Haikyuu - Second Best Choice (Iwaizumi x Female Reader)

Chapter Fifteen - Thanks, You Didn't Have To

Y/N's POV

Iwaizumi leaves to the kitchen, leaving me in the living room sitting across from his brother. My brother? Whatever.

The little boy sits on the couch with his legs crossed and his hand on his knees, his chest rises and falls at a steady rate as he stares at me sharply. Reminds me of Ikari in a way, wary of any and all strangers. However, it's weird because the day I met Haru, his eyes didn't look at me like that. He wasn't as talkative as Takeru, but at least he was able to speak to me and not act as if I was about to commit a horrible crime.

I get it and I don't mind it. I wish I could do something to make him feel at ease but I know nothing but time helps.

"You aren't going to hurt me," He speaks, "Or Hajime or the baby, Kyotani-San?"

"No," I answer but his face doesn't change. I don't think he believes me, "I'm your brother's friend. You can call me Y/N."

"Why no title?"

"I hate the hierarchy that comes with age," My response catches him off guard, "I've done nothing to gain your trust and I'm not an old hag, so call me Y/N or Kyotani."

That part is true and not some lie you tell kids, like vitamins and shit. I like to think I'm a pretty carefree person, so why worry so much about how people call you? Obviously, this doesn't mean I like to call other people by their first name.

His face softens, but just as fast as it does, it goes back to the deep stare and the pursed lips and his arms cross each other, "You're weird."

Just as he says that Iwaizumi enters the room.

"Brat, you don't say that even if it's true, " He slaps the back of his brother's head,

"Oi!" I say when I realize that's more of an insult than anything.

"And I already told you Kyotani is a friend, so quit it," He says that part lower but I'm still able to catch it. Before I can tell Iwaizumi it's fine, he speaks again, ruining my train of thought, "You want to come to help me in the kitchen, Kyotani?"

He begins to walk to the other room, and I follow him.

All the ingredients are already on the counter chopped and on plates.

"What do you need help with?" I ask.

"With nothing," He says, "Haru is... special-"

"It's okay," I lean on the counter and watch as he begins to mix ingredients.

He works in silence, leaving me alone with myself, and soon those thoughts begin to invade my head.

Images of Iwaizumi flash. From the day he gave me his sweater to the day he took me home after finding me drugged on the restroom floor. It's no big secret the things I do: the intoxications, I mean. However, no one knows about the dark experiences: the highs to hell. If I had to choose who was able to find my cracks, I would choose Iwaizumi again because although it makes me feel so dumb, at least it doesn't make me feel vulnerable anymore.

"Thanks for yesterday," I finally say, "You didn't have to."

"Was I supposed to just leave you there?" He turns to make eye contact with me.

"Well, I wouldn't have blamed you," I say, "I would have been fine, I always am."

Truth.

If Iwaizumi had seen me and left, I wouldn't have held it against him. He wasn't the one that put me in that situation, therefore, he had no obligation to help me. Maybe if he had left me there, I would have learned a lesson, or at least not done anything reckless like that in some time.