Oikawa slammed his locker shut and leaned on it, giving Tobio an unimpressed stare, "And just why would I want to help you with anything, much less icky math?"

"I really need to pass my math test." He couldn't tell Oikawa that if he didn't pass he wouldn't be able to play, because Oikawa would probably like that. "Please Oikawa-san!"

"What will you give me?"

"Um, I don't have any money."

Oikawa regarded him for a moment before giving another of his infamous, evil smirks. "Okay, I'll help you,"

"—Really—"

"But, you have to be my servant for the rest of today."

Kageyama wasn't sure what that entailed, but he was desperate so he agreed quickly.

"My house, after school. We'll walk there."

"Alright! Thank you, Oikawa-san!" Kageyama surged forward and hugged him, one of the first times he'd touched his soulmate.

"Ah, yes, but don't touch me. You have cooties, remember."

Kageyama scowled and pulled back, "Cooties was a thing in elementary school. I thought you'd be more mature than that."

Oikawa looked surprised for a moment and then rolled his eyes, "Surprised you even know what 'mature' means. And I'm more surprised you can pronounce it."

"Well it isn't rocket science." Kageyama had heard that term before and hoped he'd used it right. Judging by Oikawa's non-smug expression, he probably had. "So, Oikawa-san. If I'm your servant for another day, will you teach me how to serve."

Oikawa rolled his eyes, "Nice try, Tobio-chan~" and flicked Kageyama's head before sauntering off in the other direction.

"What a shithead." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

A voice startled him out of his thoughts, "Whoa, where'd you hear that from." Kageyama whirled around to see Iwaizumi.

"Oh um… from you?"

"Ouch," Iwaizumi chuckled.

At the sound, Kageyama felt his heart swell with warmth. Iwaizumi made him feel different than Oikawa did. Oikawa made him tingle, made his entire body buzz and his heart speed up just enough to be noticeable.

But Iwaizumi was different. With him he just felt warm. So warm, it sometimes lingered after he walked inside his house. Iwaizumi made him feel like maybe he was worth something.

"So what were you talking with Oikawa about?"

"Studying. I have a math test this Friday. Oikawa-san is going to help me."

"Wow, that's… amazing."

Kageyama knew Iwaizumi didn't think that, he was probably just surprised. He figured he shouldn't mention that it wasn't for free because he didn't think Oikawa would like him telling Iwaizumi of their agreement.

Kageyama was willing to keep another secret for volleyball, as long as it helped him pass on Friday and keep playing, he didn't really care.

It was becoming easier to lie and keep secrets though, almost to an alarming point. A couple days ago he never would've dreamed of lying. Now it was becoming so easy.

"So, Oikawa agreed to study with you, yeah?"

Kageyama nodded.

"I'm glad," Iwaizumi had a soft expression on his face, "maybe you'll become closer after this. I've always wanted you two to be friends."

"You…" Kageyama treaded cautiously, "you don't think I'm annoying?"

His question seemingly startled his senpai, because the older boy almost flinched backwards. "No, I don't think you're annoying." He murmured.

Kageyama wanted to believe that, wanted to believe it so, so badly. But those words Oikawa had shown him kept replaying in his head. You're not disagreeing. That had haunted Kageyama for the past couple days. But maybe Iwaizumi just didn't want to start fighting over him. He didn't think Kageyama could see what he'd written after all.

Tobio didn't know if that made it better or worse. Iwaizumi did always step in, when Oikawa was teasing him. He always took Kageyama's side against Oikawa when no one else ever would. He couldn't figure out what Iwaizumi's real thoughts on him were.

"Believe me," Iwaizumi let out a laugh, "no one could be as annoying as Oikawa. You couldn't be, even if you tried."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Shittykawa feels threatened by you, he doesn't say it out loud but I know that's what he's thinking. You didn't hear it from me though."

"Oikawa-san is threatened?" Kageyama couldn't really understand what Iwaizumi meant by that, but it scared him. He silently wondered if he came off as his father did without meaning to. Oikawa didn't act scared around him, but Kageyama didn't act scared around his father either.

Maybe that was why everyone avoided him. Was it because he was scary?

"Yeah. He's a weirdo, but it seems you guys are getting along better now."

Kageyama nodded. Oikawa was giving him a chance, even after Kageyama made him feel threatened. He wouldn't waste this, but he wasn't sure what he was doing that was so scary, so he figured he'd ask Oikawa after school so he could make sure not to do it again.

But first, he had to survive the day.

Apparently being the servant of Oikawa meant running around and hearing a lot of Oikawa's whiny complaining. "Take this money and go buy me a drink. Anything but that dreadful milk of yours."

