's head. "No, it's my room."
"Stop it." Kageyama grabbed another pillow and swung it at Oikawa. It hit him under the chin, causing him to lose his balance and fall off the bed.
"Ouch!" Oikawa crawled up the bed, rubbing the back of his head. "You brat, I didn't even hit you that hard."
"You started it." Kageyama turned his face away. A soft chuckle came out of his mouth and he quickly covered it with his hand.
Oikawa noticed it and sighed in relief internally. He went to his side of the bed and lay down. "What are you even so mad about?"
Kageyama looked at him from the corner of his eye. "You made fun of me. You don't think that's a good enough reason?"
"Ah! You look pretty though", Oikawa replied coolly, smiling.
He saw Kageyama's eyes widen before he snapped his head towards the balcony.
"Shut up." Kageyama stood up. "I'm going to take a shower."
He pulled out the rubber band out of his hair, making the small ponytail at the front of his head droop down and fall back into place. Oikawa had tied his hair up while he was sleeping in the morning and he had only noticed it when his senpai pointed out his reflection on the glass doors while he laughed.
Tooru giggled. "Aw, don't take it off, Barbieyama."
"Don't call me that!" Kageyama glared at him as he stood holding the door open.
Oikawa winked at him, sticking out his tongue.
"Seriously..." Tobio muttered and walked out, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks.
...
Oikawa glanced at Tobio as they stood at the crossing. His jacket and dark blue jeans stuck to his skin on the right, wet from the rain. The white shirt underneath soaked in the water from the jacket, turning translucent. Kageyama played with the cap on his head, turning it around and back. The chilly weather had coloured his nose with a tinge of red and he shivered as cold blasts of wind hit them, making him close his eyes and retreating into the warmth of the scarf around his neck.
Tooru found it adorable and let out a soft laugh, catching Tobio's attention. He took a sharp breath as his kouhai looked at him, growing red in the face. He quickly looked away, hoping Kageyama didn't notice it. A familiar feeling enveloped him. He couldn't get rid of it no matter how much he tried. It warmed him inside even though he stood there, drenching half of his body in the rain. He knew what it possibly meant but still hoped for it to be something else.
It can't be that. It absolutely can't be that. He kept repeating the words in his head when Kageyama's voice rang in his ears.
"Oikawa-san, can we stop for snacks?"
Tooru turned to look at Tobio's hopeful puppy eyes. He felt like he would melt in a puddle if he looked at them too long. Tearing his gaze away, he ran his hand through his damp hair. "In this rain?"
"But it has gotten lighter now."
"We can eat at home, just wait ten minutes, we'll be there soon."
"Oikawa-san, please! I'm starving."
Oikawa sighed, giving in. He was worried about them catching a cold again but decided it wouldn't matter if they stayed out a bit longer, considering the fact they were already half drenched.
"Fine. What do you want to eat?"
Kageyama wrapped his arm around his senpai's and pulled him along across the road, pointing towards a tiny stall parked at the side of the street.
"Udon. Can we have?"
Oikawa stared at Kageyama's hand around his arm, his mind going completely blank from the new sensation. Snapping out of it at his kouhai's question, he nodded.
"Sure, come on. But stop running, you'll hurt your leg." He walked slowly beside Kageyama as the latter pulled his senpai along.
Around seven minutes later they were done eating. Oikawa paid while Kageyama held the umbrella over them, pressed against his body. Tooru waited for his heartbeat to calm down and return back to normal before turning towards Tobio. He held out his hand but Kageyama stopped him before he could say anything.
"I'll hold the umbrella, it's fine."
"Okay." Oikawa picked up the plastic bags from the bench.
They were about to head back into the main street when a shrill voice caught their attention, making them turn around.
"Kageyama-san!"
Two girls wearing Karasuno uniforms approached them, waving at Kageyama. When they were close enough, one of them rushed towards him.
"Kageyama-san, what are you doing here?"
Her friend walked up to them, covering her with an umbrella. "Aren't you supposed to be at the training camp? We overheard Yachi-san talking about it."
