The Desperate Tales of Oikawa and The Bus

| xviii |

"At this point, I don't even know why I bother coming with you anymore." Iwaizumi exasperated loudly as he walked behind Oikawa. "Everything you do is downright stupid."

"Iwa-chan, that is not true!" Oikawa pouted, eyes scanning the window shops. "Besides, this expedition actually make sense!"

The mid July weather wasn't exactly ideal to go shopping, but it was the sole reason they were on what Oikawa called their "little expedition" after all.

Mid July meant Kyoshi's birthday was coming up. And Oikawa knew this was his chance to spin things in his favour.

After that one time, Kyoshi had been much less careful about her bus pass, so the setter had gotten many opportunities to inspect it carefully.

He'd made a point to remember her birthday, chanting it to himself whenever he could so he wouldn't forget.

And he hadn't. Her birthday was three days away, which meant he only had 72 hours to find the perfect gift.

"Why can't you ask Matsun or Maki to help you? Why does it always have to be me?" Iwaizumi complained some more.

To be completely honest, he didn't understand his best friend anymore. Ever since he'd met that girl on the bus he'd started acting weirdly.

At first, he had thought she was just a challenge to him, some other girl to add to the long list of the ones he'd dated.

But Iwaizumi was starting to rethink his first impression. Sure, Oikawa was out of his mind and a crazy idiot, but the ace wasn't sure he would have gotten a tattoo for just any girl.

But Iwaizumi kept his suspicions to himself. After all, maybe it was simply nothing, a fleeting theory and nothing more. Maybe-

"I found it." Oikawa had been staring at a window shop in silence for a solid minute, but Iwaizumi had been so immersed in his thoughts he hadn't noticed.

The ace peered over the setter's shoulder.

"Crappykawa it's a matching set. She's already turned you down, you can't get matching-"

"I won't buy the other one then." Oikawa replied cooly. There was something off about him; he was so in awe face to what he'd found he'd become almost speechless.

"They're a matching set, you can't only buy one." Iwaizumi pointed out.

"Alright, then she'll never know there was a second one to begin with." He immediately found a solution.

Iwaizumi sighed, though this time in relief. Having found a gift for the girl meant they wouldn't have to shop in the warm summer heat anymore, and his idea was almost coherent.

That was until Iwaizumi saw the price tag.

"Oikawa, that is a LOT of money." He finally let out.

Oikawa's fists were clenched slightly, his eyes never leaving his prey. There was a different look in his eyes, something more determined and off than Iwaizumi had ever witnessed from the idiot he called his best friend.

"Doesn't matter. She's worth it." Was all Oikawa uttered before running into the store.

Iwaizumi was left alone, baffled, the only noise around him being the crowded streets and the little bell moving back and forth as the door to the shop closed.

He stared as Oikawa walked up to the counter, talking with the shop keeper and pointing to the matching set in the window.

If Iwaizumi wasn't sure of it before, there was no doubt now. Oikawa had fallen hard. Really hard.

---------------------

The walk home was unusually silent. The streets were empty, only illuminated by the light poles, and all Iwaizumi could hear were the sound of their footsteps.

Oikawa seemed giddy, the little bag rocking back and forth every step he took.

It was as if he'd found a treasure, and was walking home to enjoy it.

Truthfully, there was one reason a silence had installed between the two. Iwaizumi was trying to work up the courage to ask Oikawa the fatal question.

Are you in love with her?

He'd never seen the setter so focused on someone. It wasn't a mere challenge anymore, and Iwaizumi realised it hadn't been for awhile already.

The reason Oikawa Tooru had been so distant lately was because he was in love.

Now all he had to do was to get him to admit it.

"Oi, Oikawa." Iwaizumi finally let out, deciding it was either fight or flight.

"Iwa-chan. Everything ok?" The brunette tilted his head and side glanced at his best friend.

He'd noticed he'd been unusually quiet, but brushed it off as exhaustion. Besides, it gave him more time to day dream about Kyoshi and her reaction to the gift.

"I need to ask you something." Iwaizumi let out in one breath, causing them to both stop. "I need you to be honest with me."

Oikawa simply nodded, a strange knot starting to form in his chest. What was wrong with his friend?

"Are you in love with your bus buddy?"

There was a long silence.

A really long one.

Oikawa's eyes had widened considerably, as Iwaizumi's stern face stared at him directly.

The setter was almost frozen. He didn't know what to do. He could hear the blood pulsating in his ears and his heart thumping in his chest.

He didn't know what to answer.

Well, he knew the answer alright. He just didn't know if he wanted Iwaizumi to know.

Had he really been that obvious? He thought he'd been subtle enough. Sure, he'd been a bit of a daydreaming mess lately, but Makki and Matsun hadn't noticed anything.

But of course Iwaizumi had noticed. They weren't best friends for nothing after all. This must have been on the back of his mind for awhile, because the ace wasn't one to speak about feelings so bluntly.

That meant he'd thought about it. And cared about him too. Not that he didn't know; it was just nice of him to show it more explicitly from time to time.

Oikawa's cheeks finally flushed red as he broke away from Iwaizumi's gaze.

He started walking off. "Maybe." He mumbled as Iwaizumi quickly followed in his footsteps.

"Oh?" Was all the ace could mutter. He thought Oikawa would put up more of a fight. He must have really been in love then. "Is that why you dragged me all the way downtown to find the perfect gift?"

Oikawa could only hum in response, his throat being stuck and his face heating up. He did not like this one bit.

He was startled to feel Iwaizumi's arm around his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't tell." The ace gave a toothy grin, before sliding his arm off and walking off in front of him.

After a first moment of surprise, Oikawa chuckled. Perhaps he'd been worried for nothing. It was Iwaizumi he was talking about after all.

Of course his reaction would be perfect.