I honestly have no idea what this is, it's kind of an AU where Oikawa's taken into Iwaizumi's family like a second son :)
That summer was a hot one, and by the time the school year started, the heat hadn't let up. Iwaizumi sat at his desk, tugging at his collar uncomfortably. I can't believe we have to wear these stupid uniforms, he sighed inwardly, glaring around at the few young kids waiting in the classroom. I hate this school already.
"Hi!" a cheerful voice called out, and Iwaizumi turned to focus his eyes on the enthusiastic brunet standing next to his desk.
"Hm?" Iwaizumi mumbled, finding himself much too tired and hot and uncomfortable to even think about starting a conversation with some stranger in a new school. A faint wave of annoyance rushed through him when he saw that the other kid was still there, the smile unwavering.
"I'm Oikawa Tooru," the brunet grinned, "You're new here, right? I saw you a few times over the summer, when you first moved. Your house is on my street, you know. I was hoping we could become friends. What's your name?"
Iwaizumi felt his eyelids gradually growing heavier with every word that came out of the other kid's mouth. Oikawa Tooru? He sighed. "I'm Iwaizumi Hajime. Pleasure to meet you." He didn't bother with the effort to put any emotion in his voice.
Oikawa was standing expectantly, still smiling that stupid smile, hands clasped in front of him as he rolled back and forth on his feet. Iwaizumi glared at him. "What?"
"So?" Oikawa asked, and Iwaizumi swore he could see those eyes sparkling. "Will you be my friend?"
Iwaizumi glanced away, pretending to consider. No way. Not with this annoying attitude. But when he looked back at Oikawa, meeting those eyes, the word fell from his lips automatically. "Sure." As soon as he heard that word in his own voice, he realized what had happened. "Ah—" he said quickly, about to say something like, Oh, no, that was a mistake, sorry, no, I don't want friends, but the expression on Oikawa's face blew the thought from his mind.
It was like someone had stuck a lightbulb under the kid's skin. His entire face lit up with happiness, the smile growing sincere. "Thanks, Iwa-chan!" Iwaizumi almost choked on his inhale when he heard that nickname, but Oikawa just looked so happy…
"Yeah, ok," Iwaizumi mumbled, turning away as Oikawa took the desk behind him, sitting with a happy oomf! Iwaizumi looked straight ahead, but all his thoughts were on the weird kid sitting behind him. How did he get me to agree so easily? I thought I told myself I wouldn't have friends. I'll just lose them all anyway. He turned his head slightly so that he could glance at the brunet from his peripheral vision. Well, he seems annoying enough for me to not miss.
"Haha, Iwa-chan, I beat you again!" Oikawa laughed, rolling across the couch to knock against Iwaizumi's shoulder. Iwaizumi grimaced, tossing the video game controls to the side.
"Gah, whatever," he said in annoyance, "The game was getting boring anyway." He'd only known Oikawa for a few days, but somehow knew more about him than he ever had any of his friends in the past. Oikawa tended to invite himself into other peoples' lives, and somehow he was eating dinner with Iwaizumi's family every night.
Iwaizumi glared at the TV screen, which showed the ending scores. Another thing he'd learned about Oikawa was that he was good at everything. Literally, everything. Iwaizumi could never beat him when it came to athletics, sports—or even video games. The only thing Oikawa didn't excel in was…well, Iwaizumi would find out eventually. Hopefully.
"Dinner time!" Iwaizumi's mother called from the other room. "Wash up, boys!" Oikawa jumped up from the couch, grinning in excitement. Iwaizumi was starting to hate that grin.
"Why don't you ever eat at your own house?" Iwaizumi asked, as they started to make their way out of the living room. For just a second, Oikawa's smile faltered. It was quickly recovered, though—if it were anyone but Iwaizumi, they probably wouldn't have noticed. But Iwaizumi was observant, if nothing else.
"I just love your mom's cooking, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa laughed, "She makes the best dinners! Besides, isn't it normal for best friends to eat together?"
