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Suga had always dreamed of the time he would be able to go off to college. The thought of finally getting to explore and study whatever he wanted in order to pursue his dream was already helping him to get over the pain of closing his high school volleyball career. To make it even more appealing to him, was the knowledge that he would have by his best friend by his side.
However, the rude awakening that awaited him left him wondering where he had gotten such dreams from.
The door to the apartment slammed open, immediately followed by the usual stomping that announced to Suga’s poor half-asleep mind that his flatmate – his best friend Daichi followed in tow by his long-term boyfriend Kuroo – had just gotten back home from their night out. The darkness that enveloped the gray-haired student’s tiny room was suddenly disturbed by the light filtering from the crack under his door, waking him up for good.
Suga groaned, knowing that his sleep was now ruined. He glanced at the clock on his bedside, the soft light contrasting deeply with the bright one coming from the living room where Daichi and Kuroo were. Kuroo wasn’t even an official resident of the apartment but he acted as if he belonged there, leaving his stuff everywhere. Even to the point the gray-haired student couldn’t tell all their belongings apart.
2:11 AM
The number barely registered in his mind when he heard the stomping stop suddenly. They had moved from the living room to the kitchen, which was even closer to his bedroom. Suga held his breath for a second, praying silently to be spared, when he heard loud kissing noises. He huffed, throwing himself back onto his mattress and covering his ears with his pillow. Suga hoped that it would be enough to cover the sloppy and revolting sound of their lips meeting again and again in slobbery and rushed kisses. The gray-haired student hated to be called the cranky single one in his friend group, but no one knew how embarrassingly loud Kuroo and Daichi were, even more when absolutely wasted and horny.
He heard a moan coming from their kitchen. Followed by some shuffling around and hushed words that he couldn’t catch completely. He waited, hoping that it would be the end of his pain, when he realized that it was definitely unlikely.
‘Those fuckers better not be…’
Suga couldn’t even finish his thought when he heard something falling to the floor. His mind immediately traveled to the tin with his favorite tea leaves that he had left on the counter the night before, in hopes to remember to make a cup for himself before stumbling out of the door for his early morning laboratory. He knew that it was no one’s fault that his degree required him to go to activities at ungodly hours in the morning. It definitely was their right to go out and have fun, but he wouldn’t tolerate the idea of them fucking in the kitchen. Suga was aware that his tin falling could only mean that Daichi had definitely lifted Kuroo on the counter, probably with the drunken intention to defile their innocent common living space in the least sanitary way that Suga could ever imagine (just like they had ruined their poor couch, the same one that he refused to sit on now).
A bang. Two bangs. Whispered curse words that resonated in the late night silence, definitely said louder than intended.
Suga couldn’t hold it in anymore, his ears capturing each and every single of the hushed words coming from the other side of the wall. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around how thin all of the walls in the house and how impossibly inconsiderate his flatmates were. Daichi was his best friend, the one that laughed and stood right beside him since they had met years prior. Suga had a hard time believing how awful of a roommate he turned out to be.
He had wondered many times if maybe it was Kuroo’s influence – and one obvious mistake Suga made in thinking that something good for him would come out of Kuroo’s presence in their apartment – that had been a key point to Daichi’s increasingly terrible behavior. He remembered when they had initially moved in together and the former captain was the real leader of the house, forcing Suga to do the work and generally being a good housemate.
“Tetsu, don’t be so loud or Suga is gonna kill us!”
More kissing noises could be heard, giving Suga a clear image about what kind of reply Kuroo had given Daichi despite the half serious tone he had used. The pitiful attempt to contain themselves had been met with indifference from Kuroo and soon any protest from Daichi died down. The gray-haired man was well-aware – even without seeing them – that they were both way too drunk to care enough about neither him nor their dignity.
‘Well, if we are talking about dignity, it’s not like they ever had any since we started living together.’
Another loud moan came to his ears and he stood up, resigning himself to grasp the ear plugs on his nightstand. The sigh that escaped his lips was perfectly timed with the slam of the door from Daichi and Kuroo’s room, finally confirming Suga’s worst nightmare coming to life. Soon he would start hearing the headboard of the bed slamming against the wall and a litany of crude and obscene words being screamed in the middle of the night.
“And anyway, I have no intention of dealing with the neighbors tomorrow, have fun explaining your drunkness to them!”
