Reverse
A Haikyuu! oneshot
by mew-tsubaki
Note: The Haikyuu! characters belong to Furudate Haruichi-sensei, not to me. Because the fandom needs more Washinaga. :P Read, review, and enjoy!
- ^-^3
"Ohhh, crap, if Sarukui doesn't let up, Komi's gonna—never mind, there he goes," Konoha said with a wince as he and Washio witnessed from the sidelines the near-murder taking place in Fukurodani's main gym one evening while the boys' volleyball club was nearing the end of practice.
Washio opened his mouth to comment, but he promptly shut it, because there wasn't much to say. He and Konoha and the rest knew Sarukui had only himself to blame—as he often did—because going up to Komi and rubbing the top of his head as though he were some elementary schooler was a surefire way to land oneself in one of Komi's patented headlocks. Although…
Konoha snickered. "Cripes. Only Sarukui would wear that dumb grin while Komi's trying to exact revenge."
"Probably," Washio finally said before Yamiji-sensei blew a whistle at the team to wrap up their cool-down exercises properly. Most of the students obeyed, but Sarukui took a moment to grab Komi by the legs and somehow swing him around to Sarukui's front, not unlike a practiced move done by ice dancers on TV.
"How in the hell—?! Okay, they had to have tried that out at some point beforehand," Konoha griped, but he clapped along with their teammates at the spectacle.
"Maybe not. Komi's laughing pretty hard at that."
"Seriously? Damn…"
Washio couldn't help cracking a smile watching their friends, too, but the scene quickly turned mawkish as Komi used his monster strength to hook his arms around Sarukui's neck and yank the wing spiker's head down to plant a sloppy kiss on his left cheek. Not that Washio couldn't handle his teammates' PDA, but he found locating his towel and water bottle to be much more interesting in that moment.
Out of the corner of his eye, Washio saw Konoha put his hands on his hips. "Man. You can only get away with that shit when you're tiny and cute." He nudged Washio's sneaker with the tip of his own. "Don't you agree, Washio?"
The taciturn owl shrugged. He could nearly hear Konoha's eye roll.
"If you keep horsing around and get tangled in the net, you're putting it away," Shirofuku groused—likely at Sarukui and Komi. There was a flurry of action on the court, mostly by the first years, to clean up, though several of the third years remained in the way.
Stuff in hand, Washio hoped to make it out of the gym quickly, though, upon straightening up, he noticed Suzumeda had joined them, and Sarukui was on his way over since he'd abandoned Komi to be yelled at by the third-year manager. "Ditching him in his time of need, Sarukui-san?" Suzumeda asked with a chuckle, and Konoha was back to snickering.
Sarukui snorted and yanked the practice penny over his head, smoothing his t-shirt as he dropped the mesh cloth into the manager's laundry basket. "Komi will be fine. Shirofuku's scary, but secretly she's laughing. We all know it."
"Are you kidding?" Konoha asked. "She's probably taking notes. If she jumps onto my back at a later date, expecting me to pull off the same, you guys are gonna be down one spiker for the Spring High." He blinked and paled, and his eyes darted to Suzumeda. "Er, not that…Yukie's fat or heavy or…um…"
Suzumeda grinned. "Never even crossed my mind, Konoha-san. It's fine. And I sort of understand. I wouldn't want Hayato-kun doing it to me, either."
"I'd hope not. Yamagata's barely shorter than you. He doesn't really meet the 'cute and small' criteria Yukie or Komi does."
"Ehh? Cute and small?" Bokuto piped up from behind Sarukui, spooking them. "Akaashi's cute and small!"
"How?!" Konoha retorted. "What on Earth is small about Akaashi?!"
Despite Bokuto launching into a list that likely made sense only to him, Washio tuned his friends out. Sarukui and Komi had been funny five minutes ago, and the banter now was mildly amusing, and he didn't begrudge them their humblebrags, but Washio felt uncomfortable with the occasional glances he got. In Bokuto's case, it might not have much meaning beyond being proud to call Akaashi his boyfriend. But the quick glimpses, caught eyes, and raised eyebrows from Suzumeda, Sarukui, and Konoha regarding this discussion of significant others being the "cute and small" type all conveyed one thing: "Isn't it sweet? That type? Maybe that's what you want, too."
Except it wasn't. Washio was certain of that.
When a reprieve appeared (in the form of that scarily quiet Akaashi appearing at Bokuto's side to ask "Who's cute and small, Bokuto-san?"), Washio seized the chance and ducked out of the gym ahead of the others. It was a small comfort to be one of the few early ones to the clubroom and therefore relatively alone, but his mind did wander back to the topic of the hour.
Not that he'd ever be rude to Konoha, Sarukui, Bokuto, or Suzumeda, but Washio honestly had had several chances to think about how their type wasn't necessarily his, especially as this wasn't the first time it had come up. Still, every time he thought about that not being his type, his mind would go in the opposite direction. Personally, he appreciated the role reversal more.
Wouldn't it be nicer to be the "cute and small" one in the relationship? Wouldn't it be nicer to soak up some of that attention, to be coddled? To be the one who could get away with anything?
…well, all right, the last thought was a slight stretch as to why Washio really wished to be the smaller one, but he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror one of the other second years had stuck inside his locker door. The reflection was a reminder that Washio knew few people smaller than him.
His contemplation was interrupted by the hubbub of the rest of the guys arriving to change, and Konoha joined him once more.
"You ran off pretty fast back there," the blond remarked without looking at him.
