𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐶𝑂𝑁𝐶𝐸𝑃𝑇 𝑂𝐹 𝐵𝐸𝐺𝑈𝐼𝐿𝐼𝑁𝐺 ┊ 𝐻𝐴𝐽𝐼𝑀𝐸 𝐼𝑊𝐴𝐼𝑍𝑈𝑀𝐼

𝟮𝟲 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗻𝗴

┅ ┅ ┅

Iwaizumi pulled open the thin curtains, letting the sunshine into the room.
"Shouldn't you be at practice?"
Iwaizumi shrugged as he sat beside Naomi, who was currently bedridden.
"I'd rather be with you."

She fiddled with her hands, rubbing the skin of her fingers as she avoided his eyes.
Naomi had told him what happened was an accident, just a simple misstep. She couldn't possibly explain or expose that Riko had brought her here.
"Glad you weren't in the hospital long. I hate those places."
His hands dragged up and down his thighs, his breath stuttering.
"How come?"
He stretched out his shoulders, humming avoidance words.
"Uhh...oh...uhm..."
"Iwaizumi, you don't have to be embarrassed about anything."

He shook his head, blushing with her assurance. "No, I'm not embarrassed. It's just not something I mention often."
Iwaizumi looked towards the ground, now the both of them avoiding the other's gaze. "My mom has been in and out of the hospital. For quite a while now. Hospitals just remind me of that, I'd rather forget it."
Naomi chewed her gums as he spoke.
"I don't like that my memories of her are tainted like that. I haven't seen her happy in a long time."
Naomi shifted her leg.
"Is that what those bills were for?"
He snapped up to look at her, cheeks flushing as she realized the insensitivity of her question.

"The...bills?"
"On your kitchen counter. I saw a lot."
"Oh, yeah. We just have some trouble paying them. But, I'm working hard to do it."
Naomi lifted her hand, her hospital wrist band still clamped around her arm. She brushed her fingers on his face, making him stiffen. Her thumb grazed over his quivering lips.
"If you hate hospitals, being a doctor doesn't seem like the best career choice."
"Not like I'd have the money to get there."
She nodded, drawing him forward.

"Do remember what I said about Oikawa?"
He frowned at the mention of his name.
"What did you say?"
"I said he doesn't get to have me. That still stands."
Iwaizumi always melted at her words, as Naomi was never so talkative with him before this.
He brought his face closer, removing the gap between them. She held the back of his neck as they kissed, his smell was so much better than hers.

Naomi was surprised by how his kisses felt now. She didn't crave someone else's nor did she imagine someone else to ease the pain.
Instead, she locked the memory of his touch and the taste of him in her heart.
Naomi was scared of this.

Catching his breath, Iwaizumi hid his face in her shoulder, completely red.
"Itsu," he mumbled, "I love you."
Naomi let out a sigh, body tingling as he placed a kiss on the skin of her neck.
"I love you, Naomi."
Naomi struggled to reply, perhaps because anything she'd say would be party truth ridden. Her words meant something to her now, as if they actually made a difference.
She continued to hold his neck, hoping he wouldn't try and face her.
"Iwaizumi..." she stammered, "I love you too."

A revelation to her, but simply not to Iwaizumi, he sat up with a lovesick smile.
"I need to give you something."
He dug through his pockets, feeling around for the item he had revealed to Riko during their trip.
"Iwaizumi..."
"I meant to earlier, but...never mind."
Trapped in his fist, he took her hand delicately. "Naomi, can you make a promise to me?"
Her voice was beginning to tremble.
"What kind of—of promise?"

Opening his hand, he revealed a silver ring with a small blue gem on it.
"It's a promise ring. I thought things have been going well between us."
Her hand was shaking in his, heart pounding loudly in her ears, as she struggled to listen.
"I—Iwaizumi—I-"
"I know we've only been together for a couple of months, but I've known you for years. I can't remember the last time my heart didn't flutter each time I lied eyes on you."
He rubbed her knuckles, "I want to be able to love you and only you for a long time."

He lifted the ring within his rough fingers, "Naomi, will you please promise to continue to stay with me?"
Although they might've promise these words before, now he was serious. Naomi saw the commitment in his eyes, the commitment that she never thought she deserved. She never planned to stay around for anyone. She never thought she'd love someone, especially like this.

Her eyes beginning to water, realizing what she was truly promising.
She closed her eyes, her tears falling down her face. She regretted Oikawa. She regretted ever meeting him, ever fawning over his every move, and ever craving him so much that she ruined the only true love she's ever had.
Naomi had completely poisoned their love, keeping all her lies and deceits hidden in the ground beneath their feet.

Naomi slowly nodded, feeling the cold metal of the band slip onto her finger.
"I promise, Hajime," she cried softly. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, god forgive me.
He kissed her hand, "I promise too."

Naomi wept with the knowledge that even if they were both being true in their promise, their relationship was still a lie.
It would remain a lie, a complete mistake until Naomi told the truth.

And she wasn't sure she could.

┅ ┅ ┅

As Iwaizumi walked home, his face still flushed and his lips tasting like her chapstick, his happy mood fell.
Standing in his yard, letting stray cats sniff his hand, was Oikawa.
Even seeing the back of his head made Iwaizumi growl.
"Get out of here," he called out, making the cats hideaway under the porch.
Oikawa sighed, standing up with crossed arms.
"We have to talk."
"I don't want to talk to you!" Iwaizumi shoved at him, "Get off my property."

He headed up to his door before getting pulled back by the collar.
"Listen to me!" Oikawa shouted, "we need to talk!"
"I don't want to," Iwaizumi insisted, not turning to look at him, "you're an asshole. I always knew you were."
"You're being stupid."
"I'm not."
Oikawa, still holding onto him, shook him back and forth.
"You are! How could you trust her more than me!"

Shoving him away again, he shouted, "you don't give me reasons to trust you! You kissed her! You admitted that! Don't try and gaslight me!"
Oikawa shook his head, watching Iwaizumi depart up the stairs again.
"I'll admit that was stupid! But I don't like her!"
"Bullshit!"
"Iwaizumi! She admitted it to Riko!"
With his hand on the door, Iwaizumi froze, now listening.
"Naomi admitted what?"

Oikawa took the first step up, creaking the wood.
"She admitted that she dated you for me. Naomi told that to Riko. Why would Riko lie, huh?"
Iwaizumi turned around, hands clenching at his sides. He looked into his friend's eyes, the bruises on his skin and his messy hair.
He couldn't think of a reason Riko would lie. Riko and Naomi were inseparable. It had been that way for a while.

"I can get Riko to tell you if you don't believe me," Oikawa took another step, "but I can't let you keep hurting yourself. She isn't worth it."
"Don't tell me what she's worth," he snapped, "You don't know her."
"And you do?"
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, getting out his keys, "fuck off."
"Don't let her do this. You deserve better."
"Don't tell me what I deserve."
Iwaizumi stepped inside, slamming the door behind him.

He closed his eyes as he collapsed at the door.
"I trust you, Naomi."
Now they were both liars.