Conquering the Great King

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 13

Oikawa had known Kenma was full of it.

He hadn't been doing it on purpose of course, but he was still very obviously mistaken.

Oikawa swung around on his barstool, laughing as the bartender made a snide comment about Oikawa's alcohol tolerance and slid him another Long Island. Oikawa halted his spin, taking the straw happily into his mouth.

The past two weeks Iwaizumi hadn't been at the bar. Oikawa wasn't surprised. And he wasn't devastated. Although, if he's being honest, Oikawa hadn't bothered to take anyone home the past two weeks either. No one was piquing his interest, was all.

Tonight might be different though. Tonight he might be able to push past that nagging insecurity that had been dwelling in the back of his mind ever since Iwa-chan had beat him about the head with that metaphorical door.

Oikawa heard someone walk in, planned on giving a small glance, ended up having to drag his eyes away.

Kageyama was the newcomer, nose red and hands shoved deep in the pockets of his coat. Oikawa felt his heart stall, felt his tongue fail at trying to recapture his straw as he pointed his eyes down at the bar. But he couldn't keep that up for too long, because then Tobio settled beside him, sitting heavily at the barstool. Oikawa could still smell the winter dissolving off his coat.

Oikawa could feel Tobio's gaze on him. Knew that he was staring down at him with a half-scowl that wasn't really a scowl at all. Oikawa exhaled, then inhaled deeply, pulling his most convincing smile over his face as he did so.

"Tobio-chan!" Oikawa exclaimed, looking up to meet Kageyama's blue gaze. "It's been a long time!" Oikawa ignored how his heart started pounding in his chest.

Sure enough, Tobio had been staring at him, piercing gaze unwavering as he nodded, "It has."

"How's the new job?" Oikawa asked, making sure enough resentment was in his voice for Tobio to pick up on it. At least falling back into conversation with Tobio was easy.

Tobio twisted his mouth, pulling back a little, "Good." Then he blinked, almost like he was surprised, "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Oikawa cooed, "Sorry for what? Abandoning your company and mentor?" Oikawa's face split into a huge grin. Too large, too white.

"Yes," Tobio responded, almost sounding choked.

Oikawa blinked over surprised eyes, tilted back on his stool.

Tobio blinked too many times and too quickly, then returned his gaze to Oikawa, "How's work for you?"

Oikawa cocked his head to the side, "As good as always," then he smiled, easier this time, "It's nice not having to share the spotlight."

Tobio nodded as he ordered a drink, almost chuckled, "Yeah, and you pretend to miss me."

Oikawa could feel his stare grow warm, and when Tobio looked back to him he almost jumped. "There are things I miss," Oikawa stated, voice low. Then he broke eye contact, voice returning to its more chipper register, "But things are certainly fine without you."

If Oikawa wasn't mistaken, he thought he might have seen Tobio smirk a little. Interesting.

Tobio pulled his drink up to his lips, took a small sip. His knee bumped against Oikawa's. He didn't say anything, just stared into his drink.

"How's your partner?" Oikawa asked, words chosen carefully.

Kageyama turned his head to fully look at Oikawa, eyes mildly startled, "You mean at work?"

"Yes..." Oikawa narrowed his eyes, "Do you have... another partner?"

Kageyama broke their gaze, shaking his head, "No," he answered in a low voice. "I don't." He brought his drink back to his lips. After placing his glass back on the bar he continued, "And he's good. Good at his job, I mean."

Oikawa knew there was something more to that break-away response, but he wasn't entirely certain he wanted to push the issue. He would leave it for now. "Well I'm glad Chibi-chan is working out for you," Oikawa said, ignoring the tension in Tobio's shoulders.

"What about you?" Tobio leaned back, slid his gaze to the side to look at Oikawa. His voice dipped low and Oikawa couldn't help but lean in a little. "Any new... partners?"

Had Tobio-chan gotten a little suave?

Oikawa felt his smirk pull at his mouth deviously. "No," he answered with a small shake of his head, batting away the thoughts in the back of his mind that dared try to interrupt a moment of peace, "Nothing like that." Oikawa turned in toward Tobio a little, bumped his leg with his own, kept it there.

"Interesting," Tobio said, seemingly to himself.

Oikawa let his head loll to the side, still grinning, "Is it?"

Kageyama was watching Oikawa's fingers fiddle with the straw in his drink like it was the most captivating thing in the world.

Ah. Oikawa remembered.

Oikawa raised his thumb to his mouth, lightly licking and sucking on the tip of it as if a drop of alcohol has spilled over.

Tobio watched the small motion, cheeks flushing as if Oikawa had just done something incredibly lewd.

Oikawa leaned on his hand, smiled.

Tobio blinked, snapped himself out of his little fantasy zone. He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. His voice was gruff, but he made proper eye contact as he spoke, "I've been hoping to see you soon. Here." Kageyama's hand was absentmindedly gripping his glass, hand squeezing against it far too tightly.

"Mm?" Oikawa hummed, tilting his head. "Why? You have my number."

"Ah," Tobio almost coughed, broke eye contact, "that would have seemed..."

Oikawa felt himself grinning way too proudly. "Tobio-chan," he whispered, narrowing his gaze as he continued tauntingly, "if I didn't know better I would think you were trying to get me in bed with you." Oikawa leaned his head further to the side, investigating.

Kageyama looked at him, dark blue gaze exactly as intense as he remembered it. He leaned in until there was an uncomfortable lack of space between them, "If I was?"

Oikawa's heart picked up an even stronger pace. His eyes fell around Kageyama's lips. Memories.

Oikawa exhaled, felt the shiver of want spark through his fingers. "Maybe it's been too long," Oikawa said, smirking.

Kageyama seemed to shake out a sigh, and Oikawa realized that he was desperately nervous. "My place?" Tobio asked, standing.

Oikawa followed suit and stood alongside him, "Your place," he confirmed.

Oikawa could feel himself vibrating with anticipation, apprehension, anxiousness, and millions of other words he couldn't consider while he was walking shoulder to shoulder with Tobio out the door. This could be familiar and different, and maybe it was exactly what Oikawa needed in this exact moment.

Just as they were about to step through the entrance the door opened. Oikawa felt his eyes go wide, felt his heart stop in his chest. He had to tell his feet to keep moving because they were in danger of stalling as well.

Why are you here why now why of all the times--

Iwaizumi shouldered past them, eyes watching the floor and never bothering to move up to Oikawa's face even as Oikawa stared at his profile with borderline horror in his eyes.

Oikawa felt his composure crack. He felt like he should make words but he couldn't, wouldn't know what to say even if he could. But Kageyama was leading  him by the hand, and Iwaizumi was already past them, already just a broad back in the middle of a dimly lit bar. Oikawa turned away, squinted against the pain in his chest, because he shouldn't feel guilty anyway, shouldn't care anyway, shouldn't think about it at all.