Iwaizumi stared at him. "Yeah, but not every single night. And we've only been friends for a week, how does this make us 'best friends'?" Oikawa pouted.
"Aw, come on, Iwa-chan! You're my very favorite friend, top of the list!"
"That's because you don't have any other friends," Iwaizumi stated bluntly, sending another mock frown across Oikawa's face. "I wonder why."
"Don't be so mean!" Oikawa whined, "You're friends with me, after all."
"That's because I don't have any other friends, either."
"Exactly!"
"Why does that make you think you've won the argument?"
Iwaizumi's mother's voice interrupted them. "Come on, boys! Dinner's getting cold!" Oikawa grinned at Iwaizumi, hurrying to the table. With a roll of the eyes and a sigh, Iwaizumi followed.
Apparently, Oikawa didn't like sleeping at his own house, either. It had only been a month since the start of the schoolyear, and a sleepover every weekend had quickly turned into every day. "I just like spending time with my best friend!" Oikawa would say, never without that stupid smile. "What's wrong with that?"
Iwaizumi had only brought it up with his mother once. "Why do you keep letting him sleep over?" he'd mumbled one morning, after staggering tiredly down the stairs to eat some breakfast before having to hurry off to school. "I thought you never allowed sleepovers on school nights, anyway."
His mother had simply smiled and laughed. "I'm just so glad you finally have a real friend here, and so soon after moving! It's something you have to cherish, that friendship. You may not notice it yourself, but I know how much happier he makes you." Iwaizumi hadn't really understood what she meant—How can an annoying kid like that make me happy?—but the meaning slowly dawned on him. "Now, go wake him up, you guys have to leave in ten."
It wasn't really something he realized, but whenever Oikawa wasn't there, Iwaizumi felt lonely. He'd simply grown so used to Oikawa's presence, it was just too weird when he wasn't there. It's unnatural.
That's what Iwaizumi was thinking about as he sat in his desk, waiting for homeroom to start, with a strange emptiness behind him. He never would've thought it was possible to notice something even more when it was missing. He just had to go and get sick, didn't he…
That school day was probably the loneliest Iwaizumi had ever felt. It was then that he remembered the reason he'd decided to not have friends in the first place. They get you so accustomed to their presence, and when they leave, the comparison to the crushing loneliness is worse than how you started off. He shook his head, as if he could shake the thoughts away. He's not gone, he's just missing a day…a single day, that's all.
The day ended without incident, and Iwaizumi walked home alone. His house was only a few blocks away from the school, but it felt like the longest trek he'd ever been on. He hesitated as he finally got to his street. I should check on Oikawa. I don't think I've ever been to his house before.
Of course, he knew which house was Oikawa's. It was only three houses down from his, and they passed it every day. Oikawa always stayed with Iwaizumi, though, as he'd practically started living in Iwaizumi's house.
Iwaizumi sighed, hopping up the steps to the front door, knocking loudly. Oikawa basically lives in my house, he's treated as my sibling by my family…I haven't even been inside his house, and I've never even seen his family. There was no answer, so he knocked harder. Why does he still call me his friend? What kind of friend am I to him? "Oikawa!" he yelled through the door, "It's me! Open up, I came to check on you!"
Still no answer. He must be sleeping, Iwaizumi mused as he made his way out the front gate, down the street to his own house. He is sick, after all. Strange that no one came to the door, though…maybe I'll call when I get home, just to make sure he's alright. Do I even have his phone number?
"I'm home," he called out when he opened his own front door, taking his shoes off.
"Oh, welcome home, dear!" Iwaizumi's mother called from the kitchen. "Come here, I need a little help for a minute." Iwaizumi made his way to the kitchen, where his mother stood over a pot of boiling soup.
"Still a little warm for soup, Mom," Iwaizumi eyed the dish suspiciously. "And it's not nearly close to dinnertime." Iwaizumi's mother laughed at him, pointing a wooden spoon to the cabinet just out of her reach.