Washio paused zipping his sweatshirt to give Konoha one of his drier stares, complete with lips pressed into such a straight line he might as well have been frowning and his brow lowered just a smidge above disapproving.
That only made Konoha laugh. "Nah, man, it's fine, it's fine…"
Sure, it was. Washio grabbed his bag and hoped Konoha might drop the subject at last.
"And I guess I stand corrected. Bokuto was well-prepared. Somehow Akaashi falls into the category." Konoha grinned.
Washio found it in him to laugh it off. He gave a jerky shrug and nod, figuring that maybe agreeing with Konoha—even if only on the surface of things—might table this conversation for the foreseeable future.
Konoha nodded, too, but there was a glint in his sharp eyes that Washio almost missed when the latter closed his locker door. The blond grabbed his own bag but took his time zipping it shut. He pursed his lips, but a slow smile bloomed on his features, and he leaned a little Washio's way. "But how cool would it be if Yukie doted on me instead?" he asked Washio in undertones. He chuckled at the implication of being tinier than his redheaded girlfriend, but Washio didn't sense a teasing or regretful vibe at the idea.
If anything, Konoha's remark gave him pause. Washio hadn't said anything about his true feelings…but, maybe with a friend like Konoha, he didn't have to say it.
Either way, Konoha clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, I owe Yukie a bag of nikuman because Sarukui tattled in the end. See you tomorrow, Washio." And he was out a few steps ahead of his middle blocker friend.
Washio exited the clubroom still unsure if that was just Konoha reading him or if Konoha might've been showing his support in that roundabout, foxlike way of his. But he wasn't so lost in his thoughts that he missed the shadow on the stairs, indicating someone behind him. He paused, and Onaga caught up with him.
"Good work today, Washio-senpai," the first year chirped as he joined Washio at the bottom step.
"You, too, Onaga."
They walked part of the path from the clubrooms to the main gate together before Onaga spoke again. "Um…if you don't mind telling me, what's got you so quiet, senpai?"
Washio quirked an eyebrow, surprised by Onaga's observation. Someone could tell? Then again, with the lights of the school behind them, Onaga probably couldn't see Washio's expression, so the older boy replied, "I was quiet?"
"More than usual," Onaga answered, light laughter in his tone that he smothered in the ensuing silence. "I'm not trying to pry. Just—you…seemed to draw in on yourself at the end of the day, when the others started playing around. As if making yourself smaller."
"'Smaller'?" Washio blinked, stunned for a second time. He stopped on the school steps and faced Onaga partway, studying his fellow blocker half over his shoulder.
"AH! Well, you know, not that, just—" Onaga dropped his eyes to the ground and held his hands up defensively. "I mean, well, everyone on the team's kind of small compared to me, you know?" He laughed, nervously, maybe somewhat forced; he ran a hand over the back of his head for good measure. "Um, just that I'm…tall. You know. Gangly. I'm, like, wide as a bus in some ways. Although…Bokuto-senpai has the muscle to be a bus. OH!" His eyes widened alarmingly. "But I don't mean to sound insulting! I just—"
Washio fought down a laugh. They all knew Onaga to be a respectful kouhai, and he was friendly when speaking with any of them, but seeing him so flustered right now, in trying to talk with Washio… Washio appreciated Onaga attempting to lend an ear and cheer him up. It made him smile.
"Er, Washio-senpai…?"
He twisted his lips around, hoping to make his smile smaller so Onaga wouldn't feel Washio was making fun of him. He beckoned the first year closer with a quick wave of his hand. "Onaga."
Onaga stood at the top of the staircase. "Yes?"
"…would you like to go home together?" Perhaps not the best distraction, because Konoha and Onaga took the same line to and from school, so he and Washio could only stay together partway, but…
Onaga laughed and grinned brightly, undoubtedly grateful to have his embarrassing rant stopped. He happily obliged with Washio's request, and it took just two skips to join his senpai as they continued on. At the bottom, before they turned in the direction of the train station, Washio thought Onaga would say something more. Instead, the first year slid his eyes Washio's way, closed his mouth, and smiled, and he leaned back on his feet a bit as he matched his pace to Washio's.
Several more times that evening, Washio caught Onaga's eyes alighting on Washio in that comfortable manner, and one time Washio decided to meet that gaze. And Washio had to admit:
He really did enjoy having to look up into someone's smiling face. Even if it was only by a few inches.
- ^-^3
Well, it feels as if it's been forever since I last wrote something (a few months, and more than that since it was anything HQ! *sigh*). But I've been thinking about some of my fav boys lately, and I got several new Washinaga ideas while fighting a Matsuwata that is threatening to become another multi-chapter fic. XD Anyway, it's a silly idea, but I rly love Washio, and I could see him being a bit jealous of his friends—just not in the manner which they're expecting. But Onaga! Cutie that he is! He's always watching his senpai! I mean, all of them, but I do get the feeling that Washio's the most approachable, not just because they're the regular middle blockers. Just. GAH. Washio is a teddy bear. =w= I'd like ten of him and Onaga each, pls. ANYWHO! If ya want/need more Washinaga, I already have two up ("Unhandsome Men" and "Simple People"), and I've got four more coming ("Are They…?" "Pastime" & "Talent," and "Something to Understand"). And I'll be churning out more art, so please visit me on tumblr (le-amewzing), too!
Thanks for reading, and please review! Check out my other [HQ!] fics, too, if you liked this! Esp if you need a rarepair fix.
-mew-tsubaki :3