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

20. Trust

Wow - Oikawa had already planned everything to the smallest detail. Iwaizumi struggled to remember all the dates and numbers Oikawa had stored in his head. "You do realise they have to make it to nationals first..." he replied.

"They will, I'm sure." Oikawa smiled brightly. "Without that strict captain at Karasuno keeping his team in line, and Wakatoshi leaving, Sejoh have a clean path to victory!" He paused. "Everything okay, Hajime?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, just trying to work the times and flights out in my head," he dismissed, when in actuality, he was checking his bank balance to see if he could scrape up a few dollars for the flights. Yes, he could.

Oikawa cackled manically. "Does Iwa-chan need my help with maths again?"

Again with the nickname. Iwaizumi pouted slightly, a new feeling for him. "No. I'll just leave at the time you said, don't worry. I trust you." If nothing else, they both had trust.

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"Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Kusokawa! I can do it myself!"

"Don't be shy to ask for help from a superior intellect."

Iwaizumi stared at his trigonometry homework, eyes burning holes in the paper with the sheer concentration it was taking not to strangle Oikawa. He took a deep breath. "Fine."

Iwaizumi felt Oikawa's surprised gaze on his back. He rarely asked his friend for help, although he often needed it. He tried to do everything himself, as Oikawa always did. "Alright then," he felt his face heat up as Oikawa leaned over him from behind, their cheeks pressing together as he stared seriously at the work.

Oikawa explained again what their teacher had said in class, then walked back over to where he had been sitting, cross-legged, on Iwaizumi's bed. Iwaizumi managed the first two questions, but after that...

"Argh, it's all gone out of my head again!"

"It's okay," Oikawa said in a calming voice, suddenly at Iwaizumi's side. To Iwaizumi's utter annoyance, he found himself taking a deep breath, his heart rate slowing again. "If you are given a triangle with two pairs of corresponding sides and angles, then you can use the sine rule, got it?" Iwaizumi nodded. "Good. But if there's only one pair, and the other side and angle don't match up, then you have to use cosine. So, which one do you have to use for this one?"

"Cosine," Iwaizumi muttered, his eyes widening as he realised how to finish the sum. He began to scribble furiously in his book, ignoring Oikawa, who was chuckling at his sudden enthusiasm.

After Oikawa had patiently explained the next couple of questions, Iwaizumi managed to finish the rest of the questions by himself. After he had finished, he found Oikawa finishing the second worksheet, having done both in the time it had taken Iwaizumi to complete one. "Dammit Bakakawa!"

Oikawa looked up innocently. "Iwa-chan?" He cocked his head.

"Why..." Iwaizumi clenched his fists, restraining himself from punching the guy, before continuing. "Why can you always do everything by yourself, so easily?"

Oikawa raised an eyebrow, seeming genuinely befuddled. "But I don't always do everything myself. You always help me, Iwa-chan, you're just quieter about it."

"I can't believe you even let me help quietly," Iwaizumi scoffed, putting his homework away. He could finish it later.

"There are few people I trust, Iwa-chan, but you are definitely one of them." Iwaizumi glanced around to find Oikawa lying on his back, hands behind his head, propped up with a pillow.

"I trust you too, baka." For the first time since he could remember, Oikawa didn't complain at being insulted. Although, Iwaizumi admitted silently, he had said it with a gross sort of fondness. He felt different that day, and he couldn't put his finger on it. The energy that sparked between them when they were both being kind to each other was so... honest, and open, and... nice. Just really nice.
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Iwaizumi broke back to reality as Oikawa yawned. "Oi, Kusokawa! Sleep. Now."

"Hajime! You really are like my mother."

"Shut up and go to sleep - I don't want to see you tired on Sunday, okay?"

Oikawa sighed contentedly. "He does care," Iwaizumi caught a smirk through his screen, before the 'call ended' screen flashed.

That night, Iwaizumi went to bed with a fired-up heart, and a feeling that he hadn't felt since he had last gone back home with Oikawa - hope. More than he had allowed himself to feel in weeks.

(Word count: 741)
(Total word count: 23,367)

Author's note:
500 reads?! Thank you guys so much, I really appreciate the support, and I hope you're enjoying it so far. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to comment or just message me if you want to!

As for the next few parts, they're a five-part chapter for the Spring Nationals match, from multiple povs, which will be dropping daily from Friday until Tuesday - I hope you like them!