Suga’s exclamation had the power to stop them for a second, before the loudest moan came from the other side of the wall. Disgusted – and with his pride a little hurt – he bundled up with his blanket and hoped that slumber would come to him soon, preferring the hectic laboratory to that second-hand embarrassment.
‘I need to do something about this. I can’t live like this anymore.’
“Suga-senpai, you look like shit today.”
“Wow, thank you Suna-kun, you’re the best.”
“I know.”
The glare that Suga sent his junior’s way was enough to make the aloof looking guy lift his hands in apology. He handed the gray-haired student a pair of gloves, trying to get him started on the experiment at hand. Suga had never been as grateful for his mandatory 8 AM laboratories like he had been recently. The situation at home was starting to become unbearable, despite how much he liked and respected Daichi and Kuroo. They were perfect friends, but terrible roommates and the gray-haired student was at his wit’s end.
During his time in college, he would have never expected to find himself once again surrounded by familiar faces, but when he had met Suna, he felt immediately glad. The former Inarizaki player was an unexpected but not an unwelcomed addition to his circle of friends, a quiet and disinterested looking guy that actually knew more than anyone else on campus about everyone’s business. He and his boyfriend – Miya Osamu, otherwise known as the cooking genius of the dormitories – were definitely a couple to be wary of, with their combined power on the campus’ population was something to fear. Suga had immediately felt lucky that Suna had decided upon his arrival onto the nursing course that he would become his senior, something that had spurred by the vague resemblance he bore to Inarizaki’s former captain, Kita.
“You know, Suga-senpai.”
The former middle blocker had suddenly spoken up, distracting Suga from his laptop where he was tidying up his notes during their break. It had been just a few days since they had met and despite Suna being a freshman, they had quite a few classes together. It wasn’t unusual for newer students to get placed together with an older student in order to better navigate the otherwise confusing and hectic course, but Suga had been quite surprised by the younger’s decision to immediately choose him.
“What, Suna-kun?”
“You kinda looked like Kita-san. And I remembered you from the tournament. That’s why I chose you as a tutor.”
Suga had looked at him for a second, an eyebrow raised and a curious glim in his eyes.
“And you’re satisfied with your choice?”
“Yeah. But that’s because you’re not completely like Kita-san. You’re kinda like him, but the version of him that won’t stop me from making Atsumu angry however I can.”
“That’s supposed to be a plus?”
Suna scoffed, something resembling a laugh but not betraying his fox-like attitude. The former middle blocker had always had quite the keen eye and a love for causing troubles and getting away with it. It felt only fitting for him to search for someone that would cover for him in a gentle way, even if he ended up finding someone that would enable his chaotic antics. Suga felt proud for a second, before smiling and shaking his head, concentrating back to his notes.
That was how Suga found himself sharing most of his college experience with Suna. The two of them had become almost inseparable, giving Suga the bonus of getting to know a particular side of the younger one that he had never imagined when they had played against each other. Suna and Osamu had invited him along a lot of times, granting him access to a lot of parties and events that given Suga’s off-campus residence status, he wouldn’t have even known about.
He snapped his gloves onto his hands as Suna took out the required materials. “So,” the younger said, as he started after getting everything ready on the workbench. “What’s gotten you so tired and looking like you hate everyone? Is it still the same old, with Daichi and Kuroo being asses?”
“Yeah and you know what? I love them, I really do, but they are unbearable every time they go on a date. And that happens quite often might I say. They are wonderful friends but awful roommates.”
Suga let out a defeated sight, electing to start the process required for the class rather than thinking about his problems of cohabitation. He didn’t think he was a bad roommate or that he had set unreasonable boundaries, but he had to accept that his way of living didn’t mesh well with that of his best friend.
“Why not move out, Suga-senpai? You definitely could just find some other accommodation quite easily, you don’t sound like a problematic person to live with.”
“I wish it was that easy. Where am I gonna find a place to stay in the middle of the academic year and near enough the campus? I can’t afford to live outside alone and the dormitory will be completely full by now, right?”
“Actually…”
The gray-haired student lifted his head, trying his best to keep an eye for the ongoing experiment while also giving Suna his attention. He knew that the younger wouldn’t speak without a plan already forming in his head, most likely utilizing his large circle of friends and acquaintances.
“Actually?”
“I don’t know if it might be the best solution for you, but I know someone that just lost his roommate and is actually looking for a new one. Well, at least, I’m sure he would really appreciate one. Trust me, I think you two will get along perfectly.”
