Chapter Four: Lost in the Fumes

I wasn't looking forward to this trip back to Sendai but it would serve its purpose as a needed distraction to expunge him from my thoughts. Although I had better things to do on my own than to rescue a certain red head who couldn't keep his mouth shut to save his life, I didn't bat an eyelash when Ukai had formally ordered me to Sendai or when he, in the same breath, suggested that Tsukishma accompany me. Even though I didn't hate Tsukishma as much as Kageyama, dealing with Tsukishma and his vexing smirks and biting retorts that were just as meddlesome as asking prodding questions. Besides, an order from Ukai was tantamount to an order from God- it was delusional to think that Ukai would rescind based on personal issues alone.

The value add in all of this: A disengaged Tsukishma was a quiet Tsukishma. If I stayed to myself, Tsukishma would get the memo and remain a silent fixture. And silence was what I needed to work through this odd fixation with my mysterious stranger. I still cringed when hazy snippets of the night before had continued to haunt me into the waking hours and despite all of my efforts, all thoughts always turned to him.

I exhaled softly and checked my watch and then resumed my quiet reflection, watching the blurring landscape as the train sped along the tracks. The further I got from Tokyo, the better. A few hours away would do me some good.

We would arrive in Sendai at two o'clock, leaving me just an hour and a half to rid myself of his enigmatic imprint.

Once there, I would have to hit the ground running, all thoughts of arresting chocolate eyes and a sinfully molded body chased away by hours of reconnaissance and the violence that was sure to follow I wouldn't kid myself into thinking that executing our little extraction mission would go off as planned; Hinata, in all of his curiosities, had gotten tangled up with the likes of Ushijima- unpredictability and violence was all but assured. Plans were worthless and foolhardy. Making it home alive was the takeaway.

Ukai's decision to leash Kageyama had been an advantage; although deceptively impassive under any other pretenses, one of Kageyama Tobio's pressure points was his affinity for the little runt of a journalist. Coupled with his unearthly obsession, his intelligence and inability to cage his violent tendencies and well…you understand where I'm going with this. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Hinata but his relationship with Kageyama was troublesome, inconvenient, and a pain in the ass.

A reminder that my desires were better left undiscovered.

"You're awfully reflective." His voice was close, his breath skirting my ear. The haughty tone was easy enough to detect and his piercing gaze was heavy and taunting. He wanted a reaction and I was keen to let him simmer in his disappointment. After a moment of silence, he leaned away, settling against his seat with an airy sigh, "Love is a crazy thing, huh?"

Biting back an angry reply, I kept my eyes on the landscape, focusing on the passing peaks of Mount Zao; its snowy caps were a suitable diversion to the impulse to lash out. I wasn't interested in furthering this fishing expedition just to please Kei in his boredom and instead of engaging him further, I remained silent, the unmitigated fury and flashes of violent rage, specifically toward a certain black and grey haired lunatic running in tandem with the desire to slap the arrogant smirk off of Kei's lips. Ignoring would only get me so far; Kei's talent, aside from expertly carving up a body, lay in instigation- something, apparently, I could not escape.

Crossing my arms, I exhaled lightly, "The ride's too long to listen to you bitch about your problems, Tsukki."

"Cute but wrong," Tsukishma answered smartly. A quick glance revealed the utter disgust evident in his glare. The use of his nickname always put him in a foul mood but I didn't give a shit. It didn't take him long to shake it off though; the glare had suffused into a smarmy grin. "You leave yourself open to too many prying eyes, Suga. You know how fast words travel; someone might get the wrong idea."

"And what idea is that?" I cringed at the tension in my voice, infuriated that I'd let him get to me so quickly. I gripped my arms tightly to stave a more violent reaction, my nails biting into the material. Tsukishma snickered and I groaned inwardly, contemplating the direction the conversation.

"That you're losing your edge." The tension was palpable, the air between us laden with the words unspoken. I shifted my gaze briefly, catching a glance of his golden eyes as they flashed knowingly, the slick smirk and the subtle raised brow inciting more fury that I could handle. Instigation aside, I knew what he was getting at; making mistakes was one thing, showing an ineptness only led down a darkened path.

"I'd caution you not to make assumptions based on a fool's word," I responded tightly, returning to gazing out of the window. "You know what they say about assumptions."