Kageyama scratched his head, confused. "Umm... I'm sorry but do I know you two?"
"We're from Yachi-san's class." They both said at the same time.
The one closer to him pointed to herself and then to her friend. "Satou Uori and Nakamura Ukiyo."
Kageyama nodded. "Nice to meet you. I was going to go to the camp but I hurt my ankle so I'm staying here till it gets better. Are you coming from school?"
"We had to use our club room to plan for the upcoming event."
Oikawa cleared his throat, directing all of their attention towards him. Kageyama quickly turned to the girls to introduce him.
"This is my former upperclassman-"
"Ah, Oikawa Tooru from Seijoh, right?" Ukiyo turned to him. "We were at the match when Karasuno played against you guys."
"Kageyama-san, we watched your matches at the nationals too. You were so amazing!" Uori leaned closer to Tobio.
"T-thank you." Kageyama stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.
Out of nowhere, she grabbed his free hand with her gloved ones, surprising him. He widened his eyes as his body stiffened.
"Your hands looked like they were freezing cold." Uori smiled at him.
Oikawa stared at their hands and a sudden urge to snatch Kageyama's hand away crept onto him. He felt uncomfortable. A strange feeling overwhelmed him as if someone had torn away something precious from him.
He broke out of his trance as he felt Kageyama softly shove him. "Oikawa-san?"
"Huh? Did you say something?" He had spaced out, oblivious to the conversation happening in front of him.
"Umm... Yeah, I was saying we should probably head back." He turned towards Uori and pulled on his hand slightly. "Satou-san, if you would..."
Uori let go of his hand and backed up, blushing. "Oh, sorry. It was nice running into you. Umm... Hope your leg gets better. See you!"
The girls turned around and walked off, waving goodbye at them. Oikawa spun around on his heel and strutted off quickly, making Kageyama jog to his side. Neither of them said anything until they were almost at Tooru's house.
"She likes you."
Kageyama snapped his head towards Oikawa. "What?"
Tooru glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "That girl, she likes you."
"What are you talking about?"
Oikawa stopped and turned towards his kouhai. "You really are clueless, aren't you?"
"Umm..."
"You seriously didn't notice how she looked at you? She literally held your hand." It came out bitter.
"Īe, I think she was just being nice."
Oikawa sighed. "Nobody looks at someone they're just being nice to, like that."
Kageyama thought for a moment then answered. "Oh. I'm not used to that so I guess I didn't notice."
"Huh? I never thought my innocent kouhai would one day be breaking hearts. You put me to shame, Kageyama Tobio."
"I didn't break her heart though."
"You didn't even react to it, pretty sure that broke her heart a little." Tooru started walking.
Not feeling Kageyama's presence behind him, he was about to turn around when his kouhai's voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"It's better than telling her I like someone else, right?"
For a moment, it was as if his heart stopped beating. The rain slowed down into a drizzle, then halted as if on cue with his feelings. He stood frozen for what felt like forever. His mind was a complete mess, trying to register the words that were just spoken. When it finally hit him, he turned around to see Kageyama staring at him.
"I guess so." The words came out dry. Oikawa turned back around and started walking, closing his eyes.
I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear his name. Please, just don't say his name.
Tooru heard Kageyama's footsteps as his kouhai ran to catch up with him. He put a fake smile on his face and and turned towards Tobio.
"Maybe I should have shown her the picture from this morning." He tried to hold back the tremble in his voice.
Kageyama groaned beside him. "Jeez, please don't remind me of that." He paused, then furrowed his eyebrows and pouted. "Seriously, why did you even do that?"
Oikawa laughed at his expression, finding it adorable. The troubled thoughts faded away from his mind. "Ah, why indeed I wonder!"
Because it's easier to kiss your forehead that way.
He looked up at the sky, hoping he could write his thoughts on it, finally admitting to himself what he had been doubting all this time. Even though his kouhai's words echoed in his mind, the conflicting feelings from before didn't hurt him any longer as he realised what he actually wanted. He didn't want to hear him say Hinata's name, he wanted to hear his own.
I love you, Tobio.
__________