heleanor | ♠ ＧＯＬＤ ♥ ＧＵＮＳ ♦ ＧＩＲＬＳ ♣

[A disappointment, but Iwaizumi would be pleased if his expedition is cut short.]

You're completely sure you can't?

[He perks up and fishes his phone out of his pocket.]

At least let me get your number, that way I can make up for bothering you like this some time. [Unsubtle, perhaps but "Sakeguchi" could just be that kind of guy.]

Well I could, but you'll have to wait until... [he trails of, blinking uncomprehendingly for a moment.] My number?

Oh! Wait, that's, I mean, you really don't have to make anything up to me, Sakeguchi-san... [maybe he is just some confused guy trying to be nice]

[Oikawa feigns embarrassment, scratching the side of his face and smiling awkwardly.]

That wasn't really the reason I wanted your number, Yamaguchi-kun. You don't do this often, do you?

!!?

[Is he—no. No way. People don't...don't ask that sort of thing, not to Yamaguchi—it happens to other people. It happens to Tsukishima.]

What...um...what do you mean, Sakeguchi-san! D-Do what?

[Oikawa's starting to feel a little bad. This is beyond easy and he could have gotten someone else to do it later down the track when he needed to strike a blow to Karasuno. Now his options are keep his farce up, which will unravel when Yamaguchi works out that Oikawa isn't a law student, or try and work things so Yamaguchi doesn't want to see him again which he's reluctant to do when he's having this much fun.]

Give cute boys your number so they can call you for dinner.

Buh!? [CODE RED WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR THIS Yamaguchi's never even had the nerve to ask a cute girl for her number in his whole life; the last thing he ever expected was for some handsome-looking guy to come up to him and ask for his. What with his being taken in by the Karasuno family (and semi-permanent hang-ups on Tsukishima and now Yachi), he was starting to think he'd most likely end up a bachelor forever.

Yamaguchi's face goes heated and flushes splotchy red down his neck in record time. So you can enjoy his wordless flailing and incomprehensible noises at your own discretion, until he remembers how to properly form words, Oikawa.]

[That's adorable. It looks like Oikawa's brought about an allergic reaction in Yamaguchi by asking for his number. He looks at Yamaguchi with concern and then slowly so Yamaguchi doesn't faint, explode or run away, reaches up to place his hand on Yamaguchi's forehead.]

Yamaguchi-kun are you feeling okay?

[Yamaguchi shivers at the unexpected touch, movement rippling down his back and spreading all the way to his arms and legs. There's no way that Oikawa wouldn't be able to feel it. Immediately after that, Yamaguchi's body abruptly stiffens, like he's going to pull back and away from him—but, he doesn't. There's obviously no fever, but the skin beneath Oikawa's palm should be very warm, now, indeed.]

Sorry! S-Sorry, I'm fine...!

[Or, make that embarrassed, intimidated, anxious, frankly a little scared and...hopeful? Yep, hopeful. And it's such an out-of-place feeling that Yamaguchi nearly doesn't recognize it, through all the negative knee-jerk emotions underneath he feels at being caught like this when he wasn't expecting it. But...is this guy actually asking him out, out of the blue, without knowing Yamaguchi at all? Just because he wanted to? That's never happened to him before; he didn't think at any point it ever would.]

[Oikawa places his free hand on his own forehead to compare their temperatures.]

Are you sure? You're awfully warm.

[Which is true enough. For all he knows, Yamaguchi might legitimately be unwell. Really, he's just showing he's a kind and considerate person concerned for Yamaguchi's health.

It's nice to be out and not have to keep up his intimidation tactics and vague threats for once, like a tiny vacation where he acts like a decent human being.]

N-No, my skin just...does that? It's...er...no big deal!

[Yamaguchi's mind is yelling for him to pull away, to come up with SOME excuse to get the hell out before he somehow embarrasses himself further in this situation. And yet, despite that, he feels frozen in place. Like he's been prevented from moving somehow by the touch of Sakeguchi's hand on his head.]