Kageyama took the money and waited till he'd turned around to roll his eyes. Milk wasn't that bad, and it was good for your bones.

So, he was forced to slave away all day long, but he swore it would be worth it. Not only would he get help with his math, but this was his chance to make amends with Oikawa. Maybe, if things went well, he could reveal he was their soulmate.

His parents wouldn't be happy with that, but at this point, Kageyama was desperate. He was sure they'd forgive him eventually.

"Tobio-chan~." Oikawa sang at the end of volleyball practice right as Kageyama was about to head outside. He knew that voice wasn't good.

"Yes?"

"I'm not letting you in my house with your sweaty volleyball clothes on. So you have to change."

"I don't want to."

Oikawa rolled his eyes, "You said you were shy, but you know there is such a thing as private dressing rooms."

"But… won't it be weird. If I go in there and nobody else does."

"Only if you make it weird which you've obviously been doing. Now come on."

Kageyama allowed himself to be led into the changing room where he was assaulted by the image of half-naked kids, and it made him more uncomfortable than he thought it would be. He was always the first in the locker room so he could snag a changing room, and he always made sure he was the last one out.

This was completely new to him. Before he'd been lying about being shy, but maybe it hadn't been as much a lie as he'd thought it'd been.

He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked into one of the private changing rooms, probably because no one had ever seen him in there before. Kageyama shut the door and locked it, changing into his cleaner clothes as quickly as possible before standing and waiting for everyone else to leave. He didn't want to go out and have to wait awkwardly while everyone else was still changing, and he didn't want to be caught staring at Oikawa or Iwaizumi either because he knew that was a wrong thing to do, and it would make them uncomfortable.

He was always so damn awkward, and he hated it.

Tobio was startled by a loud banging on the changing room door, "You almost done? How long does it take to put on a shirt and pants?" Oikawa sounded annoyed.

Kageyama stuffed his gym clothes in his bag and hurriedly unlocked the door, coming out. Oikawa had his hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow at him. "You take forever," he commented.

Kageyama didn't say anything, just glanced up at him a couple times as they walked out. "Oikawa-san."

"Yes?"

"I was talking with someone. And they told me something about you. Um… they said that you were threatened by me."

Oikawa made a sound in the back of his throat that sounded like a bird squawk. "I'm—"

"And um, you can tell me! Why you feel threatened, I mean. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Scare me?"

Kageyama nodded, trying to gauge Oikawa's reaction. He couldn't read it though, he wasn't sure what the older boy was feeling. He wasn't usually sure of anything having to do with emotions unless it was about his parents.

"Look, I am not scared of you." Oikawa said. "You're some twelve-year-old kid, who's scared of the dark, and has chipmunk cheeks."

Kageyama was fairly certain he had no such things. "But Iwaizumi-san said—"

"Wait! Iwa-chan said I was scared of you! I knew he was dumb, but how could he completely misread the situation like that!"

Kageyama bit the inside of his cheek. He knew it was more likely he had misread the situation, not Iwaizumi. "He didn't say you were scared. He said you were threatened, and I maybe thought it meant something it didn't."

Tobio could feel Oikawa's eyes burn into the side of his face but he refused to look up. "Tobio-chan, what about you makes you think I'd be threatened."

"Well… it's less about me and more about… how you act, around me." Kageyama paused. "You don't like me, even though you like everyone else, and you're mean to me, and you like to mess around with me."

Kageyama finally looked up at Oikawa waiting for an answer, but he didn't get one. "Don't ever word something like that again."

"Word what like what?"

"The thing you just said. Don't say it."

"Say what?"

"Ever."

Kageyama got no more answers, even as he tried to veer the conversation the way he wanted, Oikawa was much too good at discussing something else, and Tobio found he always gave in and spoke about what Oikawa wanted.

"Well, here we are." Oikawa said when they arrived.

The house was decently sized, old brown paint clinging to the siding, and an old wooden porch sat out front. The windows themselves looked old, but they were nicely cleaned, and the yard was beautifully kept.

The house was old, but somehow it still had a lively feel to it.

What surprised him most was the inside, however. And it wasn't anything in the room that caught his eye, but the overall feeling he got the moment he walked into the house. The glaring difference between this house and his own. He could smell something in the kitchen, and the paint on the walls was a warm color, much unlike the gray paint he had in his house. The furniture actually looked comfy, not like the furniture in his house that looked like decoration. There were small accents here and there, a piece of furniture that was stark against the rest, a wall of paint that didn't match the others. It brought everything to life.

