Work Text:
Signing up for his college's volleyball team was such a no-brainer that Oikawa nearly forgot to put his form in. Scouted for the team and he still needs to put a piece of paper in a box, they should at least have electronic submission. But of course, they don't. He shoves the form through the slot and it makes an hollow sound when it hits the bottom. That's that done.
This college's reputation sits between average and decent. A volleyball team, a management course and far enough away from Miyagi that his parents won't insist on visits every weekend were Oikawa's requirements, and this one was happy to accept his application and grant a scholarship for his volleyball skills. Once he finds a part time job he might start to enjoy studying, but then again, maybe not.
First practice rolls around and he spots the back of a familiar head - or he thinks that head is familiar - talking to some of the other players. Sugawara Koushi never fitted at the top of his list of notable people, but how many volleyball players have that haircut and colour? Not enough for him to hesitate before he jogs forward and drapes his arm over Sugawara's shoulder. "Kou-chan!" Sugawara goes stock still and picks Oikawa's hand off his shoulder. Perhaps that was pushing his luck too hard, but what's done is done.
"Tooru-kun. What a pleasant surprise," Sugawara says with chilled politeness. "I'd appreciate if you didn't call me that again, Sugawara or Suga is just fine." Just a bit too hard.
Oikawa tucks his hands into his pockets rather than attempting to force contact again. "Then Oikawa is fine for me. I didn't expect to see you here, Suga-kun," he says with a warm smile. Sugawara radiates dubiousness - which he is completely free to do! But that won't change how Oikawa acts. "I was just wondering if any of my old rivals would crop up, I do hope we can get along without causing too much trouble as we vie for setter. I don't go easy on anyone, you know."
The players Sugawara was talking to before mumble, Oikawa hears one of them mutter grand king and his smile creeps larger. Hinata just earned himself a free soda for spreading that name so far.
"I'm flattered that you think of me as a rival, Oikawa-san." Chilly, chilly. "I'll definitely work my hardest to obtain a place as a regular. How is your knee?" That hurts, Suga must still be sore about Kou-chan.
Oikawa raps his leg with his knuckles. "Just fine." He would say the same thing if it was rotting from the inside out.
Their other team members take that as their cue to introduce themselves. Oikawa nods at each of them. First impressions tell him they're a solid bunch with a decent amount of spirit, he recognises a couple of them from other prefecture's high school teams, which is a good sign.
After practice, Sugawara jogs the length of the gym over to Oikawa, stands off to the side as he slams a serve across the net. Both of them are in luck for the setter position, the team's previous setter graduated last year and none of the other team members have any interest in it. One of them said outright that he crumbles under pressure and couldn't handle it. Oikawa's ball bounces to a stop as he readies himself with a new one.
"Oikawa-san," Oikawa shoots him a grin and serves again before switching his attention to Sugawara. He hears the ball thud into the far wall. Sugawara is already out of his gear with his bag resting on his shoulder, Oikawa smiles and Sugawara's lips tighten, which makes what he says next fascinating. "Would you like to get some coffee?"
----
"This has got to stop." Oikawa stops. Well, stops stroking Suga's hair, mostly to clamp his hand over his mouth. It's one am and too early for talking. On the other end of the phone pressed to his ear, Iwaizumi stops dead in the middle of his lecture. Finally! Honestly, they should show more respect than this.
"Iwa-chan you worry too much!" Oikawa says into the silence while Suga squirms under his hand. "You should sleep and loosen up before you get tired and walk into a wall." With that, he taps the disconnect button before Iwaizumi can form a response, no doubt causing him to fume at the other end of the line and Oikawa will eventually endure a worse lecture, but Suga looks beyond exasperated under Oikawa's hand so that telling off can wait. Iwaizumi will probably send a text or five as a warm up to the real berating, anyway.
He removes his hand from Suga's mouth. "What has got to stop, Suga-chan?" he asks and resumes his previous flattening of Suga's hair. One piece springs back no matter what he does, but he keeps working on it, it can't hold out forever.
"You answering calls when we're-" Suga clears his throat, funny how he can start this conversation but avoids saying words like sex or fucking. Sure enough, he continues with "-busy, for a start."
