IWAIZUMI WAS A LOST BOY.

an aimless wanderer, always straying away from the path that had already been paved out before him. he liked to consider himself a rebel in that respect; not following the rules, not meeting people's expectations. not a failure, or a disappointment, just a rebel, with his feet on the edge and his head in the sky, amongst the patchwork clouds.

only he hated heights.

so why, he had to ask himself, did he end up, one cloudy afternoon, on a rooftop?

the rooftop of an old-fashioned apartment complex, with an overhanging porch and a little swinging lantern, and dark granite tiles. a staircase of black iron and curved brackets had been his carriage to the heavens, rattling and creaking under the soles of his feet as he grappled with vertigo on his ascent, forcing himself to look away from the intangible blur of pavement below.

he was on the roof before he knew it. loose pieces of stone crumpled underfoot as he shuffled his way to the centre, splaying his hands for balance, like a tightrope walker he recalled from the distant past.

the tips of his feet knocked the chimney breast, and he lowered himself to the ground slowly, ignoring the sharp stones that dug through his jacket. it was silent up there. birds weaved in and our of the adjacent rooftops like shredded leaves on an autumn morning; the wind eased into a soft hum as it tumbled over the tiles; the incessant growl of inner-city traffic abated into a faint purr on the horizon's edge, out of reach from the solitary world above.

it was peaceful, and maybe that's why iwaizumi had found himself on the rooftop that afternoon. maybe that's why he decided to stay. up here, he could be what he wanted. he didn't have to be lost anymore.

the boy stretched out his arms with a yawn. the sky was a pastel explosion of quartz and lilac, bathing the rooftop in horizontal squares of light.

he wasn't sure how long he sat there for. the sun started to fall low in the sky, simmering on the horizon as the first two stars embellished the dusk, a pair of vermillion eye blinking sleepily from above.

more stars had peppered the horizon by the time he stirred to a new presence; soft vibrations hummed through the surface beneath him. he froze, his breaths falling in short intervals. footsteps made the tiles shiver beneath him.

heaving a sigh, iwaizumi got himself ready to leave, pushing up from his elbows and making to climb to his feet, when the newcomer cleared their throat.

"uhm, hi there."

iwaizumi picked up his head, brows wrestling into a frown as he ran over the features of the boy with fleeting interest. his facial structure was strong and defined, with high cheekbones and watery brown eyes. but there was something else - something that sent his mind tripping over itself to figure out. something about this boy seemed broken. not quite right.

his usual defences shackled his mind, and he dropped back down with a huff. he wasn't going to leave for this guy. "oi, this is my rooftop. go find your own," he mumbled, averting his eyes to focus on the slated roodtops beyond.

the boy appeared puzzled by iwaizumi's unnecessary hostility, pushing his lips into a pout. they were light pink and reminded iwaizumi of cotton candy in a way.

"do you live here?"

"no," he answered irritably.

the boy hummed under his breath, a smile flitting seamlessly to and fro on his lips. something about it seemed fake. like a lie practised over and over again, but still iwaizumi was able to see past the pretence. "then you can't tell me to leave."

iwaizumi release a troubled sigh, already climbing to his feet and dusting himself down. "then i guess i'll leave."

as he passed, the intruder instinctively reached out to grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

and then he saw it, and his heart stopped, just for a second.

because that look in his eyes - it was a familiar look. it was a look he saw often. it was a look he saw in the mirror.

this boy was looking for an escape, too.

he tried to shrug him off, but the boy braced his feet firmly, barring his path. "why can't we both sit here?"

iwaizumi's lips curled. he spoke with a gritted tone. "because i want to be alone."

"nobody wants to be alone."

iwaizumi's patience was wearing thin, like a jumper that had been washed too many times. "well i do, so let go."

the boy released his arm and moved aside, but iwaizumi could see the thoughts whirring in his head - a slight crease by his eye told him as much. he always did have a knack for noticing the small things.

nostrils flared for good measure, the tanned boy stomped past.

"you're up here to escape, right?"

something about the way he said it made iwaizumi stop mid-step, caught in a freeze-frame, his heart stammering loudly in his chest.

"what?" he snapped, nonetheless intrigued by the boy's meaning.

"why don't we... escape together? like i said - nobody wants to be alone."

iwaizumi felt the boy right beside him, yet neither of them had moved. it was as though he'd become more aware of him all of a sudden, his presence dominating every inch of the space between them.

iwaizumi swallowed, dismissing the boy's words and stumbling a few steps forward.

"stay, and escape from everything down there. that's why you're here, isn't it?" he continued, making iwaizumi pause again, as if he was a robot and the stranger was controlling his remote. "we don't have to tell anyone. you don't have to say a word. just stay."

iwaizumi felt breathless. his heart was struggling to keep up with the conflicting emotions in his chest.

yet he felt compelled.

this boy's words were like a spell, and he had no choice but to fall under his charm.

keeping his eyes on the ground, iwaizumi gritted a sigh and resumed his place by the chimney, drawing his knees up to his chin and gazing over the rooftops.

and as they sat together, silence weaving around them, the mysterious boy looked around and smiled.

"so how did you find this place?" the boy asked, moving to sit at the very edge of the rooftop. his legs swing to and fro against the guttering, inhaling the lights that danced below.

iwaizumi watched from afar, his chest feeling strange at how close the other boy was to the edge of the rooftop. one false step would trip him into the depth below. "dunno," he replied stiffly, throwing back his head to inspect the jigsaw of clouds above. "i saw the stairs and climbed them. thought it might get me away from everything down there."

the boy turned his head and rested his chin over his shoulder, his eyes finding iwaizumi's. they harboured the waning light of dusk for a second, before fading into complete darkness. "oh? and what is it you're running from?"

iwaizumi tightened his jaw forward, speaking in a loose murmur. "everything."

"hm. you haven't asked for my name yet."

"don't wanna know," he replied coldly, eyes narrowing as the brunette climbed to his feet and moved to sit next to him. the sudden flutter of movement stole over him with a cold breeze.

"oikawa. tooru oikawa," he said anyway.

iwaizumi felt oikawa's gaze on him, hollow and unsettling in the dark, and he shuffled back to put distance between them.

"tell me why you want to escape. why are you sad?" he asked in an almost-childish whine, picking up a stone by his shoe and rolling it between his fingers.

iwaizumi stiffened again, his defences up, trying hard to keep his eyes on the opposite rooftops. something was reflecting the moonlight off the chimney, a silver jewel buried amongst the crags of the tiles.

"i'm not."

oikawa smiled thinly. "you're a bad liar."

something in iwaizumi's chest snapped, swerving off course.

"not many people pick up on that," he said quietly, running a hand through his hair.

since when was a stranger able to read him so easily?

"no," he agreed, tipping his head back. "not many people do. shame, really. the world would be a happier place if people weren't so blind."

iwaizumi frowned. this boy was strange. he was intriguing and unsettling all at once. he didn't like it. he didn't like the way he was making him feel.

"i'm going to go now," he muttered bluntly, picking himself up and giving his legs a quick brush down.

"so soon?"

"yes."

"can you tell me your name first?"

iwaizumi stomped away. "no."

the boy - oikawa, the word tasted funny on his tongue - hummed quietly to himself, keeping his eyes on him the whole time. "i'll be here again tomorrow."

"i won't."