More than that, the house was actually a bit messy. When Oikawa saw it, he looked a bit embarrassed, "Usually Iwa-chan is the only one who comes over," Oikawa explained as if that was supposed to mean something to Tobio. He nodded anyway.

"Mom, I'm home! And I brought someone over to study, that's okay, right?"

Wait, Oikawa hadn't asked his mother beforehand? Kageyama hoped this study session didn't get Oikawa in trouble.

"That's fine! Iwaizumi?"

"No, someone else!"

At that, someone peaked around the corner, and Kageyama straightened up, suddenly glad Oikawa had made him change. At least he looked more presentable this way.

The woman came towards them, and Kageyama assumed it was Oikawa's mom. "Nice to meet you, ma'am." And he bowed.

"Oh my, isn't he the cutest thing."

Kageyama stood straight, looking up at Oikawa's mother. Auburn hair, and brown eyes just like Oikawa's. She was round, and stood taller than Kageyama, at about her son's height. What he noticed most though, was her face. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes almost seemed to sparkle.

For lack of a better word, she looked extremely happy. Kageyama didn't know if he'd ever seen someone so openly… happy. "Tooru, he looks so sweet, you should've brought him home sooner."

Sooner?

Another thing he didn't understand was the affection in her tone. He wondered if she was okay, or if something was wrong. Oikawa didn't seem to be worried about it, but Tobio couldn't shake the worry.

Another part of him actually liked the tone. It was nice.

"Well, you boys have fun studying." She said and her lips quirked up into what Tobio could recognize as Oikawa's signature smirk, and she waved at them, almost playfully.

Kageyama wasn't sure how he was supposed to have fun studying, but he would definitely make the best of the time he had.

"So, you're struggling with math, right?" Oikawa asked, leading him upstairs, and he opened one of the doors as Kageyama nodded.

"Alright then, take out your books, I'll be back." And as soon as Kageyama was in the room, the door shut again.

Tobio carefully set his bag on the floor and glanced around the room. It was obviously Oikawa's. It just screamed Oikawa. Every last decoration, every last book, every last picture. The things he owned, the way it was arranged, even the bedspread was Oikawa.

He didn't expect so many aliens though.

Kageyama set his bag on the ground and sat beside it, pulling out his homework, and then sat and waited for Oikawa to get back.

He eventually did, and sat on the floor across from Kageyama. "Alright, what do you want to work on first?"

Tobio explained the things he was confused on, and even though Oikawa called him an idiot every couple minutes, Kageyama did actually understand him, and Oikawa took the time to make sure he understood. That was more than most of his teachers did. "Oikawa-san, you're a good teacher."

"I know. I'm good at everything. Sadly I'm going to be a professional volleyball player so the children will never get my expertise."

"Do you think I'll pass my test on Friday?"

"Keep practicing what I taught you, and you should. Why are you so concerned with this math test anyway?"

Kageyama pursed his lips, wondering if he should say. In the end, he figured it couldn't hurt to at least tell him part of the reason why. "My parents expect a lot from me when it comes to grades, and my grades have been suffering. They'll be really disappointed if I fail."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. You'll just get a better grade next time."

Oikawa didn't understand his parents, he didn't understand that there was no 'next time' for Kageyama. "This one's just extra important, okay, Oikawa-san."

"Fine, whatever. Do you need anymore help with math?"

"Um… what time is it?"

Oikawa crawled over to his dresser where a digital clock sat, "It's like six."

"Six? Like p.m.?"

"Yeah. What else would it be, a.m.? You better get home, Tobio-chan, it's going to start getting dark here soon."

The dark was the least of his problems. Tobio shoved his math books and notes inside his bag and hurriedly slipped it on.

"Well you're certainly in a hurry." Oikawa teased.

"I told my parents I wouldn't be out too late." Kageyama almost tripped on the last step in his hurry to get down the stairs, but managed to right himself and run to the doorway.

"Mom, Tobio-chan's leaving." Kageyama heard as he pulled on his shoes.

"He doesn't want to stay for dinner?"

"No, he says he has to get home. But Iwa-chan is coming over later and can we go to the park?"

"Tooru, why do you ask these things after you've already agreed."

"Because it's less likely you'll say no." Tobio could hear mock innocence in Oikawa's voice and closed the front door right after hearing an exasperated sigh, most likely from his mother.

Thankfully it wasn't dark yet, so Kageyama could still see, but the sun was going down, and if he didn't hurry fast it would be night time before he got home. He had no idea what was going to happen. He'd told his mother, and she said it was okay. Some sick, sick part of him hoped his father was angrier at her than him.