“Wait, who are you talking-”
Suna immediately whipped out his phone, not even waiting for Suga’s response. He picked up his lab notebook and scribbled down a number and a name, so quickly that he couldn’t even peek over the younger’s shoulder. As soon as he finished, he ripped and folded the note and put it in Suga’s pocket, turning away to go pick up the rest of the materials they needed. Not another single word was said, as Suna silently decided to leave the other hanging.
The older of the pair was left flabbergasted, his mouth hanging open in an unheard question. He didn’t have the time to refuse Suna and his idea, ending up with the number weighing like a boulder inside his pocket. He had thought many times to leave the apartment and find a better arrangement for himself and his mental health. Suga wanted to move on and find a roommate that would make him feel more comfortable, but the idea of having to disappoint his best friend by telling him that they needed to rethink their living situation was holding him back.
As the bell rang ending class, Suna patted him on the shoulder, giving him a look of pity before taking the bags that the two of them had set aside into his hands and handing Suga his own. The gray-haired student took out the folded piece of paper from his lab coat, looking at it for a second, before hesitantly putting it inside his wallet. Suna was nodding beside him, a silent approval for Suga’s decision to give it a shot. For how out of character that felt coming from the junior, Suga knew that he was simply worried about his well-being and that he would have done anything to stop his constant complaining about the living situation that Suga had found himself in. He put on his backpack and rushed outside, the number in his wallet taking the backseat in his mind. The gray-haired student decided that he would think about it later, along with coming up with a plan to break the news to Daichi.
His steps suddenly felt a little lighter, the idea of an escape from his living situation making him move with renewed vigor and hope. He felt grateful, even if something in the back of his mind was telling him that Suna definitely had an underlying motive.
“There’s no way Suna would give me the number of someone unreasonable… that would be cruel even as a joke.”
Once back home, Suga took a deep breath before opening their front door. He knew that neither Daichi nor Kuroo had lessons that day, so he was expecting to find them loafing around in the apartment. He also knew that neither of them would have cleaned. It was a trait that he hadn't suspected Daichi to have, especially considering how uptight he used to be about rules and proper management back in high school. Part of him suspected that it was because of Kuroo's more free spirited lifestyle influence, but he didn't have the energy to point fingers.
As he opened the door, he wasn't surprised to find the two on the couch. They were in different states of undress and Suga didn't have to work his imagination a lot to know what had been going on until that moment.
“Oh? Hey Suga, welcome back!” Daichi’s voice calling him out made him cringe a little, as he didn’t even have to lift his head to know that he was blushing and struggling to cover the two of them to appear at least half decent while Kuroo lounged around looking at his boyfriend. Suga put on a smile and looked at them, confirming what he had imagined. Kuroo was smiling at him, completely comfortable and uncaring for how uncomfortable that made Suga.
“Hey guys, I’m back. I will be in my room until dinner. Are you staying in tonight?”
“Yeah.” Kuroo piped up. “Will you be cooking for us? I love your dishes Suga~”
Suga felt annoyed, the feeling starting to rise up more and more as Daichi and Kuroo talked about dinner and Suga’s cooking skills. The gray-haired student felt as if he was invisible, completely cut out of the two lovers’ own world even while still in their presence. He sighed inwardly and with another smile excused himself quickly to his room. Once safe inside, he pulled out his wallet, where the neatly folded piece of paper was staring back at him, almost as if to call him. Suga picked the note and took out his phone, immediately drafting a message towards this person. On the paper it read “Tooru” and Suga could only hope this would be his lifeline towards a much more comfortable living arrangement.
[Me]
Hello! Is this Tooru?
Sent 5.30 PM
[Unknown number]
Yes, that would be me. Who are you? How did you
get my number? Tell me before I block you~
Sent 5.40 PM
[Me]
Oh, this is Sugawara Koushi, a friend and classmate
of Suna Rintarou.
Sent 5.42 PM
He told me that you’re searching for a roommate and I happen
to be on the lookout for a new place to stay at the moment.
Sent 5.42 PM
[“Tooru”]
Oh? Suna-chan! Yes, yes, I’m indeed searching
for a new roommate since that meanie of
the previous one left me!
Sent 5.44 PM
Since you’re Suna-chan’s friend, I definitely
feel more inclined to meet you for sure. But why are you
searching for a new place in the middle of the term?
Sent 5.45 PM
Don’t tell me you’re a problematic roomie!