Oikawa laughs and smiles a perfect, charming grin. "But, Suga-chan," he says, slow and teasing. Suga tenses right up like Oikawa knew he would. It's amazing how he changes depending how his name is said. Used to be, Oikawa pegged him for a passive guy who likes following along and playing things by the book, but he's come to discover that only applies if he can manipulate the situation for the better when he feels the need. That's part of why Suga's here, resting against his chest. One cup of coffee lead to two and Suga proved himself to have considerably more flare than Oikawa gave him credit for. "If Iwa-chan is calling me this late who knows what the problem is? People only call at this time if something is wrong."
Suga sighs and his bushy eyebrows draw together while his eyes slide shut. Bags lurk under his eyes and Oikawa places a kiss on his forehead, Suga would probably reply sooner if he wasn't exhausted. Oikawa switches his smoothing of Suga's hair to running his fingers through it and scratches his fingertips along his scalp, Suga's frown lessens minutely under the pressure. "When Iwaizumi calls it's to check that you're not out running yourself ragged and tearing your knee apart with reckless training." Suga is telling the truth, but that doesn't mean Oikawa will acknowledge it. "If you let him know I'm here he wouldn't worry."
"Are you saying I should dismiss his concerns offhand and throw away his words of wisdom? That's pretty harsh, Suga-chan, Iwa-chan gets awfully touchy when he's ignored." Oikawa shifts down so he's more comfortable, presses his back into the pillows squished in the corner of his bed.
Every roommate assigned to Oikawa's room requested a change within a week, which makes here the logical choice over Suga's and every time Suga steps through the doorway his shoulders loosen and he sighs in relief, just like he does when he steps onto the court. Oikawa smiles with a touch of feeling behind it when he watches that happen. Suga does it on purpose, he's sure, Suga always aims to relax those around him with his manipulation. At that, he trumps Oikawa without trying.
Oikawa keeps his room Spartan and tidy sometimes, Spartan but messy others. At the moment it's Spartan and tidy, washing day was yesterday so he already folded all his clean clothes and tidied them away. Roommate attempt number two mentioned it was creepy that none of his personality rubbed off on the room. He countered that his roommate didn't like his personality anyway. That one transferred two days later.
"And he would send you a text to make sure he wasn't; Iwaizumi isn't the needy type," Suga forces out around a yawn.
"Iwaizumi is definitely the needy type," Oikawa's phone buzzes with a text. The universe has a sense of humour: it's from Iwaizumi. He wiggles the screen at Suga who keeps his eyes closed and pretends it doesn't exist. Awfully rude. "He doesn't like going without me, you should feel honoured that he lets you take up so much of my time as it is."
Suga chuckles and it shakes Oikawa's hand off his head so he drops it onto his shoulder and draws him close instead. Suga shuffles so that his head is tucked under Oikawa's chin, they weren't far apart before - dorm beds barely fit one person - but he rarely moves closer of his own accord. It's nice. "Or he's worried that something happened to you when there's a stop to your constant barrage of irritation." Almost certainly closer to the mark. "You might have messed up a jump serve and fractured your ankle," Suga shakes with another touch of laughter, "or frustrated someone to the point of homicide."
"Perhaps I'm trying to train him, I can't stay in his nest forever. One day he'll have to learn to let go."
"That would mean you'd grown up which is unlikely," says Suga, twisting to see Oikawa's grin and show his own faintly amused expression. His point is fair but as long as Iwaizumi is happy - or as close as Iwaizumi gets to happy - to check that he's not dead, he'll take the attention and reassurance that Iwaizumi will stop him before he ruins himself.
"You're so mean, Suga-chan," he says, full of fake hurt. "What have I ever done apart from love you?"
Suga settles down against his chest, then replies, voice quiet in his silent room, "I don't think you love anyone."
That certainly takes the romance out of the night. Though Suga would no doubt argue that there was none left after Oikawa answered his phone while Suga removed his mouth from Oikawa's dick. Suga has said things to the same effect before, but never so bluntly. Oikawa moves Suga over and nibbles his way up Suga's ear from lobe to the cartilage at the top, mouths each of the piercings he passes, takes enough time with it that Suga tenses up from the distraction. "Do you think that I would lie to you, Suga-chan?" he says and Suga suppresses a shiver, but with him pressed against him, he feels it anyway.
"You lie to everyone, Tooru." Oikawa flinches.