"Just grab a soup bowl for me, please," she smiled, "It's not for us; it's for your friend."
"Huh?" Iwaizumi was just tall enough to reach the bowl without knocking anything else down. "Oikawa's here? No wonder no one answered his front door."
"You went to check on him? You're such a caring friend, Hajime," Iwaizumi's mother beamed, taking the bowl from Iwaizumi and ladling some soup into it. "He went home for a little after you left for school, but he came back before noon asking to stay here instead."
"Hm, wonder why," Iwaizumi took the soup-filled bowl back, grimacing as the heat prickled at his fingertips. "I'm starting to think he just doesn't like his own house."
"You said no one answered his front door?" his mother asked, and Iwaizumi nodded. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "That's a bit strange…If their son was sick, wouldn't his parents stay home with him? And by this time, he'd be home from school…does that mean their working hours prevent them from being home when he is?"
Iwaizumi shrugged, setting the soup bowl against the counter to give his hands some relief from the heat. His mother wiped her hands on a towel, glancing out the window that faced the direction of Oikawa's house. "I think I'll go check…I hate the thought of a young kid like him being all alone at home, don't you?" Iwaizumi just shrugged again, reaching for the soup bowl.
"Where is he now? I'll take this to him."
Iwaizumi's mother smiled. "Would you really? You're such a dear. He's on the couch in the living room. Thanks Hajime, I'm going to go out for a bit."
"Bye," Iwaizumi called out as she walked towards the front door, putting her shoes on. She waved back, but didn't answer as she headed out. She's really worried about him, huh… Iwaizumi felt a smile ghost across his face. She really does think of him as her own son, doesn't she.
He took the bowl, making his way through the kitchen to the living room. "Oikawa," he called out as he got there, seeing his friend's slumped-over form on the couch. Setting the soup on the side table, Iwaizumi bent down to inspect Oikawa's sleeping face. He looks uncomfortable. Iwaizumi reached up to feel his forehead, quickly jerking his hand back at the burning heat.
Should I wake him? Yeah, it's probably better if he eats something. "Oikawa," he said softly, shaking his friend's shoulder. Oikawa's eyes slowly blinked open, hazy from sleep and sickness. He squinted up at Iwaizumi before mumbling something and turning away again. "Come on, Oikawa, you have to eat. Look, my mom made you soup. Didn't you love her cooking so much?"
Oikawa stirred, opening his eyes again. "Iwa-chan," he croaked, the words sounding painful to Iwaizumi's ears, "Is my head on fire?"
"No," Iwaizumi answered, watching as Oikawa shivered, pulling the blankets tight around his body. "You're really sick, you know."
"I know," Oikawa whispered.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't your parents be taking care of you?" There was no answer at the door, Iwaizumi remembered, right after the words left his mouth.
Oikawa somehow found the strength to crack that smile again, that one he had on every time Iwaizumi asked him anything. "I just enjoy your company more, Iwa-chan," he whispered, his voice fading in and out. Iwaizumi suddenly realized the meaning of that smile.
"You're lying," he blurted out, seeing a shadow of fear flash through Oikawa's eyes. Wait…he's sick, I should be letting him rest… "Never mind," he quickly backtracked as the smile disappeared from Oikawa's face, "Sorry, I, uh…I wasn't thinking. Um, just rest for now, ok? You'll be better by tomorrow, I promise." He stood up, walking away hurriedly. Oikawa let out a faint sound of protest behind him, but Iwaizumi only walked faster.
The only thing in Iwaizumi's mind then was the look on Oikawa's face—that look of utter fear, betrayal, and disbelief all mixed into one terrified expression. He's usually so composed, and happy. Why would those two words…? Iwaizumi replayed it in his head. "You're lying." Why had he said that, again? Why had he said those words that so obviously upset his friend? Oh, yeah…I was getting sick of that smile.