Um, that's probably really weird! I'm sorry, I'm... [He doesn't know how to possibly explain how stupid he's acting right now without sounding utterly pathetic. Or worse, without giving Sakeguchi the impression this behavior is his fault instead of Yamaguchi's, for not knowing how to deal with an occurance like this. Just how inept is he!?]

Just take care of yourself, Yamaguchi-kun. [Oikawa finally jerks his hand back off Yamaguchi's forehead and tucks it sheepishly into his pocket like he wasn't completely aware that touching Yamaguchi when they've only just met might be considered inappropriate.

His hand still feels warm from Yamaguchi's skin.]

I should probably be the one apologising for being weird. Approaching you out of the blue like this when you're not even interested. [He laughs and shrugs his shoulders.] But I thought I'd try, just in case.

[Yamaguchi gapes, trying his hardest to catch up to the words happening in real time even as he perceives them in a strange kind of embarrassment-induced slow motion.

Oh. Hold on. Not interested? That's not right, he thinks numbly, forcing his brain to work despite all the blood diverted to his extremely red face. That can't be right at all. Sakeguchi thinks Yamaguchi's the one that wouldn't be–?]

W-Wait! Sakeguchi-san!! [Unthinkingly, Yamaguchi suddenly reaches forward on some unknown impulse and grabs Oikawa by the wrist before he can leave. The younger man looks nervous and faintly desperate.]

You'd really like to have my phone number!!?

[Oikawa jerks back away from Yamaguchi's touch on instinct but manages to stop himself before pulling out of his grip entirely. Hopefully Yamaguchi didn't notice, or just thinks Oikawa must have more problems with other people touching him than touching other people. Which is basically the case. He has exactly one person he doesn't mind touching him no matter the circumstances and it's not Yamaguchi.

He smiles, maybe a little shakily.]

Why else would I ask for it, Yamaguchi-kun?

[Yamaguchi blinks, a hurt look flashing across his face for a very brief moment before his expression shifts, to a mix of concern and apprehension.

He lets go of Oikawa's wrist, and as he does Yamaguchi's body language seems to deflate visibly from how wound up he'd been not ten seconds ago. What if he read him wrong? he worries. What if Sakeguchi didn't mean it like that...or didn't mean it at all? Sakeguchi's playing it off now, but he definitely flinched when Yamaguchi grabbed his hand.

What little confidence Yamaguchi mustered up a minute ago seems to evaporate quickly at his perceived failure.]

I...sorry. I should let you go, I'll bet you...have stuff to do on your own tonight...

[Shit, that cost him. Yamaguchi looks like Oikawa slapped him. He kicks himself for not keeping his reactions under control. He could have avoided this so easily.]

I really would like your number, Yamaguchi-kun. I know lots of good places to eat. [Most of them are under the thumb of Aoba Johsai but they are semi-legitimate businesses as well.] But if you don't want to then I understand.

...?

Okaaaay...

[Yamaguchi hesitates, trying to formulate his concerns into something coherent before he blurts out anything stupid. He swallows dryly and then speaks.]

Sakeguchi-san...um...is something the matter? [He's more than a little nervous to hear the answer; it was such a change from how light the other man's attitude had been for the entire meeting before that. Maybe Yamaguchi was reading him wrong, reading the whole situation wrong, and Sakeguchi was just being friendly the whole time? And when he'd seen how flustered Yamaguchi got, from a simple thing like having his forehead touched...]

[He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and then tucks his hands back into his pockets, trying to come up with something to say. He'd just blow it off but Yamaguchi isn't stupid or Karasuno wouldn't have anything to do with him. In the end, he opts for something like the truth.]

I'm not great with people touching me. Sorry, Yamaguchi-kun.

[It sounds like the worst kind of excuse and Oikawa knows it. The truth always comes out like a lie when he says it which is just one of the many reasons he doesn't tell it often.]

Huh? But–

[Yamaguchi's eyes widen a bit, and he quickly flushes again in horror and bows hastily to Oikawa in apology with a clumsy attempt at actual formality. Oh, dear. That's what it was??]