"No holds barred, Koushi?" he says and drops the teasing tone he's kept throughout their conversation, reverts to the cold one he uses when he's not bothering with appearances. First time he did that with Suga was fascinating. Suga had grinned. No surprise, no shock, no so it really is an act?. He'd never bought into his mask for a second. Well, like can see through like, though Suga shows kindness long after Oikawa gives up the charade.
"Please," Suga can't ask for anything without saying please, "don't call me that. And it's too late - early? - for holding back." He runs his hand down his face. "Just, please," again with the please, "if Iwaizumi calls next time, keep it in your pants." Suga pauses, he really is exhausted to let that slip out. "Your phone. Leave it in your pants. Or on the bedside table."
"What if I put it on vibrate?" Oikawa asks, full of innocence, teasing back in place, flips said phone open and changes the setting - only two texts from Iwaizumi. Suga's presence must have soothed some of his anxiety. He'll keep Suga's request in mind, even tired, Suga wouldn't say something he didn't want to leave an impact but he already answered Iwaizumi tonight, won't have a chance to prove he won't do it again until another night. Though he might forget by then. Such a pity, reinforcement is so important for difficult lessons.
"And what would you do with your phone worth several tens of thousands of yen on vibrate?"
He shoves at Suga's shoulder, some of their usual companionship returning. "Ahhh, Suga-chan, you're so dirty and embarrassing. Do you really want me to say it?"
"I want many things, an explanation of what comes out of your mouth is the least of them," he replies, but with a smile. So he can't be too mad then.
Oikawa hums, traces his fingers down to the waistband of the boxers Suga pulled on and tucks the tips of his fingers under the hem. "But you'd get so bored if I didn't play. Isn't it fun to talk like this? We have fun."
"Nonsense and lies," Suga says with a sigh and wriggles over onto his front, resting over Oikawa's chest, his arms folded so he can look at him. Even with just the bare light from the lamp next to Oikawa's bed and the moonlight streaming through the window Suga's looks could set sail to a thousand ships. But there are two people in this bed who could claim that. With Suga looking at him, serious and intent, Oikawa almost wishes that he'd left Iwaizumi hanging on the phone. "I think, I can determine what I do and don't like." Suga assesses Oikawa. "What are you scared of?"
Oikawa grins, whips up a response. "Spiders, they're so creepy with all their legs and their little fang things, they could eat me up in a moment if I don't watch out."
Suga frowns deep. So, scary! "Where do you expect to get, acting like this?" he asks.
"Just wherever I can make it," Oikawa says and bites down on a further comment about Suga enjoying where they are as well.
Suga flops forward, buries his face in Oikawa's chest, he mumbles about the time and he's right. Oikawa runs his fingers through the back of Suga's hair, flicks the switch of the lamp off. Suga goes out like a light as soon as he gets this cuddly and he would be a terrible friend to let Suga continue without sleep.
----
Suga is a marvel. King of the Universe. Oikawa struggles to regain his composure, struggles to find words, struggles to give a fuck that all he's doing is taking and taking and taking right now.
His knee blew two weeks ago and Suga took it upon himself to take care of Oikawa. He ferried his crutches when Oikawa forgot them and then remembered half way to the cafeteria that, if he walks more than a hundred metres on it, his knee will collapse, even with his painkillers working. He stayed when Oikawa's hand nearly joined his knee in uselessness as Oikawa swung his fist into the wall next to his bed. He still stayed when, after his third appointment with his physio, he got the news that it won't heal before at least the end of the season. Oikawa locked his door and stayed awake, sleepless, for three nights. Suga knocked on his door every four hours and, after it remained closed and solid in front of his nose, shimmied around from the next room around and clambered in through the window.
Right now, Suga is putting one of his many fine talents to use. Suga goes deep and Oikawa amends his thought. Fine doesn't come close to giving Suga the praise he deserves and Oikawa breathes out "fuck" as a compliment. His knee, draped over Suga's shoulder, aches. The latest dose of his pain killers sit useless in their bottle on his desk. They make him lose his edge. Suga told him point blank how stupid not taking them is but, if he can't control how he smiles when confined to the sidelines, he chills everyone around to the pit of their stomachs.
Apart from Suga. Who is, as mentioned, King of the Universe.
Oikawa's hips buck and it jostles his knee. He hisses and Suga pops off his dick with a wet sound that makes it twitch. "Don't stop," he snaps out and Suga pauses, nearly says something before returning his lips to their previous position.