He and his mother were more similar, in their appearance, physique, and personality. That was probably why they understood each other better. He didn't understand his father at all though, how he could be so emotional and impulsive. Because his father's emotions ruled him, it was hard to get logic across to him, but using his own emotions was even worse because that always just escalated things further.

The night air was cool on his face, but Kageyama felt sticky and much too hot. He rubbed his palms on his pant legs as he half-jogged towards his house. He knew he was too late and his father would already be home, so there was no point in rushing and looking panicked.

Soon he arrived at his house, just as it was getting dark, the door looming in front of him, scary, almost like a huge monster. The entire house looked frightening to him. It was old, grey paint stuck on the wall, pieces of it flaking here and there. The wood looked old, and he just knew spiders hid in the crevices and he knew they scuttered all over his house. They'd always had spider problems He slowly opened the door, the knob feeling like ice on his fingers and when he entered, the house wasn't just cold. It was bone-chilling. He could feel the emptiness and low temperatures sink through his clothes and his skin, down to the very marrow in his bones.

His mother was nowhere to be seen, and out of the corner of his eye he saw his father, on the couch, the TV on. He heard no sound coming from it, however. Kageyama shut the door behind him as quietly as possible and toed off his shoes.

He needed to find his mother. "Where've you been?"

Tobio almost jumped, but held it together and only flinched slightly at the sudden voice. "Um… I've been…" should he lie, had his mother told him, had she lied for him, what had she said? "Studying." He offered vaguely.

"Your mother said you went to someone's house to study."

"Mama said it was okay." Tobio defended himself, hoping that would somewhat quell whatever emotion his father was feeling.

"Oh? And since when did your mother make the decisions in this house?" his father's voice was ice cold.

"Since…" since never. "I'm sorry." Kageyama had no idea what else to say.

"You've been different lately, ever since you started playing that wretched sport."

He didn't feel as if he'd been that different but there was no point in arguing that. "You're quitting that sport."

"What? Papa, you said—"

"Well now I'm saying you're to quit, effective immediately."

Kageyama went quiet for a moment, "What does mama say?"

"She agrees."

Mother always agreed.

"Papa, I don't want to quit." Kageyama tried to keep his tone even but it wobbled somewhere and Tobio bit his tongue hard.

"I know, son. You'll see it's for the best in the long run." His father's voice turned more comforting, a tone he used to make amends with Kageyama.

Tobio didn't want to hear it this time

Without thinking, he turned and threw the front door open, running back out into the night. "Tobio!" he heard his father shout after him and footsteps running after him.

Kageyama was much faster though and sprinted faster, out of his neighborhood, and down some random street. He couldn't hear his father anymore, just the sound of his own breathing and his feet thumping on the pavement

He had no idea where he was going, just knew that he had to get away. He couldn't breathe in that house, felt like he was suffocating, choking as he bit back his own emotions

He was going to have to quit volleyball. He had no idea what to say to that, had no idea how to handle it. He didn't know how to feel his emotions, didn't know what to do when he could no longer think things through calmly and logically.

He slowed down his sprint to a jog and then stopped, panting, sweat running down his back, making him shiver. He wished he had some water to drink.

He bent over, hands on his knees, just trying to catch his breath. Eventually though, he sat down on the deserted sidewalk and felt tears well up in his eyes.

He knew he wasn't supposed to cry, but he figured no one was around to see or hear so he might as well allow himself this just once.

No more volleyball, his parents were furious with him, his soulmates didn't want him, he was going to fail that math test. He was tired, cold, hungry, alone, and he had no idea where he was or how to get home.

He didn't have a phone, all the lights in this neighborhood were out. Only the little lone street lamps were visible down the street. He was scared, the darkness was a heavy blanket on his shoulders, making it hard for him to breathe. An ice cold blanket that grabbed his throat and strangled him.

What was he going to do? How would he get home? He wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, who was going to find him? Would his parents call the police?

Kageyama made a sound in the back of his throat. A sound he hadn't made since the last time he'd been stuck inside that closet.

It was a sob, and it was unbearably loud compared to the silence from earlier. He couldn't stop shivering, and his heart ached. He felt a burning in the back of his throat and he couldn't hold it back anymore.

Tears leaked out of his eyes and down his cheeks, and he wiped his runny nose with the back of his hand, while more and more sobs choked themselves out of him. He tried to stop multiple times, but he couldn't.

More kept coming, one, two, a hundred, and he couldn't count how many tears leaked onto his shirt and hands. He just wanted to stop feeling this way, but he didn't know how.

After a couple minutes of just crying he heard something in the distance, like someone walking. He could hear talking, and then laughter.

Tobio tried to stop sobbing, choking them back, tears still leaking out of his eyes. He told himself to just breathe, to not make a single sound.

