Summary: Y/N shows Iwaizumi something he does with his family for Halloween.
Pairing: Iwaizumi Hajime/Male! Reader
Warnings: Time skip: University, Reader is from Texas, nearly a crack fic with the way Y/N talks, Iwaizumi likes Y/N and Y/N doesn't know
Word Count: 1,271 words
Notes: If there are any typos, then they're meant to be there at this point bc I've edited this thing like four times now.
*****
"Dammit," Y/N mumbled next to Iwaizumi. They were painting cardboard pumpkins, because Y/N said it was what he did back home in Texas for Halloween. These would last far longer than any real pumpkin. And while Texas may have its issues, Y/N swore it has the "best Halloween ever." "I got paint on my shirt."
Iwaizumi looked to see that Y/N's gray shirt had a long orange brush stroke on it. This was why Iwaizumi had opted to wear something he needed to throw away—an old white tank top he wore in high school. Y/N declared he wasn't going to get paint on himself, so it didn't matter what he wore. Apparently, that was wrong.
"Maybe you should wear an apron," Iwaizumi suggested—well, it was most teasing. Y/N glared at him for a second before grabbing paper towels to dab the paint off. His brows furrowed as he worked on it.
"I wore this shirt every day in high school." Y/N continued working at the paint on his shirt. "Hell if I knew why, but my mom wanted me to trash it." He looked at Iwaizumi. "It's one of those weird shirts that ya just love for no reason, but it's not special. Kinda special to me, though, ya know?"
Iwaizumi didn't know. He didn't know what Y/N meant or why Y/N was telling him this. It felt oddly intimate, though. Probably because Y/N's accent came out a little. He remembered the first time he heard Y/N on Skype with his family. He struggled to understand what Y/N and Y/N's family said, only to be told that Y/N had only been catching them up on his week.
It was what made Iwaizumi believe Y/N when he joked he was the "master of code-switching," because people hated the way he spoke if he didn't code-switch. Apparently, everyone in the United States thought anyone from the South—Texas in particular—was uneducated and a bigot. Those two words didn't fit Y/N in the slightest, seeing that he was pre-med and one of the nicest people Iwaizumi had met in America (that was an American).
Y/N looked at his shirt. "Do ya have an apron 'cause ya can't just suggest things ya don't have."
Iwaizumi stared at him long enough for Y/N to look at him. "We live in the dorms," Iwaizumi said slowly. "Why would I have an apron?"
Y/N shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe ya thought ya'd need one? I don't know your life."
"The only aprons I had in Japan were my mom's."
Y/N's face lit up. "I once had one that said 'world's best chef,' but my brother stole it 'cause he says my food's inedible."
"Is it?" Iwaizumi asked, and Y/N shrugged.
"I've never had an issue eatin' it, but the rest of my family act like it's the worst thing ever," Y/N said before picking his paintbrush up and looking at the half-orange pumpkin. "I should've painted this thing white and made it a ghost. Or Dracula." He looked at Iwaizumi. "Do ya know if Dracula was white?" Iwaizumi chuckled, which made Y/N's brows scrunch together. "What's so funny?"
Iwaizumi stopped laughing and shook his head. "Nothing."
Y/N looked at him with narrowed eyes as he pointed his paintbrush at Iwaizumi. "I don't believe you."
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Iwaizumi said. Y/N nodded a little before painting an orange line down Iwaizumi's tank top. "What the hell was that for?"
"Laughin' at me," Y/N said, smug. "I know everyone thinks I'm stupid, but I promise you, I'm not."
"I don't think you're stupid," Iwaizumi said. Y/N looked at him, annoyed, clearly not believing him. "I really don't. It's just that sometimes you say ridiculous things."
"Like what?" Y/N asked, which Iwaizumi hadn't expected. He also hadn't expected for Y/N to sound genuinely curious. He expected Y/N to paint on his face, but he preferred this.
"Like if Dracula is white," Iwaizumi said.
Y/N threw his hands up a little, Iwaizumi dodging the paintbrush. "Well, sorry that I never read the book or got into all that vampire shit." He frowned. "I remember when Twilight came out, and my sister ate that shit up. I couldn't see the appeal of it, though, 'cause it doesn't matter how sexy they are; they want to kill you!"
Out of everyone Iwaizumi had met in America, Y/N taught him the most American sayings. It wasn't like Y/N was trying to teach him, he just spoke and Iwaizumi learned. But Iwaizumi could probably write a book about why Americans are weird for saying "ate that shit up," and all the other international students would make it a bestseller.
"Dracula is described to be extremely white and old," Iwaizumi said, trying to dig his brain a little since it had been two years since he read it. "It's because he's meant to be an ugly yet attractive character."
"Don't judge them." Iwaizumi squinted his eyes at Y/N, who sighed. "It's okay to be into old men. I have a friend from high school who's dating someone older than her dad. I think they're getting married soon." Iwaizumi remained quiet. "Why aren't ya saying anything?"
"Why are you okay with your friend dating an old man?"
Y/N shrugged. "She's 26, so she can do whatever she wants. Hopefully, he's rich, though. If he's not, then what's the point?"
"Like what's the point in marrying if he's not rich?"
Y/N's eyes turned serious. It actually scared Iwaizumi a little. "What's the point in marrying an old man if he's not rich? If he's not circling the drain, then why would I marry him? Like imagine having sex with a wrinkly prune." Y/N shivered. "Disgusting. I'd have to be paid to do that."
Iwaizumi laughed. He couldn't help it. The way Y/N looked at him like it was the most important thing he'd ever say was funny, but also cute. Y/N was frustratingly cute, especially when he talked about random things that Iwaizumi didn't entirely understand. Or really, when he just talked.
Then Y/N was laughing with Iwaizumi. His smile was wide and tugged at something in Iwaizumi's chest. Another annoying thing was Iwaizumi liked Y/N's laugh and smile so much that it hurt a little. That didn't stop him from wanting to do or say something else to make Y/N continue laughing.
"Alright," Y/N said as he looked at Iwaizumi's pumpkin. He painted it orange, like a regular pumpkin, but Y/N frowned at it. "Are you going to paint a face on it?"
"Why would I paint a face on it?"
"Jack-o'-lanterns, dummy!" Y/N said, and he reached across the table, getting more paint on his shirt, and grabbed his phone. "My dad does the best ones! Let me find a picture!"
Iwaizumi smiled and knew he was fucked. If he told Oikawa this—that he was excited to see a picture of jack-o'-lanterns just because Y/N was excited to show them—he would be teased mercilessly. He wasn't sure Oikawa would be too bad about it, because he had accidentally met Y/N when Y/N barged into the dorm—interrupting Iwaizumi and Oikawa's FaceTime call—to inform Iwaizumi the cafeteria had the best selection for dinner. So, Oikawa would probably understand, just a little.
"Hajime!" Y/N said, barely mispronouncing it. Only Iwaizumi really noticed it, but it was because he was so used to hearing the southern lilt that always wanted to come out when Y/N spoke. "Are you paying attention?"
Iwaizumi looked at Y/N's phone, where a photo of Y/N surrounded by 10 jack-o'-lanterns was displayed. "Yeah. Show me some more pictures."