Sometimes, Oikawa thinks about just how much practice Suga fits around his studies and volleyball. He knows Suga has definitely sucked off Tobio, the loud shorties and Karasuno's tall player with the glasses. And has probably done his captain, their ace and the quiet pinch server. Maybe the few remaining members as well. He gets around. Suga pulls off, works his tongue up Oikawa's shaft, alternating licking and sucking so that Oikawa's hips stutter and his knee sends black spots into his vision.
Suga laughs - apparently Oikawa managed to cover his pained sound as one of enjoyment well enough, or Suga stopped caring - and slips his lips over Oikawa's head again, starts moving up and down slowly and then builds his pace up.
Suga enjoys sucking dick but Oikawa misses their banter when he does. Suga's wet slurps and muffled noises of enjoyment help the experience, but there's something about winding up Suga's frustration until he spits out shut up! timed to a thrust that makes sex where Suga doesn't have his mouth occupied better, more worthwhile. Oikawa drags the foot of his good leg over Sugawara's thigh and presses his toes in to the fold of fabric between Suga's legs, his dick twitches under his jeans and Suga's rhythm skips a beat as he sucks up and down on Oikawa's dick.
Suga's eyebrows draw together as Oikawa continues to experiment with giving Suga's dick attention. Suga slaps his foot away and Oikawa peers down at him. "Kou-cha-" Suga's teeth scrape against his skin sending a shudder right through Oikawa, Suga should try and be more careful, "-n, why don't you let me do something nice for you for once? That's what boyfriends are supposed to do."
Not even a muffled attempt at a reply, next time he's insisting on something where having his mouth full of dick can't be used as an excuse for rudeness. Suga grips the base, twists his fingers around and fuck, Suga should rule the world with those fingers. He amps up his pace, builds until - a song bursts out from Oikawa's desk coupled with a rattling like bees in hell.
Suga's teeth graze all their way up Oikawa's shaft and off, extracting an unwilling whimper from Oikawa as the volume of his phone climbs.
"Do you plan to answer that?" Suga's fingers curl over Oikawa's thigh and he drums them in same rhythm he used before, face impassive. Oikawa's phone hits the chorus of its anime song.
"If you frown like that much more your face will stick that way," Oikawa says and swipes open his phone, presses it to his ear. "Iwa-chan, don't you have better things to do than call me? I thought the girls love you since I left town." His voice holds a note of breathlessness and he can hear Iwaizumi hesitate at the end of the line.
"Are you practising?" Iwaizumi asks in the same tone he always uses when he wants to remind Oikawa to take it easy. Too damn late, Iwa-chan.
He bounces his knee so his heel hits Suga's back and watches blackness creep across his vision as he stares at the wood of his headboard. "Can't win anything if I don't practise, Suga will snap up my position in a moment if I relax."
Iwaizumi breathes into his speaker and it sounds like he shoved a plastic bag into the phone. "Fine, call me when you're done," he says and the line goes dead before Oikawa can force in a love you, Iwa-chan~.
Oikawa's unattended dick drooped to half mast over the short conversation and he looks at it forlornly. Suga studies his face, lifts Oikawa's leg off of his shoulder like his knee is glass. "Neither of us came so I know I don't have anything on me, Suga," he says when Suga's stare stays fixed on him and Oikawa knows his cheerfulness wouldn't fool even the most inattentive fool.
"You didn't tell him."
"I thought you didn't want him to know if he called during sex," Oikawa says and slips off the edge of his bed, kisses Suga's ear and catches one of the piercings in his lobe between his teeth when he tries to twist away.
"About your knee. He doesn't know." Oikawa switches to his next piercing up. "Oikawa." He slips his hand under the hem of Suga's shirt and pushes down on Suga's stomach. "Oikawa," he says, shoving back. Oikawa's dick flops limply and he shivers from the chill now that he doesn't have a warm mouth on him.
His knee fucking hurts.
He draws away, beams his most honest smile, Suga's fingers clench into fists, Oikawa ducks his head and picks his boxers off the floor, his knee shoved straight off to the side. "Would a good friend make him worry?" he asks.
"Yes." Suga isn't touching him.
Oikawa drags his boxers up his legs, they aren't getting laid now. "Suga, you must be tired, taking care of me all this time, why don't you go back to your room? I'm sure your roommate misses you," he says and lifts himself to settle the elastic around his waist, ignores his knee stabbing him from the tiny amount of pressure he puts on it.