I'm sorry! I thought–s-since you'd touched my forehead earlier, to see if there was a fever...I didn't realize at all! S-Sorry, Sakeguchi-san! [He's really more embarrassed than repentant, but still, it's not exactly becoming like this for a would-be gangster to fall over himself to apologize...]

[Oikawa forces a laugh and shrugs.] Please don't worry about it, Yamaguchi-kun. How could you have known? I didn't exactly include it with my introduction.

[How is such a good guy in their business? ... It occurs to him that maybe it's an act. If it is, he's a better actor than Oikawa has ever seen.]

[He's not acting—though, Yamaguchi's also not as good a guy as he appears, even if it is an easy mistake to make. More than anything, he's just painfully insecure and desperate to prove himself; always wanting to be liked, to please people, to prove he isn't worthless. That he isn't pathetic. It's always been like that. Yamaguchi has a hard time making friends, and he hasn't got family now either, now that his parents are gone. He'll do anything to hang on to the few people in his life that keep him around after that, and actually treat him like he's a part of something so long as he works hard for it.

He'll do anything to earn their approval. Yamaguchi would (will, someday) send innocent people to prison without a second thought, if it will keep his fellow Karasuno members safe.

And while he's not nearly strong or brave enough for it yet, if he was, Yamaguchi would probably kill for them too. Especially Tsukishima.]

Sorry... [Yamaguchi's voice is cringing and regretful, worried that he might have already ruined whatever shot he had with this Sakeguchi guy. As a new student he might be kind of forward, but he's also charming, and more importantly Yamaguchi's never met someone before that just...liked him. He's halfway smitten already despite himself.]

Yamaguchi-kun?

[He doesn't know exactly what he's asking but every single thing that Yamaguchi says makes Oikawa wish more that he'd just managed to stay put when Yamaguchi touched him.

He could try and go back to his previous demeanour but that wouldn't make sense with how he jerked away before. Yamaguchi might have a fake name for him but he's probably getting a version of Oikawa that's closer to who he really is than Oikawa's shown anyone for a long time. Even Iwaizumi gets a false version of him, he's just had enough experience to know what parts are real.

He wonders if he'd be able to pull off pretending to be a law student. At least until the end of the semester where he can pretend that financial issues require him to drop out and get a job. Which is a little ridiculous but their conversation is the most fun he's had in months and he doesn't like letting go of what enjoyment he can manage. He likes manipulating people and organising Aoba Johsai's affairs but a lot of the the people he deals with have a negative sense of humour to the point where he doesn't even bother trying to get reactions out of them. He almost wishes it was because they'd have him killed if they thought he was disrespecting them but he's too high up now for that to be a concern.]

Hm?

[At the sound of his name, Yamaguchi swallows and refocuses, managing to force a polite smile for Oikawa.]

Ah, sorry, Sakeguchi-san. Let's go on to the Hoshino Building now, okay? [If 'Sakeguchi' asks for his phone number again, Yamaguchi will give it to him. But Yamaguchi's too spooked at this point about upsetting him earlier to make another offer, he doesn't have the guts to try again after messing up so badly the first time.]

[Oikawa's eyebrows pull together in concern. Yamaguchi's other smiles were much nicer than that.]

Of course. Thank you.

[He keeps his hands loose in his pockets and tries to ignore the nagging sensation that he should fix this.

He manages to walk beside Yamaguchi for two paces before opening his mouth.]

Do you like studying here, Yamaguchi-kun?

[Yamaguchi blinks and glances over at him, and tries to think of a response to the odd, but benign-seeming question.]

...Yes? It's a good school. [And my family lives here, he nearly adds, but it's not his place to bring up Karasuno even indirectly in his regular dealings with outside strangers.]

I'm glad! If you like it here then I'm sure I will too.

[... Shit, is he going to have to turn up to classes to keep up this charade? Iwaizumi will kill him if he sneaks out to go to law lectures. But really, it was his fault Oikawa didn't stay in his office in the first place.]

Plus, I won't mind seeing you around at all.

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