A Reason for Being

6. Et tu Brute?!

It has been a few days since Oikawa's run-in with Coffee lady, after the department store situation, the one where his heart sank to his stomach when she softly grazed his shirt.

It's volleyball season, which means there is a lot of traveling, away games. No chance to grab his daily coffee or run into the rude woman, the one with the piercing gaze. The one with the dark eyeliner accentuating her eyes. And even though her words and her facial expressions were angry, her eyes sparkled. And even though the eye contact lasted a few seconds, they radiated so much warmth, looking up at him.

"Iwa-chan, I think it's your turn for the coffee run," Oikawa states as the two of them are getting ready to leave their shared apartment. "No, it's not actually. I don't even care for coffee. You don't even get me a drink half the time."

"Will you, just this once, please." Oikawa tries to say with the least amount of attitude he can do. Which is still a lot.

"Don't tell me you're afraid to run into that chick. Scared she's going to step on you with her Louboutins?" Iwaizumi chuckles.

"Don't be ridiculous." Yes, the coffee lady does have some spectacular heels, to which Oikawa has no doubt she would use to step on him, probably with a devilish grin on her face. "It's our day off. I don't want my day ruined by someone and their bad attitude." He responds.

Every single encounter he has had with her was less than friendly. Running into her again would lead to some more bickering. He did not doubt it. But it wasn't just the fact that her attitude matched his that was bothering him. It was the fact that he didn't want to admit he felt awkward around her.

Oikawa's confidence is higher than most. The need to be liked by others was never at the top of his list.

Usually, people find him charming even if he did come off as a little prickly, people still are drawn to him. Not to mention his face is plastered over many billboards with the countless sponsorships he has. People usually recognize him, want to be near him. All except for her, which was very peculiar.

"Come on, Iwa. I'll treat you to lunch."

"Only because I enjoy fancy food at your expense, I'll get your dumb coffee. But you're buying dinner too."

In the coffee shop, he waits patiently in line. Iwaizumi wasn't a celebrity athlete, just a glorified babysitter of one, so cutting the line probably wouldn't fly.

"You again." She says, instantly recognizing the dark spikey hair and the athletic attire he always wears. "Oh hey, what's up, Y/N?"

"Still only wearing those awful gym shorts everywhere you go, I see."

"Hey, you're the designer here. Why not make a suit I can work out in? Now there is an idea." They both laugh at their sarcasm. "You live around here?" He asks her as the two are waiting for their coffees.

"right next door, actually."

"No shit? Me too, small world, I live in unit 111."

"I'm surprised you can afford that luxury flat. I guess having a sugar momma comes with advantages."

"Funny." he sarcastically says. It was no secret his girlfriend's financial bracket stands higher than his. But the taunting didn't bother Iwaizumi, especially coming from Y/N. He knew her well enough to understand the difference between joking insults and actual insults. "I live with a roommate, actually. I don't think you've met him. His name is O—"

"Sorry, I'm late, Y/N!" Yachi runs into the coffee shop. "Relax, Yachi, it's fine." Yachi wasn't late, maybe only a few minutes. But either way, Y/N wouldn't leave without her.

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"Dude, what took you so long?" A noncaffeinated Oikawa asks, quickly grasping onto his precious coffee.

"See, this is why I don't do shit for you." Iwaizumi backfires, "and before you ask no, I did not see anyone matching the angry coffee lady's description. I did run into Alisa's friend, the same one from the store. Lives in the same building as us, isn't that funny? She even paid for our drinks."

"Well, that's was very nice of her." A half-listening Oikawa responds, mainly focusing on drinking every last drop of his coffee.

"She is nice actually, unlike you, Crappykawa."

Days off for a professional athlete still mean grueling training with a tyrant trainer who is fueled by the suffering of others. According to Oikawa, not facts, just opinions.

"Why don't you ever exercise?" Oikawa asks as he tries to catch his breath. "5 miles? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I do, actually. Everyday. Just not with you." Iwaizumi responds, unfazed by his friend's whining.

"Wait, what, with who!?"

"Other team members, the ones who don't complain the entire time, like Ushiwaka."

There was an audible gasp that echoed the entire gym as Oikawa looked around to find his teammate.

"ET TU BRUTE?!" Dramatically holding his heart at the betrayal.

"That is not my name." The olive-haired man responds.

"After everything I've done for you, you go and betray me like this!?" Leaning against the wall, Oikawa dramatically has a meltdown while everyone else continued with their training.

Because of his talents, when Ushijima's contract ended with his original team, he was scouted by countless athletic teams. Running into Oikawa on one of his scouting trips, he chose the team with the best setter.

"I would like to play for this team." Not that he needed Oikawa's permission, but he asked him anyway.

"Do what you want. I'll still beat you."

After many years of devoting his time to one day beating the almighty Ushijima Wakatoshi, the two of them ended up becoming teammates. In less than a year, the two of them have created one of the fiercest duos in volleyball history.

"FINE. JUST COME WITH US NEXT TIME!" An annoyed Iwaizumi shouts as Oikawa continues to pester about working out with the two of them. "Go get changed, Ushiwaka. Oikawa is treating us to dinner."

Back at their place, Iwaizumi makes sure to find the most expensive food options for everyone, payback for Oikawa's daily annoyance.

As the two of them bickered, Ushijima quietly waited for his meal. He was promised free food, so he must see this through. The yelling back and forth only lasted a few minutes, as everyone's hunger began to rise, the volume turned down.

The chiming of the bell ringing alerted Oikawa to the entrance. Expecting to find a delivery driver, he instead found a large parcel package at his front steps.

"Iwa, Mr. Santos got his packages sent there by accident again," Oikawa yelled into his apartment. Mr. Santos lives on the opposite side of the long hallway, an older gentleman who lives alone. He frequently gets his unit number mixed up with Oikawa's unit. "So? Why are you telling me? Go give it to him." Usually, it is Iwaizumi who does the neighborly duty of returning the package.

Oikawa trudges down the lonely hallway, passing the elevator doors before he realizes the name on the package did not match the elderly Spanish man's name.

"L/N, YN, unit 112"

Unaware that there was even a new tenant living in the unit, in between him and Mr. Santos, he walks back to door number 112. Oikawa sets the package in front of the grey-colored door, feeling proud of himself for his neighborly act of kindness.

As he sets the package down, the door creaks open. And the same pair of eyeballs, with the unemotional piercing gaze, lock on to his. Leaving him yet again speechless.