Suga's jaw clenches. Poor boy is restraining himself from saying something unwise.
"Don't you think it's not your business what I tell Iwaizumi?" Oikawa says. He reaches around for his trackpants, regulates his breathing as he inches them over his legs. "You have lots of other people to control." He could take an axe to his leg. End the whole discussion. Never heal. "They all like it much more than I do. Love you more than I do, too." He stretches his smile wide at Suga. He looks stunned. Oikawa hears a voice in the back of his head that sounds like Iwaizumi on the court whisper nice kill. His knee throbs and he pops the snap at the top of his trackpants into place.
"Toor-" Oikawa switches his gaze to the door and Suga's voice stumbles. "Oikawa, do you really want me to go?"
"I suppose. Do you want to stay?" he replies and boosts himself up onto the edge of his bed again, Suga catches himself in the middle of attempting to help him. "Loving someone who can't love you back isn't healthy." Suga's lips part and there's nothing he wants more than to get up and slip his tongue in between them. His knee aches.
Suga's hands shake as he shoves his book and pen into his backpack and drags the zip closed. He pulls open the door and pauses with his hand resting on the handle. "You should tell him. I'll bring you food tomorrow," his hand tenses, "I love you." He vanishes out the door.
Oikawa's stomach feels raw like Suga reached down his throat and scraped a blade along the lining.
----
Oikawa's DVD of recorded Olympic matches still runs, but barely. Overplaying has left delicate scratches on its surface and it skips a dozen times. His latest night of watching it over and over until the sun starts pouring through his window didn't help. Iwaizumi has a copy but if he calls him, he knows the news of his knee needing months of recovery will come out. He just knows it. Iwaizumi calling him is fine, when he doesn't set the pace his excuses for hiding it don't sound completely filled with lies in his mind.
Suga - here it's always Suga - taps his foot on the bottom of the door. "I don't lock my door when I'm here, Suga," Oikawa calls through the wood and receives a kick that makes the entire door shudder in response. He waits but Suga doesn't turn the handle. He kicks the door again. "The dorm monitor is going to string you up over the entrance naked, Suga." A light tap, like the first ones. Oikawa reaches over and tucks one of his crutches under his arm, opting for the utmost pitiful look. He hops over and pulls his door open.
A bulging plastic bag filled with what must be bricks or lead or perhaps explosives whacks into his side wielded by a glaring Iwaizumi. His teeth are clenched around the stems of a bunch of flowers.
Oikawa shuts the door in his face but Iwaizumi forces his foot in the gap and it bounces back. Oikawa loses his balance, frantically scrambles to get his weight onto his crutch and recovers with only a second spent seeing red as his knee tells him just how fucked he is. He drops onto the floor, looks up at Iwaizumi. He isn't Suga.
Iwaizumi deposits the bags in his hands on the floor and spits out the bunch of flowers. Fury radiates from him. Impressive when he was chewing on flower stalks only a moment before.
"Are you planning a murder, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa asks as he grips his leg and adjusts it into a more comfortable position.
Iwaizumi's rage falters. "Fuck you." Doesn't falter for long, but he did leave a gap. "When did you plan to tell me?"
"When it was your business, obviously," Oikawa bites back, lightly. His smile dulls, his stomach twists. "Suga told you?"
Iwaizumi stomps a step forward and kicks Oikawa's good leg. So mean. He doesn't have enough energy to avoid it. "I found out from your fangirls. They wanted me to give you these," he gestures at the piles of things and shrugs off his backpack, also stuffed with chocolates, flowers and he thinks he sees hand weights.
He manages to say "Oh," in response. Those girls have more sources than journalists. His stomach untwists from its knot.
"How long?"
"Iwa-chan, if you want a proper response you have to ask a proper question. Like this: do you want to have a threes-" Iwaizumi kicks him again, it's going to leave a bruise on his thigh.
"How long until it heals?"
He locks his eyes on the tallest tuft of Iwaizumi's hair. "Seven months." Iwaizumi staggers like Oikawa punched him. Oikawa pulls himself onto his bed, grips the edge where his mattress meets the frame. "Minimum, the physio said."