The footsteps got louder, hushed voices, and then more laughter.

Soon, the footsteps were right on top of him. He hoped they left soon, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back the sounds that were trying to claw their way out of his throat.

He kept his head down, buried in his knees and waited for the people to pass, but they stopped right in front of him. He could feel their stares on his huddled form. Maybe they thought he was one of those weirdos and would hurry passed.

"Hey kid, you lost?"

Tobio chanced a glance up at the people and recognized them. He wasn't sure if that was fortunate or not.

Kageyama didn't trust his voice but it wasn't as if he could just remain silent while someone he actually knew asked a question. "Iwaizumi-san?"

And god his voice sounded awful. Like gravel when you walked on it.

"Kageyama?"

"Tobio-chan, what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"Oh, you know, just relaxing." Kageyama couldn't help but sound bitter when he said that.

Oikawa tilted his head, not used to Kageyama talking to him like that, probably. Or maybe he was just trying to get a better look so he could make fun of him.

"Are you lost?" Iwaizumi repeated his earlier question.

"Yes." Kageyama choked on the 'e' and let another embarrassingly loud sob sound escape him.

"Hey, it's alright, we can take you home." Iwaizumi said, coming over to kneel beside Kageyama, putting a hand on his back.

Tobio finally lifted his whole head to look at Iwaizumi. Even in almost complete darkness, he still looked handsome. "I don't wanna go home." Kageyama sniffed.

"Well you probably should, because you look and sound like shit." Oikawa said, crossing his arms.

Iwaizumi glared at him and then turned back to Kageyama. "Why not?"

Kageyama shook his head. He couldn't explain why, he just couldn't go home right now, that much he knew. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Papa is making me quit volleyball!" Tobio shouted suddenly, not able to hold it back anymore, a few more tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Why?" Oikawa asked.

"He just is! And I don't want to go home."

"Well, me and Oikawa were going to have a sleepover anyway. You want to join us?" Iwaizumi asked. "That way you don't have to go home until the morning, if you don't want to."

Oikawa's eye twitched, "Iwa-chan, you can't just invite people over to my house!" he whined.

"It's practically our house we've known each other so long, Tooru. Besides look at him."

Oikawa actually did and Kageyama couldn't hold his gaze, so he turned to stare at the concrete. "Fine, but only because he looks like such a mess."

Iwaizumi sighed, but didn't complain, and helped pull Kageyama up on his wobbly legs. Tobio sniffed again and wiped at his eyes and nose. "Um… thank you." Kageyama said.

"It's no problem."

"Aw, don't worry about it, my cute, little Tobio-chan. As a token of your thanks though, why don't you answer my question."

"What question, Oikawa-san?"

"Why do you have your school bag, yet somehow you have no shoes?"

Kageyama shrugged, "I guess I took off my shoes when I got home, but I didn't set down my bag. I ran out so fast, I didn't remember my shoes." Tobio paused for a moment, thinking, "And, Oikawa-san, won't your mother call my parents to tell them I'm spending the night. They'll come get me if they know where I am."

"We'll just tell her we already called you parents on Iwa-chan's phone."

"Why my phone!"

"Tobio-chan and I don't have phones."

"Wait, you mean you're going to lie to her?" Kageyama asked, frowning.

"I mean, yeah. How's she ever gonna know."

"I don't approve of you lying, Shittykawa, but he's right, Kageyama. She'll never find out."

"How do you know?"

"Because parents aren't as smart as they like to pretend~." Oikawa sang.

Kageyama didn't really understand. Oikawa had an amazing mother, he didn't understand why he would lie to her.

"See, Iwa-chan, if I had a phone, we wouldn't need to use yours for this lie. So you should try to convince her more."

"Shut your trap, she wants to buy you a phone. You're the one who said no because you were scared of your number leaking to the whole school for whatever reason."

"It's a valid concern," Oikawa crossed his arms with a pout and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

"You're not as famous as you like to pretend!"

"Don't use my own wording against me!"

Kageyama walked silently in between them, secretly loving how they talked to each other. It was so casual, but each sentence played perfectly off the other. He supposed that was what happened when you were friends with someone for so long.

"Kageyama agrees with me."

"Nuh uh, Tobio-chan agrees with me, right Tobio-chan?"

"I agree with Iwaizumi-san." Kageyama confirmed and Iwaizumi barked out a laugh, ruffling Tobio's hair.

Oikawa scoffed disbelievingly and then pouted. "You two are mean!"

A/N More family dynamics once again, this time adding a little bit of the Oikawa family in there, and some more Iwaizumi! Wonder what's gonna happen next. Reviews are love!