Akaashi's 18th (and the events that followed...)

9. Must Be Love?

Suga held Daichi's hand tightly as they casually wandered the area around the Shiodome. They had found themselves at a river, and walked alongside it, the scent of restaurant food drifting through the cool night air. Daichi's mum had met them shortly after they had seen the lights and kissed as midnight struck.

Both Suga's and Daichi's cheeks had burned under her knowing smile, as she had told them to enjoy the rest of their evening and taken the children back to the hotel.

"Thanks for this weekend," Suga leaned his head against Daichi's shoulder as they walked, the slow rush of water drowned out by the sounds of vehicles crossing the bridge they had stepped onto.

"Ha, thank you actually," Daichi laughed. "I don't think my brothers and sisters would've been so entertained had you not helped out with them."

"Well you're welcome, then," Suga grinned briefly, before a car drove past, speeding through a large puddle next to the curb and splashing them both. Suga yelped, turning around to pout at the back of the car, but stopped as he noticed two figures walking a short way behind them. "Wait... is that...?"

Daichi turned around and followed his gaze to the bottom of the bridge, where they had just walked. He squinted. "I think so... shall we turn around, or-" at that moment, the four of them locked eyes, and there was nothing they could do other than say hello. Suga didn't have any reservations about greeting the pair, but he knew that they might not feel the same way.

"Hajime, look, it's Mr Refreshing and Karasuno's old captain!" Suga heard Oikawa call, even though Iwaizumi had clearly already seen them.

Daichi and Iwaizumi nodded to each other as the two pairs reached the top of the bridge. "How's it going?" Suga heard Daichi ask, as he was promptly beckoned aside by Oikawa, and taken out of earshot of their partners.

"What's up?" Suga asked, as he and Oikawa made their way across the bridge, Daichi and Iwaizumi trailing behind them.

"Nothing," Oikawa pouted, but Suga knew something was up. "I just saw you and your ex-captain holding hands. You two an item now?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Suga laughed softly. "He kissed me at midnight under the Shiodome lights." Suga rolled his eyes. Saying it out loud made it sound so cheesily romantic, and he grinned stupidly to himself as he felt his cheeks rush with heat.

"Wow, for such a down-to-earth guy, he actually came up with something quite romantic," Oikawa mused. He paused for a second, and Suga waited patiently. "I have a question," he admitted gingerly, after a beat. "That I've been wanting to ask someone. I don't know who else to ask," he added, a sour tinge to his voice. "Nobody else is... suitable for the question."

"What is it?" Suga asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.

Oikawa huffed, pausing for a second before turning his head to the water and breathing in. His hair ruffled in the wind, and for a moment, his expression softened, his cheeks blushing a light pink. Suga closed his eyes, preparing to consider the question. "How do you know you don't just feel friendship towards your captain, Mr. Refreshing?"

Suga's eyes opened to find Oikawa staring deeply at him, eyes narrowed. Is he really that nervous? Or is it suspicion? "You can trust me, you know," he nudged Oikawa with his elbow.

"You really don't mind me asking?" Oikawa raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I was a bit of an idiot in high school."

"Yeah, but so were many other people. And they all grew up. Well, most of them." Suga smiled with the fond memory of a certain orange-haired boy. "Anyway, the past is history, is all I'm saying; if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." Suga put on his signature reassuring smile. "And about your question - how did I know I liked Dai more than a friend? I guess... unless you start off as enemies, or hook up in a bar as a one-night-stand, many people who date start off as friends or close acquaintances, often making romantic attraction tough to discern."

Oikawa looked at him blankly as Suga struggled to find the words to describe such an indescribable feeling. "Etou... well... the differences between the way you feel about friendly and romantic relationships might be difficult to distinguish, but from my experience, it's less about thinking about your emotions and more about... how your body instinctively expresses your feelings towards that person, I guess." Oikawa scrunched his nose, indicating a need for further explanation. Suga grinned. "Would you like to kiss Matsukawa?" He asked.

"No, ew!" Oikawa shook his head violently.

"How about Kiyotani?"

Oikawa shuddered, and Suga got the picture.

"Hanamaki?
"Definitely not!"

"Okay... so what about Iwaizumi?"

Oikawa turned red, frowning and kicking at the pavement. "It's obviously not as simple as that," Suga continued, his tone and volume sensitively calm. "And definitely don't take my advice as any sort of emotional diagnosis, but if you're stumped at the question of whether you want to kiss your friend or not, then it's at least something you could consider. Now can I ask you a question?" Oikawa nodded curtly, after a pause. "What's with you calling him Hajime?"

Oikawa released a deep sigh. "When we left school, he said we should stop with any formalities, which made me think that perhaps it meant something... but he just meant that we're both adults who know each other well."

"Are you sure he just meant that?"

"I never asked. But now I really want to know." Suga looked at Oikawa to find his head tilted back, the masochistic smile he always wore plastered over his face. "Ah well, it's probably too late now."

"You're just saying that because you're chicken." Suga jabbed him in the stomach, and Oikawa doubled over.

"Of course I am!" He looked up at Suga, a mildly irritated blush colouring his cheeks. "D'you really think I want to lose my best - and possibly only true - friend?"

"That's a gamble you'll make only if you think the risk is worth it." Suga shrugged, noting the way Oikawa looked as though he'd just been stabbed in the heart and softening his tone. "But if you think about risk, what's even the worst that can happen? Rejection? Things are awkward for a couple of months, then you're back to being friends?" Suga stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, "I don't know Iwaizumi half as well as you do, but in the event that you told him you liked him romantically and he didn't like you in that way, do you really think he would let something so trivial get in the way of a friendship he clearly values so much?"

Oikawa's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of it in that way." He stopped walking, and Suga turned back to look at him. "Thanks, Mr. Ref- Sugawara-kun, you're as interesting as I remembered you."

"Strange compliment, but thanks," Suga grinned. "And call me Suga." He paused. "Now we're not competing, maybe we could stay in touch. I'm curious to know how things turn out. Maybe if you two get together, we could go on a double date." He laughed at Oikawa's shocked expression, holding out his phone for Oikawa to enter his number, which he did, albeit a little hesitantly, as they beckoned their partners over.

(Word count: 1196)
(Total word count: 12,448)