Gold || Oikawa Tooru x Reader

Chapter Thirteen: Prepare

Interhigh-Preliminaries.

The volleyball teams were slowly descending into anxiety. (F/n) was getting worse by the day. She was helping out her first and second years with the help of her other third years. The girls were knitting themselves closer and closer together, training themselves to move with one another.

The ones who were taking dance classes, like Yada, Onoue, Hirose, Iha and Hana, had gotten advice from their dance teachers on movement, and shared it with the team as quickly as they could.

"Man, they're really panicking." Oikawa noted, having snuck in to watch the girls practice one evening with Iwaizumi, Makki and Matsun. The other three boys nodded.

"(F/n), you need to calm down." Kazehaya called to her captain, who was furrowing her eyebrows and scrunching up her nose, standing off to the side with her back slightly turned on the team.

Iwaizumi frowned in concern for his cousin. She'd joined in with the boy's practices when she was able to, and she completely took over the court. Her own team even came to join her once, and it was a close game. He'd never seen her like this.

Hana dropped the volleyball she was holding and went over to her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. There was a heartbeat of silence, then the (h/c) haired girl relaxed.

"My apologies." She muttered, and a contagious, relieved smile ran throughout her team. "I'm okay. Lets continue."

"How is she...?" Matsun leaned forwards, and Makki shook his head. "Is she okay?"

When Iwaizumi looked over to his captain, he noticed the concern in his face.

"Oi, Assikawa." The ace snapped his fingers in front of the brown eyed boy.

Oikawa blinked back into reality. "Sorry, Iwa-chan, what was that?" His hands wrung together.

"Nothing. You're staring." Iwaizumi frowned at him. "I think number fourteen's concern is getting to me, because now I'm worried for you too."

"That's so kind, Iwa-chan! You're such a good friend!" Oikawa beamed, and the ace sighed in difficulty. "I'm fine, don't worry!"

"Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-kun," Tengan's face appeared right in between theirs, and the boys jumped back in alarm. Makki and Matsun snickered, but that's when Iha appeared next to them. "What are you doing here?"

Makki and Matsun sounded like ten year old screaming school kids, leaping a safe distance away from her. The girl wiggled her fingers in a cheerful wave.

"W-well, we were curious, that's all." Oikawa scratched the back of his neck. The boy's grouped together. They currently outnumbered the two girls, so no one was getting ganged up on.

"About?" Iha asked, cocking a curious eyebrow and smirking. "Did you want to see (F/n) play?"

"Poor things." Tengan clicked her tongue, shaking her finger. "Already getting attached to her. What are you all even?"

"Hey, she's been agreeing to come to our practices!" Iwaizumi hissed in defence. The girls glanced at each other, and shrugged.

"That may be true." Iha said, tapping her chin. "She's learned loads from you guys. That one spiker you guys have with the scary eyes is probably the only one she can respect fully."

"What!?" The boy's cried in unison.

"Shh," Tengan hushed, looking back down on the court. "They'll hear you guys. You all weren't even invited."

"How do you know?" Matsun crossed his arms.

"Wanna take this outside, tough guy?" Iha placed a hand on her hip. "Four gymnastics classes a week aren't for nothing, you know."

"It's just... (F/n)-chan's been hard on herself." Oikawa scratched the back of his neck, coming to Matsun's rescue. "It looks like she's losing sleep. Is she...?"

"She's a little under the weather." Tengan sighed, nudging Iha with her arm. She backed down. "And an anxious little ball of shit. She'll be alright. I think."

"Wait, where's she going?" Makki looked down at the court to see the ace making a b-line for the exit.

Iha and Tengan turned to watch their captain leave.

"Hana-san!" Tengan ran over to the railing, leaning over it. The vice captain looked up, then glared at the four boys who were there.

Yada was jumping up and down on the balls of her feet. Hirose grabbed her arm to stop her from rushing after her captain. Oikawa noticed this.

"Another break down, I think." Hana called, and Oikawa's chest swelled.

"Break down?" He called, going up to the railing beside Tengan, who shoved him away with a growl.

A silence spread throughout the gymnasium. Iwaizumi was cluting his fists so hard they were turning white.

"Her anxiety is acting up." Hana called. "She affects the teams mood, changes it, alters it, improves it. You've noticed during her practices with you boys, right?"

The four nodded.

"She realizes this." Iha jumped in. "So she leaves. It's better for us. We can't deny it. Seeing her break down for the first time..."

"That was scary." Tengan finished. "It took us all a week to sort things out. That was our downfall last games."

Oikawa was out the door in a matter of seconds. Nobody tried to stop the male setter, just listening to the doors click loudly behind him, sending echoes throughout the gym.