"Tsukishima, I like you."
That's how it started Tsukishima thought. "I like you." That's how they got to this, he thought standing on Kageyama's doorstep at two in the morning, his hand poised to knock on the hard wood door. He hesitated, he'd hurt Tobio the last time he'd seen him. "I was just playing around King, don't be so conceited." He'd said glaring down at the setter, watching his eyes glisten with unshed tears. He'd opened his mouth a few times as if starting to say something before running away, head down as he bolted for home. That had been two days ago and Tobio hadn't even so much as glanced in his general direction since.
Why did he say something so cruel? Because he was having doubts? Because his parents had almost disowned him when he'd told them he was dating a guy? Because Yamaguchi hadn't spoken to him since he'd told him? He'd gone home and cried himself to sleep, Tobio's devastated face following him into his dreams, his teary blues glancing at him in pain. Since when had he ever cared what anyone else thought of him to begin with?
"I like you." It had all felt too good to be true when Kageyama had cornered him after practice one day and confessed to him, Tsukishima had asked if it was a joke. Kageyama had looked at him like he'd kicked a kitten (Tobio being the kitten he'd kicked) and shaken his head. "Just forget it." Kageyama had said turning away, he'd reached out and caught Tobio's wrist before he could leave and had confessed right back and hugged the setter repeating his words. Kageyama had asked him what his motive was and he'd actually laughed at him he'd been so happy to be holding the setter; he didn't have a motive he'd told him. Tsukishima had liked him since the Seijoh practice match.
And he'd fucked it all up. "We should break up." They'd been down at the river after a movie and lunch and he'd just ruined everything he'd worked for, everything he'd wanted. Tobio had looked at him in shock and asked him why, "I was just playing King, don't be so conceited. Not everyone will worship the ground you walk on like the shrimp." He'd snapped. He'd wanted to follow him then, when he ran, he wanted to follow Tobio and beg forgiveness. He didn't mean it. Tsukishima had spent the next two days staring at his phone in the hopes Tobio would text or call him and debating whether or not he should initiate contact this time. He'd come to the conclusion that his calls would be ignored, voicemails deleted, emails left unread and texts left to sit unattended unless he went and fixed it the way he'd broken it. Face to face.
If they'd had school tomorrow he'd still be doing this now, Tsukishima thought backing away from the door, it was too late to knock, better to go directly where he needed to be. He was grateful for the mid semester break. He backed up to the fence, considered just leaving and ran for the wall of the house. He pushed up the wall and grabbed the edge of the roof below Tobio's window, hauled himself up and crouched on the tiles so his shadow wouldn't be projected across the street in the bright moon light as he slowly made his way towards Tobio's window and made himself comfortable beneath it.
"I like you."
He breathed in deep, filled his lungs with the cold, dry night air and exhaled heavily. Listening carefully Tsukishima could hear the light tap, tap, tap of leather hitting skin. Tobio was awake. He reached up and tapped on the window three times, sure to make them loud enough to not pass off as random noise of the night. The tapping from within the room stopped, a thud had the ball dropping to the floor and the rustling had Tobio out of bed and crossing the room to the window with muffled pads of his feet on his grey carpet.
The scowl he sent Tsukishima when he saw his face out his window could curdle milk. He unlocked the window and slid it open to silence, resting one hand on the side windowsill, his other falling to his side. Tobio had slightly puffy eyes rimmed in red, his hair was tousled as if it hadn't been brushed in a few days and the paths from his eyes to his chin drilled into Tsukishima's mind and froze in time, his sad eyes, not angry, not annoyed or irritated, not disappointed, sad, they were just... sad. The more Kei looked the sadder Tobio became in his silence, his lips quivered and quaked and his breath hitched before he strangled it into control and schooled his face into a blank expression.
"What are you doing here Tsukishima?" He asked and god it was wrong. It was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. His name being spat like before they'd gotten together, he hadn't heard his family name from Tobio for months, it was wrong. Kei's mouth turned down as his eyes closed, he hung his head and pressed a hand to his mouth as the warmth in his chest became too much, the lump in his throat pushed to the surface and his body shook. If asked he'd say it was the chill of the wind, nobody had to know there was barely a breeze that night.
"Why are you here?" Kageyama snapped adopting a frown and his normal sharp glare.
"I-..."
"Well." He demanded.
"I'm sorry!.." Tsukishima yelled, his voice broke; he buried his face in his hands and hunched over to hide his face. Tobio crossed his arms and hardened his glare.
"You're sorry?" He hissed, "Tsukishima you... you're sorry!" He had no words to fill his sentence; Tsukishima knew exactly what he'd done.
"I know Tobio, I know. I hurt you; I said horrible things to you and I... I'm so sorry; I didn't mean any of it. I cracked under the pressure, Yamaguchi won't even look at me without disgust and betrayal in his face, and my parents have said horrible things about us. I'm sorry, I was weak, Tobio I-"
"Come in." Tsukishima stopped his rant, his head snapping up at Tobio's words, he looked uncertain and scared. Kei despised that look.
"What?"
"I said come in." He replied stepping back from the window to allow him room to climb in. Slowly, Kei got to his feet and clumsily climbed in through the window knocking a knee and both his shoulders against the tiny window frame, tiny compared to him.
Kageyama turned his back on Kei, walked to his bed and sat down on the edge. They stared at each other in silence, Kei shifting from foot to foot, Tobio crossing his arms and ankles until he sighed and pat the spot next to him on the bed.
"Come here."
"Tobio-"
"Come here Tsukishima."
Tsukishima bowed his head and walked over slowly, taking his time and gingerly sitting down next to him right where Tobio had specified. They sat in silence going on near ten minutes before Kageyama broke the silence again.
"I forgive you." He said. Tsukishima's head whipped from the floor to face him, his expression morphed into astonishment.
"Tobio, I said horrible things to you that day! How can you possibly just forgive me that easily?!" He exclaimed. Kageyama shrugged and turned to him with a watery smile.
"I guess I figured that you wouldn't be here if you were 'just playing around', Kei." Kei's arms wrapped Tobio up before he'd even registered what he was doing; he buried his face in Tobio's neck muttering his apologies through ecstatic sobs. Tobio circled his arms around Kei's body, pulled him closer and shifted over to the tall blonde so their thighs were pressed against one another.
"I'm sorry Tobio, I love you, please..."
"I love you to Kei."
Kei sniffed and pulled back to wipe his nose and eyes on his jacket sleeve, afterwards, shedding the layer and leaving it on the ground beside the bed. He cupped Tobio's face and leaned in, gently pressing his lips against the setters before he pulled back again. Tobio scooted away, over to the wall and lay down with his head on the pillow.
"You can stay the night Kei." He said pulling Kei down by his shirt collar. Kei smiled and complied, removed his shoes and socks and lay down beside him. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly parted as his tongue darted out to moisten his dry lips, Kei leaned forward and kissed him again. He moved closer, slipped his arm under Tobio's middle and rested his other along the length of Tobio's back. One of Tobio's arms draped over his side the other slipping into the same position Kei's own was in under his body, they intertwined their legs to a comfortable position and sighed in content.
"I really do love you Tobio."
"Got to sleep Kei." He grumbled. Kei pinched Tobio's shoulder and smirked when he felt Tobio whine through his chest.
"Kei, I really do love you to."