Sent 5.45 PM
[Me]
Oh, thank you, I’m relieved that you are available immediately!
Sent 5.50 PM
And no, I’m looking to move out because my roommate is more
interested in living alone with his boyfriend.
Sent 5.51 PM
I pride myself into being quite easy to live with, Suna even said
that we might get along pretty well for how he sees it.
Sent 5.52 PM
[“Tooru”]
I trust Suna-chan then!
Sent 5.56 PM
If he said so, maybe you could come check the place
out even tomorrow, Suga-chan~
Sent 5.57 PM
Suga cringed a little at the over-confident vibe the man was giving him, assigning him a cutesy nickname even before they had formally met. However, he felt a little relieved knowing that Suna’s recommendation was turning out better than what he would have ever thought. He responded to the other with an affirmative and confirmed the details for the meeting. He started to mentally brace himself for what he would be saying to Daichi. Suga felt like preparing was necessary, especially since he didn’t want to make the two of them feel bad for living their life however they wanted.
“Suga! Are you cooking or should we order out?”
The shout that came from the living room shook him out of his thoughts as he scrambled to get out of his room and start cooking. He sincerely hoped for Kuroo to go back to his apartment for the night, so that he could gently explain his plan to Daichi. He loved him – hell, he loved them both to death – but he really couldn’t do this anymore.
The following day, Suga was standing outside a building not too far off from the campus. The night before he had spoken with Daichi, telling him all about his struggles about living together. He had expected his best friend to be displeased or angry, but he was met with sadness and compassion, the other being aware that he must have been tough to live with as he had noticed Suga retracting more and more from them when at home. Daichi had been wondering for a while if maybe they had gone too far in pushing Suga’s boundaries and he sincerely apologized. The gray-haired student felt flustered for a moment in front of that display, before he composed himself and joked with his best friend that he could use that as an opportunity to start living with Kuroo and finally get him to pay rent as he should have been, to which his best friend laughed wholeheartedly.
So now there he stood outside the place that hopefully would be his new living space, with the full blessing from his best friend and soon to be ex-roommate, waiting for this over-confident ‘Tooru’ person. Suna had joined him, partially because he had some business with the guy and because he wanted to reassure Suga. As the person that had put the two of them in contact, he had felt some kind of obligation towards his senpai.
“Suna-kun, thank you for being here with me.”
“No worries, Suga-senpai. ‘Samu asked me to come and pick up the money that Tooru-san owed for the party last weekend as he couldn’t pay at the moment. Tooru-san might sound high-maintenance but he’s pretty cool.”
“High-maintenance…?”
“Yahoo~! Suna-chan, there you are!”
The voice coming from behind them startled Suga, especially since he felt like he had already heard that high tone once before. He slowly turned around, his brain racking the deepest corners to find a match for that voice.
He was searching for a face in his memories, something to match with the annoying use of overly familiar suffixes and the sing-song tone. A mane of perfectly swooped brown hair came into his field of vision and his mind immediately slapped him with a show of white and teal glaring at him from behind a net.
“Oh, there you are. Tooru-san, this is my friend Suga-san.”
‘Oikawa Tooru’ his brain helpfully supplied him.
Oikawa looked at him for a second longer, before he narrowed his eyes. He looked as if he was silently trying to place Suga in his memories, definitely not remembering his appearance from a couple of years back. The gray-haired student knew that they had never talked back in high school, and that it was as unlikely as ever for the other to remember him. He knew that as a player he had never been outstanding and that Oikawa was mostly concentrated on Kageyama back in the day.
He put on a smile and extended a hand in front of him, pretending nothing was wrong.
“Hello there. We talked yesterday, but I will reintroduce myself. I’m Sugawara Koushi, but everyone calls me Suga. Pleased to meet you!”
Oikawa looked at his hand for a second, before trailing his eyes back to his face. Suga was starting to feel awkward, feeling the other’s eyes analyzing him as if he was under a microscope. After what felt like an eternity, Oikawa grabbed his hand and shook it, a bright smile on his face.
“I see, what a refreshing person you’ve brought here, Rin-chan! Well, nice to finally meet you, Suga-chan! Come in~.”
Suna immediately excused himself, talking about having to meet with his boyfriend, leaving Suga to enter the apartment together with Oikawa. As soon as Suna was out of earshot, the other immediately dropped the smile, looking at him with an inquiring gaze. They had barely stepped into the apartment when the brown haired man stopped Suga.