Iwaizumi sinks down until his eyes sit level with Oikawa's, he reaches up and brushes his hand through his hair, pushes Oikawa's fringe back. Oikawa grabs a hold of his hand, presses a kiss to the tendons in his wrist like he did back when they thought they could stay in love forever. "You asshole," Iwaizumi says it like he's saying he loves him. Oikawa kisses his wrist again and realises his eyes have filled with tears, though some of his hollow ache has settled. Iwaizumi kisses his forehead then pulls his head down until his it's pressed into his chest, Oikawa's back aches from the bend but his knee hates him so the rest of his body taking a turn is comforting. And like this Iwaizumi can pretend he doesn't know that Oikawa is crying.
They sit together, Iwaizumi up on his knees, one hand stroking Oikawa's hair, the other patting his back and Oikawa dripping onto the floor as his back and knee scream at him. They stay like this for long minutes until Oikawa's tears slow and his breathing smooths into his usual deep breaths. Oikawa picks his head off Iwaizumi's chest, kisses him - his lips are chapped like he chewed them on the trip here.
The handle of Oikawa's door twists and Suga comes in with two trays of food - one balanced on his hand the other on the crook of his elbow. How they let him carry food out of the dining hall is a mystery of life. "I know you hate orange juice but I don't know that I ca-" he freezes when he sees Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi freezes when he hears Suga. "Iwaizumi-kun, I didn't know you were in town," Suga says and manages to wrangle his expression from something like hatred into a smile.
Iwaizumi stands up, wipes his mouth as inconspicuously as he can, which is not at all, then looks from his hand up to Suga, Oikawa can tell from the back of his ears that his blush must be furious. "Sorry I was going to shake- It's good to see you, Sugawara."
Suga's voice holds traces of attempting not to laugh as he replies. "Oikawa didn't mention you were coming or I would have brought you a tray," he says and puts both the trays down on Oikawa's desk. "I would give you Oikawa's at any other time but he's intent on destroying himself and I chose the ill-advised route of babysitting him." Suga leans in and hugs Iwaizumi with one hand around his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about his knee, until yesterday I thought he did himself." Iwaizumi shakes his head even before Suga finishes apologising.
"I've known him for over a decade and I can count the number of times he's done what's good for him on one hand, but every time I think he will. Don't worry about it."
Oikawa opens his mouth - Iwaizumi's foot adds another bruise to his collection before he can get one word out. He puts on his best affronted pout, with both Iwaizumi and Suga in the same room he feels completely out matched for the first time in a long time. "Iwa-chan, didn't you hear? I'm injured, don't you want to help me get better?"
Iwaizmi ignores him, addresses Suga instead. "Has he taken his painkillers?"
Suga sakes his head. "He stopped as soon as he got the time frame." Iwaizumi slaps Oikawa on his ear. Grabs the cup of orange juice and the painkillers from their bottle - shoots a glance at Suga to check that they're the right ones.
"Swallow," Iwaizumi barks, holding pills and orange juice out.
Oikawa swallows with an empty mouth, smiles. "Anything else, Iwa-chan?" Suga's jaw tightens. Iwaizumi presses the cup into Suga's hands.
"Take the fucking pills, Tooru."
"So you do that too," Suga says and sips Oikawa's juice, absently.
"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Oikawa says and picks the pills off Iwaizumi's hand, pops them into his mouth and motions to Suga to pass the juice. He swallows.
"Show me your tongue," Iwaizumi says and remains crouched in front of Oikawa.
Oikawa glares, swallows another mouthful of juice, then demonstrates his empty mouth.
Suga laughs. "Looks like you've got him on a good leash. Since he doesn't need minding from me, I might take a day off, if you can handle him on your own?"
Iwaizumi looks like he considers saying something else but nods. "I did all through school, I can handle a few more days. I'm here till the end of the weekend if you want a proper break."
Suga sags through his shoulders - he's relieved. Oikawa's breath hitches. "Get my number from Oikawa if you want to grab a coffee before you leave, he can manage an hour on his own," Suga says, gathers his tray and shuts the door behind him.
Oikawa's life flashes before his eyes as Iwaizumi turns on him. "How the hell did you fuck up your relationship with Sugawara Koushi?"
"What do you mean?" Oikawa says, like he doesn't know exactly what Iwaizumi means.
"I mean Sugawara could have fun watching grass grow with his patience but he doesn't have any left for your sorry ass."
Oikawa falls back on an old trick. "Iwa-chan, are you jealous? I don't know how my relationship with him is any of your busin-" Iwaizumi digs his nails into cartilage of his ear and he squawks from the sudden pain.