"Yes, all too well," he answered back, "but here's a word of advice." He shifted in his seat and leaned forward, laughing lightly as our eyes met, "I suggest, Koushi, whatever it is, clear it. In your line of work, an absent mind is a dangerous weakness to have."

"I don't have any weaknesses, Kei."

"Yet," he answered nonchalantly. He eased back, taking up a magazine, flipping the pages slowly as if measuring his next sentence, "Be sure it stays that way. Ukai's a forgiving man to a fault but I wouldn't press my luck. End it."

"There's nothing to end, Tsukishma."

"Sure, now look in the mirror and tell yourself that lie." The amount of impudence in Tsukishma's voice was sickening and provoking. I turned to him quickly, only to find him staring sightlessly at the images before him, the arrogance gone, replaced by…remorse? "Take my word for it, Suga. Our way of life doesn't leave much room for anything else other than family, much less love. If you think you're an exception to the rule, you're a fool."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Kei." His almost lifeless expression made me uneasy yet I was intrigued by his response. What could've happened to tear at the apathetic shell he'd stringently erected?

Mirthless laughter filled the space between us as Tsukishma canted his head toward me. Any traces of melancholy had dissipated, leaving in its wake a blank slate of indifference. "Ignorance isn't a good look on you, Sugawara. Be smart about this."

"Fuck you, Tsukishma." Furious, I pulled out my phone and sent a short, expletive filled text to a certain hazel eyed asshole. Satisfied I shoved my phone back in my pocket and resumed watching as the world passed, losing myself to the realization that my reality was fucked. And there was nothing I could do about that.

Nothing at all.

So apparently, going for coffee meant traveling back to Sendai.

This wasn't my scene by any stretch, sequestered in such a small space, unable to move for hours on end was definitely not my idea of a good time. Add to the mix the somber mood and shitty music and you'd have a good idea the nightmare I'd waltzed into. An hour into this melancholic hell, I'd convinced myself that I'd be willing to face Kuroo's relentless idiocy rather than lose a second more to the misery that seemed to engulf Hajime. He was lost in his own world and refusing to let me in. He hadn't said two words since getting in the car, his gaze set squarely on the dull landscape. Of course, I was pissed but I reminded myself that he'd made the trip to Tokyo and that's something he'd never do on a whim. Something was up and the more he ensconced himself in this dreadful silence, the more I realized that, quite possibly, blood would be shed.

Hajime's quiet temperance was the first clue that something was up. Although painfully stoic, Hajime never missed a chance to check me, even for the most mundane. I'd left him plenty of openings as I prepared for the day, leveling all sorts of lame ass jokes and even preened like a beauty queen- something I knew he despised – all to no avail. He remained impassive, his gaze lost to the seconds that ticked by, doing his very best impression of a lonesome apparition.

Frankly, it scared the shit out of me. Hajime never really reached out for help, he wasn't that type of man. It was always him who stood as the sturdy foundation, the unmovable object in the monsoon. He'd perfected the role while in high school, always lending an ear or a fist to make things right, always positing as the dependable one, one who'd get shit done. It hadn't been a surprise when he'd decided on the military, electing to let a very advantageous volleyball scholarship float away in favor of serving his country. That was where the road ended with us for a few years. It wasn't until he'd returned from a botched mission that he popped back into my life, towing along the demons he'd harvested while away. I knew a lot about Hajime but there were certain things he kept close to his chest and I was willing to bet that it this impromptu road trip was the result of one of those things.

"So…"

"I thought you said no prying." His voice crackled slightly and he cleared his throat before cutting his eyes at me. "'Talk until you think it's enough.'"

"We've been in this car for damn near two hours and you haven't said one word. Not one, Hajime." Annoyed, I continued, "You show up at o' dark thirty, level a gun to my head and berate me for my shitty security…"

"It is rather pathetic," he intoned smugly.

"And give me unsolicited fashion advice."

"You only wear those when you're trying not to think about something- or somebody." That fucker better not be grinning, I thought as my grip tightened on the wheel. Hajime turned his body toward me, his lips thinning into a garish grin. "What's her name?"

"There is no her," I groused. I gripped the wheel tightly, ignoring the throbbing pain in my knuckles as I shot back, "You're surprisingly chatty now, Iwa-chan."

He didn't take the bait, instead he doubled down, "So, not a her. Hmm, a he then?"