“So… Are we gonna act like we never met, Mr. Refreshing? Suna-chan is not here anymore, so you don’t have to pretend to be a perfect little senpai, right?”
The harsh and direct tone, so different from the melodious one that he had introduced himself with, was a shock to Suga. It was clear that also Oikawa had recognized him – even if he couldn’t wrap his mind around how he could have done so – and wasn’t going to pretend. The former captain’s contempt for Karasuno was no mystery to anyone in the volleyball world and he was starting to feel scared that past resentment would be a problem over their living situation.
“I’m sorry Oikawa-san, I didn’t think you would remember me. It’s been a couple of years and I figured it might have been better to just gloss it over.”
Oikawa looked at him for a second more, before huffing and finally taking him to show the inside of the house. As soon as they finished the quick tour, the brown haired man flopped down on the couch, with an attitude that Suga could only define as intimidating and arrogant. It was clear in his mind that he wanted to scare him, to demonstrate some kind of superiority over him. Probably it was just a petty revenge from their high school years, a past longing that the former captain had never been able to satisfy considering everyone was aware of his long time dream of going to Nationals. He sighed for a second before smiling again and speaking up.
“So…”
“Why are you here? Did you ask me to be my roommate knowing who I was? For your interest, I won’t tolerate any Karasuno members coming here, especially not those monsters of the first year kids, okay? I don’t want to hear about them!”
Suga inhaled sharply and paused for a second upon hearing the barricade of questions that the other had spat out. His mind was whirling with insults to throw at the man, but he immediately remembered the very basis of civil cohabitation and put on a smile, trying once again to have a calm discussion, while mentally cursing at him.
“Oikawa-san…”
“I don’t care if you are over it, I don’t trust that perfect smile of yours! You’re too composed to-”
“ Oikawa-san .”
Suga’s stern voice immediately stopped the other in the middle of his rant. He knew that Oikawa had always been known as a slightly difficult person to handle, but it was nothing compared to what Suga was used to. He watched as Oikawa looked at him with wide eyes and smiled a little, knowing it took so little to send the other into a much quieter demeanor.
“I’m not here to spy on you or be part of whatever conspiracy theory you have created inside that head of yours. I’m here because my living situation was…is terrible and I can’t take it anymore. I’m not thrilled to be roommates with someone willing to accuse me right off the bat, but since I’m so nice, I will give you another chance to be civil as we both need the other to be here.”
As he said so, he bid his farewell and left for the front door, leaving Oikawa to look at him with a stunned expression. The former captain scrambled to his feet, just in time to see Suga turn back towards him and flash him what he had dubbed back in high school as the ‘Too bright and refreshing to be genuine’ smile. That smile halted Oikawa’s steps, as if he had been nailed firmly to the ground.
“Ah, and it was my pleasure to see you again, Oikawa. I hope to have a nice time as your roommate.”
It had already been a couple of weeks since Suga had moved into Oikawa’s apartment and he had never felt better since the start of the year.
The day of the move had been full of rides back and forth from his old apartment to the new one, and then from Kuroo’s back to the old place, in order to let him take Suga’s old place. Daichi and Kuroo had come to the agreement that Suga moving out was their chance to finally end their arrangement of Kuroo being an unofficial roommate, giving the tall man the chance to finally get out of his shabby room. It had been received almost as a blessing in disguise by the couple, even if they mourned the fact that Suga wouldn’t be there with them anymore. The gray-haired student would be lying if he said that he didn’t feel a little bit sorry to put them in such a situation, but he was also looking forward to his new living arrangement.
Which led him to where he was now, sitting at the counter in his pristine kitchen. The state of their whole house (which was incredibly clean and neat for a couple of college students) had been one of the many things that he had been able to agree fully on with Oikawa, surprisingly. They had found out that their mindsets matched on many aspects over their shared spaces, something that thrilled Suga to no end and that put Oikawa on a tight spot with his conscience. The former setter was aware that the other was too proud to admit that living with him wasn’t as bad as he had thought initially, and seeing him frantically hiding his pleasured smile every time they found themselves on the same wavelength was extremely delightful to Suga.
Truthfully, it had been a struggle at first with all the passive aggressive comments flowing nonstop from the former captain. He had initially tried to poke him in every way possible, from jabs at his failed rooming situation with Daichi to even trying to attack him over his degree of choice. Every single jab had fallen flat, often becoming dying words in Oikawa’s mouth. Suga had been nothing but nice to the other and it was starting to melt down whatever defenses the other was trying to put up between them.