"Stop wallowing. What happened?" Iwaizumi stares for long moments before he is finally forced to break eye contact with a blink. Oikawa loops his hands around Iwaizumi's neck.
"Does it matter when I love you more than him?" Iwaizumi shifts forward, places a single kiss on his lips. His are still rough against Oikawa's.
"You don't love me," he says like something large is lodged in his throat.
"I know how I feel, Iwa-chan," Oikawa snaps and Iwaizumi jerks back whole inches.
"Fuck you, Oikawa. You told me you don't love me first."
And he did.
When they were sixteen and Oikawa's knee first succumbed to all the stress Oikawa refused to let the rest of him feel. After they spent a happy year with Oikawa holding Iwaizumi's hand in public - Iwaizumi tried to keep how pleased he was about it under wraps but Oikawa didn't buy a second of it, with them kissing in Iwaizumi's home after every practice, complimenting Iwaizumi's ass after a good play when none of their teammates could hear. He snapped it out in the middle of a scene just like this one. That time, Iwaizumi gripped his jaw and forced the pills between his teeth, massaged his throat until his options were swallow or throw up. Things were different after that.
Oikawa shrugs, "I didn't."
"Bastard."
His reply is a laugh. They both know why - he'd be a better person if he didn't have his parents' genetics.
Iwaizumi picks up one of the boxes of chocolates from a bag, sits down on Oikawa's chair and eats them one by one. Oikawa grudgingly picks through his food but starts chattering after the first ten minutes of silence when the power of the painkillers loosens his tongue. Iwaizumi barely responds until Oikawa says, "He said I don't love him, just like you did, Iwa-chan."
"Sugawara?"
Oikawa hums. "He said I don't love anybody at all."
"He's not wrong."
"He is," Iwaizumi studies every facet of Oikawa's expression. Fuck it, let him. "Everybody loves him so why shouldn't I, Iwa-chan?"
Iwaizumi picks over his next words carefully. "You're not the same as everybody, Oikawa."
"Right, darling Iwa-chan can love him but as soon as I pretend to have feelings that's wrong? Cruel, cruel Iwa-chan is never getting laid again."
"I'm not in love with Sugawara-san." He would change to calling Suga Sugawara-san now. Push as much distance as he can with a single name.
"You are a little," Oikawa leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, fixes his eyes on Iwaizumi. "If he wanted to fuck you after your coffee, would you turn him down?" Iwaizumi stammers and flushes, Oikawa wouldn't pay attention to an actual word even if he did force one out. "See, I thought so," he says like he could burst into song at any moment, "and Iwa-chan only fucks people he loves, so you love Suga. It's okay, he loves you back." He pushes away his food and pulls himself up onto his bed, rests against the wall. His knee doesn't give a hint of complaint. "Suga loves everyone, I love no one."
"You make too much sense when you're high," Iwaizumi eventually replies.
"I love you, Iwa-chan."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't," he says and his world slips away as he falls asleep.
----
In the end, Iwaizumi punched Sugawara's number into his phone but never pressed the call button. He sends a text as he gets back on the train, a quick apology and a promise to have that cup of coffee together the next time he visits. He receives a reply half an hour later saying thank you for time off babysitting and that he will hold Iwaizumi to that coffee. Iwaizumi pretends his stomach doesn't flip. Sugawara could charm the stripes off a tiger.
Suga enters Oikawa's room Monday morning by Oikawa's neighbour's window, steps over Oikawa as he snores, then unlocks the door from inside to pull their trays of food through. When he looks up, Oikawa is staring at him. "I suppose we're still fighting, aren't we?"
Oikawa props himself up on an elbow but keeps his eye contact steady right up until he yawns and his mouth takes up his entire face. Suga smiles, Oikawa half asleep produces nearly as many honest expressions as him full of painkillers. "I love you, Suga."
Suga places his cup of juice an inch from the edge of his bedside table and strokes Oikawa's hair into place. "If you say so, Oikawa."
He yawns again, pulls himself up and away from Suga to rest against his headboard. "It would make things easier if you just believed me," he says.
Suga glances at his knee, then takes his chair rather than squishing into the bed. "It would, but both of us shouldn't lie."
What a thing to say. Oikawa pulls a smile, one far too real for his own comfort. "You know I'm very persistent, Kou-chan. I can practice until I love you properly."