featuring.ᐟ iwaizumi hajime
genre: hurt/comfort, fluff??
a/n: 598 words. if u saw me upload this earlier no u didn't
it’s cold, you realize as you step out onto the balcony. pulling out a cigarette, you light it up, take a long drag, and move to stand by the edge. the loud thrum of music from the party inside still carries through the walls. you thought coming here would help you unwind after a long week work, responsibilities, and endless chores piling up day by day. you figured getting a little tipsy and hanging out with familiar faces might help you forget for a while. but instead, it’s only made your chest feel heavier. you take another drag, letting the smoke swirl into the night. lost in thought, you don’t even hear someone approaching until a jacket is draped over your shoulders, making you flinch.
“aren’t you cold standing out here?” a familiar voice asks. it’s your best friend, iwaizumi hajime. you didn’t like him much in middle school. you’d always argue about the dumbest things. but after ending up at aoba johsai together, somehow, you became friends. lunch breaks spent talking, helping each other with assignments, and you cheering him on at his volleyball matches, it all built a bond you hadn’t expected. now, as adults, life has pulled you both in different directions. you don’t see him as much anymore. you glance up at him. he’s taller now, his shoulders broader, his face more defined. in your slightly drunken state, memories of your high school crush on him come rushing back, uninvited. you shake your head, your cheeks warming.
“how’d you know i was out here?” you ask, your voice a little steadier than you feel.
“asked oikawa,” he says with a shrug. “said he saw you head to the balcony. that idiot’s wasted, by the way.”
you giggle despite yourself.
“what’re you even doing out here all alone?” he asks, his eyes flicking to the cigarette between your fingers. he frowns, his nose scrunching up. “i thought you quit that.”
“old habits die hard, i guess,” you reply, taking another drag.
he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “you’re gonna regret that tomorrow,” he mutters, but there’s no judgment in his tone, just quiet concern. he leans against the railing beside you, his arm brushing yours. the jacket he draped over you smells like him, and so familiar it makes your chest ache.
“i don’t know,” you admit after a moment, your voice softer now. “i just needed some air. it’s been… a lot lately.” you glance at him out of the corner of your eye, wondering if he can see the weight you’ve been carrying.
he doesn’t respond immediately, but his gaze lingers. “you don’t have to do it all alone, you know,” he says at last, his voice gentle but firm. “i know we don’t see each other much these days, but i’m still here.”
his words hit something deep in you, and your chest tightens. you flick the ash from your cigarette, your hands trembling slightly. “i know,” you whisper. “i just… didn’t want to bother you.”
he scoffs softly, nudging your shoulder with his. “you could never bother me, idiot.” he pauses, his expression softening as he looks at you. “if you need someone, call me, okay? i mean it.”
you meet his gaze, your breath catching at how close he is. for a moment, the world feels still, the noise of the party fading into the background. “okay,” you murmur, your voice almost cracking.
his lips tug into a small smile, and you can’t help but wonder if he notices the way your heart races when he looks at you like that.