Their slow but steady warm up towards each other had started casually. The former captain had been the one to make the first step, inviting Suga to join him at first for a movie at home and then going out with their respective friends. The gray-haired student could feel that his roommate was trying to make up for his initial distrust, but he also knew they still had a long way to go before calling themselves friends. Oikawa had overcome most of his initial diffidence, to the point of opening up a bit more to Suga. Their talks had gone from stiff and forced, to flowing out naturally, as if it was the most obvious thing for them to do. The former captain had definitely started to show a more vulnerable side of himself, and so did Suga. He felt as if his heart had become lighter, almost as if it was skipping beats every time they fell into their usual bantering and light teasing. He had felt some kind of strange tension between them, something that made it feel like there were unsaid words all dancing in the air around them. However, none of them had shown the courage to face them, so they remained, balancing their little home on unspoken feelings.
Even so, Suga was extremely pleased. He was sipping on his wine on a Thursday night as he was reviewing his notes, the cold surface of the counter a wonderful sensation on his skin on that late spring night.
He had an extremely important presentation the following day, and with his new found tranquility in the house, Suga was determined to finish everything before Oikawa could come back home. The other had gone out to a party, one hosted by Suna and Osamu.
The former captain had been pretty excited about it and Suga couldn’t blame him. The couple’s parties were known all over the campus to be exaggerated and unforgettable, with Osamu putting his cooking skill to use as well as being a decent bartender. This usually brought an incredible amount of people from all the courses and always ended with more than a few people passing out drunk in their living room. Suga had gone to a couple of them, before deciding it wasn’t his thing after a while, despite Suna’s insistence.
Oikawa that day had left the house, trying to convince Suga to come with him as the former captain knew that Suga had a standing invitation to all of the parties. However, he had refused, wishing his roommate a wonderful night and popping open a bottle of wine for himself. Gone were the days in which he feared to stay out in the shared living space, worried about becoming uncomfortable when his roommates would undoubtedly return drunker than ever and all up each other’s business.
With Oikawa, everything seemed different. Suga wanted to be there when he got back to welcome and help him if needed. To see his face break out in a grin and happily telling him about what happened while pouring himself a glass to drink with him. At times – as he remembered with a little blooming blush on his cheeks – Oikawa would lay down his head on his shoulder and keep talking, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The gray-haired student wished deep down for those moments to never end and couldn’t believe his life had turned around so fast.
As he was lost in his thoughts, he heard his ringtone, the screen lit up and showed the caller’s name in big letters, immediately catching Suga’s attention.
“Suna Rintarou”
He lowered his glass and looked curiously at the screen, wondering if maybe the other had called him by mistake or if he wanted to once again try to convince him to come over to them and take part in the party. He watched on as the phone rang and rang, until he noticed that it wouldn’t stop. Worried, he picked up tentatively.
“Hello? Suna-kun?”
“Hey there, this is Osamu. We had a problem with Oikawa-san, he’s drunk and almost got in a fight. Rin is trying to fix and calm the people up together with ‘Tsumu. Can you come pick Oikawa up? You know the place.”
Osamu then immediately hung up on him. Suga stared at the black screen of his phone for a second, the words uttered from the man sinking in. Osamu had sounded casual in his speech, but his tone betrayed the feeling of urgency that had brought him to call Suga from his boyfriend’s phone. The former setter immediately stood up and put on his shoes, trying to make it towards the couple’s apartment as soon as he could.
He rushed while his thoughts were running wild as he tried to imagine what could have happened.
Oikawa had never struck him as a troublemaker when drunk, being more of a clingy drunk rather than an aggressive one. On top of that, Suga was absolutely sure that he wasn’t the type to initiate a fight, no matter what. He would always repeat to Suga that he had chosen Law as his degree because “You have to destroy other people psychologically and legally Suga-chan, using force is just what brutes do!”.
He ran until he saw the apartment complex in which Suna lived coming into sight. As he arrived, he saw two men outside, one sitting on a bench and one standing, with the latter scolding the former. The closer he got to the two figures, he realized that the standing person was Suna, while the sitting one was Oikawa.
“Tooru-san, I understand that Ushijima-san was bothering you, but you can’t just punch him alright? That was not cool. What did he even say to you?”