"Now you're just fucking around."

"Okay, not a he." Annoyed by his deft swerve, I exhaled in a huff and shook my head. It was a difficult attempt to keep him on topic which was ironic seeming as if he were the more settled of the two of us. He'd settled back and pondered, his brow narrowed in thought. With a sudden burst of energy, he popped back up, "I got it, it's a them! You're broadening your field, Oikawa. Good, I never thought of you as a one woman/man type of person anyway."

"Fuck you, Iwaizumi." So I participated in more than my share of hedonistic pleasures. Not exactly something I'd get upset about but for some reason, his deflection had hit a sore spot. I couldn't help but think of my beautiful stranger, how elusive, yet potently addicting one glance had been. Thinking about his silver hair, his intoxicating, almost innocently seductive eyes…

A brief thought of him brought about a flush of arousal, nearly knocking the wind out of my lungs. I shifted slightly in the seat, allowing room for my dick to expand. What was he doing at the moment? Was he thinking of me as much as I was thinking of him? Did he even care? My thoughts drifted, wondering about his day to day, how he took his coffee, what kind of job he had…

If I had to guess, my beautiful stranger was decidedly not a salary man. His suit was bespoke all clean lines and ridiculously expensive cut. It fit him like a glove, much like his aloof demeanor. His eyes were seemingly innocent but screamed illicit. Everything I was attracted to, and my instincts were to act. Despite that desire, there was something off about him, about that moment. I couldn't quite pin point why I'd had a niggling feeling in the recesses of my mind but I didn't waste time on the unnecessary. I operated on instincts, and my first was that he was merely a delicious challenge that I'd gladly take.

"…Not that you haven't tried," Hajime had countered sharply.

Shaking myself out of the reverie, I hadn't realized that Hajime had answered, although now, I was sure he was looking at me with a goofy ass smile on his face. Sure enough, I averted my attention briefly, catching the smug smirk and exhaled with a huff. I had to get my head in the game. He didn't matter, only getting to the root of Hajime's odd behavior and planning my next lay wasn't making it any easier.

"Are you going to tell me why you're dragging me back to Sendai or is this one of your fucked up surprises?" Of course, Hajime knew I hated surprises and I didn't hesitate to remind him. "I'd thought you'd learned your lesson the last time, Iwaizumi."

Hajime, by nature, was a private man. Unfortunately for him, his last surprise was ill-timed.

I think I still have that video on my phone.

"You know what, Oikawa, fuck you right back," he responded quietly. The recrimination was empty, devoid of his usual heat, replaced by, oddly, apprehension. I glanced to see his focus honing in on the green flatland of the countryside once more, willing to be lost in the monotony of the scenery passing by. The music blared to life, effectively erasing the heavy silence between us. The hesitation was evident, as if he were searching for the right words to say, for a safety net that would allow him to spill out whatever had been bothering him. Before the next song began, I reached to turn the volume down. He was only going to give me one shot at this so the less distractions the better.

The silence began to stretch into uncomfortable territory, a clue that he was about to shut down completely. I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, ready to shatter the ominous quiet. It was unnerving to sit in this deafening stillness, frozen in uncertainty. I began to squirm under this stilted peace, anxiously flexing my fingers to allow the staunched blood to flow back, willing him to speak. A multitude of emotions filtered through my mind at his reluctance, unused to this indecisiveness. He'd never shown this much vulnerability and I'd seen him through a lot of fucked up shit through our friendship.

"Hajime…"

"There's trouble brewing," he blurted quickly.

"What kind of trouble, Hajime?"

Empty silence.

That was all he'd given me. I couldn't do anything to pull out what he didn't want exposed and as much as I wanted to give him space, I needed more information. I caught his gaze briefly before focusing on the road before me, catching the hints of desperation in his eyes. My grip tightened on the wheel in an effort to stave the violent response that was clawing its way to the surface.

"Just…just get us back to Sendai as quick as you can."

I was tempted to pull the car over and get the entire story but the stony silence cut all that shit short. Nothing mattered at the moment, not Tokyo, not Kuroo, not him. Nothing mattered other than helping the only man I could call a true friend.

I narrowed my brow and adjusted my grip, my foot pressing down on the gas. I hadn't missed the brief flash of fury in his eyes before he'd turned away.

I exhaled heavily.

There would most definitely be blood.