Suna’s questions were met only with silence as Oikawa stared at the ground between his feet. The scene looked surreal, as an anger he had never seen was flashing through Oikawa’s eyes. He stood a couple of feet away from the scene, not wanting to interrupt them.
“See? We had to call Suga-senpai to get you out of here…”
The younger couldn’t even finish his phrase as Oikawa stood up and strode over to Suga, looking him straight in the eyes. They stayed there, for a second looking at each other and not a word between them. Suga felt once again the tension that he had gotten used to feeling around the taller man, something that had gotten familiar but that was still shaking him to his core.
“Oikawa… Let’s go?”
Silently, Oikawa took Suga’s hand and started walking away, barely acknowledging Suna calling out to them to let him know when they got home safely. They walked in silence, Suga being mostly dragged by Oikawa.
“Wait, wait, Oikawa!”
Suga dug his heels into the ground, forcing the other to stop dead in his tracks. He was drunk, clearly swaying on his feet and looking over at his roommate with glassy eyes. Once again, silence engulfed them, leaving Suga feeling a little awkward. Hesitantly he started to speak up, trying his best to not sound as concerned as he was feeling.
“Oikawa… Are you okay? What happened?”
“He insulted you.”
The mumbled response was almost inaudible, to the point that Suga had to ask him to repeat himself. He had gathered from what Suna had said that Oikawa had a fight with Ushijima, his eternal rival, but he couldn’t for the life of him wrap his mind around what could have made the usual clingy drunk to want to fight.
“What?”
“He insulted you! I couldn’t take it! That asshole…!”
“Wait, hold on a second Oikawa. What do I have to do with all of this?”
Oikawa remained silent for a second, his eyes dropping to the ground and murmuring once again. His glassy eyes looked pitiful, his flushed cheeks making him look extremely sad. It was clear that it hadn’t been an unprovoked fight, even if Suga doubted Ushijima had done it on purpose.
“Would you mind repeating, Oikawa?”
He huffed, before repeating himself.
“I said that it does have to do with you. You’re my friend and he said that rooming outside of the team was just a waste of time and space. That for sure whoever ends up rooming with me is a useless influence on me and would only distract me from what’s important. He called you good for nothing, Suga-chan! I couldn’t stand it!”
“Oikawa…”
“And, and! He kept on going that I’ve made all the wrong choices in my life, that law is useless and that I should spend more time in the gym rather than at home with you! How dare he tell me how to live my life!”
“ Tooru .”
Oikawa looked at him, the blush on his cheeks intensifying and looking at Suga with sparkling eyes. It felt like hearing Suga’s voice call him by his name to snap him out of his hate rant had given the former captain quite the pleasant shock.
“Tooru. Don’t worry about whatever bullshit Ushijima is saying. You’re doing great and no one can tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. Your life is not Ushijima’s life. Let Mr. Perfect live his perfect life by himself, because you don’t need it.”
He smiled and grasped Oikawa’s hands in his, trying to ease the muscles of his rolled up hands. He noticed that he had some bruises on his knuckles, a clear telling sign that Oikawa had definitely fought Ushijima, something that made him chuckle a little.
“And, about whatever he said about me. He didn’t mean to insult me directly, but we all know that Ushijima is a man with a one-track mind. He will never understand what it means to chase a passion beside his own or even to chase more than one at once like you are doing. I’m happy you wanted to defend me, but it’s not worth it, I don’t really care about…”
“BUT I DO! I do care, Kou-chan!”
The sudden shout took Suga by surprise, and now it was him looking at Oikawa with blown out eyes.
“I do care, Kou-chan! You’re a wonderful person and I’m so sorry to have treated you badly at first. You’re someone that really tried to understand me and made me feel welcome in your presence even when I was anything but welcoming to you. I’m sorry, but this is what I feel! You can’t tell me I shouldn’t get mad when an asshole insults my special home, my perfectly balanced home.”
Soon Oikawa’s voice died down, suddenly realizing what he had just shouted. Suga was looking at him stunned and suddenly feeling his cheeks heat up. They were both blushing, looking at each other with blown out eyes and matching dumbfounded expressions.
Slowly, Suga took Oikawa’s hand into his once again and tugged him in the direction of their home. They were both embarrassed but the former setter mustered all the courage he had and turned around, softly speaking to the other.
“Shall… Shall we go home?”
Oikawa nodded, letting himself be guided home.
Their home, their perfectly balanced home.